A Jerusalem Morning- Chayei Sarah- 2010

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

 Holy Land

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

October 29th 2010 -Volume I, Issue 5– 14^th of Cheshvan 5771

Parshat Vayeira

A Jerusalem Morning

It was a long day. It was meeting after meeting, running around Jerusalem by bus, cab and foot and then continuing my phone calls and meetings to the States until late into the night. I sunk in to my bed finally at about 2:00 AM. I closed my eyes and dozed off at my grandparent’s apartment in the heart of the Katamon section of Jerusalem….zzzzzzzz…

\

COCKADOODLE DOO SQUACK SQUACK COCKADOODLE DOO!!!  Huh? Where am I? Why is there a rooster crowing in my ear? Welcome to Jerusalem home of the greatest technology and innovations (which do include alarm clocks) and also the home of those who raise chickens in their backyard and are still living in a shtetl in Europe. Or those who still feel this entire country should be a kibbutz and one should never pay for eggs that chickens in your backyard can produce for free. I look out the window and I see the crack of dawn reflecting off the Jerusalem stone apartments around me. I look at my watch and it is Five-Oh –something- that is way too close to when I shut my eyes. But my friend out there on my ledge is not letting up. So I get on my clothes, pack up my stuff and start to head off to find a cab to take me to the Kotel, so I could pray my morning prayers at the holiest place on earth. While doing so I smile at my newest appreciation of that first morning blessing I recite each day but never recited in the literal sense.

“Blessed are you Hashem….Who gives wisdom to the rooster to discern between night and day”

“Wise” rooster wasn’t necessarily the first adjective that came to my mind that morning. But as the morning went on and as I continued to pray I appreciated the beauty of my early morning prayer.

So there I am trying to hail a cab. I have begun to recite my prayers under my breath so I would be somewhat caught up when I got there. And sure enough a cab pulls right up. I interrupt my prayers and ask him to take me to the Western Wall. I notice though that he is mumbling something under his breath as well. Now in the States if your taxi driver is mumbling something you get out of the cab, thank him very much and leave quickly. But here in Israel you never know. As I listened I heard him reciting some morning prayers as well. And then the cool part. He pulled out a Kippa turned on the radio and the radio station started the recitation of the Shema, which my driver repeated word for word together with the early morning Drive time DJ. As he recited the verse

 “And these words shall be upon your heart… and you shall recite them when you dwell in your home and when you travel on the road.”

I wondered how many other taxi drivers were reciting the same thing. How many the rooster kicked out of bed.

I arrived at the Kotel, with the sun just rising over the mountain top I put on my Tallit and Teffilin closed my eyes and began to pray. There is no place better on earth to daven and there is no time better than when the entire world around you is being born anew. The rooster was right. It was time to get up. More than I needed my sleep, I needed to have my time alone communicating with my Creator; the truly only meeting that had the power to make all the other ones worthwhile.

This weeks Torah portion introduces some of the most poignant aspects of prayer. It begins with the story of Avraham’s wife Sarah passing away and his purchase of the cave of Machpela in Chevron, which until today is one of the most significant Jewish prayer hubs that we have. Our Patriarchs and Matriarchs (besides Rachel) are buried there. Although the Jews have access to the cave and most of the grave sites. Yitzchak’s grave is usually shared and for the most part inaccessible to the Jews except on the special occasions. I had the privilege to be there Sukkot when it was opened and it was a very moving moment. There was a quote on a curtain by the grave of Yitzchak that quotes this weeks Torah portion.

Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basedeh- And Yitzchak went out  Lasuach in the field.

The various translations and commentaries have different explanations to what the word lasuach, which can mean converse, to stroll or meditate in the field refers to. The most common explanation quoted by Rashi from the Medrash and Talmud was that he was praying there. In fact the Talmud suggests that the afternoon prayer we have today of Mincha was established at that moment.  Yet it is interesting to note that the word Sicha, which is used, is one that seems to refer to a casual personal conversation, not necessarily the formal institutionalized prayer that many of us are accustomed to praying. Rabbi Avraham Schorr suggests that it was that new type of prayer that Yitzchak injected into the psyche of the world; the Prayer of the field.

