Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.

00:12 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back, my dear friends, to another episode of the Orchos Tzadikkim in the Treasure for Life edition. On page 396, day number, we're in middle of the topic of happiness. We talked previously about the trusts that are required in order to have happiness, and this is a theme we mentioned this morning in our parsha podcast that it is so critically important to have trust in hashem. If you know that Hashem will take care of your everything, everything you're nothing to fear. I know that. My big brother, my big father, my big uncle, whatever you want to define Hashem as to you, it's fine, but Hashem has much broader shoulders than we do and he can carry the burdens and make sure that everything is taken care of, and not only he can. He does all the time. All we have to do is let Hashem do His job and not get in His way. We talked about the 100 blessings this morning in our prayer podcast, and one of the things that we need to understand about 100 blessings is that we need to constantly humble ourselves to understand the blessings that Hashem bestows upon us, not the ones that we think we bring upon ourselves. Hashem brings it to us. So now, when we talk about joy and happiness, the basis of joy is that first, we don't have worry, and that worry is again eliminated by the trust that we have in Hashem. Now we're going to talk about the regular, ordinary subject of joy. By the way, just if you look around the world, the entire world is searching for this one trait Everybody is in a search for happiness. The criminal is in a search for happiness. He thinks that if I steal money, then I'll be happy. If I steal someone else's wife, I'll be happy. If I steal someone else's job, I'll be happy. Okay, then you have the people who are hiking the greatest mountains. Oh, when I get to the peak, then I'll be happy. When I finish that marathon, then I'll be happy. When I tour the entire globe, then I'll be happy. They're searching for happiness all around the world, but the truth is, happiness is not a destination. You don't arrive at a place called happiness. Happiness is not a destination. You don't arrive at a place called happiness. Even if you go to a city called Truth and Consequences in New Mexico, you still that's not where you find happiness. It's a great name of a city, by the way, but that's not where you find it. Happiness is not a destination, happiness is a frame of mind of knowing that Hashem has got my back and he will take care of my every single need.

03:14
Ki ha-ma min b'leiv shalom v'aboteach be'ezer hatzur, the one who believes with a complete and total heart and has his full trust in the rock. What is the rock? A rock is a symbol of eternity, which is why we call Hashem our rock. Tzuri Yisrael, the rock of Israel. Someone who puts his trust in Hashem and has true faith and belief and knowledge in Hashem is eternally happy and can handle anything. There's no stress, there's no tension, there's no worry, because he knows Hashem's got me covered.

03:53
Ki hachola, sha'och el samim hamorim b'shvil ha'rafu'ah. We know kimo achola just like someone who's sick, someone who's ill. Sometimes we have to take some really bitter medicine to heal us. So we know sometimes we have to deal with some uncomfortable situations. It's part of our journey, because I know Hashem doesn't bring me any challenge just randomly. Any challenge that we have, hashem puts there specifically so that I grow. So if I know that it's just like, why do I need to be sick? Why do I need to eat this horrible medicine so that you can be healed?

04:39
Hashem puts us through challenges so that we can be healed on a spiritual level. And a person who is able to carry this burden is able to carry all the worries quote of the world. Also, someone who's able to handle this is able to deal with seeing that they have less than others. Oh, it's not fear. Where's where's fairness? Where's equality? Why don't I have what they have? It's fine, I know because I understand that Hashem gives me exactly what I need and therefore I have nothing to look at somebody else and what they have and why I have less Kiyomar. A person will say it's enough. What Hashem has decided I should have. That's what I'm going to have.

05:34
And therefore, if your competitor comes over to you and says hey, stephen, do you mind telling me about? You know your business and how you run your business? You're like, excuse me, you're my competitor. You're like, excuse me, you're my competitor, you're trying to put me out of business and you're coming to ask me for advice. You know what the true believer in Hashem does Puts his hand over his shoulder and says come, let me show you what you do. And you give him all sincere, truthful, honest advice. You know why? Because when Hashem decrees that you're going to make a living, no one will take it away, not even your competitor. I've had people yell and scream at me. Do you know what that guy did to my business? He stole my customers. He stole my customer list. He stole my idea. He stole my customer list. He stole my idea. He stole my. He didn't steal nothing from you.

