The Hard Diagnosis That Saved A Life & Soul (24 minutes)

0:12How are you? I hope you're having a wonderful week. We want to continue our short series about Pinchas, Pinchas Ben-Elazar, the son of Aaron HaKohen. And we want to report. Pinchas did something that no one else was willing to do. No one else was able to do. Pinchas was zealous for Hashem to such an extent that he was willing to kill someone just for the purpose of sanctifying Hashem's name. Zimri, the prince of the tribe of Shimon, publicly sinned by consorting with a Midianite woman. Pinchas, taking action against this desecration, acted with righteous indignation and zeal. It was an act of great courage and dedication to the mitzvot that others were too afraid to perform. By doing this, Pinchas put an end to the plague that afflicted the Israelites. Hashem acknowledged Pinchas' actions with a covenant of peace, serving as a testament to his righteousness. is not going to desecrate Hashem's name by being with a non-Jew, Kozbi, the daughter of Tzur, in public and obviously taking halacha into his own hands. Pinchas kills them, and Hashem rewards him greatly, as we've mentioned several times.

1:30There's no end to the reward that Pinchas got, not only in this world, but also in the next. Another aspect I want to focus on today is the words that Hashem used when He started discussing the reward that Pinchas is going to receive. It's not only about the reward itself, but also why he's receiving it and how it can connect to us. Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the Kohen, turned back My wrath from upon the children of Yisrael when he zealously avenged My vengeance among them. So I did not consume the children of Yisrael in My vengeance. In this verse, chapter 25, in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, verse 11, it says that Hashem stopped His action of consuming, chas v'shalom, killing the entire nation of Israel, because Pinchas zealously avenged His vengeance.

2:49But in addition to that, Hashem added a word here that seems like it may not be relevant. It seems like it may not be necessary. He says, "betocham." He could have just said, "He could have just said." So what is the significance of the word "betocham"? Why is he saying betocham? Why is he saying among them? Actually, betocham not only means among them, but it also means within them. It's a better translation. So Chazal gives us a couple of things to think about and how we can apply this extraordinary verse to our lives. First and foremost, as we mentioned, one of the great aspects, one of the things we learn about Pinchas is the fact that he fulfilled the mitzvah of "You must rebuke your nation."

3:53do not come to sin, meaning do not end up making a sin because of your rebuke. If you're going to rebuke your brothers, if you're going to rebuke your sisters, if you're going to rebuke your nation, you must not come to sin. This means you cannot get to a point where you want to rebuke somebody and tell them that they're violating Shabbat, they're intermarrying, they're doing this, or they're doing that, but at the same time, embarrass them in public. and make one of the greatest sins you could possibly make. According to the Torah, we learn from David HaMelech, King David, one of the greatest people that ever lived, the fourth pillar of Hashem's Kisei HaKavod, the fourth leg of Hashem's holy chair. David HaMelech says, if someone embarrasses another in public, they have no share in the World to Come. So obviously, on one end, Hashem is telling us that one of the 613 commandments, to rebuke our nation, to rebuke our brothers and sisters, to save them. We have to tell them, "Listen, if you're making a sin, I have to let you know so you don't continue doing it. So you don't think that it's okay to drive on Shabbat. You don't think it's okay to date a non-Jew. You don't think it's okay to eat in non-kosher restaurants, even if it's not meat." A lot of people go to these non-kosher places, and they think that they're eating kosher.

5:16Because it's not meat. So they figured, no, I'm just eating salad at this non-kosher place. Or I'm just eating pizza at this non-kosher place. Or I'm just having a drink at this non-kosher bar. Not realizing that 99.999% of all non-kosher food, even when it's not meat... a reason why it's not kosher is not just about the money; the reason is that the ingredients in there are not kosher. We published a list about a year and a half ago of different ingredients found in non-kosher food, and anyone that eats any food, let alone kosher food, is... Reads this list will never want to eat non-kosher again, even if they're not Jewish, because the ingredients they use, especially in the Western world, are just much more disgusting. But this is not what we came here to talk about. We came here to talk about the fact that we must rebuke our people by letting them know that they are sinning. Yet, at the same time, we cannot sell our souls to the devil by embarrassing these people in public. So there's a certain way to do it.

