Rosh Hashanah, Malchus, and Hakaras Hatov

Topics

• Preparing for Rosh Hashanah
• Eitzos for Elul and Rosh Hashanah
• Zechus Rabbim
• B’shei Chami and Echi Yesheves
• Bikurim and the Question of Kabbalah
• Bikkurim, Kabbalah, and Coming to Eretz Yisrael
• Hakaras ha-Tov in Bikkurim
• The Alshich on the Fanfare of Bikkurim
• Hakaras Hatov Is Not About the Size of the Gift
• Makir Tov Means Remaining Makir
• Malkinus and Shetamlichuni Aleichem
• Tamlichun and the Meaning of Malchus
• Shevach, Hoda’ah, and Simcha
• Ein Melech B’loyom
• The Mashal of the King and the Parade
• Bikurim and Hashkifah
• Thanking the Ribbono Shel Olam for Chayim
• The Chasav of the Dog
• The Dog as a Makir Tov
• Tefillah Through Malchus

Transcript

# Preparing for Rosh Hashanah

This Torah class is brought to you by TorahAnytime.com.

As we get closer to Rosh Hashanah, Elul is the time to be preparing for Rosh Hashanah. We have spoken about Elul in the past two weeks, and I would like to speak about the likud in Elul, which is a preparation for Rosh Hashanah by first understanding Rosh Hashanah itself.

Rosh Hashanah is about Malchus. Chazal tell us, “Imru lefanai malchiyos kedei shetamlichuni aleichem.” It is not only the saying of Malchiyos; the ikar chiyuv is the result, kedei shetamlichuni aleichem. The action is to say the Malchiyos, but the purpose is that Hashem should be crowned over us.

What does that mean? “Tamlichuni aleichem” means accepting that the Ribbono Shel Olam is Melech Ha’olam. Even without us, He is the Melech. We are not making the Ribbono Shel Olam the Melech; He is the Melech. “Shetamlichuni aleichem” means that we take the Malchus and place it upon ourselves. The Ribbono Shel Olam is Melech Ha’olam anyway. The avodah is tamlichuni aleichem.

Rabbeinu, Rabbeinu Shleimah, is Melech Ha’olam. What does it mean, tamlichuni aleichem?

# Eitzos for Elul and Rosh Hashanah

We spoke in the past about the various eitzos that the sefarim bring. You open almost any sefer mussar on the ענין of Elul and Rosh Hashanah, and it is full of eitzos, a variety of them. We spoke in the past about one of the nekudos that the sefarim discuss: “Kol hamevater al middosav, ma’avirin lo al kol peshav.” This is a good eitzah. How does a person come with a clean record? By being ma’avir al middosav.

It is easier said than done, Rabbeinu. We spoke about this in the past: working on the inyan of being ma’avir al middosav, on the areas where a person can be ma’avir al middosav, where he is able to overlook and look away.

Chazal tell us that this is a guarantee, one eitzah, one solution. They speak about being dan others favorably, because the way a person judges others is the way the Ribbono Shel Olam judges him. U’meileh, bezeh she’hu dan l’kaf zechus, this is also one of the eitzos.

# Zechus Rabbim

There is also an eitzah to be mezakeh the rabbim. We say that zechus rabbim has two inyanim in it. It has the yisrachleim; we say it, “Chalish es g’viyam, yirpeh chal gufam.” So you see there is a slichah for the individual’s aveiros when a person is mezakeh rabbim. The Ribbono Shel Olam is moichel.

There is another part of zechus rabbim, which is “rabbim tzrichim lo.” It is an entire topic within zechus rabbim. The Ribbono Shel Olam judges the person not only according to himself, but according to the rabbim around him who need him. On his own chutz he might not make it, but with the chutz of the rabbim he does make it.

Zechus rabbim is another yesod of Rosh Hashanah: Klal Yisroel, the person places himself among the rest of the klal, so that the yachid does not stand out in his mishpat.

