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0:00 Defense, welcome to this week's virtual Torah show. 0:02 This week we have the incredible privilege of purchasing Balak. 0:04 The parsha begins with a beautiful mitzvah. 0:07 God tells Moshe to speak to Aaron. 0:09 Say to Aaron, Aaron, this is the second parsha, chapter 8, verse 2. 0:15 Say to Aaron, Balak kindle the lamps of the menorah. 0:22 The menorah was a seven-branch candelabra. 0:26 Seven-branch menorah. Aaron, you shall go ahead and kindle the menorah each and every day. 0:30 And Rashi is bothered by a very simple question. 0:33 Why is this here? 0:34 After all, again, remember we already learned about the Mishkan, all of its utensils, its services back in Shemot, Vayakel, Pekudei. 0:41 Going back to Terumah, Tetzaveh, we had all of this already. 0:44 Why is this here? 0:45 And Rashi says something amazing. 0:46 Rashi asks this question, "Lama nismach parshat parshat Nitzavim?" 0:51 Rashi knows the juxtaposition between this week's parsha, Balak, the menorah, and the end of last week's parsha, parshat Nasso, where we went through the offerings of all the tribal princes, all of the Nesi'im, on the day that the Mishkan was 1:04 dedicated. So Rashi says, "Why the juxtaposition?" 1:08 And Rashi says something amazing. 1:09 When Aaron saw the dedication, right, the the offerings of the tribal princes, that their dedication on the day of the Mishkan, "chasha da'ato." 1:22 "Chasha da'ato" literally means he was distressed. 1:25 Aaron and his tribe weren't represented. 1:29 Shevet Levi wasn't represented. 1:30 Aaron wasn't represented. Shevet Levi wasn't represented. 1:33 So here was this incredible dramatic symphonic day, the day of the dedication of the Mishkan, and Aaron felt kind of like sidelined. 1:39 I have no part. 1:41 I have no chelek. 1:42 I have no service. 1:42 I'm not doing anything on this great day. 1:45 Everyone else is participating and I am not. 1:48 So Hashem says to Aaron, "Do not be distressed. 1:52 Chayyecha, shelcha gedolah mishallehem." 1:54 Don't worry. Don't worry. 1:56 Chayyecha, by your life, what you're going to do is so much greater than what they're going to do. 2:01 Why? For you, Aaron, are going to kindle the menorah. 2:07 And on a on a partial on a simple level, wouldn't it seem that it was beautiful, but it was episodic? 2:12 It happened once. But you, Aaron, you're going to be so happy to bring life into the picture each and every day. 2:17 That's your That's your portion. 2:19 That's your part. So he's trying to come out and such That's the juxtaposition. 2:24 Last week's parsha, the offering of the tribal princes, Aaron distressed that he didn't participate in that. 2:29 How could he calm him down in this situation? 2:31 Don't worry. Show him Don't worry, Aaron. 2:35 They did something beautiful, but it was once. 2:37 You're going to do something beautiful, and it's each and every day. 2:40 But the says something so incredibly amazing. 2:45 says there's something so much deeper that's happening over here. 2:49 The Rebbe says that often we go through life and we compare ourselves to others. 2:53 It's human nature. And I see someone accomplish something. 2:57 I'm so jealous. I see this person Whatever the accomplishment is, whether it's a spiritual accomplishment, I'm like, "Wow, I I can't believe I haven't done that yet." 3:06 A career accomplishment, a relationship accomplishment, a family accomplishment, whatever type of milestone accomplishment. 3:13 The Rebbe says it is natural and normal that we look at other people and we're jealous. 3:17 But that jealousy stems from the fact that I'm comparing myself to that other person. 3:22 In other words, I see their accomplishment and I say, "That That should be me. 3:26 That should have been me." 3:27 As if to say that I'm always measuring myself up against others. 3:30 And the Rebbe says that's a tremendous problem. 3:33 Because when you measure someone when you measure yourself up against someone else, essentially what you're negating is your individual shlichus. 3:41 Every single person has their own shlichus. 3:44 Every single person has their own mission in this world. 3:48 And my mission is not like your mission. 3:50 So your mission might require you to do A, B, and C. 3:52 Might require you Might require you to acquire D, E, and F. 3:56 Might require Might require this milestone or this accomplishment. 4:00 My shlichus is different. 4:02 And if I spend my life measuring myself up against others, says the Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh, I negate the individuality of my shlichus. 