Avraham who had established the Morning Prayer-Shacharit injected into the world a connection to Hashem as the God and Creator of the entire world. His prayer was in the morning when one stands in awe of the creation. Yitzchaks Prayer though, is in the afternoon. Generally it is at a time when one is busy at work or at home. It is in the middle of the field. It can be when one is driving a taxi. It is at that moment as well that one can and should relate to Hashem; To converse with Him. “Here’s how my day is going.” “Here’s what I still hope and long for.” “Here’s what I appreciate.” “There….is where I’d rather be... in Jerusalem with you redeemed.” Our prayers should be personal, those are the ones that are most special to Him.

The Klei Yakar a 16^th century commentator points out that Yitzchak being a 40 year old unmarried man was certainly praying to find his bashert- his soulmate. And here, right after he started to pray, his prayers were immediately answered. This is to teach you that the prayers done in that special Yitzchak way are the ones that will be answered the quickest. They are the ones that Hashem waits and looks out for. They don’t even have to take a long time. As it seems that Yitzchaks didn’t. They just have to be heartfelt a feeling of you and Hashem alone. It’s a feeling that truly comes easiest here in Eretz Yisrael.

Finally it is interesting that the word chosen for the afternoon Prayer has the same letters as the word Menuchah –Restfulness.. How strange it is the busiest time of day. Yet its prayer alludes to one last secret of Jewish prayer. We need not stress. We have who to rely on. We work tirelessly because it is what we are meant to do but our rest break for Mincha tells us it will all be all right. It’s not all up to us. Hashem is there and part of the meeting as well. We just have to listen to the rooster, wake up from our sleep, or turn on the right spiritual radio station that will tap us in. And leave the rest up to him. He’s on the line right now.

Have a blessed Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

PS- Cool important news-Iif you enjoy this weekly Email please forward to your friends and family and now you can share your comments as well on our BLOG

http://holylandinsights.blogspot.com/

Would love to get more hits and appreciate all your feedback! Thanks

**********************

In the future there will be dedications and sponsorships of the weekly Email available and more information about exciting programs and opportunities in Israel

In the meantime

I leave you with a fun

RABBI SCHWARTZ  EXCEEDINGLY COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

http://www.machpela.com/english/

Parshat Vayeira- Walk This Way

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

 Holy Land

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

October 22^nd 2010 -Volume I, Issue 4– 14^th of Cheshvan 5771

Parshat Vayeira

Walk  this way

One of my newly found pleasures in life since moving to Israel, is my new morning ritual. In the States our mornings were always kind of hectic. Rush everyone out of bed, quickly throw on clothing, Uh Oh Mommy where’s my socks? Daddy you have to sign this homework where did you put it? Quickly! Carpools coming. What should I take for Lunch? Hurry up they’re waiting outside…I still can’t find my socks. I don’t like tuna fish again. What should I have for snack? How come we never have good snacks? They’re honking already! Get Out, Get out.. whew… they’re gone. I don’t miss carpool.

 Here in Israel it’s been a little different. We still are waking up late, they still don’t know where they’re socks are nor do they like tuna or the snacks they are getting(although Bamba and kosher Doritos are getting good reviews). All of that is still the same. What is different for me though, is that my children now walk to school; which is really nice. Each leaves with a   group of their friends, and I  am left alone with my most cherished opportunity to walk hand in hand with my three year old Elka to her Gan (kindergarden).That is truly heaven and one of the most wonderful moments and rituals of my day.

Elka, you see is a great walking partner. Each day I marvel at how quickly she is adapting to Hebrew and her new surroundings. She is also, incidentally a tour guide in the making.

“Look Abba (two months ago I was Daddy) there is a Chatul (cat). A Chatul drinks Chalav (milk)”.

“There is my chaverah(friend), Tilla with her Savta(grandmother) going on the Autoboose( bus).

 And of course finally the one she never fails to mention.