# B’shei Chami and Echi Yesheves

In danger. But if it is b’teich harabim, b’shei chami and echi yesheves, the Shunamis tells Elisha, “I don’t need anything.” It was Rosh Hashanah. I am saying it all b’kitzu; this is all in *Al Tireid*, and in all the sefarim you can find this discussion. The Shunamis, it was Rosh Hashanah, but she says, “I don’t need anything,” b’shei chami and echi yesheves. Ba’alei mussar say this is one of the yesodos of how to come out clean b’din. B’shei chami and echi yesheves: you do not need anything; you are not an individual.

It is interesting. They say they never took an aliyah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and they would always say, “Give it to another; another will defend us, he davens for us.” He used to take hagbah and gelilah. The rav of the shul used to take hagbah and gelilah. As I got older, I started to understand, and I learned more, I started to realize it is not just, “Give it to another.” The Volzhiner also did not take an aliyah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They did not want to stand out. They wanted to stand out as the gabbai, as the rav, as the manhig, b’shei chami and echi yesheves.

So these are all eitzos already brought in the mefarshim, in the sefarim, in the m’kudashim, on how to be zocheh b’din. If I may, I would like to offer another nekudah, an eitzah l’shitasai b’din. I searched and did not find it anywhere. I did not find it. I hold it is emes, and as I show you I will prove it to you, and I will show you that it is anyway done through the tefillos of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We anyway go through this nekudah. And to me it is truly chadash. I think it is a chiddush. Maybe if someone could come and show me that it is brought somewhere, I will appreciate it; I will be makir to you. It is hakaras hatov, the inyan of hakaras hatov. I will soon explain to you the inyan of hakaras hatov and the theme of malchiyos, how it is an essential part of the malchiyos of “Kaddesh es Shimcha u’Malchusecha aleinu,” to be makir tov to the Ribbono Shel Olam.

# Bikurim and the Question of Kabbalah

We have the parashah of Bikurim, this week’s parashah, the wonderful parashah of Bikurim. Rashi tells us clearly that the mitzvah begins after bilv yerushas ha’aretz. First you have to come—not just come to Eretz Yisrael. Yerushas Eretz Yisrael is after yerushas chalukah, bilv yerushas chalukah, until “Eretz asher Hashem Elokecha noten lach.” The sefer says that mishmikayim, the mitzvos of Bikurim begin where they come from, in Eretz Yisrael. In the takvar from the pasuk, “V’hayah ki tavo el ha’aretz,” it is set up after Bikurim. You see, there is a problem. If the mitzvah does not begin until after, so how could it be that this is the mitzvah that will give you the chutzpah to come to it?

It is a problem. On one hand we say the mitzvah of Bikurim is when you come to Eretz Yisrael. It is not just when you come in. You have to do yerushas chalukah. It is very, very young until you start Bikurim. And yet the Sifri tells us: if you do Bikurim, in this chutzpah you will come to Eretz Yisrael. So what is the pshat? Two things: why should this mitzvah be different from any other mitzvah? The pshat already comes with the kabbalah. Is it always that way? We can talk about Shavuos and such; it is a big subject. But it seems that this one stands out more.

Otherwise, it is not really a chiddush of Bikurim, right? It is a mitzvah, there is a chiddush of Bikurim. You are going to read Parashas HaShavuos; you are going to want to know the parashah. Is Bikurim after you come to Eretz Yisrael or before? If it is after, so how could it be that you are zocheh to come to Eretz Yisrael on this mitzvah? It is up the mountain by the kabbalah already. Is it in all mitzvos like that? It is mashma that this is uniquely tied to the kabbalah.

# Bikkurim, Kabbalah, and Coming to Eretz Yisrael

If you make the Kabbalah, you are going to have the zechus to come to Eretz Yisrael. I have another shaylah, another conversation: do you know how many mitzvos ha-teluyos ba’aretz there are? There are so many mitzvos ha-teluyos ba’aretz. If I say I am just bringing bikkurim—pardon me, bikkurim—this is it. If you are mekayem it, and even if you think of being mekayem it, bikkurim. With the Kabbalah alone, you will come to Eretz Yisrael.