6:26You have to do it privately. You have to do it in a certain way, with manners, with politeness, with care. And Chazal tells us the reason why Hashem is saying here that Pinchas avenged My vengeance among them, betocham, is because if you want to rebuke someone, if you want to be a zealot, you cannot consider yourself an angry person. You cannot do it out of anger; rather, it should be an act of love, not anger. Not only is an act of love going to remove you far away from sin, but more importantly, it will be much more effective for the person who's listening if you tell somebody, "Listen..." My brother, my sister, I care about you. I love you. I want the best for you. But I also want you to know that the direction you're going is not right. According to the Torah, by driving even once on Shabbat, whether it's to the Beit Knesset or to the mall, or anywhere else, you're cutting yourself off from the Jewish people. You're cutting yourself off from Hashem. And I could provide you with verses and proofs.

7:48It's not a translation. It's not a chumra or a stringency. It's outright halacha. It's outright from the words of Hashem. He mentions it 12 times in the Torah. It's not a joke. And I'm telling you this because I want to see you in Olam Haba. I want to see you in Gan Eden one day. I don't want you to go to a bad place. I want to see you there. I want you to celebrate eternity with me. this world and the next, and when you do something out of love, even if the person is not yet ready to accept it, they'll still have an open ear the next time you talk. But if you're yelling at them and you're insulting them, and you're one of these crazy people who pretend to be religious, that starts throwing rocks at people in the middle of the street because they're not keeping Shabbat, or starts yelling or spitting at women because they're not modest, or starts acting like an animal because people are not doing what they're supposed to be doing, that person doesn't realize that he is worse off than them. they'll still have an open ear the next time you talk. But if you're yelling at them, insulting them, and acting like one of those crazy people who pretends to be religious—throwing rocks at people in the middle of the street because they're not keeping Shabbat, or yelling or spitting at women because they're not modest, or acting like an animal because people are not doing what they're supposed to be doing—that person doesn't realize that he is worse off than them.

8:57We're not animals. We're not psychopaths. We're a civilized nation that is called the Chosen People. We are obligated as Jews to be a light to the nations. What kind of light are you if you're throwing rocks or yelling at people in the middle of the street? Yes, there's a way to rebuke people. Yes, the word rebuke in English sounds like an aggressive, bad word, but it doesn't need to be. What it actually means is to tell people the truth even if it hurts a little bit, especially if it hurts their confidence because you're telling someone that everything they know is wrong. But there's a way to do it. Hashem is telling us that the first lesson here is if you engage in rebuke, you must do it out of love. So even though the most aggressive thing that Pinchas could have ever done—which is killing someone—seems like an angry act, it was actually an act of love: a love for Hashem, protecting His name, and ensuring that everyone knows.

10:00Hashem is number one, even beyond our parents, our brothers, our sisters, our wives, our husbands, our everything. He's always number one. That's why it's the first commandment out of ten. But aside from that, a love for the nation of Israel is paramount. Because if Pinchas wouldn't have done it, Hashem said He would have consumed the children of Israel and would have killed everyone. Pinchas knew where this was going. Pinchas knew the outcome of this terrible act, so to save them, he did an act that looked like it was going to hurt them. But in reality, when Hashem publicized what he actually did, the people realized and they celebrated Pinchas's name. That's why he was the leader of the war against the Midianites in this week's parasha. Hashem said, "I would have consumed the children of Israel, would have killed everyone." Pinchas knew where this was going; Pinchas knew the outcome of this terrible act. So, to save them, he did an act that looked like it was going to hurt them. But in reality, when Hashem publicized what he actually did, the people realized and they celebrated Pinchas' name. That's why he was the leader of the war against the Midianites in this week's parasha. But the second thing that it means, the second translation that we have from Pinchas is even more extraordinary. When Hashem is telling us that Pinchas avenged My name, avenged My vengeance among them, He's revealing to us a secret.

