Prayer Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

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

00:09 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back everybody. Welcome to the Prayer Podcast. Today we are going to tackle the second part of the morning blessings and that is Berchas HaShachar. We said there are 15 blessings and that is Berchas HaShachar. We said there are 15 blessings Last week, if you recall, we did the first four and we went through. We read through all of the blessings last week and, to those of you who are listening on podcast, you are welcome to click to the previous episode where we read through and explain each of the blessings in its translation.

00:43
Now, my dear friends, we're going to explain the next seven blessings, and those are who gives sight to the blind, who closes the naked, who releases the bound, who straightens the bent, who spreads out the earth upon the waters, who has provided me my every need and then, who prepares man's footsteps. Next week, god willing, we're going to continue for the last four blessings and we're going to explain and elaborate on those more. My dear friends, open your hearts, please. We have to realize that when we wake up in the morning, what are we doing? We're setting out the course for our day. We are setting, we're establishing our values for the day, our intention, our focus for the day. It's gratitude for every movement. Every movement that we make connects us to Hashem. Every single movement we make can connect us to Hashem. We give a blessing, we give thanks for the kindness that Hashem bestows upon us. Do we know how precious it is to be able to see, to be able to see, to have a vision We'll talk about this in a moment To be able to have clothes, to wake up, to stand upright, to put our feet on the ground, to walk with shoes, to have guidance, to have a personal mission?

02:33
The Gaon of Vilna in the Siddhartha Grah says an amazing thing. He says any of these blessings, if you want to really appreciate them, imagine not having them, imagine not having eyesight, imagine not having clothes, imagine not being able to wake up in the morning, imagine not being able to stand up, not being able to walk, not being able to put on your shoes, not being able to have a clarity for the guidance of our life, what to do. That's the blessings we thank. We thank Hashem. We say thank you, hashem, for each of these incredible gifts that you've given us, these pleasures that you have gifted us with. Now we know that we mentioned last week that there are these 18 blessings the morning blessings 15 here and 3 previously and then we have the 18 times that we say Hashem's name in the middle of Pesukka Dezimra, and then the 18 times we say Hashem's name inside the Shema, and then we have the 18 blessings of the Amidah. Each one of these reflect a different layer of our connection. As we mentioned in a previous episode, of the four worlds that we pray in, we're ascending to the highest levels. These 18 steps are the key. These 18 steps are the key. These 18 steps of thanks elevate us, rung after rung, in our closeness to Hashem.

04:17
Now I want to share with you something that was written well, well over a hundred years ago, the great Rav Nachman of Breslov in his Likutei Muharan, written by a student. Chapter 282 is one of the most famous chapters, called Azamra, which is singing the praise to Hashem. For what? Look how fortunate you are, look how good you have it, look how praised Hashem should be because of all the goodness that we have. And Rabbi Nachman goes on to explain how, when we focus on the good, there's no room for bad. When we focus on the light, there's no darkness. When we realize how good we have it, no room for uncertainty, there's no room for depression. There's no room for depression. There's no room for I don't know, there's doubts and all of these worries. I'm so grateful for what I have that takes us to the highest level of closeness with Hashem. So we're going to begin now with the first of the seven blessings that we're going to tackle today, and that is Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu melech haolam pokeh achivrim.

05:47
Blessed are you, hashem, king of the universe, who gives sight to the blind. Hashem gives us vision. Hashem gives us the ability to see. Our eyes don't see. Our eyes are the tool that Hashem gave us to be able to interpret a vision. We're blind, but we get a constant gift from Hashem.

06:20
Where Hashem gives us the ability to see, you know, imagine, see this beautiful cup of coffee. Where Hashem gives us the ability to see. You know, imagine, see this beautiful cup of coffee. This beautiful cup of coffee. Does it see anything? Why doesn't it see anything? It doesn't see anything. Why doesn't it see anything? Well, it's no different than my eye. My eye is just a piece of material, flesh. So why does my eye see and not my cup? Because that's the gift Hashem has given us.

06:48
Hashem gave us the eye so that it can see, and it shouldn't be taken for granted that we're able to see. You know what else? We don't only have one eye, we have two eyes. Why does Hashem need to give us two eyes? Hashem can only give us one eye. Hashem didn't need to give us two eyes. Our sages tell us Hashem did so because he wants our experience and life to be richer. Hashem wants us to enjoy the depth of field you can see on a much greater quality when you see with two eyes an amazing gift.

07:33
I have a friend who, sadly, is blind in one eye. You know what? He can't do a lot of things has one eye very good eye, but only one can't do A lot of things. He has one eye, a very good eye, but only one. He can't play basketball. He can't play basketball. He doesn't have depth of field. Everything is like a one-dimensional image. When you have that second eye, it gives everything a depth of field. It gives a certain quality to the vision we don't necessarily appreciate.