We know from Chazal that they want to go to Eretz Yisrael; they want to go to Eretz Yisrael. You show me Eretz and Eretz Yisrael and mitzvos ha-teluyos ba’aretz. I am mekayem, I am bikkurim, and again they cross up. Why does it say, singled out, that this mitzvah is this? If you keep it, or even if you think of keeping it, you will come to Eretz Yisrael. Basically that is what the Torah is pushing.

# Hakaras ha-Tov in Bikkurim

Bikkurim, look at the Rishonim, it is all about hakaras ha-tov. Ya nisar ha-martav—what do you say, Rashi? She’eincha kafui tov. So it is not enough. I know it is by the passion of my sins, going out and bikkurim, mosolam. She’eincha kafui tov. You are not a kafui tov; look at the Rishonim. Bikkurim is about not being a kafui tov.

Bein Yishlam, the first fruit, asher asah li—that is why we are matgish. Eretz—what is the lashon of the pasuk? L’kachtol, asher tov, yesh Hashem ha-kachol, no yisey l’chol. And then we even say later, ba’ati ne’evai Yisrael adon ha-shem, osatu li Hashem. Look at the Rishonim: the ikar is the recognition, the k’viyas, the mehalech, b’tovos Hashem HaKadosh Baruch Hu. You are not a kafui tov.

Kafui ha-tov, rabosai. That is what I am telling you; that is the tov that you see. That is exactly what we are trying to get at. The ענין of the bikkurim, like I am telling you, is about hakaras ha-tov. So the tov wants, in the Kabbalah, when you metabolize it, you are makir. So you come into Eretz Yisrael with the gedank, with the havanah, with the understanding that He is the Melech, He is the Ribbono Shel Olam, He is the Baal HaBayis in Eretz Yisrael, He is the nosein in Eretz Yisrael. And then you can come with the zechus in Eretz Yisrael.

# The Alshich on the Fanfare of Bikkurim

Rabosai, let me read to you an Alshich. A wonderful Alshich. The Alshich has a simple shaylah: do you know the fanfare that they made about bikkurim? Tumult over bikkurim—start telling. Everybody had to come out and greet the people, with music and everything, a whole tarram over bikkurim. Rabosai, how big was bikkurim already? A small thing, a small thing. It is a matnas kehunah. It is a small little thing, bikkurim, yet the Alshich is mefarshet. They made a whole tumult because of bikkurim, davka.

And you see that bikkurim is davka part of the shevach. The bikkurim are bikkurim; when we come and bring them, we make a band—excuse me, not a band, I slipped from Yiddish to English, so sometimes I get mixed up. It becomes a whole klezmer. You do not have it; you have it only by bikkurim. It is a big deal that you say. Now the ענין is a small little thing, but the meaning of it is that the soul is going, the body is going. This is what this little drop of bikkurim you are bringing represents.

And the ta’am is a drill, to be matkid. You know who says this? The Rambam, and then the pasuk by Kriyas Adam says, here it is, here is heaven. Thank you, I thank You, what You are, because You have. And we mehalech. That was a whole work of thanking, to thank. It is small, you are right, but it speaks volumes of where the person is holding.

# Hakaras Hatov Is Not About the Size of the Gift

The Klenche, Klenche—you know how they say it. It is interesting. HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not about the amount of the package, the present you give. HaKadosh Baruch Hu is about how deep it is, how sincere it is, and how much you are holding by it.

You have to say: it is not enough to say. You should say, “I’m not going to be a coffee type.” Just say, “I’m not your type.” You have to say, “I’m not a coffee type.” And also, when you bring the Bikkurim, I’m a maker type.

# Makir Tov Means Remaining Makir

You know, G’day l’Yisrael—this is a little off topic, but I think it is G’day, because I hold, honestly, with all my heart, I don’t give mussar, but this is something that is one of the most important things. You know what makir tov means? “I’ll always be makir.” G’day l’Yisrael, when they spoke, they expressed HaKadosh Baruch Hu in a way that it was not just, “I’m yotzei with this, with my thank you. I’m yotzei with the present.” There was a message in that hakaras hatov, that it is forever, and I’ll always, forever be makir tov to you.