 “Hey, Abba there is a Makolet(grocery)- they sell Shoko(chocolate milk in little plastic bags), Weel Yu Bai me a Shoko( her English now starts to sound like Heberew) Abba? I Ohev (love) Shoko”. As if I couldn’t figure that out by now. But how can I say no to a face like that. So we walk to and from Gan each day relishing in the wonder of our new home as we sip our Shoko and hope this time and age could last forever.

Although I’m sure that this special Parent/Child Shoko moment is universal. This week’s Torah portion suggests that there is something unique about the Jewish Parent/Child relationship that is not shared by other nations. In fact if you look carefully enough the entire Parsha is a contrast between our forefather Avraham’s relationship with his children and everyone else.

The Parsha begins with three angels coming to visit Avraham. He interrupts his discussion with God to go greet them. After he begs them to stay over for dinner he immediately starts to get it ready. The Torah tells us how he asks his wife to make fresh cakes for them, how he personally runs out to pick the choice calf for dinner to be slaughtered and finally how he goes to the young lad, who Rashi tells us was his son Yishmael, and asks him to prepare the meat. As a child in school they always impressed upon me how amazing this was that Avraham did all this at the age of 99, only three days after his circumcision. As an adult I realized that even more amazing than Avraham doing all this, was that the fact that Yishmael his 13 year old teenage son who also had his circumcision jumped up and the Torah even goes out of its way to tell us “hurried to do it”. To me that is truly unbelievable… that Avraham himself could and would run and do it is somewhat impressive but expected. But that he got his teenage son to be just as excited?! This would be amazing even if he was not sick and  lying down, but that he would get up with the same enthusiasm and rush to serve his father’s guests. That is some pretty remarkable parenting skills! 

Lest you think that I am making a big deal out of this. If you follow the text you can see that Hashem seems to as well. Just a few verses later when Hashem continues his conversation with Avraham about the destruction of Sodom, Hashem says

“Shall I hide from Avraham that which I must do. Avraham will be a great nation…”

The Torah then concludes this sentence and tells us what the key impressive thing to God about Avraham is. No, it is not that at a young age he smashed his father’s idols and went against the common culture. Nor is it that he was willing to be thrown into a fiery furnace rather then renouncing his faith in Hashem. It wasn’t that he taught the entire world monotheism, that he left his home to follow God’s law or that he was the greatest symbol of hospitality and kindness in the history of mankind. What was it that impressed Hashem?

“Because I know that he commands his children and household after him to follow the pathways of Hashem to do charity and justice...”

What makes this statement even more bizarre is that Avraham at that time only had one son. He was already a teenager. Yet out of all Abraham’s accomplishments it is that which makes him special and worthy in the eyes of God.

If you follow the rest of the Parsha you will find the opposite extreme by Lot whose wife and family do not share his values. We find that he is willing to sacrifice them for the strangers in his warped sense of kindness that certainly did not begin at home. We are also told about Hagar as she and Yishmael are thrown out of the house and are wandering in the desert on the brink of death dying from thirst. The Torah vividly describes how she abandons him so as not to see him die, rather then to be with him in his last moments. If we contrast that with the conclusion of the Parsha and Avraham as he walks up the mountain to sacrifice Yitzchak as per Hashems command, we find the opposite occurs. Avraham says Hineini- I am here for you my son. Whether he will live or die is in the hands and decision of God. But Avraham the ultimate father will use even what he thought would be this last teaching moment to hold his son’s hand and walk together with him. Hineini.

As I walk with Elka I look out at these same streets where Jews since the time of Avraham and Yitzchak have walked together with their children, I see other parents doing the same thing that I am; walking each morning, drinking shoko, talking, bonding, teaching. This is a country that is truly dedicated to its children, more than anywhere else I have ever seen. It’s a country and a lifestyle as wel,l that for many is one of sacrifice. For some it is living in a more dangerous part of the world in order to live in Eretz Yisrael. For others it is observing Shabbos, Kashrut, or hosting guests and following the Mitzvos of Hashem despite the challenges that some time come with it. And for many it is certainly giving up much of the materialism and comforts the western world has. Yet regardless of what the sacrifice is, each parent is with their child and guiding them and passing on the message and values for which we are meant to be living. Hineini. It is that walk of Avraham.We are here with you. We walk together. And our Father above looks down and walks with us as well.