08:15
We, as just flesh, are considered ivrim, we're blind people. But do you know what God does for us? Okay, ach, ivrim. Hashem gives us eyes, hashem gives us the vision, he gives us the ability to see what an incredible gift when I start my day. Imagine starting your day every single morning, hashem. I realize that I'm really blind, but you're giving me the gift of vision. Tell me that a person who says such a blessing every morning can be sad, that such a person can be depressed. It's impossible. If we realize the gift that Hashem has given us, we're the happiest people on earth.

09:06
Use your eyes for good, not to see the bad in others, not to see the negative. What does the Torah warn us? Don't go and follow your eyes, your temptation. Have you heard of people going window shopping? You know what window shopping means. I'm building up the appetite, I'm gaining a desire for things that I don't have. Feeding my eyes. Be very careful. Just like eyes could be used to see the positive, to see the good, it can also heaven forbid be used for the negative, to see the bad, to see the evil, to perhaps not even see right from wrong, to justify things that are terrible. We have to be careful how we use our eyes, and it's very difficult.

10:16
Our sages tell us to appreciate our eyesight. We can't fathom not seeing. We can't fathom what it means to not see. So some of our sages recommend that, when we recite this blessing, close your eyes. What do we see? Nothing, nothing. I can't see anything. The world is dark. Ah, now open it. See such beautiful faces, see such magnificent colors. I saw in one of the dozens of books I was using to prepare for today's class.

10:57
One of the great sages writes what you can see in five seconds, your mouth and your ears cannot experience in 50 years. What your eyes can experience in five seconds, your ears and your mouth cannot experience in 50 years. Let's just imagine you walk into a room Okay, five seconds. You walk into a room of people studying Torah. Scan the room quickly. You look at the bookshelves, see all the magnificent books, all of the right. And now five seconds are up. You know how much detail your eyes took in in those five seconds. They see the color of the bookcases. They see the books, each one of the books. They see the titles. You know what those titles tell you. They tell you who the author is. You can talk about each of those authors for years and years and years and the teachings that are in each of those books.

12:16
Wait, you didn't get to the people sitting in the room yet. You didn't get to talk about the facial expressions. You didn't get to talk about the color of their eyes, the clothes they were wearing, the beautiful, magnificent, different colors. And, by the way, what was in the background, outside the window, that you didn't even notice, that you saw. You saw the beautiful mountains, snow-capped mountains. This is all in five seconds. Five seconds of vision.

12:52
And how much potentially do we take for granted this incredible gift of eyesight? You know Coca-Cola are the marketing masterclass of the world because they figured out something that there's subliminal messages that go into a person's psyche, that the more they see something, the more in the back they didn't even realize. So they started sponsoring, you know, those umbrellas that they have outside of restaurants and they'd give it for free to restaurants. Coca-cola who doesn't want a free umbrella for their store, for their shop? Free umbrella? Coca-cola, coca-cola, coca-cola. To the point where it became that when someone needed a drink, the only thing they could think of was Coca-Cola, coca-cola, coca-cola. To the point where it became that when someone needed a drink, the only thing they can think of was Coca-Cola. They'd put advertisements everywhere and people are like the people are driving on the road. What is it going to help? But when you see it again and again and again. Your brain doesn't even realize that you saw it. But it gives another message to the brain when you're thirsty. What are you thinking, coca-cola?

14:08
Our eyes pick up so much information. We have to be thankful for the power of our vision. In one of the incredible books that I was preparing with the author writes he says if you wear glasses, thank Hashem for your glasses too, for your lenses, for your LASIK, for your LASIK eye surgery and for your. What did you have just this week? The cataract surgery? Imagine the wisdom that a doctor is able to manipulate your lens in your eye, replace the lens in your eye. You know what brilliance that takes. Thank you, hashem, for giving me the ability to see Such an incredible gift. And why is this blessing? Pokach ivrim, that Hashem gives sight to the blind? This is plural, not to me, but rather because we're thanking Hashem for all of mankind. We're thanking, we're making it a blessing that we're thanking that all of the world, hashem, thank you for giving every person that pleasure of vision, that pleasure of eyesight to see the mountains, to see.

15:35
By the way, the Talmud says that one of the questions that are going to be asked when we ultimately reach the heavenly tribunal. They're going to ask us several questions. The Talmud states we're going to be asked about whether or not we did our business honestly. Did we have proper faith in Hashem, in the coming of Messiah, etc. Etc. You know what one of the questions are going to be Did you properly enjoy this world? We're going to be held accountable if there were sights that we were able to see, that we didn't, that we didn't take it in. You go to the Colorado Rockies to't take it in. You go to the Colorado Rockies, to the Swiss Alps. You go to Alaska, you go to the. Wherever in the world you go, you go to the Grand Canyon, you don't take it all in Beauty, the magnificence of Hashem's world.

