Podcasts about Next World

The pasuk says in this week's parasha, Ki Tisa , הודיעני נא את דרכיך ואדעך למען אמצא חן בעיניך – Moshe Rabbenu asked Hashem to show him His ways so that he could know Him better and thereby find favor in His eyes. The goal of every eved Hashem is to find favor in Hashem's eyes and the more we know about Hashem the better we will be able to do His will and thus find more favor in His eyes. The Gemara says, one of the questions Moshe Rabbenu was asking Hashem here is why do we sometimes find a tzaddik suffering and a rasha prospering? The Chovot HaLevavot in the Shaar HaBitachon writes regarding this question, there is no one answer that fits all. Every single tzaddik who ever suffered had a different reason why he needed that suffering. And every rasha who ever prospered had a different reason why he needed to prosper. And therefore, we can never know why any particular person is living the life that he is living. However, there are endless reasons why Hashem would act in this way and the Chovot HaLevavot in perek 3 gives us some of them. One thing he says is eye opening and can definitely give people chizuk to overcome this very difficult part of life. He writes, one of the reasons Hashem would give a rasha tranquility is to test everyone else, to see who is really a faithful servant to Him. If someone sees the rasha prospering and says, “That's not fair,” or, “Good people always finish last, so why bother?” Then he is not a ne'eman . But if someone would say instead, “I know Hashem is the fairest Judge and everyone will get exactly what's coming to them.” And despite the challenge, he rises above it and continues clinging to his service of Hashem, then he will be called a ne'eman and will be rewarded so greatly because of it. And even though, currently, Hashem makes it look like things are not fair, in actuality, they are as fair as can be. The rasha may have done some good deeds that Hashem is rewarding now and the consequences for the bad will come later. And a tzaddik may have done things that require atonement that Hashem is giving him now so he can be ready for the ultimate rewards in the Next World. This is one of the most difficult questions in life to deal with, but as always, Hashem is acting in a way that will give us the greatest opportunity to rise to the highest levels and earn more rewards. When a righteous individual prays day and night for something that he needs so badly, but does not receive what he is asking for, and then he sees someone else who never prays receiving that very same request he has been asking for, it is a major test in his emunah. When a person is honest in business, constantly battling to do what is right to honor Hashem yet he struggles with parnasa , and then he sees someone else who is dishonest making more money than he knows what to do with, that is a big test in emunah. When a girl dresses and acts in the ways of modesty and goes through the dating process the way Hashem wants, and still hasn't found her zivug , yet others who completely ignore the ways of modesty get married with ease, that is a very big test. On this we say וצדיק באמונתו יחיה . To be faithful despite these enormous tests is a very high madrega . These people are the ones who are going to bring Mashiach . They will be rewarded for every moment that they were able to have emunah. Everything is happening the exact way it is supposed to. We only gain by doing right and although it might not appear that way, one day Hashem will show us how fair and righteous He was always acting. For now, it is up to us to remain ne'eman . Shabbat Shalom.

The Chovot HaLevavot in the Shaar HaBitachon at the end of perek 3 shares with us life changing information. He writes that when a person is involved, whether mentally or physically, in trying to earn a livelihood, he is fulfilling a positive commandment from the Torah. When Adam HaRishon was in Gan Eden , Hashem commanded him to work the land and preserve it. That command, he says, applies to every single person as well, which obligates him to do something to make sure he has a livelihood. Yes, it is true what the Rambam says that anyone who wants to dedicate his life to the service of Hashem and learn Torah full time, has the right to do so. However, those who are going to work have an opportunity to gain Olam Haba in a way they never imagined. The halacha is that to get credit for a mitzvah, a person needs to have intent that he is performing the mitzvah because Hashem commanded him to. It is true that there are poskim who say when we do general mitzvot that are obvious why we are doing them, like putting on tefillin or shaking a lulav and etrog , even if we don't have intent we still get credit. However, when it comes to mitzvot where it is not obvious that the reason we are doing them is because Hashem commanded us to, there, in order to get the credit, we must have the right intentions. With this in mind, the Chovot HaLevavot writes, when a person makes a hishtadlut to earn parnasa , he should have in mind that he is going to fulfill a mitzvah. And if he has this intention, Hashem will reward him for going to work. He will be rewarded whether or not he earns the money he was trying to earn and whether or not he completes the business deal he had been working so hard on. He will be paid for the intentions and the efforts. Which means, if a person went to work for eight hours with the right intentions, even if he didn't earn a dime, he had a very successful day. He fulfilled this positive commandment all day long and will be rewarded for it for all eternity. You could have two people doing the exact same job and one cashing in on spiritual fortunes, while the other is missing out on that opportunity. It all depends on the person's intentions. It goes without saying that the person has to have a job which Hashem approves of, in the right environment. Then the Chovot HaLevavot quotes the pasuk , יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך – which means, if someone eats from his own handiwork, he is fortunate and it will be good for him. Our Chazal explained this double terminology. אשריך – בעולם הזה – he is fortunate in this world; וטוב לך – and it will be good for him – לעולם הבא – in the Next World. We understand why this is good for him in this world. We know Hashem could send a person his parnasa in infinite ways and it doesn't necessarily have to come from his job. However, when a person is successful at work, and does earn his income from the place he's putting his efforts in, there is a special enjoyment which will definitely enhance his Olam Hazeh . But what does that have to do with Olam HaBa ? Why will it be good for him there? According to the way the Chovot HaLevavot is learning, this person who goes to work with the right intentions, will be overcome with joy in the Next World, seeing how much reward he will be getting for something he was doing anyway. Our intentions make all the difference. If we view work as an avodat Hashem and do it the way Hashem wants us to, we will be rewarded for doing that avodat Hashem. Our greatest benefit from work, with this in mind, is no longer the money we earn from it, but rather the mitzvah we are earning from it. And if a person works with Hashem on his mind all day long and acts the way Hashem wants him to act and makes a kiddush Hashem, his rewards will be unimaginable. May Hashem help us have the right intentions and do everything l'shem Shamayim .

One of the ways in which a person can gain extraordinary Heavenly help is by going over and above when it comes to doing things to help other people. The Rambam writes in his Perush Hamishnayot that the general rule that the reward for mitzvot is paid in the Next World applies to mitzvot between us and Hashem. But regarding the mitzvot between man and man, Hashem pays in both worlds. Rabbi Yochanan Wosner, a Rosh Bet Din in Montreal related, this past year he tested a young man aged 26 on Shulchan Aruch and he could not believe the amount of knowledge this young man had. He knew as much as elderly sages, not to mention he had already finished Shas numerous times. The Rabbi met his father a few months later and praised the young scholar to no end, asking the father how he could possibly know so much Torah at such a young age. His father said he was a regular boy like everyone else, but during his early teens, a new boy came to his yeshiva who was extremely shy. He was invited for an aliya one day and was so scared, he stuttered all the words of the beracha and barely read them correctly. My son, seeing the reaction of the other boys, was worried that they would act as boys do and make fun of him afterward, which would be traumatizing to him. He decided to take action. He asked if he could do hagbaha , which is lifting the Torah up after they finish reading to show it to everyone. His request was granted and, when he lifted the Torah, he did it the opposite way of the standard custom. Instead of having the words face him, he had the back of the parchment face him and the words face the crowd. Everybody started looking at him in wonderment and some of the Rabbis were appalled at what he did. After tefila , there was a discussion amongst the Rabbis about what to do with him and one of them even suggested throwing him out of the yeshiva. But they decided to ask him first to explain his actions. He told them he was so worried about the new boy being made fun of, he had to do something to make everybody forget about what he did and draw their attention to something else. His father concluded, “From then on, the wellsprings of knowledge became open to him. His learning became extraordinary. And that is how he knows so much Torah now.” Our greatest Rabbis attributed their success in Torah to the righteousness of their deeds. One of the students of the Chazon Ish once asked the Gadol , how does one grow to become a Chazon Ish? The Chazon Ish replied, “Be careful to honor your parents.” It was known that the Chazon Ish would visit and converse daily with his mother, in spite of the fact that he never wasted a minute that could be used for Torah study. He knew his success in Torah depended on how he fulfilled the mitzvot. All of our greats had such a deep rooted care and love for every Jew and that is why it is no wonder they became the great Gedolim that they did. One year, a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah, Rav Nachum, the chazan in the shul where Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld was the Rav, passed away suddenly. When the congregation asked Rav Yosef Chaim about arranging to get a new chazan , he told them he would take care of it. When Rosh Hashanah came and they finished reading the Torah, suddenly, Rav Yosef Chaim got up from his chair and went to invite Rav Nachum's son to be the chazan . The young man was completely caught off guard, but obediently listened to the Rabbi's request. After Mussaf, a group of esteemed baaleh batim respectfully asked the Rav how he could appoint Rav Nachum's son as chazzan when the Mishnah Berurah clearly states that an avel may not be chazzan for the Yamim Noraim . The Rabbi answered softly, “You must know, Rav Nachum's widow was sitting in the ladies' section. You can imagine the grief and sorrow she must be feeling, especially on this day when her late husband would have been the one to lead us for Mussaf . Imagine the pain she would have felt if someone else would have begun to lead the tefila that she was used to hearing her husband lead every year. I wanted to minimize the widow's grief as best as I could and so I decided to put someone as close, in her eyes, as possible to her husband as the chazzan . The Torah warns us numerous times about not causing pain to a widow and so I felt compelled to act the way that I did.” This is the sensitivity that our great Rabbis had. And it is this sensitivity that Hashem loves so much and pays us for even in this world.