Have a truly restful Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

**********************

RABBI SCHWARTZ VIDEO HEBREW SLANG WORD OF THE WEEK

ACHAD ESREI-IS THE NUMBER 11

SHTEIM ESREI- THE NUMBER 12

TIPESH ESREI- TEENAGER(THE WORD TIPESH MEANING SLIGHTLY KOOKY-TO BE POLITE)

Parshat Lech Lecha -Lama? Kacha

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

  Holy Land

 

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

 

October 15^th 2010 -Volume I, Issue 3– 8^th of Cheshvan 5771

Parshat Lech Lecha

 

Lama? Kacha

 

It is one of those initiation rituals that every new immigrant to Israel must go through. It’s a short conversation that repeats itself numerous times for the first few weeks, months and for those really slow and stubborn Americans even years after one makes Aliyah the conversation still continues. It occurs, generally when one comes with their rather rational, logical and western-oriented perspective of the world, and how things are done. All of a sudden you are confronted with something that doesn’t seem to mesh with those basic ideals that you were accustomed to all your life. You turn to the man in the government office who is being paid by your tax money, or the storeowner who should be interested enough in your business and basic customer service concepts, or the bank who should want you to deposit your money there, or the phone company (or any utility company for that matter) who for some reason just never seem to be open, available or for that matter even interested in explaining any of their policies, hours, or what all those papers you are signing mean.

 

So you ask, as they taught you in all those commercials about being an educated consumer, the simple question “Lamah?- Why?” Why are you never open? Why can’t this be processed? Why am I being charged these fees? Why does it say one thing here and another thing there? Why is everyone else in this office being helped and I am not? Lamah? Lamah? Lamah?

 

And then comes the Aliyah- hey-Dorothy-you’re no longer in Kansas- moment. The person looks at you as if you are a three year old that has just asked them to reveal the specific details of the mechanics of Israel ’s nuclear facilities and their weapons capability, and then they respond with that one word-most frustrating of all responses-

Kachah- that’s the way it is.

 

You, being a very perplexed American, feel like they have misunderstood your question, which was obviously just a very basic one, which certainly deserved an adult answer. So you show off your Hebrew and add that extra two words that you are sure  will resolve this whole issue as you ask again

“Aval- Lamah-Bivakasha”- But why please?

It is to no avail.

The answer is still

Kachah- because it is.

Welcome to the country where pointless questions-which you quickly learn your “lamas” are-will inevitably always give you meaningless answers. Why? Kachah.

 

This weeks Torah potion perhaps sheds a little light into this strange Israeli mentality as we begin to learn the story of the first Hebrew/Israelite ever; our forefather Avraham Avinu. We are introduced to Avraham at ripe young age of 75 as Hashem appears to him and tells him to pick up his family leave everything behind and go to a foreign land where he is promised all types of good things. Avraham incredibly enough does so. What is missing in this story, is the unasked question- Lamah? Why should I go? Avraham just goes.

 

Next on the agenda of what will be the ten tests of Avraham that continue through next weeks Torah portion, is the famine in Israel . He is forced to leave the country God had previously told him about. Again no Lamah. His wife Sarah is kidnapped no Lamah. His nephew the son of his deceased brother whom he adopted leaves him- no Lamah. He goes to World War to protect that nephew- there is no questions. He remains childless from Sarai, he has all types of problems with this Egyptian maidservant and child his wife convinced him to take, and yet amazingly enough there is never once the question of why am I doing this, why is this happening. Avraham is a “Kachah Man”. It is what it is and whatever Hashem throws at me, that’s what is best for me.

 

Finally at the conclusion of this weeks Torah portion Hashem gives him one last commandment, which incidentally becomes the first Jewish Mitzvah in the Torah (up until this point all the commandments were Noachide and universal). Avraham is commanded in the Eternal covenant of Circumcision- Brit Mila. Not the most of fun of Mitzvot at any age but certainly not a picnic at the age of 99 and without the benefit of anesthesia. Yet the way the commandment is formed is truly fascinating.

