Guest Chanukah Shiur from Rav Daniel Kalish - Rising Above the Supernatural

1:39 Last time there was more notice. I underestimated how popular Zahava is. That was an underestimation. But... I'm sitting. I'm not such a public speaker. I'm not coming here to speak. I really want to share thoughts on Hanukkah. If I stand, it's like a public drusha. That's not what I want to do. I want to share real honest thoughts on Hanukkah and practical things that you and I can work on. I want to get better this Hanukkah. I want to have an experience, Hanukkah, that in six months from now, I'm a better person because of Hanukkah, because of the thoughts about Hanukkah. And every year and every Yom Tov, when we travel through a Yom Tov, to try to, in a practical way, with our own experiences, every year that the day hits you, based on your experiences, based on what you're going through, you notice different things, it hits you in different ways, and to try to really grow from the Chag through the Chag.

2:36 Thank you. To be a better person. So I want to share some thoughts about Hanukkah. I want to thank everybody for coming out on pretty short notice to come out to learn Torah. has things to do and parties to be at that people came to study Tyre is impressive it speaks about everybody here you must be similar to this family and I want to thank the Weinberg family they're just people that want to grow really want to grow in such a comfortable healthy positive way I have a passion. for that that's that's worthy of joining and being a part of so we all should be zeichat everybody here should be zeichat to grow in an exciting positive happy way to be happy positive and we all should merit that, I want to ask a couple of questions if somebody this week forgets Alanisim, They're benching and they forget Al-Nissim. It happens. We try not to, but we're not used to saying Al-Nissim. We don't say it all year. And if somebody forgets Al-Nissim, so Chazal instituted, it's Paschan, it's a Ramah, it's how we Paschan. There's a Harachaman you say at the end of benching if you forget Al-Nissim. What do you say? Harachaman, the merciful one, Hashem, who yasel on Anissim. Hashem should do miracles for us the same way he did for our fathers the same way back in the day, on these days, they had miracles. Hashem should perform miracles for us.

4:08 And the basic question, fascinating. We pray to Hashem, if you forget Al-Nissim, you pray to Hashem, do miracles for us. Harachaman, merciful one, yasel on Anissim, please do miracles for us. That is outstanding and shocking. It's an open gemara in Brachas, in Parak HaRaya, the Inal Adavim for Miracles. Somebody I'm very, very close to. I was a bachar, I was a zayche, we learned together for three years. I taught in Beis Medrash, he was in my shiur for three years, we learned for three years. We always dreamed of having a from community. We dreamed of having a community, everybody's from and everybody wants to grow. And we used to talk about it, we're allowed to dream together, and he was in my shiur, we used to dream. Then one day, ten years ago, he was married with children, it was a beautiful family, he said, let's do it. I said, let's do it, why aren't we joking and just dreaming? And he did it. He built a little community, we have 45 families, we live on a mountain, he blew the top off a mountain.

5:10 that had trees on it, he blew off the top, and we built 45 houses, we have a little community. He today, this guy today, Baruch Hashem, had a baby girl. Baruch Hashem, he had a baby girl. And the din is, let's say, I don't know why anybody would do this. To me, my daughter, I left her tonight. She's precious. Her name is Rina. She would love to meet you. She would have good things to say and would just want to be here. I came from Muncie, so she couldn't be here. But he had a baby girl. And the Gemara says if somebody has a girl, their wife's expecting a girl, and they pray that it should turn into a boy, says the Gemara, you're not allowed to do that. First of all, because it's not smart. The baby girl is wonderful. And second of all, you're not allowed to pray for a miracle. If it's a boy, it doesn't turn into a girl. If it's a girl, it doesn't turn into a boy. You're not allowed to pray for a miracle. Says the Gemara, we don't pray for miracles. That's the Gemara in Brachas. So the question is, the Tfu Asher, if you want a name attached to it,

6:12 asks, the Tfu Asher asks, what are we davening on Hanukkah for miracles? It's against the basic tenet of Yiddishkeit that you don't pray for miracles. A matter of fact, if miracles happen, it's The Gemara Bracha says it costs you, you lose You lose merits. So why in the world, on Hanukkah, if you forget Do you pray for miracles? Why are we praying for miracles? That's question number one. It's against, you never will. show me another prayer that we pray for miracles. If somebody would ask you, show me one time in any Seder where you pray openly for miracles. We thank Hashem for miracles. But to pray for a miracle, we don't pray for miracles. We pray that Hashem does things in a manner that looks by nature, natural. We don't pray for miracles. The one time that I know of that we pray for miracles on Hanukkah, if you forget, You're supposed to say.