A woman who was suffering a lot in her marriage asked the following question. We know everything is from Hashem and nobody could cause us any harm if it is not His will, therefore, should she accept the suffering and continue on that way or should she try to do something to stop it? The Gemara tells us in Masechet Eruvin that there are certain people who go through so much suffering in this world that they will never even have to see the face of Gehinom in the Next World. And that is the greatest blessing possible. On that list of people is someone who suffers from intestinal disorders. Another is someone who lives in abject poverty. And another is someone who has a very difficult wife and, presumably, it's the same for someone who has a difficult husband. This means that having a difficult spouse to deal with is one of the biggest yisurin that we have in this world, something that could guarantee a person that he will never have to see Gehinom . The Ramban says that if a person knew what Gehinom was, he would choose 70 years of Iyov's suffering rather than even one hour of it. The Gemara asks further, why the need to know that these people's suffering is considered so valuable? The Gemara answers, in order for them to know that they have to accept it with love. In order for any yisurin to achieve its full effects, the recipient has to acknowledge that it is coming from Hashem for his best and accept it without complaining. This having been said, it does not mean that this woman should continue her marriage the way it is and accept that this is what Hashem wants from her. The same way a person with an intestinal disorder is encouraged to do everything in his power to become healed, and the same way a person who is living in poverty is encouraged to do everything in his power to earn money and get out of the poverty, so too a person in a difficult marriage is encourages to do whatever is in his or her power to improve it. Marriage is supposed to be something which brings happiness. Chazal tell us, when there is peace between man and wife, Hashem dwells together with them. There are many ways in which marriages can be improved. With the proper guidance and counseling, couples could have true happiness. There are also excellent books on shalom bayit . I personally recommend a book called Happily Married by Rabbi Zamir Cohen, he has one for men and another for women. When the Gemara says we are supposed to accept with love, that means whatever took place until now we are to accept. If it happened already it means it was the best possible thing to happen to us. But going forward, we are to do everything in our power to improve our situations. It is true that yisurin brings kapara , but our greatest sages have taught us, we try to avoid yisurin because we are worried that we won't be able to handle them properly. Nisyonot are the greatest tools with which we can reach the highest levels in this world, yet every day we make a heartfelt tefila asking Hashem לא לידי ניסיון – that we should not be tested. If the test comes, we accept it with love and do everything in our power to pass, but first we try to avoid it. The same is true with any type of yisurin . Whatever happens, we try our hardest to accept with love and even thank Hashem for it, but going forward, we are always encouraged to do what we can to try to fix the situation and try to bring about peace and happiness. There have been so many couples who have gone for counseling and made their lives so much happier. It is not something to be ashamed of. Counseling just means there are people who studied the subject very well and know how to give good advice on it. We need to use the tools that Hashem has given us to improve our marriages and bring the Shechina more into our lives.

The Midrash in parashat V'Etchanan says a person should be happier with his yissurin – afflictions – more than when he receives open good because yissurin cleanses a person and gets rid of his averot . The Yalkut Shimoni in Tehillim says a person should thank Hashem when yissurin befall him because yissurin bring a person much closer to Hashem. At the end of Rebbe Avraham, brother of the Vilna Gaon's life, he was bedridden in excruciating pain, suffering from open wounds all over his body. When his son began to cry seeing his father in that condition, his father said this was the greatest gift that Hashem bestowed upon him. He said, “If I had the strength right now, I would get up and sing and dance out of joy in Hashem's goodness in giving me these yissurin . This is how our great chachamin viewed yissurin because they knew of their great effects. How great it would be if a person was able to achieve the effects of yissurin without having to actually experience them. The Gra wrote in a letter that there is a way to achieve this. He said if we follow his instructions, we will receive untold reward in the Next World by absolving ourselves of all our sins without having to suffer any physical pain. He wrote there, if a person would hold himself back from speaking something he shouldn't be saying, or if he would control a certain desire, that would accomplish more than any other form of yissurin . He writes further, for every second that a person holds himself back from saying something he shouldn't, he will also merit a special pleasure in the Next World that no angel could ever fathom. This means if someone is ready to relate a juicy piece of gossip to a crowd of people which would for sure make him the center of attention, he should stop himself and think, “If I hold back now, that would take the place of so much yissurin that may have been destined to befall me.” And if it is very hard to do, he should know that for every second that he holds himself back, it's considered an additional affliction. Plus, he will receive untold rewards for his restraint in the Next World. This does not only apply to holding back from lashon hara . The Gemara says in masechet Moed Katan that Rabbi Yanai's student used to ask him very difficult questions during their daily class. But on the holidays, when the attendance of the class was very large, this student never asked the Rabbi a question because he didn't want to potentially embarrass the Rabbi if he didn't have a good answer. The Gemara applied to this student the pasuk in Tehillim , ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלוקים, which the Gemara explained to mean, as a reward for holding back his desire to show off his understanding of the material, he merited to be amongst those who were going to experience great salvation from Hashem. Every time we break our evil inclination, that is considered yissurin and, potentially, can wipe away endless amounts of averot . Imagine if a person was being told off and had a nasty comment he could say back that would allow him to enjoy sweet revenge, but instead he closed his mouth and didn't say a word. The kapara brought about by that act is unimaginable. Additionally, for every single second that he keeps his mouth closed at that time, he will be rewarded with the greatest rewards. Yissurin are great and accomplish so much for us, but nobody likes going through the painful process to receive those benefits. Here, the Vilna Gaon is giving us priceless information. We could accomplish more than any type of yissurin by holding back from saying things we shouldn't or by breaking any other desire for any kind of temptation. These are difficult things to do but it is well worth it. The next time a person is put into such a circumstance, he should pause and think about the golden opportunity that is being presented to him at that time.

After the eighth makah , Pharaoh told Moshe that the Jewish People could go, but they had to leave back their animals. Moshe replied they were going to go and take everything with them, because לא נדע מה נעבוד את ה' עד בואנו שמה– he said we will not know what we need to serve Hashem until we get there. Some explain this pasuk homiletically as saying, we don't know which service is more precious to Hashem עד בואנו שמה – until we will see with our own eyes in the Next World. Sometimes people feel down about themselves, seeing that they aren't accomplishing as much as others in avodat Hashem and that could completely break their desire to continue trying to grow. Sometimes a person compares his children to his neighbor's children and wonders why they are so much more successful in their learning than his, while he is putting in much more effort in his children than they are in theirs. We must constantly remind ourselves, we have no idea which person's avodah gives more nachat ruach(satisfaction) to Hashem. Hashem does not reward based on results, He rewards based on efforts. Every single person has a different job to do and if he does his job to the best of his ability, he will be amongst the greatest rabbis of all time in the Next World. Just like every person has different physical characteristics, different shoe sizes, different clothing sizes, so too every person is given different spiritual strengths, depending on what his job in this world is to do. If he is not as “tall” as someone else with his spiritual capabilities, that just means his job is different and he doesn't need to accomplish what the other person has to. If a person doesn't know this, he could easily miss out on the life he is supposed to live. If someone is feeling low, he needs to pray to Hashem to give him chizuk to continue trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The sefer Ki Ata Imadi repeated a story that was told by Rabbi Moshe Pluchok, one of the Maggideh Shiur in Yeshivat Derech Chaim in America. Their yeshiva moved locations for a couple of months and in that new location, the Rabbi saw a man who looked like he had just started his path in Judaism. He was sitting in front of an Artscroll Gemara and learning with such enthusiasm, swaying back and forth. When he had a question, he would go and ask one of the rabbis learning there. Rabbi Pluchok was very impressed and he went over to introduce himself. The man told him he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was told by the doctors that he had just months to live. Rabbi Pluchok then asked him how he was able to learn with such diligence with that on his mind. The man explained that just in the past couple of years he discovered Torah and mitzvot and that is the only thing that gives him peace of mind. A few weeks later, the Rabbi saw that man learning in his usual place, but he seemed to be disturbed and much less enthusiastic. The Rabbi immediately went over to him and asked if everything was okay. The man said he was feeling very low. Here he sees outstanding Torah scholars all around him learning at the highest levels for twelve hours a day. He started to think to himself, I know Hashem gets so much satisfaction from them, but what about me? What does He need me to learn for if He has all of these great scholars? “ I spend a few hours a day trying to learn and even with that I only get a few lines of Gemara accomplished, and I don't even fully understand them. I'm feeling completely unnecessary.” Rabbi Pluchok proceeded to give the man a fiery speech about how every single person has a different, unique job to fulfill and that no one else in the world could do what he has to do. And how much pleasure Hashem gets from every word of Gemara he attempts to learn. The man felt renewed strength and energy and continued happily learning. The following year, the Rabbi saw this man's son and asked him about his father. The boy said his father passed away, “but until the end, he went happily to learn every single day and quoted what you said about how important his job is and how much satisfaction Hashem got from him.” A few words of chizuk can go a very long way. Every single person has a very lofty mission to fulfill. We will not see the value of everyone's avodah, עד בואנו שמה – until the Next World – but we can be confident that everyone's avodah is extremely valuable and they should never let up, no matter what anyone else is doing around them.