“Hithalech Lifonai Vheyeh Tamim”-Walk before me and be Tamim- which can mean both complete and or perfect.

 

The Ibn Ezra, the great 12^th century commentator and philosopher, explains the notion of the Temimut the perfection of Avraham here in that he does not ask. “Walk before me”, “Do as I tell you”, Hashem is telling him “And don’t ask me why”. Kachah. That is the test of Avraham. In fact, that is the core of all the tests of Avraham, and it is in that merit that we received the Land of Israel and that we remain eternal.

 

If one examines 3000 years of Jewish history from Avraham until today it is certain you will have a lot of questions. How is possible that we are still around? Why has this nation survived? Almost everything about the Jewish people and its history is beyond rational. Our existence makes no sense. We are a nation with only one answer to the Lamah…Kachah. It is because Hashem has thus commanded us. It is because our forefather didn’t ask questions, he just did.

 

It’s been almost two months since I have been living here and I have begun to train myself to stop asking that question. (Although it is quite challenging when I have traveled two hours to the office to process my license to the office which is only open twice a week for two hours in the afternoon, only to find out that the person who processes the licenses is only in the during the twice a week morning hoursL). The truth is they are right. It doesn’t pay to ask. It is what it is and we have to accept it go with the flow and count our blessings that at least we got a weekly Email out of the story J. The Mishnah in Avot tells us that the more we nullify our will to His, He will make our will His will. May He who has all the answers above bring that day very soon when no one will have anymore questions and we will all be living the Kachah we were meant to.

 

Have a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach- A blessed and peaceful Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

Parshat Noach 2010 Family Land

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

 Holy Land

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

October 8^th 2010 -Volume I, Issue 3– 1 of Cheshvan 5771

Parshat Noach

Family Land

Walking down the street with my baby carriage, a woman stops me to tell me to put down the hood, the sun is in my baby’s face. I walk further up the block and am stopped by another person who tells me that my son has fallen asleep and I should recline the seat in the stroller because he doesn’t look comfortable. I arrive at the doctors office and the doctor tells me that I have a stain on my shirt and that I should clean it before I walk out, as it’s not nice to walk in the street with a dirty shirt- That was my DOCTOR- not my dry cleaner talking. On the way home, the street cleaner guy turns to me and tells me that my stroller looks too weighted down with groceries I had bought and that I will break it.
I should rather carry them on the side. I have moved to the country of free advice. On every corner, on every bus ride, at every supermarket line there is someone who thinks they are my mother, standing there to tell me what I am doing wrong and how I could be doing it better. When they told me that Israel was home they didn’t tell me that I was moving back with my parents!

Truth of the matter is, though, it is nice. It’s nice to live in a place where the doctor calls to find out how my daughter is doing and where the guy who’s fixing my fridge tells me where I could buy my groceries cheaper then the expensive price tags he saw on the ones inside, my freezer. Yes, we lived in places in the States that had different levels of neighborly relationships. We experienced Southern hospitality, Midwest- salt of the earth cheery friendliness, Pacific NorthWest live –and- let- live geniality and even New Yorks one of a kind,  in –your- face, dog-eat-dog, make-it- here- make-it-anywhere abrasiveness. But absolutely nothing comes close to the incredible sense of family, caring, nosiness and as we would say in yiddish, Haymishkeit,that you have with the average stranger you meet in the street that you meet here in Israel. It feels we are all connected in this small little country and so we all have to be there for one another. I like it. Truth be told, this Jewish tradition really dates back to the beginning of our people.