4:11 And says the Rebbe so beautifully, that's what's unfolding over here. 4:14 You see, Aaron saw the carbonos, the offerings of the Nesi'im, and he's like, "I should have been doing that. 4:20 That should have been That's my shlichus also. 4:23 How could it be that I got left out from such an incredible, inhaling, and holy event?" 4:29 And listen to how the Baal Shem Tov understands Rashi. 4:31 The Rebbe says, and again, you'll look back in Rashi on you know, this is the first Rashi on the parsha, and the way The way the Baal Shem Tov reads it is a little bit different. 4:39 Remember again, the beginning, Aaron was distressed. 4:47 Why was he distressed? 4:48 Because he was left out. 4:50 Because again, he was measuring himself against the Nesi'im, against the other tribal princes. 4:55 And he felt if they're doing it, then I should be doing this also. 4:58 Aaron, the Ribbono Shel Olam says, "Now, by the way, if you look at Rashi, even Rashi, there's a comma in here." 5:07 The Baal Shem Tov says means "Aaron, your life. 5:10 Focus on your life. 5:12 Focus on you. Aaron, why are you comparing yourself to other people? 5:18 When you do that, you you are negating the individuality of your shlichus. 5:23 Aaron, I don't need you to be the Nasi and I need you to be you. 5:31 I need you to be the best Aaron. 5:33 I don't need you to be a Nachshon ben Aminadav. 5:36 I don't need you to be this one. 5:37 I don't need you to be that one. 5:38 I don't need you to be the Nasi of Zevulun. 5:40 I need you to be Aaron Hakohen. 5:45 I need you, Aaron, to lead your best life. 5:49 And if you do that, shelcha gedola mishalochem. 5:54 You will see that that literally translated it means your portion is greater than theirs. 5:59 The Rebbe says K'vod Hashem who's not saying that Aaron is greater or less. 6:03 He's saying shelcha your mission to you is more important than trying to replicate someone else's mission for you. 6:12 Stop spending your life trying to make someone else's shlichus. 6:16 Your shlichus. Figure out what your shlichus is. 6:20 Figure out what your mission is and be the best at your mission. 6:25 Don't spend your life trying to be like someone else. 6:30 But figure out ultimately again what your unique and special shlichus is. 6:35 And if you do that, if you're able to figure out your singular and unique shlichus, then shelcha gedola mishalochem. 6:43 Then the actualization of your shlichus is so much greater than trying to replicate or emulate someone else's agency, someone else's mission, someone else's shlichus. 6:54 The Rashba says a beautiful formulation. 6:56 He says, bimkom lishol lama ani lo, instead of asking, "Well, why can't I do that? 7:05 Why can't I accomplish that? 7:07 Why can't I be like that?" 7:09 nishol bima ani kein. 7:13 Ask yourself, "What can I do? 7:16 Who can I be? 7:18 What is my unique individual shlichus?" 7:22 Dear friends, it is such a beautiful and overwhelming idea. 7:25 Because all too often we try to be like the other. 7:30 We try to live in the same houses as the other, try to drive the same cars as the other. 7:34 We try to kind of be like, you know, every single boy needs to be the biggest talmid chacham and every single girl needs to be the girl who marries the guy in Cola, which is all beautiful. 7:44 It's all beautiful. As long as you recognize that it doesn't work for everyone. 7:47 And as long as you recognize that everybody has their own unique shlichus. 7:50 Yeah, there are some boys who are supposed to be in Eretz Yisrael long-term learners, and there are other boys who are just as holy, who are supposed to borrow Hashem, have a chavrusah, be an erlich baal habayis, get into the 8:03 world and be mekadesh shem shamayim. 8:05 And there's no shlichus that's better, there's no shlichus that's worse. 8:09 Just like there are some young women in Eretz Yisrael who will contribute to the world through their careers, and some incredible young women who will in Eretz Yisrael contribute to the world through ultimately devoting themselves wholly and totally to raising 8:20 their families. And there is no better, there's no worse. 8:22 At the end of the day, everybody has their shlichus. 8:26 We spend so much time always trying to like create a box and then fit everyone into that. 8:32 Th- Th- This is what everyone looks like. 8:33 This is what everyone does. 8:35 This is how everyone should operate. 8:38 And when you try to make someone else's shlichus like your own, then at the end of the day you totally and wholly and fully negate your own individuality. 8:48 It's true with gashmius when we feel the need to keep up with other people. 