LIFE: The One Thing Everyone Wants More of (BH FILMS)

0:00One of the things that people want more than anything else is life. People want to live. So if somebody finds out that they have a disease that's going to lead to their death, there cannot be worse news. When they find out that somebody they care about has a terminal disease, there cannot be worse news. People want life. When a woman finds out that she cannot have a child to celebrate and raise with her husband, she cannot produce life. Sarah Imenu (our foremother, Sarah) taught us that this is like death. This is like the news of death.

1:00People want life. They want to live. They want their loved ones to live. They want their kids to live. They desire to bring children into the world, to create life. There's nothing greater than life. Even those who spent their lives pursuing money, honor, and various desires, at the end, they would give all of it for just one more day of life if they could. But the Torah teaches us that Hashem decides. to let us know: on Rosh Hashanah, it is decreed who will live and who will die. Meaning that even if someone tries to end their own life, they will only succeed if it was already decreed upon them to die. If they didn't succeed, it means they would have died anyway, just in a different manner. However, now they are in a grave situation, as it is considered a sin, and they will have to face additional consequences for having harmed themselves. It is viewed as self-murder according to our tradition. on Rosh Hashanah, it is decreed who will live and who will die. This means that even if someone tries to take their own life, they will only succeed if it was already decreed for them to die. If they hadn’t ended their own life, they would have passed away anyway, albeit in a different manner. Now, however, they are dying with the added sin of self-harm, and they will face additional punishment for what they have done to themselves. They have committed an act of self-murder.

2:02But at the end of it all, when you sum everything up, what is the number one most important thing for any one person out there? It's life. And every aspect of life, their own life and their loved one's life, producing life. Despite the fact that we know that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is the only one who decides who lives and who dies, and He decides this on Rosh Hashanah, Hashem also told us that there are things that influence His decision, things that we can do to give us more life. Because when a person is judged in Shamayim, to live or to die, Hashem does not only judge that person, but also every single person that will be affected by it: his mother and father, his siblings, his wife, his kids, his friends, co-workers, employees, even long-distance friends that he hasn't spoken to in years. Everyone gets judged because everyone will be affected by it. And therefore, the Chachamim say,

3:27that one of the greatest things that a person can do is have a very close relationship with a tzaddik, because that tzaddik can save his life. And if he hears that his long-lost friend has died, it would cause him sorrow. And for that, the Chachamim say, Hashem will not let him die. When HaKadosh Baruch Hu decides what He's going to decide on Rosh Hashanah, He's going to evaluate the person and everyone around them. And therefore, if a person makes himself a benefactor of the public, meaning more and more people need him; people need him to teach, people need him to give tzedakah, people need him to help them in different ways, to give them guidance, to give them a house, or whatever it is—he's a benefactor of the public. The greater... makes himself a benefactor of the public, meaning more and more people need him. People need him to teach, people need him to give tzedakah, people need him to help them in different ways, to give them guidance, to give them a house, or whatever it is, he's a benefactor of the public. The greater

4:42...of a benefactor he is to the public, the more the public needs him, the more there's a reason for HaKadosh Baruch Hu to leave him in this world. Because even if none of those people are tzadikim... The fact is that he's still a vessel that Hashem is using in this world to benefit His people, to benefit the world. So, if he's responsible for helping a thousand people eat through his donation, if she is responsible for helping five thousand people celebrate the holiday, If they're responsible for thousands of people doing teshuva in the last several months as a result of their donations, as a result of their teachings, as a result of their actions, then HaKadosh Baruch Hu decrees they're good for the public. The merit, the combined merit of the public, will give them life.

5:56So, while somebody thought, "Oh yeah, well, there's Torah out there," you're right—there is Torah out there. But not every Torah is for the sake of Hashem. Sometimes Torah is used as an axe for self-purpose, selfishly. So, how does a person turn themselves into a public benefactor? The Midrash Tanchuma in Parashat Shemot says as follows: And these are the laws, the laws that are being referred to were written about the king. The king who would build the land on these laws, and the man of Trumot will destroy it. The king, the melech, is referring to the king of Torah. As we see from the book of Mishlei (Proverbs), chapter 29, verse 24. What about the Trumah?

7:06We see that the King will build the world based on the laws, so the King built this world based on the laws of the Torah. But what is this Terumah that's going to destroy the world? This man of Terumah. Terumah is an offering that they brought at the Beit HaMikdash. And therefore, the Midrash teaches that if a person makes themselves into the man of Terumah in order to relieve themselves from becoming a benefactor of the public, where this person is precious. He has an abundance of Torah. He has extraordinary Torah knowledge that can help him judge and serve on a Beit Din. He's wealthy and can help people go to yeshiva, have money to eat, and celebrate the holidays and Shabbat, and feed the poor. He has tools, precious tools that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave him.

8:06But he doesn't want to be this. He doesn't want to be a public benefactor. He wants to be left alone. Oh, they're going to call him every day and invite him everywhere. They're going to ask him questions nonstop. Let somebody else do it. He doesn't want to donate. He wants to get himself a nice vacation, an expansion to the house, maybe a second or a third car, redo his garage, perhaps plant some more trees in the backyard so he can look at them every day while he's drinking his coffee in the morning. And the aroma of the coffee... ...will be the perfect fit for the beauty that's in his garden. She wants to get herself another piece of jewelry for her collection. So that way, when she walks down the street, people will not only see her, but perhaps see a spark coming from her. She doesn't want to use that money to benefit the public. She said, "Listen, I benefited the public last month. I gave a little donation. I even told a few other people it's good for you, but now it's enough, enough." "Yeah, but you have more."

9:12You have a hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, a million in the bank. You have a lot of money; it's not like you're struggling. Yeah, but I already did. We understand you already did, but Hashem also gave you more than just what you did. Ah, leave me alone. The sages teach us that a person who makes themselves into a "truma" (consecrated offering), in order to relieve themselves from being a benefactor of the public, is judged as if they destroyed the entire world. About them, it is written: "The man of 'truma' would be the destroyer of the world." May we all strive to fulfill our responsibilities and contribute positively to our communities. I hope that everyone takes everything to heart, to do teshuva, to get closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, to really push ourselves to the maximum, to become a benefactor of the public, whether it's with the gifts and talents or the gifts of money or skill, whatever it is, the person that wants life, has to choose the perfect solution that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us, which is to help other people really acquire life, which means to get closer to Him. By being a benefactor of the public, you're certainly choosing life. May we all strive to fulfill this mission with dedication and sincerity.

10:29has to choose the perfect solution that HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us, which is to help other people really acquire life, which means to get closer to Him. By being a benefactor of the public, you're certainly choosing life. Thank you. Thank you very much! Amen. Amen. Amen.