Parashas Bamidbar The Ordering of Klal Yisroel

Topics

• The Order of Klal Yisrael in the Midbar
• Reb Yeruchem on the Importance of Seder
• Examples from Chazal and the Ba'alei Mussar
• The Man Who Blasphemed and the Question of Place
• The Leviim and Their Assigned Avodah
• Reb Yerucham on Seder
• Kelm and the Importance of Order
• A Personal Memory
• Reb Yerucham on the Meaning of the Punishment
• The יסוד of Kelm: Seder and Exactness
• A Personal Story About a Chair
• More Examples of Kelm’s Carefulness
• The Lesson of the Chair
• Stories from Kelm
• Seder and Precision
• The Meaning of Obedience
• Seder as the Foundation
• A Window Into the Inner Person
• Seder as the Chain of Diamonds
• Outer Order Reflects Inner Order
• Why Seder Matters
• Malachim and Boundaries
• A Yesod from Rav Yeruchem
• Seder in the Heavenly Realm
• Seder Is Inherent in Kedushah
• Reb Yerucham: Torah and Yetzirah
• Torah and Creation Require Seder
• Seder Is Not Just Practical, It Is Essential
• The Mishkan as a Model of Order
• Do Not Copy Without Considering Your Own Level
• The Mishkan and the Primacy of Seder
• Building the Self Like a Structure
• Not Copying Another Person’s Success
• The Meraglim and Acting Without Seder
• Building on the Right Foundations
• Wanting More Than One’s Dargah
• The Kohas and the Danger of Pushing
• Impulse Without Seder
• The Kehasi Family and the Aron
• Why Pushing Is a Problem
• Seder and Proper Measure
• What a Matmid Means
• Torah as a Milchemah
• Ilui, War, and Staying the Course
• Why Gezel Is So Severe
• Gezel as a Corruption of Seder
• Seder Must Be Treated Like a Rebbe
• Why a Gambler Is Pasul L’eidus
• Living Within the Framework
• Gambling and Being Outside Society
• The Point of the Gambling Example
• What We Learn from This
• Actions and Feelings
• Kabbalas HaTorah and Seder
• Freshness Within Torah
• Kabbalas HaTorah Every Day
• What Is the Yom Tov Celebrating?
• Reb Shimon and Reb Chaim
• Hischadshus and Yashnus
• Constancy and Chiddush
• A Story About Repetition and Growth
• The World, Torah, and Renewal
• Steady Daily Avodah
• Evolvement and Chidushim
• Consistency in Avodah

Transcript

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## The Order of Klal Yisrael in the Midbar

The parashah of **Bamidbar** gives a very detailed description of how Klal Yisrael was arranged in the midbar: where each shevet camped, who stood where, and how they traveled. The question is obvious: why was this level of detail so important? And why does the Torah devote so many pesukim to something that happened in the past? What relevance does it have for us now?

The answer, the speaker says, is that the question itself contains the answer. The Torah is teaching that the order of **al pi Hashem yachanu** and **al pi Hashem yis'u** was not incidental. Every shevet had its place, and the arrangement was exact. Since the Torah emphasizes it so strongly, it must be deeply significant.

## Reb Yeruchem on the Importance of Seder

The speaker then introduces a teaching from **Reb Yeruchem**, who asks why such a strict and detailed order was necessary. Reb Yeruchem explains that this was not merely a matter of having an organized camp. Rather, the order was something that had to be carefully guarded, with no deviation allowed.

## Examples from Chazal and the Ba'alei Mussar

To illustrate the point, he brings examples from Chazal and the Ba'alei Mussar. One example is from the story of the **mekoshesh** and the idea that a person could not simply move into **Machne Dan** if that was not his place. The speaker compares this to a situation where people would object if someone entered a neighborhood or group that was not his own. The point is not about racism or exclusion, but about the Torah’s insistence that every person and every tribe has its designated place.

He then cites **Gemara Erchin 11a**, which discusses the different roles of the Leviim in the Avodas HaMikdash. Some Leviim sang, while others carried loads or tended to the gates. If one Levi took over the job of another, even though both were Leviim, he would be liable. The speaker stresses that this seems difficult: why should it matter if one Levi substitutes for another? They are all part of the same group.

Reb Yeruchem’s answer is that the Torah’s assignment of roles means that each person must remain within his own designated avodah. The issue is not only the technical mitzvah itself, but the fact that the Torah gave each person a specific place and task. That order is part of the avodah, and it cannot be casually changed.

## The Man Who Blasphemed and the Question of Place

Reb Yerucham brings a beautiful case from the parashah. The Torah says about the man who blasphemed, *“Vayikra chabda l'gyud, she'omad v'gideif, al shelo hinichu lit'ol b'seich machaneh Dan.”* Why was he there in the first place? Chazal explain one approach: he wanted to live in Machaneh Dan. But he was told no—you are not from Dan, so you must stay in your own place.

That raises a question: what is the big deal? Aren’t we all Jews? Why can’t a person live in Machaneh Dan?

## The Leviim and Their Assigned Avodah

The same kind of question can be asked about the Leviim. In the Gemara in Erchin, the Leviim had different jobs in the Avodas HaMikdash. Some sang, while others carried, opened doors, and handled the practical work. If a Meshoyrer switched and did the work of the doorkeepers, the Gemara says he is *chayiv misa*.

Why should that be? They are all Leviim. What difference does it make if one helps the other? Why is it such a serious matter?

## Reb Yerucham on Seder

Reb Yerucham explains that the issue is not simply that a person failed to do his own avodah. The problem is deeper: each person has his own place, his own seder, and his own designated role. When the Torah assigns a person a specific avodah, that means he is not meant to step into someone else’s role. The Torah is teaching that there is a precise order, and that order itself is part of the avodah.

## Kelm and the Importance of Order

He brings this out from the world of Kelm, where seder was everything. The whole approach there was exactness and order—nothing out of place, nothing left to chance. The Alter of Kelm would become upset if a chair was not returned to its proper place. That was not a small matter to him; it reflected the seriousness of seder.

Reb Yerucham says that this sensitivity to order was central to the mussar of Kelm.

## A Personal Memory

He then shares a personal memory from his own yeshiva days, describing how even small details of order and placement left a strong impression on him. The point is that seder is not just a matter of convenience or neatness. It expresses a deeper truth: every person has his place, and when that place is disturbed, something essential is being violated.

## Reb Yerucham on the Meaning of the Punishment

Reb Yerucham explains that the issue is not simply that you failed to sing. The problem is that you helped the other Levi with his task. If you are assigned to sing, then why is the punishment described as being for doing the other person’s work? The Gemara should have said plainly that a Meshoyer who does not sing is chayav misa. Instead, it says that a Meshoyer who goes to do the doors is chayav misa. What is wrong with that?

## The יסוד of Kelm: Seder and Exactness

Reb Yerucham answers that this reflects a יסוד from Kelm: everything must be done with seder, with exactness and proper order. He says, “Ani nishanachti b’Kelem” — his chinuch came from Kelm, where the whole approach was precision and order, without excess and without neglect.