7:17 Hashem, please perform miracles for us. And ask the Tfuah Asher that that's against everything that's against the Gemara Barachas. We don't have them for miracles. Question number one. I'm going to talk about this tonight. This is the main theme. There are other things in my mind that maybe we'll get to, maybe we won't. But this is the main thing I want to address. Why in Hanukkah we're praying for a miracle. The next question I want to ask you is I want to talk a little about Yosef HaTzadik. There's a tremendous relationship between Yosef HaTzadik and Hanukkah. It's certainly not for naught that every year we read the Parshas Miketz on Shabbos Hanukkah, as we will this coming Shabbos. There's a tremendous relationship. In Kabbalah, Svarim Yaakov Avinu very much connects to Hanukkah and Yosef HaTzadik. As a matter of fact, the Rebbez, the Torah has a Rebbez to every future event. The Rebbez to Hanukkah is in Parshas Miketz concerning Yosef HaTzadik. Tavuach v'hochen, his words where it says by Yosef HaTzadik, the last letter of Tavuach is Ches, v'hochen, those are Isis, Chanukah, don't write that down, don't remember that, I don't know, Machshav or Kabbalah, but the Chanukah is very connected to Yosef and Yaakov, but I want to say the following thought about Yosef HaTzadik.

8:38 Yosef HaTzadik in this coming week's parasha, so he tells Pari as follows, Pari has the famous dream, and Yosef says that you're going to have seven years of plenty, and then seven years of famine is going to follow the seven good years. Says Yosef HaTzadik to Pari, what you should do is, during the seven years of plenty, appoint a novan v'chochem, an intelligent discerning person. Who? Who will run Mitzrayim. Get a very bright fellow who's going to run Mitzrayim. This bright person will know economics and know how to save up money and save up grains. And then in the years of hunger, they'll supply the country. That's the answer that Yosef HaTzadik tells Parai. Now when Parai meets Yosef HaTzadik, Yosef HaTzadik does something amazing. It's my favorite word in the Torah, bar none. It's my favorite word in the Torah. When Yosef HaTzadik speaks to Parai, Parai pulls him out of jail and says to him, I heard amazing things about you. And he says a word that's precious. He says, Bilodai, it's not me, I have nothing. It's all Hashem. Bilodai, it's not me. Elohim, I'm not amazing. There's nothing spectacular about me. It's all Hashem. Bilodai, it's not me. That's the beautiful word. Bilodai means besides for me. It has nothing to do with me. When I think of Bilodai,

10:10 I think of my Oma, my grandmother. My grandmother went through a difficult life. When she was 16, she grew up very, very wealthy. And she had a beautiful family. And at 16, she was alone in the world. She had a brother in another end of the world. And the Nazis, your Masha Mom killed out her family. And she was left penniless. She was in England alone in the world, went through crazy things. As an alone, her brother was in a different part of the world. She later found him. But the rest of her family was taken. And she built a beautiful life. And she was a remarkable person. And when you said to Oma, I want to thank you for something, she always, she didn't talk a lot, her best friend in the world was Hashem, she was very close to Hashem, she was a normal, intelligent, wonderful person, whose best friend uniquely was Hashem, that was her best friend in the world. And if you said, Oma, thank you for something, she pointed up, if you were lucky to get the response, which often we did, we wanted this response, and she would say, Erbishter, that's how she said it, a unique way of saying Hashem, said, Oma, thank you for the meal, she just pointed her finger up, Erbishter, it's Hashem.

11:22 I always think the word Bilodai, it's not me, it's all Hashem, thank Hashem, Bilodai. Yisra said, Erbishter, I picture my Oma pointing up, it's Hashem. Para gets Yisra, I heard him. There are amazing things about you, I need your help. There's nothing to me. Nothing. I'm close to Hashem. Close to Hashem. I'm an Erebuch person. If Hashem puts something in my head, if He doesn't, then I'm not so smart. I don't have so many talents. I'm Erebuch. I'm sincere. But Hashem, I'm a person of closeness to Hashem. That's what He does. Bilodai. If you're looking at a guy, if you're expecting a superhero, Parai, to come, I heard you're a crazy person. They're mamish in jail talking about you in superlatives. Amazing what they're saying about you. Yosef says, Bilodai, Parai, you don't know me. I'm just an Erebuch person. That's what Yosef says. Comes Parai, tells him his dream. Yosef interprets the dream.

12:24 Now that Hashem taught you all this, now that Hashem told you the interpretation of my dream, I'm going to translate the way I thought my whole life. There's nobody as smart and discerning as you. You're the smartest and most discerning fellow I've ever met. There's nobody smart and discerning like you. So I asked my father, I asked my father, how is he smart and discerning? Did Pari understand? Yes, he said, I don't know anything. I'm not smart. I don't have talents. I just am Ereloch. What Hashem tells me, I follow. And Parai digests that. Parai says, You have an inner world with Hashem and Hashem told you? Nobody's as smart and as intelligent, as discerning and smart. He just said, I'm not smart and discerning. Hashem tells me stuff. He puts things in my head. And Parai acknowledges it's from Hashem.

