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0:00 Dear friends, welcome to this week's virtual drasha. 0:01 This week we have an incredible parsha this week, parshas V'eschanan, in the midst of Hashem usher in shabbos nachamu, the beautiful shabbos of consolation. 0:09 And in this parsha, like in many of the parshas of Chumash Devarim, Moshe Rabbeinu tries to prepare us for the future. 0:15 The beloved shepherd, the devoted shepherd knows that he will not be with his flock in this next stage of the actualization of our national destiny. 0:22 And as such, he tries to prepare us, he tries to be mechazek us for the good. 0:25 And in this week's parsha, he tells us that there are going to be some rough patches in the future. 0:31 And he says as follows, this is in parshas V'eschanan, Devarim perek daled, pasuk chof hey, chapter 4, verse 25. 0:37 Ki soldem bnei u'venei banim, you'll have children, you'll have grandchildren. 0:41 V'noshanntem ba'aretz. And ultimately, again, literally v'noshanntem not lashon of yashan, they become stale, they become embedded. 0:48 V'hishchastem va'asitem pesel, they will become destructive in their ways, their worship of idolatry. 0:54 And they will essentially, chas v'shalom, forsake the Ribono shel Olam. 0:57 And Moshe Rabbeinu says, "I'm just going to tell you that if you forsake your relationship with God, and if you turn your back on God, there are consequences, there are repercussions and ramifications. 1:06 And therefore, what will happen? 1:08 V'heifitz Hashem eschem ba'amim, Hashem will scatter you. 1:11 When we turn our back on Hakadosh Baruchu, the Ribono shel Olam exiles us from our beloved homeland. 1:15 V'nish'artem mispar bagoyim asher yish eschem shamah, I'm going to exile you amongst the people, amongst the nations of the world. 1:21 You'll still retain your identity, but you'll be scattered amongst the nations. 1:24 Va'avadetem sham elokim elohei ma'aseh adam, and again, there you'll really worship idolatry because you'll be embedded in all the gentile culture. 1:32 And then the pasuk says as follows. 1:34 This is pasuk chof tes, verse 29. 1:36 U'vikashtem misham es Hashem Elokecha, and literally again, you will seek from there Hashem your God. 1:44 U'matzasa, and you will find him. 1:46 Ki sidrashenu b'chol l'vavcha u'v'chol nafshacha, when you go ahead and you seek him out with all of your heart and with all of your soul. 1:53 In other words, in the midst of all of this difficulty, in the midst of all of this sadness, in the midst of Moshe Rabbeinu foreshadowing that we will turn our back on God, and unfortunately Akodesh Baruchu will not Baruchu never 2:06 turns his back on us, but Baruchu will allow us to suffer the consequences of that. 2:10 Exile, repression, persecution, but yet Moshe Rabbeinu has he Moshe Rabbeinu almost can't escape the fact that our relationship with Akodesh Baruchu is unbreakable. 2:21 And therefore he says to Klal Yisrael, "Even when you're in the galus, even when you're desperate, when you're suffering, "Uvikashtem misham" you shall seek from there. 2:28 From there is a reference to galus, even when you're in galus, even when you're desperate, even when you're amongst the nations, if you seek out God, and you seek out God with a genuine heart and soul, Akodesh Baruchu will never 2:38 turn away. Akodesh Baruchu will never ignore your supplicative pleas. 2:42 But "Uvacharis hayamim vishavta ad Hashem Elokecha vishamata vikolo" when you choose to become baal teshuvah, when you choose to return, ultimately Akodesh Baruchu will never turn a deaf ear to your supplications, to your pleas, to your prayers. 2:58 Akodesh Baruchu will If you return to Hashem, Hashem will always return to us. 3:02 And of course here, Moshe Rabbeinu has pretty much encapsulated the entirety of the Jewish experience. 3:08 Unfortunately, we get comfortable, and when we get comfortable, we tend to forget about Akodesh Baruchu, and then that sets off a whole series of events. 3:15 Persecution, difficulty, tragedy, trials, tribulations, and then we find our way back to Akodesh Baruchu, and once again, repair the relationship. 3:23 But unfortunately, this has been somewhat cyclical over the last thousands of years of the history of our people. 3:29 But Moshe Rabbeinu wants to always explain to Klal Yisrael, no matter how far you veer, no matter how much you go off, no matter how much you turn your back on Akodesh Baruchu, just know the relationship is never irreparably damaged. 3:41 You're going to have to do work. 3:42 You're going to have to become a baal teshuvah. 3:44 You're going to have to make my way back to Akodesh Baruchu. 3:46 But reconciliation, teshuvah, is always possible. 3:50 Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, as quoted by his devoted disciple Rabbi Nachman says something beautiful. 3:55 And the Rabbi is intrigued by these words u'vikashtem misham. 3:59 You will seek out Hashem. 4:00 The pasuk didn't have to say that. 4:02 The pasuk could have just said u'vikashtem. 4:04 You will seek out Hashem. 4:04 We understand the context. 4:05 The context is that the Jewish people are in exile. 4:08 So all the pasuk needed to say is even when you're in exile, u'vikashtem. 