Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
May 9th 2232013 -Volume 3, Issue 29
–29th of Iyar 5773
Parshas Bamidbar/Shavuot
A Sight to
See
He was the general in the
war for the sanctity of Jerusalem. A student of the Ktav Sofer who was known
for battling the "enlightenment movement" in Austria-Hungary
in the 1800's waving the flag of authentic uncompromising Judaism, Reb Yosef
Chayim Sonnefeld fought the new battle in the old city of Jerusalem. The new
secular Zionists had begun to come to the country in the first three Aliyah's
and they were not just bringing the dream of a return of the nation to its
land- they were looking to create a new Jew as well. Torah was out. Tradition and
rituals were all images of the old persecuted "ghetto jew". The
new Jew would never be subject to ridicule and scorn again. He would become a
people like all other people, a nation like all other nations. The battle
ground was in the holiest city of the world and both sides were digging in.
Leading the Old Yishuv, Reb Yosef Chaim, valiantly fought the battle with edicts,
posters, bans and demonstrations- your typical Jewish battle.
The opposing Zionist camp was split
between the secular new-comers and the religious Zionists led by no less of a
figure than the first chief Rabbi of pre-Israel Palestine Rav Avraham Kook and
his students who felt that the anti-religous camp should and could be partners
in settling the land and co-operation was the way to achieve the goals of a
religious State rather than opposition. (some things even a century later seem
never to change…). The battles were fierce and sometimes even got bloody. Yet
unlike modern times, Rav Kook and Rav Sonnenfeld had a deep relationship and
mutual respect that transcended their political battles. Perhaps it was because
they both shared so many common loves; Torah, Eretz Yisrael and perhaps most of
all Klal Yisrael. They each understood that despite their differences of
opinion upon the right path to bring redemption to the land and the proper way
with which to deal with these new challenges to the sanctity of the city, each
one was knew that the other was only acting for the sake of heaven and out of
love for the Jewish people.
Once, the story goes, Reb Yosef Chayim
was leaving Sha'arei Tzedek hospital with his student Rav Moshe Blau, when they
bumped into a whole parade of young men and ladies marching in their blue and
white, certainly not dressed or behaving in the typical "old
Jerusalem" modest style. It was a display of the new generation and their
anti-religious ideology and Rav Blau knowing how much pain the Rav would be
caused suggested heading back inside. Instead, Rav Yosef Chaim told his
student, “They are Jewish children, aren’t they?”
As the youth marched by, singing their songs,
Rav Moshe noticed that Rav Yosef Chaim’s lips were moving steadily, as he
murmured something softly to himself. Rav Blau moved closer and he heard his
rebbe saying the following verses:
“May Hashem add upon you – upon you and
your children! Blessed are you to Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm
115:14,15).
He repeated these verses of blessing
over and over again, until the last child in that long procession had passed.
This week we begin the fourth book of
the Torah the story of our wandering in the wilderness. The book of Bamidbar
commences with the commandment for Moshe, the great leader and his brother
Aharon to count the Jewish people. Literally count the Jewish people… Tribe by
tribe, family by family… individual by individual. The Jewish people at that
time numbered 603,550 and that is only the men between the ages of 20-60. Can
you count that high? How long would it take you? Now imagine the most important
people in the world, Moshe, who had gone up on Sinai and spoke with God face to
face, split the sea, the ten plagues, Aharon the high Priest, who enters the
Holy of Holies and achieves atonement for the entire nation, meeting each and
every Jewish family. Wow! It would seem that this was a pretty inefficient
system. Imagine what Yisro Moshe's father-in-law who helped establish the
Jewish bureaucratic system (which we still suffer from today…) would have said.
Was there a shortage of people that couldn't do this kind of leg work for our
leaders? The 13th century sage Nachmanides who poses this question
asks "I don't understand this purpose of this commandment, Was it
really necessary to know the number of the entire Nation?"
He answers that the significance of this
event was not necessarily in the mere counting. Rather it was in the meeting
and the count. Here's the scene-
"Honey, will you get the door I
hear someone knocking- I hope it's not those collectors again- I just gave to
the Tabernacle and sacrifice fund last week… If it is, tell them mommy's not
home."
Ummm, Mom… I think you should come to
the door…
Why? Who is it…?