13:30 So what do you mean? So I asked my father, what does it mean? What does it mean? He just said he's not so intelligent. And Parai acknowledges that. That Hashem tells you stuff. You're not a super genius. You figure it out. You're Erelech and Hashem is nice to people who are close to him. So my father said, Daniel, did you look at Rashi? I said, yes. But my father said, you didn't understand what Rashi's saying. I said, true. If you look at the Rashi on the spot, Rashi on Ein Novem V'chachem K'moicha says, There's nobody, Pesach Shadon the Pesach, is nobody as smart as you. There's no discerning, intelligent person like you. Says Rashi, to seek a like you said, I never found like you. What's Rashi eating? That's the Pesach. Rashi doesn't just talk to talk. What did Rashi address? What did he ask? What did he answer?

14:32 What did Rashi say? To seek a like you said, I mean that's the Pesach. What is Rashi addressing? If you look at the Rashi, you'll see it's troubling what Rashi is getting at. Explain my father to me that Rashi is learning a new Pesach in the Pesach. Rashi is saying, you Yosef said I need discerning and smart. Why would I want. You said to run my country. get somebody smart. That means you're the best. I don't want a I'd rather you. I would take an Ehrlich a person any day of the week over a Give me brilliant, smart, genius. What do I care? You're Ehrlich. You're honest. You said to run the country get a genius. No matches you, Yosef. You're an Isha like him. You have integrity. You're sincere. You want to do what's right. I don't value any genius. All the gifts are valueless compared to a person who has integrity. Who's sincere, who's honest. If I was asking advice in eights in life, and I had two people to ask, a genius, a brilliant mind and IQ for the ages, or a person who had a lower than average IQ, but is sincere, is an authentic person,

16:05 I would any day of the week ask advice from an authentic person. Any day, Monday, Tuesday, Shabbos, Sunday, any day of the week. You could be a genius, but you're so limited when it's not connected to Hashem. And a person who's bottled, who has an honesty, in learning, in learning this morning, I sat with a group of guys and we learned for hours. The best learner, one after another, special gaze. But the specialist learner, the most that I trust, the svaras in learning, their logic in learning, is the person who says, Yer Shamayim, who's an authentic person. What does Hashem want? What does Hashem mean? A person can be a genius, but if you're owned by biases, if you have agendas. So all your brilliance, but you're owned with agendas. What's more powerful than all the brilliance in the world is sincerity, Yer Shamayim. That's what Pari said to Yosef. You told me I should get a genius, a novim v'chachem, I want you. Because you're Ereloch.

17:08 Because you're an Isha Elohim. I see you're a man who says, Bilodai, no ego, no biases. Bilodai, it's not about me. It's never about you. You're an honest, authentic person. You're not selling yourself. It's not for your own, look at me. You're just about what's right. You were a 17-year-old who came to Egypt, who had every opportunity for sin. Every opportunity. Everybody wanted Yosef to do Averus. And you stayed authentic. You saw the most deucan of your father. You kept the visual of your father and stayed an honest, real person. I would take you any day of the week over brilliance. We just summed up the entire Hanukkah, my friends. We just summed up. That's Hanukkah. The Greeks believe in the Teva, in nature, in natural, in human being, for who he is, for who she is, for what they are. Stronger is better. Smarter is better. Natural, natural.

18:09 The Greeks are all about natural. What's natural? The smarter one, the prettier one, the stronger one, the bigger one. That's what the Greeks believed. In Greek philosophy, they took disabled people and murdered them. That's documented. Anything deficient, the priest of Greek was the athlete, the stronger, more powerful. That was celebrated in the world of Yavan. Yavan was all about the physical. The Ramban said there were rational thinkers, Aristotle and his students, who Alexander the Great was one of his students. And they were all about rational, what you see is what you get. That which is stronger, that which is bigger, natural, Teva. They underestimated the ability to connect beyond nature, connect to Hashem. They didn't understand that the Isha Elohim is much more powerful than the Novan V'chacham. You can be bright and intelligent and all the wonderful physical qualities,

19:13 when it's not connected to Hashem. When there's not more than this world connected to Hashem, so then it's not as strong. The physical qualities don't match up to you, Yosef, who have something that comes out of this world, that's beyond this world, a connection to Hashem. The Meneirah represents, that's a Gemara on Shabbos, I'm not getting involved why this is so, that's a fact, the Gemara Shabbos, Chabez and Mabez, says what is the Meneirah? The Meneirah represents, the Gemara says, do we need the light of the Meneirah? To teach entire world that Hashem is attached to the Jewish people, we have a connection to Hashem and that is our power, we're not the opposite of Yavan, we also value physical gifts, physical gifts are important, strength is important, looks can count, physicality can count, when and only when it's dedicated to Hashem. When it connects, when it goes beyond nature, when it goes beyond this world, it connects to Hashem.

20:34 When it connects to Hashem, then it's precious, then it's important, then it has meaning. When it connects to Hashem. When she has Yir Hashemayim, then the minus, then even physical attributes matter and are precious and have value. But when it stands, When there's no sincerity, there's no isbatlos to Hashem. There's no authentic want to be close to Hashem. To dedicate my gifts to Hashem, the physical doesn't matter. The rabbi bad ma'atim, the mass given over to the few, is not a side point. Oh, it's so cute on Hanukkah. A big army fell to a small army. That's not a side point to Hanukkah. The Greeks who were about more is better, physical, saw that all the physical big that was disconnected to God crumbles to the few who are connected to Hashem. Because the connection to Hashem is not a connection to God. Connection to Hashem is more powerful.

