Parshas Haazinu: “Location, location, location.”

This is a famous quote uttered by many great real estate tycoons through the years , the idea being that while you may have a property beautiful , sprawling lawns for a new roof on the mansion home on the property , new appliances , granite countertops , it's got it all but if it's in the middle of Nowheresville , hicktown , where nobody wants to live , the land ain't

coveted very much . Well , the ROI will not be too spectacular .

But if you should have some small dinky , worn out run down apartment , but it's in the middle of downtown Lakewood , in the old days , downtown Manhattan , the upper west side , a place where it has the feature of great location even if it lacks everything else , you're probably going to do pretty well with it . It'll be a lucrative investment and deal , hopefully .

It's all about location and this isn't a rule that is specific to business real estate . I know In husbandry , in farming and trying to really grow any fruit or vegetable , the location , the climate , the habitat , it matters . Avocados you want to be a successful avocado farmer ?

Well , you must make sure that you're in a location that is moderately warm , 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit . You should plant it , probably between March and June . Some solid humidity is how the avocados like it . That's your best chance to have a successful , successful avocado ranch .

But if you should try that same climate to plant oranges , oh no , no , no , you need it much warmer . Oranges love the sun . Florida , morocco , california , location , location , location . And when it comes to coffee beans , oh yeah , get out of the sun .

Tropical climates and outside , away from the direct sunlight , it seems , and in many areas , if you have this attribute locked up a great location well then you will ensure success .

But this week we come to Apusic in this rather arcane , all-encompassing , beautiful , lyrical , sinister piece of a song inside of Parasas Hazinu that stretches this idea of location and how it can ensure beautiful , ripe , successful fruits . Peros , it seems to be implied even to growing , successful humans .

The Apusic says it is Parasas Hazinu , paraklamid Bey is Pusic Ches , bahamchel , eliyain Goyim , bahafrido Benay , adam Yatzeev , gevulos Amim , lemis , bar Benay , yisrael , when the most high directed the nations to their inheritance , when he separated the sons of man , he set up the boundaries of the nations . See , every country has a certain feel to it .

It's very interesting , every muckim , the borders . It seems that the environment a person grows up in it has a serious impact on what will sprout forth . Location matters in growing humans . You'll see that if you grow up in , let's say , overseas , you will have a different outlook on life , different mentalities , a different physique , different mannerisms .

Each country like its own species . Some countries give birth to smaller humans , larger humans , slower humans , faster humans , wiser humans , more dull-minded humans . You can almost laugh that in other countries besides for your own home territory , when you hear them speaking a certain language , it doesn't even sound like it could possibly mean anything .

It's just gibberish . Have you ever heard someone speak Arabic or Swahili ? Sounds funny , but yet I bet you they would think the same thing when we talk English . But the location of where you grow up , where you're planted the muckim it really matters . I love to talk about the middle parts of America . I'm a southerner .

If you go a little bit more west , let's say you hit small towns in Oklahoma , you'll find people that Life is peaceful and slow . They've been brought up under the sun where some of the most important things is their prayer services on Sunday , ice , cold beers , football and the only thing more important than family is their hat .

It kind of sounds like a new chasun who just got his first Borcellino , or I guess it's just a bad joke , but that's the type of climate , the type of habitat , the muckim that maybe Oklahoma inspires in a person . But if you send a New Yorker out there , oh , it's way too slow for them .

They will not enjoy some dirt road long , kicking it back type of ride . A New Yorker needs a fast paced type of lifestyle , hustle and bustle . He loves the noise because it seems muckim a person's local and district is a part of what he will grow up to be like . Humans grow based on where they are planted .

It seems now that our spiritual success yes , our hat slougha in our Torah and our hat slougha in our Tfila also is dependent upon our muckim . Why ? Because when you start to look out for why macomos are important and where they show up throughout Tanakh , you're fine , myriads , cadres , bevy of instances . Let's talk Davening first .

When it comes to Tfila , we already know how important a muckim kavua is . The Gamara in Barakos it tells us on 6b that anyone who prays at his muckim kavua is the God of Abraham to be of special help to him . There's something unique about Davening at your muckim kavua .

I don't know why , but you're Muckum , it's different , seems like there's a better ability to connect , you have an upper hand . And when Yaakov Vainu passed by Ha Muckum , the place that his father , his Zadie , that they prayed , he didn't stop .

He said to himself , as a possible aftershad of Artiala Muckum Is it possible that I will walk right past the place that my father's prayed and not pray that Muckum , that plateau , that Ha Arabis , that's a special Muckum to Fila , and Rashi comments there that all the Tfilos based on the Pusuk have to fly to the Ha Arabis , to the Zesha Ar Hashomim .