16:42
Every single day we have the gift of sunrise and sunset. I tell my children, whenever we see a beautiful sunrise, a beautiful sunset, say this is a thank you note, a love note from Hashem. This is a love note from Hashem, where Hashem is saying I love you. Hashem didn't need to make it so beautiful, so why did he? He wants us to enjoy Hashem, wants us to enjoy this world. Hashem wants us to connect to him through the magnificence of his world, of his creation, of the beauty that he creates. That is for us to take a moment every morning and thank Hashem for it. It's an amazing, amazing gift to be living in a generation where we have such medical abilities and gifts from Hashem.

17:40
The next, the next blessing is Mal B'Sharumim. So the first one, pokeh HaChivrim. The first blessing that we talked about today is when we open our eyes every morning. Then, mal B'Sharumim, when we're getting dressed, we're getting dressed. What do we have to thank? Hashem? Baruch Atov, hashem Elokeinu Malacholam Mal B'Sharumim, blessed, are you, hashem, our God, king of the Universe, who clothes the naked? Thank you, hashem, that we aren't naked. Thank you, Hashem, that you give us clothes that cover our body, just as the clothes garb our body. Our sages tell us the mitzvahs are the garb for the soul, and that's what we're trying to link here in this blessing. Mal b'sharumim, yes, true, I'm covering my nakedness, but I'm also utilizing this day that you gave me to garb my soul with the mitzvahs and the opportunities that you bring to me, hashem.

18:47
Now, adam and Eve were naked before their sin. They were naked. So why does the Torah say and they knew that they were naked right after they sinned what they didn't know beforehand, because a mitzvah, every mitzvah, is there to protect us. They only had one mitzvah, one mitzvah, and when they failed to perform that mitzvah properly, that mitzvah did not protect them anymore and therefore the clothing, when they transgressed, the mitzvah no longer clothed them and they suddenly knew that they were naked. God says to them how do you know that you're naked? How do you feel that nakedness? Ah, you must have eaten from the tree. You transgressed the one mitzvah, the one command that you had that was there to protect you. Now you failed on that mission.

20:06
Clothes dignify a person. You know what we need to thank Hashem for. Thank Hashem for fashion. Thank you, hashem, for giving us clothes that keep us warm. Clothes are not man made, sorry. Clothes are man man-made. Sorry, clothes are man-made. They're not Hashem-made.

20:28
Who twilled your sweater, your beautiful sweater, and your shirt and your cap and all of our clothes? This is a man-made thing, not Hashem, but God taught us how to. All of the process of making the fabric is all a gift that Hashem gave to Adam and Eve, teaching them how to create a shirt and pants and hat and jacket and suits and shoes. As we'll see soon, it's a gift from Hashem. So we thank Hashem for our clothes. The joy, you know the joy that people get when they buy new clothes a new garment, new shoes, new suit, a new shirt, new dress, good feeling, right. Thank Hashem for those new clothes. Another thing that clothes teach us is that we are greater than animals. We need to be elevated above animals, not only because we wear clothes. In every other way as well, we need to be more dignified.

21:49
We need to speak properly, we need to act properly, not like animals. It's a reminder every single day. We're not animals, we're far greater than that. I want to just share with you, before we move on to the next blessing, a story that my mother heard when she went to the Shiva house when Rabbi Mordechai Schwab passed away.

22:13
The great Rabbi Mordechai Schwab was the tzaddik of Muncie where I grew up, excuse me and his wife told my mother following story. She said that whenever Rabbi Schwab wore through his clothes he'd have a nice pair of pants, and now it's withering, it's already old, so he would neatly fold it on his bed neatly, and he would stroke it and say thank you so much for making me so happy, thank you so much for keeping me warm, thank you so much for making me look so good. And then he'd move it a little bit towards the end of the bed. Thank you so much for making me look so good. And then he'd move it a little bit towards the end of the bed and then the next day he would do the same thing until it would get to the end, end, end of the bed. And then he would wrap it up with honor and dignity, put it in a bag and he would throw it in the garbage, not to take it for granted.

23:29
You have clothes today. To me, one of the most shocking things you hear people saying I don't know, I don't have what to wear. My daughter once said that I said you don't have what to wear. Really, come, let's go to your closet, let's see what you have. You go and you can't stick a toothpick in that closet. There's so much clothes but if we don't appreciate what it is that we have and realize what an incredible gift Hashem has given us, mal bish arumim Hashem clothes. The naked Hashem gives us not only clothes that keep us warm. By the way, king David didn't have that blessing. Remember, when he cut Saul's garment, he was punished for it that the clothes did not keep him warm. Anymore. I wear a jacket, I'm freezing cold. It's so cold in Houston it's below 60 degrees. But clothes didn't keep King David warm. It was at a much higher level. He didn't have a proper respect for clothes. He didn't deal with King Saul's garment with proper dignity. He was punished for that.