21:40 Hanukkah is all about miracles. Hanukkah is eight days. In Moshavah, seven represents physical. Eit represents supernatural. Eit represents L'mal U'manatev, higher than nature. Chanukah is all about the supernatural. Specifically the miracle happens with the M'neira, which the Gemara Shabbos tells us is about Hashra, Shechina, B'Yisro, that Hashem is connected to the Jewish people. We're Shaikht the supernatural. I want to say, it's based on a Yeshuas Yankiv, one of the Pesachim. I want to say that on Chanukah you can pray for miracles. It's based on Yeshuas Yaakov, but not for a miracle for our selfishly. I want a miracle for you, Hashem. I want to show connection to Hashem that we're shaykh to miracles, we're shaykh to supernatural. We are a people, you and I, of supernatural. It's not just about the natural, supernatural, l'ma l'ma na teva, above nature. We are shaykh to supernatural. On Hanukkah, we pray for miracles.

22:45 All year round, you don't pray for miracles. On Hanukkah, we are to battle the Greek against us, the Yavon, the Yavoni who says, just natural, there's no shaykh, it's the something beyond. On Hanukkah, we pray for miracles. You and I are about miracles, about above nature, doing beyond. The Rambam says that most Goyim don't believe in Bechira. It's a Rambam. He says that Goyim don't believe, he says many Yidin don't believe in Bechira. They believe what's natural. What do you want? I have a tendency for this. My nature, what do you want? My nature is to say the Lashon Hara. My nature is to get down. My nature, what do you want? Natural. We are a people of supernatural. We don't believe in natural. We believe in supernatural. I haven't had the chance to read all the Harry Potters, but I think good yidn have an attraction to that because we believe in a world of magic. You don't need to read Harry Potters. My kids read it. They say I should read it. But Harry, we believe in supernatural.

23:48 We believe in it. We're a people. Those that hope, get an exchange of power. They get a new limb like an eagle. They get new powers. People resign. This is the way I'm naturally. And they shrug. I can't stand that. I always feel in a school when we reject the kid struggling, I never feel you hurt the kid struggling. Never. That kid struggling will find himself become bigger than the whole class. You know, you kill the rest of the class. Because they don't believe in miracles. They think we're just natural. So he's a struggler. Get him out of here. She's a struggler. Get her out of here. Never. That's not Jewish. We're a people. That's Greek. That's a Greek person. We're not Greeks. We believe in supernatural. Supernatural. Greece is not all bad. Physical is not bad. It has a great place in the world of connection to Hashem.

24:51 Yosef had physical attributes. Plenty. But the power of Yosef was he was a person that was close to Hashem. Hashem Itay. In the words of Chazal, The name of Hashem was always in his mouth. He was connected to Hashem. That gives meaning and power and value to all the physical gifts. Matisyo and his sons fought a war, a physical war. But what gave them power is a belief in Hashem. What gave them power is a sense. that they were sincere people who believed in Hashem. What I want to say, all of us, when you're sitting Hanukkah in front of the Neiris, your family is lighting Neiris Hanukkah, and you want to do something Hanukkah, you want to feel Hanukkah, don't accept limitations. Don't say, shucks, I'm stuck. I'm stuck. My nature is that I'm stuck in a certain place. That's Greek thinking. Greek thinking is you are who you are and you're stuck. In the world of physical, of limited, where the Rabbim always beat the Ma'aten,

25:52 more is better, and the Rabbim always beat, we're from a different world. We're from a world of miracles, you and I. Of miracles, of L'malom and Atteva. Our existence is miraculous to Jewish people. And we're a people that believes that when somebody connects to Hashem, it's much more powerful than the physical. So it's true in my nature. Naturally, I do this. We can rise. We are sitting in the presence of girls. There's a group of girls here. And this whole mishpacha is about people, growing people. And I'm here tonight because this group is a Chanukah group. Zahav and her friends are Chanukah people. They're about growing and adding. It's not just, this is the way I am. If you see me tomorrow, I'm going to be better than today. What do you mean? That's not natural. It's never natural to grow because I wasn't that way yesterday. But we're nisim, we're miracles. We're above nature, we're beyond. We grow, we add to our game. It's not who you saw. If you knew me yesterday, you don't know me today.