11:18Anytime you're not getting your way or what you think is your way, you're losing money, you're having problems with Shalom Bayit, and your wife doesn't like you or your husband doesn't like you anymore, or you're not getting along, or you're arguing, or the kids are not passing in school, they're not doing well in life in general. Or you don't feel well, and you have a sickness, or anything that's not going your way because you can't find your shidduch, and you can't find a job, and the endless amount of problems that Ami Magazine is reporting every single second. Something is not going your way. Hashem is telling you, you have to check the reason why. There is a vengeance here. The reason why I am angry is because there's something wrong within them. There's something wrong betocham. Your connection with Hashem Yitbarach is not good. Your connection with Hashem Yitbarach is lacking. Before questioning why things are happening to you, examine your inner self. Hashem gave us 613 commandments to guide our actions and lives.

12:25It's spoiled. You're doing something wrong. Before you start complaining to Hashem, asking why you're doing this to me, why don't you check bitachon first? Why don't you check what's inside you? Hashem gave us 613 commandments. The sages added another seven, so we have 620 commandments that we must fulfill, most of which we cannot do because they are relevant to the Beit HaMikdash. Nonetheless, Hashem gave us everything that we can do. For anyone who says, "How could the sages add seven mitzvot?" Torah, I mean, as I would say, that you're not allowed to add or subtract from the Torah, where it also says in the Torah that Hashem specifically instructs the sages, the leaders of Am Yisrael, to put a fence around His words. Nonetheless, Hashem gave us all of these commandments, and He said, "If you do My will, I will do your will." In the Mishnah of Pirkei Avot, it specifically states, "If you make His will as your will..."

13:30into your will, He will make your will into His. A few months ago, a person came to me, and people are asking me for an update about this story. When I received this email, I was reliving my story, as I mentioned in one of my lectures, where someone came to me and said, listen, lost everything I have, I became sick. I'm in pain 24 hours a day, and I've gotten to the point where I don't know what to do with myself anymore. I'm struggling 24 hours a day, and I don't know what to do. Then, for some reason, I clicked on a link that took me to TorahAnytime.com. I'm not an observant Jew, but I decided to maybe seek something, to seek God. I saw your lecture, your lecture of your personal story, and...

14:36That's called "Hashem took my millions and He gave me emunah instead." I watched this shiur and I said, "If anyone can save me, he can, because he lived what I'm living." Well, anyway, as the story goes, we had a conversation, and I used this opportunity to tell this Jew that it's time for him to do teshuva. The problem is not with Hashem. The problem is not with his body. The problem is not with his business. The problem is bitachon. The problem is within him. The problem is that the connection he once had with Hashem is spoiled. It's rotten. Because according to Hashem, There's no such thing that happens for a bad reason. Just like Nachum Ish Gamzu said in the Gemara, Masechet Ta'anit, page 21a, Gam zu l'tovah, this too is for the good, meaning that Hashem does not do anything for the bad. The sickness, the loss of money, the pain, the agony, everything cannot be for no reason. There has to be a good here, which means that everything that's happening to you, there's something good in it. Take this as a reminder that Hashem's ways, although sometimes difficult to understand, are ultimately for our benefit.

15:52So even the fact that you are not complying with what the Torah says in the book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 8: "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it," meaning that you have to observe the Shabbat. Even though you're not doing that, and you're not doing much of anything else, Hashem is doing this for you. I took this opportunity to let him know that if he wants Hashem, he must strive to align his will with Hashem's will. Fix his life. He has to fix the bit of him. He has to fix within him. He has to start fixing this broken relationship. He has to start making Hashem's will into his will. Hashem has no end to what He can do. I told him about Shabbat, and I told him about tefillin. I told him that he has to eat kosher all the time, both inside the house and outside of the house. There's no such thing as non-kosher. ...keep the laws of family purity. If you're not married, you're not allowed, under any condition, ever to waste seed. All of these are basic things, and obviously, there are many more. This completely turned his life upside down. All of a sudden, he's saying, "Wait a minute, you're telling me I have to do all of this? Why?" And then we went verse by verse...

17:12Keep family purity. If you're not married, you're not allowed under any condition to waste seed. These are basic things, and obviously, there are many more. This completely turned his life upside down. Suddenly, he was saying, "Wait a minute, you're telling me I have to do all of this, why?" Then, we went verse by verse. In the Torah, Hashem specifically states that when you don't do these things, there is a very heavy punishment. If you look at Parashat Bechukotai, Parashat Ki Tavo, or Parashat Va'etchanan, you will see that half of the Torah is Hashem specifically talking about punishment for not doing His will. And at the end of the call, he tells me, "I didn't tell you this during the message, but..." Before this call, before I sent you the email, I was thinking that I can't do this anymore. I can't live in pain all the time anymore. I'm going to have to start planning to kill myself. But then I said, you know what, let me just try making this one phone call and see where it takes me.

