When You Go Out

0:00 You mentioned so we'll be we'll be looking at the at the Parsha this morning Deuteronomy chapter 21 through 25 is the general range and we're going to get into a few specifics. but first of all, just as Catherine mentioned earlier we There's some interesting things here in this tour portion. So I would like to frame this. this Torah portion of when you go out key Tate say as a Torah portion that is setting limitations and creating boundaries. There's lots of do's and don'ts in this Torah portion. The do's and don'ts by the way help us set boundaries and in things that we should do and things that we shouldn't do. There's social there's familial. There's communal boundaries

0:47 that are set in this Torah portion. In fact, we see things such as we see circumstances such as Sanitation. And maintaining a a Santa that's not the right word. maintaining a clean camp Um, so that the Lord can walk through the camp. In order to deliver the people from the enemies from their enemies, we see instructions on keeping one's word. We see instructions on relationships though kind to have in the kind to not to have we see instructions on Justice on business ethics. So today we're going to take a few minutes and take a look at the business ethics

1:32 Catherine I bet you didn't think that was gonna preach on business ethics for your butt Mitzvah, but you'll see It'll come around in a few minutes. We're going to take a look here at chapter 25 of Deuteronomy. versus 13 through 16 you are not to have stones of different weights in your bag large and small. You are not to have in your house differing measurements large or small. You must have a full and honest weight and a full and honest measure so that your days may be long on the land that I don't know. Your God is giving you. For all who do these things? All who do Injustice are detestable to Adonai your

2:18 God. So let's start here in verses 13 and 14. You are not to have in your pack in your backpack or or whatever. It is that you travel with two sets of Weights one heavy and the other light you are not to have in your house two sets of measures one big and the other small. Catherine do not have two sets of Weights in your pack. Okay, don't forget don't don't forget that and don't have two sets of measures in your house. Why does someone have measures and weights in their house and in their backpacks? Because this is how you trade. This is when someone says I want some grain. Well how much you're gonna pay me for the grain?

3:04 Or I want some olives or I want some some oil or whatever. It is that you're trying to have you you have weights and you have measures how many people in here cook. Does everybody use weights and measures? in other words scales you get if listen if you don't cook you probably watch The Great British baking show. And and you can see it's important to have the right weight. and the right measure You know stupid me. I always thought you only have one of those. But I have been schooled. By my wife which is why? She cooks and I don't.

3:51 Because it might turn out not so great. If I cook. Anyways when you have differing weights and measures. in the first place what it has is it creates a dishonest business system? You see the purpose here is to hold both parties accountable both the buyer and the seller. accountable to a standard measurement So why Catherine would someone have two different sets of weights and measures? You inventure guests. Because they want to cheat the other person out of something for their own profit. You see that's the whole purpose of of differing weights and measures is so that I get more.

4:38 See, that's all the the person who really is in this mindset only ever thinks about do I get more they never think about when I get more the other person gets less. I'm taking from the other person for my own benefit. We often in today's society call that cheating. Something like perhaps corking a baseball bat. Or letting air out of a football to make it easier to grip in cold weather. or perhaps I have I have another example. now, let me give a little bit of A little bit of History here for a moment because first of all it's not Hanukkah, we're still three three months away, but we're gonna have a conversation about dreidel.

5:25 when I was in elementary school I went to a Christian School. And I'm pretty certain that I was the only Jewish person there. And so because as such they thought it was very fascinating to oh, let's let's learn about the Jewish roots of our faith. And this and that what kind of Jewish things can we learn? So my mom came and what's what do you what are you most engage people with by people? I mean children in terms of a holiday dreidel Like I can play a game and win. So my mom teaches dreidel and then to she teaches about Hanukkah and we all play the game dreidel. Everybody know dreidel. Yeah, I made you out of clay. anyways

