Aug. 29, 2023

Learning to Let Go: Unearthing Life Lessons through Brazilian Monkey Trapping

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Season 5

Have you ever wondered how the monkey-catching tactics of native Brazilians could translate into life lessons for you? Strap in for an intriguing journey into the wilds of Brazil and the depths of self-awareness as we explore this and more in the latest episode of Motivation Congregation. The key element? A fascinating gadget is the 'Cumuka,' the traditional monkey trap that ensnares through the monkey's stubbornness to release its coveted bananas. We connect this with our human tendencies to hold onto detrimental habits, the 'bananas' in our lives that hinder our growth.

Dive into the conversation as we dissect the method of the 'Cumuka,' its effectiveness, and the profound lessons we can derive from it. We'll share a smattering of Portuguese terms and their cultural significance, enriching our narrative. Moreover, we'll draw biblical references to further illustrate our points, fostering a deeper understanding of the concept of letting go. Join us as we echo the wise words of Rav Yissochar Frand, shedding light on the significance of releasing our weaknesses to save ourselves truly. So, are you ready to 'drop the bananas'? Tune in to this eye-opening episode to find out.

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com



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In this episode of the Motivation Congregation we will endeavor to learn a bit about the monkey catching tactics of the native Brazilians.

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We will attempt to learn a bit of Portuguese and hopefully conclude with a practical take away about repentance during the month of El.

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So how do they catch monkeys in Brazil?

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How do the poachers since these monkey hunters at times are acting illegally, since it seems, according to modern research, that the monkey population worldwide is dwindling catch these slippery, rather quick fellows?

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So what they do is they set up a trap called the cumuca, which is I believe I'm saying that right is a Portuguese word for a pot.

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And then they put it in the middle of a field, and the cumuca is actually made out of a gourd, this pumpkin-like vegetable, and they carve a little hole in the cumuca, and in the cumuca they place a big cluster of bananas and then they run away to stand and watch behind a tree to see what will happen.

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And when the monkey comes walking by, he looks inside of this monkey trap, the cumuca, and he sees this wow, beautiful big bananas all his for the taking.

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He looks around, doesn't see anything, sure enough starts to move his hand inside to take the bananas and as soon as he grabs onto the bananas, the poachers, they start to run forth to try to put their nets on top of the monkey to trap him.

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But the monkey, the way that the trap is set up, is that he can get his hand inside of the cumuca.

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It's small enough when his hand is open, but now that he's holding onto the bananas he simply can't pull it out because the cumuca, the hole, is too small for the monkey's fist holding the bananas to get out.

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He's trying, he can, he can and they're coming quicker.

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So you'll ask, why doesn't the monkey just drop the bananas and run away, pull his hand out?

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You see, the monkey doesn't have enough intellect, doesn't have enough sechel to know to drop the bananas and save himself.

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He keeps thinking he's going to get the bananas out and he's going to run away.

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So what Amal tells us in chapter 50, it's actually 49, verse?

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And he is like the beast that falls silent.

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See, we all have our cluster of bananas.

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You may all be trapped on that one sin, that Achilles heel, that weakness that we just can't shake.

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And the Yomad din is coming.

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The advice is simple the human intellect.

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It tells us what to do Drop the bananas.

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The way that Rob Fran said it the great Rob.

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You saw her friend.

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He said we all have our bananas and it is this that we should remember.

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It's simple Don't be like an animal.

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Don't get caught in the Kumuka.

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Let go of the sin and save yourself.