There is this portal to heaven that , even when you pray in your shul out in Los Angeles or in Paseik , new Jersey , your Tfilos flies from your mouth across the world to the portal in heaven which is stationed right above the Western Wall .

The Ha Arabis , that is the Muckum Tfilos is Tulli in Muckum , dovetailing in the wrong spot , seems like it could be planting avocados in Antarctica . When it comes to the Holy Temple , we are told over and over again that Ha Muckum , that is the place to bring sacrifices , to serve .

And outside , if you shall try to bring a sacrifice at a different spot , in your own backyard , private bummer , no backyard sacrifice services . No , Ha Muckum , there is one place for the divine Shrinna . It rests itself stronger , so no backyard sacrifices . Ha Muckum , the Mikdash , the holiest place on earth , is called after that spot .

It seems that location , location , location , it truly is the Muckum Tzamiha , the fertile soil that one needs in order to see beautiful , luscious , lavish fruits of his labor . You've got to plant , pray in the right spot , one of the biggest examples . So how about Ha Kudash Baruch himself ?

One of the ways that we refer to Ha Shem is by his name , the name omnipresent , the all-present , the Ha Muckum . He is the place . He doesn't need to confine himself to certain spots . He is everything , he is all of the place , omnipresent , he owns all locations . It's amazing . Locations need specific locations , habitats and climates in order to strike .

People divided up into different countries will grow up to be different style people . It's always interesting to see how it's the same tower being taught in America and in Eretz Yisrael , but yet the children come out with a different sort of tone and temperament If they're brought up in Eretz Yisrael or America , or they're brought up in town , out of town .

The location matters and definitely , if we're to zero in on the holiest locations , it's obvious that Eretz Yisrael and the boundaries , the biblical boundaries . It's obvious that the Eretz Yisrael , in cases a certain super spiritual , accessible location , it's different than all other lands .

That location , that locale , that region , that district , it's just simply higher up , better , you get even closer in Yorusha Lyam , a better location , the biggest ROI , and eventually you get even closer to the higher bias , even closer , the OMOA , the mcdush , the Kairusha Kedashim , right between the crew of him , the holy Aron , there's a certain proximity that you

keep getting closer and closer . Location matters , what about now ? Let's get into any Anna de Yoma , saving ourselves from the God forbid , any evil decree that may have been given to us . For Even if it has been God forbid , god forbid , god forbid , we can still rip it up .

Now I shall remove it Until young kipper To the Gamora and Russia , shona 16b Says that there are four things that are able to rip up a evil decree . Someone has been Decreed to have something bad happen to them . That year Rebya truck tells us that you can rip it up to duck a Charity . It's auck , a crying out . She may ask . Shame can change her name .

She know my son and you can change your actions . I want to focus on the next part of the Gamora . Very interesting addition . The Gamora goes on further . You know what else you can use to save yourself from an evil decree ? The Asia I'm run off , she know muck them . You can simply change your location and you could change Everything . It's unbelievable .

It makes a little bit of sense now that you have a relatively healthy avocado tree , but it's in the brutal winter of Antarctica . You should uproot it and actually put it inside of some beautiful , moist , well fertilized land in a moderately Humid , 65 degree Fahrenheit Location that it may start to sprout . Beautiful , soft , just the right firmness .

Avocados , the more brings a puzzle . Approve it to you , my Yamera , shem el Avram , lech lecha , my art . So go for yourself , leave your land . That's how I got all . You're gonna be a great nation . So it's really pretty interesting .

You just changed your location because it's about location , location , location , and Maybe , just maybe , we can suggest this is the reason why , after cayenne killed heaven , the first murder , what was the punishment ? Novenoid , you were sent banished to wander , to walk . There's no set spot , you have no locale , you have no home , territory and district .

You just always wandering . You never get a muckum , something deep going on here , and I want to get personal Say over something that happened to me , a tradition given over to me that I want to pass along to you . That makes things a little bit even more practical and Hopefully we'll answer sometimes a complex issue that we may encounter in our lives .

So the question was pretty straightforward . It was about Not about . I remember it was three years ago when I got married and it's always fun to take a trip down memory lane to remember the wedding . But there are some things that were different about my wedding from how I had pictured it to look like .

For one , it was during the COVID epidemic , so there were not too many people there , say about 50 to 75 . And a lot of my close relatives and friends were not present . It's weird to see the pictures with people with masks on their face . It's weird to see just how distant everyone was from each other Physically , socially distant .

It's good they abided by the rules , right , but it was just , it was different . Now , ultimately , it ended up being probably just the more I think about it the greatest wedding ever .