The Tom Renz Show – Schwab and his WEF cronies are doing this with the clear intent to usher in Central Bank Digital Currency and universal basic income. It's all about control and always has been. And the appointment of Robert Hur to the fact that Biden has absolutely no chance of re-election, the more suspicious I get. This situation has every sign of a setup...

 Gregory Shushan is the guest on the Malliard Report. He is the leading authority on near death experiences and afterlife across cultures and is the author of numerous books, including the most recent one, The Next World of Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife.  Gregory and Jim are discussing Gregory's new book, The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife. Gregory explains that his previous two books are published by Bloomsbury and Oxford University Press and are intended for an academic audience, which is why they come with a hefty $110 price tag. He wanted to write something more accessible and affordable for people interested in near-death experiences. His new book looks at the idea of the afterlife from different cultural and religious perspectives. It is both accessible in terms of academic language and affordable for readers. The narrator has always been interested in unusual phenomena and began exploring after reading a book called Phenomenon. During his first degree in Egyptian archeology, he noticed similarities between ancient Egyptian beliefs of the afterlife and near-death experiences, such as leaving one's body and entering a realm of light and meeting a being of light. He decided to pursue the subject and make his work accessible to a broader audience. The conversation discussed near-death experiences (NDEs) and how they are symbolically expressed in ancient cultures. It was mentioned that in ancient Egypt, the dead were associated with the god Osiris and that part of the afterlife journey involved encountering the corpse of Osiris in the other realm. This realization that the corpse is one and the same as the dead body on Earth is what allows the spirit to continue on to the afterlife. Contemporary NDEs involve the spirit rising out of the body and looking down to see their dead body lying there. This realization allows them to accept the reality of what is happening to them and accept their own death. Gregory then explains that the NDE is not the only way to explore the afterlife. He suggests that lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences, astral projection, and other forms of non-ordinary consciousness can allow us to explore the next world. He also discusses the importance of integrating these experiences into one's daily life and how they can help to facilitate a deeper understanding of life and death. Finally, Jim and Gregory discussed the importance of looking at the afterlife from a spiritual perspective, and how it can help to provide comfort and understanding in our own lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie Figueroa is Boricua (Afro-Taíno) by way of Ohio and a long-time resident of northern New Mexico. She is the author of the novel Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer. In this narrated essay, Jamie considers the kind of world she wants to inhabit and the stories that will make it so. Confronted with narratives of catastrophe and colonialism that restrict her spirit, she summons the imagination, sovereignty, and courage needed to restory herself and rebirth the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please share the stream! It is the best way to help the show grow!   Jim Telfer, Rob Hovick, and Neight Mindham are joined on the show by Wojciech Szewczyk to discuss his 10 ball World Championship season and the next world championships going to Poland and anything that comes in from the chat room!   If you enjoy the show and want to support the future of the show, consider joining Cue It Up Networks Patreon program here. https://www.patreon.com/cueitup   If you would like to become a sponsor to the show.... Email cueituppodcast@gmail.com

One of the Thirteen Principles of Emunah is that Hashem will reward us for every mitzvah that we do. Unlike a human being of flesh and blood, Hashem is able to reward us not just for the immediate effects of our actions, He takes into account the ripple effects of our deeds which can have so many dimensions and continue on for generations to come. In this world, if a mechanic fixes a car, he gets paid his hourly rate. It does not matter if the car he fixed enabled its owner to save lives or to do good deeds. When it comes to Hashem, however, there is a completely different system. I read a mashal in the book Loving Kindness, which is based on the Chofetz Chaim's Ahavat Chesed . Imagine a man is on the verge of bankruptcy. His friend is in a position to help the man reestablish his business on firmer footing. He takes the opportunity and grants the man a large loan. The business ends up surviving. The 150 workers the business employs all remain employed. They are all saved from having to tell their families that they are out of work. The marital stress that job loss might have caused never comes to pass. One worker who was on the verge of buying a home in a religious neighborhood where his children would be able to thrive is now able to make that purchase. Another is able to afford a home care aide for his elderly mother rather than having to put her in a nursing home. The restaurant across the street from the business maintains its steady lunch time clientele, as does the sandwich vendor, the drug store and the candy shop. The friend who made the loan will not be rewarded just for the loan, he'll be rewarded for all of those ripple effects plus the nearly infinite ways in which his good deed will reverberate in the future. Only Hashem is capable of keeping track of the effects of every single deed that every single Jew has ever done. To think about that is mind boggling. Furthermore, the rewards are not dependent on just the actual deed. There are so many other factors that go into its calculation, including how much effort the person put into doing the deed, how difficult it was for him to do and how pure his motives were in doing it. The general rule is לפום צערא אגרא – the more difficult it is, the greater is the reward is. I read a story about a boy who was having a hard time in shidduchim . He was getting on in years with nothing promising on the horizon. His family heard about a segula to go pray by the kever of Rabbi Leib Baal Hayisurin on Rosh Chodesh that falls out on a Friday. That day came and they were all eager to go to Tzfat. It was a winter Friday and Shabbat was very early. As the family gathered into the car, the boy went back into the house to get something. That's when an elderly, poor man came knocking on the door. The boy asked him how he could be of help. The poor man said he is trying to collect some tzedaka and is also very thirsty. The boy invited him in for a drink as if he had all the time in the world. He asked the man what he wanted and he replied, “Coffee.” Although the boy was in a hurry, he boiled water and prepared a cup of coffee. The family called him from the car saying they had to leave that second to make Shabbat. He told them he wants to go more than them, but he has to take care of this poor man first. The poor man then asked him for some food. The boy made him eggs with toast and waited for him to finish his meal. It was only then that he mentioned that he was in a hurry. The poor man asked him where he was going. He told him about the segula and how he was older and not yet married. The poor man then gave him the most beautiful beracha and told him he should be married within the year. It seems from the way the story went that they did not end up going to that kever , but amazingly, on that exact day one year later, this boy's wedding took place. He said, “We have done a lot of segulot and shed many tears, but doing this chesed at the most difficult, hectic time seemed to be the great deed that finally paved the way to my shidduch .” Hashem will reward us for every last effort we put in to Torah and mitzvot. The main rewards will be paid in the Next World, while some deeds will also bear fruit in this world as well.

WOW!!!

One of the great sources of enjoyment in this world comes when a person's efforts are recognized and rewarded. There is a great feeling of satisfaction when a person sees the fruits of his labor. And it is an even greater feeling when he gets honored as a result of them. This is why acting privately, l'shem Shamayim is very difficult. It means the person has to try to hide all of his good deeds and not get honor from them, and thereby give up all of that potential satisfaction that he could have gotten. The greatest satisfaction that a person can possibly get will come in the form of rewards in the Next World. There, the person will see how much Hashem took notice and appreciated every last effort that he ever made. The less honor a person gets here, the more honor he gets there. Even in this world, sometimes Hashem orchestrates events in ways that show us how much He really does appreciate everything we do. And when that happens, we become overjoyed. This gives us a very small glimpse into how much joy we are going to have when Hashem shows us how much He recognized every single good deed that we ever did. I read a story which took place in the earlier half of the 1900's when a medical complication known as RH incompatibility was not yet understood. A certain family in Yerushalayim had this condition and child after child born to them passed away within mere hours of birth. No one could figure out the problem and they were suffering tremendously from it. Eventually, the case came to an eminent European professor who concluded that the blood types of the mother and baby were incompatible. And he was convinced that the only hope of saving a baby born in that situation would be if it received an immediate blood transfusion right after birth. At that time, there were no blood banks with blood available like we have today. A blood transfusion required the donor to be present to give the blood at the time of the transfusion. This meant they needed to find someone with the blood type that the doctor specified who would be willing to give a substantial quantity of blood at the time when their next baby was born. The couple advertised in newspapers in Israel and abroad until, finally, a man from America who matched the blood type agreed to give his blood to save a life. Finally, that long anticipated day arrived when this mother went into labor and that man had already come after making the long, difficult journey to Israel. The transfusion was made on the spot and was a success. The parents' joy knew no bounds. When they celebrated their first brit milah , they honored their benefactor at the milah and showered him with gifts and heartfelt thanks, as did their extended family and friends. The man dismissed all the fanfare, modestly explaining that what he did was something any Jew would do. They named the baby Moshe and little Moshe developed into a fine Ben Torah. On every one of his birthdays and every time he reached a milestone, his parents would write a heartfelt letter of gratitude to the donor and enclose pictures of their son so that he could rejoice with them. When Moshe turned three, they sent pictures of him getting his first haircut. They did the same when Moshe got his first siddur at his siddur party. As well when he started learning Mishnayot , and then when he had his first Siyum Masechet . Every happy occasion was shared with the donor. The donor even made a special trip to Israel to celebrate Moshe's bar-mitzvah in person. Eventually, Moshe was accepted into one of the most renowned yeshivot in all of Israel and was one of the best boys in the entire yeshiva. When the time came for him to get married, his Rosh Yeshiva suggested a shidduch for his prize student – an American gvir(wealthy man) who was looking for an outstanding b achur for his daughter. As soon as the names were mentioned, both families were in awe. It was none other than the daughter of this man who donated blood to save Moshe's life. That boy became his son-in-law. It was then that he saw the amazing hashgacha that Hashem brought about to show him how much his efforts were appreciated. Besides the joy in having such a great son-in-law, the man was overjoyed with the knowledge that Hashem appreciated and rewarded his efforts. He had such satisfaction from this episode. The satisfaction that is awaiting each person in the Next World for every one of their good deeds will far surpass any satisfaction they could possibly get in this world.

