Tetzaveh - Discovering the Spark of Moshe Rabbeinu in Ourselves

2:17 The Amr of Chanina, as Reb Chanina explains, Moshul Adam shem evak shem imenu kli gadol. If somebody asks somebody else, 'Hey, do you have a large vessel?' The Yeshlo, and they have that large vessel, Doma alav kli katan. Then it's like a small thing; it's no big deal. I have it. I'm happy to give it to you. Katan. However, if somebody asks you for a small vessel, the Ainlo, and you don't have it, Doma alav kli gadol. Then it appears to you to be a large vessel. In other words, to Moshe Rabbeinu who had Yerushalayim, it was a small matter. But to us who don't necessarily have Yerushalayim, what does it feel like to us? Yerushalayim feels like a very big matter. So the Gemara is saying a very interesting thing. The Gemara is saying that Moshe Rabbeinu said, and now what does Hashem ask of you if not to fear Him? What's the Gemara telling us? It's not a big deal to Moshe Rabbeinu, but it's a big deal to us. Now I have a very obvious question that we should ask on this Gemara.

3:18 Who's Moshe Rabbeinu speaking to? He's speaking to Bnei Yisrael, and he's making Yerushalayim out to be what—a small matter or a big matter? Small. He's making it out to be a small matter, when in fact to us it's a big matter. So the Gemara doesn't seem to make any sense. The Gemara is saying Moshe Rabbeinu is speaking to Klal Yisrael, and he's making it seem like a small thing. The Gemara says but to Moshe Rabbeinu it's a small thing. But Moshe Rabbeinu is speaking to who? To Klal Yisrael and to Klal Yisrael it's a big thing. So why does Moshe Rabbeinu make it seem like a small thing? In other words, let's say we'll give this a marshal. Let's say that I was awesome at basketball. I'm the best basketball player in the world. I can hit a three point shot from forty feet out like it's nobody's business. I'm the Steph Curry of Rebbeim in Berar Miriam. I'm the best basketball player in Berar Miriam. Let's say right. And I come along and I come to one of the girls and I go. It's not a big deal. Just take a shot from forty feet out. What would you say to me?

4:15 You can hit a shot from forty feet out. You're Steph Curry. I cannot hit a shot from forty feet out. So it's not good coaching for Steph Curry to just come to one of the girls in Barmerim and go, 'What's the big deal? Shoot from forty feet out.' You're speaking to someone who could barely hit a layup. So you have to. I'm sure you can hit many layups. I wasn't throwing shade on anybody. So what does Moshe Rabenu mean when he makes the Yerushalmiim seem like a small thing? Small to you, but big to the people you're talking about. Obviously, Moshe Rabenu knows who he's speaking to, so there's a reason that Moshe Rabenu makes it seem like a small thing to us, even though it's a big thing to us because for him it's small. That's the first question. Second question for tonight is this parsha, Parsha Stezave, is famous for something. It's actually famous for something it doesn't have. Does anybody know what this week's parsha does not have?

5:13 The only parsha in the Torah that doesn't have this after Moshe Rabbeinu was born. Moshe Rabbeinu's name. Moshe Rabbeinu's name is not found in this week's parsha. The beginning of this week's parsha is Ve'Ata, and you, Tetzaveh Es Beni Yisrael, shall command Beni Yisrael, Ve'Yikro Elcha Hashem, and Zayizach. They should take pure olive oil, Yekasus La'Ma'or, that was crushed for lighting, La'Halos Ne'atamid, and they should kindle the lamps continuously. That's the way it refers to Moshe Rabbeinu in this week's parsha. Ve'ata and you, but it doesn't say Moshe Rabbeinu's name. That's very interesting, especially because what date is this week? Friday. Anybody know? Zayin Adar. The date of Moshe Rabbeinu's yahrzeit and the date of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth. Parshas Tetzave always falls out either on the Shabbos that comes before Zayin Adar or on the Shabbos that comes after Zayin Adar. So it's very interesting. This is like Moshe Abenu's time, the yartzeit of somebody, the birthday of somebody. That's their time, especially if they're born and they die on the same day.

