Holyland Insights and Inspiration: July 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Where are you coming from?-Ma'asei 2011

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 28th 2011 -Volume I, Issue 36–26^th of Tamuz 5771

Parshat Ma’asei

Where are you coming from?

“There is so little bureaucracy in this country” my friend who was a new Oleh was telling me. “You go to the government offices, or the banks and it only takes a few times until everything you need gets taken care of”.

“Actually what I like best here is the weather” my other Oleh friend told me- as I was wiping the 90 degree heat off of my brow-“I find it very pleasant here”.

Chaim, our newest Oleh, though had the best take- he couldn’t believe how wonderful the roads were and the lack of traffic, that he was so accustomed to fighting in his old home, made driving here in Israel just a Mechaya- a true pleasure.

“Are we talking about the same country I’m living in?” I thought. But then I remembered. You see, Chaim was from San Paolo, Brazil- home of the world record of 166 miles of backed up traffic out of 522 total miles. Nati, my heat loving friend from India was used to regular 105 degree months of summer. Boruch- or Boris, as he used to be called back in the former Soviet Union, never thought that he would live in a country where he didn’t have to wait in line for 2 weeks and then wait for another few months until he received a response. For him the Misrad Ha’Pnim-Israel’s infamous red tape capital was just a walk in the park. Isn’t it fascinating how much your point of departure reflects on how you see the world.

I had a Rebbe that once asked us, if we could change places with the wealthy Baron Rothchild if we would be willing to do it. He then proceeded to show us how the great Baron lived without running water, without air conditioning, he traveled by a bumpy horse driven wagon- without music. He lived without electricity, television, internet and would you believe cell-phones. Not even the poorest Kollel Rabbi lives in such conditions. If he were living today like that, we would probably start a collection for him. Yet we still feel we’re lacking and still find no shortage of things to complain about.

This week’s Torah portion, Ma’asei is the final one of the Book of Bamidbar. In truth it is really the final Parsha of the story of the Jewish people before they enter the land of Israel. The Book of Devarim for the large part is Moshe’s last sermon to the Jewish people before he dies. It is with that understanding that we can appreciate the first part of the Parsha that recounts for us a review of all of the travels of the Jewish people for the past 40 years. The traveled from…and they camped …. Over and over… 42 times the Torah tells us the names and hints of the various things that occurred along the way. Some places we had highs and some places unfortunately we sinned and were places of tragedy. The commentaries all struggle to understand the point of this list of names. Yet perhaps the reason is to give us the most important lesson of all before coming to Israel. Know where you’re coming from. Understand from where your perspective is built upon and it is important to take that in to consideration for it will affect your outlook on the country you are approaching and are charged to make holy.

Reb Moshe Feinstien elaborates on this point. He explains how it was, that this great nation that witnessed all the miracles of Egypt, the splitting of the Sea, The Revelation on Sinai, the Manna and the clouds of glory could have sinned so many times repeatedly. He explains that it is precisely because they were so accustomed to seeing so many miracles and the open hand of Hashem in the world, that they were challenged to see it when it wasn’t so revealed. Like a child whose parent is always there and then one day isn’t. Ma’asei, the review for the next generation before they will come into the land of Israel is to recognize that their previous experiences are the baggage and at the same time the tools for growth that they come into Israel with. If they want to have a successful Aliyah they have to consistently recall from where they came and be cognizant of the things that will influence their views as they approach a new life; one where Hashem’s hand will most certainly be more hidden than it was in the wilderness. Yet at the same time know that it is always there for them.