In Kelm, even the placement of a chair mattered. If a chair was not returned to its proper place, the mashgiach would become angry, as though he had heard of a serious aveirah. The point was not the chair itself, but the attitude toward order and responsibility.

## A Personal Story About a Chair

He brings a personal story to show how small actions reveal a person’s inner world. In Staten Island Yeshiva, he once used a new chair from the beis medrash to place his menorah on it. The mashgiach, Reb Chaim Mitz, noticed and asked him: if this were your own new chair at home, would you use it for candles and let oil spill on it? Of course not. So how could you do that to the Yeshiva’s chair?

From that, he learned that small incidents are not small at all; they reveal a person’s hashkafah and his sense of how to treat things properly.

## More Examples of Kelm’s Carefulness

Reb Yerucham then brings more examples from Kelm to show how deeply this idea ran. He describes the carefulness with clothing: a garment could look brand new even after many years because it was so well preserved. In Kelm, people were careful with their belongings, and everything had its place. Clothing was hung up properly, nothing was thrown on the floor, and nothing was abused. Seder was not just an external habit; it was a way of life.

He also notes that in Kelm, a person was expected not to look around aimlessly. One was to look straight ahead, not to turn the head to the side without need. If someone was seen moving his head unnecessarily, it was considered a serious lack of dignity. This too was part of the same principle: a person must live with order, discipline, and awareness in every detail.

### The Lesson of the Chair

The Moshkiach, Reb Chaim Mitz, shlita, came over to me. Reb Chaim Mitz, the Moshkiach of Staten Island, a tzaddik, said, “I noticed you lit candles on the Yeshiva’s chair. You took a new chair, didn’t you?” I answered, “Yes.”

He said, “Let me ask you a question. If you got a new chair in your house, would you light candles on that chair? No, because the oil spills and it gets dirty. You wouldn’t ruin a chair you just bought in your house. So how could you do that to the Yeshiva’s chair?”

What did I learn from this? It seems like a small story, just a small story: I took a chair. But he was teaching me something deep. It looks simple, like, “Okay, what’s the big deal? I made a mistake.” No. It’s not just a mistake. It reveals a conception, and it goes deeper than simply saying, “I made a mistake and took the chair.” Small stories are not just stories. Small stories give you introspection into the hashgafah of the person.

### Stories from Kelm

Let me show you a few more stories that he brings down.

He says, “Ani yirashti mimenu beged.” Rabbi Yerucham says that he was zocheh to receive a garment from the Rebbe of Kelm. A shirt, a garment—I got it. I was zocheh to get such a shirt. When the Rebbe was niftar, I took a shirt from the house. No, no. He says, “Ani yirashti mimenu beged, asher hoyah nireh k’beged chadash mamash.” He looked like a brand-new person, brand new. He worked for years, and he still looked brand new. Cleanliness. And he wore that for 30 years. Rabbi Yerucham is writing about the outfit, and he wore it for 30 years. I got it from him, and it looked brand new.

By us, says Rabbi Yerucham, if clothing looks clean and the creases are perfect, you know right away that it came from the cleaners, right? If the clothing is perfect, he says, “ta’aseh bi rak ne’shoneh mevi’im, ach nesayim l’cheit.” We brought it to the cleaner, and he fixed it. But in Kelm, they didn’t use a tailor. You couldn’t tell that. The beged stood in its place for a long time because people were careful.

### Seder and Precision

Seder. Seder. Seder. Everything had a cheshbon. Clothing had to be taken off and hung up. Everything was mesudar. He didn’t throw things on the floor. He didn’t abuse things. Seder. You have a chair, you put it back.

Listen carefully to what he says. It’s a beautiful rebuke, a big story after story—unbelievable things. In Kelm, he says, “lo hayah la’olam eino l’habit l’tzadadim.” He never looked to the sides. He didn’t go like this. He never turned his head to the side. He used to look straight. If they saw in Kelm a person who moved his head for no good reason, just moving his head, that was considered a great disgrace. It was an embarrassing thing to do.

And when I came to Kelm the first time, I entered at Ma’ariv time.

I came to Kelim for the first time, and it took us an hour to get to Sholeim. In Kelim, an hour was an hour. When we finally arrived, I saw the place where he lived. The room he was speaking about was not bigger than the room I am in now.

I had come to see my grandfather from Slavutka, and when I entered, I found myself in a very small room. I wanted to look at him, but I did not even raise my eyes to do so. I did not see him until the next day. That was the fear people had there: not to lift their eyes without a legitimate reason, not to look around casually. Look where you need to look. That was the training in Kelim.

If the grandfather of Kelim needed to move his head, it was only for a real need. He did not move his head casually. He did not look to the side. He looked straight. If he needed to look to the side, he would turn his whole body. I want you to know that I saw this with my own eyes אצל somebody. I never saw it anywhere else. We did not grow up in a generation where people spoke like that, but I think Rabbi Victor Miller had this, if I am not mistaken. Rav Shalom Revolver also had it. When he spoke to you, he would turn toward you completely, like a machine, like a robot.

## The Meaning of Obedience

What is the problem with turning your head? The answer is that it is a matter of order, like a soldier. If you saw Buckingham Palace, you would understand. The soldiers stand there and are not allowed to blink. People try to make them blink, but they do not. Why? Because a soldier is obedient to the extent that even a blink is controlled. He blinks only when he is told to blink. That is the ultimate obedience.

The same idea applies here. It is not a covenant issue; it is obedience. Ani evid ha-melech. I do nothing except sheirut ha-melech. If you had never seen Buckingham Palace, you might think it is strange, but there you see that even in golus there is this idea: I am so under shilton, so much a servant, that I am not even allowed to blink unless I am told to blink. In England, in the Kremlin, it is all the same idea. You are a soldier. In Kelim, you are a soldier. So when you move, you move properly. If you need to move, you move to the right or to the left. If you move your head casually, you are running around.

## Seder as the Foundation

We move our hats many times during the day. Sometimes we push them back, sometimes we put them to the right, sometimes to the left. But HaSaba, the author from Kelim, put on his hat once, properly, and it did not move the whole day until he took it off at night. Beruchem is not making up stories.

HaSaba zatzal said that seder is like a chain of diamonds. The main thing is not the chain; the main thing is the diamonds. But if the chain breaks, the whole thing falls apart. That is the meaning of seder: it guards everything good. Without seder, everything falls apart. Seder is not the ikker, but it is what keeps the ikker in place.

If a person is mesuder, then his Torah, his tefillah, and everything else is also in order. If not, chas v’shalom, everything can fall to the ground.

## A Window Into the Inner Person

They tell over a story from the site of Mussar: a father came to visit his son in yeshiva. The Mashgiach asked to see the son’s drawers and his room. Everything was mesuder, everything was kept in place. From that, he knew that what was going on inside was also mesuder. His learning was mesuder.

That is what I meant at the beginning: the outer action may seem like a small thing, but it gives a window into the depth of the person himself. You can tell where a person is holding by these little stories. A small action is not just a small action; it reveals what is really going on inside. Seder is the same way. It shows what is happening within the person. That is why the Golem was so important: the Golem was seder.