24:39
And there's many deep, deep, deep explanations to this which we're not going to get into now, but we understand how important it is to appreciate. Imagine you gave thanks every time you wear a new garment, to the point where we say, for a new garment, you're wearing a new garment. You can say the blessing of Shehechiano, shehechiano. Thank you, hashem, for giving me life, for this moment of joy of wearing my new garments. Ah, what a day. Go conquer the world. This is in our morning. We're just getting started, we're just revving up our engines. What an incredible gift. That blessing we recite when we're getting dressed.

25:24
The next blessing is Matir Asurim. Literally, the translation of that is thank you, hashem, bless to you. The translation of that is thank you, hashem. Bless to you, hashem, our God, king of the Universe. King of the Universe who releases the bound, matir Asurim, when someone gets out of prison, they should recite this blessing.

25:41
But really, when we're sleeping we're in a little bit of a prison. We can't voluntarily move our limbs. So when we sit up from our sleep, from our laying position, we stretch our limbs. We say Hashem, thank you for releasing the bound, not like in a prison. If a judge orders someone to go to prison, what do they need to do? They need to have guards, they need to put them behind bars, they need to lock them up, and then you'll still have people who'll be able to escape from prison. Hashem doesn't need guards, hashem doesn't need barbed wire fences Hashem can limit us in a single moment Paralysis. Paralysis In a single moment.

26:36
Not having the ability to move is a tremendous fear, but, like the Vilna Gaon taught us, if you want to really appreciate something, think of what it would be like not having it. So imagine that. Imagine not being able to move. Even if you have a single finger that you can't move, or a hand, a wrist, an elbow, a shoulder, a neck If you have a pain in the neck and you can't turn your head, you're doing like this. Imagine that. This is the blessing. You're bound. You're limited. Hashem, thank you for giving me the unlimited ability to maneuver my body, to move my limbs An unbelievable gift. All movements. We are free. We have no limits. Look, we can do whatever we want. We can run, can jump, we can skip, we can hop. We can do so many incredible things. Each movement can connect us to Hashem.

27:40
When we're sleeping, we're like prisoners we can't move, we can't see, we can't hear sleeping what happens. We wake up suddenly everything is turned back on. We can't move, we can't see, we can't hear Sleeping. What happens? We wake up suddenly everything is turned back on. Before we were limited and now we're free again. Hashem releases us from all limitations. This is a reminder that every single day, you may come to a point where you're like, oh, what am I going to do now? I don't know what to do. Don't stress out, matir Asurub. Hashem releases all limitations. Hashem is the one who gives us the ability to overcome all the challenges. You have a challenge, you have a worry, you have a concern. Guess what? Who took care of it last time? Hashem did that's right. Do you know what happens now? We rely on that same Hashem.

28:33
Hashem, I know you're going to take me out of this. You put me in it, you'll take me out of it. Thank you, hashem, for freedom. I had a rabbi who said you're depressed. You have an American passport and you're depressed. Do you know what people in the world would do to have that passport, to have that freedom?

28:57
By the way, to live in the United States of America, where we have never been persecuted, is the only country in the world that hasn't persecuted us, that hasn't persecuted us, that hasn't expelled us, that hasn't exterminated us, that hasn't punished us for studying Torah. That we can sit here out in the open and study Torah and not only that, share it online. It can go on podcasts and it can go on video. It can be disseminated all across the globe. The United States brought that An incredible gift. Thank Hashem for that.

29:38
Matir Asurim Hashem releases the bound. This is a freedom that we have to thank Hashem for Every single day. Yeah, you think it's like, oh really, rabbi, you gotta be kidding me. I'm gonna thank Hashem for Every single day. Yeah, you think it's like, oh really, Rabbi, you've got to be kidding me. I'm going to thank Hashem for being an American. Yes, thank Hashem that you have the ability to be free.

30:00
The majority of our history, we were not free. We were not able to learn Torah freely. We were not able to perform the mitzvahs freely. We were punished. If we gave a circumcision to our sons, we were punished if we studied Torah. We were punished if we kept the Shabbos. Look at the Inquisition. Look how many millions and millions and millions of Jews were persecuted. For what? Because they tried to observe the Torah Matir Hasurim Hashem given us today.

30:35
We're talking 2025. We're in January 2025. We have freedoms like never before. My dear friends, my brothers and sisters, we have incredible freedoms. Appreciate them, thank Hashem for them. That is blessing. Appreciate them, thank Hashem for them. That is blessing number three.

