Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 2:15 “Treating Your Friend With Respect” | Pirkei Abot

Mr. Sammy Saka – Pirke Abot 2:15 “Treating Your Friend With Respect” | Pirkei Abot

Mr. Sammy Saka hosts classes on Zoom Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30PM. Contact Jacob Betesh to be added to the chat. In this class, Mr. Sammy Saka continues the teachings of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's students, focusing on Pirkei Avot 2:15 and the sayings of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. Rabbi Eliezer presents four key teachings, the first of which is to treat your friend's honor as dear to you as your own. Mr. Saka emphasizes that the most important application of this principle begins at home — specifically, with how a husband treats his wife, who is considered one's closest companion. He stresses the importance of always honoring and respecting one's spouse, particularly in front of children and others, noting that how we treat those closest to us defines our character. The class also touches on the teaching to repent one day before death, underscoring the urgency of constant spiritual readiness and self-improvement. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Introduction to Pirkei Avot 2:15 (0:17) Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (0:42) The Four Teachings of Rabbi Eliezer (2:25) Honor Your Friend as Yourself (3:26) Your Closest Friend: Your Wife (6:23) Repent One Day Before You Die - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Joseph Dana – Three Weeks & Sinat Chinam

Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:50 AM and 7:30 AM at West Deal Shul. Rabbi Dana opens by explaining the rabbinic wisdom behind the graduated stages of mourning during the Three Weeks, Nine Days, and Tisha B'Av, arguing that without this buildup we could never truly feel the loss of the Beit HaMikdash. He explores the Gemara's comparison between the First and Second Temple destructions, explaining why the sin of Sinat Chinam produced a Galut with no defined endpoint, while the far graver sins of the First Temple era resulted in only seventy years of exile. The key insight is drawn from two contradicting pesukim: a nation united in Achdut is treated by Hashem as a Minyan whose prayers are always answered, while a fractured nation is treated as individuals dependent on Hashem's timing. Rabbi Dana connects this to the Torah's use of plural versus singular language in the building of the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash, showing that the Shekhinah can only dwell below when the Jewish people are unified below. He closes with a passionate call to action rooted in Rav Kook's teaching that Ahavat Chinam must answer Sinat Chinam, urging the community to move beyond organized chesed toward personal, proactive kindness, declaring that our generation stands at the threshold of bringing the Mashiach. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Introduction & Setting (0:44) Why the Three Weeks Exist (1:52) Stages of Avelut Explained (3:44) We Mourn What We Never Knew (5:29) First vs. Second Beit HaMikdash (6:55) The Galut With No End Point (8:30) Two Contradicting Pesukim (9:31) Unity as a Minyan Before Hashem (13:06) The Torah's Language: Plural vs. Singular (15:09) Unity Below Draws Shekhinah Down (17:05) Why the Galut Continues Today (18:54) Ahavat Chinam: Rav Kook's Answer (21:23) Chesed Beyond Organizations (24:49) The Amidah & Avot: Why Only Avraham (28:41) Torah, Yirat Shamayim & Chesed (31:01) Our Generation & the Mashiach (33:55) October 7th & Am Yisrael as Family (36:56) The Final Two Yards: Refining Middot (39:24) Closing: Don't Observe Tisha B'Av - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Joseph Dana – Parashat Devarim- Shabbat Hazon - Friday Morning | Weekly Parasha

Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every Friday morning at 7:30 AM at West Deal Shul. In this class on Parashat Devarim, Rabbi Dana explores Moshe Rabbeinu's farewell address to the Jewish people in the final five weeks of his life, focusing on his veiled rebuke and the episode of the spies. Rashi notes that when the people rushed to Moshe requesting spies, they came as a disorderly mixed multitude, in contrast to the respectful, hierarchical approach they displayed at Har Sinai. The Netziv draws a lesson that when something begins without proper Derech Eretz and unity, it is destined to unravel, while Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky argues the deeper problem was a fundamental lack of Bitachon, which inversely determines how much Hishtadlut a person must exert. The Chiddushei HaRim adds a striking flip: at Har Sinai, where passion and urgency were called for, the people were overly orderly, and at the spies, where calm hierarchy was needed, they charged ahead in chaos. The class concludes with the Sefat Emet's teaching that every generation bears responsibility to correct the sins of its predecessors, connecting directly to Shabbat Hazon and Rav Kook's message that Ahavat Chinam — boundless love between Jews — is the key to rebuilding the Beit Hamikdash. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Intro to Sefer Devarim (1:19) Moshe's Veiled Rebuke (3:12) The Episode of the Spies (4:12) Rashi: The Mixed Multitude (5:01) Har Sinai vs. The Spies (6:39) The Netziv: Derech Eretz (8:56) Joining Groups Leshem Shamayim (11:17) Reb Yaakov: Lack of Bitachon (14:05) Moshe Says It Seemed Good (14:39) Hishtadlut vs. Bitachon (17:11) The Ramban on Doctors (19:13) Chiddushei HaRim: Things Flipped (25:28) Sefat Emet: Fixing Past Sins (28:44) Every Generation and the Mikdash (30:08) Haftarah of Shabbat Hazon (31:08) Ahavat Chinam Rebuilds the Mikdash - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe Tobal – Perasha Devarim Shabbat Hazon | Weekday Gemara

Rabbi Moshe Tobal hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. Rabbi Moshe Tobal discusses the episode of the Ma'apilim in Parashat Devarim, in which the Jewish people, after sinning with the spies, attempted to do Teshuva by charging into battle against Hashem's explicit will. He raises the striking point that despite their apparent good intentions, Hashem rejected both their military effort and their subsequent prayers, because true service of Hashem requires subjugating one's own will to His, not acting on personal conviction alone. The central lesson is that a person who follows what he thinks is right — without consulting Torah sources or genuine Torah leadership — is ultimately serving himself, not Hashem. Rabbi Tobal draws parallels to the story of Moshe's hands during the war with Amalek and the Copper Snake, both of which illustrate that Hashem desires the heart's submission above all. He concludes with a practical message: when a community genuinely turns its heart toward Hashem and seeks the truth, Hashem reciprocates by sending them authentic guidance and leadership. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Intro: Parashat Devarim & Ha'apilim (1:06) The Sin of the Spies & Crying (2:00) Hashem Rejects Their Teshuva (3:52) Lesson: Ratzon Hashem vs. Our Ratzon (6:46) Subjugating Your Heart to Hashem (7:44) Moshe's Hands & the Copper Snake (8:33) Jew at Heart — Actions Still Required (9:50) Communities & Finding True Leaders - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon – Pesahim 47a-47b - Devarim | Weekday Gemara

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul. The class opens with a recap of the debate between Rabbah and Rav Chisda over the principle of Ho'il — whether the Torah permits cooking on Yom Tov for unintended purposes since guests might arrive. Rav Chisda, who rejects Ho'il, had previously defended himself against challenges from the Lechem HaPanim and Shtei HaLechem, with the Gemara strategically saving its strongest answer for last as an exercise of Lahagdil Torah. Rav Chisda then goes on offense, sending Rav Acha bar Rav Huna to challenge Rabbah with a case of eight simultaneous Torah violations in a single act of plowing, arguing that Ho'il would absurdly exempt the plower from the Yom Tov violation since the upturned soil could theoretically be used for Kisui HaDam. Several amoraim attempt to construct a scenario — rocky ground, hardened mud, damp soil — where the soil is fit for planting but unfit for Kisui HaDam, ultimately landing on moist earth as Rabbah's defense. The class concludes with a thought on Parshat Devarim, exploring why the Jewish people are compared to both stars and sand, suggesting that Moshe's complaint about bearing the nation's fighting reflects an imbalance — a people who saw themselves only as stars, without the humility and unity symbolized by grains of sand. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (0:00) Recap: Rabbah vs. Rav Chisda on Ho'il (1:22) Lechem HaPanim & Shtei HaLechem (3:35) Gemara saves best answer for last (4:34) Rav Chisda sends message to Rabbah (5:54) Eight sins in one act (8:14) Kisui HaDam & the Ho'il challenge (13:26) Rappapa bar Shmuel's rocky defense (16:58) Mor bar Rav Asher: damp soil answer (18:22) Rabbah survives the attack (19:14) Parasha thought: stars vs. sand (21:54) Unity and individuality in Am Yisrael - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Visit: westdealshul.org Sponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com