06:31
Hashem tested you and, by the looks of it, you're not looking too good on that test. So a person has to look beyond and it's not easy, I'll tell you. I know this firsthand. It's not easy, when someone does something that seems to be directly harming you, to realize it's the hand of Hashem. Ki yomar da'eli, b'ma she'garzali haborei, it is sufficient. What Hashem decreed, that I will earn this year. You hear this, loren? You will earn this year. You hear this, loren, you will earn this year exactly what Hashem decreed last Rosh Hashanah for you, and this Rosh Hashanah you will be decreed upon. It will be decreed exactly what you're going to earn next year if Hashem decides to give you life.

07:23
You know people would come to my grandfather at this time of the year and they would come with a wedding invitation for their son or daughter. You know, rabbi, we want you to be there at the wedding. Can you come and honor us? You know so. When is the wedding? The wedding is after the holidays. They're coming before the holidays. They don't want to be busy with the whole holiday rush. You know you have three holidays. They don't want to be busy with the whole holiday rush. You know you have three holidays Rosh Hashanah, yom Kippur, sukkot one after the other. So my grandfather would say, come to me after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, because I don't know if Hashem is going to give me life. If Hashem gives me life, then I'll see if I can make it to the wedding.

08:06
It's not a given that we will have the privilege of living another year, and that's why Rosh Hashanah, yom Kippur, is something that's so incredibly important for us to take it seriously, to recognize we're playing for our lives. We're standing in front of the judge, the king of kings, and we're asking Hashem, give me another year. Hashem, give me life. Hashem, give me, grant me success. Why? So that I serve you, hashem. I need a livelihood, not so that I have money so that I can buy a new cyber truck. I need money, hashem, so that I can serve you. That's why I want Hashem. You know what? Give me more money so that I can give money to charity. Give me more money so that I can help poor people. Give me more money so I can help people in Israel. That's a very good argument. But the first, most important thing, hashem, give me life so that I can serve you. I want to be your servant. I want to be your servant. You'll see, if you look carefully, that happiness encompasses everything.

09:17
Anybody who's concerned about his worldly affairs, about his materialistic pursuits. You're worried about this world. You're worried about your car and your house and your clothes and your fashion and your luxuries and your vacations. You're worried about that. Guess what? You're never going to have peace in this world. You're going to be running from one fashion to another fashion. You're going to be running from one house to oh, I need to remodel my house.

09:43
My father used to joke. One of our neighbors always had workers at their house. I don't know. We lived there for 30, 40 years. My parents live in that house Every single day. There was another truck. One time it was redoing the bathroom, and then it's redoing the closet, and then it's redoing the kitchen, and then it's repainting, and then now we're going to do the basement again, and now we're going to change the carpets. They're always busy doing things.

10:10
If you're worried about materialism, you're never going to have peace Never, because it's never enough. It's a bottomless pit. It'll never please you. And then a person's always thinking how can I make another buck? What deal can I close? You know who can I be introduced to? I'm going to have to go because everything's me I have to accomplish. And it's not going to be sufficient for him what Hashem has decreed to be his shir. Therefore, the Mishnah tells us for him what Hashem has decreed to be his shear L'chein asameach b'chalko u'asher. Therefore, the Mishnah tells us you want to know who's a wealthy man, the wealthiest of all wealthy men? You're someone who's happy with this portion. You're happy with your portion. You're the wealthiest person on earth.

11:00
I have a friend of mine. I ask him, I ask him every time. I ask him. I say how are you doing? He says to me I don't think it's possible to be any better, recognizing that every moment we have is the greatest moment we've ever had. I have right now. I don't think I can possibly be any better. Someone who is happy with what they have, doesn't look at their neighbor and get jealous, doesn't try to cheat on a business deal, doesn't try to skim a little bit off their taxes. You know what Hashem will give you, what you need. Even someone who's poor will be happy Will be happy. This is exactly what Hashem gave me. So this is what I have.

11:57
This is the exact portion that Hashem has designated for me. The verse states in Psalms portion that Hashem has designated to me V'chein kosuv chelki Hashem omarti. The verse states in Psalms I have said my portion is Hashem V'ksiv Hashem menos chelki v'kosi. V'chein hu omer yismach le'e mevak she'Hashem. Let the heart of those who seek Hashem rejoice. The bottom line is when we seek Hashem, that's when we're really happy. V'amida azos in this midah, v'nafshos atzidikim on top of page 398. This trait is the essence of the righteous Sheheim. B'noam sholem v'inyan avodasam. V'b'simcho g'dol v'v'prishusam. They are so content with their portion, they're so happy. They're pleased. This is what Hashem decided I should have.

