March 2, 2026
#145 The Purim Story / Freedom and Danger / Prototypes in Biblical Characters
Solo episode diving into the Purim story, the characters and archetypes, freedom and danger, and national evolution.
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Welcome to another episode of
Come Together.
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We are back another episode.
Crazy day.
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It is Monday, March 2nd.
War broke out over the weekend.
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It feels like there has been
non-stop news to just keep track
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of and be terrified of God and
just, you know, I mean, like you
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really got to just at a certain
point just put your phone,
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social media aside and just it's
too overwhelming.
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It's too much.
We're not meant for it.
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We're not meant for it.
It's too much, man.
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It's way too much.
Yeah, we, we have Perm coming up
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and I want to talk about Perm
because Perm is actually one of
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my favorite philosophically.
It's my favorite.
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It's probably my favorite Jewish
holiday and my favorite day of
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the year.
And I think I, I mean, I, I've
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been doing the podcast for a
year and a half now, almost two
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years.
And I believe I spoke about it
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in passing a little bit and I
kind of wanted to give it a
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little bit more attention.
But I did want to also give a
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couple of of a couple of
disclaimers and I think
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important ones, which is that
I'm just me.
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I'm just a dude that loves his
stuff.
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And I've been learning this my
whole life.
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Does not mean I am an expert on
it does I mean I know it
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backwards and forward a lot of
times, lots of times in my
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experience, my I thought I knew
something and it turns out that
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I had just often reviewed my
very fundamental or superficial
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understanding of it, my very
youthful understanding of a lot
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of biblical stories, Torah
stories, Jewish holidays and
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history, reality, whatever.
I mean, I'm just finding out
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more and more that the more I
read and the more I learn and,
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you know, even though I think I
know something I don't really,
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so I want to.
Just begin by saying even before
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I talk about anything with the
holiday at all, that whatever
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I'm saying, the I guess the
premise will be grounded.
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In material where I will
speculate, I will say that I'm
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speculating where I am saying
that this is something that I
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thought of or came up with or
put the dots together to.
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That is also it's something I'm
going to say and something that
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you definitely do not need to
consider, even if and you know,
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if it's interesting to you.
The whole goal of this is really
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just to make just to make us
think a little bit, just to open
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our minds a little bit.
And whether we choose to accept
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or accept this information,
information or these thoughts or
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not is totally up to you.
Oh man, where to begin.
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So Perm is a relatively obscure
Jewish holiday.
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It is one the one one of the
reasons why it's so obscure is
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actually, in my opinion, one of
the reasons why I like it the
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most.
Perm is perm along with
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Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is the Jewish is it is
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it rabbinically decreed Jewish
holiday.
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That does not mean that it's not
a holiday.
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That's not mean it's not real.
It is rabbinically decreed and
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there are not a lot not there
are not lots of rabbinically
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decreed holidays in general and
nor are there many that last
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until today.
And, and, and we say, and, you
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know, and, and, and there are
Jewish commentators, Khazal,
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what I'll refer to them as.
Which were which?
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Is an acronym actually.
For.
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Khazal stands for Hakamim are
are wise ones.
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The the the the wise leaders
Zika namala Vacha should be
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remembered in memory.
So just some context there.
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That's so this so these are
talking about the sages, the
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early stages that had been the
early receivers of a lot of
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these ideals are actually many
times, especially with the perm
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contest context and story may or
may not have actually been alive
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around that time period
themselves, just a generation or
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two removed.
Which is really interesting
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because the Perm story takes
place at the destruction towards
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the sorry, towards the end of
the first exile of Jerusalem,
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right before the second one.
And actually the Perm story
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leads directly into the Second
Temple time period, which I
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believe was in the year 70, but
or maybe it was destroyed in the
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year 70, but again, not
positive.
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I have to check that anyway.
The point is.
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That there are a lot of leaders,
a lot of thoughts.
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There's a lot of opinions on
what the story on, on, on the on
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the holiday.
But one thing that's interesting
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about the holiday is that there
doesn't seem to be many
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prerequisites.
Typically speaking, in a lot of
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Jewish holidays, which is very
popular in pop culture or at
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least relatively commonly known
throughout the country that
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there's there's several
holidays.
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Shabbat is one of them.
Shomer Shabbos, Big Lebowski,
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all these fun.
Different cultural references
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where you don't use electricity,
you don't work, you don't do
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what's called malacha, which is
extraneous effort or or creative
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acts.
And then there's different
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degrees of nuance based on the
holidays.
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But that's why Jews will often
be walking in the streets on
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holidays.
That's why on Saturdays, that's
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why they won't be getting in the
car.
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That's why if anyone ever asked
you, I've had a conversation
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with people that are like, why
do people ask me to come in and
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turn off the AC or turn on the
oven or something like that?
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And part of the reason why is
because it's one of the holidays
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that we don't do anything or
most a lot of things.
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There's a whole bunch of there's
actually.
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I mean, the truth is that as far
as what you're allowed to and
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not allowed to do is extremely,
extremely complicated and
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extremely, extremely nuanced.
And it's not anything that I'm
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even close to an expert on,
which is the value of having to
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have a spiritual leader or a
rabbi in your life, is that a
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lot of the material is just
really complicated and nuanced
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for an everyday person to pick
up and figure out by themselves.
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Sometimes you can, but I'm
definitely not confident enough
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myself that I feel like I could
just determine exactly what the
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nuance is for myself.
I hope I'm not rambling.
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I'm getting to the point, which
is that perm doesn't seem to
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have a lot of prerequisites.
Same thing with Hanukkah, right?
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You think about the your
association with the days are
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typically candles, typically
with doughnuts or latkes, the
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the fried potatoes or with
Purim.
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It's kind of dress up and you
read from a scroll and there's a
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lot of drinking going on and
there's a lot of costumes going
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on.
And but there doesn't seem to be
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on any kind of real formal
religious behavior necessarily
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associated with it, especially
typically the behaviors that are
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typical in Jewish holidays.
So one of the reasons why is the
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same reason I mentioned earlier
that it's rabbinically decreed
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holiday.
And the rabbi's or the sages
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that would have decreed it may
not have been comfortable being
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giving us commandments like God
would and telling us, hey, you
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know, don't do this, don't do
that.
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Instead, what you could do is,
hey, this is a day that
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ordinarily might be an ordinary
day, but let's do XY and Z
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particular things to actually
elevate the day.
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We can't tell you what not to
do, but we could tell you extra
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things to do to make it special
and to to make it mean something
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to you.
And that actually kind of gets
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down to the first point.
So perm to me is the holiday of
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freedom.
And I'm going to explain exactly
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what that means because pay sock
or Passover is typically
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associated with freedom.
And it is, I don't, I don't mean
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to take that away, but this is a
little bit more philosophical
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freedom and this is a little bit
more what I would call relevant
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to today's world.
And the sages actually say that
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the perm is the holiday that is
the light of the dawn of the
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time without miracles.
I think I've said this before,
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and if I have, I apologize.
But what that means is right
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like that, that, that, that
until the perm story.
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And actually there's many
different examples in different
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Talmudic sources for stories
about people that were alive for
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the first Temple and the second
one and the one.
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And, and when they saw this, the
second temple being constructed,
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they were crying because it was
just so mundane relative to the
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beauty and the magnificence and,
and the godliness of the first
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one.
And there's actually something
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to that, that the idea on the
holiday of the poem embodies.
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When we believe that, you know,
we believe that, you know, we
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have individual identities,
obviously, and then we have
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national identities and we have
individual stories where I could
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experienced something in my
life.
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High school, for example, was
really difficult.
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Or towards the end of high
school, beginning of college, I
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was really not confident to
myself.
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I was really unsure of myself.
I would generally depend on
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other people to validate me
rather than me validating
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myself.
And actually, it's funny, I went
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to an event this weekend that I
saw a lot of people from that
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time period of my life and it
really, really threw me through
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emotional loop, especially
because it was a drinking beer
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pong type of event.
So I so alcohol, I'm sure just
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blunts that kind of experience.
But my point being that I have,
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you know, that, that, that was a
particular part of my life that
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I can't say I was.
I, I, looking back, I was
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particularly fond of, I don't
think I was, I was actually
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very, very happy senior year of
high school, you know, my year
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abroad, my year in Israel and,
and my, in the, in the beginning
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of my college experience, I
would tell you I was very happy.
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I recall those experiences very
fondly.
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But where I am today relative to
where I was, I, I sense that I'm
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an evolved person.
I, I sense that I'm a more
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mature and sophisticated and
responsible and dependable
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person and more with the, with
the sense of self, more the
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sense of awareness of who I am
and not necessarily needing
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other people to validate what
I'm doing or who or the way I'm
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doing it in order for me to be
confident in the way that I'm
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pursuing what I think is
valuable.
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Then I have those moments in my
early 20s, early to mid 20s
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where I was living in Seattle
and I really didn't know what my
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life was going to end up looking
like.
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And I was trying to make a lot
of big decisions that the
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consequences were going to be
enormous, like who I'm going to
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marry, where I'm going to move,
what kind of family do I want to
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raise?
What kind of community do I want
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to surround myself with?
To what, how, how, how strict,
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how strictly observant or
religious should I be?
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A lot of these questions come up
in your mid 20s because a lot of
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these questions in this
particular point in your life
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meet, you know, mean something
and, and, and the decisions you
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make based on these ideas impact
our futures.
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They really do.
And there are, and there comes a
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time, I think in really
everyone's life.
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And actually, I have a very good
friend of a very close friend
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going through this right now.
I'm going to keep everything
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completely anonymous except for
the fact that his father's I'll
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at the moment.
And I was talking to my mom and
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my mom had lost both of her
parents, has lost both of her
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parents already.
She lost her brother.
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And you know, one thing that I
was saying was there's always
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this dynamic, I feel like in
life and part of the reason why
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it's take why.
I mean, there's a million
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reasons.
Of course, I'm sure that it's
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hard to my hard to my friend.
I'm sure one of the
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psychological reasons why is
because, you know, even though
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I'm an adult and even though I'm
a 30 year old working man with
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kids and a wife and a home, I
don't look at myself like that.
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I look like I, I, I'm still a
kid.
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Like, I, I talk to my, I work
with my dad.
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I talk to my dad 100 times a
day.
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I count on my mom for, for
advice and for our relationship.
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And I'm extremely, extremely
close with her.
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And like, I look at myself like
a kid still, you know, and, but
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I don't know that a certain, I
don't want to face this.
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And the day that this happens is
going to be an extremely,
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extremely painful one and one
that I can't even really think
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about.
But there's going to be a day
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where I'm not going to be able
to say that I'm a kid anymore,
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that I, you know, that I'm a kid
to parents now like that.
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That's not going to be a
relationship that that manifests
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in my life.
And instead, and there's a
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00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,480
comfort to being a kid and
there's a comfort to knowing
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00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,960
that I could call a dad, I could
call a mom, I could call, you
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00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,160
know, my friend to send me a
meme.
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00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,480
And it was, you know, when
you're in stealing and you're in
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00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,040
debt, you know, and you're just
hoping that this dead uncle
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00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,440
somewhere that just, you know,
that, that, that, that you, that
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00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,760
the, you know, the government's
looking to pass on his, his
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00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,880
estate to you.
There's something comforting
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00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,800
about having that safety, that
safety net of being a kid.
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00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,680
And there's something extremely,
extremely scary and extremely
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uncomfortable and extremely
unpleasant about losing that.
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00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,960
And then you could, you know,
and, and, and this doesn't
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00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,200
necessarily even mean, you know,
financial, this could, I mean,
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00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,160
this is emotional.
This is just knowing that
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you're, you know, I think that
as long as people have parents
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00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:18,080
alive, they kind of have a hope
that the parents are going to
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00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:19,280
take care of them.
I think it's just so
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00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,520
biologically and evolutionarily
deep and so foundational.
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00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,440
I don't think that I can't, I, I
think that as, as long as a
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00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,880
parent, a kid has a parent
alive, there's a hope that they
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00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:37,880
could still be a kid, you know,
and the reason why and, and this
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00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:42,440
and this whole entire thing is
the metaphor, what I like to say
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00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:47,240
for what could also happen on a
national level, right?
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00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,360
America, for example, is a very,
very young country.
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00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,000
And we're going to, you know,
and, and, and relative to
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00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,360
Europe, relative to Asia,
relative to Africa, relative to
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00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:02,160
South America, you know, I mean,
the, the American culture, the
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00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,000
American country, the American
establishment is very, very,
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00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,320
very young.
Only, you know, 250 years old
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00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:13,800
is, is nothing is a drop in the
bucket, you know, and so we're
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00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,760
taking time.
We got to figure out this whole
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00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,480
democracy thing, this whole
freedom thing, this whole having
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00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,120
such a huge country with such
enormous influence in the way to
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00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,960
balance everything.
It takes time to do this and
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00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,840
it's a growing process and it's
painful and it's just as painful
257
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:36,640
as all the unpainful,
unpleasant, you know, high
258
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school, growing up, coming of
age experiences that you've ever
259
00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,120
had in your entire life that
I've ever had in my entire life.
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00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,960
We're going through this on a
national level because that's
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00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,760
what happens.
You know, I mean that that
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00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,720
because we're because we're a
country going through, you know,
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00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,320
going through the growing up
process.
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00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,640
And this, the perm story is
actually a story of a nation
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00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,080
that goes through this process
as well and individuals that go
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00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,080
through this process.
And it's really a story of be of
267
00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:11,000
the fruit kind of blossoming and
then becoming mature enough that
268
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,440
it is now.
No, it's, it's no longer able to
269
00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,920
be supported by the tree and it
falls off.
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00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,200
And that's the perm story.
It's a really, really
271
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:22,560
interesting.
And that, that that's just your
272
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,920
metaphor, of course, but that's
really, but that, that's really
273
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,400
what the story's about.
Because and I, I love this
274
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:29,880
argument.
I love this conversation in
275
00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640
general.
I love the philosophy talk.
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00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,040
I love the conversations about
God and whether or not he exists
277
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,600
and how you can prove or not
prove it.
278
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,160
And, and what is provable and
what is not provable.
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00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:40,920
And, and, and, and, and it's
fun.
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00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,880
I honestly like it's, you know,
I don't know how much it
281
00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,440
dictates how much my behavior
changes, but it's a lot of fun
282
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,720
to think about.
And then of course, I do think
283
00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,160
that when certain ideas
culminate and really build up,
284
00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,360
and especially when they have
time to sit and settle in our
285
00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,680
heads and in our in our
consciousnesses and
286
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,680
subconsciousness for long
enough, it really does lead
287
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,240
inevitably to change and
hopefully good change.
288
00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:13,680
You hope so philosophically,
just for a minute, that this was
289
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,480
all kind of background to the
context of the poem story, which
290
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,920
is that we have this first
temple, like I mentioned, which
291
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,200
seems to be full of open
miracles, God's glory.
292
00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:29,520
And for some reason, whatever
reason that it is, the Jewish
293
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:35,320
people do not maintain their
moral ways and their
294
00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,280
relationship to God and their
relationship to the values that
295
00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,640
God encouraged the Jewish people
to pursue vis a vis the Torah
296
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,600
and the Bible.
The the five books of Moses and
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00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,280
those are just categories and
extensions, obviously include
298
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:55,080
the Talmud and everything else.
And you can really make a very
299
00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:02,000
strong argument.
I would say that when God, you
300
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,040
know, when God, if every, if
every time that anyone did
301
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:09,760
something wrong, everyone was
struck down by a lightning bolt,
302
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,200
you got, you get an
authoritarian God, you got, you
303
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:21,800
got this, you got this Palantir
minority report person existence
304
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,800
being where everyone is kind of
afraid to do anything wrong
305
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,800
because if they do anything
wrong and they're going to get
306
00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,600
struck down by God's hand.
And God's, you know, and, and,
307
00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,400
and, and lightning is coming out
of the sky and you're bringing
308
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,680
these, you know, these
sacrifices and these animals
309
00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,480
that represent different aspects
of, of, of our animalistic
310
00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,520
behaviors that we, that we're
trying to rectify and we're
311
00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,800
sacrificing, we're trying to
burn and to get rid of
312
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,960
particular animalistic traits
and replace them with something
313
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,640
more spiritual and something
more group consciousness
314
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,280
oriented, which is the root of a
lot of the korbanot, which are
315
00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:04,480
the sacrifices that are brought.
It's hard to say that all that
316
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:10,320
could be done completely of free
will and in a completely
317
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,040
wholesome way because it's not
being done wholesome.
318
00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,360
You're being, you know, you got
miracles going on around you.
319
00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,560
You got things going on that are
far beyond your control.
320
00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,080
You feel like if you step out of
line, you're, you know, the big
321
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,840
man is going to come get you.
And while people, while that
322
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,000
might encourage people to
behave, we certainly can't say
323
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,200
that that's free.
That's a free society.
324
00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,720
That's a free world.
You know, that's the that's the
325
00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:40,960
issue that we're that that's the
issue that we're really dealing
326
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,840
with today.
And I mean, we're talking about,
327
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,680
we're talking about the idea of,
and you know, we have this right
328
00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,920
now in happening in China.
It's actually being taken from
329
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,200
an idea into practice.
And it's been going on for many,
330
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,120
many years now, this idea of
social credit scores, the idea
331
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,760
of mass surveillance in order to
uphold the laws and to maintain
332
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,960
order and.
People know that they have to
333
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,160
behave because if not Big
Brother's watching, and while
334
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:16,240
that is safe, that's not free.
Purim is the story, is the
335
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:22,920
holiday that represents God
saying, you know what, you guys,
336
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,120
if you guys really want to have
a real relationship with me,
337
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,840
then I can't be so imposing on
you.