This weeks Torah portion named after the father of all humanity in the post-flood world- Noach- also concludes and introduces us to the father of the Jewish people Abraham- Avraham Avinu. Our sages, ever mindful of these two great individuals, note a very significant but easily overlooked difference in the Torah’s description of them both. They note that whereas by Noach the Torah tells us that he walked with God, Avraham walked before God. They also contrast, a very interesting difference between both Avraham’s reaction to Hashem’s intention to destroy the  wicked city of Sdom and Noach’s reaction (or perhaps lack thereof) to being foretold of the destruction of the world. Avraham steps up to the plate and pleads on their behalf. Noach, the one who walks with God just follows his orders and builds an Ark. He does not plead for the world.  Avraham, who ultimately becomes the father of the Jewish people founded monotheism without ever having talked to God. He looked at the world understood that God existed and went out and taught it to everyone he knew. Noach, who actually spoke to God, was not successful in actually getting anyone to join or pass on a legacy. He did what he was supposed to, as the Torah says he was entirely righteous, but he never saw beyond his own service. He was never brave or broad enough to tell, show and share with others the beauty and significance of his own convictions.

The Land of Israel is one that is repeatedly promised to the descendants of Avraham. It is the country that will not only always bear his memory, but it has been ingrained with this sense that each person living here is responsible for one another. We’re responsible to make sure the other is alright. We’re responsible to make sure that our neighbors are taken care of in every way. But most of all, the secret to this country of Avraham’s children, is that we are responsible to help and inspire each and every one of our brothers and sisters to get closer to Hashem and to appreciate his loving ways. We have to walk before God in this beautiful land and inspire the rest of the world- even Noach’s world, with how great a society we can become if we all just take that responsibility as our Divine mandate. What we could create if we all behaved like the family we were supposed to. What we might become if allowed ourselves to accept and to share that love and caring we are so capable of achieving. As we enter the new Jewish month of Cheshvan and approach the winter season let’s aim to keep that unity we achieved over the holidays and see it last through the year. Invite over a friend for Shabbat, go join a new Torah class, call a friend and bring him or her to shul. You won’t regret it…at least that’s what the guy on the street told me.

Have a wonderful Shabbos and a good Rosh Chodesh,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

**********************

RABBI SCHWARTZ INSPIRING ISRAELI  ANECDOTE AND MOMENT OF THE WEEK

-

There is a street cleaner, an older russian man with a kippah, who walks up and down the streets every morning with a broom and garbage can sweeping the floor and picking up the litter. He is always smiling… When asked what he thinks about when he works, he responded that he thinks about how lucky he is to be cleaning the streets of Israel. When he feels that his job is below his education level (he had a masters degree in science in Russia) He thinks of Moshe Rabbeinu, who never merited to enter Israel and what he would have given for the merit to clean the streets . “I’m doing what Moshe only dreamed of” he sings.

I’m doing what Moshe only dreamed of…

Sukkot 2010- The Right Foot Up

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

  Holy Land

 

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

 

September 22^nd 2010 -Volume I, Issue 2– 14^th of Tishrei 5771

 

The Right Foot Up

 

So let’s pretend it’s December 22^nd. Your driving to the mall and you turn on the radio. Of course no matter what station you flip to you, you hear the usual Jingle Bell- Rudoph, holiday music. You get to the Mall there are decorated trees all over the place, lights for sale, socks hanging out of store windows and big red suited guy with a white beard bouncing children on his lap and asking them in they have been naughty or nice. If you go to the right mall there are also usually a bunch of little elves running around helping you with your purchases and of course the always traditional Israelis standing in their kiosks and selling you Dead Sea mud.

 

Scene II- Yesterday the 13^th of Tishrei 5771, our bus, which incidentally had Moadim L’Simcha-(Happy Holidays) emblazoned on the digital number slots in the front, pulls into the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem. We are greeted by a variety of Jewish music coming from every corner; Hasidic, Sefardic and even a little bit of Matisyahu reggae in the background. There are tree branches all over the floor being sold as Sechach- the Sukkah cover. All types of beautiful hanging decorations, plastic fruits and even lights with some words that start “ChrXXXmas lights” crossed out and replaced by the word “Sukkot” in Hebrew. There are quite a few big black suited guys with white beards standing around on each street corner peering through magnifying glasses and looking at their Etrogs (Citrons) and Lulavs to see if they are spotted or nice. There are quite a few cute little Israeli elves height five – 10 year olds trying to sell me everything from Lulav holders to posters and pictures of Rabbis, to little homemade Lulav bands to wrap my four species together with. To make it just perfect, this Christian arab approaches me and offers to sell me a flag and map of the US to hang in my Sukkah. He is the American equivalent of the Dead Sea mud guy in the States.