My Rebbe, Rav Shuster, used to tell me—Rav B’shein, Rav B’Rus, Rav B’Rus used to say, Rav B’shein, Mir Mashkiach. Now, I’m assuming you heard it from others, but to me it is chaviv, because I heard it from my Rebbe. You heard it from Rav B’Rus; to me it became chaviv.

And that is: let’s say two Yidden are talking to each other. What does the other person say? He says, you think that this guy is really thanking him, and this guy doesn’t really care about the thank you, and he’s telling him that he’s happy to do it anyway. What’s going on inside the minds of the people is that he wants to be yotzei with his thank you, but this is not makir tov. And this guy is saying, “Bleib makir tov; don’t give me a thank you. I want you to remain makir tov.” Rav B’shein—it’s talking endless. The thank you is not enough. The thank you means, bleib’s not makir tov, and it is talking with the way it should be. But upon him they’ll claim shekhe could be cool, and Rav B’shein, not yotzei with them. It is a siman, a fagan siman lebon, that you understand that it is clear to the person, Rav B’shein, you are a king and I am a yotzei. And everything I do, and everything I have, is not because you gave it to me, that you did it to me. But it doesn’t become you.

# Malkinus and Shetamlichuni Aleichem

I’d like to read to you, Rav Shiva Rabbanin, what is Malkinus. Shiva’s a tsar. What is Malkinus? We say Malkinus—what is it? V’mir l’vayi yoytz in ye Malkinus. Ashe b’aynichthu b’ez chalakim. Harishin, mitzad hakaras malchuso, d’hu ha-meshpia yechidi b’chol oylamos l’chol adam, b’frat u’b’frat im yonav. Rabbanish l’olam, everything, any shefa, anything that comes in this world, Rabbanishon, You are the mashpia. B’chol ha-magi aloy, b’en l’tov, b’en b’hav choy, hare ze, l’use, b’fratis, me’isak, Kaddish Baruch Hu. It only comes from the Rabbanish l’olam. U’bloy gezeh, l’sa b’oy, l’oyoy, l’oy kaloy, l’mkuloy.

Rav Shiva will us, mitzad chashtein Malkinus. You know, you can say all the Malkinus you want, Rabbi Isaac. If you don’t understand shetamlichuni aleichem, what it means—shetamlichuni aleichem—then he goes and explains that there is an inyan in Malkinus which is b’tachim, b’tazos ha-hakarah, that ul d’chesse, ul d’chesse, come from B’alim, discuss with you. Malkinus, a chelek of the Malkinus is hakaras hatov, avadu. The Malkinus is the toy tazmifashteit, taztobre’n Hashem is the Melech. That is the hakarah, the hakarah of the tov that you have, that He gives. That is pshat that you are mamlich the Melech. And if you don’t understand or express that, that means you weren’t mamlich, so you didn’t speak about His Malkinus.

Do I give hoda’ah in the Malkinus about this? Yisroed Misher Yisroed says yes. It says, Yisroed Misher Yisroed, ha-merdi g’zach, shetamlichuni aleichem, zot erach ha-idrei. Yisroed Misher Yisroed, haloyeineichem l’noichach yabitu, v’avapechu yashir negedechu kavon etzot.

# Tamlichun and the Meaning of Malchus

Gimalchi—what is it? He says like this: “K’shizamlichuni aleichem” means tamlichun. What does that mean? “V’eich bo’ush liya v’oysh”—how are we not embarrassed? “L’yadu me’otz mi p’im usf’oysa levad hapsukim,” if you just say the words, not embarrassed, he says. “V’eich bo’ush liya v’oysh,” machanat melech. You can’t figure out what the words are, what do they mean to me, l’maiseh.

He says, “V’eich bo’ush liya v’oysh,” shem sachlich, kumt zud. Here, let’s talk l’maiseh. Imagine you come to the inauguration of the king and you don’t understand what it’s about. I have to, I think, you know, it’s lunchtime and I have to give him something. Okay, I’ll give him something. Imagine you’re invited to the ball, the inauguration ball, and then they come to interview you: What are you here for? I don’t know, I got a ticket, they told me to come.

