Loyal to the General | Rabbi Yisroel Besser

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Vayimaen’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

We're living through difficult times, through trying times, and everybody wants to contribute, everybody wants to do something, not just for themselves and their families, but for all of Klal Yisroel. What is it that we can give? What is it that we can do? I recently read an article, an interview with one of the leading commanders in Eretz Yisroel, in the war effort. And they asked him what does he consider to be the most important characteristic in a soldier? What is it that he's looking for, above all? Is it courage? Is it physical strength? Is it speed? Is it toughness? Is it a mental toughness? So he said the most important feature that he considers that makes a good soldier is loyalty. He said: Because we’re the generals and we know exactly what we want to accomplish, but we're a group and there's a lot of moving parts. We need someone who knows how to follow orders, who doesn't overthink it, who doesn't think he knows better, who doesn't, on the fly, say: But what if...? But maybe...? Who just listens. Loyalty, above all. One of the most hapless, unfortunate characters in the Torah was Haran, the brother of Avraham Avinu. He wasn't sure who would come out on top, Avraham or Nimrod. Nimrod threw Avraham in the fire, and he said: Okay, whoever wins, that's what team I’m on. If Avraham wins, then I’m with Avraham. If Nimrod wins, then I'm with Nimrod. What ended up happening to Haran is

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1. 0:05We're living through difficult times, through trying times, and everybody wants to contribute, everybody wants to…
2. 0:35He said: Because we’re the generals and we know exactly what we want to accomplish, but…
3. 1:05he went into the fire, thinking he'd get saved like Avraham, but he wasn't. He was…
4. 1:35you know, a photographer, he starts to shake something and the child looks right there. As…
5. 2:05Now, were there bigger Talmidei Chachamim in Crown Heights at the time? Probably. Were there bigger…
6. 2:35and not only to remember who we are, but to remember whose we are.…

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