6:17 So of all the parshiyos in the Torah, not to have Moshe Abenu's name This is the strangest one. It's like Moshe Rabbeinu was born. Moshe Abenu's yartzeit. What's the only name we don't say in the entire parsha? Moshe Abenu's name. That's very strange, right? So the Balat Torah explains. The Balat Turim explains that there's a reason for this. Trying to get their attention. It's a great move. If I stand over there, I can't do it. If I stand over here, I can remind them. So Moshe Rabbeinu says as follows. The Balat Turim says as follows. There's a reason that this happened. Take a look. On the bottom of your sheets, you'll see there are two psukim over here. A conversation that happens between Moshe Rabbeinu and Nakhodush Baruchu. This conversation takes place when After the chet ha'egel, yes, very good. It happens. This conversation takes place Shmos chapter thirty two, verse thirty one and thirty three. Excellent.

7:12 This after very good. This after the chet of the egel. This after the chet of the golden calf. And Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to wipe out Klal Yisrael. Listen what Moshe Rabbeinu says. The ata imtisa'chatasam. If you are going to forgive their sin, fine. But not forgive Klal Yisroel, erase me from the Torah which you have written. That's Moshe Abenu's Tanya to our Kadosh Baruch Hu. If you're going to forgive Klal Yisroel for the Chayta Egal, fine. But if you don't forgive them Erase me from the entire Torah. I don't want my name in the entire Torah. The Balaturim says we know that there's a concept, Sadek goes there. The Hakadosh Baruch Hu Mekayin That tzaddik decrees something. Rosh Sinai, Kolbiem, behave yourself. I will march with your people. So the Balaturim says, even though in the end Klal Yisrael was forgiven by Hashem, since Moshe Rabbeinu said the words 'Mecheninam Misifracha Hashem Khasafta,' erase me from the Torah which you have written. It had to be that on some parsha Moshe Rabbeinu's name is not written. It had to be that way since Moshe Rabbeinu said "Mecheninam Misifracha." Once he said it

8:46 It had to be. One second. It's a very cool concept. So is Moshe Rabbeinu missing from this week's parsha or not? In a certain sense, yes, his name is missing, but in another sense, Moshe Rabbeinu is not missing at all. As we see in the very first pasuk in this week's parsha, what's the very first pasuk in this week's Torah portion say? Ve'ata teitzava, and now you shall command. So is Moshe Rabbeinu erased from this week's parsha? Not really. If anything, his name is while his physical name is not present. It doesn't say Mem Shin Hey, but on the other hand, the entire Torah in this week's parsha is talking about what a conversation that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has with Moshe Rabbeinu about, for example, how you should light the Menorah, what the big day Kuhuna should be like, the Hanukkah Sabaes. It's all Moshe Rabbeinu. So even though Moshe Rabbeinu's name is not present, it's not true to say that Moshe Rabbeinu was not present in this week's parsha.

9:45 And as we're going to see. A var from the Labavitcher Rebbe tonight—an amazing var. The word "ve'ata," which means "and you" " In a certain sense, is a deeper expression of Moshe Rabbeinu than Moshe Rabbeinu's name. That, in a certain sense, your name might be, as we'll soon see, a reflection of your essence, but it's not your essence. That 've'ata, in a certain way, is closer to you than you are. For example When we call somebody by their name. A name is a very precious thing, right? What does the Gemara tell us about parents getting a very special siyata d'shemaya before they name their baby? Always parents have this that when they name their baby, afterwards they say to themselves, the other name we were thinking, it's just not her, it's just not him. There's a special siyata d'shemaya, a special ruach hakodesh that a parent gets when naming their baby. The name of a child tells you about their essence. It tells you about their intellect. It tells you about their character, but it tells you all the things that you can communicate.