It is very common for people to look around and see other people's blessings and feel bad that they aren't sharing the same success. We tend to look at financial gain as the ultimate blessing and can't help but wonder why people who aren't observant are doing so well in that area. There is so much more to life than money. We have no idea what is going on in other people's lives. Financial gains does not mean that the person is living a blessed life. The main rewards for our avodah are in the Next World. But even here, Hashem has so many meaningful ways of blessing people beyond what money could ever buy. Rabbi Yechiel Meir Tzudker told a story about a man named Mr. Donat who received a share in the first public transport company in Israel, called Shachar as part of his immigration privileges. For Donat, this was a marvelous stroke of good fortune. In time, Shachar merged with HaMikasher, another transportation company, forming the iconic Egged Bus Service and shares skyrocketed. Just the dividends earned from his share in Egged were sufficient to support Mr. Donat's family comfortably. Yet, this merger resulted in an unforeseen problem for Torah observant shareholders. When the newly founded Egged began operating, a large number of bus lines ran on Shabbat. Now anyone who owned shares in the company would be profiting from chilul Shabbat . Mr. Donat asked the Rav of Haifa, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Klein about what to do. Simply, this was forbidden, but Rabbi Klein wouldn't rule on the matter because there was so much poverty in Israel at the time, and if Mr. Donat would give up his shares, he would most probably have to start collecting to feed his family, which was not a simple matter. It borderlined a question of pikuach nefesh . And so he sent Mr. Donat to the Chazon Ish with the question, saying only the Gadol HaDor could answer such a critical question. At that time, the Chazon Ish was ill and bedridden, but because Mr. Donat traveled for a half a day to get there, they allowed him in to quickly present his question. After hearing it, the Chazon Ish responded with just two words. “ אין אפשרות ” which meant it would be impossible to allow. Mr. Donat heard the Gadol's reply and his heart plummeted. Yet, despite his heartache and fear, he completely accepted the ruling and immediately set out for Egged's main offices. When he arrived, he requested the deed of his share and ripped it into pieces, forfeiting his share in the company and its considerable returns. In that second, Donat was reduced from a man of means to a pauper. Instead of living in comfort, he became a low wage vendor and spent his days lugging around a heavy suitcase, selling soap door to door. But despite all the difficulties, he walked with his head held up high, knowing he sacrificed wealth and comfort to follow Hashem. Even when he turned 80 years old, he was still working hard. While his friends were reaping the benefits of their pensions and living off their savings, old Mr. Donat was still working hard to make ends meet. In his later years, he ended up changing jobs and became a helper in a yeshiva building. One day, he came into the building with a beaming smile on his face. One of the boys there asked him why he was so happy. Mr. Donat replied, “This morning I was walking in one of the upscale neighborhoods on Mount Carmel when I bumped into an old acquaintance of mine, a former colleague from my days in Egged. He recognized me and said, ‘You see all these splendid houses around you? They all belong to veteran Egged shareholders. Look at what you lost when you foolishly forfeited your share. That one share would have been worth millions today. We are all living in beautiful homes with pools and cars while you are still toiling away like a workhorse.'” Mr. Donat continued, “I didn't answer him because he would never understand what I have. Besides for my eternal rewards for what I gave up, tonight I am going to attend my son's Siyum HaShas . This is not any siyum HaShas , my son was tested and knows the entire Shas by heart. Tonight, I'll be sitting with great Rabbis and the room will be filled with my children, children-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom are filled with Torah and yirat Shamayim . You see, Shabbat paid me back ten-fold with the most nachat a person could have in this world.” It is not always about money. There is so much more to life than just dollars and cents.

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After Yosef interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh informing him that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, he then advised Pharaoh to appoint an איש נבון וחכם to oversee the storage phase. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian asked, why was it necessary to get a נבון וחכם for the simple task of gathering and storing grain. Wouldn't an ordinary individual suffice? The Rabbi answered, in general to store grain did not require such a wise man, but this situation was unique. It is known that in times of plenty, especially when there is an overabundance, people tend to waste and not value food the way they should. On the opposite side, when there is famine, every single kernel of grain becomes so precious. When someone has to store food properly during a time of plenty for a time of hunger, he has to be able to imagine himself as if he is in the days of hunger while he is gathering the food. And for that, a נבון חכם was necessary. A חכם is someone who is רואה את הנולד. He doesn't just keep the future in mind, he is able to see himself in the future right now. The same is true of our stay in this world. We live in a place with an abundance of mitzvot opportunities available to us. And we are to gather as many as we can, because in the Next World there will be no more opportunity. It will be like a hunger for mitzvot. The wise person is able to live here and imagine already what it will be like there. There is no greater pleasure to be had than the ones reserved for the future life, but they will only be given to the ones who stored up enough mitzvot here first. We say every day in the Aminda , ותן שכר טוב לכל הבוטחים בשמך באמת – a request for Hashem to give the good reward to those who are bote'ach in Him. Why does it say the good reward? Is there a reward that is not good? The Bet Tefila explains, the good reward referred to here is the ultimate reward that we can possibly get in this world and that is more opportunities to do great things and acquire more mitzvot and bring more satisfaction to HaKadosh Baruch Hu . Our entire purpose in this world is to amass fortunes of Torah and mitzvot and so, every extra opportunity in gaining more of them is the ultimate reward. Sometimes people pray for things for a long time and don't see the responses they are hoping for. They may feel that they are wasting their time and efforts by praying because seemingly their tefilot aren't working anyway. There could be nothing further from the truth. The greatest gain they could possibly get is praying another heartfelt tefila . That is what will stay with them forever. And if Hashem enabled them to pray for a longer period of time with sincerity, that in essence was the greatest gift He could have given them. When people take upon themselves to do extra mitzvot in the merit of receiving what they want and they don't get what they want, they should not, chas v'shalom , feel that they worked hard for nothing. They got the greatest reward possible – the mitzvah itself. And if they continue growing and praying without receiving what they are hoping for, that makes the mitzvot and tefilot infinitely greater. Although it may not appear that way to us, that's only because we don't have the spiritual eyes to see what happens each time we do a mitzvah. But they are the שכר טוב and we should utilize every moment that we have in this world to grab as many of them as we can.

Elon Musk values power & money here on earth more than humility. He puts himself first. What about you? What are your values? Are you living for this world or the next?

Former NCAA Singles Champion and ATP Top 100 player Bradley Klahn joins Editor-in-Chief Alex Gruskin to discuss his offseason plans, which players have the potential to ascend to the World #1 Ranking in 2023, and so much more!! Don't forget to give a 5-star review on your favorite podcast app! In addition, add your Twitter/Instagram handle to the review for a chance to win some FREE CR gear!! This episode brought to you by: Tennis Point Discounted Tennis Apparel, Tennis Racquets, Tennis Shoes & Equipment from Nike, adidas, Babolat, Wilson & More! Visit their store today and use the code "CR15" at checkout to save 15% off Sale items. Some Exclusions (MAP Exceptions) apply and code will not work on those items. This code will add 1 FREE CAN of WILSON Balls to the cart at checkout.  Swing Vision SwingVision is the official ball tracking app of Tennis Australia, the UK's Lawn Tennis Association and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The startup's mission is to democratize the Grand Slam experience for tennis players of all levels. Using just a single smartphone, the app automatically tracks your shot trajectory, generates match highlights and provides line challenges, all in real-time on any court in the world. Take advantage of Cracked Racquets' exclusive partnership by using our promo code "cracked20" for a 14-day Pro Trial and a $20 discount. Don't miss out on this exclusive deal, available by clicking here! Tourna MEGA TAC: It's the TACKIES GRIP EVER CREATED by far. You know Tourna Tennis for their world famous Tourna Grip, but did you know they also make the TACKIEST grip in the world? MEGA TAC is THE tackiest grip on the market. It starts tacky and stays tacky, longer than any other grip on the market as well. If you like Tacky Grips, you have to try Mega Tac.   You can have anyone reach out to sales@uniquesports.com and mention Cracked Racquets to get a FREE sample Tennis Channel Podcast Network Visit https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/podcasts/ to stay current on the latest tennis news and trends and enjoy in-depth analysis and dynamic debates. Find Cracked Racquets Website: https://www.crackedracquets.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/crackedracquets Twitter: https://twitter.com/crackedracquets Facebook: https://Facebook.com/crackedracquets YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC12ZE3jU0n52JkeWV1TB21A Email Newsletter: https://www.crackedracquets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife (White Crow Books, 2022), historian of religions Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between extraordinary experiences and beliefs in life after death. He first shows how throughout history and around the world, near-death experiences have influenced ideas about the afterlife. Shushan also takes a deep dive into the problem of similarities and differences between NDE accounts. Not only do they vary widely, but so does a culture's way of responding to them and integrating them into their belief systems. In this book, Shushan also compares NDEs with accounts of shamanic spirit journeys to afterlife realms, intermission states between reincarnations from people who remember past lives, and descriptions of otherworlds by souls of the dead communicating through mediums. Accounts of all these phenomena bear striking similarities to NDEs, though they also have significant differences. Examining them each in relation to the other results in a kind of reciprocal illumination in which each type of extraordinary experience sheds light on the other. Tiatemsu Longkumer is a Ph.D. scholar working on ‘Anthropology of Religion' at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong: India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