6:10 We're there and and I'm in carpool line waiting for my mom to come pick me up at the later into the day. And they've been calling my name and I haven't been hearing them. My mom comes inside she finds me. spread out in the in the in the pickup foyer. I don't know what you call that area. with like 10 of my friends and we're playing dreidel. And I'm winning. Because I know what to do. So I just want to I just want to show you I want to give an example Catherine. I'm gonna need your help. If you don't mind to come back up to the stage. We're going to move this hollow for a moment. We're going to explain dreidel for everybody. Who who doesn't know what dreidel is everybody? Maybe you guys can zoom

6:58 in on this. This is a dreidel right here. See, it looks like a little top. You have all different shapes and sizes of dreidels. And really all you do is you just spin it. I of course I spin up fast. You know you spin it and the person who spends. Either pays into the pot. Gets the pot or gets half the pot or doesn't do anything. So here Catherine, I've got two pennies for you. This is what we're gonna do. You grab a dreidel? But I want to I want to share with you guys something. I got this as a gift. It's the most beautiful dreidel I own. I'm gonna play with this one if that's okay. So we're going to put our two.

7:45 Our two pennies in there Catherine you you go first ladies first. See everybody's watching this. Ah Shin, that means you have to put money in but it's okay. That's all the money we have right now. I'll go I'll go don't worry. Oh, that one went really quick. Okay. Hold on a second. It looks like it's finding its final resting place. What does that look like Catherine? a gimbal that means I get everything. Maybe I should spin it again. Maybe I should spin it again. Let's try it again. Let's try this again. Maybe maybe something different will

8:32 come will come happen. It goes round and round. Oh my goodness. What does that look like? It's landing on. What is that? a gimbal another gimbal let's try it one more time. Didn't barely spin on that one. Oh. What does that look like? another gimbal All right. Thank you Catherine. I'm gonna show you guys.

9:17 Yeah, no, this dreidel is priceless given to me as a gift. for the longest time I played with this dreidel. I I will I will be very honest with you. I did not know. That was a way to dreidel. But let me let me show you if you guys can zoom in. Let me actually let me stand in front of the there you go right there zoom in on that. Can you guys see how on the bottom you see how there's a knot right in the middle and the knot kind of favors one side what when you are dealing with wood the not part is the heavier.

10:03 of the wood So of course opposite the knot. We have gimbal. And it will always almost always land on gimbal. This is what it's like. To have two sets of measures. Well, this is just one set of measure in my backpack. But this is what it's like. Is when we do something to cheat others for our own benefit. That's what having two sets of measures does. Let's move on to verse 15 you were to have a correct. Note, correct.

10:48 Not a incorrect and fair weight and you were to have a correct and fair measure so that you will prolong your days in the land the Lord your God is giving you. This verse is taking the previous two verses and framing it in a positive light. You're to have a correct or is from the word. This is the word Shalem which comes from the word root word connected with Shalom, which means whole or complete And then also a fair. Weight in other words this this word fair is interesting. It's in some of your versions it will be translated as just because it's connected to the word settic which is righteousness or Justice. And so if you have a correct and a

11:36 fair weight. Then there's a positive reward. For doing those things and the positive reward is prolonging your days in the land. It's interesting to me because This connects. I don't know. Does anybody ever read through the Bible and all of a sudden? You're like, wait a second. I've heard that phrase somewhere else. So the prolong your days in the land. We've heard that phrase somewhere else. We've heard it twice once in Exodus and once in Deuteronomy honor your father and mother. And you shall prolong your days in the land or lengthen your years? However, you want

12:23 to translate it. Honoring your father mother can be difficult. Or can be easy. It depends on your parents. parents It can be difficult or easy for your children to honor you. So why don't you set the standard as whether it's difficult or easy for them? but if you have parents that aren't that haven't taken taken heat to that. We'll come back to that in just a moment. This phrase prolonged the the years your years in the land also occurs in this Torah portion. And in fact Catherine you mentioned it in your in your Josh.