10:51 It doesn't tell you the things you can't communicate. We've discussed this concept before: there's you, and then there's the things about you. You are not the things about you. You are deeper than all of the things about you. So there's different ways that we show up in the world. Some of us are smart. Some of us are musical. Some of us are artistic. Some of us are great speakers, and some of us are great balei chesed. Every one of us has a unique talent that makes us who we are, but it is not who we are. Meaning, it's something I can say about her. You can point to that girl and you go, 'Her, she's incredible at this.' That's her name. It's a way of referring to her. It's something about her. It's her handle. But it's not her. There's something when we're speaking about a person that I can't communicate about.

11:45 I don't have language for it. This is the difference between saying Moshe and saying Ve'ata. When you say Moshe, who are you referring to? You're referring to an unbelievable navi and all the things about him For example, what's the thing you would most identify with Moshe Abinu of all the things? What's the thing you would most identify with? I would say the Torah It's literally called. Toras Moshe. It's embedded in the name. It's Toras Moshe. But that's not Moshe Rabenu. That's something about Moshe. Moshe Rabenu is the giver of the Torah. He's the one who received the Torah from Hashem and communicated it to us. That's something about him. But it's not him. So when the Torah in this week's parsha says Ve'Ata, it's referring to what? Not Moshe Rabenu. The Character Moshe Rabbeinu, the things about Moshe Rabbeinu. When it says Va'atta, what's it referring to? The you, his essence, the thing that is beyond communication. And this is the deeper explanation of the Balaturim. The Balaturim says an unbelievable thing over here.

12:53 Moshe Rabbeinu In an effort to get Mechilah for Klal Yisrael after the Chet Ha'egel, says to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, what does it mean? Wipe me out from your Sefer. It means Take away, and we'll see what this means on a deeper level in a moment. Take away my place in the Torah. Take away all the things about me, and the only thing that will be left is my what? Is my essence very good? A self that has an even deeper connection than the Torah itself, and this is the you that we're speaking about in this parsha. Not Moshe Rabbeinu's character, Moshe Rabbeinu's essence. Up until now, I think this was a pretty easy shear. This is where it gets a little bit harder. There's a Tanodeve Eliyoh. You have the Tanodeve Eliyoh in English right here on the paper. Feel free to follow along. The Tanodeve Eliyoh asks the following question: Two things came before the creation of the world: the Torah and Klal Yisrael. Those are the two things that came before the creation of the world: the Torah and Klal Yisrael. And the Tanodeve Eliyoh says, and I don't know which one came first, Torah or Klal Yisrael, until the Torah itself said, 'Daber el Bnei Yisrael,' speak to the children of Israel, or 'Tzav es Bnei Yisrael,' command the children of Israel.

14:17 And now I know that what came first Bnei Yisrael came before the Torah. So there's an order. Bnei Yisrael was the first thing that came up in Hashem's head Then the Torah, and then ultimately the creation of the world. In other words, let me explain what the Tana deve Eliyahu means because this is a difficult thing to understand. And if you don't understand, I can repeat it. I want everyone to get this because it's a huge idea. Clearly, Hashem created the world for a purpose. What's the very last thing? The last thing is obviously the world. There's something that's being done in the world. But there's a question: What comes first in Hashem's mind, Klal Yisrael or the Torah? Does Klal Yisrael exist for the Torah's word to be implemented? Meaning, is the only reason I exist to do a mitzvah? And then, what does Hashem really want?

15:12 A mitzvah Exactly the Torah, a mitzvah. Or does the Torah exist so that I, the Jew, can fulfill my mission in this world and connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu? I'll say it again. This is not an easy concept to get. We know that the arena is the world. This is where the game is happening. The game is happening in the world, but it's not obvious to us. What's the point? Is the point for Klal Yisrael to fulfill the Torah? Then, what would come first? The Torah. The Torah would come first because what's the prime thing that Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants? The fulfillment of the Torah. We are just a vehicle to what? To doing a mitzvah. Very good. Or the opposite Does Klal Yisrael, does the Torah exist to serve Klal Yisrael? Hashem says I'm going to give you a mitzvah so that you can fulfill your mission and that we can have a relationship.