30:54
We say that when we're sitting up, when we release our limbs, when we start making movements Every morning, we thank Hashem. The fourth blessing that we will be discussing today, my dear friends, is when we stand upright. We stand up, thank Hashem. Blessed are you, hashem, our God, king of the universe, who straightens the bent. Most people sleep bent, hunched over fetal position, but most people don't just sleep in a straight, open position like that. But even then, stand upright is a tremendous gift. We can lay down, but to get upright, that takes a lot of things to work perfectly for us to be able to stand upright. Thank you, hashem, to be able to stand upright. Thank you, hashem, for the ability to stand straight, the strength and energy to get out of bed. I thank you for Hashem, thank you for giving me that strength.

32:11
Now, in Judaism, there's something that's very, very unique. We pay attention to all of the creatures that I am created, and all of the creatures, except for human beings, are horizontal. Except for the human, we are vertical. An incredible thing. Look at that all the animals. They're all horizontal. You know why? Because there's no necessity for the mind to control the rest of the body. We know that whatever is on top is dominant. Whoever has the position of the goal in heights is the dominant force. Right, we know that from war. But we know that in other ways the person who's in control is on top the mind. Hashem placed at the highest point of our body. Why? Because our mind is supposed to control the rest of the functions of our body. We shouldn't follow our heart alone. It has to make sense. There's a right and a wrong, there's a good, there's a bad. That's a judgment that the mind makes.

33:17
When we stand upright, what we're recognizing is that we have a value system in Judaism the higher something is, the more valued it is. The lower something is, the less value. Look at a world that is hyper-focused on materialistic pleasures, physical pleasures, the lowest level of our body, the Jewish people. Look at these books. We're trying to get the highest level of pleasure, getting our mind to connect, to be conscious every moment, to not sleep through life, to recognize the gifts that Hashem has given us. You know, in our prayer every single morning, afternoon and evening.

34:09
We bend our knees and bow four times in the Amidah morning, afternoon and evening. We bow. What do we do when we bow? It says that we should bow to the point where we spread out the vertebrae, that they protrude from our back, bending all the way down. And then we stand upright when we say the name of Hashem, bend down all the way till it's a big bend. You know why? Appreciate the gift that Hashem is giving you, that you have the ability to move, that you have the ability to not be arrogant, to be humble in front of Hashem. To be humble. We stand upright when we say the name of Hashem, because it would be a lack of honor for us to be bowing when we're talking to Hashem, when we're saying Hashem's name, we stand upright at that point. But we say in this blessing that Hashem straightens the bent. Thank you, hashem, for the ability to stand upright. It should not and cannot be taken for granted.

35:34
Now we go on to the fifth blessing in today's class and that is and this we say when we place our feet on the ground. You put your feet down on the ground. We say blessed are you, hashem, our God, king of the universe who spreads out the earth upon the waters? An amazing thing. Terra firma beneath our feet, to have solid ground beneath our feet. The truth is, our sages tell us we're in outer space. Think about it. We have this entire universe. There is no gravity elsewhere and here we have the gift of gravity. Everything is held together with gravity. We feel like we're secure. We feel like everything is just working perfectly for us. We don't float away, we're grounded. Imagine if we didn't have float away. We're grounded. Imagine if we didn't have this great gift of being grounded.

36:36
There's no reason for the earth to float on the water the way it does. You take a cup of water and drop in a piece of earth. What's going to happen? It's going to go down to the bottom. It's going to sink to the bottom.

36:51
Yet Hashem makes it that the earth sits on the water. It's an amazing miracle. It's a gift that Hashem has willed for our world. Hashem spins the world on its axis. Hashem spins the world on its axis, but Hashem created a world that the earth can be firm for us. The earth is floating on the water. Floating, it, says the Talmud.

37:25
Says that, Hashem, that the world hangs on nothing. It hangs on nothing. Bli Ma, without anything, it hangs on nothing. They just tell us that the world stands on Misha, bol and Piv, someone who says nothing. When they're embarrassed by others, they say nothing. You know what the world stands on, on your great character traits, on your ability to keep your mouth shut in a time of embarrassment. You know the world hangs on nothing, on someone who makes themself nothing.

38:13
Think of this Moshe. Was he an arrogant person? No, we know that Moshe was the opposite. Moshe was the most humble of all men. He made himself nothing.

38:25
What mountain did God give the Torah? On Mount Sinai? Why, our sages tell us, because it was the most humble of mountains. It wasn't the biggest mountain, not Mount Everest, small little mountain. When you make yourself humble, you are the reason the world exists.