26:53 I always, I hope guys think I'm joking. I'll introduce a Bacher to somebody else. He said, I know him already. I said, do you know him today? He said, ha ha. I'm not kidding. You don't know him today, you don't know him. A Greek guy, if you knew him yesterday, you know him today. Not a Yid. We're Yidden. Supernatural. What do you mean? I know, I know what his nature is. You know what his nature, who lives with nature. People who hope to Hashem, who are sincere, break the normal laws of nature. Nature doesn't apply to natural. It's true naturally, but we're beyond nature. Any grown person, you can't believe it. I knew the guy, I knew her. You know what she did yesterday? You knew her, you don't know we're Yidden. We're connection to Hashem, sincerity, that breaks through the normal rules of tether. Chanukah is a time for tremendous Gevurah, tremendous strength, that breaks through Teva. Yosef HaTzadik, who every instinct, it says, Yosef HaTzadik, who every instinct was to do the Avera,

27:56 but he's a world of supernatural connection to Hashem, sincerity. A prayer to Hashem, pray to Hashem to help us in our struggles. Hashem, help me out, pray to Hashem to help us. And pray for miracles, pray for miracles. All year round you can pray for ruchnias. Today we openly, Hashem, do open miracles, things that are impossible, pray for it. Not for myself. Hashem, I want to show the Greeks this is not a world of nature, naturally. We're a world of supernatural, beyond this, you Hashem, Hashem Zekol Yochol. Pray for miracles. On Hanukkah, we pray for miracles. Not for ourselves. To show that we're not limited and constrained by the natural. Show there's not a world limited to natural. There's a world that's the capacity of beyond natural. It's no coincidence, nothing is, that the word nes means miracle is the same word nesionis, challenges. It's the same idea. A nes is miraculous, is the ability, a nes is a miracle above the nature. And a nesionis is when a person rises above their nature. And the third meaning of the word nes is a flagpole. The sun nes, lakavis gilesenu. A flagpole announces existence. You put down a flagpole and say, oh, they must be there, that country's there. A flag announces my existence. My country's here, I've captured this. A flagpole announces existence. A nes announces Hashem exists. You got used to Teva, which is all Hashem anyway.

29:28 But you got used to it and Hashem goes supernatural. Whoa, it was always you, Hashem. I got used to you. So he announces his existence. A nesayan for us is to go above our natures. We become a creator. When I just do what Hashem created, so I'm just going with my Teva. When I do supernatural, I exist. I'm also a creator like Hashem. I create beyond what Hashem made me. That's why Avram Avinu passes in a say and he says, Hineni, I'm here. I'm ready to go beyond the natural. Hineni, Hineni means existence. Hineni, I exist. I'm putting down my flag to announce my existence. existence, to go beyond supernatural. Of course, I always need Hashem's help. Chanukah is a time for a person to say to themselves, I can push further. I can go more. I can overcome my nature. It's true, naturally, I have this deficiency. Don't we all? We all have challenges. And in that area, I'm going to hope to Hashem.

30:31 I'm going to pray to Hashem. And I'm going to get assistance from Hashem to be supernatural. And that's our ability. We're not limited by the amount we know. More, bigger, more powerful is not what wins. The connection to Hashem is what wins. All the intelligence, the physical gifts, don't match up to a Yosef HaTzadik, a person who is shy to more than nature. So on Chanukah, let us all find work in any challenge, in any area we feel stuck. Understand this is a holiday we pray for miracles. We are shy with the help of Hashem, to rise above challenges. We're shy to go further than the natural. And that's everything we stand for in the big mistake of Yav Hakadosh Baruch Hakadosh. Yav Hakadosh Baruch Hakadosh Baruch Hakadosh, nature, that's it. And what's bigger in nature wins and what's smaller in nature loses. No suri. No sheker. It's a lie. So that's the first message. What time do we have until Zahra? Where's Jeff? I heard the voice.

31:39 I want to share a thought. I want to share a thought with everybody here that's on my mind these days. I'll tell you why I came to this thought. I typically don't share dress. In learning, I like chat. And I like sharing from my Rebbe, my father and my Rebbe I share from. That's what I like saying. I'm going to share a drash with you because it's on my mind these days. And I ask what you think about it. The idea is not drash. The idea is emes and a pasuk. But the way I'm showing it in attire is drash. Admittedly, it's drash. So I want to share with you as follows. I'll tell you why the thought came to me. We're in a little bit of a predicament with the yeshiva by us. And I'm trying to deal with big picture meetings and all different things that the yeshiva needs to get open. But in the interim, the yeshiva is temporarily not open. So I've been going around. I went to Baltimore, I went to Brooklyn twice,

32:40 I went to Muncie twice to try to make events for the guys that we should get together and learn. So my wife asked me about it, that here, be busy with the big picture. She said, forget the small picture. Okay, that's the situation, but deal with the big picture. I started thinking big picture, small picture. And I want to share with you something that I think is life-changing. If everybody would bear with me for two minutes as follows. Every single one of us came home one day, we were a little kid in school. School is great, and school teaches a lot of memorization. My little kids come home wonderfully, with all the things they were taught in school, wonderful things. School doesn't always bring out creativity. We have many kids in a class, it doesn't always bring out the unique thoughts of each one. My job as a parent, I want each of my kids to shine, and I want them to think each uniquely. What do you think? What are you about? Who are you? What do you like? I want each one to think uniquely. So I like asking my kids questions at the Shabbos table that bring out, let them discuss things that bring who they are out.