16:13 This is a very important question. Do we exist to just implement the Torah, or does the Torah exist so that a Jew can get close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and fulfill our mission in this world? It's a hard concept. We don't know. We know that the world is created. So we know that the world is the arena where everything is happening. So the world comes last. Whatever comes first, that's the thing that Hashem really wants. I'll give you an example of this. Maybe it'll be helpful to give you a marshal. When I go to work Let's say I'm an accountant. Do I go to work because I want a paycheck, or do I want a paycheck in order to feed my family? You understand? So what's the first thing? When I wake up in the morning, what's the first thing that I think? First, I think about my family. Then I think, what do I need to do in order to feed my family? I need to be an accountant, so I am going to go to my job in the city to become an accountant so that I could feed my family.

17:09 So it's the same thing. That's the question. What comes first? Did I call the Shabbat? Because we know Torah and Klal Yisrael both came before the world. The world is just like the city where my office is. The question is, did Hashem create Klal Yisrael to do a mitzvah, and then what would come first, the Torah? Or does the Torah exist in a certain way to serve Klal Yisrael So that we can build a relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu and do the mitzvot and fulfill our mission in this world? And what does the Talmud Bavli say? Once the Torah says Daber El Bnei Yisrael, Tzaves Bnei Yisrael, it's obvious who's really more important Bnei Yisrael exists first, and the Torah exists so that we can have a relationship with Hashem. You girls understand this concept now? Yes. In the end, Hashem created us because He loves us. He created a Torah so that we could fulfill our mission in this world, get close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and that's why ultimately He puts us here in this world. But the first thing He thinks about is not the Torah. The first thing He thinks about is us.

18:16 I can't move on until at least I know that most of you understand this. Again, just go back to the muscle. When I wake up in the morning, what's the first thing I'm thinking about? What do I? Why do I wake up in the morning? I have a family. I love my family. So then I get a job and make money in order to support my family. Then I go to the city where I actually have my job. When does it say the pasuk about bnei yisro? All over the Torah, you see that it says daber el bnei yisro. So that's how we know that really, what does Akkard Shabbat care about? What's this prime thing? His prime thing is us, and he gives us a Torah in order that we can relate to him. And then he creates a world so we actually have the opportunity to do all of this. This is huge.

19:07 This is huge. What I'm about to share with you is revolutionary and life changing. I hope that you'll come with me on this, which means I'd like to see everybody's eye contact. Those devices that destroy your life should be destroyed. Amen. Amen. Amen. Like Abraham and the idols. With me? One second. With me? I want to get this last point out. It goes as follows. You ready? It's a blowaway concept, a life-changing concept. You ready for it? Here comes. If I exist to do a mitzvah Meaning if the Torah comes first And then I'm created just to do a mitzvah. And now I violate the Torah. Am I worthy of my title as a Jew? Can you repeat that? I'm going to repeat it. But it's not true. I'm saying the wrong side so that we can understand the right side. Very good. Again, I'll say it again.

20:04 Remember, we just got done saying a moment ago that really, what does Hakadosh Baruch Hu want more than anything? He wants Klal Yisrael. And then he creates a Torah so that what? So that we can relate to him, and then he creates a world so that we can actually implement it. Let's say it was the opposite for a second. Let's say the Torah was the thing that Hashem cared about, and He only creates us in order to do a mitzvah. And now I don't do a mitzvah. I even go the opposite and I do a neveira. Am I still worthy of the title Jew? No. Wait, if you do a neveira, you're not. You don't. You're not worthy of a title. You're for sure gonna misquote me because I'm saying that's not true. I don't get it. I'm saying it again. Don't. Say, I know this is hard. I'm happy to repeat it 40,000 times. Just do me a favor, lock in. Yes. Lock in.

20:52 It's hard. I'm saying. That's why I said you're gonna misquote me. I'm saying the wrong side first. I'm saying the. I told you it was a hard chair tonight. I'm saying the wrong side first. If Hashem created us just to fulfill the Torah, and now I'm not. Am I worthy of the title of being called a Jew? No. But if Hashem created the Torah so that I have the opportunity to serve Him And now I don't do a mitzvah In fact, maybe I do an average, am I still worthy of the title of being called a Jew? Of course. Because. I know it's hard. Honestly, it's hard for me also. I wish that we were doing a little better tonight. Not mussar, just saying. Maybe a little mussar Maybe a lot of mussar. If Hashem says, "Klal Yisrael, I want you" So I'm going to create a Torah so that you can serve me.