8:52 Have you ever imagined how liberating it would be? 8:54 You know what? I don't have to make a simcha like everybody else. 8:58 I don't have to live the lifestyle like everybody else. 9:02 Live whatever lifestyle you want. 9:04 Do whatever you want because you feel it's good for you, because you feel it works for you. 9:08 Whether that's a lot or it's a little, but not because you feel you have to keep up or be like someone else. 9:15 Because the moment you spend your life keeping up and just trying to be like the other is the moment that you manage snuff out and extinguish your light of individuality. 9:27 Hakadosh Baruch Hu did not put us in this world to be carbon copies of each other. 9:32 He did not put us in this world ultimately again to all of ourselves put ourselves, ourselves into one box and one framework and one image. 9:42 He wanted us to cultivate our own individual shlichus. 9:46 And the world needs my shlichus. 9:48 The world needs your shlichus. 9:50 The world needs our individuality. 9:53 Because if we were just all created to be the same, Hashem could have created a minyan in the world and that would have been enough. 9:59 That would have been more than fine. 10:00 He needs our individuality. 10:03 See, Aaron HaKohen, even the great Aaron HaKohen didn't initially understand this. 10:08 Right? Aaron HaKohen originally thought that the Avos and the Nesi'im are doing something great. 10:13 If they're doing something great, that must be my Avodah to do that as well. 10:16 And by the way, there is a place, of course, for spiritual and religious emulation. 10:21 We should all have role models. 10:22 And the goal of role models is someone I can look up to, someone that in certain respects I want to be like, but just be like, not be a spitting image, not be a carbon copy. 10:32 Because ultimately, that would extinguish my own individual shlichus. 10:36 Aaron thought that his whole Avodah was to be like the Nesi'im. 10:40 They offered up this Korbanos, I can't believe that I didn't get to do it. 10:44 But now Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, "Hey, stop. 10:47 Chayecha. Chayecha. I don't want you to live their life. 10:52 I want you to live your life. 10:55 I don't want you to go ahead and try to be like them. 10:59 I want you ultimately to be like you. 11:02 That That That's what I want. 11:03 I want you to cultivate your own individuality. 11:05 And if you do that, Chayecha, shall gedolah mishalohem. 11:09 If you focus on who are you and what can you do, not as the Bash said, not "The Malkum and the money load." 11:15 Not always ask, "Why can't I have that? 11:17 And why can't I be like that?" 11:18 But instead, "Nishal bemani kein. 11:21 What can I do? 11:22 What is my shlichus?" 11:23 Then shall gedolah mishalohem. 11:27 You will find that it is so much more rewarding to live a life where you try to figure out how to be the best you than to live a life and trying to figure out how to be like everyone else. 11:40 Such is the power of our individual shlichus. 11:44 Borei nefashos rabos, Hakadosh Baruch Hu created many different people. 11:47 You know why? Because he wants us to be different. 11:51 And he wants us to celebrate those differences, and he wants us to find each of us find our own individual shlichus. 11:56 And have it, how exciting is it that each and every one of us we have our own mission? 12:01 Sure there's overlap, of course. 12:03 We all have to do the same mitzvahs. 12:05 We all have to daven the same tefilos. 12:07 We all have to take care of each other. 12:08 Of course there's overlap. 12:10 Of course there's commonality. 12:12 But there's also so much beautiful individuality. 12:15 Find your derech. Don't spend life trying to figure out how to be like everyone else and do what everyone else is doing. 12:26 That's not what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted of Aaron. 12:28 And it's not what he wants of us. 12:31 He wants us ultimately to figure out bama ani kein. 12:35 What can I do? 12:36 What are my kochos? 12:38 What are my unique and individual strengths? 12:41 And how can I use that? 12:43 Listen to what happens. 12:44 If you find your individual kochos, if you find your individual shlichus, then what happens? 12:50 Sha'ata madlik umeitiv es haneiros. 12:54 That's how you bring light to the world. 12:56 You don't bring light by trying to be like everybody else. 12:59 You don't bring light ultimately again just by copying and emulating. 13:02 So there there's there's an element of that. 13:05 You really bring light when you discover who and what you are. 13:08 You bring light when you stop trying to always be like the other and instead try to figure out chayecha. 13:15 Who am I? What am I? 13:17 What is my shlichus? 13:18 And ultimately, what can I do for Hakadosh Baruch Hu and for the world? 13:22 Wishing everyone a good night of Shabbos and a beautiful Shabbos Kodesh.
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