I really think you need to see this mom…
it's Moshe and Aharon…
I'll be right there…
They said they want to see everyone…all
of us…
I'm bringing the camera…"
To quote the Ramban once again, the
purpose of the count was so
"The one that would come before the
Father of all prophets and his brother the sanctified of God will have a merit
and life… each will have their special number given to them by Moshe as he
places his eye upon them for good, and will beseech mercy for their family and
bless them "May Hahem increase you 1000 times and may your numbers never
falter…"
It is with this mitzvah that the Book of
our wanderings in the wilderness begins. It is perhaps for this reason we refer
to is as our book of Numbers/ the counting. Each Jew had their special number
given to them by Moshe. They knew they were special. Moshe and Aharon visited
them, knew who they were and met their family. Hashem was with them. They knew
they were not going to be merely "wandering". They were going
on their journey of a lifetime, with Hashem, with Moshe, with Aharon, as the
people and nation of God. After that family meeting with Moshe they were ready
to conquer the world.
This week we celebrate the holiday of
Shavuot that momentous occasion when we became that Am Segualah, the precious
nation of Hashem. For me one of the highlights of this special holiday the past
few years has been to go to the old city of Yerushalayim. Before the sun rises
at around 5:00 AM the streets fill up with 10's of thousands of my brothers and
sisters heading to the Kotel for the morning holiday prayers. It is like days
of old, almost…(except as I pointed out
to my children in the Temple times there were sacrifices being brought and thus
these same streets were filled with animals as well and the smell of BBQ) . As the Kohanim step up to the platform and
bless us, I feel like I am transported back to that moment when we were chosen.
And as I look around at the crowd I take it all in. So many different Kippa's,
so many different backgrounds, from all over the world, from across the
religious and non-religious spectrum, yet we are all here. "Yosaif
Hashem Aleichem" I think, "May Hashem increase your numbers, Blessed
are you Hashem Maker of Shamayim and Aretz". May He return all of His
children once again to His home.
Have an absolutely amazing Shabbos
Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ SHAVUOS JOKE OF THE WEEK
With Shavuot arriving soon, the Hebrew school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the fifth commandment, '"Honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
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RABBI SCHWARTZES QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If you can smile when things go wrong,
you have someone in mind to blame." ANONYMOUS
*****************************************
RABBI SCHWARTZ YOUTUBE LINK OF THE WEEK
Reb Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld on Zionism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oPdUUEFkaM
Rare live footage of Rav Yosef Chaim and Rav Kook together
************************************
RABBI
SCHWARTZES TOUR GUIDE COURSE QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below)
Which of the following
settlements was founded first?
(a) Motsa
(b) Petach Tikva
(c) Rishon LeTzion
(d) Zichron Ya'akov
RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-
Nachal
Gilabun It's Tiyul
season and there is no place like in the Golan heights, Nachal Gilabun the
southern-most Nachal in the Golan that streams into the Hula Valley is a great
few hour hike with beautiful waterfalls for the whole family. Best of all it's
free. One can also take a short detour to the nearby ruins of the Talmudic city
of Kfar Devora and walk through the ruins of what was a large city. If you look
through some of the ancient houses you can see, and oil press,lintels with
birds and fish and coolest of all is ancient synagogue which had on its lintel
"this is the beit medrash of Reb Elazar Ha'Kfar". What is even cooler
is that Rabbi Elazar Hakfar is quoted in Avot D'Rabbi Nasan as saying " Be not as
the topmost doorpost, which no hand can touch, neither be as the lintel against
which men strike their heads, neither as the raised step over which men
stumble, but be as the threshold which all cross over. The building crumbles,
yet the threshold remains. How cool is that perhaps it is the humility of
that teaching that caused it to be the only remaining remnant that mentions the
word Beit midrash from that period!
Answer
is A or B?- This is another question where I'm not sure what the
correct answer is I wrote Motzah because technically Motza was purchased in the
1850's by a Baghdadi Jew and in the 1870's a chaan/inn was built there however
the settlement started in 1890's. I think however the answer they were looking
for was Petach Tikva which is known as the Eim Ha'moshavot/mother of all
settlements which was founded in 1878. So technichally the settlement started
there first although motzah which is built on the ancienct temple period ruins
where they actually found idolatrous temple items recently from the time do the
second temple was purchased first. In Motzah as well as the ancient synagogue
which is really not that ancient as it dates back only to the late 1800's. and
was the former ch'aan are ancient springs from where the Talmud tells us they
would bring Aravot/willow branches in the time of the mikdash for the service
on sukkot in the Temple.