33:44 Not just memorization. So every kid memorized in school, Yaakov prepares for the fight with Esav in three ways. Doyren, gifts, he has gifts for Esav. He prepares with tefillah, with prayer. And mocham, for battle. He prepares in three ways. Gifts. Prayer and battle. That's why kids come home. Everybody here, all your siblings came home. When you were little, you came home with that. You know what bothers me? The question, what are they saying three things? There are two things. You pray and you do effort. Part of battle is, of course, any type of government intervention, any preventative manners you can avoid the war. Of course you do. What are Chazal teaching us three things? As a matter of fact, it's a din. It's Paskin. It's based on Pesukim and Dvarim. That when a Yid fights a war, you have to first give an opportunity for peace. It's a Pesuk. You have to give an opportunity for peace.

34:49 So what are Chazal telling us? Yaakov did three things. Gifts, which means he tried to avoid diplomacy. He tried to avoid war. Two, is he prayed? And three, prepared for war. I mean, that's what it means. When you prepare, I have a fourth one. You know, fighting a war, there are different strategies. Why doesn't it bring seven ways he prepared? I'm sure he had many battle plans in war. Me and Shu, I like football a lot. The football team, there's many strategies to win a game. You need all different, you know the game plan? To fight a war is an extensive book. So what does it say he prepared in three ways? We said in 15 ways, 100,000 ways. He said to the Shvatim, you six go here. You guys do a fly pattern. You cut around the bat. So give us all his different strategies. The answer is, all that is included in war. So gifts are included. Diplomacy is part of war. What does Kaelish learn that he prepared in three ways? I'm not smarter. All your siblings came home. Shu came home, he prepared in three ways. What did we learn?

35:49 Why are we smarter? Gifts, there's two ways. Ishtadlos and prayer. How are you smarter? Because it said three ways. He gave gifts to Esau, diplomacy, try to avoid the war, and a strategy to fight it. That's all part of milchama. Milchama and prayer. He did everything. If it would have just said milchama and prayer, I promise you I would know that he also tried diplomacy. That's a dinner matter of fact in Devarim. That when you fight a war, you have to try diplomacy. So why in the world? What are we learning? I don't know the answer. I've been bothered by his kasha for years. I want my kids to think about that. That I have no idea. Teach me something. You come home, you memorize something great. And it's wonderful. Three ways. They're right. Chazal said it. What did Chazal teach in Kailash? What am I smarter now? Gifts, diplomacy, prayer, and war. Isn't diplomacy part of war? So I admit I don't know the answer. I have no idea. And you could tell me that Torah is teaching you, Chazal is teaching you that you should first do diplomacy.

36:51 I think the order is strange, by the way. Diplomacy first, then prayer, then the whole orders is strange to me. What's going on here? I admit I don't know the answer to the question. I'm going to tell you an answer that's drash. It's not Pashup Shat. Admittedly, if somebody has Pashup Shat, please call me and tell me, please. Because I don't know Pashup Shat. I'm going to say a Pashat that's drash. It's not simple Pashat. But it's 100% true, the idea that's a Pashuk. I just don't think that it's simple Pashat to answer this question. I believe that all of us, when we face challenging situations, we always think how are we getting out of the situation. We have a situation with the yeshiva. So I'm doing two things. I'm praying, prayer. Somebody has a situation with yeshiva, pray and effort. We're meeting the government, doing all the effort needs to be done. Prayer and eshtadlus. Great, aren't I doing great? Somebody, Rahman al-Islam, has a medical condition. So they pray and they go to the doctor.

37:53 They're doing great, no? Eshtadlus and prayer. Excellent. Somebody needs parnasa. They pray baruch aleinu and they look for jobs. Somebody needs a sherech. They go to a shadch and they pray. They pray, they go to a shadch. Excellent, you're doing great. I think we're missing something in our lives. I want to share something with everybody here that I think is life-changing. I think so. We say in kriyashma every single day, serve Hashem b'chol mo'idecha. It says rashi tu pshatim, all your money. We forget pshatu. Rashi says serve Hashem in every condition that He sends you. Life is full of different conditions, all different circumstances that Hashem puts us in. And the goal is in every circumstance, through this circumstance, serve Hashem. I believe when we have challenges, we all think of ways of escape, which is right, you're allowed to do that. A person sick, they're allowed to think, God, get me out of this situation, I need out, I need out.

39:01 Yosef had tzaddik in jail, he certainly did eshtadlus, there's nothing wrong he said to remember. Zachar and Zachartani did too much eshtadlus. You do effort to get out of jail, and two, you pray, he did both. But there's a third thing you're supposed to do that I believe you and I always forget to do. When we're in a predicament, all our thoughts are escaped from this predicament. I need out. I need out. It's a normal thought. You're okay. You're normal and you're allowed to think that. And pray your brains out. To get out of it, it's totally fine. Turn your desperation into prayer. Turn your frustration into prayer. Nothing wrong. You're doing what's right. Pray and do efforts. Nothing wrong. Hashem wants us to do ishtadlos. Pray and effort. Nothing wrong. I believe there's a question you and I have to start asking ourselves. How can I bring Kiddushamayim in this situation? Hashem put me here. In what way can I sanctify Hashem's name specifically through and in this situation?