Ha’ta das—ha’ta das is g’gaynitz, the northern of the melech. Efrek, don’t cash him. That’s what azay shtayt, vay shtayt don siddur. That’s what they’re going to show.

# Shevach, Hoda’ah, and Simcha

“V’einu mechan mechshavtay, lahamlich oysah yizbarach sh’mo.” Now here’s the key, what I was trying to bring out. “V’einu mechshavtay, shevach v’hod’ah, b’simcha tzuma.” You hear the Russian? V’gevin a shevach, it’s megadix—that’s what I’m telling you. That’s what I’m telling you. Dee yisrayt, vay shayt. Malchus is nit nar azay shtayt don siddur, v’nit afil azagir b’ayshim z’melech. It’s the k’tifa for them. L’tay shevach v’hod’ah, b’simcha tzuma, v’vayreinu yizbarach sh’mo.

So he rather speaks about what was important to him, and that was al shevach v’hod’ah, b’simcha tzuma, v’vayreinu yizbarach sh’mo. To him, the ikar was that this was the avodah: that he walked around. I’m lucky that that’s what the Hevishda gave me. But it’s avodah for every person, what the Melech gives him. He’s got to walk around and appreciate the Melech. To walk around and appreciate the Melech is the malchus, and to give the shevach v’hod’ah is a cheilek of the b’malech, the Melech.

The guy in Tzedua, he held a dirt kia sheyfa; a person is supposed to be married b’simcha. Tzedua, he was married m’akpit, t’chuas, melech. It’s a simcha. It’s like an inauguration of the king. It’s like announcing the malchus of the Hevishda, and a person has to be married b’simcha. This is what he’s saying. He’s saying that you’re giving a shevach v’hod’ah, that the Rebbeinu Sh’leilam is the Melech, so then the p’shad is you also have to be married, that you’re the am, and you have to thank the Rebbeinu Sh’leilam of the Melech.

# Ein Melech B’loyom

T’chuas—what’s the malchus that they say? You know, I told you last week that in Kelim they put up a sign. First of all, I’ll tell you what it means to me personally. He said four words. Hours and hours, generations grew up to understand those four words. How much mussar people said to v’shteyn v’stomein. The nasser in his shoes has one melech—what it means, ein melech b’loyom. It means either achdus, or it means zikeh rabim. There’s so much, four words. Could you imagine? The Alter v’Kelim, firvelter. Ein melech b’loyom. Malech v’saht. Shtavza v’fad. Malech v’saht v’saht. Four words. Those four words that they say, it comes from the elige balim v’sem, from the avoyis ham v’sem. There’s dayris and dayris of ha’shtafah in those four words.

There’s another type of ein melech b’loyom. You know what ein melech b’loyom is? What do you say to shesh? What do you say? Ein melech b’loyom. You know what malchus is? That there has to be an av. Malchus means there has to be an av. And I’m a shabeach to the Benishloyom: az ik bin der av. Ein melech b’loyom. A cheilek from the malchus of the Eibishter is that there’s an av. So who is this av? It’s me. So who should be b’simcha by this inauguration of the Melech? Both parties. Both parties, right? Tazak is Eibishter, shesh avayidim. B’simcha v’sayid. Zol’am v’vashishanim. Vos er is der am v’dem melech. Taz is ein melech b’loyom. Efsher. V’shtalte fun Kelamet g’neit.

And I found this as a mashal in the Shevet Soifim. Re’chosh v’seif, v’seif v’seifim.

# The Mashal of the King and the Parade

He says that taich and ki yishof are exactly what I just told you. He gives a mashal: l’mar devedeim, there is a nation far away from the kingdom, under the malchus. So the king sends a seer over there to check whether the people are behaving under the rule of the malchus.

He comes back and tells the melech—there is a mashal he made up, obviously, but this is the way he understood, the way he understood ki yishof. He comes back and says, you know, they have no derech eretz for you. I didn’t hear one time, not one time. I was there for a few months; no one ever said, “Dank the melech,” the melech, all the programs that he put in place that support us. I never heard it.