The point is the same: what’s the big deal? It’s not a covenant; it’s an obedience. *Ani eved ha-melech*—I am a servant of the king, and I do only *sheirus ha-melech*. If you had never seen Buckingham Palace, you might think it was absurd. But once you see it, you understand that even in Golus there is this idea: I am so much under the rule, so much a servant, that I am not even allowed to blink unless I am told to blink.

You see it in England, and they try it in the Kremlin too. It is all the same inside: you are a soldier. In Kelim, you are a soldier. So when you move, you move to the right; when you have to move, you move to the left. If you move your head around, you are running around. That is the point.

He says further that we move our hats many times during the day. Sometimes we push them back, sometimes we put them to the right, sometimes to the left. But the Saba, the author from Kelim, put on his hat once, properly, and it did not move the whole day. I feel like a Khutasai. They wore their hats in Ismailish? I guess so. Rashi? Rashi. He put on his hat, and it stayed in the same position until night, when he took it off. It did not move.

## Seder as the Chain of Diamonds

Beruchem is not making up stories. The Saba, zatzal, said that *seder* is like a chain of diamonds. The main thing is not the chain; the main thing is the diamonds. The chain is only secondary. But if the chain breaks, then the whole thing falls apart. That is the meaning of *seder*: it guards everything good. Without *seder*, everything falls apart. *Seder* is not the ikker, but it is needed to keep the ikker in place.

If a person is *mesuder*, then his Torah, his tefillah, and his whole avodah are also good. If not, chas v’shalom, everything can fall to the ground. They say over, and I am glad I heard it from Slabodka, that there was a father who came to visit his son in yeshiva. He asked to see the room, and he saw that everything was *mesuder*: the drawers, everything was kept in place. From that he understood that what was going on in the boy’s mind was also *mesuder*.

## Outer Order Reflects Inner Order

That is what I started by saying: outer actions may seem like nothing, but they give a window into the depth of the person himself. Where is the person holding? You can tell from the little stories that come out, from the little things he says. It is not just one word; it shows what is really going on inside. *Seder* shows you what is really happening inside a person. The golem was so important because the golem was *seder*.

It was order. Everything had to have its place. Therefore, when someone wanted to move and plant his home in Don, he could not do that. That was the proof he brought: he wanted to live in a different neighborhood, but no—he must live where he is supposed to live. He cannot go out of the seder.

The same idea applies to someone who sings. The problem is not that he sang; the issue is that he was a shashir, a singer. What was he doing in a place that was not his place? The chisaron was in seder. I did not understand it at first. You have two lines here: the golem was seder, and the one who wanted to come to Shevet Don was not from Shevet Don. So where was he supposed to be? Wherever he was supposed to be—wherever his shevet was. But here, there was no one. He was not from Don, because his father was not from Shevet Don. How? Because his mother was not from Shevet Don. His mother was not from Shevet Don, and his father was not either; he was Mitzri.

So he did not really have a place he was supposed to be in. Where should he go? Wherever it is, the point is: not Don. Go to Moshe Rabbeinu and ask him. If they are not Don, there is no one else. I understand, but the point is that he was not from Don. At the end of the day, he was not Don. But he was not from Moshe Rabbeinu either. Of course you go ask Moshe Rabbeinu what to do. You do not decide on your own that you want to be in Don. That is the whole point.

The same applies to Yehuda: go to a different shevet. What are you cursing? Go ask a shaykh what to do. What was he doing in Bethlehem? Who are you to decide that you want to be in Don? The problem was not even so much Don itself as that he was not mesudder—he wanted to be where he was perhaps not supposed to be. First find out where you are supposed to be. That is the problem.

That is also the problem with the prophet of Labean, that he was doing the shira. Your job is to do shira, and he did the shira. The only problem I have is: when did he help his brothers who were opening the doors? That is not your job. So is it not allowed to help? Everything in the Beis HaMikdash, in the Mishkan, had its place—order. So he did his order by singing, and then he tried to do another order that was not supposed to be his. That is exactly what is wrong. That is what he is telling you.

You are asking what is wrong if he helps. The problem is that this is not your job. Everybody has a job. Do not do the other person’s job. Let the other person do his job, and you do your job. That is the concept.

## Why Seder Matters

Why is it so important to have seder? We just said that seder keeps everything in its place. I see that Rabbarin and other baalei mussar say that it is not even so much that seder is a physical thing that keeps everything in place, but that spiritually everything has to have a seder. Rav Yeruchem makes it into a yesod: a person needs seder because without seder he is all over the place. But it is deeper than that, because everything inherently must have seder, since ruchniyus has to have seder.

Rav Aaron says something very interesting. Notice that tefillah has a seder. It has an order: there is Pesukei D’Zimra, there is Yotzer Or, and there are all kinds of shailos about whether you can go back, whether you can say this before that, and so on. The whole discussion is about the seder of tefillah. What is the big deal? I want to come in the morning and say this thing before that thing—what is the problem? I want to say both.

Rav Aaron says that the kedumim were very makpid on the seder of tefillah. The whole tefillah follows the seder of hishtalshelus ha’olamos. It has to do with deep musagim of the King of the world, and that too has seder. Sidrei ha’berachos, ruchniyus—all of this has seder. And he says: I will prove it to you.

## Malachim and Boundaries

It says, "Oseh shalom bimromav." Hashem makes peace bimromav. What is bimromav? It is close to your mouth. Am I laughing?

Rebbarim explains it like this. Chazal say: Mikhoel kulei eish, Gavriel kulei sheleg, and between them there is something like a hair’s breadth. It is a medrash—Medrash Rabbah, Parashas Naso. Again: Mikhoel kulei eish, Gavriel kulei sheleg, and between them is kichut hasa’arah. The difference between them is here. They do not touch each other because of the fear of Hashem. Ein hamalachim oivrim gevulam—they do not cross their boundaries. And that is the pshat in "Oseh shalom bimromav": Hashem makes shalom, and each malach stands in its place.

Rabbi Aaron asks: wait a minute, what can there be between malachim? There is no anger, no emotions, nothing. The answer is that there is an inyan called seder. Malachim are only about ruchniyus—what else could it be? And even in ruchniyus, there is "oseh shalom bimromav," meaning that everything must be mesudar.

Then he says that this is the pshat in "Chanein es haGavah kiHanim"—that Hashem loves shalom. Shalom is so great because it is equal to, as great as, my separation. As it says, Hashem created or and choshech. So what is the pshat? Also shalom: light and darkness, each has its place. And if one thing does not watch its place, for example, we find many times in the celestial realm that if something goes out of place, the whole world is turned upside down. Everything has to have its seder.

The pshat is that even in inyanei ruchniyus, it has to have seder. Why should that be? Why should ruchniyus need seder? I wanted to say it like this: seder is not just so that you should be in a position to do what you have to do. Seder is inherent in kedushah. Kedushah also has to come in seder.

Let me ask you a question. When a person is neat, he can get things done—that is what is good about being neat. But is neatness anything more than that? No. What if a person can get things done even while being sloppy? Then it is not a problem. Some people are the opposite: they can be sloppy and still get everything done anyway. So if the whole thing is only to make sure that the ikkar gets done, then it is not a problem.