22:02 And now, sometimes I do better, sometimes I do worse. Maybe I even did an average. But at the end of the day, what am I? I'm still the beloved child of Hashem Baruch Hu, even if I made a mistake. So when the Tanit Ve'Eliezer says "You, Klal Yisrael, you came first, and the Torah came second," it's not just saying Hashem loves Jews more than He loves Torah. He's saying that a Jew, even when he doesn't fulfill the Torah, is still what a Jew And that's exactly what the Gemara says: Afal Pisha Chata Yisraelu. A Jew, even when he doesn't aveira, he's still a Jew. Why? Because what does Hashem want? Hashem wants Klal Yisrael. He gives us a Torah. He gives us a Kora. Smash it like an idol. He gives us a Torah in order to do what? In order to get close to Him. But not that Chas V'shalom, if we don't fulfill the Torah, we're any less Jewish.

23:00 What's the court you just said from? Afal pi shechata, even though he sinned Yisrael, he's still considered a Jew. With this in mind, we're going to say an unbelievable thing right now. This is a tiru from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It's a blowaway tiru. Wait, what is the thing called? He still loves us and that. Not that he still loves us. You are still a Jew. Of course, he still loves us, but you have not lost your status as a Jew. Now let's go back to this amazing back and forth between Klal Yisrael and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to Moshe Rabbeinu, "I'm going to destroy the Jews." What does Moshe Rabbeinu say? Fine, wipe me out from your sefer. What's he saying now? It's a deep thing. My Shabenu is saying, 'Eradicate me from your sefer.' And what's Hashem's response? I put both psukim there. Take a look at the second pasuk. Let's see what Hashem responds. Let's look at the words carefully. Vayomer Hashem al Moshe. Hashem says to Moshe, 'Miasherchatoli, whoever sinned against me' Emchanu meisifri.

23:59 I'm going to wipe them out from my sefer. So, does it sound like Hashem is agreeing with Moshe or disagreeing with Moshe? Disagreeing, and yet it sounds like it's an epic failure. Obviously, that's not what happened because we're all here today. So obviously, we were not wiped out. Not only that, we know that what happens next in the Torah, Hashem gives Klal Yisrael a second set of luchos. So obviously, when Hashem says I'm going to destroy them from my sefer, we are not understanding something correctly because Moshe Abinu comes and he says, if you're gonna destroy Klal Yisroel, wipe me out from your sefer. And then Hashem says, anyone who sinned, I'm gonna wipe them out from my sefer. Instead, Hashem does exactly the opposite. He gives us the Luchos Shnei Os, and he doesn't kill Klal Yisroel. So listen to a deeper explanation of this. Perhaps your question will be answered. Listen to a deeper explanation of this.

24:54 Remember, we just got done saying, what's deeper, the Torah or Klal Yisroel? What's more central to Hakadosh Baruch Hu? What's more pious? Klal Yisrael, listen. What Moshe Rabbeinu is saying: Your relationship with Klal Yisrael is deeper than the Torah. And if you can't forgive them, it's because you're relating to them on the level of what, the Torah, and not on the level of their essential self. What does Moshe Rabbeinu say? Hashem, I know how to win this argument. You're looking at Klal Yisrael and saying, 'Look, they sinned.' They're terrible, right? That's only because you're looking at their actions. You're not looking at their essence. So Moshe Rabbeinu says, 'Wipe me out from the Torah. Take away all of my character traits. Take away everything from me. And what am I left with?' Just my essence. What does Hashem say back? Very good. You nailed it. Hashem says, "Whoever sinned against me, I'll erase them from my book." Meaning, I'll take away all their character traits. I'll take away all the things about them, and what will be left?