We enter the month of Av this week as we increase our level of mourning as we approach Tish’ah B’Av the day when our temple has been destroyed and even more tragically not yet been rebuilt. The increased mourning for men entails no shaving- so our face and beards scratch a little more. For others (who’s gender shall remain nameless.. JL) it is the prohibition on shopping for new clothing or significant purchases that shakes us out of our regular existence. For some, like my teenage daughter, unplugging their I-Pod and not listening to music for three weeks has been a life changing experience. The point is that we are meant to pause and think about our lives. There is meant to be something different here that is missing. Hashem’s Temple, his presence in our country…our people… our world, is meant to be here with us and it’s not. Why aren’t we mourning more? What are we doing to change it? Has our 2000 year “temple-less” existence made us so cold that we can’t even appreciate how lacking our existence is? This is meant to be a time to reflect and to review. To think. As we scratch our chins, sit music-less in our cars and homes and we are meant to contemplate about what has caused us to be so cold and so distant. We need to think about how as distant as we are, it is even more painful for the Shechina to be distant from us. How it must feel for the Father who goes away and how the children didn’t even notice he was gone. Didn’t cry… Didn’t mourn... Didn’t miss Him.

May Hashem help us as we try to get closer to Him during this time. May he see our efforts as minimal as we can muster up to be sufficient to return once again to us. To return to our Home and once again may we finally merit to complete that journey our ancestors began so long ago in building an Eternal home for us and Hashem forever.

Have a Shabbos of peace and joy,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

HAIFA- THE LARGEST CITY IN THE NORTH OF ISRAEL AND THIRD LARGEST IN ISRAEL IS A FASCINATING MIX OF JEWS, ARABS, RUSSIANS, CHRISTIANS AND OF COURSE BAHAI’IM (IT IS ACTUALLY A WORLD UNESCO SITE BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTIFUL BAHAI GARDENS)- ALTHOUGH CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF THE JEWISH POPULATION IS 90 PERCENT (OF WHICH 25 PERCENT ARE RUSSIAN). THE CITY WAS LOCATED AT TIMES CLOSE TO THE COAST IN THE LOWER ONCE WALLED CITY, AND AT OTHER TIMES MOVED UP TO THE GLORIOUS AND HISTORIC CARMEL MOUNTAIN RANGE LOOKING DOWN ON THE MEDITERANEAN. IT IS IN THESE MOUNTAINS THAT ELIYAHU HANAVI FOUGHT WITH THE FALSE PROPHETS AND THE CAVE WHERE IT IS SAID THAT HE STAYED IS A HOLY SITE FOR JEWS ,ARABS AND CHRISTIANS WHO ALL SEE HIM AS A TRUE PROPHET. THE CITY IS LOVELY TO STROLL AROUND ONE CAN SEE THE OLD TEMPLER GERMAN QUARTER WHERE GERMANS (NON-JEWS) MOVED TO ISRAEL AND WHERE MANY EARLY NAZIS SUPPORTERS LIVED UNTIL THEY WERE THROWN OUT BY THE BRITISH IN THE WAKE OF WWII.

THE PORT OF HAIFA, THE ABSOLUTLEY STUNNING CASTRA MALL WITH THE WORLD’S LARGEST BIBLICAL MOSAIC AS WELL AS THE MULTITUDES OF MUSUEMS ARE ALL WORTHWHILE POINTS TO MAKE A TRIP OUT OF WHEN VISITING THIS SPECIAL CITY THAT DRAWS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS EACH YEAR.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Life Challenges- Matos 2011

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 22ND 2011 -Volume I, Issue 35–20^th of Tamuz 5771

Parshat Matos

Life Challenges

"There are only 4 challenges in life", that incredible teacher and leader of the last generation, Rav Pam used to say to his students. Just 4. Everyone, he suggested, will at least have to go through one. Most of us will have more then one. And it is a fortunate person who doesn't have to deal with them all at the same time. The four he was referring to were, as he would say in Yiddish, "Gelt, Gezunt, Giddel Bonim, and Sholom Bayis- or in English, Wealth (or lack of it), Health (lack of it too), Child rearing (which my Mother claims is never really over) and Marital harmony (something which even the best marriages are still aiming to aspire to).
Not a bad life, huh? Only four things to worry about. Do you feel more reassured about your life? More confident? The truth is when hearing it from that great Rabbi I did. It's a funny thing about problems I've found in life. Generally it is not the problems themselves that destroy and devastate the individual. Rather it is the unexpected hurt, and the lack of control and perspective that overwhelm and make these challenges so paralyzing.