But if, inherently, ruchniyus must be in seder, then he has to have seder even if he can get everything done anyway. Like I said: if a person can daven the whole davening, but just not in seder, yet he davens the whole davening, it is still a chisaron. Because even in inyanei ruchniyus, it has to be that way. Why? Why?

## A Yesod from Rav Yeruchem

Listen carefully to another shtick from Rav Yeruchem, which is unbelievable. Rav Yeruchem explains that the yetziras adam is created last, as Chazal say. Therefore, Torah is also after behemah. That is why, after the parashah of the korbanos and after the parashah of what is kosher and not kosher among animals, the Torah begins with the Torah of man. The creation of man comes after, and the Torah of man comes after. Why are these two things put together? Why is it not simply because he was created?

## Seder in the Heavenly Realm

Rebbarim explains the matter through a Medrash. Chazal say that Mikhoel is all fire, Gavriel is all snow, and between them is a thread of hair. The Medrash in **Bamidbar Rabbah, Parashas Naso** says: *Mikhoel kulei esh, Gavriel kulei sheleg, uveinayhem k’chut hasa’arah.* They do not touch one another because of the fear of Hashem. The malachim do not cross their boundaries. That is the meaning of the pasuk, **"Oseh shalom bimromav"**—Hashem makes peace by placing each malach in its proper place.

Rav Aharon asks: what can there possibly be between malachim? There is no anger, no emotion, nothing physical. The answer is that even in ruchniyus there is an inyan of **Seder**. Malachim are entirely spiritual, and still they must be mesudar. That is also the meaning of **"Chanun v’rachum"** and the greatness of shalom: shalom means that each thing remains in its place. The same idea appears in **"vayivra Elokim es ha’or v’es hachoshech"**—light and darkness each have their place.

## Seder Is Inherent in Kedushah

This is not only true in the heavens. Whenever something goes out of place, the whole system is thrown off. Everything must have its seder. The point is that even in ruchniyus, order is not merely practical; it is part of kedushah itself. Seder is not only there so a person can get things done. It is inherent in the nature of kedushah that it comes in an orderly way.

A person might say: if I can accomplish everything even while being sloppy, then what difference does it make? But the answer is that in ruchniyus, it does make a difference. Even if a person can daven the whole davening or do everything he needs to do, if it is not in seder, there is a chisaron. Ruchniyus itself requires order.

## Reb Yerucham: Torah and Yetzirah

Reb Yerucham gives another deep point. Chazal say that man was created last, and therefore the Torah about man comes after the Torah of the animals. The Torah of man follows the creation of man because Torah is tied to **yetzirah**. Just as man was created in a certain order, so too Torah must be received and lived with order. Torah and yetzirah are bound together.

Creation itself cannot happen without seder. You cannot create something by throwing in a little of this and a little of that. A cake needs exact measurements and a proper sequence. If you mix things up, you do not get a cake—you get a mishmash. The same is true in Torah and mitzvos. **"V’asisa ma’aseh"** means that mitzvos are an act of creation, and creation requires order.

That is also why the Torah says **"pachas kamayim al toseh"**—from there Reb Yerucham learns **seder min haTorah**. So seder is not merely a mussar invention or a practical suggestion. It is rooted in Torah itself. At the same time, Reb Yerucham also shows that seder is not only useful because it helps a person accomplish; rather, it is part of the very nature of Torah and ruchniyus.

## Torah and Creation Require Seder

Reb Yerucham explains a deep point in Vayikra: Torah is tied to *Yetzirah*, to creation. Man was created last, and therefore the Torah that speaks about man also comes last. This is not a coincidence. Since Torah is part of creation, it follows the same order as creation itself.

The point is that *Yetzirah* and Torah are really one reality. Torah is not something separate from the act of creating; it is itself a form of creation. And creation cannot happen without *seder*. You cannot make something in a random, mixed-up way. Just like baking a cake requires exact measurements and a fixed order—first the flour, then the other ingredients—so too Torah and mitzvos must be approached with order and precision. If you mix everything together בלי סדר, you do not get a proper result; you get a mishmash.

## Seder Is Not Just Practical, It Is Essential

This is why *seder* is not merely a helpful tool so that a person can accomplish more. It is part of the very nature of ruchniyus. A person may think: if I can still get everything done even without order, what difference does it make? But Reb Yerucham’s approach is that in Torah and avodah, order is intrinsic. Since Torah is creation, and creation itself requires structure, *seder* is built into the essence of the avodah.

He brings support from the pasuk, *“Pachas kamayim al toseh”*—from here, Reb Yerucham learns *seder meTorah*. So *seder* is not just a mussar invention or a rabbinic preference. It is rooted in Torah itself.

## The Mishkan as a Model of Order

Reb Yerucham also points to the Mishkan as proof. The Mishkan was built with exact order, and the sequence of its construction mattered. The order of what comes first and what comes second is not merely a nice detail. It is part of the building itself. The Mishkan was made out of *seder*.

From here, Reb Yerucham teaches that a person’s avodah must be like building a structure. You begin with the foundation, then you build upward according to a blueprint. If someone starts with the roof, nothing will stand. In the same way, a person must build himself from the bottom up, step by step, according to his level.

## Do Not Copy Without Considering Your Own Level

Reb Yerucham further warns that a person should not simply imitate what he sees in others. A person may look at someone else and say, “I’ll do that too.” But the other person may be on a different level. If you copy without considering where you are holding, then it is not *seder*.

The lesson is that spiritual growth must be real, ordered, and appropriate to the person’s own place. Otherwise, even if the actions look impressive, they are not built properly and will not last.

Because ruchniyus is not merely a habit of “doing ruchniyus.” A person is creating worlds — worlds. When you work with chemicals and do not measure the mixtures precisely, according to the proper seder, you can ruin everything. That is the p’shat in yetzirah: Torah is a creation, and mitzvah is the basis of creation. Therefore, a person must live with seder.

## The Mishkan and the Primacy of Seder

Let us go a little further. Rav Yerucham in Devarim says a remarkable thing. In the construction of the Mishkan, Betzalel did something striking with the order of the kelim. You know the story with the Aron — it is brought in Rashi, Shemos 38, and in the pesukim there. When Moshe came to Betzalel, he asked him to make the keilim, and Betzalel responded in a way that showed he understood the proper order. The point is that the Mishkan was built with seder.

Rav Yerucham says, and we once said this as well, that from here you see that what comes first and what comes second is not just a nice detail. One might think it is merely preferable to begin this way and then that way. After all, in the end you have both. But that is not the point. Seder itself is part of the thing. The Mishkan was made out of seder. The whole inyan of seder is essential.

## Building the Self Like a Structure

Rav Yerucham explains that a person’s avodah has to be like building a structure. He has to build himself the way one builds a building: first the foundation, then the rest, according to a blueprint. If a person starts with the roof, what will happen? Nothing. It cannot stand. The same is true in ruchniyus. A person must begin from the inside, from the bottom, and build step by step. Otherwise, it will collapse.