40:04 It's true I want out, and I'm allowed to want out, and I'll pray to get out, and I'll do efforts to get out. But I'm also going to ask myself, within this situation, how can I bring Kiddush Hamein? Is there something uniquely B'chol Moidecho? It's a Pasuk. B'chol Mido Mido Shumaydeh L'cho, in every condition that Hashem meets out to me. In this situation, Hashem put me in, how can I be Mekadoshim Shamayim? It's a new thought all of us can have all our lives. Is there some unique Kiddush Shamayim I can bring in my situation? That's a whole different way of thinking. There's all the escape thoughts which are inbounds and allowed and should be had. How do I get out of this? The couple, the young couple wants children. Inbounds, prayer, pray for children. Fertility doctors, inbounds. Also ask myself, in this situation, is there a kid to Shamayim I can make specifically through and because of this situation? Is there some way I can sanctify Hashem's name? He put me in this, that's B'chol Moidecha.

41:11 That's loving Hashem and serving Hashem through our different situations of life. The drash that I want to share, and this is not simple pshat, is that Yaakov prepared in three ways. Two of them are flight. Prayer and melchama is to get out of the situation. Included in melchama was diplomacy. Prayer and diplomas is the third way he prepared his deiren, his gifts to Esav. Maybe Hazal or saying trash, that he gave gifts to Esav. He said, I'm in a sitch with my brother Esav. He's coming at me. This is dangerous. This is scary. You know, in this situation, maybe it calls to work with Esav a little bit. The gifts to Esav, that this situation, that was the first response, deiren, the gifts to Esav. Maybe this situation is telling me, I've had situations with a child of mine. So you pray, you do the efforts. And then I say to myself, why does Shem make this issue? Maybe I'm supposed to give this child more attention. Maybe the situation itself is telling me something.

42:11 So I just stop, give the kid more attention. Nothing to do with the situation. To try to find what is the kid, the Shamayim, that this situation points me to, or specifically in this situation I can make. That's a question all our lives I believe we should ask ourselves. Certainly to try to get out of the situation through effort and prayer, but to ask in this situation, is there something I can do that I can't normally do? Is there something that the situation itself brings me towards, leads me towards acceptance of situation, and from the situation bringing out a new kid, the Shamayim. That's a very important question, I think, that we have to ask ourselves. Is there pshat here? I don't know. In the three ways, now I understand three ways. Two are ways of flight, prayer and effort. And the third has nothing to do with getting out of the situation, the gifts, the response to yes to the situation. I'm in it. Maybe Hashem's pointing me to work on the relationship with Esau. It's not posh pshat.

43:13 Chazal criticized maybe the doyer, and it's a discussion in Chazal. I will tell you that there's a medrash that says that the doyer and his k'neged v'chom v'idecha. Somebody showed me a medrash. That's pretty cool. That might support the drash, but I don't know. But this idea, on that I'm convinced, that's a pasik, b'chol m'idecha. This idea and the vicissitudes, the difficulties of life, certainly pray to get out of and certainly do efforts. Also ask Hashem while I'm in the situation, the small picture. That's what the discussion with my wife. helped me clarify. I was thinking the big picture of escape to get out of the situation and the small picture of what I do from the situation. And I think that's something in all the challenges of our lives. It's a world of challenges, a beautiful world of kindness of Hashem. But in all the challenges, how can I grow from the challenge? How can I be mekad v'shem shamayim within this challenge? Though of course I'm going to pray to get out of it and of course I'm going to do effort to get out of it. But while I'm in it, is there a kiddush shamayim I can make?

44:14 I think that's very in bounds and that's what I wanted to share with all of us, a thought that we can have within the challenges of life. Why is that Chanukah related for us? It doesn't have to be. It was just something on my mind. But I do want to say that we're talking about Chanukah of overcoming challenges, miracles. Overcoming challenges, I wanted to talk about another idea that reminds me of when we're in a challenge. Not just trying to escape from it, but bringing Kiddushamayim through my challenge and within my challenging situation. Always taking myself and connecting to Hashem. Talk to Hashem. Daven to Hashem. Give our gifts to Hashem. Dedicate our gifts to Hashem. Utilize them in a sincere, authentic way. Any day of the week, any day of the week, the person who's sincere and takes their gifts and dedicates to Hashem, the Ma'atim will always defeat the Rabben. Those small will always win out. Because there's something Daven doesn't understand. That all your physical things are wonderful, but Yishkoim Ba'al Hashem, they must dwell in the tents of shame. The tents of shame are a place of closeness to Hashem.