338
00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:36,160
Then I can't be there breathing
down your neck every single time
339
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,400
that you think that you want to
do something right or you want
340
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,160
to do something wrong and you're
not sure what to do.
341
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,560
And then you and then, and then
you turn around and you see me
342
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,160
right there or then like a
little, a little ball of fire or
343
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,440
just sizzle up next to you and
you'll be like, OK, OK, I know
344
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,640
the right thing I'm going to do.
And God understood.
345
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:54,160
And God and God told us in the
perm story, not actually told
346
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:55,400
us.
He did not actually literally
347
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,560
tell us this.
But this is what I deduce from
348
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,360
the fact that miracles stop
happening and that we call that
349
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:10,400
and that their sages call that a
golden age God saying I'm giving
350
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,480
you the freedom to choose to see
me and to participate with me
351
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,360
and to participate in my way of
life or not.
352
00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:23,080
And the way that I know that you
know that I that that I exist
353
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,800
and that you know that I'm real
and that you want something to
354
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:31,200
do with me is if you in an
entire world where all of God's
355
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:36,480
existence could be denied, in an
entire society that is telling
356
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,400
us over and over and over again
that there's no way that God's
357
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:40,760
real and there's no way that God
exists.
358
00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:41,400
And you can't.
Never.
359
00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,080
Prove it.
All you got to do is.
360
00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,600
You got to just open your eyes
and you open your heart a little
361
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,360
bit and you'll see me.
You'll see me everywhere.
362
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,880
And, and this is actually an
enormous, this is actual textual
363
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,480
theme.
There's a literary theme in the
364
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,040
Megillah as well, which is the
Megillah.
365
00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:00,080
I'm sorry, is Hebrew for the
story the, the, the story or the
366
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:05,400
scroll, Miguel Esther is the
scroll of Esther, the telling of
367
00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,320
Esther, the story, you know, the
what's it called?
368
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:17,200
The not fairy tale, but the
story of Esther and God's name
369
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,680
is not mentioned in that story
one time.
370
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,320
It's obvious that God
participates in it, or it's kind
371
00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:27,840
of obvious.
It's obvious to the people that
372
00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,720
want to see him in it.
And it's obvious by the Jewish
373
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:37,560
people's reaction in the story
that they see God in it because
374
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,280
they say because, because after
the whole story takes place
375
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,640
towards the end of the counting
of the actual magilla.
376
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,480
And I'm just going to refer to
as the magilla for context, by
377
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,080
the way, because I'm not going
back and forth to all these
378
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,640
terms.
If I talk about Megillah, it
379
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,840
just means the actual whole
story of Esther in the text.
380
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,600
Towards the end of the actual
text, there's passages about how
381
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:08,480
the Jews were decided to receive
and take upon themselves God.
382
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,720
And they use the same
terminology as when the Jews
383
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,760
accepted the original 10
commandments and the original
384
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,880
Torah, Bible Torah at Harcenai
at Mount Sinai.
385
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,000
He uses the same language.
So the sages draw a parable,
386
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,520
they say, just like over there,
the first time we were that the
387
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,920
Jewish people accepted God's
word and accepted responsibility
388
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,360
of the life of additional
responsibility and moral weight.
389
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,160
The Jews accepted it also on the
Perm story, at the Perm story.
390
00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:46,120
But we did it in a new way.
We did it in a world that didn't
391
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:47,960
have miracles.
We did it in a world where we
392
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,480
didn't feel like we were coerced
into it, where we didn't feel
393
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:54,160
like we absolutely had to.
Because if we didn't do it, Big
394
00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,720
Brother was going to come.
The big guy in the sky was going
395
00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:58,960
to get mad.
We participate in it because we
396
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,720
actually, we God pulled himself
back and even though he pulled
397
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,320
himself back, we still found
him.
398
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,320
And we said, that's the kind of
relationship we want.
399
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,040
And I mean, I think that like
this, that, you know, even you,
400
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,520
I mean, you might laugh and you
might scoff and you, and this
401
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,720
might not be a good enough idea.
I would, you know, and I
402
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,040
totally, totally hear you, but
think for yourself to think to
403
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,720
yourself why we don't like to be
pushed or forced into
404
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,000
relationships with people and
why we want, we like to pick our
405
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,360
own friends.
Why we treat our friends better
406
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:33,760
than we treat our family, who we
know that we have to have a
407
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,040
relationship with, who we know
that like, like the way I treat
408
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,760
a lot of my friends is a heck of
a lot better.
409
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,280
The way that I treat my sisters
and brothers, my biology, my, my
410
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,360
immediate siblings.
And part of the reason why is
411
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:47,600
because I know at the end of the
day that if I don't talk to my
412
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,760
brother for a month and then I
call him, I could say, dude, I'm
413
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:50,960
so sorry.
It's been crazy.
414
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,480
I missed you, how you been?
And I he'll be like, he's OK,
415
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,680
I'm his brother.
If I have friends that I don't
416
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,080
call for a month and I don't
hear from them, like, dude, I'm
417
00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,040
so sorry.
I've been so busy.
418
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:00,240
I missed you.
They're like, yeah, well, you
419
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,800
know, I've been busy too.
And I got to talk to you later,
420
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,440
you know.
And so there's one relationship
421
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:08,800
that doesn't necessarily need to
exist.
422
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,160
And those are the ones that we
feel are the ones that are worth
423
00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,600
fighting for.
And then they're the ones that
424
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,360
we know that will always be
there.
425
00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:18,520
And those are the ones that we
tend to take for granted.
426
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,800
And when God pulls himself out
of the picture, it gives us
427
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:25,520
opportunity.
It gives us an opportunity to
428
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,280
not take him for granted because
we do know from all the biblical
429
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,120
stories and all the times in the
day throughout the books of the,
430
00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,320
you know, throughout, throughout
the, the, the Bible.
431
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:42,080
We know through all the Torah
that just because God is
432
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,600
revealing himself does not mean
that it convinces anyone of
433
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,240
everything of anything.
Does not guarantee good
434
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,520
behavior.
Does not guarantee that we are
435
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,200
not going to rebel.
Does not guarantee that we act
436
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,480
morally in any kind of way
whatsoever.
437
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,440
Doesn't mean that we listen to
pay attention to him that we
438
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:57,760
even want to participate with
him.
439
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,680
It's crazy.
So having so so we know that a
440
00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:05,000
forced relationship, a coerced
relationship, while it might be
441
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,520
scary, while it might be might
might create some of the most
442
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,480
incredible stories that we could
ever imagine.
443
00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,520
It's not conducive to a
relationship that both
444
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,160
participants feel like they are
getting something out of it.
445
00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:29,680
And we felt, we felt and people
felt that, hey, if we don't have
446
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:35,320
the right to choose to rebel,
then like, what does our service
447
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:36,800
mean?
What does that have to do?
448
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,760
Like what, what, what, what,
what kind of value could that
449
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,320
possibly have to any kind of
God?
450
00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:47,080
So just the premise of the
actual day to me is really,
451
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,720
really cool because.
So we have this idea.
452
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,760
We have these ideas that were
all, you know, that number one,
453
00:26:53,960 --> 00:27:00,040
relationships cannot be forced.
As we get mature parents and,
454
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:05,720
you know, kids stop being kids,
eventually we become parents.
455
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,400
And when we lose our parents, we
really lose our identity as
456
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,560
kids.
And this happens on a personal
457
00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,600
level.
This happens on a national
458
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:16,480
level.
I think that obviously, you
459
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,000
know, when America became its
own country, or like, I would
460
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,560
even, I mean, even the entire
westward expansion, you could
461
00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,560
say was like our freaking
puberty process is crazy, you
462
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,120
know, or I mean, the Civil War.
Yeah.
463
00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,800
I mean, like, like we had a lot
of, we had a lot of growing
464
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,160
pains that came from what you
would call like teenagehood.
465
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,160
And now we're like trying to be
mature adults or that we're
466
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,440
trying to be mature adults in
the room.
467
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,880
And it's almost working.
But sometimes it works better
468
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,000
than sometimes it's sometimes
it's a little harder to do.
469
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,880
We also have God's name missing
from the actual story.
470
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,840
And so we have this constant
theme of like what makes a real
471
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,640
relationship or not.
And then we also have the same
472
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,480
terminology that's used by the
So the holiday represents
473
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:08,640
actually accepting, you know,
God's Torah, God's Bible, God's
474
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,000
word to us, God's commandments
and instructions and ways of
475
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,720
life.
And, and it does and, and, and
476
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,880
perm means it in a very
sophisticated sense.
477
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,760
It means in a very, very mature
sense, because it means that
478
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,080
you're growing up and me.
And it's what and what and part
479
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:31,400
of what I think in the same
theme of that idea of growing up
480
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,480
and choosing to do this way that
you want to do this and choosing
481
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,520
to have the type as deep of a
relationship as you want to have
482
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,040
or not.
Perm's not a day that requires
483
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:41,480
anyone does anything either,
right?
484
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,840
I don't work on perm.
I take off.
485
00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,040
I don't answer the phone.
I don't deal with work calls.
486
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,720
I don't deal with customers.
I'll tell customers that I'm
487
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:52,280
working that day.
I'll tell them I'm so sorry I
488
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,200
have to call you back.
I'm not.
489
00:28:53,200 --> 00:29:01,200
I'm out of the office today, but
I don't work and I try to treat
490
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:06,720
the day like a holiday even
though I don't have to and I'm
491
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,400
not doing anything that is
required.
492
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,560
I don't say that I don't feel
like I'm being better than
493
00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:15,600
anyone else.
I'm not saying that I'm keeping
494
00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,240
the holiday better than anyone
else.
495
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:23,280
But for me, I want the holiday
to reflect what I feel like my
496
00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:27,320
relationship with God is, and
that is that it's not the bare
497
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,840
minimum.
It's not the middle of the
498
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,200
ground.
This is a hey, I never had to
499
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,280
do, you know, I mean, since I
became an adult, since I was
500
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,520
dating, since I chose the person
that's going to be my partner
501
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,760
and raising my family and the
and the way that I'm raising my
502
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:47,240
kids, I haven't had, I haven't
had to do anything.
503
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,400
I wanted to do anything I've
done and I've done everything
504
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,280
I've done because it was I, I
felt like it was right and I
505
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,880
felt like it was important and I
felt like it was real.
506
00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,960
Yeah.
And, and I think that's really
507
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,880
why, why, why perm is so
valuable to me is just because
508
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,840
of the way that the holiday is
observed, because of the way
509
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:10,920
that that what we the, the
holiday is intellectually given
510
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,920
over in that kind of sense with
the story and with that
511
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,400
storyline and with these ideas
that, and you know, we call
512
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:24,600
these ideas divertora, words of
Torah that come from different
513
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:26,920
ideas that tend to reflect on
what the potential spirit of the
514
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,880
holiday is.
And I think that these ideas
515
00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,320
exist to bring forward the idea
of the holiday and to emphasize
516
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,880
it.
But I actually want to get a
517
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,920
little bit into the story too,
because the story is a
518
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:42,480
fascinating, fascinating
combination of politics.
519
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,040
It's a religious story.
It's a story that about
520
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,120
philosophy.
It's a story about war.
521
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,200
It kind of embodies really,
really everything.
522
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:58,360
And there are different
personalities, prototypes, I
523
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,440
guess that we can call them.
And we're going to go over them
524
00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,240
pretty, pretty vaguely for now,
only because they're already
525
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:08,120
half an hour into the podcast.
And I like to cap these around
526
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:13,640
45 minutes to an hour.
But they're a bunch of different
527
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,600
characters and a lot of them are
very are very famous.
528
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:22,080
Esther the queen is very famous.
Esther the queen is a really,
529
00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,000
really interesting character
because she's the person that
530
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,120
goes through the actual growing
up in the story, and that's why
531
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,280
the story is named after McGill
at Ester is the story of Esther.
532
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,880
That's why the holiday is always
associated very, very strongly
533
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,480
with her.
The texts say that the only
534
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,760
reason why the holiday was
actually ever implemented and
535
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,680
why the story and why there's an
obligation to read the story
536
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,960
every year, the night of the
holiday and the day of the
537
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:52,360
holiday is because of Esther and
because she personally called
538
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,800
for it.
And she's the person that goes
539
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,520
through this growing up process
because Esther doesn't have
540
00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,920
parents.
Esther was born according to the
541
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:05,120
story.
Mordechai, who is the other
542
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,160
protagonist in the story and the
other sage leader, the kind of
543
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,400
figure, the the role that he
plays, the prototype role that
544
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:16,920
he plays is of educator and the
educator and teacher, really
545
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,200
spiritual leader.
He raises her.
546
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,880
There's a question and a debate
as to what his relationship with
547
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,680
her was.
He might have been her uncle.
548
00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:30,320
He could have been her husband.
He was definitely her caretaker.
549
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,240
And the story goes that he took
care that that that, that during
550
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,840
the exile from Jerusalem.
And the story takes place in
551
00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,400
Shushan, which is the capital,
which was the capital at the
552
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:47,880
time of Persia, modern day Iran.
And so we know how close Iran is
553
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,520
to Israel.
And then we know how how, how
554
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,440
ostensibly, you know, and I
mean, it's very easy for one
555
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,360
Kingdom to take place under one
rule at one point at that point.
556
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,800
And and so Jerusalem fell
Mordecai and Esther, the Jewish
557
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:08,720
people that fell to Akash
Virosh, who was these this this
558
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:14,360
king, a new king that
potentially vis a vis military
559
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:21,000
coup had risen to power in the
Persian Empire in rural the 127
560
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,840
provinces.
He was married to Nabukhanetzar,
561
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:32,520
who is a historical character,
Babylonian, I believe, king and
562
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,080
he is married to either her
grand, his grand Nabukhanetzar's
563
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,440
granddaughter or great
granddaughter.
564
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,360
And through some, so either
through military coup or through
565
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,880
coup or through marriage, this
new king is now to start the
566
00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,720
story in place.
So the story opens with Esther,
567
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:58,120
who is a orphan who is being
taken care of by a spiritual
568
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:02,320
leader from Jerusalem.
They were both banished from
569
00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:08,040
Jerusalem and ended up in the
capital city where a new king
570
00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:10,920
sits on in the ruling the
Persian Empire.
571
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,040
And this new king, not only was
he a new king, the actual
572
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:21,320
capital was a new capital.
And there is so many cool
573
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:28,920
political maneuvers that are
elaborated on in this story, the
574
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,760
whole story that, you know, even
though the story revolves around
575
00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,880
Esther, of course, Esther's not
really brought up until about
576
00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,960
halfway through the 2nd, 2nd,
2nd chapter.
577
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,840
And the whole first chapter is
really pretty much setting up
578
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,480
the stage and explaining how
Akashviros rules.
579
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,320
And he seems to be an enormously
populist type ruler.
580
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:54,719
He rules over 127 provinces, but
he does not kind of force any
581
00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,520
amalgamation of culture.
He allows every.
582
00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:03,480
He throws an enormous party for
180 days and goes out of his way
583
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,680
to basically say come with your
traditions, come with your
584
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,840
rules, come with your language,
come with whatever way that you
585
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,280
guys party and the way that you
guys live.
586
00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:17,720
I want you all to come the way
that you are to my new capital
587
00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:18,920
and we're all going to get to
know each other.
588
00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,720
We're all going to hang out for
180 days and party.
589
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,120
He seems incredibly so.
So that alone, you know, I mean,
590
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,440
when you want to exert power
over people, one of the things
591
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,480
that you do is you, I imagine,
make them want to be like you.
592
00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,720
And the things that could
potentially keep people from
593
00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:41,840
from from from breaking apart
from separating from you would
594
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,480
be in the things that you don't
understand about them or the
595
00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,320
ways that you guys are different
from one another.
596
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,200
So a lot of times if someone's
trying to roll over over another
597
00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,440
people, they force them to take
on their customs, their
598
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,160
language, their tradition, marry
their marry their women or their
599
00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,520
or intermarry into their into
their communities.
600
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:02,000
And part of the reason why is
because that way you guys are
601
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,800
going to completely.
Dominated by us?
602
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:10,440
But Akashvarish does not seem to
have any of those goals at the
603
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,920
moment.
Instead, he just seems happy
604
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,120
enough to just have everyone
like him.
605
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:21,480
And Akashvarish's prototype is
going to be the person that
606
00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:25,840
searches for power to the extent
that he ends up completely
607
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,840
losing any sense of self in
order to maintain his power and
608
00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:34,680
king and position of authority.
He actually ends up never having
609
00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:37,720
an identity.
And it's so fascinating because
610
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:45,720
a man that works so hard to be
king over such a huge collection
611
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:51,960
of countries, 127 provinces,
this entire middle, you know,
612
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:56,040
over I, I, I think, and, and it
says it's from Hodu, from from
613
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,600
Hodu to Kush.
And I don't know modern day, but
614
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,320
typically Kush is typically
northern Africa or northern
615
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,480
central Africa.
And, and Hodu is Turkey, which
616
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:08,720
is like the Middle East.
Generally speaking, that's
617
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:11,440
modern day.
I'm only guessing.
618
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,040
I have I'm not confirming this
for sure, but generally but but
619
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,240
but it gives you a general idea
that it was a pretty big Kingdom
620
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,880
that this guy was ruling one way
or the other and he didn't seem
621
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,240
and he seemed more focused on
people liking him.
622
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:33,560
And after all that, the stages
Khazal again debate about
623
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:38,640
whether the most about the most
primitive and fundamental
624
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,240
aspects of this guy.
Was this guy brilliant?
625
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,440
Was this guy a moron?
Was he evil?
626
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:49,640
Was he completely benevolent?