38:47
Hola Eretz Al Blima, one of the great sages, was once asked. Someone came to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and asked him so, if that's the case, why did God give the Torah on any mountain? It'd just be on the desert. That way, there's no arrogance at all. He said well, you have to understand that, although he was the most humble of mountains, when someone learns Torah, they gain stature, there is a value. They're uplifted, like on a mountain. So, although it needs to be humble, but you have to recognize that there's a great benefit to the Torah we study, we get elevated and that's why it was given on a mountain, notwithstanding Anybody who's ever experienced an earthquake. The plates of the earth are shifting.

39:42
You know what we thank Hashem for every morning. Thank you, hashem, for stability. Thank you, hashem for security. Thank you, hashem for security. Thank you, hashem, for giving us a world, a life that we can feel is stable. A person who connects to Hashem feels a stability in their life. They know that Hashem is a constant Ha-ya ho-veh-vi-yeh. Hashem was, he is and he will be. We're able to connect to that and feel a closeness to Hashem. You can feel a firm connection to God. Ah Rok Ha'aretz Alemayim. Just like Hashem places the earth on the waters, we have this incredible gift of stability and that we thank Hashem for.

40:38
Then we go to the next blessing On page 15 of our handout, the top of page 15. Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu melech haolam sha'os ali kol tzarki. Blessed are you, hashem, our God, king of the universe, who has provided me my every need. Now here's a new blessing that we haven't really seen one like this. Until now, the blessings were in the plural. Now it's very personal.

41:08
Thank you for providing me my every need Very personal. You know why. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Stop thinking that you deserve what other people have. Hashem provides for you what you need. Each and every one of us need to recognize. Hashem gives me exactly what you need. Each and every one of us need to recognize. Hashem gives me exactly what I need. You know that you have the exact amount of intelligence, the exact amount of charisma, the exact amount of charm, the exact amount of beauty, the exact amount of wealth, everything exactly the way Hashem wanted you to have, so that you can fulfill your personal mission. That's why we don't say it in a plural. Thank you, hashem, for providing everyone what they need.

42:04
No, no, no, no. We shouldn't get confused. This is a very personal thing. Hashem has given me my needs personal. We shouldn't get confused. This is a very personal thing. Sha'as ali kol tzarki. Hashem has given me my needs Personal. There is divine personal providence. Hashgacha pratis. Sha'as ali kol tzarki. Hashem does it for me.

42:25
When do we say this blessing? Very interesting, we say this blessing when we put on our shoes. We put on our shoes. That's when we say this blessing Don't only thank Hashem that you can tie your shoes. Thank Hashem for everything you have, For every ability that you have, for every pleasure that you experience in this world.

42:52
And how many shoes do we have? We have summer shoes, we have winter shoes, we have rain shoes, we have vacation shoes, we have Shabbos shoes, we have blue shoes and red shoes and green shoes, right, all the different color shoes and this type of shoe and that type of shoe, high heel shoe and flat shoe. Ask my wife, my daughters three pairs of shoes. That's good enough, right? You know that they say that Mayor Bloomberg, mayor, michael Bloomberg, who's a multi-billionaire I think he's worth like over $50 billion. He's been wearing the same pair of shoes for over 25 years. He brings it every year to his shoemaker and he puts a new sole on a new heel, puts on taps. He makes sure he takes care of it. A really quality pair of shoes. I bet you most of the people who have those 30, 40, 50, 100 pairs of shoes are not wearing them like that. There's a special quality Someone who's just able to have one, two, three pairs of shoes.

44:06
Again, we're not expecting women to have that it needs to match every color dress. It needs to match for every event, for every time of year. You're wearing suede in the winter, in the summer, in the winter I don't even know when, right, but you wear this type of shoe and a leather shoe and this, and then you need boots, and then you need rain boots and you need you know, I don't even know what you know you need for a date night boots, and you need this, whatever you know what. For all of those, you know why Hashem made those boots and those shoes and all the different styles so that you enjoy life. Why did Hashem make them? So that you enjoy life. Hashem wants us to enjoy it. You're not stealing. Hashem wants us to enjoy it. You're not stealing from Hashem. Hashem gave it to us to enjoy. But if we put on our shoes without taking a moment to appreciate, we're missing out on life, we're missing out on pleasure. We're missing out on the beauty, the magnificence of these gifts.

45:14
It also says it in the past tense. It says that God has provided in the past. Why? Where does this come from? This already was the gift given to Adam. It's a gift already given to Adam and it's very interesting that on Yom Kippur we don't wear shoes.

45:38
On Tisha B'Av, on the 9th of Av, we don't wear shoes. Also, when we go to holy places, we don't wear shoes. We see that. Jacob, he realized he was in a holy place, he took off his shoes. Moshe realized he was in a holy place, he took off his shoes. Moshe realized he was in a holy place, took off his shoes. When we're in a holy place, the Kohen Gadol in the temple on Yom Kippur, what did he do? Went barefoot. When you're in a holy place, why? What is the power? Why do we have shoes? What is this whole thing that we're making? We say this blessing specifically when we wear shoes. We say this blessing of I thank you, hashem, for providing me my every need. So shoes is a mankind thing.