4:11 If you search out if you seek out God, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will never turn away that overture. 4:17 Yet the pasuk feels the need to put in there u'vikashtem misham. 4:21 If you will seek out God from there. 4:23 And Rabbi Nachman says something incredibly beautiful. 4:26 He says, "Misham daika." 4:29 "Mimkom sh'atam sham umikol mash'over alecha. 4:34 She'tzarich kol adam l'hizaher m'od m'od shelahar achar mishp'tei Hashem Baruch Hu." 4:39 Misham the Rabbi says means daika. 4:40 U'vikashtem misham. The Rabbi says misham means wherever you are in life. 4:45 Wherever you are in life. 4:47 Misham could mean a geographic location. 4:49 Misham which literally means there. 4:52 Right? From there. From there could be a geographic location. 4:55 From there could be an emotional location, a spiritual location. 4:58 The Rabbi says u'vikashtem misham daika mimkom sh'ata sham umikol mash'over alecha. 5:05 The ability to reach out to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and the ability to repair our relationship no matter where we are holding in life. 5:12 U'vikashtem misham means the Rabbi says wherever you are. 5:16 Wherever you are in life. 5:18 Whatever your geographic location is, your emotional, your theological, your spiritual, your material, your physical, whatever wherever you are in life, u'vikashtem misham. 5:30 If you seek out Hakadosh Baruch Hu from wherever you are in life, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, "I'm ready to reconcile. 5:35 I'm ready to create the relationship. 5:37 I'm ready to rehabilitate. 5:38 I'm ready to get going again." 5:40 And then Rabbi Nachman goes on and he says something so beautiful. 5:42 He says about that, listen to this. 5:44 "Tolin rov b'nei adam." 5:46 Many people make a tremendous mistake with this. 5:48 Shako akel omer, people often say, "Im haya lo parnasa, haya ovirosha." 5:53 You know, if only I had more money, then I would really be able to serve Hakadosh Baruchu. 5:58 Or vim kem lefidvar Hakadosh Baruchu ba betro shom al elov. 6:02 And it goes on. 6:03 Another person says, "If only my health was the way that I needed it to be, I could serve Hakadosh Baruchu. 6:07 If only I had a shidduch, if only I had this." 6:10 Right? We're we're we're all missing something. 6:12 We're all lacking something. 6:14 And so, it's human nature to say, "I can't be the person I need to be because of the things missing in my life. 6:20 And if I only had those things, then I would be able to be a servant of Hakadosh Baruchu. 6:26 Then I'd be a holy Jew. 6:27 Then I'd be inspired. 6:28 Then I'd be connected." 6:30 And then the Rebbe says something amazing. 6:33 Avazeisha omer Adam, "Im haya misnaik imi kacha, I see osek ba Torah." 6:38 Person says, "If only God would give me A, B, C, D, and E." 6:42 Some people say F, G, H, I, J, so on and so forth. 6:45 Hakadosh Baruchu, just give me what I need, I would be I I I would be inspired. 6:48 I'd be learning, I'd be davening, I'd be engaged. 6:51 Ein ze eitza klum. 6:54 The Rebbe says, "This is not a way to approach life." 6:56 Kikol echad sarach le vakish es Hashem mi spark mi makom shuhushan. 7:02 The avodah in life is find God wherever you are. 7:06 Wherever you are. Find Hakadosh Baruchu misham means wherever you are, it is possible to have a relationship with Hashem. 7:13 Whatever is happening in your life, it is possible to have a relationship with Hakadosh Baruchu. 7:18 The moment we begin saying, "I'll have a relationship with God when." 7:22 Or "I'll be an inspired Jew if." 7:24 The moment we start going ahead and kind of creating a set of expectations that need to be in place in order for me to fully self-actualize. 7:31 The Rebbe says, "That's flawed thinking." 7:33 His wording is so profound. 7:34 Avazeisha omer Adam, "Im haya misnaik imi kacha, if God would just give me what I need, then again, kayisi osek ba Torah, I'd be inspired, I'd be a good Jew. 7:44 Ain ze itza klal. 7:47 That is not a way to approach life. 7:49 So, what is the way to approach life? 7:50 He says, Seek out God from wherever you are in life. 8:01 You will be cashed in Seek out Hashem wherever you are in life. 8:07 Mission daiko. Seek out God from wherever you are geographically and whatever is happening in your life. 8:20 Then he introduces us this just incredible idea. 8:23 Moshe Rabbeinu is not just simply telling us that God is available in diaspora. 8:27 We know. Moshe Rabbeinu is not just telling us that even when we've been exiled you can access God. 8:30 You will be cashed in mission. 8:32 It's perhaps one of the most profound statements in col Torah kulo. 8:35 Because the Rebbe says Kadosh Baruch Hu knows how we operate and we think that in order to be successful we need optimal circumstances. 8:42 In order to be successful I need everything to kind of come together and coalesce exactly according to plan, according to my vision. 8:48 And if anything is off, then I'm sorry I can't do it. 8:50 I I can't self-actualize. 8:52 I can't accomplish because again the planets aren't in alignment, the stars, the constellations, the universes are not in proper I I I I I I can't do it. 8:58 The Rebbe says, "Ain ze itza klal." 9:00 You can't live life like that for one simple reason. 9:04 No one always has everything in place. 9:07 The pieces don't always fall into place. 