Did he ultimately hate Jews and
627
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:55,960
want to extinguish them with
Haman, who will get to, or was
628
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,640
he just a guy that was kind of
talked into it by one of his
629
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:02,640
political appointees?
And there's a lot of textual,
630
00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,920
there's a lot of textual
evidence to back up the fact
631
00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:09,120
that Akashviros, the king, when
he told Haman, who is the
632
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,520
antagonist of the story, that he
can go ahead and kill all the
633
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,640
Jews.
There's a lot of there's a lot
634
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,120
of text to back up the fact that
he may really not have known
635
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,160
that what he was actually
getting himself into.
636
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,560
For example, Hama doesn't ever
actually mention that the Jews
637
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,120
are the Jews.
He says that there is a nation
638
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,280
in your Kingdom that has their
own laws, that has their own
639
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,040
rules and seems to not really be
obeying your way of, of
640
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,800
thinking.
And so give me, you know, give
641
00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,680
me 10,000 coins, give me
$10,000, give me whatever amount
642
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:40,760
of money that it, you know, that
it would take.
643
00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,680
And I'll organize a task force
and I'll take care of it.
644
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,400
By the way, doesn't seem too
unreasonable, right?
645
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,440
I mean, Akashvirosh, especially
in the context again, of the
646
00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:52,200
first of the first chapter of
the story.
647
00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,520
So Akashvirosh, I'm sorry to go
back to it, is throwing this
648
00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,640
whole party.
And he wants and and, and and he
649
00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:03,120
feels as a new ruler, a little
insecure in his ability to in
650
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:07,520
his in, in his legitimacy, you
know, and, and, and really, hey,
651
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:09,280
am I really the king?
And so he says, you know what,
652
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,800
I'm going to go call my wife
Vashti, who is a guy in the
653
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,720
Vukhanetzar, the Babylonian
King's granddaughter, a great
654
00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:19,960
granddaughter.
And I'm going to emphasize, I'm
655
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,400
going to give a bring forward a
physical manifestation of my
656
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,480
link to the Kingdom.
But she does not want any part
657
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,560
of his party.
She does not want any part of
658
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,520
talking to him or participating
in this populist event.
659
00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:37,160
And she actually has her own
separate party, completely
660
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,200
separate from him and ignores
his request for her to join him.
661
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:45,600
And he gets so mad he doesn't
know what to do.
662
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,520
But he gets mad.
And he's granted he's been drunk
663
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:53,920
for half a year, granted he's
drunk for 180 days and and he
664
00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:57,640
doesn't know what to do.
So he calls a bunch of about a
665
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:02,720
half dozen or more advisors and
asked them what to do.
666
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,920
And already this is another
political, very politically
667
00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,560
interesting maneuver, right?
You're the new king who's trying
668
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:16,240
to establish his legitimacy.
The queen who is your Direct
669
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:19,840
Line to the legitimacy, just
said, I want nothing to do with
670
00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:22,520
you.
He calls forward one group of
671
00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,520
people.
Says what do I do?
672
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:34,240
Doesn't like your answer.
Actually, they say get rid of
673
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:36,640
her.
They say you got to get rid of
674
00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:42,680
her because right now you're
setting a precedent that people
675
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:45,280
won't be that, that that women
are going to talk back to the
676
00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,040
husbands, that women are not
going to value their husbands
677
00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,760
traditions and their values.
You got to get rid of her.
678
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,800
Got rid of her in this 100 in
this half a year long drunken
679
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,440
stupor, gets rid of to of his
home.
680
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,760
His only line to limit
legitimacy.
681
00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:07,400
Excuse me.
And once he wakes up from his
682
00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:13,080
probably unbearable hangover, he
realizes what he did and he goes
683
00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,800
nuts and he's like, what did I
do?
684
00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:19,440
And you know that he probably
wasn't happy with that original
685
00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:23,080
crew because he calls forward a
whole nother group of advisors
686
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,120
now.
But this time these are
687
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:27,760
advisors.
And the text emphasizes that
688
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:34,560
know the that know the laws of
oh, sorry, the first advisors
689
00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,920
knew the laws of of of Persia.
The second ones knew the law of
690
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,080
the times.
And he asked the second people,
691
00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:45,680
what do I do now?
And they say, listen, you
692
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,040
already got rid of her.
Looks terrible.
693
00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:50,600
Can't get you can't take her
back if she's alive.
694
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,640
If you killed her, there's no
going back anyway.
695
00:41:53,320 --> 00:42:00,440
You got to find yourself a new
queen, and that is Akashvaros
696
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,560
for now.
So the man, so just to establish
697
00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,720
the story, this man's, this man
is the man that does not that
698
00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:11,280
that does not want to give up
his power so much so that he is
699
00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,680
not that we cannot determine
whether he's smart or dumb, evil
700
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:23,440
or or or or incredibly moral.
We cannot determine he not he
701
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:30,040
can't determine what type of
advisors to get to answer the
702
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:35,160
question of his legitimacy.
Doesn't know how to go about
703
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:39,600
selecting a new wife.
Ends up having this enormous,
704
00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:44,120
massive, disgusting beauty
pageant.
705
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:49,200
Misogynistic.
I mean, complete this beauty
706
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:50,880
pageant.
These women would spend half a
707
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,240
year or more, I think between
half a year and a year,
708
00:42:54,560 --> 00:43:02,240
preparing, soaking in oils and
salts and perfumes and getting
709
00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:05,080
themselves ready to be with the
king for one day and one night.
710
00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:08,320
And if the king?
Decides that she's not going to
711
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:11,440
be his queen.
Then she's she's been with the
712
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,000
queen, with the king.
She's she's a special woman now
713
00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,480
and now she can't go back to her
husband, whether she was married
714
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,120
or not.
Now she can't go back to her
715
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,960
family now because she has now
she's property of the king.
716
00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:28,560
She gets locked away, excuse me,
for a whole life, for the rest
717
00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:31,160
of her life.
And this went on for years.
718
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,680
This went on for years and
until, until it came to Esther.
719
00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,560
We also have God's name missing
from the actual story.
720
00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:45,520
And so we have this constant
theme of like what makes a real
721
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:47,320
relationship or not.
And then we also have the same
722
00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:51,160
terminology that's used by the
So the holiday represents
723
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:55,320
actually accepting, you know,
God's Torah, God's Bible, God's
724
00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:58,680
word to us, God's commandments
and instructions and ways of
725
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:02,440
life.
And and it does and and and and
726
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,640
perim means it in a very
sophisticated sense.
727
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,480
It means in a very, very mature
sense, because it means that
728
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,920
you're growing up and me and and
it's what and what and part of
729
00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:18,240
what I think in the same theme
of that idea of growing up and
730
00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,320
choosing to do this way that you
want to do this and choosing to
731
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,240
have the tip as deep of a
relationship as you want to have
732
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:27,280
or not perms on a day that
requires that anyone does
733
00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:30,080
anything either, right.
I don't work on perm.
734
00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:32,800
I take off.
I don't answer the phone.
735
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:36,040
I don't deal with work calls.
I don't deal with customers.
736
00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:38,080
I'll tell customers that I'm
working that day.
737
00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,680
I'll tell them I'm so sorry I
have to call you back.
738
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,200
I'm not.
I'm out of the office today, but
739
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:51,000
I don't work and I try to treat
the day like a holiday even
740
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:56,400
though I don't have to and I'm
not doing anything that is
741
00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,200
required.
I don't say that I don't feel
742
00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:00,880
like I'm being better than
anyone else.
743
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,640
I'm not saying that I'm keeping
the holiday better than anyone
744
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:08,040
else.
But for me, I want the holiday
745
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:11,360
to reflect what I feel like my
relationship with God is, and
746
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:14,520
that is that it's not the bare
minimum.
747
00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,040
It's not the middle of the
ground.
748
00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:23,280
This is a hey, I never had to
do, you know, I mean, since I
749
00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:27,200
became an adult, since I was
dating, since I chose the person
750
00:45:27,200 --> 00:45:29,480
that's going to be my partner
and raising my family and the
751
00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:32,680
and the way that I'm raising my
kids, I haven't had, I haven't
752
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,360
had to do anything.
I wanted to do anything I've
753
00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,920
done and I've done everything
I've done because it was I I
754
00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:42,680
felt like it was right and I
felt like it was important and I
755
00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:44,680
felt like it was real.
Yeah.
756
00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:48,560
And, and I think that's really
why, why, why perm is so
757
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,120
valuable to me is just because
of the way that the holiday is
758
00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:55,160
observed, because of the way
that that what we the, the
759
00:45:55,160 --> 00:46:00,200
holiday is intellectually given
over in that kind of sense with
760
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:04,960
the story and with that
storyline and with these ideas
761
00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:08,240
that, and you know, we call
these ideas diver Torah, words
762
00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:12,040
of Torah that come from
different ideas that tend to
763
00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:14,160
reflect on what the potential
spirit of the holiday is.
764
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:17,600
And I think that these ideas
exist to bring forward the idea
765
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:19,120
of the holiday and to emphasize
it.
766
00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:21,840
But I actually want to get a
little bit into the story too,
767
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:26,080
because the story is a
fascinating, fascinating
768
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:31,080
combination of politics.
It's a religious story.
769
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:33,560
It's a story that about
philosophy.
770
00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:37,120
It's a story about war.
It kind of embodies really,
771
00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:41,440
really everything.
And there are different
772
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,200
personalities, prototypes, I
guess that we can call them.
773
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,960
And we're going to go over them
pretty, pretty vaguely for now,
774
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,480
only because they're already
half an hour into the podcast.
775
00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:56,040
And I like to cap these around
45 minutes to an hour.
776
00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:01,280
But they're a bunch of different
characters and a lot of them are
777
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,040
very are very famous.
Esther the queen is very famous.
778
00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:09,720
Esther the queen is a really,
really interesting character
779
00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:13,400
because she's the person that
goes through the actual growing
780
00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:15,480
up in the story.
And that's why the story is
781
00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:18,000
named after McGill at Ester is
the story of Ester.
782
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,600
That's why the holiday is always
associated very, very strongly
783
00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:25,200
with her.
The texts say that the only
784
00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:27,480
reason why the holiday was
actually ever implemented and
785
00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,400
why the story and why there's an
obligation to read the story
786
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,680
every year the night of the
holiday and the day of the
787
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:39,120
holiday is because of Esther and
because she personally called
788
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,560
for it.
And she's the person that goes
789
00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:44,240
through this growing up process
because Esther doesn't have
790
00:47:44,240 --> 00:47:47,560
parents.
Esther was born, according to
791
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:53,400
the story, Mordecai, who is the
other protagonist in the story
792
00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,760
and the other sage leader, the
kind of figure, the the role
793
00:47:56,760 --> 00:47:58,960
that he plays, the prototype
role that he plays is an
794
00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:04,080
educator and the educator and
teacher, really spiritual
795
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:06,880
leader.
He raises her.
796
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:11,560
There's a question and a debate
as to what his relationship with
797
00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:13,400
her was.
He might have been her uncle.
798
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,000
He could have been her husband.
He was definitely her caretaker.
799
00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,400
And the story goes that he took
care of that, that, that, that
800
00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:24,560
during the exile from Jerusalem.
And the story takes place in
801
00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,080
Shushan, which is the capital,
which was the capital at the
802
00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:34,480
time of Persia, modern day Iran.
And so we know how close our own
803
00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:39,200
is to Israel.
And we know how how, how
804
00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:43,160
ostensibly, you know, And I
mean, it's very easy for one
805
00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,080
Kingdom to take place under one
rule at one point at that point.
806
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:50,520
And and so Jerusalem fell,
Mordecai and Esther, the Jewish
807
00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:51,880
people that fell.
To.
808
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:57,960
Akashvirosh, Who was these this
this king, a new king that
809
00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:04,280
potentially vis A vis military
coup had risen to power in the
810
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:08,480
Persian Empire, enrolled 127
provinces.
811
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:14,200
He was married to Nabukhanetzar
who is a a historical character
812
00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:20,680
Babylonian I believe, king and
he is married to either her
813
00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:23,520
grand, his grand Nabukhaneto's
granddaughter or great
814
00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:27,320
granddaughter and through some.
So either through a military
815
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:29,560
coup or through coup or through
marriage.
816
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:34,640
This new king is now to start
the story in place.
817
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:41,120
So the story opens with Esther
who is a orphan who is being
818
00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:46,680
taken care of by a spiritual
leader from Jerusalem.
819
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:51,120
They were both banished from
Jerusalem and ended up in the
820
00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:56,800
capital city where a new king
sits on in the ruling the
821
00:49:56,800 --> 00:50:00,880
Persian Empire and his new king.
She's living, excuse me, in the
822
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:02,600
Kings, she's living with the
king.
823
00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,280
And during this time, a guy
named Haman comes along and
824
00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:11,600
Haman is indicative of the
prototype of a Malik.
825
00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:16,440
Whether it's by blood, whether
or not whether that is
826
00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:21,120
philosophically, I'm not sure.
I believe it's by maybe both,
827
00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:24,160
probably, but I'm not sure.
I don't, I, I'm not going to say
828
00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:27,680
one way or another for sure, but
he certainly embodies their
829
00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:33,720
philosophy.
And Malik, as far as we know
830
00:50:33,720 --> 00:50:38,680
today, does not exist.
It might exist as a philosophy,
831
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:45,560
might exist, exist as a concept.
And that concept is a concept of
832
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:48,040
it's, there's a couple of
different approaches.
833
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:53,600
It's a cynicism of a big picture
and greater meaning.
834
00:50:54,320 --> 00:51:04,320
And it's the desire for the most
pleasure and positive, the most
835
00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:08,320
that you can get out of out of
any particular given moment.
836
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:17,080
Adam's root, Amalek's roots come
from Adam, or Asaf, who is a
837
00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:20,960
biblical character.
Asaf was Jacob Yaakov's twin
838
00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:26,160
brother.
And there's actually a very
839
00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:35,440
interesting relationship there
because Jacob Yaakov embodies
840
00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:40,800
the spirit of making long term
decisions that even though in
841
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,760
the short term are really
painful, long term are really
842
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:49,120
beneficial.
And Asaf, his twin brother,
843
00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:59,000
hates that philosophy and spends
his life accumulating the most
844
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:03,120
power that he can grab in any
particular moment.
845
00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:11,440
And their philosophies actually
reach a philosophical head when
846
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:17,840
Ace of comes in hunting from the
field he was just out for after
847
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:23,680
a long day of hunting, Jacob
Yaakov is sitting hanging out at
848
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:25,240
the kitchen.
He just cooked up a meal just in
849
00:52:25,240 --> 00:52:27,120
the last couple hours.
Making a soup, which by
850
00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:30,720
definition requires a lot of
thought process and planning.
851
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:32,400
You have to let it sit for
several hours.
852
00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:33,960
You have to collect the
ingredients, cut them up.
853
00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:38,000
Soup.
You like soup that the soup is
854
00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:42,800
almost like the opposite of what
you do when you're starving.
855
00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:45,920
When you're starving, you grab
rice, you grab bread, you grab
856
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:49,520
some wheat, you grab some carbs.
You just shove whatever you want
857
00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:51,200
in your mouth.
Soup is something that you make
858
00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:53,800
when you're trying to be
intentional about something,
859
00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:56,960
when you are sick and you want
to recover, when you have a
860
00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:58,880
bunch of hours and you know that
you're going to that, that
861
00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:00,360
you're planning for something in
the long term.
862
00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:03,560
And Asaph sees Yaakov soup and
he wants it.
863
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:05,720
And Yaakov says, you can't have
it.
864
00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:06,840
You can.
I'll trade it to you.
865
00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,680
I'll trade it to you for the
first born for the first born,
866
00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:15,120
right?
And Asaph says, sure, what the
867
00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:19,480
and I'm starving.
I'm so hungry, I'm used to
868
00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,080
eating bread because I don't
really typically think long term
869
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:26,800
enough to ever make a soup.
And if I don't eat now, I'm
870
00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:29,640
going to die.
And if I die, then what's the
871
00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:33,880
point of even having a being the
eldest to being the the having
872
00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:37,160
the first born, right?
So, yeah, sure, go ahead and
873
00:53:37,160 --> 00:53:38,600
take it.
I, you know, I need it.
874
00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:44,440
And he gives it to him.
Fast forward a couple of 1000
875
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:54,960
years and you have Haman.
Now, Haman is extremely
876
00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:59,520
successful by every, almost
literally every measure I think
877
00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:02,800
that you could think about.
He has a big family.
878
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:07,800
He has a lot of kids.
He has an enormous amount of
879
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:10,280
political and financial wealth
and pull.
880
00:54:11,080 --> 00:54:15,480
He has an enormous amount of
respect, everyone.
881
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:18,560
It's part of the King's decree
that everyone that sees him, the
882
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,240
street has to bow to him and
treat him so socially.
883
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:25,640
He's above everyone else.
And Mordecai is the only person
884
00:54:25,640 --> 00:54:29,840
that based on like this
principle that he has, this
885
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:31,640
philosophy, this ideal that he
has.
886
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:34,440
I'm not, I don't bow down to
people and I just don't, I don't
887
00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:37,240
do it and I'm not into it.
You know, it's a little weird.
888
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,680
You, you seem like a little
power, like a, like a little
889
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:43,800
psychopathy and those a little
psycho, a little crazy.
890
00:54:45,200 --> 00:54:46,200
I'm not going to bow down to
you.
891
00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:52,720
And Haman comes home and it
tells his family everything that
892
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:58,400
I have is, is for nothing, means
absolutely nothing because
893
00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:00,040
Mordechai does not bow down to
me.
894
00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:10,800
I think that's human nature to a
certain extent too, I think.
895
00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:13,800
That.