He also returns to the seder of the kelim and gives a beautiful p’shat in the pesukim: if there is a wall, then one can build a balcony of silver. But the point is that a person must be created like a proper building. He has to begin with the small things, according to his dargah. Only if the foundations are there can one build on top of them.

## Not Copying Another Person’s Success

Rav Yerucham further explains that a person must be careful not to imitate others blindly. A person sees someone doing something יפה and says, “I’ll do that too.” But wait — that other person may be holding on a different level. By you, it may not be with seder. You cannot simply copy another person’s success.

I once heard a very nice story from my Rebbe, Rav Shostakovich. I mentioned to him a certain Rav who was very successful, and I said that I have many of the same qualities as that Rav. So I thought: good, then I’ll do what he does; I’ll open the same kind of shul or something similar. He told me, “No, no, no — slow down. A person cannot copy what another person is matzliach in. It does not work that way. You never know what foundations a person has, and what makes him succeed in what he does. You cannot machniss yourself into another person’s matzliach. You have to build yourself.”

That is the koach of seder. If the foundations are strong, then you can build on them. But if the foundations are weak, even something beautiful will collapse.

## The Meraglim and Acting Without Seder

Rav Yerucham also speaks about a person wanting ruchniyus beyond his actual capabilities. Sometimes a person wants more than he is holding by. That itself can be a yetzer hara if he is not ready for it.

He brings a proof from the meraglim. When we came to the episode of the meraglim, Moshe Rabbeinu said, “Vatikrivu eilai kulchem,” and the request to send meraglim is discussed by the mefarshim: was it right or not? Rav Yerucham says that the problem was not the meraglim themselves. Rather, the problem was the way the request came about. Rashi says, “Nishlecha anashim l’faneinu,” that they came in a confused, impulsive way. Rav Yerucham says that the actual bakashah was good, but it was made without seder — without a cheshbon, in a state of bilbul hadas. It was impulsive.

And because of that, it opened the door for the sotim family to enter. That is the danger when ruchniyus is pursued without seder.

## Building on the Right Foundations

The point is that you cannot simply say, “He has a beautiful balcony, so I’ll put a balcony on my house too.” First you have to go to the contractor and see whether the foundations can support it. You cannot just decide, “I want to do what he does.”

I’ll tell you a very nice story. I once spoke with my Rebbe, Rav Shostakovich, and I mentioned to him a certain Rav who was very much liyach, whatever the case may be. He first explained to me that I have many of the same qualities as that Rav; we are very much alike. So I said, “Good, then I’ll do what he does. I’ll open the same shul, or whatever it is.” He said, “No, no, no, slow down. A person cannot machnoch. A person cannot copy what another person is matzlich at. It doesn’t work that way.”

You never know what foundations another person has, or what matzl a person has that enables him to do what he does so well. You cannot machnoch yanem tzatzlach. It doesn’t work that way. You have to build yourself. Don’t look at the other person and say, “I want that too.” Why? Because you have to make sure that your own foundations are strong enough to accept it. This is the cleich of Seder. If the foundations are strong, then we can build on them. But if the foundations are not strong, it may look beautiful, but it will collapse. It will not work.

Rav Yerucham says that this is the seder of the Mishkan, and that is what we see. The Meshayir, the singer, was not allowed to change a key. Why? Because in Ruch Nius there is a seder.

## Wanting More Than One’s Dargah

Rav Yerucham also says something else beautiful. Sometimes a person thinks to himself, “I really want certain ruchms.” But that too can be a Yetzer Hara if he is not holding there. Sometimes a person wants more than his capabilities. He cannot reach it because he is not holding on that level, yet the Yetzer pushes him to go there.

You can see this lesson in the episode of the Meraglim. Moshe Rabbeinu said, “Vatikinu v’lai kulchan. You all came to me.” The question of “Nishlecha anashim l’faneinu” and the Meraglim was discussed by the mefarshim: was it right, was it not right, was it a good thing or not? Rav Yerucham says a different approach.

The problem was not the Meraglim themselves. The problem was how the request came about. Rashi says, “Nishlecha anashim l’paneinu,” that they came bar vuvya, in a rush. The actual bakasha was good, but it was done without cheshbon, without seder. It was an impulse. It was not with seder.

Because of that, there was room for the sotim to enter. That led to the sin of the Meraglim and, ultimately, to the churban of the Beis HaMikdash. The whole problem was the bilbul, the lack of seder, the lack of order.

## The Kohas and the Danger of Pushing

The Baron brings a very beautiful yesod. The pasuk says, “Al tachrisu es shevet ha-Kohasi.” The family of Kohas had a very dangerous job: they had to carry the Aron. Chazal say that everyone wanted to merit carrying the Aron, because of the great kedushah involved. People pushed each other to get the zechus.

But the Torah says, “Al tachrisu es shevet ha-Kohasi.” Each one had a specific job, and they had to be careful. They could not all try to get too close. There was a seder. If they did not keep the proper order, it could be dangerous and even destructive.

Why would a person want to carry the Aron? Because it is kedushah. We see this kind of thing by an aliyah as well: people fight and run to take it because they want kedushah. That is what they wanted by the Kohanim and the Leviim too. But the point is that not everything is for everyone in the same way. Everything has its seder.

Even though it was dangerous, they still did it, because they were moser nefesh for the sake of the Aron. But if a person says, “I’ll find myself a better line of work,” that is not the point. The job was to carry the Aron, and each one had his place. When people push beyond their place, it leads to merivah. One says, “I’ll carry this side,” another says, “No, I’ll carry the middle,” another says, “I’ll carry the front.” They fight over it, and that comes from a lack of seder.

So what happened? Seder was lost.

## Impulse Without Seder

They came without cheshbon — pure impulse. Everyone together, screaming and yelling. Don’t scream, don’t make a balagan. Relax. If you have a cheshbon, sit down and speak to Moshe Rabbeinu. What are you jumping for?

## The Kehasi Family and the Aron

I want to show you further. The Baron brings a remarkable yesod, a beautiful yesod. The pasuk says, “Al tachrisu es shevet ha-Kehasi.” The Kehasi family had a very dangerous job. Does anybody know what the job of the family of Kehos, of Shevet Levi, was? They had to carry the Aron. That was their job. “Al tachrisu es shevet mishpechos ha-Kehasi.” “V’zot asher lahem.” Which means they had to be careful when they picked up the Aron.

Chazal say that everyone wanted to merit carrying the Aron. Why? Because they wanted it very much. Everybody wanted to carry the Aron. They would push each other. You know how it is at a chassidishe tish — they’re pushing, shtup tzach. Why are they pushing? They want ruchniyus. That is what they wanted from carrying the Aron. The Kohanim, the Kehasim — they wanted to hold on to it.

## Why Pushing Is a Problem

But in the same family, “Al tachrisu es shevet ha-Kehasi” — they had to be careful. They all tried to get too close. There was a seder. Each one had a job to do, and if they overstepped, it could destroy them. The Aron is kedushah. Why would a person want to carry the Aron? It’s like many people who fight for an aliyah and run up to take it. They’re trying to get kedushah. That’s what they wanted.

