Totally Awesome-Beshalach

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

January 13^th 2011 -Volume I, Issue 15–8^th  of Shvat 5771

Parshat Beshalach 

Totally Awesome

I’m an eavesdropper. It’s not that I sit at closed windows and doors and listen into other peoples conversations. But I just have a natural curiosity as to what other people are talking about. What that heated discussion is over there in that corner. What that couple standing in line are whispering to one another. I even like listening in to little children playing, arguing or kibitzing in the park. I’m a people aficionado and I am fascinated by individuals lives and stories. In the old days and even back in the states it wasn’t an easy task to listen in to what people are talking and thinking about. But today with the advent of personal blogs and loud cell phone conversations where ever you go. It never fails to amaze me how much people share with the big world out here that may be listening.

Here in Israel in a country where the average person has 1.5 cellphones (yes that’s a real statistic) which seem to be glued to peoples ears and mouths for most of the day. Even a non-eavesdropper who maybe trying to mind his own business has a difficult time avoiding overhearing the many people that are chattering around you. Perhaps what some might consider the greatest violators of ones personal ear-space in this country particularly on buses and at bus-stops are the hundreds of seminary girls that are here for the year in Israel. Still being a new Oleh whenever I hear English my ears perk up still. But there is no need for to strain myself too much because the chatter from sem-girls all around is so deafening it makes it hard to avoid. Shabbat plans, which teachers they like, what tiyulim they went on and how they are going to get more money from their parents are all up for grabs. But one of the most entertaining snippets I have heard quite a few times over my past few trips from these idealistic and very inspired young ladies is the way they talk about Hashem.

“Hi Chani, I just want to tell you Hashem is so awesome! I missed my bus last night and was stuck and ended up bumping into my cousin and had such a great time. Isn’t Hashem cool!”

Or how about this one?

“Malkie, you’ll never believe it I was going to go to the Kotel and I lost my purse and I davened really hard and as soon as I walked away from the Wall a solider walked over to me and asked me if this purse as mine. Isn’t Hashem amazing!!

Best of all

“Man does Hashem rock! Let me tell you Sarah, I was supposed to take this test last week and I had no clue how I was going to pass. But than I found last years exam with the answers in a friend of mines house and I like totally aced it. I love Hashem he really listened to me!”

Doesn’t that just touch your heart? Praised is the Lord of Israel who provides such difficult challenges to His daughters and what an awesomely cool and rocking Almighty who must certainly be smiling as he eavesdrops on their phone calls together with me.

But the truth is, this very personal Hashem notion is not a phenomenon that is unique to sem-girls. Whoever one talks to (or listens in to) in this country is constantly recounting their own various anecdotes about how Hashem pulled through for them in one way or another. More than anywhere else in the world one truly feels and absorbs the idea that we are living in a country that the verse tells us “The eyes of God are upon it constantly from the beginning of the year to the year end.”.

How far back does this special relationship go? This weeks Torah portion also known as Shabbat Shira the Shabbat- when we read the first song of praise of the Jewish people- begins the story of the Jewish people as a free nation. Our story starts with the first challenge

Vayehi Bishalach Pharaoh es H’Am V’lo nacham Elokim derech eretz Plishtim Ki Karov Hu.

And it was when Pharaoh sent out the Jewish people and Hashem lead us the path of the Plishtim because it was close.

Here we are, for the first time a free nation, on our way to Israel and the story starts with Hashem not taking us the straight and easy route. Rather we are going in a circle to the Red Sea. Why not the easy road? So, although the Torah continues and tells us that Hashem felt that if we would enter right away and see war we would return to Egypt. The early 12^th  century commentary of the Baa’le Tosafot gives us another explanation. He suggests that the Torah in saying Ki Karov Hu should be translated not as the path is a close way; rather that Hashem was close. Ki Karov Hu with a capital Heh- He was close to us.

Can you imagine the cell phone conversations that would have taken place?

“Miriam did you hear? Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim and we went this whole crazy path to start going to Israel. But you know what? It got really scary the Egyptians came with their armies and they were going to kill us, and we had no where to go. But all of sudden Hashem split the Sea and we saw like totally amazing miracles.”

“Zeh Eli V’Anvehu- This is my God and I will glorify him-“

“Ashira La’hashem Ki Ga’oh Ga’ah- I will sing to Hashem for he is awesomely glorious.”