If we examine the lives of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs in the Torah-the heroes and role models the Torah presents us with in its teachings, we find there wasn't even one of them who didn't undergo the most incredible challenges that we would never wish on our worst enemies. Can anyone imagine the isolation and wandering of Abraham and Sarah. The child rearing issues of Isaac and Rivka after years of infertility? The poverty, marital challenges (4 wives… need I say more) of Jacob? Yet, they are our heroes- not despite their problems and challenges- but because of them. They surmounted those challenges and they grew from them and they therefore serve as our eternal inspiration of what the human spirit can achieve.

This week we read from the Torah portion of the last incidents of the life of our greatest leader Moshe Rabbeinu. The Book of Devorim will be Moshe's final speech and reiteration of the Torah. As we reflect back upon the life and 40 year career of what the Torah describes as the humblest and greatest of all men who alone could speak face to face with the Almighty, we recall and look at the challenges he has until now gone through, in absolute awe. The fleeing from Egypt , The 10 plagues and splitting of the sea for a nation that seemed to have no merits. The trials of leading this stubborn people from the Golden calf, the continuous complaints about the Manna, the water, the travel, the land, of Israel , the power struggles of Korach, the battles with our enemies Amalek, Og, Sichon. Finally as we reach the borders of the end of that long tiring 40 year journey the people once again sin with the Moabite and Midianite women at the behest of our enemy Bilaam and the command is given to destroy this final enemy before entering the land. But once again the nation fails and allows the women to survive not heeding the command of God.

This weeks Parsha then concludes with perhaps an even greater frustration to Moshe. There is nothing more that he could hope for or be granted than the opportunity to go to the Land of Israel ; His dream, his hope, his dying request. And yet then he is presented with two tribes, Gad and Reuven, who make the request to not live in the land rather they wish to remain on the fertile plains of Jordan. Can there be a greater blow to the man whose only dream is to cross that river? Yes those are the last two incidents of Moshe's career. And we think we have challenges and frustrations.

To me it is these lessons and teachings that have always been the most important and meaningful of the Torah. A good life and a successful life is not one that is not filled with challenges. Greatness and fulfillment as can be seen in the Torah is quite the opposite. It is taking all of those difficulties and surmounting them. Finding that reservoir of strength and faith and realizing that life is a ladder that needs to be climbed and a mountain that must be scaled and that one's success will ultimately only be measured by how many challenges we have overcome and grown through. That is our heritage and that will be our legacy.

In this time frame of the Jewish calendar year in which we focus on the loss of our Temples and our long Exile, distant from the time and Land when the Divine presence would rest upon our Bais Hamikdash in that chosen city of Yerushalayim. We are meant to reflect on all of the challenges that we have failed in and continue to be found faulty of that has not yet brought us to that ultimate Redemption. The challenges that we have in our lives are not there to paralyze and overwhelm us. They are there to galvanize us to step up to the plate and bring us closer. And God willing very soon to bring us home.

Have a very restful Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

Looking to Make Summer Plans?

Support the Young Israel of Karmiel – visit the North and Save!!!

Are you looking for a great central place for your family to explore the North from this summer at an affordable price?

Are you coming on a pilot trip and are looking for a central location that is affordable and with hosts that will assist you in your hunt for the right community?

Karmiel is in the center of the Galil 40 minutes from tiverya and tzefat and Chaifa. 25 minutes from Akko and Meron and Maalot and Nahariya.

Our suite is located in the Dromi center of Karmiel. walking distance to synagogues and Shopping at Kanyon Chadash. This suite has two bedrooms sleeps 2 in one room and 2 in the second (a little tight in second). GREAT AC! has a little salon area with couch and dining table and small kitchenette with microwave, and electric range and large Fridge freezer and bathroom with shower.

For those that want to come for Shabbos we will try to help arrange home hospitality as well!
Special discount for pilot trippers

We will beat any hotel or Tzimmer prices and we are sure you will have a comfortable stay!

PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE YOUNG ISRAEL OF KARMIEL
for more info call Rabbi Schwartz 050-597-0649 from states (011-972-50- 597-0649.
or email rabbschwartz@yahoo.com

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

Yaffo/ Jaffa -ONCE KNOWN AS THE ORANGE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD THE CITY OF JAFFA NO LONGER GROWS ORANGES AND HASN'T FOR QUITE A WHILE (THEY LEASE OUT THE USAGE OF THEIR NAME-INSTEAD- TO PLACES AS FAR OUT AS BRAZIL) YET THE CITY OF YAFFA HAS ALWAYS BEEN MUCH MORE ABOUT THE CITRUS IT PRODUCED. THE CITY WHICH LEGEND HAS IT THAT WAS NAMED AFTER THE SON OF NOACH YEFET- WHO FIRST BUILT THIS CITY AND ITS BEAUTY- SERVED AS THE PRIMARY PORT FOR MILLENIA AND FROM WHERE THE NEW STATE OF ISRAEL GREETED ALL ITS NEW IMMIGRANTS IN THE EARLY ALIYOT. YONAH THE PROPHET SET SAIL FROM HERE, THE GREAT MANY OF THE GREAT SAGES THAT ARRIVED OVER SEA ALL LANDED IN YAFFO. AT ONE POINT IN THE 18TH CENTURY SO MANY PEOPLE WERE ARRIVING AND MOVING TO YAFFO THAT THE SAGES OF JERUSALEM PUT A CHEREM(EXCOMMUNICATION) ON THE JEWS THAT WOULD LIVE THERE FOR FEAR THAT JERUSALEM WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY POPULATED.
TODAY ONE CAN TOUR THE OLD CITY OF YAFFO WITH ITS WORLD FAMOUS GALLERIES AND SHUK. THE NEW VISITOR CENTER (2 MONTHS OLD)HAS A GREAT "MULTI SENSORY" ANIMATED MOVIE OF THE PERIODS OF EGYPT, THE PROPHETS AND THE LATER PERIODS WHO LIVED IN YAFFO AS WELL AS MANY FASCINATING ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDS. WHILE YOUR THERE YOU CAN VISIT THE HOME OF RAV KOOK THE FIRST CHIEF RABBI OF YACKOV THE BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOODS OF NEVE TZEDEK AND NEVE SHALOM AS WELL. WALK BY THE OLD PORT AND OLD TRAIN STATION. VISIT TWO RESTAURANTS THAT ARE DEDICATED AND RUN BY DEAF AND BLIND PEOPLE AS YOU CAN EXPERIENCE AND APPRECIATE THE GIFTS OF SEEING AND HEARING THAT WE HAVE AND FEEL WHAT IT WOULD BE TO BE WITHOUT IT FOR A LITTLE BIT- IN THESE EXPERIENTIAL AND ACTIVITY CENTERED RESTAURANTS. YAFFO HAS INVESTED ALOT OF MONEY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TURNING WHAT WAS ONCE THE SLUMS OF TEL AVIV INTO THE TOURIST CENTER IT SHOULD BE. THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND CERTAINLY WORTH A GREAT DAY TRIP.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Personal Tragedy-Pinchas 2011

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 15^th 2011 -Volume I, Issue 34–15^th 13^th of Tamuz 5771

Parshat Pinchas

Personal Tragedy

It is one of the most important rules of becoming a good tour guide, they told us. Personalize your tours. Share with your groups your own personal anecdotes. Rather then just sharing with your eagar listeners the historical significance of a site that you take them to; it’s biblical stories, the wars that took place, or the geographical and geological uniqueness of the area, tell them what happened to you over there. If nothing did, then try to paint them a picture of a real or even imaginary person- let’s call him “Chaim Yankel” that did. People connect with people. It is those personal stories that will stay with them and remain in their hearts and souls long after they have gone back home and have forgotten most of the other facts and sites that they have heard about.

Like most things in life though this rule applies to many areas. You want to teach your children something impactful- personalize the message. Do you want to remember something well when you are studying for a test or learning? Find or create a story around the material that connects to and you’ll find that the lessons will remain with you even longer. We live in an age of information. We can know everything about anything in a split second. But unfortunately the downside is that we become overloaded. Nothing grips us or holds us and certainly doesn’t last in our psyche much longer then the “next big story”.