13:09 If you come across a mother bird. And take her eggs. Let her go so that you will prolong your days in the land or you will prolong your days. in fact Katherine, you mentioned that this you mentioned this and you draw it out you drew draw it drew it. You expounded upon it. When in doubt of a word? grab a different word you expounded upon this and said A mother can reproduce more eggs. But eggs, I didn't say this part, but eggs can't reproduce another mother. Now they later on they might be able to it depends on how they hatch and maybe but so on and so forth,

13:56 but the the straight principle there is the mother can have more eggs, but not vice versa. And that's what you mentioned. I was listening to a podcast this week. on on this verse the podcast is by Rabbi David foreman. And if you if anybody's interested in listening to podcasts it's called into the verse. available on all Your devices I assume. Anyways the into the verse takes this and actually changes the interpretation just a little bit. It says don't take advantage of a mother's instinct to save her babies because let's be honest when we walk down the road. First of all, has anybody ever walked down the road?

14:43 And seeing a bird that you can just grab with your hand. Like and you actually grabbed it. Yeah. birds fly away with one exception when it's a mother. over her Young and then the mercy that lives within the mother's heart, by the way, this is a cross species. It's not just Birds the mercy that comes and in the mother's heart comes to defend her children at all costs even to her own demise. So that's the only time you'll ever be able to grab eggs and a bird at the same moment. And so what Rabbi David foreman and and those in the podcast?

15:31 mention is that what's being said here is don't take advantage of a circumstance where the other entity the other person or the in this case. The mother bird loses all sense of self-preservation. Because she's sinking of one thing only. Don't use that advantage to capture her as well. You actually have to chase her away from the eggs. in these moments it reminded me of a book from when I was young. I Brittany and I were going through some old books the other day and and I tried finding it so I could bring up but I couldn't find it. So when we were young there was a book called The

16:17 Giving Tree. I don't know if anybody else remembers The Giving Tree. I got to tell you I was reading it the other day and I was thinking should I read this to my children because this is one of the most depressing books. I have ever read in my entire life. Because The Giving Tree does just that. Gives and gives and gives and the boy takes advantage and advantage and advantage of the circumstance. Maybe I read it in a different light. I was read it as a sweet book when I was younger, but now I'm older and I read it differently. But Katherine and for everyone else your parents will give and give and give to you.

17:02 But don't take advantage of it. Because that's their Instinct their instinct is to give and give and give and this is always be there. But as children, sometimes we take advantage of that. perhaps Your parents are not maybe not you Catherine, but perhaps someone else in here, maybe your parents aren't that way and it's hard for you to honor your father and your mother to to think about them because they gave and gave and gave well, maybe they didn't give and give and give to you. In fact, maybe they just forced you out. And made you grow up on your own. In that case, it's important. To recognize that you received the gift of life. from your parents

17:49 without your parents you would not have the gift of life and we have to treat the gift of life as something precious. So who wants a long life? I'm reminded of another. scripture who wants a long life Yeah, okay. Good at least a couple of you want a long life. This is what first Peter and also Psalm 34 say Who wants a long life? Keep your tongue from evil. And your lips from deceiving talk? Turn from Evil and do good. Seek. Peace And go after it or pursue it not just like I am going after peace today. But run with all of your might.

18:36 for the purpose of peace So if you want long life. Then you need to turn from Evil from the evil of duplicity to doing good. You need to seek and pursue. Peace. And finally, we come to the last verse for all who do such things all who deal dishonestly are detestable to Adonai your God. I mentioned this at the very beginning. dishonest business dealings create fissures or cracks and the fabric of society when Society exists in everyone around them is dishonest. Then you have no one to trust.

19:22 And when you have no one to trust you don't know if I'm giving you a good deal or if I'm ripping you off. And when you don't know that you distrust everyone. And when you distrust everyone you become very sour. And you end up actually pushing away the Lord. so dishonest business dealings break down our basic element of trust within Society. And then what this scripture says is this detestable or abhorrent some of your verses may say some of your scriptures may say it's abhorrent or detestable to the Lord this word to Eva refers to morally and religious. Detestable practices such as cheating.