The US Men's World Cup Team faces the Netherlands next. This Patriotic song from Team America World Police will get your audience pumped up. Listen to Lamont & Tonelli Monday through Friday, 6-10am, on 107.7 The Bone in the San Francisco Bay Area. Follow Lamont & Tonelli:Website: http://www.landtradio.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lamontandtonelliTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/landtshowInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/landtshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife (White Crow Books, 2022), historian of religions Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between extraordinary experiences and beliefs in life after death. He first shows how throughout history and around the world, near-death experiences have influenced ideas about the afterlife. Shushan also takes a deep dive into the problem of similarities and differences between NDE accounts. Not only do they vary widely, but so does a culture's way of responding to them and integrating them into their belief systems. In this book, Shushan also compares NDEs with accounts of shamanic spirit journeys to afterlife realms, intermission states between reincarnations from people who remember past lives, and descriptions of otherworlds by souls of the dead communicating through mediums. Accounts of all these phenomena bear striking similarities to NDEs, though they also have significant differences. Examining them each in relation to the other results in a kind of reciprocal illumination in which each type of extraordinary experience sheds light on the other. Tiatemsu Longkumer is a Ph.D. scholar working on ‘Anthropology of Religion' at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong: India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

In The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife (White Crow Books, 2022), historian of religions Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between extraordinary experiences and beliefs in life after death. He first shows how throughout history and around the world, near-death experiences have influenced ideas about the afterlife. Shushan also takes a deep dive into the problem of similarities and differences between NDE accounts. Not only do they vary widely, but so does a culture's way of responding to them and integrating them into their belief systems. In this book, Shushan also compares NDEs with accounts of shamanic spirit journeys to afterlife realms, intermission states between reincarnations from people who remember past lives, and descriptions of otherworlds by souls of the dead communicating through mediums. Accounts of all these phenomena bear striking similarities to NDEs, though they also have significant differences. Examining them each in relation to the other results in a kind of reciprocal illumination in which each type of extraordinary experience sheds light on the other. Tiatemsu Longkumer is a Ph.D. scholar working on ‘Anthropology of Religion' at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong: India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

The US Men's World Cup Team faces the Netherlands next. This Patriotic song from Team America World Police will get your audience pumped up. Listen to Lamont & Tonelli Monday through Friday, 6-10am, on 107.7 The Bone in the San Francisco Bay Area. Follow Lamont & Tonelli:Website: http://www.landtradio.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lamontandtonelliTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/landtshowInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/landtshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife (White Crow Books, 2022), historian of religions Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between extraordinary experiences and beliefs in life after death. He first shows how throughout history and around the world, near-death experiences have influenced ideas about the afterlife. Shushan also takes a deep dive into the problem of similarities and differences between NDE accounts. Not only do they vary widely, but so does a culture's way of responding to them and integrating them into their belief systems. In this book, Shushan also compares NDEs with accounts of shamanic spirit journeys to afterlife realms, intermission states between reincarnations from people who remember past lives, and descriptions of otherworlds by souls of the dead communicating through mediums. Accounts of all these phenomena bear striking similarities to NDEs, though they also have significant differences. Examining them each in relation to the other results in a kind of reciprocal illumination in which each type of extraordinary experience sheds light on the other. Tiatemsu Longkumer is a Ph.D. scholar working on ‘Anthropology of Religion' at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong: India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

In The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife (White Crow Books, 2022), historian of religions Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between extraordinary experiences and beliefs in life after death. He first shows how throughout history and around the world, near-death experiences have influenced ideas about the afterlife. Shushan also takes a deep dive into the problem of similarities and differences between NDE accounts. Not only do they vary widely, but so does a culture's way of responding to them and integrating them into their belief systems. In this book, Shushan also compares NDEs with accounts of shamanic spirit journeys to afterlife realms, intermission states between reincarnations from people who remember past lives, and descriptions of otherworlds by souls of the dead communicating through mediums. Accounts of all these phenomena bear striking similarities to NDEs, though they also have significant differences. Examining them each in relation to the other results in a kind of reciprocal illumination in which each type of extraordinary experience sheds light on the other. Tiatemsu Longkumer is a Ph.D. scholar working on ‘Anthropology of Religion' at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong: India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Islamic tradition emphasizes a balance between understanding our responsibilities for the next world with our role living in this transient world. And numerous verses of the Quran, coupled with traditions of the Prophet and his family speak to the importance of abstaining from attaching ourselves to this world, and meditating on the world beyond this one. In this lecture, Dr. Sheikh Faiyaz speaks about how we can prepare to live for the next world in three dimensions: 1- Defining Abstinence from the Dunya 2- Imam Ali's Advice to His Companion Nawf 3- Lessons We Can Apply from the Imam's Advice

In this week's parasha, Toledot , we are introduced to the wicked ways of Esav harasha . Yet although he was so wicked, he merited to rule over our people throughout history until that great day of ועלו מושיעים בהר ציון לשפוט את הר עשיו. What did he do to merit all of his blessings? The mitzvah of kibbud av v'em . And although he did excel in many aspects of this mitzvah, he was far from perfect in it, as can be seen explicitly in the pesukim . Furthermore, he was only careful with kibbud av and not kibbud em, as the Rambam explains. Yet, with all of his rishut and all of his deficiencies, he was still rewarded for generations in the merit of this one mitzvah. How much more so will the reward be for even the simplest Jew trying his best to serve Hashem, doing dozens and even hundreds of mitzvot every single day. Of course, we know the real reward for mitzvot is paid in the Next World, while here we only receive their dividends. Every single effort we make is appreciated by Hashem. A rabbi told me he wanted to do the mitzvah of kibbud av v'em and visit his parents who moved to Israel. This rabbi learns half a day and teaches half a day. And so buying plane tickets for him and his wife was a major expense. The travel agent told him the best he could get for two tickets at this time of year was $3800. He then offered him $500 less if he would take a stop-over. The rabbi accepted and booked the tickets. A few hours later, he realized that with the stop-over he was going to miss praying Shacharit with a minyan , as well as his entire morning seder of learning. Then he thought to himself, is it worth $500 to miss minyan and Torah? Of course not. He called the travel agent back and switched to the direct flight. In the end, his flight back had to land in another country because of a technical problem and, due to the delay, he ended up getting back after his morning seder . The airline gave him a $2400 credit for the inconvenience that they caused. He said to me, it was clear that for whatever reason he was meant to arrive in the afternoon that day, but baruch Hashem, he chose Torah and tefila over the money. And as a bonus, Hashem gave him an extra $2000. Our mitzvot are so precious. Even the objects that we use in their performance become holy and thereby bring about yeshuot . I read a story about a young rabbinical scholar who lives in Israel who accepted upon himself to go every Friday to the Shaarei Tzedek Hospital with his accordion and play Shabbat songs to the patients and bring them joy. One day his car broke down and the cost to fix it was more than the worth of the entire car, so he left it. He couldn't afford a new one, but he was worried. How would he continue his mitzvah of bringing joy to the sick on Fridays without a car? He decided he was going to go above and beyond and lug his big accordion on two separate buses to get to that hospital. He continued this week after week and month after month. A couple of years ago, he came into the room of an elderly patient in a coma who the doctors had already given up hope on. When he played his accordion and started singing Shabbat songs, the patient made a very slight smirk and the family began to celebrate. They called the nurses in to see. The following week when he came back and played again, again the smirk came back. On the third week, a miracle took place. While he was playing the song, her eyes opened. He kept playing and, finally, she said a couple of words. The children were so thankful to this young rabbi and asked him more about himself. He told them about his weekly chesed and how he has been doing it with extra effort since he lost his car. They were so moved, they chipped in and bought this rabbi a new car. A week later, their mother was out of the hospital. Our mitzvot are wondrous. The rewards for them are unimaginable and the kedusha that we bring about through their performance is great. Shabbat Shalom.