The melech says, but I want to see for myself, because I don’t want any kabbolos. So he travels to this place, and as he travels, all of a sudden he hears noise in the street. He asks the people, “What’s the noise?” It’s a party they’re making to greet the melech—a parade, a parade to greet the melech.

He says, how could you come and tell me they don’t appreciate? If you see they’re making a parade for my coming. They’re busy. They’re busy. They don’t think to be mamlich and appreciate the melech. But you see that the one time a year that I come, they appreciate that I came. They make a parade. Once a year that we can say, the melech is done, we make a parade out of it. And what is a parade? That we’re happy to be under your malchus.

# Bikurim and Hashkifah

Rabbi, I think—just give me a minute or two, Rabbi, please. I think that this is a gevaldigeh etza l’shiskis b’dim. Added to the list of gedolim—I’m not a chashuv person, I don’t ever feel I can add to them—but I think it’s mukach, this yesod.

Besides all of what we spoke about, ma’av r’lamidis, testaim Rosh Hashanah, bimak yiroteif, all that the melech gives you. And I’ll prove to you that that’s the yesod, and how to take bim and make it a Torah for me.

You know where I see it? In the parashah of Bikurim and Kufa. In the parashah—yeah? What is hashkifah? You know what the word hashkifah usually means? Rashi tells us, kol hashkafah shegati ra is for bad, like by Sedom, by hashkifah al pnei Sedom. Of course. You hear the word? That hashkifah is l’tovah.

Peshat: because of the Bikurim, we’re able to take the bim and make it rachamim. You think I’m right to say a word like this? I’m not. I’m not cautious enough to say it. Rachida. I say, please listen to the words of Rachida: kol hashkafah shegati ra, hashkafah l’ra; chutz me’hashkafah zu shehi l’tovah. Hasibu l’kach, kimon shebekoach ma’al nesanim l’hapich es midas hadin l’midas harachamim. M’chen haKosme v’asez haOdem, y’aseh mitzvos haBikurim b’simcha.

Kol hashafah asher shebich Hashem oleh y’gidom seif y’gol. This is ma’al nesanim, l’midas hadin l’midas harachamim. Tuch haKares haTov tzubayr ha’olam, but he’s the melech!

Now I’ll tell you, I’m foolishly cautious. L’chaim, l’chaim, l’chaim. Yevski seif ha’achez yaishe eirech gemil chassadim.

It’s interesting, Chazal, that the baal hamaves met a person and he says, all right, your time is up. Let’s go. He tells the melech—it’s a medrash.

# Thanking the Ribbono Shel Olam for Chayim

Rabbi Chaim brings this as a Midrash in *Erech Gemilas Chasadim*. He says that when the Malach HaMaves came, he asked, “Give me one minute. I want to thank the Ribbono Shel Olam for everything He has given me until now.” The Midrash says he was denied, and the Malach HaMaves did not allow it. And he gave him a re’ach neshama many years after that.

I want to thank the Ribbono Shel Olam for everything He has given me until now. Chasavim says: we pray to Chayim, so pray to Chayim, the King hopes for Chayim. Give me a minute; I want to pray to Chayim with the understanding that He is the King. The King hopes for Chayim. He is the Master; He is the One who gives us Chayim. He gives us Chayim. That alone is the Chasdei Chayim. So pray to Chayim, the King hopes for Chayim. He hopes for Chayim; He gives Chayim. The King hopes for Chayim. So we thank the Ribbono Shel Olam, the Father of Chayim, that we have Chayim.

# The Chasav of the Dog

And this is what I want to tell you about Chasav. Chasav tells us a saying—I do not remember the Hebrew exactly; I used to speak about this saying a lot—that whoever comes to your house, “bark, bark, give, give.” It is like a dog. A dog comes to your house: bark, bark, bark, bark. It is like “bark, give, give.” It is a Chasav. Are any of you familiar with this Chasav? It is a famous Chasav. Maybe you have all heard of it.