Human nature, and this is
896
00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:16,120
actually a conversation that
comes up quite a bit when we
897
00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:19,920
talk about or we think about
what's going to happen when
898
00:55:19,920 --> 00:55:23,840
there's universal basic income,
or as Elon optimistically puts
899
00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:31,800
it, universal high income is
human beings on a very
900
00:55:31,800 --> 00:55:38,360
fundamental primitive level.
Don't know how to be happy with
901
00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:40,680
themselves?
We're comparative animals.
902
00:55:40,680 --> 00:55:42,680
We compare ourselves to other
people around us.
903
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:47,240
The way that we know we're happy
or that we're doing well is
904
00:55:47,240 --> 00:55:51,000
because someone else has it
worse, not because we feel good
905
00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:52,400
about what we have a lot of the
time.
906
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:56,400
And if you feel good about your
life or feel happy about things
907
00:55:57,120 --> 00:56:01,560
because someone else has it
worse and not because you're
908
00:56:01,560 --> 00:56:04,800
happy to have what you have,
then.
909
00:56:05,640 --> 00:56:08,840
I would.
Probably ask you to spend some
910
00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:11,200
time to think about that a
little bit and what that means.
911
00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:13,360
Just for you.
You know, and if it doesn't mean
912
00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:14,480
anything, then it doesn't mean
anything.
913
00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:17,440
And if it means something, then
then.
914
00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:20,240
Perhaps it will cause you to.
Make some changes, at least in
915
00:56:20,240 --> 00:56:27,280
the way that you think.
Haman represents the idea that
916
00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:35,560
as long as it doesn't even
matter what yesterday has,
917
00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:40,080
doesn't matter what tomorrow
holds, it doesn't matter what an
918
00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:45,600
hour what happened an hour ago.
If what happened right now makes
919
00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:51,480
me feel like I am not relatively
greater than everyone else
920
00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:56,560
around me, every single person
around me, then I just can't.
921
00:56:56,560 --> 00:56:57,800
Then nothing means anything to
me.
922
00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:05,360
I think that this, I think that
a lot of us hope, myself
923
00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:09,840
included, that this idea is a
lot more foreign than it might
924
00:57:09,840 --> 00:57:19,320
actually be.
And and that's OK, not OK
925
00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:22,160
because it's something to
become, to be accepting of.
926
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:28,040
I think that's OK because I
think that if you're on, if
927
00:57:28,040 --> 00:57:31,080
we're honest about with
ourselves, about where we are,
928
00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:35,920
and we're honest with ourselves
about why we feel the way we
929
00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:39,920
feel and we observe our what,
what motivates us and what
930
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:46,080
drives us in an honest way.
It gives us the ability to grow.
931
00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:50,560
Just like when we don't admit in
a conversation when someone says
932
00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:52,400
something, someone asks you, do
you know what this is?
933
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,600
Or do you know how that works?
And we're always tempted to say,
934
00:57:55,600 --> 00:57:57,240
yeah, we know.
Exactly how it works.
935
00:57:58,400 --> 00:58:01,000
And if we say and we say, yeah,
no one elaborates.
936
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:04,000
We never know how it works.
And if we say no, we risk
937
00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:05,680
feeling like an idiot.
But at least we can learn
938
00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:11,360
something new.
If we can never admit that we
939
00:58:11,360 --> 00:58:14,520
have that kind of side to us,
then we can never admit that we
940
00:58:14,520 --> 00:58:17,120
have to grow past it.
You can never admit that it's
941
00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:18,240
work.
We have to do that.
942
00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:20,160
That's that there.
That there is a way to that.
943
00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:23,400
There is a way to conquer that.
There is a way to conquer that
944
00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:28,600
perspective and that mentality.
I'm going to have to cut to the
945
00:58:28,600 --> 00:58:34,320
chase as far as Esther now.
And so the basic.
946
00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:37,600
So now again, we didn't get into
why Esther represents freedom
947
00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:40,560
yet, but we represent what we
talked about that she, the fact
948
00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:46,840
that she does, Haman represents
this idea, this cynicism, this
949
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:52,920
denial of a big picture meaning,
this desire for relative power
950
00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,680
and greatness over everyone else
around you to the point that you
951
00:58:55,680 --> 00:58:57,920
absolutely self destruct no
matter what you have.
952
00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,960
And this philosophy, and by the
way, hummus philosophy works for
953
00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:06,040
a while.
And the way you know it works
954
00:59:06,040 --> 00:59:09,160
for a while is because he was
really successful politically,
955
00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:12,600
financially, he was able to, he
was able to get married.
956
00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,320
He had a big family.
He was able to do all these
957
00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:16,440
things.
I mean again.
958
00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:22,960
It it did, that philosophy does
not necessarily automatically
959
00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,760
destroy you, but it will down
the line.
960
00:59:26,680 --> 00:59:31,560
It will eventually cause
eventually there's going to be
961
00:59:31,560 --> 00:59:34,760
someone that you were not
relatively better.
962
00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:40,440
That or eventually as time goes
on and we atrophy, we have to
963
00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:42,280
accept that we're not that,
that, that we're, that we're
964
00:59:42,280 --> 00:59:47,280
atrophy and, and we have to, and
then we can age with grace and
965
00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:56,840
then we can age and develop with
magnificence and splendor.
966
00:59:56,840 --> 00:59:59,280
We really can't.
And all you have to do is just
967
00:59:59,280 --> 01:00:01,600
accept that we are where we are
instead of holding ourselves
968
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:03,200
relative to everything else
around us.
969
01:00:06,560 --> 01:00:09,640
So.
Haman, in this fury that
970
01:00:09,640 --> 01:00:13,760
Mordecai is not bowing down to
him, encourages Akash Viros to
971
01:00:13,760 --> 01:00:19,240
kill the Jews again.
He might have swindled him into
972
01:00:19,240 --> 01:00:21,600
it.
He might have been outright with
973
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:22,640
it.
We don't know.
974
01:00:22,640 --> 01:00:24,680
That's actually part of the the
political part of it.
975
01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:27,920
That's part of the fun and
relatable part to today's world
976
01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:31,000
is that there's so much that
goes on to the story that we
977
01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:35,560
could only kind of like piece
together and explain like it's
978
01:00:35,560 --> 01:00:38,400
how this, this is the only way
it makes sense because there's
979
01:00:38,400 --> 01:00:41,520
no one that's going to confirm
nor deny that, you know, And you
980
01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:44,320
have a lot of current events
that are probably pretty similar
981
01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:51,760
in that kind of capacity.
And he convinces Akash Varos one
982
01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:53,400
way or another, to get rid of
the Jews.
983
01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:57,320
And Mordecai hears about this
degree again.
984
01:00:57,320 --> 01:00:59,240
He's one of the educated people.
He's one of the people that
985
01:00:59,240 --> 01:01:03,200
speaks 70 languages.
He probably he probably heard
986
01:01:03,200 --> 01:01:05,600
about this relatively faster.
Than most of the other people.
987
01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:09,920
And especially because it takes
time for word to spread to 127
988
01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:13,200
provinces.
He immediately opens up a
989
01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:18,400
correlation with Esther and
says, well actually, first he
990
01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:22,160
panics, he mourns, and then he
opens up a.
991
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:24,360
Correlation with Esther and says
you got to do something and
992
01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:32,120
Esther says I can't do anything
and Mordecai sends her a message
993
01:01:32,120 --> 01:01:34,720
that changes her and changes her
forever.
994
01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:38,280
I'm actually going to pause
while I go get it so I could
995
01:01:38,280 --> 01:01:39,400
find and I could quote it
directly.
996
01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:41,920
I don't want to make this up.
She's living, excuse me, in the
997
01:01:41,920 --> 01:01:43,640
Kings, she's living with the
king.
998
01:01:44,360 --> 01:01:49,640
And during this time a guy named
Haman comes along, and Haman is
999
01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:52,640
indicative.
Of the prototype of a Malik,
1000
01:01:54,440 --> 01:01:57,480
whether it's by blood, whether
or not whether that is
1001
01:01:57,480 --> 01:02:02,200
philosophically, I'm not sure.
I believe it's five, maybe both,
1002
01:02:02,200 --> 01:02:05,200
probably, but I'm not sure.
I don't I, I'm not going to say
1003
01:02:05,200 --> 01:02:08,760
one way or another for sure, but
he certainly embodies their
1004
01:02:08,760 --> 01:02:14,760
philosophy.
And Malik, as far as we know
1005
01:02:14,760 --> 01:02:19,720
today, does not exist.
It might exist as a philosophy,
1006
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:26,600
might exist, exist as a concept,
and that concept is a concept of
1007
01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:28,560
it's there.
There's a couple of different
1008
01:02:28,560 --> 01:02:32,280
approaches.
It's a cynicism of a big picture
1009
01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:40,800
and greater meaning, and it's
the desire for the most pleasure
1010
01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:48,120
and positive, the most that you
can get out of out of any
1011
01:02:48,120 --> 01:02:54,760
particular given moment.
Adam's root, Amalek's roots come
1012
01:02:54,760 --> 01:02:58,400
from.
Adam, or Asaf, who is a biblical
1013
01:02:58,400 --> 01:03:02,000
character.
Asaf was Jacob Yaakov's twin
1014
01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:10,160
brother, and there's actually a
very interesting relationship
1015
01:03:10,160 --> 01:03:18,320
there because Jacob Yaakov
embodies the spirit of making
1016
01:03:18,320 --> 01:03:22,960
long term decisions that even
though in the short term are
1017
01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:26,560
really painful, long term are
really beneficial.
1018
01:03:27,920 --> 01:03:35,640
And Asav, his twin brother,
hates that philosophy and spends
1019
01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:43,200
his life accumulating the most
power that he can grab in any
1020
01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:47,960
particular moment.
And their philosophies actually
1021
01:03:47,960 --> 01:03:56,120
reach a philosophical head when
Asav comes in hunting from the
1022
01:03:56,120 --> 01:04:01,040
field he was just out for after
a long day of hunting, Jacob
1023
01:04:01,040 --> 01:04:05,120
Yaakov is sitting hanging out at
the kitchen.
1024
01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:06,960
He just cooked up a meal just in
the last couple hours.
1025
01:04:06,960 --> 01:04:10,520
Making a soup, which by
definition requires a lot of
1026
01:04:10,520 --> 01:04:12,640
thought process and planning.
You have to let it sit for
1027
01:04:12,640 --> 01:04:14,040
several hours.
You have to collect the
1028
01:04:14,040 --> 01:04:17,400
ingredients, cut them up.
Soup.
1029
01:04:17,480 --> 01:04:21,800
You like soup that the soup is
almost like the opposite of what
1030
01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:25,440
you do when you're starving.
When you're starving, you grab
1031
01:04:25,440 --> 01:04:28,960
rice, you grab bread, you grab
some wheat, you grab some carbs,
1032
01:04:29,320 --> 01:04:30,920
you just shove whatever you want
in your mouth.
1033
01:04:30,920 --> 01:04:33,160
Soup is something that you make
when you're trying to be
1034
01:04:33,160 --> 01:04:37,080
intentional about something,
when you are sick and you want
1035
01:04:37,080 --> 01:04:39,160
to recover, when you have a
bunch of hours and you know that
1036
01:04:39,160 --> 01:04:40,880
you're going to that, that
you're planning for something in
1037
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:44,000
the long term.
And Asaph sees Yaakov soup and
1038
01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:46,600
he wants it.
And Yaakov says you can't have
1039
01:04:46,600 --> 01:04:47,880
it you.
I'll trade it to you.
1040
01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:51,720
I'll trade it to you for the
first born for the first born,
1041
01:04:51,720 --> 01:04:54,760
Right.
And he subsides.
1042
01:04:55,160 --> 01:04:57,520
Sure.
What the and I'm starving.
1043
01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:01,240
I'm so hungry.
I'm used to eating bread because
1044
01:05:01,240 --> 01:05:04,320
I don't really typically think
long term enough to ever make a
1045
01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:07,840
soup.
And if I don't eat now, I'm
1046
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:10,680
going to die.
And if I die, then what's the
1047
01:05:10,680 --> 01:05:14,920
point of even having a being the
eldest to being the the having
1048
01:05:14,920 --> 01:05:18,200
the first born, right?
So, yeah, sure, go ahead and
1049
01:05:18,200 --> 01:05:19,640
take it.
I, you know, I need it.
1050
01:05:20,800 --> 01:05:25,440
And he gives it to him.
Fast forward a couple of 1000
1051
01:05:25,440 --> 01:05:36,000
years and you have Haman.
Now, Haman is extremely
1052
01:05:36,000 --> 01:05:40,560
successful by every, almost
literally every measure I think
1053
01:05:40,560 --> 01:05:43,840
that you could think about.
He has a big family.
1054
01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,840
He has a lot of kids.
He has an enormous amount of
1055
01:05:48,840 --> 01:05:51,320
political and financial.
Wealth and pull.
1056
01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:56,560
He has an enormous amount of
respect, everyone.
1057
01:05:56,800 --> 01:05:59,600
It's part of the King's decree
that everyone that sees him, the
1058
01:05:59,600 --> 01:06:02,280
street has to bow to him and
treat him so socially.
1059
01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:06,680
He's above everyone else.
And Mordecai is the only person
1060
01:06:06,680 --> 01:06:10,880
that based on like this
principle that he has, this
1061
01:06:10,880 --> 01:06:12,680
philosophy, this ideal that he
has.
1062
01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:15,480
I'm not, I don't bow down to
people and I just don't, I don't
1063
01:06:15,480 --> 01:06:17,600
do it.
And I'm not into, you know, it's
1064
01:06:17,600 --> 01:06:20,440
a little weird.
You, you, you seem like a little
1065
01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:23,680
power, like a, like a little
psychopathy, little, a little
1066
01:06:23,680 --> 01:06:27,120
sicko, a little crazy.
I'm not going to bow down to
1067
01:06:27,120 --> 01:06:31,560
you.
And Haman comes home and it
1068
01:06:31,560 --> 01:06:34,440
tells his family everything.
That I have.
1069
01:06:34,800 --> 01:06:39,480
Is is for nothing means
absolutely nothing because
1070
01:06:39,480 --> 01:06:41,080
Mordechai does not bow down to
me.
1071
01:06:47,360 --> 01:06:50,400
I think that's human nature to a
certain extent too.
1072
01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:54,880
I think that.
Human nature, and this is
1073
01:06:54,880 --> 01:06:57,200
actually a conversation that
comes up quite a bit when we
1074
01:06:57,200 --> 01:07:00,960
talk about or we think about
what's going to happen when
1075
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:04,920
there's universal basic income,
or as Elon optimistically puts
1076
01:07:04,920 --> 01:07:12,840
it, universal high income is
human beings on a very
1077
01:07:12,840 --> 01:07:19,400
fundamental primitive level.
Don't know how to be happy with
1078
01:07:19,400 --> 01:07:21,720
themselves?
We're comparative animals.
1079
01:07:21,720 --> 01:07:23,720
We compare ourselves to other
people around us.
1080
01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:28,320
The way that we know we're happy
or that we're doing well is
1081
01:07:28,320 --> 01:07:32,040
because someone else has it
worse, not because we feel good
1082
01:07:32,040 --> 01:07:33,440
about what we have a lot of the
time.
1083
01:07:34,120 --> 01:07:37,440
And if you feel good about your
life or feel happy about things
1084
01:07:38,160 --> 01:07:42,640
because someone else has it
worse and not because you're
1085
01:07:42,640 --> 01:07:49,360
happy to have what you have,
then I would probably ask you to
1086
01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:51,720
spend some time to think about
that a little bit and what that
1087
01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:53,000
means.
Just for you.
1088
01:07:53,000 --> 01:07:54,360
You.
Know and if it doesn't mean
1089
01:07:54,400 --> 01:07:55,520
anything, then it doesn't mean
anything.
1090
01:07:55,520 --> 01:07:58,480
And if it means something, then
then.
1091
01:07:58,600 --> 01:08:01,280
Perhaps it will cause you to.
Make some changes, at least in
1092
01:08:01,280 --> 01:08:08,320
the way that you think.
Haman represents the idea that
1093
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:16,600
as long as it doesn't even
matter what yesterday has,
1094
01:08:17,120 --> 01:08:21,120
doesn't matter what tomorrow
holds, it doesn't matter what an
1095
01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:26,640
hour, what happened an hour ago,
if what happened right now makes
1096
01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:32,520
me feel like I am not relatively
greater than everyone else
1097
01:08:32,520 --> 01:08:32,880
around.
00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,000
Welcome to another episode of
Come Together.
2
00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,080
We are back another episode.
Crazy day.
3
00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:23,200
It is Monday, March 2nd.
War broke out over the weekend.
4
00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,360
It feels like there has been
non-stop news to just keep track
5
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:37,120
of and be terrified of God and
just, you know, I mean, like you
6
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,640
really got to just at a certain
point just put your phone,
7
00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,240
social media aside and just it's
too overwhelming.
8
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:46,640
It's too much.
We're not meant for it.
9
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,520
We're not meant for it.
It's too much, man.
10
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,920
It's way too much.
Yeah, we, we have Perm coming up
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00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,920
and I want to talk about Perm
because Perm is actually one of
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my favorite philosophically.
It's my favorite.
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00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,080
It's probably my favorite Jewish
holiday and my favorite day of
14
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,000
the year.
And I think I, I mean, I, I've
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00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,640
been doing the podcast for a
year and a half now, almost two
16
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,560
years.
And I believe I spoke about it
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00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,120
in passing a little bit and I
kind of wanted to give it a
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little bit more attention.
But I did want to also give a
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00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:21,720
couple of of a couple of
disclaimers and I think
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00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,400
important ones, which is that
I'm just me.