This week’s Torah portion shares with us a powerful, although sometimes overlooked, insight in to how this attribute is meant to be used in perhaps one of the most trying of circumstances- during times of horrific tragedy.

Last week the Torah portion concluded with the story of the plague that struck the Jewish people after they were seduced to worship and “fraternize” with the idolatry and women of Midian. 24,000 Jews died in the plague that struck the people from the wrath of Hashem that was only quieted when Pinchas arose and in what the Torah defines as the ultimate act of heroism, struck down the chief perpetrators of this desecration of the holy nation. But 24,000 died…How do we respond to this? What was Chaim Yankel feeling? Where does he go from here and what should he do? And here is where the story gets interesting…

Hashem commands Moshe right after this story

“Tzror es Ha’midyanim Vihikisem Osam Ki Tzoririm haim lochem bnikleihem asher Niklu lochem Al Dvar Pe’or….” The word Tzror- Rabb Eli Munk translates as make enemies- of Midian, other commentaries translate it as harass, torment, or pain them.the rest of the verse tells us to smite them for they are our enemies as they plotted to make us sin in the act of the worship of Pe’or and by sending their princess daughter to seduce the tribes of Israel.

The Ohr Ha’Chayim HaKadosh notes that this command was meant to be an immediate emotional response that the surviving Jews were meant to have, as the command and details of the war will not follow until later. What is this command all about? It is interesting to note that the battle that the Jews will have against the Midianites is one that is unique in that it was meant to be one that was personalized. Our sages derived from here that whereas all other battles one was prohibited from wanton destruction of fruit trees and the like, by Midian we were permitted to wipe it all out. Destroy them with a ferociousness, the Torah implies. This battle should be personal.

There is one other nation that was also meant to be a personal battle and that was Amalek. If we contrast these two enemies and their threats to the Jewish people, it is fascinating that Amalek was a physical threat to the Jews as they left Egypt, being the first nation to try to commit national genocide, whereas Midian was out for our souls. The Ohr Ha’Chayim notes even further that although the Jews and particularly “Chaim Yankel”, could’ve had a desire for vengeance or even justice against Midian for causing the death of 24,000 of his brethren. Hashem commanded that here the personal battle was meant to be not for the loss of life that resulted but rather a response to the root of what they had done- they had caused the Jews to sin thereby threatening their relationship with their Creator. It was that spiritual threat that they were meant to personalize and to learn to detest anyone that would come to destroy our bond with Hashem.

This past week a tragedy hit the Jewish people that I don’t think it was possible for anyone not to take personally. A young boy murdered on his way home from camp in the most gruesome of ways. I read of how people cannot sleep out of pain and the buckets of tears that have been shed. Support centers and hotlines that have been set up to help with grief counseling and tens of thousands who had participated in the search for him and attended the funeral of someone they had never even heard of before. This became personal to all of us. There are cries for justice and vengeance against the monster that did this. And I understand. Yet I realize that there is only one true Judge who can be Nikom Nikmat Dam Avdecha Ha’Shafuch and an Avinu Malkeinu who is Chomeil on our children and infants more then we can even imagine. He will make sure justice is down and console all of us who are bereaved.

So what can we do? What should we do? Perhaps as in the case of Midian we are meant to focus most on the spiritual tragedy rather than the physical. We have lost a precious neshoma in this young boy. A special soul that united the entire Jewish people in an outpouring of love. How different will the world now be without this boy? How different will we be? The truth is this past month we have lost three great leaders of the Jewish people on three different continents. Did we personalize the spiritual tragedy of their loss to our world or did we just say they were old and had long fulfilling lives? There is nothing more important to us then our connection to Hashem as a nation. Those that bring us close to Him have to be the most personalized thing we have and that we must mourn and appreciate. The loss and tragedy of a world that isn’t reaching its fulfillment because we as a people sometimes don’t fully recognize how significant our special connection to Hashem, is something that we must internalize.

