Learning Life Lessons From A Baby | TORAH FOR KIDS AI

0:09The initial feeling that a baby gets when he or she first stands is unbelievable. They're so happy that they stood up. that it's like the greatest thing in the world. You look at their smile and say, wow, I wanna be that happy. Like this baby, this year-old baby is so happy that he stood up, even though he's gonna fall on his tushie two seconds later. For those two seconds, he's the happiest baby on planet Earth. But then after a while, he's not so happy about standing anymore. Why? He wants more. He wants more understanding. He wants to start walking. So he takes a few steps and he falls. He gets a little upset. So he gets up again and he falls, and he gets up again and he falls, and it's not enough for him. He's not as happy. You see him start walking, taking a step, and he's not as content. When does he start getting happy? When he starts taking three, four, five steps, it's like he's the happiest person in the world. Why? Because he took four steps. But guess what? After a little while, four steps are not enough. Why? He wants to run like his brother and sister. It's not enough to just take three or four steps.

1:29Yeah, but you were feeling good yesterday. Yeah, yesterday. Yesterday's a long time ago. To a kid, a long time ago is yesterday. Then he starts running. And he runs. And he feels good about it. But then eventually, that's not enough. He wants something more. That's a Ba'al Teshuva. A Ba'al Teshuva that's going to continue to aspire for more will get back that feeling and more than what he had originally. But a ba'al teshuvah that sparks, but you know, it's not really there. Why? He doesn't know all the halachot. He doesn't know he's not allowed to drive because the rabbi says you're going to die. He knows he's not allowed to touch different things because the rabbi says you're probably going to die. The rabbi keeps saying you're going to die, so he doesn't move the whole Shabbat, he sleeps. Guess what? After six months of this, he hates Shabbat. Why? He doesn't know why he's keeping it. He puts on tefillin. Why? Because the rabbi says if you don't wear them, you're going to die.

2:31So he puts on tefillin, do, do, do. He puts tefillin, tefillin, tefillin, tefillin. After six months of this, he can't stand going to shul. Why? He doesn't know anything about this mitzvah. How is he going to enjoy it? He's parked at standing. After a while, standing is not enough. Why? The neshama wants more. The neshama is telling you, why do you lay tefillin? Why? Why is it square? Why is it black? Why don't you ever see somebody with pink and rims on tefillin? Why? Why do we do it? What does the Torah say about it? How come the Gemara in Masechet Rosh Hashanah says there are certain people that sin and they get punished for a year, but there are certain people that sin with their body and their punishment is eternal, even after Mashiach? It gives an example. It says the example is somebody that doesn't put on tefillin. He goes to Gehenom forever.

3:31So long as he doesn't care, he's never going to enjoy the mitzvah. He's never going to get that original feeling that he had in the beginning when he did care. What do you think of when you think of a baby, other than being cute? You think of the baby's personality. A baby's personality is such that he always wants more. He wants to learn more. He wants to do more. He's interested in everything. Everything goes into his mouth. Everything he wants to look at. Everything he wants to do by himself. That's what you're supposed to be. You're supposed to want more. More of Hashem's Torah. More of Hashem's mitzvot. More understanding of the Divine Presence. More. That's what we have ambition for. A Baal Teshuva is like a baby. A convert is like a baby. They want everything. If you stay with that mentality, you'll get really far.

4:38you'll reach the holiest place on earth, the holiest place in the universe. If you maintain that mentality and constantly strive for more—more mitzvot, more Torah, more knowledge, more clarity—you'll arrive at a point greater than anyone else can achieve. However, if you behave like a retiree, content with what you have, lacking a desire for more, then you'll just want to sit there and do nothing until you die. Then you start suffering. And then everything becomes a burden. All the mitzvot become like a burden. It's like one sack of potatoes. Why? You start acting like a retiree. You just want to sit there and do nothing until you die. Then you start suffering. Then everything becomes a burden. All mitzvot become a burden. It's like one sack of potatoes. Why? You don't want to put anything into it. You don't want it. When you don't want something, automatically it becomes bad. When you don't like your job, guess what? Automatically, you start seeing everything that's wrong with this company. You don't want to do mitzvot? All of a sudden, all the rabbis are terrible. All of a sudden, you're having questions about Hashem. Who made Hashem? How come you didn't ask this the first five years?

5:57How come? Because that's not the question. You don't want to be religious. You want to be a rasha and enjoy yourself if you're going to do that. But once you start realizing, my lack of enjoyment is only because of my lack of effort. When I put effort into it, I liked it. You have to find a way to push yourself. To start investing more. You invest more into doing it, you're going to start liking it. Chazakim u'beruchim. Let's say thank you, Hashem, for more Torah. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.