Karmiel

Karmiel
Our view of the Galile

Friday, May 29, 2015

Antidisestablishmenttarianism-Naso 2015/5775

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

May 29th  2015 -Volume 5, Issue 29 -11th Iyar 5775
Parshat Naso

Antidisestablishmentarianism
 
Every fifth grader in my class knew the word. We even knew how to spell it. It was the longest word in the dictionary. We knew that it meant -the doctrine or political position that opposes the withdrawal of state recognition of an established religious entity (originally the church of England-which I’m all in favor of toppling incidentally) although used to refer to being anti the people that are trying to topple the local establishment -That was at least until someone came up with floccinaucinihilipilification (to hear the pronunciation click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q7Ki1Ubg-w&safe=active  then try to say it afterwards. Play this game with your kids. You will laughJ). Spelling was a subject that I excelled in. I was a big reader. I liked words. Especially fancy words. They made me sound smart with little effort. I was very big on that concept. I still am. I certainly was not the studious type. In the artscroll book that will be published about me post-mortem (after 120 years). I think it would be kind of cool to have the word antidisestablishmentarianism in it. Although I was more the disestablishment type. But maybe it can be worked in somehow. I know my mother was an antidisestablishmentarian, let me tell you I have the scars to prove it J. Ouch!

Yeah I was never much of a system type of Guy. It was funny when we made Aliyah to Israel the Mishpacha magazine did an an article about three Rabbis who moved here of which I was selected to be one of them. The author of the article and interview who was incidentally a reader of this weekly E-mail asked me if I mind if she could take one of my quotes from this E-Mail that I had written and add ti to the article. And of course quite inspired that I wrote something worth quoting in the world famous Mishpacha Magazine I acquiesced. The next week when I opened up the Mishpacha though and saw the big fat picture of me with the words Quote in really big letters I kind of swallowed, as the quote she seemed to have found most inspiring and that really shared my deepest inner thoughts with their readers was “The reason I became a Rabbi was because I always knew I would talk in Shul and I figured I’d get less dirty looks doing it from the front of the shul than the back.” Ouch. Did I really write that? It’s amazing what comes out of this keyboard at 3:00 AM with my eyes half closed. There were certainly Rabbis of mine that were turning over in their graves at the monster they had created. Yet here I am. And here you are. We’re friends by now. We have no secrets or hidden illusions about one another. I’m a Rabbi here in Israel trying to get someone to sponsor his weekly E-Mail with lots of jokes stories and some hidden insights and inspiration. And you obviously have too much time on your hands to read all million pages of my weekly musings. We’re a team. Don’t you want to become a partner JJ?

 As I was perusing the longest Parsha in the Torah this week- yes we knew that as kids as well-I was struck by the strangeness of the structure of it. Or better yet the randomness of its various components. The portion begins with the jobs and count of the families of Levi around the Tabernacle concluding last week’s Parsha description and counting of the Jewish people and their placements and flags in the camp of Israel. The conclusion of the Parsha is the description of the various identical sacrifices that were brought on the day of the coronation of the Tabernacle. The grand opening, so to speak, as we began our 39 remaining year sojourn in the wilderness, of which the rest of the Book talks about. The Torah than sandwiched between these two narratives though the Torah seems to go on a tangent, or a few tangents to be precise that are seemingly out of place. It talks about the sending out of the impure and the Metzora (those who had a physical leprous type disease that came as a result of spiritual failings such as gossip and Lashon Hara) from the camp of Israel. Perhaps its relevance is part of the description of the camp. But this might be more appropriately placed in the laws of impurity. What than follows is some very random laws. We have the laws of someone who robs and swears falsely how he must pay back and the offering he brings. It even includes the particular laws of one who steals from a convert who has no heirs or a convert. This whole portion would seem better placed in the civil laws of Mishpatim than here.

The detour then continues with the laws of the Sotah woman- a married woman who had secluded herself with another man after her husband had warned her of his discomfort with this and who was suspected of adultery. She was meant to drink from a special water potion that contained in it the name of God that would discern if she was telling the truth or not. Incidentally this did not work if her husband had also been unfaithful. What does this have to do with our Parsha? This would seem to fit much nicer in the laws of illicit relations or adultery.