A dog comes to your house, and if you ask for personal Chayim, it is like a dog: bark, give, give. First of all, what is wrong with asking for personal Chayim? And I have a better question: how can you ask for personal Chayim? You do not see Avinu Malkeinu? I see Avinu Malkeinu. You do not see Avinu Malkeinu? I can say it. Because we do not know how to say it in Hebrew—I cannot say it in Hebrew. But who will give it to you if not Him? Right? If not now, then when? Who will give it to you? This is a Chasav. A present for you. Okay, I am giving you a present.

# The Dog as a Makir Tov

There is a Yerushalmi in Terumos, perek ches, halachah yud-gimmel. A hund is a mega dikken makir tov, lobalov. You know that? It is the quintessential example of what a makir tov is: a hund. Little do people know that. People think otherwise. No. When they say “dog is man’s best friend,” by the goyim it makes sense on a literal level. But by us, the pshat is because he is a makir tov. You hear?

So what is the deal? As a makir tov, the Yerushalmi says that there was a ro’eh who came with his dog, and he was ready to drink the water, and the dog smelled that there was poison in it. So in order that his baal habayis should not die from the poison, he drank the water, and then he died instead of the baal habayis. And Chazal said: a hund is a makir tov, lobalov.

You know, the Sefer Ikkarim speaks in perek ches about the dog and its being a makir tov. The Sefer Ikkarim says that if you notice the berachah of the kelav—let us use the word, the shirav—what is shirav? Does anybody equate it with perek? Shirav? “Bo’u nishtachaveh, nichra, nivrachah lifnei Hashem,” they say. The Sefer Ikkarim says: why? Because the kelav is a makir tov. He is nichra, nivrachah—humble, nivrachah—and he blesses, el da’im tza’an, zain baal habayis. And we have to learn, says the Sefer Ikkarim, from the kelav to be a makir tov.

And the kelav, versus a makir tov, that on ba’asim the baal habayis, and on shrayim the baal habayis, “give me!” You would say that the dog has a major issue. Does that not go according to the nature of the dog? The dog comes, and he coos and cuddles around the baal habayis when the baal habayis asks him. It depends how he comes to ask. If you say, “haav haav,” that is not the dog. The kelav is “haav haav.” There is a contradiction here. Something is wrong with the dog. It is out of place and out of character, to the point that maybe you have to put the dog to sleep; you never know, he might bite you the next day.

# Tefillah Through Malchus

I’m a humble. I know the Bayerischen Altschule from there, Wiener Malkenu. If you’re a Magdeburg Wiener Malkenu, that’s a whole different Wiener, a whole different Beten. A Mensch muss beten nur auf Gatschwiesli gezacht. That’s what Chazal mean, and that’s probably the pshat. Oder, wenn ihr was versteht, sie rechasset auf die Eberstütz, durch den Malchus von der Rebbeinisch Loyal. Das ist, also, wie ein Keller; das ist auch tovhaft.

If you come and you ask the Rebbeinisch Loyal, well, du bist der Melech. Reb Chaim would prove that on his own. You know, Reb Chaim is mazbir the yesod of tefillah. That’s oygmelicht, the amelos, the Rambam famous. You look at the sefer from the Mabit, the Beis Elokim, he’s mazbir that there are three chalakim of tefillah. The first chelek of tefillah is hoda’ah, Rebbeinisch Loyal. The middle chelek is bakashah, the last chelek is hoda’ah.

We, the bakashah, come in oygmelicht, der Melech. Sagt dem a bitze a pasche. It’s all talking to you in oygmelicht, der Melech. As we stand in front of the Melech, we understand that the malchus will not recognize us. We think with you, the chelek of the malchus, better. Das is what you should say.

As we come to the Rebbeinisch Loyal, bet, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech. As we bet on the Melech, no, you can’t give it to me. Das is gebeten through malchus. Das ist Shitam Lichuni Aleichem. Und das darf man haben ein ganz Jahr. Mit dem wird man seicher sein. Tzakzima, Sima, vom Chayim. Das ist die haftachah vom Chayim. As we come to the Rebbeinisch Loyal, bet, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech, Melech.