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00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,520
I'm just a dude that loves his
stuff.
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00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,520
And I've been learning this my
whole life.
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00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,120
Does not mean I am an expert on
it does I mean I know it
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00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,520
backwards and forward a lot of
times, lots of times in my
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00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,640
experience, my I thought I knew
something and it turns out that
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00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,720
I had just often reviewed my
very fundamental or superficial
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00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,000
understanding of it, my very
youthful understanding of a lot
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00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:57,400
of biblical stories, Torah
stories, Jewish holidays and
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00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,280
history, reality, whatever.
I mean, I'm just finding out
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00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,040
more and more that the more I
read and the more I learn and,
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00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,520
you know, even though I think I
know something I don't really,
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00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:11,960
so I want to.
Just begin by saying even before
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00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,280
I talk about anything with the
holiday at all, that whatever
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00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:20,000
I'm saying, the I guess the
premise will be grounded.
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00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,560
In material where I will
speculate, I will say that I'm
36
00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,880
speculating where I am saying
that this is something that I
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00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,120
thought of or came up with or
put the dots together to.
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00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:37,120
That is also it's something I'm
going to say and something that
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00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,040
you definitely do not need to
consider, even if and you know,
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00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,600
if it's interesting to you.
The whole goal of this is really
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00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,560
just to make just to make us
think a little bit, just to open
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00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,400
our minds a little bit.
And whether we choose to accept
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00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,640
or accept this information,
information or these thoughts or
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00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:59,720
not is totally up to you.
Oh man, where to begin.
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00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,200
So Perm is a relatively obscure
Jewish holiday.
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00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,320
It is one the one one of the
reasons why it's so obscure is
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00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,560
actually, in my opinion, one of
the reasons why I like it the
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most.
Perm is perm along with
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00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,040
Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is the Jewish is it is
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00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,680
it rabbinically decreed Jewish
holiday.
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00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,520
That does not mean that it's not
a holiday.
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00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,880
That's not mean it's not real.
It is rabbinically decreed and
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00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,080
there are not a lot not there
are not lots of rabbinically
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decreed holidays in general and
nor are there many that last
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00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,960
until today.
And, and, and we say, and, you
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know, and, and, and there are
Jewish commentators, Khazal,
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00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,120
what I'll refer to them as.
Which were which?
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00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:48,960
Is an acronym actually.
For.
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00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,160
Khazal stands for Hakamim are
are wise ones.
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00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,840
The the the the wise leaders
Zika namala Vacha should be
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00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:02,080
remembered in memory.
So just some context there.
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That's so this so these are
talking about the sages, the
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00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,880
early stages that had been the
early receivers of a lot of
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00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,680
these ideals are actually many
times, especially with the perm
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00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,680
contest context and story may or
may not have actually been alive
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00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,440
around that time period
themselves, just a generation or
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00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,160
two removed.
Which is really interesting
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because the Perm story takes
place at the destruction towards
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the sorry, towards the end of
the first exile of Jerusalem,
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right before the second one.
And actually the Perm story
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00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,800
leads directly into the Second
Temple time period, which I
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00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,520
believe was in the year 70, but
or maybe it was destroyed in the
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00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,600
year 70, but again, not
positive.
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00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:51,200
I have to check that anyway.
The point is.
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That there are a lot of leaders,
a lot of thoughts.
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00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,960
There's a lot of opinions on
what the story on, on, on the on
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00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,360
the holiday.
But one thing that's interesting
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00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,640
about the holiday is that there
doesn't seem to be many
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00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,920
prerequisites.
Typically speaking, in a lot of
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00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,560
Jewish holidays, which is very
popular in pop culture or at
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00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,080
least relatively commonly known
throughout the country that
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00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,240
there's there's several
holidays.
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00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,320
Shabbat is one of them.
Shomer Shabbos, Big Lebowski,
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00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,280
all these fun.
Different cultural references
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00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:25,800
where you don't use electricity,
you don't work, you don't do
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00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,960
what's called malacha, which is
extraneous effort or or creative
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00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,440
acts.
And then there's different
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00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,120
degrees of nuance based on the
holidays.
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00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:40,000
But that's why Jews will often
be walking in the streets on
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00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,840
holidays.
That's why on Saturdays, that's
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00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:44,320
why they won't be getting in the
car.
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00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,680
That's why if anyone ever asked
you, I've had a conversation
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00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,720
with people that are like, why
do people ask me to come in and
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00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,960
turn off the AC or turn on the
oven or something like that?
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00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,360
And part of the reason why is
because it's one of the holidays
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00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:02,720
that we don't do anything or
most a lot of things.
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00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,080
There's a whole bunch of there's
actually.
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00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,960
I mean, the truth is that as far
as what you're allowed to and
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00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,840
not allowed to do is extremely,
extremely complicated and
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00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:15,160
extremely, extremely nuanced.
And it's not anything that I'm
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00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,280
even close to an expert on,
which is the value of having to
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00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:21,720
have a spiritual leader or a
rabbi in your life, is that a
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lot of the material is just
really complicated and nuanced
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for an everyday person to pick
up and figure out by themselves.
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00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,440
Sometimes you can, but I'm
definitely not confident enough
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00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:40,040
myself that I feel like I could
just determine exactly what the
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00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,640
nuance is for myself.
I hope I'm not rambling.
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00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,480
I'm getting to the point, which
is that perm doesn't seem to
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00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,080
have a lot of prerequisites.
Same thing with Hanukkah, right?
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00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,160
You think about the your
association with the days are
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00:06:53,160 --> 00:07:02,800
typically candles, typically
with doughnuts or latkes, the
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00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:05,200
the fried potatoes or with
Purim.
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00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,560
It's kind of dress up and you
read from a scroll and there's a
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00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,160
lot of drinking going on and
there's a lot of costumes going
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00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,360
on.
And but there doesn't seem to be
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00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:22,040
on any kind of real formal
religious behavior necessarily
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00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,960
associated with it, especially
typically the behaviors that are
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00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:33,280
typical in Jewish holidays.
So one of the reasons why is the
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00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,920
same reason I mentioned earlier
that it's rabbinically decreed
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00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,280
holiday.
And the rabbi's or the sages
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00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,960
that would have decreed it may
not have been comfortable being
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00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,760
giving us commandments like God
would and telling us, hey, you
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00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,680
know, don't do this, don't do
that.
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00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,680
Instead, what you could do is,
hey, this is a day that
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00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,640
ordinarily might be an ordinary
day, but let's do XY and Z
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00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,360
particular things to actually
elevate the day.
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00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,680
We can't tell you what not to
do, but we could tell you extra
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00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,640
things to do to make it special
and to to make it mean something
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to you.
And that actually kind of gets
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00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,800
down to the first point.
So perm to me is the holiday of
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freedom.
And I'm going to explain exactly
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00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,560
what that means because pay sock
or Passover is typically
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associated with freedom.
And it is, I don't, I don't mean
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00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,120
to take that away, but this is a
little bit more philosophical
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00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:30,400
freedom and this is a little bit
more what I would call relevant
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00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,960
to today's world.
And the sages actually say that
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00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:40,559
the perm is the holiday that is
the light of the dawn of the
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time without miracles.
I think I've said this before,
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00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,960
and if I have, I apologize.
But what that means is right
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00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,320
like that, that, that, that
until the perm story.
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00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,000
And actually there's many
different examples in different
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00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:56,240
Talmudic sources for stories
about people that were alive for
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00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,360
the first Temple and the second
one and the one.
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00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,000
And, and when they saw this, the
second temple being constructed,
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00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:06,640
they were crying because it was
just so mundane relative to the
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00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,160
beauty and the magnificence and,
and the godliness of the first
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one.
And there's actually something
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00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:20,320
to that, that the idea on the
holiday of the poem embodies.
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When we believe that, you know,
we believe that, you know, we
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00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,160
have individual identities,
obviously, and then we have
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00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,960
national identities and we have
individual stories where I could
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00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:36,240
experienced something in my
life.
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00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,840
High school, for example, was
really difficult.
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00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,800
Or towards the end of high
school, beginning of college, I
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00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:44,160
was really not confident to
myself.
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00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,960
I was really unsure of myself.
I would generally depend on
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00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,760
other people to validate me
rather than me validating
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00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,360
myself.
And actually, it's funny, I went
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00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,960
to an event this weekend that I
saw a lot of people from that
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time period of my life and it
really, really threw me through
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00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:08,400
emotional loop, especially
because it was a drinking beer
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00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,880
pong type of event.
So I so alcohol, I'm sure just
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00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:20,040
blunts that kind of experience.
But my point being that I have,
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00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,360
you know, that, that, that was a
particular part of my life that
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I can't say I was.
I, I, looking back, I was
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00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,960
particularly fond of, I don't
think I was, I was actually
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00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,320
very, very happy senior year of
high school, you know, my year
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00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,600
abroad, my year in Israel and,
and my, in the, in the beginning
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00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,720
of my college experience, I
would tell you I was very happy.
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00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,920
I recall those experiences very
fondly.
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00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,680
But where I am today relative to
where I was, I, I sense that I'm
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00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:49,960
an evolved person.
I, I sense that I'm a more
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mature and sophisticated and
responsible and dependable
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00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,960
person and more with the, with
the sense of self, more the
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00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,320
sense of awareness of who I am
and not necessarily needing
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00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,840
other people to validate what
I'm doing or who or the way I'm
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00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,120
doing it in order for me to be
confident in the way that I'm
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00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,080
pursuing what I think is
valuable.
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00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,760
Then I have those moments in my
early 20s, early to mid 20s
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where I was living in Seattle
and I really didn't know what my
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00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:21,480
life was going to end up looking
like.
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00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,920
And I was trying to make a lot
of big decisions that the
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00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,080
consequences were going to be
enormous, like who I'm going to
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00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,200
marry, where I'm going to move,
what kind of family do I want to
185
00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:33,760
raise?
What kind of community do I want
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00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,280
to surround myself with?
To what, how, how, how strict,
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00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,880
how strictly observant or
religious should I be?
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A lot of these questions come up
in your mid 20s because a lot of
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00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,920
these questions in this
particular point in your life
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00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,840
meet, you know, mean something
and, and, and the decisions you
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00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,160
make based on these ideas impact
our futures.
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00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:01,280
They really do.
And there are, and there comes a
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00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,520
time, I think in really
everyone's life.
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00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,480
And actually, I have a very good
friend of a very close friend
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00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,000
going through this right now.
I'm going to keep everything
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00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,040
completely anonymous except for
the fact that his father's I'll
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00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,120
at the moment.
And I was talking to my mom and
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00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,840
my mom had lost both of her
parents, has lost both of her
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00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,840
parents already.
She lost her brother.
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00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,920
And you know, one thing that I
was saying was there's always
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00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,720
this dynamic, I feel like in
life and part of the reason why
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00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:30,840
it's take why.
I mean, there's a million
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00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,280
reasons.
Of course, I'm sure that it's
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00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,040
hard to my hard to my friend.
I'm sure one of the
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00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,480
psychological reasons why is
because, you know, even though
206
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:42,080
I'm an adult and even though I'm
a 30 year old working man with
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00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:47,160
kids and a wife and a home, I
don't look at myself like that.
208
00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:48,840
I look like I, I, I'm still a
kid.
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00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:50,840
Like, I, I talk to my, I work
with my dad.
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00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,480
I talk to my dad 100 times a
day.
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00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:57,240
I count on my mom for, for
advice and for our relationship.
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00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,120
And I'm extremely, extremely
close with her.
213
00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,480
And like, I look at myself like
a kid still, you know, and, but
214
00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,800
I don't know that a certain, I
don't want to face this.
215
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:11,840
And the day that this happens is
going to be an extremely,
216
00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:16,360
extremely painful one and one
that I can't even really think
217
00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,280
about.
But there's going to be a day
218
00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,080
where I'm not going to be able
to say that I'm a kid anymore,
219
00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,720
that I, you know, that I'm a kid
to parents now like that.
220
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,320
That's not going to be a
relationship that that manifests
221
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,120
in my life.
And instead, and there's a
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00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,480
comfort to being a kid and
there's a comfort to knowing
223
00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,960
that I could call a dad, I could
call a mom, I could call, you
224
00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,160
know, my friend to send me a
meme.
225
00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,480
And it was, you know, when
you're in stealing and you're in
226
00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,040
debt, you know, and you're just
hoping that this dead uncle
227
00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,440
somewhere that just, you know,
that, that, that, that you, that
228
00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,760
the, you know, the government's
looking to pass on his, his
229
00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,880
estate to you.
There's something comforting
230
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,800
about having that safety, that
safety net of being a kid.
231
00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,680
And there's something extremely,
extremely scary and extremely
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uncomfortable and extremely
unpleasant about losing that.
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And then you could, you know,
and, and, and this doesn't
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necessarily even mean, you know,
financial, this could, I mean,
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this is emotional.
This is just knowing that
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you're, you know, I think that
as long as people have parents
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alive, they kind of have a hope
that the parents are going to
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take care of them.
I think it's just so
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00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,520
biologically and evolutionarily
deep and so foundational.
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00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,440
I don't think that I can't, I, I
think that as, as long as a
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00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,880
parent, a kid has a parent
alive, there's a hope that they
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00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:37,880
could still be a kid, you know,
and the reason why and, and this
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00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:42,440
and this whole entire thing is
the metaphor, what I like to say
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00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:47,240
for what could also happen on a
national level, right?
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America, for example, is a very,
very young country.
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00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,000
And we're going to, you know,
and, and, and relative to
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00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,360
Europe, relative to Asia,
relative to Africa, relative to
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00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:02,160
South America, you know, I mean,
the, the American culture, the
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00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,000
American country, the American
establishment is very, very,
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00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,320
very young.
Only, you know, 250 years old
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is, is nothing is a drop in the
bucket, you know, and so we're
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00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,760
taking time.
We got to figure out this whole
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00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,480
democracy thing, this whole
freedom thing, this whole having
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00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,120
such a huge country with such
enormous influence in the way to
255
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,960
balance everything.
It takes time to do this and
256
00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,840
it's a growing process and it's
painful and it's just as painful
257
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:36,640
as all the unpainful,
unpleasant, you know, high
258
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school, growing up, coming of
age experiences that you've ever
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00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,120
had in your entire life that
I've ever had in my entire life.
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00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,960
We're going through this on a
national level because that's
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00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,760
what happens.
You know, I mean that that
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00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,720
because we're because we're a
country going through, you know,
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00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,320
going through the growing up
process.
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00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,640
And this, the perm story is
actually a story of a nation
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00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,080
that goes through this process
as well and individuals that go
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00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,080
through this process.
And it's really a story of be of
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00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:11,000
the fruit kind of blossoming and
then becoming mature enough that
268
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,440
it is now.
No, it's, it's no longer able to
269
00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,920
be supported by the tree and it
falls off.
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00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,200
And that's the perm story.
It's a really, really
271
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:22,560
interesting.
And that, that that's just your
272
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,920
metaphor, of course, but that's
really, but that, that's really
273
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,400
what the story's about.
Because and I, I love this
274
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:29,880
argument.
I love this conversation in
275
00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640
general.
I love the philosophy talk.
276
00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,040
I love the conversations about
God and whether or not he exists
277
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,600
and how you can prove or not
prove it.
278
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,160
And, and what is provable and
what is not provable.
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00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:40,920
And, and, and, and, and it's
fun.
280
00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,880
I honestly like it's, you know,
I don't know how much it
281
00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,440
dictates how much my behavior
changes, but it's a lot of fun
282
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,720
to think about.
And then of course, I do think
283
00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,160
that when certain ideas
culminate and really build up,
284
00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,360
and especially when they have
time to sit and settle in our
285
00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,680
heads and in our in our
consciousnesses and
286
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,680
subconsciousness for long
enough, it really does lead
287
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,240
inevitably to change and
hopefully good change.
288
00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:13,680
You hope so philosophically,
just for a minute, that this was
289
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,480
all kind of background to the
context of the poem story, which
290
00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,920
is that we have this first
temple, like I mentioned, which
291
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,200
seems to be full of open
miracles, God's glory.
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00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:29,520
And for some reason, whatever
reason that it is, the Jewish
293
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:35,320
people do not maintain their
moral ways and their
294
00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,280
relationship to God and their
relationship to the values that
295
00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,640
God encouraged the Jewish people
to pursue vis a vis the Torah
296
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,600
and the Bible.
The the five books of Moses and
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00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,280
those are just categories and
extensions, obviously include
298
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:55,080
the Talmud and everything else.
And you can really make a very
299
00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:02,000
strong argument.
I would say that when God, you
300
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,040
know, when God, if every, if
every time that anyone did
301
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:09,760
something wrong, everyone was
struck down by a lightning bolt,
302
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,200
you got, you get an
authoritarian God, you got, you
303
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:21,800
got this, you got this Palantir
minority report person existence
304
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,800
being where everyone is kind of
afraid to do anything wrong
305
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,800
because if they do anything
wrong and they're going to get
306
00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,600
struck down by God's hand.
And God's, you know, and, and,
307
00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,400
and, and lightning is coming out
of the sky and you're bringing
308
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,680
these, you know, these
sacrifices and these animals
309
00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,480
that represent different aspects
of, of, of our animalistic
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00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,520
behaviors that we, that we're
trying to rectify and we're
311
00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,800
sacrificing, we're trying to
burn and to get rid of
312
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,960
particular animalistic traits
and replace them with something
313
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,640
more spiritual and something
more group consciousness
314
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,280
oriented, which is the root of a
lot of the korbanot, which are
315
00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:04,480
the sacrifices that are brought.
It's hard to say that all that
316
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:10,320
could be done completely of free
will and in a completely
317
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,040
wholesome way because it's not
being done wholesome.