18:25Now that you've told me everything that is written in the Torah, you've explained why this is happening. You've given me a diagnosis. Even though the diagnosis is difficult, it means that I have to change my life. At least, for the first time in these last couple of years of suffering and agony, I finally have a diagnosis. I finally know why it's happening. And now that I know why it's happening... I also know that there's a solution. And now, I can't wait to wake up tomorrow. People ask me all the time, what happened to this man? What happened to him? Well, I'm glad to tell you that I got a message from him today, just a few hours ago, that made me cry. Because he sent me a message and he says, I remember when I first reached out to you.

19:25Told you that the only one that can save my life is Hashem. Obviously, he's not talking about somebody like me. I just gave him the truth. Well, my depression is gone; I am happy and no longer dwelling on my past mistakes as you advised. I did not take the job at the restaurant working on Shabbat, as you stated. You told me that Hashem will take care of me. I ...to those words, and out of the blue, without me even searching, an opportunity came across my way to move to Florida and work for a certain healthcare company which I'm not mentioning for the purpose of privacy, in order to run a food and beverage operation in a hospital. The normal hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the weekends are off, and... no working on Shabbat. I have gone through all of the interview process, and they are flying me down on Sunday to meet with the client. Also, my back pain has subsided enormously. Without any medical procedures, baruch Hashem.

20:50Thank you for changing my life. You see, my brothers and sisters, this has nothing to do with me. Nothing. If you read the Torah, you would do the same thing. If you followed what Hashem said, you'd be able to do the same thing. In the book of Mishlei, Shlomo HaMelech, the wisest man of all time, gave this exact advice. In chapter 3, verse 5, it says, "Trust in Hashem, trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not rely upon your understanding." Yes, it may not make sense to you rationally why keeping Shabbat is such a big deal. You can watch shiur number 50 that I have, and I'll tell you why it's a big deal. But nonetheless, until you watch it, If it doesn't make sense to you why keeping Shabbat all of a sudden healed his wounds or improved his financial situation, then consider this: How could this be? Why does Hashem care so much about you eating kosher? Because Hashem specifically said also in Mishlei (Proverbs) 2:6, "Know Him," meaning Hashem, "in all your ways and He will direct your paths."

22:07Once you have an understanding of what Hashem is all about, what He wants from you, and why He brought you into this world, you have nothing to worry about anymore. He will direct your path. He'll find you a job. He'll find you health. He'll find you a zivug. He'll find you everything. As long as you have no other gods in His presence, as it says in the book of Shemot, chapter 20, verse 3, meaning not the god of money and not the false gods and not anything else, He'll take care of everything for you. And then in Mishlei again, chapter 3, verse 24, it says, "When you lie down, you shall not fear, and you will lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet." Meaning that once you're doing my will, once you're doing everything that I told you, you have nothing to worry about. You go lie down, you go to sleep at night, you know that I'm doing everything for you. You have nothing to worry about. This, my friends, is just the beginning of the salvation from Hashem. And if we could learn anything from this story,

23:20If we could learn anything from all of these shiurim, if we could learn anything from one of the greatest men that ever lived, Pinchas, it's not about just fulfilling mitzvot and being a robot. It's not about just saying thank you to Hashem but not really meaning it. It's about checking ourselves on a day-to-day basis and looking inside and asking ourselves: am I truly righteous with Hashem? Do I really deserve what I want from Hashem and even what I'm getting? Once you do that, then your teshuva has begun. May Hashem continue to bless you and give you true, true connection with Hashem Yitbarach and many, many more miracles. Kol tuv. Am I truly righteous with Hashem? Do I really deserve what I want from Hashem and even what I'm getting? Once you do that, then your teshuva has begun. May Hashem continue to bless you and give you a true, true connection with Hashem Yitbarach and many, many more miracles. Kol Tuv.