The Slonimer Rebbe notes that right after this command to destroy Midian Hashem commands Moshe to once again count the Jewish people. Although they were counted already before, this time the Torah when counting the tribes adds the letters Yud and Heh to each of their names- e.g. Ha’Reuveini, Ha’Shimoni… He explains that perhaps this is the message as well after the tragedy of Midian; to realize and appreciate that Hashem’s name and spirit can be found in all of us. In the same way we are meant to make enemies out of those that come to destroy the Godliness within the tribes of Israel, we are meant to focus on one another and see that spark of holiness and how precious and important it is in our relationship with one another and Hashem. We all hugged our children a little more last night. We must hold and hug our fellow man as well with more love and appreciation as well.

This week begins the three week period of mourning for the destruction of our ultimate connection with Hashem; the Beit Hamikdash. We not only mourn the loss of the Temple we are also meant to focus on the roots of why we haven’t yet merited to have it returned to us. This year we began our mourning a little early….

May Hashem comfort all of us and may he very speedily return all of us to His loving arms and home soon.

Have a very good Shabbos.Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This weeks Insights and Inspiration is dedicated to the holy neshoma of Leiby Kletzky. By his funeral his father asked him to pray for all of His brothers and sisters- yet today, he said our family is so much bigger as it encompasses all of Klal Yisrael who share in his grief. May Hashem comfort all of Klal Yisrael and particularly the Kletzky family and may this last tragedy be the final one our people experience Ad Bias Goel tzedek.

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

Bar’am - TODAY BAR’AM IS THE NAME OF A BEAUTIFUL FOREST RESERVE AS WELL AS A RESERVE IN THE UPPER GALILE THAT CONTAINS THE ANCIENT RUINS OF A SYNAGOGUE THAT DATES BACK TO THE 4^TH OR 5^TH CENTURY. WE HAVE TESTIMONIES THAT GO BACK TO THE 1500’S ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THIS SHUL. TODAY WE HAVE GREAT PILLARS AND A BEAUTIFULLY ENGRAVED ARCHWAY THAT IS TRULY BREATHTAKING OF THE SYNAGOGUE THTMUST HAVE BEEN HERE. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE PILLARS AND ARCHWAY HAVE BEEN DATED MUCH EARLIER THAN THE SHUL AND WERE OBVIOUSLY BROUGHT HERE FROM A DIFFERENT SITE- PERHAPS BECAUSE THE JEWS LIVED IN A PERIOD WHERE IT WAS FORBIDDEN TO BUILD NEW PLACES OF WORSHIP.

NEAR THE RUINS AND IN THE FOREST OF BAR’AM ARE THE GRAVESITES OF MORDECHAI AND ESTHER WHICH LEGEND HAS THAT THEY WERE EITHER SPIRITUALLY MOVED HERE OR THAT ESTHER COMMANDED HERE SON CYRUS TO BRING HERE. AS WELL AS THE PROPHET ISAIAH AND OVADIA. THERE IS ONE MORE INTERESTING GRAVE OF A MIRACLE CHILD WHO SAID A PROPHECY IN THE MIDDLE AGES THAT MANY DURING THAT TIME AND UNTIL TODAY LEND MUCH CREDENCE TO PARTICULARLY AS HE MENTIONS SOMETHING THAT SOUND LIKE AL-QAIDA

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Looking to Make Summer Plans?

Support the Young Israel of Karmiel – visit the North and Save!!!

Are you looking for a great central place for your family to explore the North from this summer at an affordable price?

Are you coming on a pilot trip and are looking for a central location that is affordable and with hosts that will assist you in your hunt for the right community?

Karmiel is in the center of the Galil 40 minutes from tiverya and tzefat and Chaifa. 25 minutes from Akko and Meron and Maalot and Nahariya.

For those that want to come for Shabbos we will try to help arrange home hospitality as well!
Special discount for pilot trippers

We will beat any hotel or Tzimmer prices and we are sure you will have a comfortable stay!

PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE YOUNG ISRAEL OF KARMIEL
for more info call Rabbi Schwartz 050-597-0649 from states (011-972-50- 597-0649.
or email rabbschwartz@yahoo.com

Judging Jewly- Parshat Balak 2011

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 7^th 2011 -Volume I, Issue 33–15^th 5^th of Tamuz 5771

Parshat Balak

Judge Jew-ly

Rule #1 I have told students of mine time and time again- Never judge Judaism by the Jews. Sadly enough, the Jewish people, in our long colorful history have had quite a number of our brethren that we kind of wish were maybe of another faith. In recent world history we have Karl Marx, Trotsky. In the States we’ve had Bugsy Siegel, Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky and all the delightful financial criminals all topped off by our good friend Bernie. Israel unfortunately has no shortage of its criminals and really sad stories to read about as well. Unfortunately all too often its government and public figures-(in both countries) that embarrass us. If you peruse Google a little bit you’ll be sure to be enlightened that there are those of course that claim that everyone from Hitler, to Mussolini to World Trade Center Bombers to Yasser Arafat, Torquemada, and even Ahmadinijad are of Jewish descent as well. Nice, Huh? Not that I buy that last list but we certainly, since Biblical times, have had our share of bad apples.

But yet, I still maintain that Judaism should not be judged by the Jews. To a large degree since the beginning of Judaism and certainly until today we have never really had much more than a small portion of Jews, and really only during certain small pockets of historical Eras, that have ever been entirely observant of the Torah as it was given and meant to be practiced. All that Biblical hoo haa that I (and the Torah) have been telling you about, of us being a “light unto the Nations” and Hashem’s ambassadors to the world, Although it has certainly been our Divine mandate, in a spiritual way we haven’t done much better of a job fulfilling our mandate than PETA has in convincing Burger King to go vegan. Which then begs the question, why did Hashem choose us in the first place? Why haven’t we been fired yet? Isn’t it time already to call for new elections?

The answer to that pivotal question comes from an unlikely non-Jewish villain that we are introduced to in this week’s Torah portion. An answer and an event that certainly non-coincidentally is sandwiched in between the Torah’s two tales of our wilderness sojourn’s traitors; Korach of last week who challenged Moshe and the Levi’s mandate and Zimri who consorted flagrantly with a Midianite woman inciting the Jewish people to sin. Right in the middle of these stories when you are definitely thinking who was the angel in charge of hiring this nation of recalcitrants, we are told the story of the non-Jewish prophet who was hired to instigate the wrath of God and curse the Jewish people- Bilaam.

Now it would seem with all the sins we committed and the numerous times we have raised the wrath of God since the giving of the Torah over the past 40 years in the wilderness it shouldn’t be such a difficult task. Probably not much more difficult than getting the U.N. to pass a resolution against Israel . Yet, much to Bilaams surprise and consternation the Almighty won’t budge. Instead of curses, blessings come forth.

“How can I curse?- Hashem has not cursed. How can I anger?- Hashem has not angered…”

“Behold it is a Nation that dwells alone and not reckoned among the nations”

“He has blessed and I cannot respond. He has perceived no iniquity in Yaakov and saw no perversity in Israel . Hashem his God is with him and the friendship of the King is in him…”

And finally “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places O Israel ...”

Rashi points out that Bilaam does not say that we do not have iniquity or sin, rather that Hashem does not perceive it. We are friends with the King. There’s nothing anyone, even ourselves, can ever do to change that. What is the special reason for this tremendous favor? As can be expected, different great Chasidic Rabbis find different but similar messages in the words of Bilaam; words that are lessons and insights to us and an outlook we all should learn to develop.

The great Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev suggests that when Hashem looks at His people He sees no iniquity for he looks behind the act and sees the closeness. He understands the motivations and temptations. He even understands the rebellion. So too we, should never judge. We should look behind the acts. Know that the worst of us are still so close and special to God. And if Hashem loves them, we must as well.

The Rebbe of Kotzk sees in the words of Balak, the Moabite King who hired Bilaam a poignant lesson as well. It was after the first failed curses when Balak gives him a new directive.

“Go to another place, where you will see the edges and not see all of them -from there you shall curse them”.