45:19 All the gifts, must be dedicated to Hashem. and used in a sincere way. When they're used in a sincere way, that's powerful. The visual of Yais HaTzadik to me is the Hanukkah visual. We can share a lot of different entire together, and I wanted to say double of what I'm saying now. But I'm going to end, and I want to just please picture Yais HaTzadik on Hanukkah. Picture one 17-year-old guy who comes to Egypt, one 17-year-old guy who comes to Egypt alone, a youngster alone who's tempted to do Averis. It says, But he overcomes it and does what's true. And he completely over, the whole country is in awe of this guy. He becomes the, he goes from the lowest part of Egypt to the Mishnah L'melech, to the second. He's the first Melech Yisrael, the first Jewish king, Yais HaTzadik. Just visualize sincerity. Somebody who's close to Hashem, who talks to Hashem, who prays to Hashem, who dedicates their gifts for sincere purposes, who's worried about what Hashem wants, what's the truth, what does Hashem want from me, that overcomes all. Mitzrayim is a very physical place. Very, very physical. Mitzrayim is the most physical place. What does the word Mitzrayim mean? Borders, limitations. That's a meitzar, it's a border. But in a meitzar,

46:52 I call to Hashem from borders, from limitations. Once I call out and I connect to Hashem, then it's wide open, no limitations. Yesod HaTzadik rises above Mitzrayim, comes above limitations. The ma'at beats the rabbi, the few beat the many. In a world of physical, bigger is better, more. That always wins, but we're supernatural. We're about connection to Hashem, about more, beyond, beyond the norm. All of us should be, all of us, to embrace the challenges of our life. We all have challenges. A person's not alive, they don't. It's an oil of manasayim. This beautiful, great world, happy, positive world are challenges. That's what it's supposed to be. It's an oil of manasayim. We should all merit on Hanukkah, stare at those light, which are an edos. They're meant as a testimony that Hashem is a special connection to the Jewish people. That's the Moneirah. That Hashem is a special connection to the Jewish people. Stare at the Moneirah.

47:53 and know that we are Shaykh. We are possible to a close connection to Hashem. Talk to Him. Open up to Him. And we're Shaykh, the supernatural. I'll close with a story. Then we'll end. That's it. And the story I'll tell you is that. Somebody told me that their kid came home and asked them that would you shecht me if Hashem told you to? An eight-year-old kid. Would you shecht me if he learned something in school and got scared? I said, Daddy, would you shecht me if Hashem told me? You know what the answer to that question is? What's the answer? I didn't say in answer. In answer means you could say, I'm telling you the answer. You know what the answer to that question is? Normally in answer means a nice possible approach. The answer means, what do you tell your kid? Daddy, would you shecht me if Hashem told me? So I have a question.

48:56 Why didn't the kid ask daddy? Forget if Hashem told me. He'd listen to the radio. You hear crazy stories of fathers who do bad things. He learns Torah. There was an Avodah Zarah called Moilach that people sheikhed to their kids. Why did he say if God told you? Why didn't he say to his father, Daddy, would you kill me? I heard something on the radio. I'm scared. He didn't ask that to his dad because a loving father you trust. A guy should feel so rotten if his kid said, Dad, I'm afraid you're going to hurt me. That's a sick man. Very sick human being. A kid trusts, Dad loves him. You're completely secure and comfortable. Dad, I don't lose a minute's sleep by what you're going to do to me. I don't care what I hear on the radio. I don't care what I read anywhere. I know you love me. What did the kid come home and he said? He said, Tati, I know you love me. I don't lose a minute's sleep. I just found out you answered to somebody else and I'm nervous about him. You, I feel secure, you're tati, but I just found out that you have a loyalty.

49:59 I didn't know about it. Who is this guy you're loyal to? You're loyal to Hashem. If he told you something, now we have trouble. You I trust, but who are you loyal to? I'm scared. What might he tell you? Him I don't have that same security, and I hear you have loyalty to him. Now I'm nervous. And the answer is that we must teach our kids and teach ourselves from the minute a kid's born. We love our kids. Kids we love. We would do anything in the world. Hashem loves us even more. As much, more than a parent loves a kid, Hashem loves a kid. Hashem's crazy over us. Massive love Hashem has for each and every one of us. Massive overwhelming awe Hashem has for me. Massive love Hashem has for you. We must teach that to our kids. When you teach that to the kid, there's no question. If Hashem told the same way I'm not nervous that you did, I'm not nervous for that. I'm just not nervous. But he wants, but I hurt. I'm not nervous. I know he loves me. I'm just not nervous.

51:00 I'm not nervous. It doesn't get me scared. The same way the kid didn't ask daddy, would you do it? I'm just not nervous. I know you love me. You've proved it. I don't have any worries. I'm just not nervous about it. I just got nervous because you answered to somebody, no, Hashem, he loves you. We have to get into our kish because Hashem is a tremendous love for us. Hashem runs the world. Talk to him. Connect him. Dedicate our gifts to him. And then we're shayach, the supernatural. No, nature doesn't limit us. We can all rise above our natures. Ken Yehi Ratzin, thank you so much for coming. Thank you for coming.