9:08 In fact, the all of the pieces rarely ever fall into place together. 9:14 So, if I'm waiting for the universe to align, for the planets to align in order for me to become the best version of me, it's never going to happen. 9:21 Ain ze itza klal. 9:22 The Rebbe says, it doesn't work. 9:25 So, what's the alternative? 9:26 The alternative is you will be cashed in mission. 9:29 Wherever you are in life, make it happen. 9:32 Wherever you are in life, accomplish. 9:34 Wherever you are in life, self-actualize. 9:37 Don't wait until your circumstances become some perfect ideal. 9:42 Don't wait until all the pieces fall into place exactly the way you need it, or you planned it, or you wanted it, or you pined for it. 9:48 B'kash'tem misham. Wherever you are in life, know that you have the koach to make it happen. 9:53 Wherever you are in life, know that you have the ability to do great things. 9:56 Wherever you are in life, know that you have the ability to become the best version of yourself. 10:03 Stop waiting for the perfect circumstances. 10:06 Stop waiting for everything to fall into place. 10:09 U'b'kash'tem misham. Wherever you are in life, that's where you have the ability to create a beautiful relationship with Hashem, with your fellow Jew, and with yourself. 10:18 Wherever you are in life, that's where you have the ability to achieve greatness. 10:23 And once you understand this, dear friends, the progression of our timeline this week makes so much sense. 10:27 Here, sharing with you this Divrei Torah on Erev Tisha B'Av, and this is the Shabbat Nachamu, Shabbat Nachamu Divrei Torah, Parshas Va'etchanan Divrei Torah. 10:35 And it's always intriguing the fact that we go right from Tisha B'Av ultimately again into Shabbat Nachamu with no real tangible difference in our external circumstances. 10:43 It's the strangest thing in the world, and it's strange year after year. 10:46 Tisha B'Av we're sitting on the floor, mourning, literally crying for thousands of years of loss, and then baruch Hashem, once Tisha B'Av comes, party, everything's good, it's vacation, it's exciting, it's Shabbat Nachamu, and I'm I'm just like, you would have 10:57 thought Mashiach came. And halavai, Mashiach will come. 11:01 But he didn't last year. 11:02 We still had Shabbat Nachamu. 11:03 And halavai, come this year. 11:04 And even if he doesn't come this year, chas v'shalom, I mean, after Tisha B'Av, then we're still going to have Shabbat Nachamu. 11:09 So, what what's the p'shat? 11:11 And there's a very simple distinction. 11:13 On Tisha B'Av, it feels like the sky is falling cuz on Tisha B'Av, part of the hergeish is that the sky is falling. 11:19 But then we realize that it's not. 11:21 Then we open up Parshas Va'etchanan, and we see the Ribono shel Olam's words, and he says, "U'b'kash'tem misham." 11:27 Beautiful Yidden, beautiful Jews, holy Jewish nation, wherever you are, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances. 11:35 You have a base mikdash, you don't have a base mikdash. 11:38 You're in Eretz Yisrael, you're in galus. 11:40 Of course, there are optimal circumstances which we daven for and pine for each and every day. 11:45 But the absence of those optimal circumstances in no way prevents us from becoming the best version of ourselves. 11:53 The absence of those optimal circumstances is not an excuse for non-accomplishment. 11:58 And the absence of those optimal circumstances does not allow us to absent ourselves from the process of personalistic elevation and transcendence. 12:08 Uvicashta misham, and once I know that, once I know that I can become the best version of me, that we as a nation can become the best version of ourselves even in the midst of all the difficulties. 12:23 That's a simcha. That's a simcha. 12:25 What changes in the world ultimately again between Tisha B'Av and Shabbat Nachamu? 12:29 Very little. Except for two words, uvicashta misham. 12:33 Rebbe Nachman says we realize that no matter where we are geographically, emotionally, spiritually, theologically, nationally, individually we have the ability to attain greatness. 12:43 We have the ability to self-actualize. 12:45 We have the ability to become the best version of ourselves. 12:47 And once I know that once I know that ein simcha gedola mizo. 12:52 There is no greater form of joy. 12:54 So should be zocheh merasha'sham to a meaningful and uplifting Tisha B'Av. 12:58 We should be zocheh merasha'sham to feel the pain of our people and to allow it to course through us. 13:02 And then we should be zocheh merasha'sham to dust ourselves off, to get back up and to be besimcha because of uvicashta misham. 13:09 I'm not going to wait till everything is perfect to live a great life. 13:13 I'm not going to wait till everything is perfect to become the best version of me. 13:17 I'm not going to wait till all the circumstances are just as I need them to be in order to self-actualize. 13:22 I'm going to take what I got. 13:23 I'm going to make it great. 13:24 Uvicashta misham, no matter where I am in life, I, we have the ability to accomplish great things. 13:31 Wishing everyone a meaningful Tisha B'Av, an uplifting erev Shabbos, and a beautiful and simchadik Shabbos Nachamu.
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