46:24
God didn't give shoes to animals. God gave us shoes. Why so? We have to understand that the earth in general is considered cursed. The earth is cursed, which is why we need a separation from the ground. We always separate ourselves from the earth. It also shows our control over the universe. Where do shoes come from? I'm not talking about the cheap shoes made in China. I'm talking about real shoes. They're made out of leather. We have an animal, slaughter the animal. You eat food from the animal. You eat the meat and you enjoy the delicious stew from the animal. It's amazing the bones and so much to eat. But then you take the hide and you make that hide into shoes to remind you every single day God gave mankind. I know Peter won't appreciate this class, but the Torah teaches us God gave mankind.

47:37
The last creation that God created before Shabbos was mankind. Hashem prepared everything for man, adam and then Eve, which is why Eve has a different blessing. Women have a different blessing. Shosani kirtzono God made me in his perfect way, but the last creations were Adam and Eve. Everything that was created beforehand was for them. You know what do you do? First, do you invite the guests and then set the table, and then decide the menu and then cook the food after the guests are there. No, you first set the table, put out all the fine dishes, you prepare the menu, you go shop for it. You prepare the menu, you go shop for it, you prepare the food and then the guests come in. Everything that you prepared, all of that hard work comes before the guests actually come in so that they can enjoy it.

48:43
Hashem created a world for us to enjoy and we need to realize that the dominance of humanity over Hashem's creation is exactly how Hashem, the creator of heaven and earth, intended for it to be Not for the animals to control us, but for us to control the animals. For us not harm them God forbid but to utilize what they are here for. Hashem has not limited us from what our needs are. Hashem gives us. So don't complain. What you don't have, love what you do have, everything that he has given me, hashem has taken care of my every need. Divine providence. Hashem puts us exactly in the place we need to be at the exact moment we need to be there. Thank you, hashem, for giving me my needs every day. That is the blessing of Sha'as Ali Kotzarki.

49:54
And finally, the last of the seven blessings that we will learn today is Baruch ata Hashem Elokeheinu Melech HaOlam HaMei Chin Mitzadei Gaver. Blessed are you, hashem, our God, king of the universe, who prepares man's footsteps. My dear friends, this is the blessing we recite when we start to walk. We had the blessing when we stand upright. We had the blessing when we stand upright. We had the blessing when we become upright right, but when we place our feet on the ground where, when we put our shoes on. And now, when we begin to walk, when we begin to take strides, you know what a gift it is that you can walk. You know what a gift it is that you can walk. You know what a gift that we are able to walk and go places and do things. Mobility Sages tell us you need to use caution, that every stride be for the good.

51:00
You know what it says about King David. He was in the middle of a war. Where did he end up? He ended up in the study hall. How did he get there? He says I have no idea. My feet took me there. He built himself a good habit of studying Torah. His feet took him there. Sages tell us we use our feet to run to synagogue, to run to study, not, heaven forbid, to run away from A perfect body that functions is what we give thanks for.

51:35
You know, I would highly recommend that each and one of us take a minute. Get on your nifty little phone. If it has internet, that's for you there. His phone doesn't have internet. We're all jealous and search on Google. Pancreas, search on Google. It's something you don't really hear much about your kidneys.

52:04
Thank Hashem for what you'll see on that page the most incredible, miraculous gifts that we have, things that are we're not talking about the heart, we're not talking about the lungs. We're not talking about the lungs. We're not talking about the mind, the brain, the little, simple things, an insignificant organ. See what it would be like without that functioning properly every single second of our lives the kidneys, the pancreas, or any single other part of our body, any single other part of our body, any single other part of our functions. Take a look at what it does for you. What is the function of the pancreas? You'll be like I never even knew those things were in my body. What is the function of my kidneys? It's unbelievable. The gifts that we have.

53:07
This is part of Mitzah Adegover God gives us, prepares our footsteps. He gave us an unbelievable body that functions for what? To do great things. Thank you, hashem, for giving us the ability to do and feel accomplished, to do things. To do things we're not only talking about here, that God prepares our ways.