318
00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,360
You're being, you know, you got
miracles going on around you.
319
00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,560
You got things going on that are
far beyond your control.
320
00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,080
You feel like if you step out of
line, you're, you know, the big
321
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,840
man is going to come get you.
And while people, while that
322
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,000
might encourage people to
behave, we certainly can't say
323
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,200
that that's free.
That's a free society.
324
00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,720
That's a free world.
You know, that's the that's the
325
00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:40,960
issue that we're that that's the
issue that we're really dealing
326
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,840
with today.
And I mean, we're talking about,
327
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,680
we're talking about the idea of,
and you know, we have this right
328
00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,920
now in happening in China.
It's actually being taken from
329
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,200
an idea into practice.
And it's been going on for many,
330
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,120
many years now, this idea of
social credit scores, the idea
331
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,760
of mass surveillance in order to
uphold the laws and to maintain
332
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,960
order and.
People know that they have to
333
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,160
behave because if not Big
Brother's watching, and while
334
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:16,240
that is safe, that's not free.
Purim is the story, is the
335
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:22,920
holiday that represents God
saying, you know what, you guys,
336
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,120
if you guys really want to have
a real relationship with me,
337
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,840
then I can't be so imposing on
you.
338
00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:36,160
Then I can't be there breathing
down your neck every single time
339
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,400
that you think that you want to
do something right or you want
340
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,160
to do something wrong and you're
not sure what to do.
341
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,560
And then you and then, and then
you turn around and you see me
342
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,160
right there or then like a
little, a little ball of fire or
343
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,440
just sizzle up next to you and
you'll be like, OK, OK, I know
344
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,640
the right thing I'm going to do.
And God understood.
345
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:54,160
And God and God told us in the
perm story, not actually told
346
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:55,400
us.
He did not actually literally
347
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,560
tell us this.
But this is what I deduce from
348
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,360
the fact that miracles stop
happening and that we call that
349
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:10,400
and that their sages call that a
golden age God saying I'm giving
350
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,480
you the freedom to choose to see
me and to participate with me
351
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,360
and to participate in my way of
life or not.
352
00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:23,080
And the way that I know that you
know that I that that I exist
353
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,800
and that you know that I'm real
and that you want something to
354
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:31,200
do with me is if you in an
entire world where all of God's
355
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:36,480
existence could be denied, in an
entire society that is telling
356
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,400
us over and over and over again
that there's no way that God's
357
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:40,760
real and there's no way that God
exists.
358
00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:41,400
And you can't.
Never.
359
00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,080
Prove it.
All you got to do is.
360
00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,600
You got to just open your eyes
and you open your heart a little
361
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,360
bit and you'll see me.
You'll see me everywhere.
362
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,880
And, and this is actually an
enormous, this is actual textual
363
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,480
theme.
There's a literary theme in the
364
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,040
Megillah as well, which is the
Megillah.
365
00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:00,080
I'm sorry, is Hebrew for the
story the, the, the story or the
366
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:05,400
scroll, Miguel Esther is the
scroll of Esther, the telling of
367
00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,320
Esther, the story, you know, the
what's it called?
368
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:17,200
The not fairy tale, but the
story of Esther and God's name
369
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,680
is not mentioned in that story
one time.
370
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,320
It's obvious that God
participates in it, or it's kind
371
00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:27,840
of obvious.
It's obvious to the people that
372
00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,720
want to see him in it.
And it's obvious by the Jewish
373
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:37,560
people's reaction in the story
that they see God in it because
374
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,280
they say because, because after
the whole story takes place
375
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,640
towards the end of the counting
of the actual magilla.
376
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,480
And I'm just going to refer to
as the magilla for context, by
377
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,080
the way, because I'm not going
back and forth to all these
378
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,640
terms.
If I talk about Megillah, it
379
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,840
just means the actual whole
story of Esther in the text.
380
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,600
Towards the end of the actual
text, there's passages about how
381
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:08,480
the Jews were decided to receive
and take upon themselves God.
382
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,720
And they use the same
terminology as when the Jews
383
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,760
accepted the original 10
commandments and the original
384
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,880
Torah, Bible Torah at Harcenai
at Mount Sinai.
385
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,000
He uses the same language.
So the sages draw a parable,
386
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,520
they say, just like over there,
the first time we were that the
387
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,920
Jewish people accepted God's
word and accepted responsibility
388
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,360
of the life of additional
responsibility and moral weight.
389
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,160
The Jews accepted it also on the
Perm story, at the Perm story.
390
00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:46,120
But we did it in a new way.
We did it in a world that didn't
391
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:47,960
have miracles.
We did it in a world where we
392
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,480
didn't feel like we were coerced
into it, where we didn't feel
393
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:54,160
like we absolutely had to.
Because if we didn't do it, Big
394
00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,720
Brother was going to come.
The big guy in the sky was going
395
00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:58,960
to get mad.
We participate in it because we
396
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,720
actually, we God pulled himself
back and even though he pulled
397
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,320
himself back, we still found
him.
398
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,320
And we said, that's the kind of
relationship we want.
399
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,040
And I mean, I think that like
this, that, you know, even you,
400
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,520
I mean, you might laugh and you
might scoff and you, and this
401
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,720
might not be a good enough idea.
I would, you know, and I
402
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,040
totally, totally hear you, but
think for yourself to think to
403
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,720
yourself why we don't like to be
pushed or forced into
404
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,000
relationships with people and
why we want, we like to pick our
405
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,360
own friends.
Why we treat our friends better
406
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:33,760
than we treat our family, who we
know that we have to have a
407
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,040
relationship with, who we know
that like, like the way I treat
408
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,760
a lot of my friends is a heck of
a lot better.
409
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,280
The way that I treat my sisters
and brothers, my biology, my, my
410
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,360
immediate siblings.
And part of the reason why is
411
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:47,600
because I know at the end of the
day that if I don't talk to my
412
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,760
brother for a month and then I
call him, I could say, dude, I'm
413
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:50,960
so sorry.
It's been crazy.
414
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,480
I missed you, how you been?
And I he'll be like, he's OK,
415
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,680
I'm his brother.
If I have friends that I don't
416
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,080
call for a month and I don't
hear from them, like, dude, I'm
417
00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,040
so sorry.
I've been so busy.
418
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:00,240
I missed you.
They're like, yeah, well, you
419
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,800
know, I've been busy too.
And I got to talk to you later,
420
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,440
you know.
And so there's one relationship
421
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:08,800
that doesn't necessarily need to
exist.
422
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,160
And those are the ones that we
feel are the ones that are worth
423
00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,600
fighting for.
And then they're the ones that
424
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,360
we know that will always be
there.
425
00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:18,520
And those are the ones that we
tend to take for granted.
426
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,800
And when God pulls himself out
of the picture, it gives us
427
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:25,520
opportunity.
It gives us an opportunity to
428
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,280
not take him for granted because
we do know from all the biblical
429
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,120
stories and all the times in the
day throughout the books of the,
430
00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,320
you know, throughout, throughout
the, the, the Bible.
431
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:42,080
We know through all the Torah
that just because God is
432
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,600
revealing himself does not mean
that it convinces anyone of
433
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,240
everything of anything.
Does not guarantee good
434
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,520
behavior.
Does not guarantee that we are
435
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,200
not going to rebel.
Does not guarantee that we act
436
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,480
morally in any kind of way
whatsoever.
437
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,440
Doesn't mean that we listen to
pay attention to him that we
438
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:57,760
even want to participate with
him.
439
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,680
It's crazy.
So having so so we know that a
440
00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:05,000
forced relationship, a coerced
relationship, while it might be
441
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,520
scary, while it might be might
might create some of the most
442
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,480
incredible stories that we could
ever imagine.
443
00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,520
It's not conducive to a
relationship that both
444
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,160
participants feel like they are
getting something out of it.
445
00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:29,680
And we felt, we felt and people
felt that, hey, if we don't have
446
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:35,320
the right to choose to rebel,
then like, what does our service
447
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:36,800
mean?
What does that have to do?
448
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,760
Like what, what, what, what,
what kind of value could that
449
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,320
possibly have to any kind of
God?
450
00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:47,080
So just the premise of the
actual day to me is really,
451
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,720
really cool because.
So we have this idea.
452
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,760
We have these ideas that were
all, you know, that number one,
453
00:26:53,960 --> 00:27:00,040
relationships cannot be forced.
As we get mature parents and,
454
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:05,720
you know, kids stop being kids,
eventually we become parents.
455
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,400
And when we lose our parents, we
really lose our identity as
456
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,560
kids.
And this happens on a personal
457
00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,600
level.
This happens on a national
458
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:16,480
level.
I think that obviously, you
459
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,000
know, when America became its
own country, or like, I would
460
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,560
even, I mean, even the entire
westward expansion, you could
461
00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,560
say was like our freaking
puberty process is crazy, you
462
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,120
know, or I mean, the Civil War.
Yeah.
463
00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,800
I mean, like, like we had a lot
of, we had a lot of growing
464
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,160
pains that came from what you
would call like teenagehood.
465
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,160
And now we're like trying to be
mature adults or that we're
466
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,440
trying to be mature adults in
the room.
467
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,880
And it's almost working.
But sometimes it works better
468
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,000
than sometimes it's sometimes
it's a little harder to do.
469
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,880
We also have God's name missing
from the actual story.
470
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,840
And so we have this constant
theme of like what makes a real
471
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,640
relationship or not.
And then we also have the same
472
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,480
terminology that's used by the
So the holiday represents
473
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:08,640
actually accepting, you know,
God's Torah, God's Bible, God's
474
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,000
word to us, God's commandments
and instructions and ways of
475
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,720
life.
And, and it does and, and, and
476
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,880
perm means it in a very
sophisticated sense.
477
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,760
It means in a very, very mature
sense, because it means that
478
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,080
you're growing up and me.
And it's what and what and part
479
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:31,400
of what I think in the same
theme of that idea of growing up
480
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,480
and choosing to do this way that
you want to do this and choosing
481
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,520
to have the type as deep of a
relationship as you want to have
482
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,040
or not.
Perm's not a day that requires
483
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:41,480
anyone does anything either,
right?
484
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,840
I don't work on perm.
I take off.
485
00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,040
I don't answer the phone.
I don't deal with work calls.
486
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,720
I don't deal with customers.
I'll tell customers that I'm
487
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:52,280
working that day.
I'll tell them I'm so sorry I
488
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,200
have to call you back.
I'm not.
489
00:28:53,200 --> 00:29:01,200
I'm out of the office today, but
I don't work and I try to treat
490
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:06,720
the day like a holiday even
though I don't have to and I'm
491
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,400
not doing anything that is
required.
492
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,560
I don't say that I don't feel
like I'm being better than
493
00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:15,600
anyone else.
I'm not saying that I'm keeping
494
00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,240
the holiday better than anyone
else.
495
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:23,280
But for me, I want the holiday
to reflect what I feel like my
496
00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:27,320
relationship with God is, and
that is that it's not the bare
497
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,840
minimum.
It's not the middle of the
498
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,200
ground.
This is a hey, I never had to
499
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,280
do, you know, I mean, since I
became an adult, since I was
500
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,520
dating, since I chose the person
that's going to be my partner
501
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,760
and raising my family and the
and the way that I'm raising my
502
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:47,240
kids, I haven't had, I haven't
had to do anything.
503
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,400
I wanted to do anything I've
done and I've done everything
504
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,280
I've done because it was I, I
felt like it was right and I
505
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,880
felt like it was important and I
felt like it was real.
506
00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,960
Yeah.
And, and I think that's really
507
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,880
why, why, why perm is so
valuable to me is just because
508
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,840
of the way that the holiday is
observed, because of the way
509
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:10,920
that that what we the, the
holiday is intellectually given
510
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,920
over in that kind of sense with
the story and with that
511
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,400
storyline and with these ideas
that, and you know, we call
512
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:24,600
these ideas divertora, words of
Torah that come from different
513
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:26,920
ideas that tend to reflect on
what the potential spirit of the
514
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,880
holiday is.
And I think that these ideas
515
00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,320
exist to bring forward the idea
of the holiday and to emphasize
516
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,880
it.
But I actually want to get a
517
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,920
little bit into the story too,
because the story is a
518
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:42,480
fascinating, fascinating
combination of politics.
519
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,040
It's a religious story.
It's a story that about
520
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,120
philosophy.
It's a story about war.
521
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,200
It kind of embodies really,
really everything.
522
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:58,360
And there are different
personalities, prototypes, I
523
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,440
guess that we can call them.
And we're going to go over them
524
00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,240
pretty, pretty vaguely for now,
only because they're already
525
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:08,120
half an hour into the podcast.
And I like to cap these around
526
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:13,640
45 minutes to an hour.
But they're a bunch of different
527
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,600
characters and a lot of them are
very are very famous.
528
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:22,080
Esther the queen is very famous.
Esther the queen is a really,
529
00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,000
really interesting character
because she's the person that
530
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,120
goes through the actual growing
up in the story, and that's why
531
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,280
the story is named after McGill
at Ester is the story of Esther.
532
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,880
That's why the holiday is always
associated very, very strongly
533
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,480
with her.
The texts say that the only
534
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,760
reason why the holiday was
actually ever implemented and
535
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,680
why the story and why there's an
obligation to read the story
536
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,960
every year, the night of the
holiday and the day of the
537
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:52,360
holiday is because of Esther and
because she personally called
538
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,800
for it.
And she's the person that goes
539
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,520
through this growing up process
because Esther doesn't have
540
00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,920
parents.
Esther was born according to the
541
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:05,120
story.
Mordechai, who is the other
542
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,160
protagonist in the story and the
other sage leader, the kind of
543
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,400
figure, the the role that he
plays, the prototype role that
544
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:16,920
he plays is of educator and the
educator and teacher, really
545
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,200
spiritual leader.
He raises her.
546
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,880
There's a question and a debate
as to what his relationship with
547
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,680
her was.
He might have been her uncle.
548
00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:30,320
He could have been her husband.
He was definitely her caretaker.
549
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,240
And the story goes that he took
care that that that, that during
550
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,840
the exile from Jerusalem.
And the story takes place in
551
00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,400
Shushan, which is the capital,
which was the capital at the
552
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:47,880
time of Persia, modern day Iran.
And so we know how close Iran is
553
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,520
to Israel.
And then we know how how, how
554
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,440
ostensibly, you know, and I
mean, it's very easy for one
555
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,360
Kingdom to take place under one
rule at one point at that point.
556
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,800
And and so Jerusalem fell
Mordecai and Esther, the Jewish
557
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:08,720
people that fell to Akash
Virosh, who was these this this
558
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:14,360
king, a new king that
potentially vis a vis military
559
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:21,000
coup had risen to power in the
Persian Empire in rural the 127
560
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,840
provinces.
He was married to Nabukhanetzar,
561
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:32,520
who is a historical character,
Babylonian, I believe, king and
562
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,080
he is married to either her
grand, his grand Nabukhanetzar's
563
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,440
granddaughter or great
granddaughter.
564
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,360
And through some, so either
through military coup or through
565
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,880
coup or through marriage, this
new king is now to start the
566
00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,720
story in place.
So the story opens with Esther,
567
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:58,120
who is a orphan who is being
taken care of by a spiritual
568
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:02,320
leader from Jerusalem.
They were both banished from
569
00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:08,040
Jerusalem and ended up in the
capital city where a new king
570
00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:10,920
sits on in the ruling the
Persian Empire.
571
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,040
And this new king, not only was
he a new king, the actual
572
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:21,320
capital was a new capital.
And there is so many cool
573
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:28,920
political maneuvers that are
elaborated on in this story, the
574
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,760
whole story that, you know, even
though the story revolves around
575
00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,880
Esther, of course, Esther's not
really brought up until about
576
00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,960
halfway through the 2nd, 2nd,
2nd chapter.
577
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,840
And the whole first chapter is
really pretty much setting up
578
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,480
the stage and explaining how
Akashviros rules.
579
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,320
And he seems to be an enormously
populist type ruler.
580
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:54,719
He rules over 127 provinces, but
he does not kind of force any
581
00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,520
amalgamation of culture.
He allows every.
582
00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:03,480
He throws an enormous party for
180 days and goes out of his way
583
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,680
to basically say come with your
traditions, come with your
584
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,840
rules, come with your language,
come with whatever way that you
585
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,280
guys party and the way that you
guys live.
586
00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:17,720
I want you all to come the way
that you are to my new capital
587
00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:18,920
and we're all going to get to
know each other.
588
00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,720
We're all going to hang out for
180 days and party.
589
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,120
He seems incredibly so.
So that alone, you know, I mean,
590
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,440
when you want to exert power
over people, one of the things
591
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,480
that you do is you, I imagine,
make them want to be like you.
592
00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,720
And the things that could
potentially keep people from
593
00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:41,840
from from from breaking apart
from separating from you would
594
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,480
be in the things that you don't
understand about them or the
595
00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,320
ways that you guys are different
from one another.
596
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,200
So a lot of times if someone's
trying to roll over over another
597
00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,440
people, they force them to take
on their customs, their
598
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,160
language, their tradition, marry
their marry their women or their
599
00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,520
or intermarry into their into
their communities.
600
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:02,000
And part of the reason why is
because that way you guys are
601
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,800
going to completely.
Dominated by us?
602
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:10,440
But Akashvarish does not seem to
have any of those goals at the
603
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,920
moment.
Instead, he just seems happy
604
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,120
enough to just have everyone
like him.
605
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:21,480
And Akashvarish's prototype is
going to be the person that
606
00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:25,840
searches for power to the extent
that he ends up completely
607
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,840
losing any sense of self in
order to maintain his power and
608
00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:34,680
king and position of authority.