It was cozy and it was small and it was friends and it was family and everyone was involved and you felt a need to dance , and you know we did all the myths as everything was great . So , but right after , maybe say a couple months after , the wedding , I was planning on going to Eretz Yisrael to go back to Yashivas Mir .

After all , the locale , the location matters . Eretz Yisrael is where it's at Yusr Shalime , yashivas Mir . With her , my elephant learning in Kolo , and my brother was there . Here we go , except the borders were closed and there was no ability to fly .

So the time being , I rented a small apartment in Lakewood , just for a couple months , right , but things began to become very comfortable . I got a spot in the Kolo in Lakewood and the apartment was nice , america's nice . To be able to have a car in Eretz Yisrael , it's not so practical or doable . We got comfortable and we were striking .

But then we heard some news that the borders were opening up and , thank God , covid was leaving our midst and we were going to have the ability , after the next couple of weeks were over that Zman , to fly back to Eretz Yisrael and carry out the dream Live the honeymoon A year in Eretz Yisrael , no parents around , yes , basking in the holy Eretz Yisrael ,

schnitzel , Falafel , maybe a little bit of learning that's the dream , right . But we weren't sure . Should we uproot our lives In a place where we were being successful to go try to be more successful somewhere else ?

So , fortunately enough , we had a short meeting with some pull , and someone in my family has connections to the great Rabbi Greenwald , who is a head of a seminary in Eretz Yisrael such a kachamah , brilliant person . So my wife and I we went to ask him this question .

We told him all the different details of the question and he thought and he thought and he thought . Then he thought some more and he said you know , bistro Salanter said that we do not uproot a flower that is growing to be able to replant it somewhere else where it may grow better . And he explained to us that the location matters .

But if you're being successful somewhere , we don't change the mak'um to try to get more hatslacha . And what this is is an answer . And now that location is so important and we know that location will have a direct impact on our hatslacha , when do we say that we're having enough hatslacha ? When do we say we want more ?

And the tradition that I received is that if a person is looking for more hatslacha , then no , that's not dependent on the mak'um , that's yourself , that's putting in the work , the determination , the grit . But the rest of the answer , the tradition is , if a person should feel stuck , he feels like he's got a Roya Ghz'ar , he's got a bad , evil decree on him .

It's not being matzliach , it's not going , it's just not happening and like , well , then a person should go Change your mak'um Sh'i noi mak'um Unbelievable . And it works hand in hand with what happens during Hallel

. I once heard this from a great person , eli Mishori . He told me over that why is it that we shake the lula on the upcoming holiday of Sukkis ? Why on the Hashem H'ish'i , noi ma'um , mak'hazim h'osei ono , hashem H'ish'i ono . But on the Hashem H'hzli h'no , no shaking , no moving . Everyone just says it back and forth . On the Hashem H'hzli h'no .

That's it . Why the moving by Hashim and not the moving of the lula , of H'hzli h'hzli ? He said the Pshad is I believe he said it from either a Toys of Us , yantiver , to Ferris Yisrael . Because when a person needs H'ish'i , he needs a salvation .

Sometimes you gotta move , you gotta shake , you gotta have a shinaimaka , but if you just want more at slakh , you want a bit more success . No , no , no , it's not dependent upon you moving . Don't move , just put in more effort and add some fuel to your fire , muster up the resolve to be more matzliah .

So we can't conclude that location , location , location is , or the essential part of the essential aspects of growing a successful human . You learn toer in the wrong spot . It's not gonna go the same way .

You're trying to build yourself and pray without a makam kavua on the side of the road , not paying attention In the spot , far away from Erich Yisrael , far away from a shoal outside of a base Knesses . It's like trying to put seeds into a big parking lot . It's not gonna grow .

Our H'hzliah is tully the makam and besmanah zeh that we don't have the Besameh Dush . Where is the ultimate makam Hashem , tells us . G'morim Brochah says that , now that our temple has been destroyed , that ayinak kudash baruchu Hashem cannot be found . A little bedalad amas , shal halachos , except we're in the eight square feet , four cubit feet around eight feet .

But then that proximity of learning Tyra . So yeah , learning sholes , daven , and sholes Hang out in Yeshivos . This way , you can move your coffee plant from the Sahara Desert , where they're doing very well , into this tropical paradise . You move your avocados into that perfect climate .

You will plant yourself in a new makam that is fertile and ready for you to start striking . So if you need a H'hzliah , need a salvation , consider changing where you learn , changing where you hang out , maybe even changing your location . If you don't need a H'hzliah , you just need a H'hzliah , then maybe it just takes a little bit more grit and determination .

But we can conclude that really our success is dependent upon location . The place matters H'hzliah . Our success is totally in makam . So plant yourself , so we're ready for you to start growing .