53:33
Imagine how many times I've heard from people. They tell me you know where I met my wife? We were at a party. Well, you ever think about how you got to that party. You ever realize how many miracles needed to happen for you to get to that party. I'm not talking about driving there without being in an accident. I'm talking about how many people you needed to coincidentally meet to then introduce you to another person who then invited you to their friend, who then, at that party, invited you to a different party, who then sent you across the globe. And you happen to be that. All those things that Hashem prepares just so that you can meet your significant other To then get a job offer. Oh, I just happened to meet someone at Starbucks, we just started a conversation and then, oh, hashem prepared it all. You're going to go here, you're going to go there, I'm going to make it all work out so that you have what you need to succeed. And, plus, god gives us the ability of feeling like we did something Me Well, you know what an incredible gift Hashem gives us the feeling of being accomplished, like I did something.

54:52
Hashem, someone who composes song. I'm a great composer, you know me, you know me. I'm the great Elton John. I'm a great composer, you know me, you know me. I'm the great Elton John. I'm the great writer. The great singer Makes them. They have the arrogance to feel like they accomplished. But that's also a gift from Hashem. Someone should feel good that they did. Someone who really realizes this sees this every single morning in their blessing.

55:21
Amechin mitzad e-gavur Everything I have, all the skills, all the talents, every success I have is really an accomplishment, not mine, it's accomplishment. That's Hashem's. Where do our feet take us? We don't know what's good and bad. Sometimes we don't know how it will turn out. We need to learn to put our trust in Hashem. Hashem, I know you're not going to mislead me, you're not going to guide me astray. We cannot move a finger below. Our sages tell us the Talmud without it being decreed up in heaven. Hashem gives us the ability to move our finger. You know what a gift that is. It's an incredible gift.

56:11
Now, before we conclude today, I want to read to you a little piece here we started mentioning from the lesson of Azamra, from Rav Nachman. Rav Nachman stresses the importance this is again from Likuti, me'aran 1, and this is section 282. The importance of finding the good in ourselves. Rav Nachman urges each and every person to search for every little bit of good that they have and to remember the good deeds they performed, because that will give them joy, encouragement and belief that they can do better. An amazing, an amazing phrase here. You know what inspires people to do great things requires people to do great things when we acknowledge their greatness. Our children are much more encouraged to do good when we acknowledge their good, when we recognize their goodness. They will do more good when we knock them down, when we don't utilize every word that we have to encourage, they don't feel good about themselves. I can't do it and fall into depression. When we shine the light on their good elements, their good aspects, a whole new opportunity. There's so much bright future ahead. When you don't think about your goodness, you become tired and you don't believe you can do anything good in the world. When focusing on your good points, you are alert and ready to accomplish more.

57:57
Reb Nassim, who's the student, the primary student of Reb Nachman, says that this concept is hinted in the morning blessings that we just discussed. The blessing who gives the heart understanding to distinguish between day and night means God granted us the wisdom to find the allegorical day, meaning the good in ourselves. The blessing who has not made me a Gentile implies that if we don't think about our goodness, we are likely to fall to very low levels and disregard the Torah heaven forbid. The blessing who gives sight to the blind, who releases the bound and who straightens those who are bent represents our thanking God for opening our eyes to let us see our goodness, so we can stand upright and be freed from the captivity of the evil inclination which makes us feel as if there is no hope for ourselves. That's what the evil inclination is. He's like nah, you'll never do it, you can't, always doubting ourselves. That's yetzahara. These blessings are yetzatov we can. We got this. God gave us vision. God gave us zokef. Kafufu we can stand upright, we can accomplish, we can do things.

59:19
The blessing who gives strength to the weary, which we're going to talk about next week, and the final blessing, who removes the bond of sleep from our eyes, means that even when we feel completely spent due to our sins, we can awaken from our slumber and live a full life by focusing on the good things we accomplish in life. Now we are ready to face the day and improve our lives. My dear friends, the blessings we have every morning are a total encouragement. We can do this. We have such incredible blessing every single day. We can accomplish so many great things. We have to recognize the gifts that Hashem has bestowed upon us and then go ahead, go get them. Go get them. We can do this every single day.

01:00:10
I said this so many times and I was very, very happy to hear my rabbi say this.

01:00:19
Last week we had a conference in New York and my rabbi said you're feeling down, sing your prayers, sing them, it'll bring it to life. How many times have we said here it's impossible for someone to pray, to say the beautiful words of our blessings, the beautiful acknowledgements and thanks to Hashem, and connect to them, and not be ecstatic. Every single day you jump out of your seat from excitement. How can someone be depressed after praying? It's the most amazing gifts that we're listing off, one after another, after another after another, praising Hashem for all the amazing gifts we have. It should only be for us, every day of our lives, an encouragement. Hashem loves us, hashem wants us to enjoy, hashem wants us to benefit from this world and Hashem wants us to maximize every single minute of our day. Hashem should bless us all to indeed merit that every single day be a day that's filled with joy, with harmony, with success and connection with the Almighty. Thank you and have a magnificent day, my dear friends.

01:01:34 - Intro (Announcement)
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