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The Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection is the one-stop shop for the Torah inspiration shared by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe in one simple feed. The Jewish Inspiration Podcast, Parsha Review Podcast, Thinking Talmudist Podcast, Living Jewishly Podcast and Unboxing Judaism Podcast all in one convenient place. Enjoy!
00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Parsha Review Podcast.
00:10 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back, my dear friends, welcome back. This week's Parsha is Parshas Chayei Sara. Tomorrow, in all of our synagogues, we'll be reading the portion of the end of Sara's life and the verse the beginning of the's life. And the verse the beginning of the parasha states the following Vayiyu chaye sara me'ashana ve'asyum shana ve'sheva shanim shnei chaye sara, and they were the lifetime of Sarah was 100 years and 20 years and 7 years, the years of the lifetime of Sarah. So you know, because you're such incredible scholars and because we've learned so much together over the years, you know very, very well that the Torah doesn't waste words. To me there seems to be, and to our sages as well, and to our sages as well, many extra words in this verse. Okay, it says that it was her life. The yu chaye sara. It was the lifetime of Sarah me'ashana 100 years and 20 years and 7 years. Last I checked you can just say 127 years. It doesn't have to be 100 years and 20 years and 7 years. And then it says again at the end of the verse Shnei Chayot Sarah, the years of the lifetime of Sarah. Why does it need to repeat it again? Why do we have these extra words? So we know that nothing is extra in the Torah.
01:38
If we want to understand the reason and the meaning behind it, the first place you look is Rashi. Rashi, the great commentator of the 1100s CE. Rashi says the following he says a couple of things. Number one, the first thing he says l'kach nechtav shana b'chol klal u'klal. He says the reason. It says 100 years and 20 years and seven years. Why does it have to say that? Because you have to look at each segment unto its own A hundred years, twenty years and seven years. In what way says Rashi?
02:23
When she was a hundred, she was like she was 20 years old in sin, just like when she was 20, she was pure and she did not sin at all. Because we know that people are not punished in the world to come till they're 20 years old. That means any sin that someone does till they're 20 years old, their punishment is here in this world. To come till they're 20 years old, that means any sin that someone does till they're 20 years old, their punishment is here in this world. After 20, that's when the account opens in the world to come. It means you have 20 years of a runway to make mistakes, figure things out, because once you're 20, the account opens up in the heavens and the retribution will be in the world to come, which is obviously something which is frightening.
03:08
But, sarah, because she was like she was 20, she was clean of all sin when she was 100 years old, just like she was when she turned 20, and she had a brand new, fresh account in heaven Af bas kuf b'lo chet. So to when she was 100 years old, she was without any sin Ve bas chof, kev bas zayin liyofi. And when she was 20, she was like she was 7 years old in beauty. A 7-year-old has no additives, no makeup and no extra things. She was pure beauty. When she was 20, she was like she was seven in beauty.
03:50
So this is what the verse is telling us. But then it says this is the lifetime of Sarah. A second time in this verse. Why do we have to say that? So Rashi says they were all for good, meaning everything that she experienced in her life the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful was all beautiful. Everything was good. Now let's take for a second. The Talmud tells us Everything that the Almighty does, he does for good. Hashem doesn't do bad. So our sages tell us something so important. What Sarah is teaching us, or what this verse is teaching us, is that everything she experienced in her life and she experienced many, many hardships everything was good. What are you talking about? What are you talking about? Everything was good. She had no children until she was 90 years old.
04:57
Imagine you go to the park. All the mothers are there with their young children and there Sarah's there. She's already not 30. She's already not 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 years old. She's in her 80s and she still doesn't have a child. And then she's 90 years old and she has a child. It's the most miraculous thing.
05:19
You know how Sarah looked at it All of those years, Litova, she saw it as good. How we don't understand the big picture, and this is something which is so fundamental for each and every one of us. You see, we like to see a full picture. Oh, I got the picture. I know what's going on. Really, we have no idea. We have no idea. The things that we think are terrible are really not so terrible. The things that we think are great perhaps are not so great. Everything that Hashem does in His world is good. We are lacking the perspective sometimes. We are lacking the perspective, but everything that Hashem does is good. Therefore, our sages tell us, our sages tell us you have to know that Shnei Chaye Sarah what is being emphasized here that her lifetime, the lifetime of Sarah, she saw everything as good.
06:22
Now let me list a few of the things that she had. So first is she didn't have any children until she was 90. So, in fact, if you look at this, this is an interesting Hasidic idea. If you take the numerical value of vayihiyu, which is the first word in this week's portion, the numerical value is 37. If you want to know the days of her life, it was 37. She lived 37 years. Why? Because the Talmud tells us that someone who doesn't have children it's as if they're not living, and because she only had a child when she was 90, the amount of years of her life was only 37. So, if you want to know how many years she lived, Vayihiyu, the numerical value of Vayihiyu, which is 37. Amazing, beautiful idea. But that's only one of her challenges that she had. She had a concubine that she gave to Abraham, who had a child right away named Yishmael. Yishmael was a no-goodnik hanging around her house when Yitzhak was born.
07:24
She's like doesn't like this whole challenge of the different methodologies, the different ideologies, the different religions that are born through each of these, and she needs a big challenge having another woman in her home. As a very, very wise woman once told me, no house is big enough for two women. You remember that no house is big enough for two women, right? So another is you remember she was taken by Pharaoh, she was taken by Avi Melech. And yet all of the challenges, the famine she has to travel here, travel there, do this, do that everything she always saw with a positivity. She always saw it not as being a challenge, not of like what was to me. Look how challenging my life is. Oh, it's such a no, no, no, no, no. Everything was good.
