difference, the major difference between the creator and the creation is that the creator is the משפיע, and the creator, and the creation is the מקבל. The creator is the giver, and the creation is the receiver. That's the whole idea. The creator is the one that made, and the creation is what came. Hashem wants us to reach a level of, as the Gemara uses the expression, to become a שותף, a partner להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית, to become a partner, to also create. And the Midrash says, מה הקדוש ברוך הוא בורא עולמות אף אתם בוראים עולמות. Hashem created worlds, we could create. Now it doesn't mean we could create, we go boom and then a world becomes, but it means we have the same idea. We are משפיע rather than a מקבל. That's the level to reach. How do we do it? Only through working with our free choice. So the free choice that we have is a power, a Godly power, a creation power that was given into us. When it says in Chumash, Hashem said, הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו, that Hashem said that the person will become or became like one of us, meaning like Hashem, so the Rambam says it means the ability of free choice. The

concept of free choice actually doesn't make any sense. How could anybody have free choice when Hashem is the creator? Everything is from Him, He made everything, He controls everythings, how's there such a thing as free choice? But Hashem nevertheless gave us free choice, that means He took the concept of creator, or cre- put it into the human beings of the creation. And that's why Hashem made us this nature. He didn't just make us with a nature that we should enjoy or we should like something that we worked for. It's because if we wouldn't work for it, then we don't have that ability of going up, and that's why He gave us that nature. Now that we have that nature, Hashem said, \"I want you to work.\" So anything that Hashem gave us, whatever He gives us, He wants us to work for it. Now to finish, to come back to what we started here, therefore even when Hashem gives us as a result of the ברית, of the שבועה, which we said before is something that doesn't depend on our deserving it, because it came from the covenant which is made that even if you don't deserve, or the שבועה, but even that, since He wants us to work for everything, even that needs some work. But what kind of work? A type of work that's parallel to the result. The result will be He will give us from a level which is beyond any limit, from the level of ברית and שבועה, we have to work in a level which is beyond any ברית. Now what is that? That is the level of serving Hashem not with because we like it, and not because we enjoy it, but because Hashem said so. If we do it with kabbalat ol malchut shamayim, then we reach the level of את הברית ואת החסד. And that's what the two peshatim, the two interpretation on this pasuk is. One interpretation is that we should keep the mitzvot you step on. Because when do you keep the mitzvot that people step on equally to the mitzvot that are important? Only if you do it not because of your understanding, cuz then what you understand more you'll do faster, you'll do more, what you don't understand you won't. It's because you do it with kabbalat ol malchut shamayim, like like a simple slave. That's why a person who serves Hashem is called an eved Hashem, a slave. A slave doesn't like what he's doing, he doesn't enjoy it, he'd rather run away, but nevertheless he has no choice and he breaks himself and he does it. If we break ourselves and do it for Hashem, that's when we reach a level of ברית. And that's the level of ikveta d'meshicha. Before Mashiach, we are such a low level, we don't enjoy what we do, we don't know what to enjoy, we don't understand it really. As much as we understand the mitzvot, that's really understanding? We're so low. But why do we do it? Because Hashem said so. So ikveta d'meshicha is the time when we get closer to that high level. And that's what the pasuk says: והיה עקב תשמעון, when you will listen to those mitzvot that you step on with your foot, that means that you will do it with the essence of your neshama, beyond the limitations. And עקב also means the time before Mashiach when people serve Hashem that way, then ושמר לך את הברית ואת החסד אשר נשבע, then you will get the brit and chesed and שבועה. And that's how we see also that the end right before Mashiach is so close, is fits to the next step, which is Mashiach. When Mashiach will come, this brit and this שבועה, this covenant Hashem made with the Jews will be revealed. And right before that, as low as we are, but there's one thing which we are very close to that: that we serve Hashem with the essence of our neshama beyond any limit and therefore we reach a level of of brit. So, like I always say, we should take advantage of this time. Mashiach is coming very very soon. The Rebbe said he's coming, he's on his way, he's coming soon. Said it a while ago, but I guess we didn't understand. He is coming very very soon now. So we got to, as the Frierdiker Rebbe said, Chapt arein, we got to utilize the time, take advantage of this time. The Frierdiker Rebbe said when Mashiach will come, we'll tear the hair out of our heads, why didn't we take advantage of the time of galut? So, we're still in galut for the last few moments, so we take advantage of serving Hashem with the etzem of our neshama, and that will definitely make Mashiach come. Very, very soon. Amen. Amen. I want to mention. [Non-speech audio] They are using the whole concept of that which is higher to lower you. That which is spiritual to degrade you. That which is godly to crush you. How did this happen? How did love become hate? How did justice become oppression? This is the struggle of every human soul, and the struggle of all of history. And Isaiah stands up, and it's interesting, the word is תנופה, like the wave in the stadium, we are lifting you up, but he says this wave is not in the stadium, this wave is in the mountains. We are lifting it up on the mountains. In a time of darkness and despair, Isaiah said lift up the banner, make the voice of courage be heard in your mountain. Let every mountain within you, your mountain of strength, the mountain of love, the mountain of faith, that mountain of courage, let the flag fly, and come into the gate of the nobles. Come into the place of nobility and greatness. Because at the heart of our world is love. And when you feel pain, and you feel struggle, and you feel that religion has turned against you, or people have turned against you, that love has turned against you, look deeper and look higher. You'll hear the sound of the wave. You'll see that flag flying on that mountaintop. And remember that the struggle itself is part of the story. Love was always supposed to fall, because you only truly love when you struggle. When I hear this verse in Isaiah, I don't just hear the words about destruction and Babylon. I hear a deeper human story. It's the story of when our world comes crumbling down, and when people tell you you're not good enough, and even religion and God are used to exclude you, the prophet says, go back to the top of the mountain. You belong to the nobles. Your soul is from on high. Go to the gate of the prince, because the divine is not the oppressor. The divine is the source of dignity. We must redeem God from religion, and redeem love from abuse, and redeem holiness from fanaticism. And then the wave will truly be lifted. Not as a weapon of darkness, but as an embrace of light, reminding every weary soul, you belong. You are chosen. You are loved. Have a wonderful and beautiful week, Shabbat Shalom. Happy Thanksgiving. [Non-speech audio] [Non-speech audio] We'll do an easy one. 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