He actually ends up never having
609
00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:37,720
an identity.
And it's so fascinating because
610
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:45,720
a man that works so hard to be
king over such a huge collection
611
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:51,960
of countries, 127 provinces,
this entire middle, you know,
612
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:56,040
over I, I, I think, and, and it
says it's from Hodu, from from
613
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,600
Hodu to Kush.
And I don't know modern day, but
614
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,320
typically Kush is typically
northern Africa or northern
615
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,480
central Africa.
And, and Hodu is Turkey, which
616
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:08,720
is like the Middle East.
Generally speaking, that's
617
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:11,440
modern day.
I'm only guessing.
618
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,040
I have I'm not confirming this
for sure, but generally but but
619
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,240
but it gives you a general idea
that it was a pretty big Kingdom
620
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,880
that this guy was ruling one way
or the other and he didn't seem
621
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,240
and he seemed more focused on
people liking him.
622
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:33,560
And after all that, the stages
Khazal again debate about
623
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:38,640
whether the most about the most
primitive and fundamental
624
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,240
aspects of this guy.
Was this guy brilliant?
625
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,440
Was this guy a moron?
Was he evil?
626
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:49,640
Was he completely benevolent?
Did he ultimately hate Jews and
627
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:55,960
want to extinguish them with
Haman, who will get to, or was
628
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,640
he just a guy that was kind of
talked into it by one of his
629
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:02,640
political appointees?
And there's a lot of textual,
630
00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,920
there's a lot of textual
evidence to back up the fact
631
00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:09,120
that Akashviros, the king, when
he told Haman, who is the
632
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,520
antagonist of the story, that he
can go ahead and kill all the
633
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,640
Jews.
There's a lot of there's a lot
634
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,120
of text to back up the fact that
he may really not have known
635
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,160
that what he was actually
getting himself into.
636
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,560
For example, Hama doesn't ever
actually mention that the Jews
637
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,120
are the Jews.
He says that there is a nation
638
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,280
in your Kingdom that has their
own laws, that has their own
639
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,040
rules and seems to not really be
obeying your way of, of
640
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,800
thinking.
And so give me, you know, give
641
00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,680
me 10,000 coins, give me
$10,000, give me whatever amount
642
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:40,760
of money that it, you know, that
it would take.
643
00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,680
And I'll organize a task force
and I'll take care of it.
644
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,400
By the way, doesn't seem too
unreasonable, right?
645
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,440
I mean, Akashvirosh, especially
in the context again, of the
646
00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:52,200
first of the first chapter of
the story.
647
00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,520
So Akashvirosh, I'm sorry to go
back to it, is throwing this
648
00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,640
whole party.
And he wants and and, and and he
649
00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:03,120
feels as a new ruler, a little
insecure in his ability to in
650
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:07,520
his in, in his legitimacy, you
know, and, and, and really, hey,
651
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:09,280
am I really the king?
And so he says, you know what,
652
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,800
I'm going to go call my wife
Vashti, who is a guy in the
653
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,720
Vukhanetzar, the Babylonian
King's granddaughter, a great
654
00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:19,960
granddaughter.
And I'm going to emphasize, I'm
655
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,400
going to give a bring forward a
physical manifestation of my
656
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,480
link to the Kingdom.
But she does not want any part
657
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,560
of his party.
She does not want any part of
658
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,520
talking to him or participating
in this populist event.
659
00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:37,160
And she actually has her own
separate party, completely
660
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,200
separate from him and ignores
his request for her to join him.
661
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:45,600
And he gets so mad he doesn't
know what to do.
662
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,520
But he gets mad.
And he's granted he's been drunk
663
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:53,920
for half a year, granted he's
drunk for 180 days and and he
664
00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:57,640
doesn't know what to do.
So he calls a bunch of about a
665
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:02,720
half dozen or more advisors and
asked them what to do.
666
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,920
And already this is another
political, very politically
667
00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,560
interesting maneuver, right?
You're the new king who's trying
668
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:16,240
to establish his legitimacy.
The queen who is your Direct
669
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:19,840
Line to the legitimacy, just
said, I want nothing to do with
670
00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:22,520
you.
He calls forward one group of
671
00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,520
people.
Says what do I do?
672
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:34,240
Doesn't like your answer.
Actually, they say get rid of
673
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:36,640
her.
They say you got to get rid of
674
00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:42,680
her because right now you're
setting a precedent that people
675
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:45,280
won't be that, that that women
are going to talk back to the
676
00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,040
husbands, that women are not
going to value their husbands
677
00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,760
traditions and their values.
You got to get rid of her.
678
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,800
Got rid of her in this 100 in
this half a year long drunken
679
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,440
stupor, gets rid of to of his
home.
680
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,760
His only line to limit
legitimacy.
681
00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:07,400
Excuse me.
And once he wakes up from his
682
00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:13,080
probably unbearable hangover, he
realizes what he did and he goes
683
00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,800
nuts and he's like, what did I
do?
684
00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:19,440
And you know that he probably
wasn't happy with that original
685
00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:23,080
crew because he calls forward a
whole nother group of advisors
686
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,120
now.
But this time these are
687
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:27,760
advisors.
And the text emphasizes that
688
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:34,560
know the that know the laws of
oh, sorry, the first advisors
689
00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,920
knew the laws of of of Persia.
The second ones knew the law of
690
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,080
the times.
And he asked the second people,
691
00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:45,680
what do I do now?
And they say, listen, you
692
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,040
already got rid of her.
Looks terrible.
693
00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:50,600
Can't get you can't take her
back if she's alive.
694
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,640
If you killed her, there's no
going back anyway.
695
00:41:53,320 --> 00:42:00,440
You got to find yourself a new
queen, and that is Akashvaros
696
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,560
for now.
So the man, so just to establish
697
00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,720
the story, this man's, this man
is the man that does not that
698
00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:11,280
that does not want to give up
his power so much so that he is
699
00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,680
not that we cannot determine
whether he's smart or dumb, evil
700
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:23,440
or or or or incredibly moral.
We cannot determine he not he
701
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:30,040
can't determine what type of
advisors to get to answer the
702
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:35,160
question of his legitimacy.
Doesn't know how to go about
703
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:39,600
selecting a new wife.
Ends up having this enormous,
704
00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:44,120
massive, disgusting beauty
pageant.
705
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:49,200
Misogynistic.
I mean, complete this beauty
706
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:50,880
pageant.
These women would spend half a
707
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,240
year or more, I think between
half a year and a year,
708
00:42:54,560 --> 00:43:02,240
preparing, soaking in oils and
salts and perfumes and getting
709
00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:05,080
themselves ready to be with the
king for one day and one night.
710
00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:08,320
And if the king?
Decides that she's not going to
711
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:11,440
be his queen.
Then she's she's been with the
712
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,000
queen, with the king.
She's she's a special woman now
713
00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,480
and now she can't go back to her
husband, whether she was married
714
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,120
or not.
Now she can't go back to her
715
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,960
family now because she has now
she's property of the king.
716
00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:28,560
She gets locked away, excuse me,
for a whole life, for the rest
717
00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:31,160
of her life.
And this went on for years.
718
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,680
This went on for years and
until, until it came to Esther.
719
00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,560
We also have God's name missing
from the actual story.
720
00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:45,520
And so we have this constant
theme of like what makes a real
721
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:47,320
relationship or not.
And then we also have the same
722
00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:51,160
terminology that's used by the
So the holiday represents
723
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:55,320
actually accepting, you know,
God's Torah, God's Bible, God's
724
00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:58,680
word to us, God's commandments
and instructions and ways of
725
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:02,440
life.
And and it does and and and and
726
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,640
perim means it in a very
sophisticated sense.
727
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,480
It means in a very, very mature
sense, because it means that
728
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,920
you're growing up and me and and
it's what and what and part of
729
00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:18,240
what I think in the same theme
of that idea of growing up and
730
00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,320
choosing to do this way that you
want to do this and choosing to
731
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,240
have the tip as deep of a
relationship as you want to have
732
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:27,280
or not perms on a day that
requires that anyone does
733
00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:30,080
anything either, right.
I don't work on perm.
734
00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:32,800
I take off.
I don't answer the phone.
735
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:36,040
I don't deal with work calls.
I don't deal with customers.
736
00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:38,080
I'll tell customers that I'm
working that day.
737
00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,680
I'll tell them I'm so sorry I
have to call you back.
738
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,200
I'm not.
I'm out of the office today, but
739
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:51,000
I don't work and I try to treat
the day like a holiday even
740
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:56,400
though I don't have to and I'm
not doing anything that is
741
00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,200
required.
I don't say that I don't feel
742
00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:00,880
like I'm being better than
anyone else.
743
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,640
I'm not saying that I'm keeping
the holiday better than anyone
744
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:08,040
else.
But for me, I want the holiday
745
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:11,360
to reflect what I feel like my
relationship with God is, and
746
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:14,520
that is that it's not the bare
minimum.
747
00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,040
It's not the middle of the
ground.
748
00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:23,280
This is a hey, I never had to
do, you know, I mean, since I
749
00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:27,200
became an adult, since I was
dating, since I chose the person
750
00:45:27,200 --> 00:45:29,480
that's going to be my partner
and raising my family and the
751
00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:32,680
and the way that I'm raising my
kids, I haven't had, I haven't
752
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,360
had to do anything.
I wanted to do anything I've
753
00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,920
done and I've done everything
I've done because it was I I
754
00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:42,680
felt like it was right and I
felt like it was important and I
755
00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:44,680
felt like it was real.
Yeah.
756
00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:48,560
And, and I think that's really
why, why, why perm is so
757
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,120
valuable to me is just because
of the way that the holiday is
758
00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:55,160
observed, because of the way
that that what we the, the
759
00:45:55,160 --> 00:46:00,200
holiday is intellectually given
over in that kind of sense with
760
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:04,960
the story and with that
storyline and with these ideas
761
00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:08,240
that, and you know, we call
these ideas diver Torah, words
762
00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:12,040
of Torah that come from
different ideas that tend to
763
00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:14,160
reflect on what the potential
spirit of the holiday is.
764
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:17,600
And I think that these ideas
exist to bring forward the idea
765
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:19,120
of the holiday and to emphasize
it.
766
00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:21,840
But I actually want to get a
little bit into the story too,
767
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:26,080
because the story is a
fascinating, fascinating
768
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:31,080
combination of politics.
It's a religious story.
769
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:33,560
It's a story that about
philosophy.
770
00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:37,120
It's a story about war.
It kind of embodies really,
771
00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:41,440
really everything.
And there are different
772
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,200
personalities, prototypes, I
guess that we can call them.
773
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,960
And we're going to go over them
pretty, pretty vaguely for now,
774
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,480
only because they're already
half an hour into the podcast.
775
00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:56,040
And I like to cap these around
45 minutes to an hour.
776
00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:01,280
But they're a bunch of different
characters and a lot of them are
777
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,040
very are very famous.
Esther the queen is very famous.
778
00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:09,720
Esther the queen is a really,
really interesting character
779
00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:13,400
because she's the person that
goes through the actual growing
780
00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:15,480
up in the story.
And that's why the story is
781
00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:18,000
named after McGill at Ester is
the story of Ester.
782
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,600
That's why the holiday is always
associated very, very strongly
783
00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:25,200
with her.
The texts say that the only
784
00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:27,480
reason why the holiday was
actually ever implemented and
785
00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,400
why the story and why there's an
obligation to read the story
786
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,680
every year the night of the
holiday and the day of the
787
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:39,120
holiday is because of Esther and
because she personally called
788
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,560
for it.
And she's the person that goes
789
00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:44,240
through this growing up process
because Esther doesn't have
790
00:47:44,240 --> 00:47:47,560
parents.
Esther was born, according to
791
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:53,400
the story, Mordecai, who is the
other protagonist in the story
792
00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,760
and the other sage leader, the
kind of figure, the the role
793
00:47:56,760 --> 00:47:58,960
that he plays, the prototype
role that he plays is an
794
00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:04,080
educator and the educator and
teacher, really spiritual
795
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:06,880
leader.
He raises her.
796
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:11,560
There's a question and a debate
as to what his relationship with
797
00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:13,400
her was.
He might have been her uncle.
798
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,000
He could have been her husband.
He was definitely her caretaker.
799
00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,400
And the story goes that he took
care of that, that, that, that
800
00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:24,560
during the exile from Jerusalem.
And the story takes place in
801
00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,080
Shushan, which is the capital,
which was the capital at the
802
00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:34,480
time of Persia, modern day Iran.
And so we know how close our own
803
00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:39,200
is to Israel.
And we know how how, how
804
00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:43,160
ostensibly, you know, And I
mean, it's very easy for one
805
00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,080
Kingdom to take place under one
rule at one point at that point.
806
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:50,520
And and so Jerusalem fell,
Mordecai and Esther, the Jewish
807
00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:51,880
people that fell.
To.
808
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:57,960
Akashvirosh, Who was these this
this king, a new king that
809
00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:04,280
potentially vis A vis military
coup had risen to power in the
810
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:08,480
Persian Empire, enrolled 127
provinces.
811
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:14,200
He was married to Nabukhanetzar
who is a a historical character
812
00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:20,680
Babylonian I believe, king and
he is married to either her
813
00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:23,520
grand, his grand Nabukhaneto's
granddaughter or great
814
00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:27,320
granddaughter and through some.
So either through a military
815
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:29,560
coup or through coup or through
marriage.
816
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:34,640
This new king is now to start
the story in place.
817
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:41,120
So the story opens with Esther
who is a orphan who is being
818
00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:46,680
taken care of by a spiritual
leader from Jerusalem.
819
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:51,120
They were both banished from
Jerusalem and ended up in the
820
00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:56,800
capital city where a new king
sits on in the ruling the
821
00:49:56,800 --> 00:50:00,880
Persian Empire and his new king.
She's living, excuse me, in the
822
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:02,600
Kings, she's living with the
king.
823
00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,280
And during this time, a guy
named Haman comes along and
824
00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:11,600
Haman is indicative of the
prototype of a Malik.
825
00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:16,440
Whether it's by blood, whether
or not whether that is
826
00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:21,120
philosophically, I'm not sure.
I believe it's by maybe both,
827
00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:24,160
probably, but I'm not sure.
I don't, I, I'm not going to say
828
00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:27,680
one way or another for sure, but
he certainly embodies their
829
00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:33,720
philosophy.
And Malik, as far as we know
830
00:50:33,720 --> 00:50:38,680
today, does not exist.
It might exist as a philosophy,
831
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:45,560
might exist, exist as a concept.
And that concept is a concept of
832
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:48,040
it's, there's a couple of
different approaches.
833
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:53,600
It's a cynicism of a big picture
and greater meaning.
834
00:50:54,320 --> 00:51:04,320
And it's the desire for the most
pleasure and positive, the most
835
00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:08,320
that you can get out of out of
any particular given moment.
836
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:17,080
Adam's root, Amalek's roots come
from Adam, or Asaf, who is a
837
00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:20,960
biblical character.
Asaf was Jacob Yaakov's twin
838
00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:26,160
brother.
And there's actually a very
839
00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:35,440
interesting relationship there
because Jacob Yaakov embodies
840
00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:40,800
the spirit of making long term
decisions that even though in
841
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,760
the short term are really
painful, long term are really
842
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:49,120
beneficial.
And Asaf, his twin brother,
843
00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:59,000
hates that philosophy and spends
his life accumulating the most
844
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:03,120
power that he can grab in any
particular moment.
845
00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:11,440
And their philosophies actually
reach a philosophical head when
846
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:17,840
Ace of comes in hunting from the
field he was just out for after
847
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:23,680
a long day of hunting, Jacob
Yaakov is sitting hanging out at
848
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:25,240
the kitchen.
He just cooked up a meal just in
849
00:52:25,240 --> 00:52:27,120
the last couple hours.
Making a soup, which by
850
00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:30,720
definition requires a lot of
thought process and planning.
851
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:32,400
You have to let it sit for
several hours.
852
00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:33,960
You have to collect the
ingredients, cut them up.
853
00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:38,000
Soup.
You like soup that the soup is
854
00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:42,800
almost like the opposite of what
you do when you're starving.
855
00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:45,920
When you're starving, you grab
rice, you grab bread, you grab
856
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:49,520
some wheat, you grab some carbs.
You just shove whatever you want
857
00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:51,200
in your mouth.
Soup is something that you make
858
00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:53,800
when you're trying to be
intentional about something,
859
00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:56,960
when you are sick and you want
to recover, when you have a
860
00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:58,880
bunch of hours and you know that
you're going to that, that
861
00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:00,360
you're planning for something in
the long term.
862
00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:03,560
And Asaph sees Yaakov soup and
he wants it.
863
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:05,720
And Yaakov says, you can't have
it.
864
00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:06,840
You can.
I'll trade it to you.
865
00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,680
I'll trade it to you for the
first born for the first born,
866
00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:15,120
right?
And Asaph says, sure, what the
867
00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:19,480
and I'm starving.
I'm so hungry, I'm used to
868
00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,080
eating bread because I don't
really typically think long term
869
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:26,800
enough to ever make a soup.
And if I don't eat now, I'm
870
00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:29,640
going to die.
And if I die, then what's the
871
00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:33,880
point of even having a being the
eldest to being the the having
872
00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:37,160
the first born, right?
So, yeah, sure, go ahead and
873
00:53:37,160 --> 00:53:38,600
take it.
I, you know, I need it.
874
00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:44,440
And he gives it to him.
Fast forward a couple of 1000
875
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:54,960
years and you have Haman.
Now, Haman is extremely
876
00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:59,520
successful by every, almost
literally every measure I think
877
00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:02,800
that you could think about.
He has a big family.
878
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:07,800
He has a lot of kids.