08:17
Kul on shav and l'tova, she saw everything as being in a positive light. How do we do this and how do we make this part of our existence, how do we change the way we see life, that everything be positive? So we need to see that we have a very, very finite perspective of this world. Even if we're busy with history, which I think what is the attraction for people about history is that history sort of gives you a perspective that is beyond your scope of view, so I'm able to see things that happened before I lived and maybe understand things that are happening today, put them into perspective by looking at history. But the truth is the truth is that we have a very limited view. And the minute we recognize that limitation and that we do not have a full, clear perspective of the entire picture, the minute we understand that we see that Hashem does have a full picture Because what do we know about Hashem picture?
09:28
Because what do we know about Hashem? Hoya Hovev Yiyah. Hashem was, he is and he will be Adon HaKol, master of all Balei, yacholos Kulam. Hashem has. There's no time limit, there's no. Everything Hashem has got under control, it's all under control. And therefore, the moment we realize that Hashem has a beautiful, big picture, why did Hashem create the world? Hashem created the world to do good for His creations. You know what Hashem wants for each and every one of us Every single day of our lives Goodness. So when something comes up that's challenging, we have to expand our vision. To recognize Hashem's world is only goodness.
10:20
There are many people who approached me after this election and told me it was a good thing that the candidate who won this time didn't win last time because now he has a bigger mandate. If you said that to someone four years ago, they would not agree with you. If you said that to someone two years ago, they wouldn't agree with you. If you said that to someone a month ago, they wouldn't agree with you and, by the way, we don't know how things will turn out. We pray to Hashem that whoever is leading our country is good for us and is good for the Jewish nation and for the people of Israel and the land of Israel and good for the world. We have no idea. We spoke about this previously.
11:09
Don't put your faith in mankind. It's dangerous. Why King David tells us don't put your faith in Adam? Because you're putting your faith in a man who has no salvation. What happens when his soul leaves his body Goes right back into the earth. Don't put your faith in man. We only put our faith in Hashem. Of course, every person needs to do their own, their own effort. Vote for the candidate they see as being the most beneficial for the cause of the world and for the cause of the Jewish people, but don't put your faith in man. Very dangerous.
11:59
But we look at an entire picture. When we see something, we only see a limited view, which is why the Mishnah tells us don't judge your fellow till you're standing in his shoes. Why? Because when? First is because you'll never be standing in someone else's shoes, so stop judging. But the second thing is let's say that you are in a situation. If the shoe was on the other foot, you would suddenly find a way to judge yourself positively For me. Of course, you know why I ran a red light. I'm rushing on an emergency. Everybody understands. No, they don't. You think maybe someone else is rushing on an emergency? Everybody understands. No, they don't. You think maybe someone else is rushing on an emergency? I would never do a crazy thing. Why would they do a crazy thing? My dear friends, we have to understand that there's a big picture in this world. We only get a limited glimpse.
12:55
What Sarah was able to do with her greatness was take the limited view and expand it and say you know something, hashem, I don't see a full picture, I don't understand everything, but because I trust in you, I believe in you, I know that you will never mislead me and therefore I know that the pain that I'm feeling today is good. How Don't have the answer? Why Don't have the answer, but I know it's good. And therefore the Talmud says a person should always say it should always be on our lips everything the Almighty does is for the good. Oh, why did I have to get into that accident? Everything the Almighty does is for the good. Oh, why did I have to get into that accident? Everything the Almighty does is for the good. Why did that person need to be injured? Everything the Almighty does is for the good. We don't necessarily understand why or how. I want to share one more thing, that is, if we see here, she didn't wait, she didn't wait. One day I'll understand.
14:06
Why should we live a life of uncertainty when we can live a life of certainty? There's one thing that we do know Hashem is eternal. Hashem was at the beginning, hashem is at the end, hashem is before the beginning, hashem has eternal. Hashem was at the beginning, hashem is at the end, hashem is before the beginning. Hashem has no time. There's no beginning or end. Hashem is forever and ever infinite. We have such a limited perspective, such a limited time on earth. Why be busy living life sadly? And therefore the Talmud says always have it on your lips to say Gam Zulatova, why be busy living life sadly. And therefore the Talmud says always have it on your lips to say Gam Zulatova. By the way, there's a blessing. There's a blessing Ha Tov HaMeitiv.
14:46
When something terrible happens, we say Dayon HaEmes, god is the true judge. We don't understand how, we don't understand why, but we know that Hashem is the just judge. When something good happens, we say there are those who say in the Talmud that if something bad happens, you say God, who does good and brings about more good. What do you mean? Something terrible happens. Yeah, you don't see how good it is. It's painful perhaps at times, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a good thing.
15:22
Now let's just bring this home. Every morning we open up our eyes, the first words that should be on our lips is I thank you, hashem. Why do we say that first? Say just tell us. Because we say at the end of it Rabo emunasecha, great is your belief in me. You know Hashem didn't need to bring you to this world today, susan. Why did Hashem give you another day Today, november 22nd my daughter's birthday, november 22nd. My daughter's birthday, november 22nd. Why did Hashem need to give us life today? Only one reason Because Hashem believes that this world cannot exist without us on this world today. That means Hashem believes that we can accomplish. Hashem believes that we can do. Hashem believes that we can accomplish. Hashem believes that we can do. Hashem believes that we can do good things, and that's our job. Our job is to do everything we can to bring about the goodness in the world around us, to see the goodness and to praise Hashem constantly for all the good that we see and we experience.
16:47 - Intro (Announcement)
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