 

Where do you belong? Where do you feel more comfortable? Which scene is the one that you feel should be the place you are raising your children? I think it’s amazing and tragic but unfortunately true that the average Jewish American-of any denomination, feels at home with the December 22^nd scene and would feel that they had landed in Mars- although an incredibly pleasant and even somewhat weirdly but deeply spiritually familiar Mars in Scene II. It shouldn’t be that way. We shouldn’t be that way. The question is, Is there anything we can do about it?

 

The Gaon of Vilna, who spent a good portion of his last years of life doing whatever he could to move to Israel , at tremendous sacrifice and who was ulimatly not successful. Use to say that there are two mitzvoth that one can fulfill with ones entire body, just by living and breathing in a certain environment. The first is the mitzvah to live in the Land of Israel , where truly every breath one takes and every step one make is settling our Divinely destined land and absorbing the holiness of the country. The Second mitzvah though you can fulfill in your very own backyard. It is the Mitzvah of Sukkah. Leaving your home. Leaving your flags. Putting aside all the material trappings of your “world” and entering in to the Divine Shade and palace of the Almighty for a week. For those in America it’s like a little visit to Israel . For those of us here- It’s like a visit to what the world will be like when Moshiach comes.

 

In the times of the Temple there was a mitzvah for every Jew to make an annual Pilgrimage to Yerushalayim for the holiday of Sukkot. This mitzvah was know as Aliyah Li’Regel- literally translated, this means an uplifting-or going up for the foot or festival. The three festivals are known as the three Regalim or three feet as a result of this mitzvah. Our Chasidic masters however see in this word and homiletically in the words chosen to describe the mitzvah as it being one of raising up ones footsteps in life. Where are you walking and marching to? How do we make our pathways in life become one that leads to Jerusalem ? By taking the time a few times a year and immersing ourselves in the seasons that guide us there.

 

Sukkot is the last of the triumvirate of holidays before we enter the long winter. Its our last chance to raise up our footsteps and to set the scene for how we want the rest of the year to look like. Spend a little time in that special hut. Think about what it could and should be like all the time. Daven for it a little and tell your family as I will where we really belong and what we are still holing for. And may Hashem bless us all that our mitzvah of Sukkah inspires heavenly mercy to build us the ultimate Sukkah of Peace once again

 

Have a ecstatically Happy Sukkos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ IMPORTANT ISRAELI  HAPPINESS AND SHOPPING TIP OF THE WEEK

-

IF YOU BUY SOMETHING BE IT AN ETROG, DECORATION, OR EVEN PIZZA OR FELAFFEL. DO NOT GO INTO THE STORE NEXT DOOR AND ASK HOW MUCH IT WILL BE. BECAUSE IT WILL BE CHEAPER AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN IT STORE NUMBER ONE. IT IS ALWAYS THIS WAY. IT IS ALWAYS MORE EXPENSIVE NEXT DOOR UNTIL YOU HAVE BOUGHT IT. ADDENDUM TO THIS RULE. DON’ T TELL YOUR WIFE HOW MUCH YOU PAID SHE ALWAYS SHOPS IN THE STORE NEXT DOOR.

 

New Beginnings

Insights and Inspiration

 from the

 Holy Land

From Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 “Your friend in Karmiel”

September 7^th 2010 -Volume I, Issue 1– 27^th of Elul 5770

New Beginnings

Our lift is supposed to come tomorrow… Or so they tell me for the tenth time. It has been over two months now since we have last seen our “stuff” from the States. Over two months since we’ve slept in our beds, used our china and silverware, had access to my Jewish Torah book collection. Over two months since I have tasted my wife’s chulent. (I’m backJ). But tomorrow our 40 foot hi cube container with all our worldly belongings is supposed to finally arrive in Israel. And the day after is Rosh Hashana…

The truth is it is truly an amazing experience going without all the clutter and things that we have picked up over all these years. I kind of enjoy the empty (ish) house and the living day by day existence that many over here do all the time. There is no Costco in Israel, no buying in Bulk and no stocking up. The houses and apartments don’t have room and many of the people live with daily grocery shopping for their needs which incidentally are a lot less then our American counterparts. To a certain degree as much as I miss my things and would love to see them again, I’m envious of those who think we’re crazy for bringing so much. Besides the fact, that I don’t know where it’s all going to go.