26:03 Their essence. And girls, on the level of essence, can a Jew be diminished just because he did an avera? No. Afal pisha chato Yisraelu. Since Klal Yisrael is most primary in Hashem's mind, since what He wants is really us, then even when we do an avera, we're still a Jew. So Hashem says to Moshe, "I'm going to behave." Just like you did, the same way you were willing to let go of everything, even the word Torah, Moshe. I'm taking away all of your character traits, and all you leave behind is your essence. Hashem says, "That's what I'm going to do for every single Jew." Now, there's an amazing Ramban. The Ramban in the introduction to Chumash says, "You know what the Torah is?" It's Hashem's names. So listen, what the Lubavitcher Rebbe says. Hashem said I'm also going to wipe myself out. I'm also going to wipe myself out Because you're not going to relate to me anymore on the level of things about Hashem. You're going to relate to me as me. The Torah is also just the names of Hashem. Is Hashem limited to the Torah?

27:09 Of course not. The same way Moshe Rabbeinu is not limited to his character traits. The same way Klal Yisrael is not limited to our averas. So there's an unbelievable tir that's going on over here. Just to showcase everything we've done so far, just to wrap it all up till we get to that final flourish. I want to make sure everybody's coming with me on this. We started off. We had a question. Yerusha'ayim is a big deal for us, a small deal for Moshe Rabbeinu. But how does Moshe Rabbeinu speak about Yerusha'ayim? Like it's a minor matter, even though he's speaking to us, for whom it's a major matter. That was our first question. Then we said we pointed out in this week's parsha, even though it's rounding the dates of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth and death. Moshe Rabenu's name is curiously absent. Why is it absent? The Balaturim said because Moshe Rabenu said, 'Mecheninam Yisifricha, wipe me out from your sefer. Don't relate to me on the level of character traits. Relate to me on the level of essence.'

28:00 Then we explained what it means to be related to on the level of essence. Klal Yisrael comes first. What does Hashem really desire—the Torah or Klal Yisrael? He desires Klal Yisrael, and He uses the Torah as an opportunity for Klal Yisrael to get close to Him. Which means that even if I don't follow the Torah, I'm not diminished as a Jew. Moshe Rabbeinu—now we understand what he was saying to Hashem: 'Wipe me out from Your Sefer, relate to me on the level of the essence, and that's how You're going to forgive Klal Yisrael.' Because on the level of the essence, they're still Jewish and Hashem says that's exactly what I'm going to do. Anyone who sinned against me, I'm going to wipe them out from my sefer. I'm not going to relate to them on the level of about them. I'm going to relate to them on the level of the essence. Now here's the final flourish. You ready for it?

28:47 Can we review the last point only? Hashem says that Moshe Avinu said, erase me, relate to me just on the level of my essence, not about me. And Hashem says exactly, anyone who sinned against me, I'm going to wipe them out from my sefer. I'm going to wipe out the things about them, but the essence will still be left, and the essence is always pure. The same way Moshe Rabbeinu Moshe Rabbeinu almost, so to speak, forces Hashem. Exactly, Moshe Rabbeinu says, 'Look, Hashem, I'm relating to them on the level of the essence, and then Hashem says, 'I will also relate to them on the level of the essence.' "Then they're forgivable And then now Hakadosh Baruch Hu can come and give the Luchos Shnei. I love the fact that you're not—you're relentless. You're forcing me to be a better rebbe. I love it. Last step.

29:45 Now let's get back to this week's parsha. Is Moshe Rabbeinu in this week's parsha or not in this week's parsha? He's absolutely in this week's parsha. Since Moshe Rabbeinu said to Achod Shvarechum Mekhenin Amisiprecha, 'Wipe me out from your sefer,' relate to me on the level of the essence, in order that Klal Yisrael should be forgiven. There has to be one parsha in the Torah where everything is involved with Moshe Rabbeinu, except for one thing: his name. Of course, on the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's birth and death, what do we find? A parsha that doesn't say things about Moshe Rabbeinu; it just calls him Va'atta and you. Now we relate to Moshe Rabbeinu on the level of the essence. You understand? It's an unbelievable idea. Why is this so big? Says in Tanya, the Alter Rebbe says in Tanya that every single Jew Has a soul, and every single soul has a piece of Moshe Rabbeinu in their soul.

