We Need More Jews (Rabbinical Alliance Of America event)

1:24And he decided to go to America. And in America, a certain Rav Bunim told him, "Listen, Kvod HaRav, to save yourself the trip—you're one of the Gedolei HaDor—instead of going from bayit to bayit, why don't you go to this one person that's called Pinchas. But he calls himself Peter." He says, "Why should I go to Pinchas?" He says, "Because Pinchas learned with you in yeshiva when you were little." He says, okay, so let's call Pinchas. Let's go. He says, no, Kavod HaRav, you have to go by yourself. Why do I have to go by myself? He says, because Pinchas, also known as Peter, is a Kofer. After he left the yeshiva, he got into the business world and decided that the business world is much more enticing than the Torah world. The Satan gave him a lot of money, and he forgot Torah and mitzvot, becoming a Kofer with a lot of wealth. She says, why don't you want to come with me? He says because he hates it. Not only does he not donate, but he hates us. At least if he embarrasses us, we're local, so it's a busha for us. It's not nice. But you're from Lita. Yeah, you go back. You're not going to notice it. No one's going to know. He says, okay, so let's call Pinchas. So he calls and he asks for Peter. And he says, Peter is very busy. He cannot answer the phone.

2:48And a few days later, he calls again. He says, is Pinchas there? And Pinchas cannot answer the phone. But on the third day, Basiyata d'Ishmaya, Pinchas answers the phone himself and he says, Elchanan, what are you doing here? He says, I'm here to visit you. He says, you came to visit me? Of course! I'd love to see you. I haven't seen you in so many years. So he went to Manhattan and visited him. And after Pinchas/Peter shows him the place, he says, "Well, you, Elchanan, what have you done?" And Elchanan responded, "Well, you know, I studied under this rabbi and that rabbi, and eventually, I became one of the talmidim of the Chafetz Chaim. Then I opened a yeshiva, and I have this number of students, and I'm here." Pinchas/Peter started to feel a deep resentment towards himself because he realized that, in his past, he had the same opportunities as Elchanan. Now, the situation will blossom into deeper introspection and an opportunity for growth. He says, why are you here? Rabbi Wasserman said, I just wanted to see you. He said, okay, you wanted to see me, but for what? He feared that Rabbi Wasserman wanted money from him. Because at least, he thought, I have something to offer this big rabbi. But at this moment, Rabbi Wasserman found himself not wanting Pinchas' money. He felt so bad for Pinchas, who became Peter, that he said that his money is not welcome here.

4:12And he said, "I don't want anything from you. I just wanted to say hello." He says, "But why did you come all the way here?" He said, "Well, to tell you the truth, you see my jacket, the button is falling off. And if it falls off and one of the talmidim sees it, he's going to think Jewish people are poor, and it's a chilul Hashem. And I heard that you have a big factory, maybe you can fix my button." He says, "You came all the way here for a button?" He says, "Yes. I heard, can you help me?" Yes, what can I do? He brings somebody; he doesn't know what to do with himself. He has so many employees, and he says, I'll fix one button. What's the problem? Fix the button. So he fixes the button, and he says, okay, so now, I know, obviously, between us, he didn't come here for the button. Why'd you come? He goes, no, no, I have to go now, thank you, and he leaves. Peter/Pinchas cannot sleep. And at 2 o'clock in the morning, he starts calling around, trying to look for a hacham, looking and looking and looking. Eventually, he finds him and gets him on the phone. He says, "I have to find out. I cannot sleep, I cannot eat, I cannot breathe. I have to find out why you are here." The hacham replies, "I came here for a button. What's the problem?" He says, "It doesn't make any sense. I have known you for many years. Please tell me." The hacham responds, "I can come to your place now and discuss it with you."

5:36He gets there, and he explains to him, "I'm here just for the button." He says, "But I don't understand, why would you come all the way from Lita, two weeks on a boat, just for a button?" He says, "Oh, it bothers you. It bothers you that I was on a boat for two weeks just for a button. But what about your neshamah that traveled hundreds and hundreds of light years from rakia to rakia?" And the Gemara Masechet Chagiga actually explains it's 500 light years in between each rakia. And the rakia itself is another 500 light years. And it's thousands of light years. Rabbi Efraim and I discovered it's over 16 million years to travel from Olam Ha'emet to here. And you came here for what? To make a button. So I helped you. I wanted you to make a button. Because that's what you do. Many Jews exist in the world, but they live the life of a button, just like I did. Because they don't know what Hashem is. They don't know what Torah is. They don't know what the Gemara is. Our job, with the help of Hashem, is to help them discover the purpose. Help them discover why they're not a button. Why there's more significance to life than just making money.