We find this by Adam HaRishon too — Adam kept the Aron in his house, and it brought him tremendous brachah. And yet it could still kill the greatest people in Klal Yisrael. The Shevet Levi were the most kedoshim, and their job was to carry the Aron. So what was wrong? Why are they pushing to carry the Aron? Because that’s not your job. That’s not what you’re supposed to do. Everything has a seder. Don’t push.

The Bnei Kehos were the ones who protected the Aron. We see that even though it was dangerous, they still did it. Another person says, “You know what, I’ll find myself a better line of work.” So you see that they were moser nefesh for the sake of the Aron. And all of this is because “he’tiru gedulah l’schus v’aschash b’zeh,” and “umi kama kama yibayen l’dei merivah” — it caused them to fight. “I’ll carry this side of the Aron.” “No, I’ll carry the middle.” “I’ll carry the front.” “I’m bigger than you, I’m kosherer than you.” They fought over it. And from that came zilzul and kalas rosh. So what happened? Seder.

## Seder and Proper Measure

He brings other idols, and even when it comes to yoni kedushah, the point is that a person is not mesudar because he wants to grab more. How many times is a person not mesudar because he wants to grab more Shas and more poskim? Everything has its place.

The same is true on Shabbos, when they take out the Sefer Torah and everybody runs toward it. There is a point to that, but where I came from, they never did that. The mashgiach used to say about the shmuess in the Alter of Slabodka: many people would take their chairs and bring them closer in order to get a better seat, and the mashgiach would scream, “Why are you pushing away people? You want a better seat for the shmuess?” This all comes from the same concept. Don’t overstep. Mentshlichkeit means behaving with proper measure, even for the sake of ruchniyus. Even when it is a question of ruchniyus, there must be order.

So we have discussed that seder is important for achievement. Seder is also important because ruchniyus must have an order. It has an order, like a cake or a binyan; everything has to be put in place. And we discussed that even if your kavonah is to get more mitzvah, you still have to be where you are supposed to be at the time you are supposed to be there.

## What a Matmid Means

It is hard to say what a matmid is. People think a matmid is someone who learns all the time, but that is not true. Matmid means stendik—consistent. A matmid can mean always, and it can also mean consistent. You are not supposed to learn all the time, because you are supposed to eat, sleep, drink, and be with your family. But you are supposed to learn consistently: not one day yes and one day no, not one day I come and one day I do not come, not one day I am in a good mood and one day I am not. Consistency. Consistent.

And even if the consistency is because I want to get more ruchniyus, we learn from the Alter and from Rav Yeruchem that a person must be matmid al ha-seder.

## Torah as a Milchemah

Why is this so important? Because Torah and mitzvos are a basis, a creation. Let me tell you another small piece about how one works on seder. How does it happen? First I give you a speech: be mesudar. It is not my nature. So what do I do? I will tell you another shtick from Rav Yeruchem—no, from the Alter himself, the Alter of Kelm, Chelek Beis, page Samach. Listen carefully, and then you will see how everything ties together.

The Alter says, *HaTorah mikhuna b’sheim milchamah*. It is beautiful. The baalei mussar saw every pasuk as mussar, as Torah teaching us how to behave. He says that the pasuk clearly refers to Torah as an army. Why is an army called war? And the answer is that once you get into war, you cannot get out of it. That is exactly what they say today in America: once you are there, you have to see it through to the end. That is the big Torah, the big genius. Keep going. Adieu.

## Ilui, War, and Staying the Course

The speaker continues with the idea of an *ilui*—a genius—and mentions the phrase, *“Ilui haya sham lo haya nigal.”* In the Haggadah, he says, we speak about one who was there and would not have been redeemed. Some people are *ilui*, and some are the kind of *ilui* who would not have been redeemed. “Kids,” he says, “I think we have the latter instead of the first.”

He returns to the main point: once a person is “in the wall,” he has to finish. There is no backtracking. Once you are in Torah and mitzvos, it is like war—there is no turning back. The Alter from Kelm, he says, teaches a very deep *yesod* here: this is what trains a person in order and obedience. *Seder* is the *klal* of Torah; it is the *yesod* of all Torah. It means you get something done. You begin, and you finish.

He gives a mashal: imagine a man goes to war one day, then the next day says, “I changed my mind, I’ll go into business,” and the third day says, “Maybe I should go back to the war.” Of course he will lose the war. Once you are in the war, you have to finish it and fight until the end. The Alter from Kelm, he says, gives the way to do this in just a few words.

He says, *“Ha-seder taluy b’amtzus.”* The order depends on *amtzus*—focus, concentration, not letting the heart shift and not taking one’s eye off the target. “I know where I’m supposed to go,” he says, “and I don’t take my eye off the ball.” The goal is clear, and one stays fixed on it.

He notes that even the language used by the “idiot at the White House” is the same: “You can’t take your eye off the ball.” He jokes that the man is giving mussar without even knowing it. The point, he says, is that the Alter is teaching the same thing: do not deviate from focus. A person must remain steady and not change his mind every moment. He connects this to the idea of a *tzaddik* and to the problem of *l’mirmah*—deceiving oneself, swearing one thing and then changing one’s mind again and again.

## Why Gezel Is So Severe

From there he turns to Chazal’s question: why is *gezel* so severe? Why is stealing singled out as such a terrible aveirah? He says Rav Yeruchem gives a very deep vort: *gezel* is the corruption of order. There is an order in the world, a system. Stealing is not only taking money from another person; it is a breakdown of society itself. Society means *seder*. When a person steals, he corrupts the *seder* of the world.

## Gezel as a Corruption of Seder

Gezel is the corruption of order. There is an order, a system in the world, and stealing is a breakdown of society. Society itself means **seder**. When a person steals from someone else, it is not only that he took money; he has corrupted the seder of the world. The world cannot exist without society, without an orderly structure.

## Seder Must Be Treated Like a Rebbe

Rabbi Yerucham says in another place that seder must be treated with the same seriousness as a rav or a rebbe. Just as a person cannot simply decide to disagree with his rebbe, so too he must not treat seder as something optional. He has to accept it as binding and follow it as though it were his own rebbe.

I read you the lashon: do not question it. People often sit and ask, “If I learn this way, it will be good; if I learn that way, it will be bad.” Do what you have to do. I say this to you all the time: there is a seder in yeshiva. Do not sit and question why it works and how it works, or imagine that one approach will work for you and another will not. Seder is seder. That is how a yeshiva is supposed to function.

## Why a Gambler Is Pasul L’eidus

The same idea applies to a person who is **parush min hatzibbur**. Chazal say that if a person gambles, he is **pasul l’eidus**. There are two approaches to why. One is that he is a **gazlan**, because when he wins, he is taking money that the other person never truly wanted to lose. Another approach is that he is not part of society.

Society means **seder hachayim**: a person wakes up, goes to work, comes home, learns, and eats supper. But when a person is outside that framework, he is not under the guidance of seder and rules. You never know what he may do, so he is not **ne’eman**.

The point is not only that gambling is a form of theft. The deeper issue is that he is not **mesudar**. He is not part of the **seder of the briyah**. He is outside the normal structure of life, and therefore he cannot be trusted.