He is so close to us. We burst out in song. What was perhaps one of the most terrifying moments of our nation’s history turned into the most monumental and pivotal. The first and most important lesson we received as a Nation of God was Ki Karov Hu- Hashem is close to us. We will face challenges, perhaps more than any other nation in the history of mankind. But we have a Karov. A close one… a relative... a father… that is nearby watching over and leading us on the path that He is taking us so that we may feel that closeness.

If that was the first lesson that we learned (and really the whole 40 years existence in the wilderness was truly about ingraining that lesson within us) then there is no place more that we  reap the fruits of those lessons than in Israel today. There is not a mother who has a son who is in the army that does not feel and believe Hashem is close. There is not a taxi driver who doesn’t feel that his next fare is a gift from Hashem. There is not a child or seminary girl that doesn’t deep down realize that we have someone special whom we can rely upon, talk to and praise for the tremendous gift we have of being his special nation. Hashem is everywhere. He is with us in our times of challenge, our tragedies, our times of rejoicing. And yes even in the Exile and the Diaspora. It is our job to feel that close-ness to know that He cares and to sing the songs of praise as we did back than with the same appreciation and knowledge that although we may have grown far our totally awesome Father in heaven has never left our side.

May the song of this Shabbos and every Shabbos fill you heart with joy and peace,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This week's Email is dedicated to the incredible staff of Nefesh Benefesh Michelle Kaplan Green, Tzippi Oppenheimer, Sharona Stanhill , Steve Rosenthal and all the rest of the Go North and NBN staff who organized the fantastic Shabbaton in the Golan last week for close to 200 Olim who have recently moved to the North. It was Amazing, inspiring and certainly memorable! Thanks for all you do for us!!

Holyland Insights is now available for weekly sponsorships of the Insights & Inspiration E-mail, sent out weekly to close to 1000 subscribers. Your sponsorship is a great way to honor a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, family Simcha, yahrtzeit, friend, or any occasion while lending support to Rabbi Schwartzes efforts in furthering Jewish education and an appreciation of Eretz Yisrael. Please help us continue this weekly offering of inspiration through your generous dedication and sponsorship. To register as a sponsor or for more information, send an e-mail to this address, rabbschwartz@yahoo.com or call Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz at  050-597-0649       050-597-0649    (from States it is 011-972-50-597-0649)

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 The Young Israel of Karmiel would like to invite you to join us this Shabbos once again for our heavenly services, with warm and insightful Divrei Torah in English and  Rebbetzin Schwartzes  super chulent Kiddush after davening.

Mincha is 4:25 PM
Shabbat morning Services 8:30 AM
can’t wait to see you

RABBI SCHWARTZ FUNNY  YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK IN HONOR OF THOSE BLACKBERRYS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Bfggcb308

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

KFAR HASIDIM-  A SMALL YISHUV IN THE WESTERN GALIL THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1920’S  BY THREE CHASIDIC REBBES- THE YABLONER , THE KOZNITZER AND THE “PIONEER REBBE-HA’ADMOR HACHALUTZ”. THIS WAS THE FIRST ALIYAH OF ITS KIND WHERE RELIGIOUS HASIDIC YOUNG MEN CAME TO DEVELOP AN AGRICULTURAL FARMING COMMUNITY AND MAINTAINED, RATHER THEN THREW OFF THEIR RELIGIOUS GARBS AND TRADITION. UNLIKE BNAI BRAK WHERE THE RELIGIOUS JEWS OPENED STORES AND BECAME BUSINESS MEN FOR THE FIRST TIMES, THESE YOUNG YESHIVA STUDENTS BECAME FARMERS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY HAD NO CLUE WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND IN A FEW YEARS THEY WERE STARVING AND NEEDED TO BE BAILED OUT. THE YISHUV WAS EVENTUALLY BAILED OUT BY POALEI MIZRACHI AND TODAY IS A MIXED SECUALR AND RELIGIOUS (NON CHASIDIC) COMMUNITY. BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME GREAT PICTURES OF RABBIS WITH LONG CURLY PAYOT AND TZITZIT BLOWING IN THE WIND KNEE DEEP IN MUD DIGGING AND PLOWING GROUND WITH THEIR COWS.