Vancouver ABC Party Trustees are looking to deliver on a campaign promise to reinstate school liaison officers. Do you think police have a place in schools? Next we check in on the Canada - Belgium World Cup game. Then continue our discussion from yesterday on renters in B.C.

Ian Paul Joy, Michael Lahoud, Jonathan Johnson and Nigel Reo-Coker digest a wild day of action and news from the World Cup and beyond as Saudi Arabia brought Argentina's 36-game unbeaten to an end, France stormed to the summit of Group D, and Cristiano Ronaldo parted company with Manchester United amid reports the Glazer family are weighing their options to sell the club. Plus, the rest of the days results from Qatar as well as a preview of Wednesday's action. (01:32) -- France 4-1 Australia: Giroud gets his World Cup goals (09:50) -- Denmark 0-0 Tunisia: The Eagles of Carthage hold firm (14:13) -- Man Utd news dump: Ronaldo gone, Glazers next? (25:53) -- Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia: A historic day for Arab soccer (34:57) -- Mexico 0-0 Poland: Memo heroics deny lackluster Lewa (39:54) -- Wednesday preview: Group E & F enter the party House of Champions is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Castbox and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the House of Champions team on Twitter: @ChampsHouseCBS, @JOYPAULIAN, @MikeLahoud, @FabrizioRomano, @Jon_LeGossip, @jamesbenge, @PartidoPooper Watch House of Champions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7hm6TorI7BMD1-IxTqyhUg For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Sign up to the new Golazo newsletter, your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/golazo-starting-xi/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, the Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus and use offer code ALLYEAR to save 50% on annual plans: https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=sports&ftag=ppm-18-10bec1h&promo=allyear To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Gemara says in masechet Berachot that tzaddikim even in their deaths are called alive. One explanation of this is that even after they leave this world, they are still able to accomplish things from the Next World. Rabbi Ilan Guzel told that a close friend of his, who is also his congregant, loved to give money to poor people to buy food for Pesach. And every year he would make a distribution of funds. One year, he decided to speak to a few clothing stores and he worked out a deal with them to have special credit cards made up that he could distribute to needy people to buy clothing at a discounted rate. And of course, he would fill up those cards with money. He got some of his friends to contribute as well, as it was a very big undertaking. They were so happy when they gave out those cards to dozens of families who needed them. The following year, Rabbi Guzel did not hear from this friend regarding his regular donations to the needy for Pesach and the holiday was quickly approaching. Less than a week before Yom Tov, the friend called the Rabbi asking what they were doing for the needy that year. Rabbi Guzel said, “Time is running out, we have to act immediately.” The man asked if the Rabbi could come to his office. When the Rabbi arrived, the man said he had most of the money ready, but they didn't have the list of the people who they gave last year. The man called his manager up to see if they could figure something out. This manger had just finished sitting shiva for his mother and asked if he could contribute towards this campaign and dedicate the credit cards l'ilui nishmat his mother. The man said of course and they made up stickers and put them on each credit card with his mother's name on them. They devised a plan to each try and find a certain number of people from last year to give out the cards to. That night, Rabbi Guzel went to a certain neighborhood where he knew a lot of those people lived. Since it was just a few days before Pesach, the streets were buzzing even at a very late hour at night. When the Rabbi was getting ready to go home at close to 2:00 am, he saw an avrech who was a mizakeh et harabim who he knew he gave a card to last year. He went over to the avrech and handed him the card saying, “ Chag Same'ach .” That was on a Thursday night. The next night, on Shabbat, Rabbi Guzel had 200 boys come back to his Bet Midrash after the meal for dessert and a class. At that time, this avrech, who Rabbi Guzel gave the card to the night before, walked in. Rabbi Guzel was very surprised to see him, as he lived in a neighborhood that was at least a 45 minute walk from there. The avrech explained, he had a story to tell him that he couldn't wait to tell. He related that his parents' friends who, growing up, were his neighbors found him his shidduch that he had been married to for the last 20 years. The woman who was instrumental in making that shidduch told him, every year before Pesach, she wanted him and his wife to come back to her house so she can give them a gift for the holiday. One year she gave them a set of dishes, one year some tablecloths, and this took place every year for the past 20 years. A few weeks before this, he went to her house and for the first time she said she did not have a gift for them, but she told them she wanted them to return the following week and she would have something, but before that happened, she passed away. Then, last night, a few days before Pesach, this avrech received a credit card with money on it. And the sticker on the front of that card had this woman's name on it, Tuni Magnazi bat Sima. “She told me she would give me something this year and Hashem brought it about that indeed she did.” This woman did chesed with people her whole life, making shidduchim and giving out gifts. And when she was no longer able to do so, Hashem did the chesed for her in her name. Indeed, tzaddikim are considered alive even after their deaths.

This weekend we bring to you “The Alchemy of Happiness (Kīmīyā-yi Sa'ādat)” by of Imam Al-Ghazali, a Persian theologian, philosopher, and prolific Sunni Muslim author, often regarded as one of the greatest systematic thinkers and mystics of Islam, in Persian. Enjoy this complete audiobook/videbook with captions, relaxing music and visuals to help you stay engaged.

This short clip will show you how to tap into the wonder and opportunity of Yom Kippur. May we all be sealed in the book of life!

In this episode, with our special guest, His Royal Highness, Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud (President of the Saudi Esports Federation), we discuss the Saudi Esports Federation, the success of the Next World Forum, what's next for the Saudi esports scene, the rise of gaming and esports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and so much more!

In this episode, we come to you live from the Next World Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where we discuss all the exciting panels and events that took place during the conference, with special guests Lucy Hedges (Technology Editor for Metro UK), Mark Cai (Enterprise Influencer Relations for NVIDIA), moderator Georgia Tolley (Journalist & Radio Presenter for Dubai Eye 103.8), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!

On this episode, we talk with Njera Keith and Kristina Brown, the co-founders and Ministers of Cohesion of 400+1, a Black cooperative federation based in Texas. Together, we discuss reproductive justice, creating and holding Black space, revolutionary organizing, vanguardism, and gender politics in social movements.Njera Keith is a Diaspora oriented Black organizer whose focus is the development of movement philosophy and infrastructure that supports cohesion and unity in revolutionary struggle. She is the Founder and Executive Coordinator of Black Sovereign Nation, a pro-Black, autonomy-focused, and community-centered organization based in Austin, Texas. She is also the co-founder of 400+1, the world's first Black cooperative federation, a liberatory blueprint, and a framework for dramatic economic and political shifts in global Black life.Kristina Brown is a social epidemiologist by training with a specialty in the identification and assessment of disparities (race and gender). Principally oriented in Black revolutionary struggle, Kristina is fascinated by the utility of spirit, culture and communications to define and cultivate a revolutionary agenda. Invested in applying her skills and empowering her community, she is the co-founder and executive director of Counter Balance: ATX. Counter Balance: ATX is a grassroots non-profit organization purposed to improving the quality of life of women of the global majority and impoverished women, by reimagining Black women's relationship to themselves and the world that impacts them. Most recently, Kristina co-founded 400+1; the world's first Black cooperative federation and Counter Balance's parent organization, to build economic and political power across the Diaspora. It is her hope that this framework will be the vehicle for mass movement and result in propelling Black folx to a world unimaginable, beyond survival. Kristina is currently exploring how sensory-based experiences can improve the health of the Diasporic consciousness. This includes information about what we are naming as healing habits that result in a holistic resistance to the impacts of racialized oppression.You can read more about the topics we discussed at these links:400+1's Spring Manifesto400+1's 2021 Liberated Zone /Occupation400+1's Reproductive Revolution Manifesto400+1 About Us400+1 LinktreeNjera Keith LinktreeNjera Keith article in the Nation400+1 Orisha LandSee more of the work of host Max Rameau at pacapower.org. Stay subscribed to The Next World for more news from the frontlines of movements for justice and liberation. You can read more about the issues we explore on our podcast and much more at dignityandrights.org, the website of Partners for Dignity & Rights, as well as dignityinschools.org.Please subscribe and spread the word. You can find our archives here, or on nearly all podcast platforms.Support the show

In this episode, we come to you live from the Next World Forum conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where we discuss gaming and esports business model innovation, with special guests Abdulaziz Baeshen (Assistant Minister for Sport and Sport Affairs at the Ministry of Sports, Saudi Arabia), Grant Johnson (CEO of Esports Entertainment Group), Kishan Deepak Palija (CEO of Geekay Group), Yannick Theler (CEO of Savvy Games Studios), moderator Lucy Hedges (Technology Editor for Metro UK), and our very own Paul “The Profit” Dawalibi!

Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, join us in exploring the legacy of Katrina and education justice. In conversation with host Max Rameau is Ruth Idakula, Program Director of Dignity in Schools Campaign.Ruth discusses the principles of restorative justice, New Orleans schools after Hurricane Katrina, how to sustain yourself in this work, and her own path from a childhood in Nigeria to organizing in New Orleans.For nearly two decades, Ruth S. Idakula has dedicated her life energy to organizing, education and advocacy for social, racial, and economic justice and equity. Born and raised in Nigeria, Ruth has been a resident of New Orleans for over 23 years. As a proud mother of three sons, she was called into public education organizing, advocacy and policy development by the blatantly racist takeover and privatization of public schools in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Ruth's leadership is grounded in sustaining spiritual practices and she serves as a faith leader, religious educator, and facilitator for collective liberation in New Orleans and beyond. She is building a beautiful garden sanctuary in her backyard – and invites everyone to figure out what sustains you, what gives you life – and be not afraid to go do that!See more of the work of host Max Rameau at pacapower.org. Stay subscribed to The Next World for more news from the frontlines of movements for justice and liberation. You can read more about the issues we explore on our podcast and much more at dignityandrights.org, the website of Partners for Dignity & Rights, as well as dignityinschools.org.Please subscribe and spread the word. You can find our archives here, or on nearly all podcast platforms.Support the show

Join us in exploring art and abolition, with host Max Rameau and artist, professor, writer, and prison abolitionist Bryonn Bain.Bryonn talks with Max about his new book Rebel Speak: A Justice Movement Mixtape, and the multimedia production of his play Lyrics from Lockdown,  playing at the Apollo Theatre on August 29th. They also discuss the Prison Industrial Complex, organizing through the arts, the importance of mental health, and influences; including Albert Woodfox, Lani Gunier, and Kellis Parker. Artists mentioned include Maya Jupiter,  Liberation Family (artist Chen Lo) & Suckerpunch (Mic Crenshaw).Bryonn Bain is Brooklyn's own prison activist, actor, hip hop theater innovator and spoken word poetry champion.  Described by Cornel West as an artist who “...speaks his truth with a power we desperately need to hear,” his theater, film and television work are critically acclaimed – from his award winning BET talk show “My Two Cents,” and Emmy nomination for “BaaadDDD Sonia,” to this year's Emmy award for “LA Stories.” Playing over 40 characters in his one-man theater production, Lyrics From Lockdown is executive produced by Harry Belafonte (“BlacKkKlansman”), and tells the story of Bain's wrongful imprisonment through hip hop theater, spoken word poetry, blues, calypso, comedy and letters exchanged with fellow poet and friend, Nanon Williams – who was wrongfully sentenced to Death Row at just 17 years old.Wrongfully imprisoned in his second year at Harvard Law, Bryonn sued the NYPD, and told his story for 20 million viewers on "60 Minutes" in an interview with Mike Wallace. After writing The Village Voice cover story “Walking While Black: The Bill of Rights for Black America,” his work received the largest response in the history of the nation's most widely read progressive newspaper. Bain produced the Lyrics on Lockdown Tour, which reached 25 states, and spawned higher education courses using the performing arts to build literacy in prisons nationwide.  For the decade that followed, Bain taught courses using the arts on Rikers Island penal colony. After teaching hip hop, spoken word and theater at Harvard, Bain founded the prison education program at NYU to offer higher education and college degrees to men incarcerated in upstate New York. Bryonn founded and directs the Prison Education Program at UCLA, where he has developed and taught arts-based courses and programs in LA prisons including the California Institute for Women, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, Camp Joseph Scott and Central Juvenile Hall.  You can read more about the issues we explore on our podcast and much more at dignityandrights.org, the website of Partners for Dignity & Rights. See more of the work of host Max Rameau at pacapower.org. Subscribe to The Next World for more news from the frontlines of movements for justice and liberation. Support the show

The Gemara says in Masechet Berachot if a person prayed for something and was not answered, he should go back and pray again. One might have thought that if his tefila was not answered, it means it was unsuccessful and he might as well try something else. Chazal , who know the workings of Heaven, are teaching us otherwise. Not being answered is not a signal to stop, in fact, it's just the opposite. One of the reasons prayers are not answered is because they are so beloved and Hashem wants the person to pray more, for his own good. Every tefila provides us with enormous zechut in both this world and the Next. And so, the more we are able to pray, the better off we will be. The more emotional a tefila is, the better it becomes. The more emunah we have in a tefila , the more powerful it becomes. We must constantly remind ourselves that prayer is a mitzvah like all others and the main rewards for it are in the Next World. It's nice to see the benefits in this world as well, but not seeing answers should never deter us from praying. That's just an indication of how valuable each one of our prayers really is and should prompt us to pray more. As we know, tefila could be used throughout the day to ask Hashem for help with all our needs. Even when something seems insolvable, Hashem always has the answers. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman related a story about Rav Shalom Yungerman, who regularly traveled from Israel abroad to raise money for his institutions. He used to rent a basement apartment in Borough Park, as he had to be in New York for large periods of time throughout the year. One evening, he was learning in his apartment before he had to depart for the train to go to a distant city. All of a sudden, he heard a loud thump in the courtyard right outside his apartment. He went outside to see what it was and found that someone had dumped a large carcass of a dog there. At that time, there were new laws which dealt very stringently with someone who left any kind of carcass lying around. Obviously, the owner of this dog did not want to have to deal with the penalty, so he unloaded it in this man's courtyard and ran. Now the rabbi had to go catch the train, but if he would leave the carcass in the courtyard, the authorities would surely find it and levy a heavy fine upon him. He couldn't necessarily just throw it in someone else's courtyard either. With no choice, he went out there and stuffed the carcass into his very large suitcase and put his necessary belongings for the trip in a different bag and left. It was so difficult for him to carry this suitcase and he really didn't know what he was going to do with it. The entire way to the train station, he was trying to find a discreet location to deposit in, but there was none to be found, especially since there were so many people walking the streets at that time. He turned his eyes towards Shamayim and said, “Hashem, please help me. I don't want to have to travel with this wherever I go. And very soon it's going to start smelling very bad.” Now he was at the train station, still lugging this suitcase and the train arrived. He boarded and as they were waiting for the doors to shut, two bandits ran over and snatched the suitcase and ran off the train with it right as the doors closed. This was a ploy of thieves in those days. They thought they were getting the precious belongings of a distinguished man, but little did they know the surprise they were going to find when they opened it. The Rabbi, once again, raised his eyes to Shamayim and this time he thanked Hashem for the speedy salvation, one which he could have never imagined. Hashem could always help us. Every tefila we make is potentially hastening that help. But whether we see the answers or not, every prayer is always an automatic success.

One of the main purposes of our existence in this world is to pass the tests that Hashem puts in front of us. Some tests are hard and some tests are extremely hard, but לפום צערא אגרא – according to the effort is the reward. One of the ways in which Hashem bestows His blessings upon us is through our overcoming difficult nisyonot . A person may be praying day and night for something he wants and, in response, Hashem gives him a very hard test to overcome. The person then thinks, I'm praying for help and things are just getting harder? It doesn't seem fair. But little does he know that overcoming the challenge that Hashem is giving him is the key that he needs to unlock the door to receive the blessing he desires so much. No matter how difficult a test is, we always have the ability to overcome it. Realizing this should give the person extra strength to persevere. Very often, it will appear that choosing wrong will bring us great benefit. And it'll be so easy to get away with. But we must know, it's just a test, and in the end, we'll never gain by going against the will of Hashem. If we choose correctly, we automatically win, whether we see blessing come immediately, or years from now, or not until the Next World, it does not matter, because we will know that we have done the will of Hashem and that's what counts the most. Rabbi Ephraim Sharabani related a story about a young man from Israel who worked in a building with many diamond dealers. He was the errand boy, taking things from one floor to the next, picking up merchandise and going to buy lunch. One day, as he was walking through the hallways, he found a small diamond on the floor. From his knowledge, he knew it was an expensive diamond. He asked someone from out of the building about its value and the man told him it's worth more than he would earn working in his job for 30 years. This was an enormous test for him. On one hand, he could easily take it and no one would ever know. On the other hand, it did have very distinct signs and he could easily find its owner. He was back and forth on what to do. And then, his emunah kicked in. He said to himself, if Hashem wants to give me this kind of money, He could easily give it to me without me having to do anything wrong. Immediately, he resolved he was going to make signs and put them up in the building to find the owner. Someone did come forward and gave him signs which clearly indicated he was the rightful owner of that diamond. The owner was so impressed with the integrity of this boy, he said to him, “I don't think I would have returned a diamond like this, and here you were able to do it?” He told him he was looking for a long time for a personal assistant in his work who was honest. And he said, “You are the perfect person,” and offered him the job. And it paid very well. A couple of years later, this man, who was extremely wealthy, asked this boy if he wanted to go out with his daughter. And, lo and behold, he became the man's son-in-law and got so much more than he ever would have gotten had he kept that diamond. He was confronted with a very big test and because of his emunah in Hashem, he is now going to gain in both worlds. The tests of life are hard, but if we pass them, they are very rewarding.