## Living Within the Framework

Gambling is not the way most people live. Most people go to work and conduct themselves within the ordinary order of life. This fellow stays home and gambles. He wants to get something for nothing. That is not being part of **seder hachayim**.

From this we learn a broader yesod: a person is supposed to live within a framework, almost like a robot in the sense of being disciplined and structured. The Torah teaches that every person has his place, and even when a person is striving for something great in Torah and avodah, he must know his place. Everything works according to a seder, and even the malachim are arranged in their proper order.

And if someone says, “A robot? Is that what we want?” then I will show that ba’alei mussar also speak strongly against living without structure. In the next shmuess, and the one after that, the Baron speaks about how Hashem created the world with order: there is morning, there is night...

## Gambling and Being Outside Society

And then he goes to gamble, which, according to some sheetos, means the tzad is that it is not geneivah. Then he goes to the horse races, and then he comes home a nice guy. That is why he is pasul l’eidus.

The answer is that he is not under any guidelines. He has no society in him. Society means seder hachaim. His life is obedience to an external shibud; he is ruled by it. Therefore, I cannot trust him, because you never know what he can do.

Why don’t we say that certain taivos are stronger? That is true. But who says he cannot control himself in this area? Just because he cannot control one thing does not mean he cannot control another. Eino oisek b’shura shel olam means that he is bechlal mutam bal seder. He is mufka completely from seder. He has one chisaron. You know what they say: he has one chisaron, he has no malus. The Gemara talks about some of the big mufarshim being pretty good eaters, right? That is a different discussion. That is a separate sheilah, and I do not even want to go there.

Eino oisek b’shura shel olam means that the taich of society is seder. He is l’mala, mufka mishseder hachayim. Therefore, he is not to be trusted.

## The Point of the Gambling Example

So now we have come to a conclusion. I did not understand the point that he is gambling. A person who gambles does not behave like most people. Most people do not gamble. What do they do? They go to work. This guy stays home and gambles. Why don’t you do normal business? Why don’t you be part of society? Taseh mah she’olam oseh. Kulam oseh. Taseh mah she’kulam oseh. Kulam holchim la’avodah.

He stays home. You know how many people are like this, always wanting to win the lottery, busy all day long with the lottery? Go to work. Normal people go to work. Grad he can play. I am not saying that. But certain people do this, and it comes from a deep-rooted laziness, from trying to get something for nothing. For nothing. You are not part of seder. You are not obligated by seder hachayim.

Yes, seder hachayim? He has no geder. He does what he wants. He is spoiled to the extent that life has no shibud and no dominion over him. He has no krias.

How about someone who works only four or five hours a day? Again, I am not telling you that. That means he is oisek b’shivud shel olam. When a person stays home and does nothing, you never know where he can go, because there is no shibud habriah. There is nothing. He is mufka from the krias habriah.

Okay, it is a thief of the heart. It is not Rebbe Rucham’s point. It is mine. But all right, let us move on.

## What We Learn from This

What do we have from this? I will tell you what we have from this. We have a bigger yesod that a person is supposed to be like a robot. Like a robot. And this is why the Torah teaches us the golan. Every person must know his place. And even if you are jumping because you want to get something big in life, in Torah and avodah, know your place. Everything works by a dargah. Even the malachim, the angels, kedushah—everything has its place. Misudar al nekeimeh. Misudar al nekeimeh.

So someone is going to come and say, robot? I am going to show you that ba’alei mussar scream against being a robot also. The Baron’s next shmuess, and the one after that, screams about it. Happy to be a robot and do the same thing every day? Make bimot? I will just pick out one piece, one that you do not have to know much bekius for, because no one is getting tired from all the information.

The Baron says: take a look how Hashem created the world. There is morning and night, summer and winter. What is wrong with being straight through the whole time, the same thing? What do you need it for? Suppose it were one long day for six months—nice weather, one day cold and one day hot. What is the problem with that?

Says the Baron: because every day is a different day. Lischadshut.

# Actions and Feelings

Shem wants that every day should be a new day for you. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Why? Because otherwise you can fall into a kind of heresy, where every day is exactly the same.

So I don’t understand: how does this shmuess follow that shmuess? One shmuess emphasizes **malas ha-seder** — that everything should be the same, like a robot. Don’t deviate; move to the right and stay in order. Then the next shmuess says, no, a person has to experience it fresh every day, new — summer and winter, sun and day and night. Where is the hergel? Tell me, does a soldier have a chiluk between summer and winter, between cold and hot, between day and night? It could be a million degrees and he has to do what he has to do. It could be freezing and he has to do it. It could be winter, it could be summer, it could be day, it could be night. They even make them go by night. There’s no difference. There’s no winter, no summer. Why? Because the soldier has no chilukim. He is an eved.

So how do you explain the two shmuessen? I said: let me tell you what I think the pshat is.

Actions have to be **b’seder**. That is the safeguard for behavior. That’s what he means when he says it has to be like a rav — chayit v’layava, let the world turn upside down, I do what I have to do.

But the **hergesh**, the feeling, has to be **hischadshus**. Every day new, every day fresh. Once you start mixing behavior, depending on how the feelings are, then you’re in trouble.

The guy who stands guard in front of the castle — the discussion is not how he feels. The discussion is how he behaves. But if you want to know his state of mind, his state of mind has to be hischadshus: fresh every day, like it’s the first day, new and exciting. Day and night are different in that sense. That’s how he has to feel about it.

How he has to behave is the hergel. How he has to feel is hischadshus. And it’s not a contradiction.

# Kabbalas HaTorah and Seder

Tisra b’hoysai is the pshat in the Targum. The Targum is how a person is supposed to be mesudar. We’re coming to Kabbalas HaTorah, and in Kabbalas HaTorah it’s clear: **ti’ish echad b’lev echad**. What was the maila of ti’ish echad b’lev echad? Why was it so important that there should be achdus?

The Baran in his shmuess speaks about how Torah has to be b’seder, with an order. The order is that everybody is mesudar, shalom, shalom — peace — so that the side of shalom needed for bein adam l’chaveiro was that **kol echad al m’kamo**. Everybody should know his place. Everybody should know where he belongs.

So seder is intricate in Kabbalas HaTorah. Intricate in Kabbalas HaTorah. But at the same time, what is it referring to? Torah. And more than Torah.

# Freshness Within Torah

Why do the feelings have to be new? The Baran explains that when the feelings are new, a person has cheshik. A person grows from that. If it’s the same every day, then you don’t grow.

So you see a tremendous lesson: the behavior has to be the same every day, but the emotions and feelings have to change constantly — more, better feeling, more feeling.

Kabbalas HaTorah is the side of hergel; it has to be constant. And at the same time, there has to be a yitzchak in Kabbalas HaTorah. What’s called **yom yom min hachadashim**? It means like it was given to you today from Sinai. That’s the lashon of Chazal.

This I want to say, and then we’ll stop: every day...

## Kabbalas HaTorah Every Day

When it comes to Kabbalas HaTorah, you know that? You’re aware of that? It’s not just on Shavuos. Every day there is a Kabbalas HaTorah. At the same time, once a year we have a Yom Tov that is fixed for Kabbalas HaTorah.