12:56
Why should I be worried? You know, half of the worries that we have are fraudulent. I don't know. There's a new manager of HR. I don't get along with them so well. I'm afraid that they're going to. So for six months you could be busy being worried that you're going to lose your job. Meanwhile, six months of happiness are gone. I can't even tell you how many people I've spoken to like that, because they're worried of something that maybe who cares? Just do your job. Hashem is going to take care of me. You think you got yourself this job. You can get yourself the job. Hashem got you that job too, and if he gets you out of that job because you get fired, he'll get you a better job after that.

13:35
I have 101 stories to tell you about that, where people came to me crying. They couldn't believe they lost their job. How can it be? Tell them, what do you want? Well, I want to be this and that. Each one is a story, only for them to get much better than they ever dreamt, for hashem knows exactly what we need. Our job is to cling to hashem and hold on tight for the ride.

14:04
Now there's also in Jerusalem. There's a synagogue called Prushim. Prushim means those who are I don't want to say that they abstain, but that's the type of word. It's like abstinence from worldly indulgence. Give you an example you ever go to a kiddish in a synagogue. Go to a kiddish in a synagogue. You have cakes and you have cookies and you have hot food and you have this and you have that all these different things and people fill up their plates like they haven't seen food for the last eight years and most of the cases they leave it on their plate. They're eating with their eyes, not with their stomachs.

14:54
I'll share with you a great story in honor of my son, such a fine midos that he has. So one of my pet peeves is when people touch the food from Kiddush before the rabbi says Kiddush, and I've talked to my children about this and I tell them this is not appropriate, it's not nice. You don't touch the food, you don't touch anything. The rabbi says Kiddush and when he's done he says Borei Prihagafen. On the wine, you say Amen, kiddush. And when he's done he says borei prihagafen. On the wine. You say amen. You can get yourself a plate and you can take one thing, finish it. Take another thing, finish it. I've talked about this to my kids.

15:32
My son was maybe eight years old at the time, shlomo and we were at shul and there's the delicious chocolate babka oozing with chocolate, and he has his eye in it and I see I walked into the kiddush room exactly when he did and I saw he was at the other end of the table. He didn't realize that. I saw exactly what was going on and I see him struggling. I see him struggling because he really wants that cake and there's only about five slices left because everybody's already filled their plates and he's hoping that by the time the rabbi has finished his conversation and starts making kiddush there'll still be a piece of cake left. Slice of cake is taken there's only four left and he's sitting there looking at it and hoping that nobody's going to take any more of those four slices so that at least one will be left for him. Finally, the rabbi starts filling his glass with wine and I see my son looking hoping can you just hurry it up a little bit? Hurry it up, as the rabbi is saying okay, I'm about to recite Kiddush. Another hand comes in, takes another piece of cake there's only three left. The rabbi picks up the glass and now he has to say the kid is recite the kiddish. And another hand comes in, takes another slice there's only two left and my son you can see almost a teardrop is forming at the edge of his eye and he's hoping he gets that one of those two pieces. The rabbi starts the blessing, baruch hata hashem, a hand comes in, takes the second to last piece there's one piece left and he's hoping please, nobody, nobody, nobody. And as the rabbi is saying, borei Prihagafen, a hand comes in and takes that last piece of cake and my son's eyes drop.

17:28
I saw this, I witnessed the entire thing. I didn't comment, I didn't say anything. He didn't know that. I saw we get home from Kiddush and we had a big table, a lot of guests. I said, before we begin Kiddush today, I need to make an announcement. I said I want to share with you that I witnessed greatness today. I witnessed greatness today Because this eight or nine-year-old boy I shared the entire story didn't do what he knew was wrong, even though others he was going to miss out.

18:14
He knew it was wrong and he didn't do it. Do you know what it takes, what internal strength it takes to stand up against your desire, your temptation, in such a way he wouldn't have seen, he wouldn't have known that? I saw if he took it. I'm not his police officer, I'm not his. You know you do what you want. You're your own person. It's fine. As parents, we try to guide our children. It's not a police force, but he withstood the temptation and I announced to everybody at the Shabbos table. I said his reward is not going to come from me, his reward is going to come from the Almighty. But as his father, I'm so proud of him. After Shabbos I'm going to take him to the supermarket and buy him his own entire babka. And that's what I did. Monday morning. I picked him up. In the afternoon, I picked him up from school, I took him to the supermarket and I bought him his whole entire babka. You know what he ended up doing with it? He brought it to school. I ended up giving it out to his whole class.