The Rebbe said when one looks at an individual Jew he may see fault- but it is only on the edges. Never as a whole. Never the entire nation and never even the entire Jew. When we stand together as a whole and appreciate the unity we achieve than we are a beautiful canvas with no visible flaws. Hashem sees our national and our individual ‘Big Picture’. We should as well.

And finally the words of the great Rebbe of Rimanov. The curse-turned-blessing of Bilaam was that we were a nation alone and therefore not reckoned with the other nations. We behaved unique. We maintain our identity and we bond together in times of crisis no matter where we live, where we have assimilated to and how far we have fallen from our Father and His pathways. The Jew will always be a Jew no matter how much he may try to run from it or how far he may feel he is. That unifying bond is what will always make us special. We cannot judge Judaism by the Jews because Judaism is all of us together. It’s not something that can ever be represented by the one, because until we are all whole there is no true representation of what it should look like. Hashem, our omniscient Father, sees the whole however and it is why we are blessed. The more we try to find it and aspire to achieve that Unity, the greater our blessing will be.

These are all powerful lessons that should touch each and every one of us. If Bilaam- the man who could barely get advice from his donkey could see this, we the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov certainly should. Hashem doesn’t want any new elections. He knows the current Nation has all it takes to make it perfect.

Have a very good Shabbos.Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

HILLEL AND SHAMMAI’S GRAVE IN MIRON - RIGHT MOST OF US KNOW MIRON TO BE THE BURIAL SITE OF RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI. HOWEVER FOR CLOSE TO A THOUSAND YEARS JEWS WOULD COME TO MIRON TO VISIT THE GRAVES OF THE TWO GREAT SAGES AND THEIR STUDENTS. IN FACT THIS TRADITION PREDATES REB SHIMON BY ALMOST 600 YEARS GOING BACK TO THE 11^TH CENTURY. THER IS FASCINATING TESTIMONY OF A GREAT SPRING THAT WOULD FLOW IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CAVE (WHICH CAN BE FOUND RIGHT BEHIND THE BUILDING OF RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI) FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE WORTHY AND WHO PRAYED AND DID TESHUVA AT THE SITE. THERE ARE EVEN WRITINGS FROM THE 13 AND 14^TH CENTURY OF ARABS THAT WOULD COME DAVEN BY THEIR GRAVES. HILLELS CONTEMPRARY SHAMMAI IS BURIED ACROSS THE HILL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NACHAL MIRON IN WHAT THE ARABS REFER TO AS CHURBAT SHEMA WITH A BEAUIFUL MAUSLEOUM THERE TODAY HIDDEN IN THE WOODS. HOW OR WHY THESE SAGES AWHO LIVED THERE LIVES IN JERUSALEM DURING THE PERIOD BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION CAME TO BE BURIED HERE REMAINS A MYSTERY. BUT IT IS CERTAINLY FITTING THAT THE TWO GREAT MEN WHO FOUNDED THE GREATEST SCHOOLS AND WHO DISPUTED SO MANY DETAILS OF JEWISH LAW BUT AT THE SAME TIME WERE SYMBOLS OF LOVE AND HARMONY BETWEEN ONE ANOTHER- IN THEIR DISPUTES FOR THE SAKE OF HEAVEN- SHOULD BE BURIED SO CLOSE TOGETHER.

Looking to Make Summer Plans?

Support the Young Israel of Karmiel – visit the North and Save!!!

Are you looking for a great central place for your family to explore the North from this summer at an affordable price?

Are you coming on a pilot trip and are looking for a central location that is affordable and with hosts that will assist you in your hunt for the right community?

Karmiel is in the center of the Galil 40 minutes from tiverya and tzefat and Chaifa. 25 minutes from Akko and Meron and Maalot and Nahariya.

For those that want to come for Shabbos we will try to help arrange home hospitality as well!
Special discount for pilot trippers

We will beat any hotel or Tzimmer prices and we are sure you will have a comfortable stay!

PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE YOUNG ISRAEL OF KARMIEL
for more info call Rabbi Schwartz 050-597-0649 from states (011-972-50- 597-0649.
or email rabbschwartz@yahoo.com