I told you from the Rishonim that they say it is ממש like Kabbalas HaTorah. We spoke about it last year: there is an actual Kabbalas HaTorah that takes place on Shavuos morning, and that is why the Krias HaTorah is read differently, as if it were being given from Sinai.

## What Is the Yom Tov Celebrating?

But wait a minute: if every day is Kabbalas HaTorah, then what is the Yom Tov of Kabbalas HaTorah? What are we celebrating? If it happens every day, what exactly is the celebration? Maybe it is like an anniversary. Shavuos is that every day is supposed to be married, and then once a year there is an anniversary to celebrate the marriage.

Truthfully, I never found anywhere in Chazal the concept of an anniversary. Have you ever seen such a thing? Is the idea that they have an anniversary because all year long they are not married, and then once a year they are mechazek themselves: oh, by the way, remember, we’re married? But if every day is supposed to be married, then what is the point?

## Reb Shimon and Reb Chaim

There is a very famous vort from Reb Shimon and Reb Chaim. Reb Shimon and Reb Chaim were discussing what the kiddushin is: is it a one-time ma’aseh, a chalus that happens once, or is the kiddushin constantly renewed every moment? Reb Chaim was arguing that it is a one-time thing. Reb Shimon was arguing that it is continuous, that the chalus kiddushin recreates itself every minute.

So Reb Chaim turned to Reb Shimon and said, “Mazel tov, mazel tov, mazel tov — every minute you get married. Mazel tov.”

What exactly is Kabbalas HaTorah? Kabbalas HaTorah is something that is nischadash. It keeps becoming nischadash. So if it keeps becoming nischadash, then how can we have once a year a kvias, a Yom Tov, for Kabbalas HaTorah?

## Hischadshus and Yashnus

I am thinking that there are two inyanim. There is an inyan called hischadshus — fresh, new, every day new. And then there is an inyan called yashnus — old, and it does not change. The chiddush is that within the framework of Torah you have both old and new.

The goyim have a very big problem with this. How do we modernize a Torah that is old? So they add a New Testament. That is what they do: they have to make it new. Those who do not want to make it new keep the Old Testament and live like the Amish, or whatever you want to call them.

Yisrael yadvarim: Torah has within it the koach of yom sheni le’Borei, and it also has the koach of kol yavo b’kahal kechadash. The correct balance between the two is the koach of Torah.

Torah is not old. Torah is old — there is nothing new in the Torah. Hergel: every day, mesudar, yom yom yom, nothing changes. Nothing changes. Mishneh Torah, az ois, loy ta’am u’lefes — nothing ever changes in the Torah.

But at the same time there is an inyan called chadashus. Chadash — new, fresh. Every day it is a new Kabbalas HaTorah.

The balance a yeshiva guy has to have is this: on one hand, he has to know that every day is the same, that nothing changes. On the other hand, within that sameness, there is chiddush, there is growth, there is something new.

You know, there was an article recently that came out, making a claim about Torah...

### Constancy and Chiddush

The speaker turns to a difficult point in Klal Yisrael: someone comes back to the Jewish community and says that nothing has changed. The same black hats, the same dresses from the 1940s—nothing new. But that cannot be the whole story. There are so many new Torah insights, so many chiddushim, so many baalei teshuvah. How can one say nothing changes?

He explains that Torah itself is called chiddushim, Chidushei Torah. At first glance, that seems contradictory: how can Torah be both unchanged and חדש? He recalls a story about someone who came to the Rosh Yeshiva and praised him for his “gevaldig chiddushim.” The talmidim did not understand what he meant, because they thought the man was speaking nonsense. But after he left, the Rosh Yeshiva explained that Chazal say: anything a talmid is mechadesh was already given from Sinai. The chiddush is real, but it is rooted in Sinai.

The point is that chiddushim are not a contradiction to constancy. Both are true. On one hand, nothing changes: the same Gemara, the same Torah, the same framework. On the other hand, within that same framework there are endless chiddushim. A person grows; his heart, feelings, and emotions grow. He is not the same person he was before.

### A Story About Repetition and Growth

He tells another story from his grandfather about a Rav who came to town. A man slapped the Rav and ran away. When they caught him, he explained that he had learned with this Rav from first grade onward. In first grade they learned Chumash. In second grade, Chumash again. In third grade, Chumash with Rashi. In fourth grade, Ramban on Rashi. He thought it would never end—always the same “Vayehi keshom’o.” So he left yeshiva and became a doctor. Years later he came back and saw the Rav still teaching the same parshah, and he concluded that he had been right: it never ends, it is the same thing over and over.

The lesson, however, is the opposite. It may look like the same thing, but as a person grows, it becomes new. The action may remain the same, but the person is not the same person who learned it last year. He sees more in the Rambam, more in the Gemara, more chiddushim. The world itself is constantly nischadash, constantly evolving.

### The World, Torah, and Renewal

That, he says, is also the meaning of the world’s evolvement. It comes from “Istakel b’Oraisa u’vara alma.” The world comes from Torah, and Torah itself is evolving through chiddushim. He notes that someone who only sees “the same old, same old” does not realize how many gevaldig chiddushim, rishonim, and piskei halacha have opened up since he left that world.

This is also the meaning of “HaMechadesh b’tuvo b’chol yom tamid.” Hashem is mechadesh the world because man must grow and evolve. So on one hand, a person’s actions must remain steady and consistent, like the same yeshiva boy he was at age 10 or 13. But what changes is the depth, the feelings, the inner life. That is the chiddush.

### Steady Daily Avodah

He concludes that this is the balance: the same daily constancy together with ongoing renewal. A boy must be there every day, like a clock—hungry or tired, with excuses or without excuses, he comes anyway. One cannot keep changing and questioning; one must remain steady.

### Evolvement and Chidushim

Evolvement—where does that come from? It also comes from *Yistakel b’Oraisa u’bara alma*. The world comes from the Torah, and the Torah itself is evolving through *chidushim*.

The person in the article saw only the same old, same old. But the answer is that he only saw the surface. He did not know about all the *gevaldig* *chidushim*, the *Rishonim*, and the *piskei halacha*—the new worlds that opened up after he left that world. Those are the *chidushim* he does not know.

That is the meaning of *HaMechadesh b’tuvo b’chol yom tamid*: Hashem is constantly renewing. Why? Because it is *b’tuvo*—Hashem knows that man has to grow and evolve. There are *chidushim* in the world.

On one hand, your actions have to remain the same from day to day: the same yeshiva boy you were at 10 or 13. But what changes? What is new? What is being renewed? The depth, the feelings—that is what is renewed. And that is the truth. Every day, at the same time, there is a new *kabbalas haTorah*, more *kabbalas haTorah*. *Pshat shus* and *yisyash shus* together. This is the side of *seder*.

### Consistency in Avodah

Boys, it infuriates me: one day yes, one day no. You have to change that. You have to always be here. You have to always come, like a clock. I come, I come. I’m hungry, I come anyway. I’m tired, I come anyway. I have this story, I come anyway. I have that story, I come anyway. Like a rod. You are not allowed to change and question.