Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] This week begins with the famous showdown between Yaakov and Asov. Yaakov is the prototype of setting us up for goddess. Yaakov was the goddess Jew of the Avoist, traveling from place to place. And the way he lived sets us up for the way that we are supposed to live while we're in goddess fighting. Asov fighting the Sashad ESOV, the angel that engaged him. And that is the same angel, that same Sotom, same Yitzhara that engages us when, well, we are in gollus. And the battle begins by saying that Yaakov Avina was alone. By being alone, this MIDA helped him to win over to battle against the angel. Why is this MIDA of being alone? I always understood that something negative because he was alone, therefore, he was able to be attacked. But I heard from Rabbi Kalesh, a completely different way of looking at it, that this MIDA of being alone is actually a strength, as we say, viniskov Hashem levadoi.
[00:00:54] What is this middah of being alone? So the Megala mukhas tells us that Yaakovina goes back to retrieve the Pachim Katanim. The Megala Mukha says that this was small flasks were the pachemen of Chanukah. Now, when you're traveling somewhere and you're traveling with a whole bunch of people, if you're missing a whole suitcase, that's one thing. But if you're missing a little soda bottle, how do you know that you're missing it? Why is it so essential that you go back and retrieve it? And Rav shoema. Twertsky says a beautiful idea. He says that every person needs to have a sense and understanding, a belief that they have a pachemen that they are carrying around with them. A person has to be aware that he has the purest oil that can light up the whole world. A person can think to himself, me, I can light up a world. Who am I? I'm certainly not capable of lighting up the whole world. I can barely light up a room. I don't have any greatness inside of me. I don't have my own inner world. I'm codependent on other people for my sense of self worth.
[00:01:51] Yaakovino understood that this wasn't just the Pak shemen. This was the Pak shemen of Chanukah. It was the Pak shem of understanding that this is not just a small, insignificant bottle, but it's a bottle that can light up the world.
[00:02:04] Whether it means literally that Pak shemen, or it means the understanding that a person has the Krishas within them to illuminate the world. It's understanding that if you don't feel it's inside of you, then you won't have the ability to live out in Golis. Because my codependence will depend on the approval of other people, making other people happy the whole time. But when I believe in my own inner world, when I believe that Hashem loves me, I have a sense it's not just a cute slogan, but I really have a sense of I have a relationship with Hashem he loves me. I have a sense of importance of my connection to him. I have my own in a world that gives me the ability to stand up in Goddess. I'm not dependent on anything else. This gives us the strength to stand for who we are in Goddess. And as we head towards Chanukah, we understand that the Hashemunoim, they stood up against the Greek army because they were ready to give their lives what they knew was right. They had to stand up and do something. And when a person chooses to overcome the instinct to survive, then they have created for themselves a different sphere of existence. If I behave supernaturally, if I stand up against the entire world, who lives so differently, who thinks so differently to I am? If I behave supernaturally and I remain as an individual proud of my own individuality and my connection to Hashem, then we've joined a different kind of world. And miracles happen in that place.
[00:03:29] The Hashmalai Marlis give their lives for they knew was right. Someone had to stand up and do something, and they won.
[00:03:36] It was a guerrilla warfare, shooting bows and arrows against these huge army big elephants. It was miraculous. A handful of untrained, passionate Jews won against the Syrian mercenaries. This isn't a victory over oppression. It was a victory of loyal Jews who were willing to give up their lives for the truth of Hashem and for the way of life that he prescribes against hellenism. But it begins with knowing, Levadoi, I am alone. I'm not dependent on the people for approval. I have my own inner world. I have my own connection to Hashem. And it's true, and it's real. And this is how we live in God, us knowing that as an individual, knowing as a people that we stand for what's right. We stand for what's true in the world. May we all feel that own personal connection that we have with Hashem to be able to understand that as we head towards Hanukkah, we have that light within sight of us, to light up a world.