30:46 How do you access the Moshe Rabbeinu that's inside of you? Very simple. On the level of about us, will we ever be able to be a prophet as great as Moshe Rabbeinu? Will we ever be able to receive a Torah like Moshe Rabbeinu did? Absolutely not. So if you try to be like Moshe Rabbeinu and try to have Moshe Rabbeinu's character, you will surely fail. But what if we went in the exact opposite direction? What if we said instead of relating to Moshe Rabbeinu on the level of his sefer about Moshe Rabbeinu, what if we related to ourselves on the level of our essence? What if we said, "I am not all the things about me." I'm not five foot three. That's not what makes me. I'm not this skin color or that skin color from this community or that community. I'm not this particular set of talents or that particular set of talents. What am I? I'm the you that's beyond all of those things. Something about me that cannot be expressed. The Ata Tzava. I'm just you before my name. All I am is me. Well before I had a name, I'm just me.

31:58 On that level, what do we access? We access who we truly are. We access our soul, and what does our soul have inside of it? A little bit of Moshe Rabenu. And remember, Moshe Rabenu for him is Yiras Shamayim a big thing or a small thing? Small. So when Moshe Rabenu turns to Klal Yisrael and he says, "And what does Hashem ask of you?" Just a little Yiras Shamayim. What was our question in the very beginning? But it's a big thing for us. But Moshe Rabenu wasn't speaking. To the external us, he wasn't speaking to our talents. He was speaking to the Moshe Rabenu that's inside of every one of our neshamas. He was speaking to the Moshe Rabenu that's beyond Moshe Rabenu's name. Every one of us has it inside of ourselves to be incredible, to be amazing, to be great. We're walking Moshe Rabenu's.

32:50 We're not paying attention to it because we're so consumed with the externals. This is the danger of living in a society that values externals over internals. Every time, we're not sensitive to it. I'm not sensitive to it. But every time we're walking along and we're in some random mall and we see advertisements, you need this external thing. You need this gashmiyus sticka thing. There's nothing wrong with gashmiyus. Gashmiyus is an opportunity. The physical world is an opportunity to serve Hashem. You can bring godliness into the physical world. But what happens every time we train ourselves to be external people? Look at the way I look. Look at the way I act. Look at my talent. If you're always telling people to look at the external, you know what they're going to forget about? They're going to forget about who they really are. Everyone in this room has the capacity for greatness, but most of us aren't paying attention to it because we're so focused on the things that are not real.

33:39 You're not less you just because your talent goes away. Imagine somebody identifies themselves as a basketball player. What are you? You're a basketball player. Now you're 50. What are you now? A retired basketball player. You understand how pathetic that is? What are you? If the only thing you are is your talent, what happens when your talent diminishes? My closest friend in the world He lost his leg to cancer when he was 12 years old. He has a prosthetic leg. Is he less of a person because he has externally less a little bit less of a leg? Of course not. If anything, sometimes what happens is when we diminish the externals, the internals rise up. The avoda for every one of us, especially as we're entering Purim, which is the time where we go beyond das and access our truest self. It is to recognize that the only reason we're not tapped into our own greatness, the ability to worship Hashem on levels we can't possibly imagine, is because we're living in the external world. In the internal world, on the level of the soul.

34:42 If we actually paid attention to who we really are, we would be capable of doing incredible things. And a lot of us have a question this year: Am I really going to be a davener? Am I really going to dedicate my life to Hashem? Am I really going to raise a family where the Shabbos table is a beautiful Shabbos table centered around your Shema Yim and Avos Hashem? Am I really capable of doing that? If you're doubting yourself, it's only because you're focused on your name. You're focused on all the things about you. But Mechin and Ami Sifricha Moshe Rabbeinu says, "Wipe me out from your sefer, and what do you find? The Ata Tzava, you'll find your truest self." Girls have a wonderful Shabbos. Thank you.