One of my highpoints here so far was having the ability to listen to the local Rav HaRoshi (the city’s chief Rabbi) Rav Margalit speak. It’s been quite a while since I have had the privilege to hear a”Mussar Shmooze- (badly translated as an inspirational ethical lecture) directed to Kollel Rabbis. He made a fascinating point about the function and prayers of Rosh Hashana. As you know, on that day,we sit before the Almighty when we know the books of judgment are opened up before Him and we have the opportunity to ask for the things that are important to us. We ask for life. “But what is life for?” he posed to us. What do we want to do with that life? What are we trying to accomplish? Do we have a game plan or do we just want to be the last ones alive on the island at the end of the game?

For many of us, we will pray for Parnassa- a good livelihood this year- or at least a better one. For others we will pray for health, for our children, for our spouses and perhaps even for forgiveness and more spirituality and meaning. But ultimately we need to ask ourselves that question again; what do we want all of those things for? When he was asked by someone in the lecture what he was thinking about when he was asking for life. The Rav responded quite poignantly, to live long enough to rectify all his mistakes and return his soul to Hashem in the pure state he received it.

It was a powerful answer that struck me. The whole year round we get so caught up in life. We try to make ends meet, we try to do our best with our families and many of us even think about Hashem and our personal growth. But once a year on Rosh Hashana we have to step back and look at the big picture of our lives. We have the special opportunity to take all our “stuff” and to put it on a lift and focus on the core purpose of our existence. It’s a powerful moment. And in truth it is one that should change our lives or at least inspire us to want to change them. To think about our precious neshoma/soul that is eternal and will have to go back to Hashem and live forever with the decisions, mistakes and choices that we lead our life with. On Rosh Hashana we have the opportunity to start fresh, to raise our lives to a whole new level.

It is really a great time for us to make Aliya. It has given my family the chance to reexamine our lives at the time of the year that we were meant to do precisely that. The word Aliyah means to go up. On Rosh Hashana as we hear the Shofar blow we read the verses that Hashem goes up with that sound.

 Oloh Elokim Bitruah -Hashem Bikol Shofar- God rises up with the Teruah (broken sound of the Shofar) Hashem with the voice of the Shofar.

When we close our eyes and listen to those blasts and feel our soul stirring. It is the sound of Hashem making Aliyah. It is Hashem and our souls soaring up above all that holds us back. It is the sound of us coming home.

May each and every one of you be blessed this year with a year full of meaning. May you be inspired this Rosh Hashana at the moment of your judgment, to let your soul fly; To daven for the right things, to be granted all that is important, and to be signed and sealed for a year of life.

Have a spectacularly sweet Rosh Hashana,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

**********************

In the future there will be dedications and sponsorships of the weekly Email available and more information about exciting programs and opportunities in Israel

In the meantime

I leave you with an interesting

RABBI SCHWARTZ IMPORTANT ISRAELI TIP AND NEW WORD OF THE WEEK

PA’ARUSH- FLEA OR TICK-

IF YOU MOVE INTO A NEW HOUSE THAT HASN’T BEEN LIVE IN FOR WHILE AND YOUR FAMILY GETS BITTEN UP BY WHAT SEEMS TO BE MOSQUITOS. DON’T IGNORE THIS PROBLEM AND DON’T NECCESARILY SPEND 400 SHEKEL ON A BUG KILLER. ASK SOMEONE IF THE BITES LOOK LIKE A PA’ARUSH AND THEN CALL AN EXTERMINATOR QUICK.