Today, we are joined by a very special friend of mine, Mari Escobar a Financial Controller for an indie record label in Los Angeles, and a world traveler. Mari has been to 54 countries and counting all while working a normal 9-to-5 job. In this interview, we’ll talk about how she prioritizes and negotiates travel […]

The Chovot HaLevavot in the Shaar HaBitachon , perek 4, writes that the belief that Hashem keeps track of and rewards every good deed that we do is one of the main, fundamental principles of our emunah. Although our focus in doing the will of Hashem is just that because it's the will of Hashem and not for the rewards, it is still incumbent upon us to believe we will be paid for everything we do. The main reward is in the Next World, but Hashem does pay dividends for many of the mitzvot in this world too. The knowledge that Hashem takes note of everything we do should give us a lot of chizuk . Every good thought we have, every good word we say, every internal victory over our yetzer hara , it's all being noticed and treasured by Hashem. Sometimes we are able to see so clearly how Hashem was keeping track of a deed that we may have done years before, and when that happens, it gives us even more chizuk . A woman, who we'll call Esther, works as a real estate agent. She told me that about 10 years ago she was asked by a client to try and sell her home. A month later, she noticed another realtor was listing the same house and she asked the owner about it. The owner said she wanted two agencies to try and sell it and they would split the commission. Esther then called the other realtor who said he would be happy to split the commission. Both agents ended up trying to sell the home to the same customer. When Esther found out, she backed off and then was delighted to hear some time later the deal was finalized. She called the buyer and asked if her name was on the contract and found out that it was not. She called the seller to ask her about the commission and she said she didn't want to get involved. She called the other realtor asking about splitting the commission which they agreed upon and he said he changed his mind, he was going to take it all for himself. When she hung up the phone she was crying about all the potential money she had just lost. It was not right , she thought; we had an agreement . She called a rabbi and, in the end, she received a partial payment but nothing close to what she was expecting. She gave herself chizuk saying it was all m'et Hashem and then she even managed to forgive the other realtor. About six months after that, the other realtor called Esther asking if he could show one of his clients her listing and they would split the commission if the sale went through. Initially, she was going to say no way, but then she said to herself this was Hashem giving her the opportunity to show that she truly forgave him. She said to him it would be her pleasure. About five years after that, one morning she saw a message on her phone saying that that other realtor passed away. Baruch Hashem he lived a full life. She felt that finding out about his funeral right before it was going to take place was Hashem telling her that she should go. She said to herself, this is my last opportunity to completely forgive him so he doesn't have this debt upon him in the Next World . So she went to the funeral and said, “I forgive you. You don't owe me anything. I completely forgive you.” Recently, someone contacted Esther asking her to find a house in a certain area. There were no homes for sale in that area, but she contacted a few homeowners asking if they would sell. Everyone said no except one woman who said if the price was right, she would sell. Her voice and name sounded familiar. After speaking with her, Esther figured out, this was the same woman who sold that house 10 years before that she was supposed to split the commission on. After much negotiation, a deal was finalized and she now got the commission from that same woman 10 years later. It all started with a random phone call from someone asking her to find a house off the market. That was Hashem giving her what was hers. Ten years later it all came around in full swing. She was so proud of herself for forgiving the other party and acting with emunah, realizing that Hashem was behind it the whole time. And she felt that Hashem is proud of her as well.

One of the reasons why yissurin – afflictions – are so good for a person is because they bring him kapara for his avonot(transgressions). It is a great chesed of Hashem to give a person kapara with temporary suffering in this world rather than having to get it in the Next World which is eternal. However, there are many ways in which a person can gain kapara without needing any affliction. Rabbenu Yona in Sha'arehTeshuva (4:11), teaches us about one of those ways. He writes there, a person's toil in the study of Torah as well as his loss of sleep over it will take the place of other forms of yissurin. As Chazal teach us on the pasuk אדם לעמל יולד - Everyone experiences hardships in this world, but אשרי מי שאילו בתורה – fortunate is the person who gets it in his toil in the study of Torah. Rabbenu Yona writes further, toil in Torah is so great, it could atone even for the sin of chilul Hashem, as is apparent from the Gemara in masechet Rosh Hashanah (18). The Gemara in Yevamot says, even though there was a curse on the house of Eli HaCohen that his progeny would die young, Torah study breaks that decree and elongates their lives. Learning Torah with full focus is not easy, but the rewards are endless. And besides for all of the blessings Torah brings, we are learning today that it also takes away the need for a person to get yissurin . Even more importantly, when a person learns Torah, he brings Hashem so much satisfaction, as the Gemara says, אמר רבי יהודה: אשרי מי שאילו בתורה עושה נחת רוח ליוצרו The Gemara in Masechet Gitin says that R' Avyatar once saw Eliyahu HaNavi in the marketplace and he asked him what Hashem was doing at that time. Eliyahu answered, Hashem was involved in learning the sugya that he was involved in. Hashem was saying, אביתר בני כך הוא אומר; יונתן בני כך הוא אומר. Hashem loves the study of Torah so much, it is what He Himself is involved in. And therefore, if someone is looking to grow in his avodat Hashem, adding more Torah study to his day is the best way to do it. Rav Yosef Karo, the author of the Bet Yosef and Shulchan Aruch , merited to have an angel come and learn with him once a week. The Rabbi wrote down everything the angel told him in a sefer called Maggid Mesharim . On one occasion, on the night of the 13 th of Adar Sheni, during the week of parashat Vayakhel , the angel told the Beit Yosef that when he goes up to the Next World, Hashem is going to purify him from all the sins that he ever did, his neshama is going to come out pristine and go to the highest levels of Gan Eden with the kedoshim and the tehorim . And why was he going to merit this? Because of his toil in clarifying different opinions of the Rishonim . The angel told him the Rambam was so happy when he explained one of his opinions in the Bet Yosef, siman 199 in Yoreh De'ah , that had not been understood by the world until he revealed it. The angel went on to praise him for his efforts in clarifying other opinions. And then said, regarding all of the toil he put in in trying to explain a certain opinion of the Tur, Hashem took so much delight in it, although he was wrong in what he said. The beauty of Torah is that Hashem appreciates every effort we make, even if we don't end up with the correct explanation. The angel concluded by saying, all of those efforts were going to be a zechut for the Bet Yosef to have three groups of malachei hasharet come to receive him when he goes up to Shamayim and escort him to the place Hashem has awaiting for him there. When a person sits down in front of a Gemara or a Shulchan Aruch or a Tanach or a mishnah and puts his focus on trying to understand the meaning of the worlds in order to know what Hashem wants from him, he brings endless kedusha inside of him. He earns rewards in both worlds, he brings so much satisfaction to Hashem and he gains kapara, which will take the place of other forms of yissurin.

Listen!!!

The mishnah says in Pirkei Avot that we are so beloved to Hashem, He gave us His delightful treasure – the Torah. And Hashem showed us additional love by telling us how precious the Torah really is, like it says כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל תעזוב – “I have given you the greatest gift, never take leave of it.” Part of our preparation for Shavuot is working on valuing this precious gift. The malachim in Shamayim refused to let Moshe Rabbenu bring it down to us until Hashem helped him do it. It is the most coveted possession in the entire universe. Chazal call it Hashem's toy and we have as much of it as we want. Those who know this hold on to the Torah with all their might and never loosen their grip on it. Our greatest sages spent their days and nights delving into the unending wisdom of Hashem that is found in the Torah. Look at what a few words of Torah can accomplish. It says in Pirkei Avot if three people eat a meal together, and there are no words of Torah spoken at it, it's considered as if they ate זבחי מתים , which Rabbenu Obadia M'Bartenura says means it's like they ate from a korban brought for avodah zarah . The mishnah says further, if words of Torah are spoken at the meal, then it's כאילו אכלו משולחן גבוהה – it's considered as if they ate from a korban brought to Hashem on the mizbe'ach in the Beit HaMikdash . These statements at first glance are astonishing. What could be worse than partaking from a korban brought for idol worship? And what could be better than eating from a korban brought for Hashem? What changes the status of a meal which potentially could bring about so much tumah to a meal of complete kedusha ? A few words of Torah. This is the sanctity in one Devar Torah . Sometimes people say, “I'm learning, but I don't feel any different.” Or, “I'm learning, but I don't see any recognizable change in my life.” If a few words of Torah have the ability to elevate a meal like this, how much more so do they elevate the person who learns them. The reason we don't feel it is because our neshama is surrounded by a physical body. But in truth, the neshama gets such an elevation from every word of Torah. The words of Torah that we say on our table will do so much for us. The pasuk says, וידבר אלי זה השולחן אשר לפני ה' and Rav Yehuda Tzadka explains, at the end of a person's life, he is going to stand trial in front of the Heavenly Court. And just like the courts in this world have prosecutors and defendants and witnesses, so too will it be there. One of the witnesses that is going to be called upon is a person's table upon which he ate. The table will be asked to relate what the person spoke about at his meals. If he spoke words of Torah and uplifted the people around him, it will earn him a great portion in the Next World. This is hinted to in this pasuk וידבר אלי זה השולחן – the person's table is going to speak about him. When? אשר לפני ה' - when it is called to testify in front of Hashem. The more words of Torah we speak, the better off we'll be. Hashem told us it's the greatest gift, let us value it the way we are supposed to and show our emunah in Him by living according to all its teachings.

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