He has an enormous amount of
879
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:10,280
political and financial wealth
and pull.
880
00:54:11,080 --> 00:54:15,480
He has an enormous amount of
respect, everyone.
881
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:18,560
It's part of the King's decree
that everyone that sees him, the
882
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,240
street has to bow to him and
treat him so socially.
883
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:25,640
He's above everyone else.
And Mordecai is the only person
884
00:54:25,640 --> 00:54:29,840
that based on like this
principle that he has, this
885
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:31,640
philosophy, this ideal that he
has.
886
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:34,440
I'm not, I don't bow down to
people and I just don't, I don't
887
00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:37,240
do it and I'm not into it.
You know, it's a little weird.
888
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,680
You, you seem like a little
power, like a, like a little
889
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:43,800
psychopathy and those a little
psycho, a little crazy.
890
00:54:45,200 --> 00:54:46,200
I'm not going to bow down to
you.
891
00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:52,720
And Haman comes home and it
tells his family everything that
892
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:58,400
I have is, is for nothing, means
absolutely nothing because
893
00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:00,040
Mordechai does not bow down to
me.
894
00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:10,800
I think that's human nature to a
certain extent too, I think.
895
00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:13,800
That.
Human nature, and this is
896
00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:16,120
actually a conversation that
comes up quite a bit when we
897
00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:19,920
talk about or we think about
what's going to happen when
898
00:55:19,920 --> 00:55:23,840
there's universal basic income,
or as Elon optimistically puts
899
00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:31,800
it, universal high income is
human beings on a very
900
00:55:31,800 --> 00:55:38,360
fundamental primitive level.
Don't know how to be happy with
901
00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:40,680
themselves?
We're comparative animals.
902
00:55:40,680 --> 00:55:42,680
We compare ourselves to other
people around us.
903
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:47,240
The way that we know we're happy
or that we're doing well is
904
00:55:47,240 --> 00:55:51,000
because someone else has it
worse, not because we feel good
905
00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:52,400
about what we have a lot of the
time.
906
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:56,400
And if you feel good about your
life or feel happy about things
907
00:55:57,120 --> 00:56:01,560
because someone else has it
worse and not because you're
908
00:56:01,560 --> 00:56:04,800
happy to have what you have,
then.
909
00:56:05,640 --> 00:56:08,840
I would.
Probably ask you to spend some
910
00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:11,200
time to think about that a
little bit and what that means.
911
00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:13,360
Just for you.
You know, and if it doesn't mean
912
00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:14,480
anything, then it doesn't mean
anything.
913
00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:17,440
And if it means something, then
then.
914
00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:20,240
Perhaps it will cause you to.
Make some changes, at least in
915
00:56:20,240 --> 00:56:27,280
the way that you think.
Haman represents the idea that
916
00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:35,560
as long as it doesn't even
matter what yesterday has,
917
00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:40,080
doesn't matter what tomorrow
holds, it doesn't matter what an
918
00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:45,600
hour what happened an hour ago.
If what happened right now makes
919
00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:51,480
me feel like I am not relatively
greater than everyone else
920
00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:56,560
around me, every single person
around me, then I just can't.
921
00:56:56,560 --> 00:56:57,800
Then nothing means anything to
me.
922
00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:05,360
I think that this, I think that
a lot of us hope, myself
923
00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:09,840
included, that this idea is a
lot more foreign than it might
924
00:57:09,840 --> 00:57:19,320
actually be.
And and that's OK, not OK
925
00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:22,160
because it's something to
become, to be accepting of.
926
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:28,040
I think that's OK because I
think that if you're on, if
927
00:57:28,040 --> 00:57:31,080
we're honest about with
ourselves, about where we are,
928
00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:35,920
and we're honest with ourselves
about why we feel the way we
929
00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:39,920
feel and we observe our what,
what motivates us and what
930
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:46,080
drives us in an honest way.
It gives us the ability to grow.
931
00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:50,560
Just like when we don't admit in
a conversation when someone says
932
00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:52,400
something, someone asks you, do
you know what this is?
933
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,600
Or do you know how that works?
And we're always tempted to say,
934
00:57:55,600 --> 00:57:57,240
yeah, we know.
Exactly how it works.
935
00:57:58,400 --> 00:58:01,000
And if we say and we say, yeah,
no one elaborates.
936
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:04,000
We never know how it works.
And if we say no, we risk
937
00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:05,680
feeling like an idiot.
But at least we can learn
938
00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:11,360
something new.
If we can never admit that we
939
00:58:11,360 --> 00:58:14,520
have that kind of side to us,
then we can never admit that we
940
00:58:14,520 --> 00:58:17,120
have to grow past it.
You can never admit that it's
941
00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:18,240
work.
We have to do that.
942
00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:20,160
That's that there.
That there is a way to that.
943
00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:23,400
There is a way to conquer that.
There is a way to conquer that
944
00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:28,600
perspective and that mentality.
I'm going to have to cut to the
945
00:58:28,600 --> 00:58:34,320
chase as far as Esther now.
And so the basic.
946
00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:37,600
So now again, we didn't get into
why Esther represents freedom
947
00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:40,560
yet, but we represent what we
talked about that she, the fact
948
00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:46,840
that she does, Haman represents
this idea, this cynicism, this
949
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:52,920
denial of a big picture meaning,
this desire for relative power
950
00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,680
and greatness over everyone else
around you to the point that you
951
00:58:55,680 --> 00:58:57,920
absolutely self destruct no
matter what you have.
952
00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,960
And this philosophy, and by the
way, hummus philosophy works for
953
00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:06,040
a while.
And the way you know it works
954
00:59:06,040 --> 00:59:09,160
for a while is because he was
really successful politically,
955
00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:12,600
financially, he was able to, he
was able to get married.
956
00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,320
He had a big family.
He was able to do all these
957
00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:16,440
things.
I mean again.
958
00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:22,960
It it did, that philosophy does
not necessarily automatically
959
00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,760
destroy you, but it will down
the line.
960
00:59:26,680 --> 00:59:31,560
It will eventually cause
eventually there's going to be
961
00:59:31,560 --> 00:59:34,760
someone that you were not
relatively better.
962
00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:40,440
That or eventually as time goes
on and we atrophy, we have to
963
00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:42,280
accept that we're not that,
that, that we're, that we're
964
00:59:42,280 --> 00:59:47,280
atrophy and, and we have to, and
then we can age with grace and
965
00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:56,840
then we can age and develop with
magnificence and splendor.
966
00:59:56,840 --> 00:59:59,280
We really can't.
And all you have to do is just
967
00:59:59,280 --> 01:00:01,600
accept that we are where we are
instead of holding ourselves
968
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:03,200
relative to everything else
around us.
969
01:00:06,560 --> 01:00:09,640
So.
Haman, in this fury that
970
01:00:09,640 --> 01:00:13,760
Mordecai is not bowing down to
him, encourages Akash Viros to
971
01:00:13,760 --> 01:00:19,240
kill the Jews again.
He might have swindled him into
972
01:00:19,240 --> 01:00:21,600
it.
He might have been outright with
973
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:22,640
it.
We don't know.
974
01:00:22,640 --> 01:00:24,680
That's actually part of the the
political part of it.
975
01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:27,920
That's part of the fun and
relatable part to today's world
976
01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:31,000
is that there's so much that
goes on to the story that we
977
01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:35,560
could only kind of like piece
together and explain like it's
978
01:00:35,560 --> 01:00:38,400
how this, this is the only way
it makes sense because there's
979
01:00:38,400 --> 01:00:41,520
no one that's going to confirm
nor deny that, you know, And you
980
01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:44,320
have a lot of current events
that are probably pretty similar
981
01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:51,760
in that kind of capacity.
And he convinces Akash Varos one
982
01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:53,400
way or another, to get rid of
the Jews.
983
01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:57,320
And Mordecai hears about this
degree again.
984
01:00:57,320 --> 01:00:59,240
He's one of the educated people.
He's one of the people that
985
01:00:59,240 --> 01:01:03,200
speaks 70 languages.
He probably he probably heard
986
01:01:03,200 --> 01:01:05,600
about this relatively faster.
Than most of the other people.
987
01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:09,920
And especially because it takes
time for word to spread to 127
988
01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:13,200
provinces.
He immediately opens up a
989
01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:18,400
correlation with Esther and
says, well actually, first he
990
01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:22,160
panics, he mourns, and then he
opens up a.
991
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:24,360
Correlation with Esther and says
you got to do something and
992
01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:32,120
Esther says I can't do anything
and Mordecai sends her a message
993
01:01:32,120 --> 01:01:34,720
that changes her and changes her
forever.
994
01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:38,280
I'm actually going to pause
while I go get it so I could
995
01:01:38,280 --> 01:01:39,400
find and I could quote it
directly.
996
01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:41,920
I don't want to make this up.
She's living, excuse me, in the
997
01:01:41,920 --> 01:01:43,640
Kings, she's living with the
king.
998
01:01:44,360 --> 01:01:49,640
And during this time a guy named
Haman comes along, and Haman is
999
01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:52,640
indicative.
Of the prototype of a Malik,
1000
01:01:54,440 --> 01:01:57,480
whether it's by blood, whether
or not whether that is
1001
01:01:57,480 --> 01:02:02,200
philosophically, I'm not sure.
I believe it's five, maybe both,
1002
01:02:02,200 --> 01:02:05,200
probably, but I'm not sure.
I don't I, I'm not going to say
1003
01:02:05,200 --> 01:02:08,760
one way or another for sure, but
he certainly embodies their
1004
01:02:08,760 --> 01:02:14,760
philosophy.
And Malik, as far as we know
1005
01:02:14,760 --> 01:02:19,720
today, does not exist.
It might exist as a philosophy,
1006
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:26,600
might exist, exist as a concept,
and that concept is a concept of
1007
01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:28,560
it's there.
There's a couple of different
1008
01:02:28,560 --> 01:02:32,280
approaches.
It's a cynicism of a big picture
1009
01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:40,800
and greater meaning, and it's
the desire for the most pleasure
1010
01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:48,120
and positive, the most that you
can get out of out of any
1011
01:02:48,120 --> 01:02:54,760
particular given moment.
Adam's root, Amalek's roots come
1012
01:02:54,760 --> 01:02:58,400
from.
Adam, or Asaf, who is a biblical
1013
01:02:58,400 --> 01:03:02,000
character.
Asaf was Jacob Yaakov's twin
1014
01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:10,160
brother, and there's actually a
very interesting relationship
1015
01:03:10,160 --> 01:03:18,320
there because Jacob Yaakov
embodies the spirit of making
1016
01:03:18,320 --> 01:03:22,960
long term decisions that even
though in the short term are
1017
01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:26,560
really painful, long term are
really beneficial.
1018
01:03:27,920 --> 01:03:35,640
And Asav, his twin brother,
hates that philosophy and spends
1019
01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:43,200
his life accumulating the most
power that he can grab in any
1020
01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:47,960
particular moment.
And their philosophies actually
1021
01:03:47,960 --> 01:03:56,120
reach a philosophical head when
Asav comes in hunting from the
1022
01:03:56,120 --> 01:04:01,040
field he was just out for after
a long day of hunting, Jacob
1023
01:04:01,040 --> 01:04:05,120
Yaakov is sitting hanging out at
the kitchen.
1024
01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:06,960
He just cooked up a meal just in
the last couple hours.
1025
01:04:06,960 --> 01:04:10,520
Making a soup, which by
definition requires a lot of
1026
01:04:10,520 --> 01:04:12,640
thought process and planning.
You have to let it sit for
1027
01:04:12,640 --> 01:04:14,040
several hours.
You have to collect the
1028
01:04:14,040 --> 01:04:17,400
ingredients, cut them up.
Soup.
1029
01:04:17,480 --> 01:04:21,800
You like soup that the soup is
almost like the opposite of what
1030
01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:25,440
you do when you're starving.
When you're starving, you grab
1031
01:04:25,440 --> 01:04:28,960
rice, you grab bread, you grab
some wheat, you grab some carbs,
1032
01:04:29,320 --> 01:04:30,920
you just shove whatever you want
in your mouth.
1033
01:04:30,920 --> 01:04:33,160
Soup is something that you make
when you're trying to be
1034
01:04:33,160 --> 01:04:37,080
intentional about something,
when you are sick and you want
1035
01:04:37,080 --> 01:04:39,160
to recover, when you have a
bunch of hours and you know that
1036
01:04:39,160 --> 01:04:40,880
you're going to that, that
you're planning for something in
1037
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:44,000
the long term.
And Asaph sees Yaakov soup and
1038
01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:46,600
he wants it.
And Yaakov says you can't have
1039
01:04:46,600 --> 01:04:47,880
it you.
I'll trade it to you.
1040
01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:51,720
I'll trade it to you for the
first born for the first born,
1041
01:04:51,720 --> 01:04:54,760
Right.
And he subsides.
1042
01:04:55,160 --> 01:04:57,520
Sure.
What the and I'm starving.
1043
01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:01,240
I'm so hungry.
I'm used to eating bread because
1044
01:05:01,240 --> 01:05:04,320
I don't really typically think
long term enough to ever make a
1045
01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:07,840
soup.
And if I don't eat now, I'm
1046
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:10,680
going to die.
And if I die, then what's the
1047
01:05:10,680 --> 01:05:14,920
point of even having a being the
eldest to being the the having
1048
01:05:14,920 --> 01:05:18,200
the first born, right?
So, yeah, sure, go ahead and
1049
01:05:18,200 --> 01:05:19,640
take it.
I, you know, I need it.
1050
01:05:20,800 --> 01:05:25,440
And he gives it to him.
Fast forward a couple of 1000
1051
01:05:25,440 --> 01:05:36,000
years and you have Haman.
Now, Haman is extremely
1052
01:05:36,000 --> 01:05:40,560
successful by every, almost
literally every measure I think
1053
01:05:40,560 --> 01:05:43,840
that you could think about.
He has a big family.
1054
01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,840
He has a lot of kids.
He has an enormous amount of
1055
01:05:48,840 --> 01:05:51,320
political and financial.
Wealth and pull.
1056
01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:56,560
He has an enormous amount of
respect, everyone.
1057
01:05:56,800 --> 01:05:59,600
It's part of the King's decree
that everyone that sees him, the
1058
01:05:59,600 --> 01:06:02,280
street has to bow to him and
treat him so socially.
1059
01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:06,680
He's above everyone else.
And Mordecai is the only person
1060
01:06:06,680 --> 01:06:10,880
that based on like this
principle that he has, this
1061
01:06:10,880 --> 01:06:12,680
philosophy, this ideal that he
has.
1062
01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:15,480
I'm not, I don't bow down to
people and I just don't, I don't
1063
01:06:15,480 --> 01:06:17,600
do it.
And I'm not into, you know, it's
1064
01:06:17,600 --> 01:06:20,440
a little weird.
You, you, you seem like a little
1065
01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:23,680
power, like a, like a little
psychopathy, little, a little
1066
01:06:23,680 --> 01:06:27,120
sicko, a little crazy.
I'm not going to bow down to
1067
01:06:27,120 --> 01:06:31,560
you.
And Haman comes home and it
1068
01:06:31,560 --> 01:06:34,440
tells his family everything.
That I have.
1069
01:06:34,800 --> 01:06:39,480
Is is for nothing means
absolutely nothing because
1070
01:06:39,480 --> 01:06:41,080
Mordechai does not bow down to
me.
1071
01:06:47,360 --> 01:06:50,400
I think that's human nature to a
certain extent too.
1072
01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:54,880
I think that.
Human nature, and this is
1073
01:06:54,880 --> 01:06:57,200
actually a conversation that
comes up quite a bit when we
1074
01:06:57,200 --> 01:07:00,960
talk about or we think about
what's going to happen when
1075
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:04,920
there's universal basic income,
or as Elon optimistically puts
1076
01:07:04,920 --> 01:07:12,840
it, universal high income is
human beings on a very
1077
01:07:12,840 --> 01:07:19,400
fundamental primitive level.
Don't know how to be happy with
1078
01:07:19,400 --> 01:07:21,720
themselves?
We're comparative animals.
1079
01:07:21,720 --> 01:07:23,720
We compare ourselves to other
people around us.
1080
01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:28,320
The way that we know we're happy
or that we're doing well is
1081
01:07:28,320 --> 01:07:32,040
because someone else has it
worse, not because we feel good
1082
01:07:32,040 --> 01:07:33,440
about what we have a lot of the
time.
1083
01:07:34,120 --> 01:07:37,440
And if you feel good about your
life or feel happy about things
1084
01:07:38,160 --> 01:07:42,640
because someone else has it
worse and not because you're
1085
01:07:42,640 --> 01:07:49,360
happy to have what you have,
then I would probably ask you to
1086
01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:51,720
spend some time to think about
that a little bit and what that
1087
01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:53,000
means.
Just for you.
1088
01:07:53,000 --> 01:07:54,360
You.
Know and if it doesn't mean
1089
01:07:54,400 --> 01:07:55,520
anything, then it doesn't mean
anything.
1090
01:07:55,520 --> 01:07:58,480
And if it means something, then
then.
1091
01:07:58,600 --> 01:08:01,280
Perhaps it will cause you to.
Make some changes, at least in
1092
01:08:01,280 --> 01:08:08,320
the way that you think.
Haman represents the idea that
1093
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:16,600
as long as it doesn't even
matter what yesterday has,
1094
01:08:17,120 --> 01:08:21,120
doesn't matter what tomorrow
holds, it doesn't matter what an
1095
01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:26,640
hour, what happened an hour ago,
if what happened right now makes
1096
01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:32,520
me feel like I am not relatively
greater than everyone else
1097
01:08:32,520 --> 01:08:32,880
around.