19:20
But that is an element of precious, that we're talking about being willing to give up on the materialism of this world. We see something, oh that whatever your desires are in food if it's the quiche that you want or if it's the meat that you want but you're willing to abstain from indulgence in physical pleasures, that doesn't mean that person shouldn't be married. We're not Christians. In Judaism we have an obligation to be married and to be involved in marriage in a physical way. We're not talking about that kind of abstinence. We're talking about abstaining from indulgence in materialistic pleasures.

20:11
What does the verse say about that Simchu ba'ashem v'gilu tzaddikim v'harinu kol yishri leif, be happy in Hashem and rejoice you, righteous, and sing all you just of heart. The verse says Therefore, a person's happiness, a person's joy, shouldn't be from the physical things, but rather change the currency to the spiritual things, to the spiritual accomplishments. And when a person does, mitzvos should be so grateful and so thankful that you have the privilege to serve Hashem. I heard someone say just a couple of days ago he said people tell me, aren't you concerned, shabbos? You can't do this and you can't do that. He says are you kidding me? You know what I have on Shabbos. I have the privilege to choose not to do it. Hashem says it's your choice Not to do it. You don says it's your choice not to do it. You don't need to work, you don't need to call anybody back. I got you covered. Oh, what's going to be? You don't need to.

21:37
And the more a person's able to distance themselves from those worldly pursuits on Shabbos, living in the Garden of Eden every day. But the privilege to serve Hashem, that all the exalted, that all the angels bow down to the exalted one, and we have the privilege to do the same this King David said. That King David said I rejoice in your words as one who finds much spoil and one who does and fulfills the commandments of the Torah with great joy. How much more precious as a parent is it when your child Yei shlo, sochar, elef, yodos, yosev, mimisha, mitzvot, olav l'masa? How much more precious as a parent is it when your child does something that you ask them to do out of joy, versus doing it begrudgingly, ugh, ugh, take out the garbage, ugh. Or they do it with a joy, sure. My father asked, my mother asked Avram and David, all the day, were studying the Torah.

22:53
King David, abraham, their entire lives, they were busy studying Torah, fulfilling the mitzvot. What did they do? All day, sightful learning. They were singing thanks to Hashem For what? What are they do? All day, sightful learning. They were singing thanks to Hashem For what? What are they singing?

23:10
Singing Hashem's praise With joy, when you're happy and you're joyous because you know I'm in the hands of Hashem. I'm living in a different plane, I'm living in a different world Because I'm living in the world of Hashem. And then Hashem sends His divine spirit to the person and then the person is elevating himself in his connection to Hashem and his soul becomes bound up with joy and connection to Hashem. And his soul becomes bound up with joy and connection to Hashem וְמִגַּלַלַהֵם רָזִּם, וְחִדּוֹשִם שְׁלְמָלוֹ. And then a person is able to get the revelation of the holiest realms, וְנִחְנָהָּשְׁתָּ, and that flavor, that deliciousness goes into his insides. He becomes completely consumed by the joy of his closeness with Hashem.

24:20
So these verses are telling us as King David tells us. King David tells us. King David says For the soul, which is a celestial entity, rises to the heights and when it perceives its secret, it loves its creator and adapts his mitzvos. He te'av es boro, v'tisagel mitzvosov. V'ikasher tagia, nefesh el mechitzo, v'hama lo asher hi. Domolo oz. Ti'ahadehu b'matzpuneho v'tisha'ashea b'chadereho. V'chol eisu, v'chol regach, hushrek es ahavoso.

25:09
So once a person gets into that realm, once you taste the taste of spiritual connection to God, the worldly, physical, materialistic desires are it's garbage, it's insignificant. So then a person's on a whole different level. Then there's no worry, there's no concern, there's no fear, there's no anxiety. There's no concern, there's no fear, there's no anxiety. There's just happiness, because I know I'm in a love relationship with God. As the verse states, I will rejoice in Hashem. My soul will be happy with my God. Fortune is a soul which merits such joy. So we see that there's something which is well beyond what money can buy you, well beyond what all of the materialism in the world can do for you, and that is real spiritual connection with Hashem, releasing our own want and desire to control the outcomes. We always want to control the outcomes. Our biggest fears is when we don't have control of the outcome.