20:09 Interesting that it's in the same verse about cheating. Such as perverse sexual relations impure Foods defective sacrifices, especially idolatry in its rights or child sacrifice. All of these are expressed as abhorrent to the Lord throughout the scriptures. So Catherine, what does this mean for you? And me in the rest in our community. whoop Oh, it means I have a dreidel. that I did not make and I no longer use except to prove that I can still win. No, I'm just playing.

20:54 So what is this mean? It means Catherine that limitations and boundaries are good to have. Communally and for you personally your parents up until this point have generally set the boundaries and limitations for you and your life. But now that you have walked through that door into Womanhood now you are going to begin to set your own boundaries and those are important things to set. What is permissible and what is not? It's a time for you to begin to understand. What boundaries and limitations in your life will help nourish your relationship with the Lord? You see when we set boundaries in our lives and limitations. It is for our self-preservation, but really

21:41 It's for our self-preservation for the sole purpose of spending time with God. So when we Have No Boundaries and no limitations. What does that mean? It means we have no time. to spend with the Lord And if we have no time to spend with the Lord then we have no relationship. with him and if we have no relationship with the Lord then today is the best day you will ever have in your life. Because there's no hope Beyond today. If there's no relationship with the Lord. But if we begin to set in boundaries and limitations, there are things that we have to say no to in our lives.

22:27 Sometimes they're good things that we have to say no to. Because they take our time away from the Lord. And we as social human beings. Need that time with the Lord. So number one. Established limitations and boundaries that will help nourish your relationship with the Lord. Number two keep your dealings with others honest and not duplicitous. Don't keep two sets of measures and weights because I know everybody in here has two sets of measures and weights and they're in their house. make sure that you're complete and fair in your weights and measures and life. Don't have a rigged dreidel.

23:18 Unless you're going to use it as an example for other people. And finally number three you have you and you alone have the ability to prolong your days. You can prolong your days by honoring your parents. You can prolong your days by not taking advantage of another's Mercy for your own selfish gain. And you can prolong your days by keeping your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk. Turn from Evil and do good seek. Peace and go after it Psalm 34. And when you go out today. Listen to the Lord and begin to place those boundaries in your life that will help draw your closer in your relationship to him.

24:05 Let me share with you one. Passage of scripture and then I'll I'll be done. this is I think safe to say one of my favorite passages of scripture. But I learned it in different in a different version. So you just bear with me as I try to follow along in the tlv. My son my child do not forget my teaching. But let your heart keep my mitzvot. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Like kindness and Truth never lead. You never leave you. Bind them around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart.

24:50 Then you will gain favor in a good name in the eyes of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones honor the Lord with your wealth. and with the first of your entire Harvest then your barns will be filled with plenty. Your Vats will overflow with new wine. My child never despised the Lord's discipline or dread his correction. For the lord loves those he reproves even as a father the son in whom he Delights.

25:38 Happy is the man who finds wisdom? in the man who gains understanding for her trade value is better than silver. And her yield better than fine gold. She is more precious. Than jewels and nothing you desire compares to her. Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand are riches and honor. You see that listen. Length of days is in her right hand and who's right hand and wisdoms right hand. How do you get wisdom? fear the lord and trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Her ways are Pleasant ways in all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who Embrace

26:25 her and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her. That's Proverbs chapter 3 the verse first 18 verses the whole chapter is great. By the way, the whole Bible is really good, too. But it's absolutely one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. I think there's so much for us to learn. even from that Passage Mazel Tov Catherine, you did a fantastic job. Welcome into adulthood. Don't forget to set your boundaries in your limitations. May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

27:15 Give a recognize. my record Yeah, I don't know. He satunai panavaleka. There's some lecha. Shah hello. be sure can you in the name of our Messiah Yeshua shabbat shalom muscles of Catherine