26:49
Anybody here concerned about the election. Everyone's concerned, everyone's talking about it. Everywhere you go, everywhere I go, I see signs on people's lawns. I turn on the radio oh, they're talking politics. I turn on the internet oh, politics, everything. Everybody's concerned, everybody's worried.

27:06
You know who has no worry, someone who knows that Hashem runs the world. Hashem runs the world. Oh, if this person gets elected, this will happen. If that person gets elected, this will happen. Hashem runs the world. You don't think he's got a hand in a little bit of what's going on? Hashem knows a little bit about current events, world history. Hashem knows what happens. It's irrelevant. As members of a society, we live in a country. We should vote and I encourage everyone to go out. If you didn't register to vote, please do so quickly and vote, but don't think like your vote makes all the difference in the world, like it's your vote. Hashem is going to handle it. He'll be able to take care of it. You have to do your part, absolutely.

28:00
I wanted to speak this out, but I'm happy that our author here of the Orchid Siddiquim brings this. The presence of Hashem cannot reside where there is sadness, only where there is happiness. The presence of Hashem, you think you know. I want to be holy, so I'm going to be pushing away all the materialistic things of the world, which is what the church says. If you want to be holy, you have to distance yourself from physical. That's what they say. You can't get married because you're going to indulge in physicality. It's not going to be good. You're not going to be able to connect spiritually either physical or spiritual. You can't put them both together.

28:45
That's not the way Judaism works. God gave us physical to elevate it and make it spiritual. Food is very physical, very physical. It can become spiritual. That's why we recite a blessing before we eat it. We elevate that food. It becomes a vessel through which we connect Hashem. After we eat, we thank Hashem Again. We elevate that food. It becomes a vessel through which we connect hashem. After we eat, we thank hashem again, we elevate the food that we ate.

29:15
Every type of physicality is to bring us closer to Hashem. If we don't understand how the world works spiritually, then we say, oh, it's the evil, physicality is the evil. It's not true. Physicality is not the evil If it's not connected with something that elevates us. It's evil. Meaning physicality for the sake of physicality is evil. It'll pull us right down. But physicality which is infused with spirituality becomes the holiest of holy.

29:50
So what do we say here? The presence of Hashem cannot reside where there is no simcha. If there's happiness, that means what does happiness mean? Close to Hashem cannot reside where there is no simcha. If there's happiness, that means what does happiness mean? Close to Hashem, close to Hashem? Obviously Hashem's presence is there. Because I'm happy, because I can rely on Him, I can trust Him. Listen to this quote from track day Shabbat. Hear this, Sorry, not from track day Shabbat.

30:37
Another source Says the following the prophets think of Joshua. Moses was a prophet. You think they could just talk to God whenever they wanted. No, they had to be in a state of happiness, not fake happiness, not smoking up and then being happy. And now, oh, I'm in a happy state. I can speak to God, I see things. No, they had to be at a real state of happiness, of connection with God. If it was Bo to them, they'd be alone. That means I don't need other people to make me happy. I can be sitting in the room and just be happy because I have my creator in heaven and earth, creator of heaven and earth, with me.

31:29
Prophecy did not descend to the prophets if they were lazy, if they were sad, but only if they were happy, because laziness is part of being sad. Oh, I can't, I can't. No, that's the way it works. Lefikach, therefore. Therefore, lefikach b'nei anavim hayu me'ivim lefnei amnei v'tov, v'cholil v'kinor u'mevakshim anavua. Therefore, what would the prophets do? They would bring a harp and a drum and a flute and a violin. They would have a whole orchestra. Why? What does music do? It makes you happy. They were seeking prophecy. They had to be in a happy, elevated state, which is why my rabbi always told me it's a very healthy thing to always have music on in your house. Children should grow up with music playing. It makes the whole environment in the house happy.

32:29
Kedah Siv, as the verse states, v'hoyek ke-nagein ha-minagein v'atiyah olav yad Hashem. As it says, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Hashem was upon him. My dear friends, in order to attain our level of greatness and happiness, of connection to Hashem, we need to have happiness. Without happiness, we cannot connect to Hashem. This concludes day number 67. And now, my dear friends, we will turn it over to day number 67,. And now, my dear friends, we will turn it over to day number 68.

33:03 - Intro (Announcement)
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