 Following our detour of random information in our Parsha we introduce the laws of a Nazir-not sure how to translate in the English. But he was someone who would make a vow upon himself of purity that would entail refraining from wine products, no contact with the dead and growing his hair long. This was behavior that was frowned upon by our sages and was done when someone felt that he needed to go to extreme measures to attain spirituality. Offerings would be brought upon the conclusion of the period of his Nazirite period. Again this seemingly has nothing to do with the Jews in the wilderness or the coronation of the Tabernacle. Finally the Torah concludes all these digression with the commandment of the Cohen to bless the Jewish people. And we have the famous blessing that Hashem should watch us and protect us and shine his light upon us that we recite daily and which the Kohen thus blesses us daily here in Israel. To all of these digression we have one question. So we have within the story of the coronation of the temple laws of Blemished and impure, laws of Thieves, illicit women, Nazirites and priestly blessings?  As my daughter likes to say Ma Ha’Kesher-What’s the connection?

This week’s portion is always read either before or after the holiday of Shavuot. It is meant to connect us to that special holiday where we remember the revelation we received on Sinai. When we remember how each and every Jewish soul that will ever be born heard as one the word of Hashem from upon the mountain. Each and every Jew. Perhaps more significant than that we each heard and saw the sound of God speaking to us from amongst the mountain. But as Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel explains we saw each and every one of us also hear it. Each heard it, each saw it and each incorporated into our spiritual DNA. We are one nation that were transformed by God. The problem is that it is hard to hold on to that revelation. We all heard one thing but we all internalized and express it differently. We have different camps. We have different tribes. We will have impure people, those whose challenges will be to pursue healthy relationships, those whose jealousy may overcome them and they may lie, rob and speak badly about others, we have others on the other extreme who isolate themselves from others in their pursuit of that spirituality and holy voice we heard so long ago. We will have priests who have one job and one type of connection and we will have political leaders, heads of tribes and the Levites that serve other functions. All of them need to be counted. They are all part of Klal Yisrael. All of them receive the priestly blessing with love.
It’s an amazing Parsha this longest one of ours. It tells us that there is not establishment, besides the Almighty’s. It concludes with the identical gifts of each of the heads of the tribes but each one is brought with their own strengths their own talents. The establishment the dis-establishment, and the antidisestablishment. We Jews are the Kings of different opinions and different paths. It’s because each Jews has his own special unique way to express that voice of Hashem that lies dormant within themselves. A voice that only he can express, a voice that is different than every other Jews and it is only through the revelation of all of those voices together will the sound of Hashem be heard, as the Parsha concludes from the Temple to the rest of the world.

The Jewish people are never one that could and should be put into a cookie cutter-or any cutter for that matter. We have an elaborate system with a hierarchy in Judaism but there is room for everyone within it. We need to return to that moment on the mountain and reveal that voice of Hashem that we saw in each other. We need to inspire and encourage all of us, our generations, our neighbors our friends to share their voice. To spread their holiness. To bring that light into the world. Hashem is waiting for his voice to be heard once again. It’s up to us to turn up that volume and let it ring.

Have a magnificent Shabbos,
,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This week's Insight and Inspiration once again didn’t have a sponsor. You know you want to share this Torah with others and make a rabbi happy. Send me an Email now and let next week’s be yours!

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
One of the most touching videos I have seen recently it made me cry..shh.. Am Yisrael Chai ( there is closed captioning option on youtube for those that don’t speak Hebrew)

Wow! Important video to watch-cooking Pizza in a car check it out

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
While in the states I picked up a great book with yiidsh quotes and wisdom and I have always wanted to teach my kids Yiddish so here we go each week another great proverb in yiddish maybe you guys will learn it too!!

Kratsen un borgen iz nor gut oif a veil.”- Scratching and Borrowing are only good for a while.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES  OF THE WEEK
Man is certainly stark mad: he cannot make a worm, yet he will make gods by the dozen.
Michel de Montaigne
You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do..” Anonymous
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(New exam this week these questions are from the most recent tour guide exam-let’s see how I do)
answer below at end of Email
The “Four Species” are?
A.    Willow, Olive, Fig, Palm
B.     Etrog (Citron), Myrtle, Willow, Palm
C.     Pomegranate, Wheat, Barley, Myrtle
D.    Myrtle, Palm, Willow, Pomegranate
.RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK
There are two opinions in the Midrash about the meaning of the blessing of the Kohen that Hashem should bless you and watch over you. One opinion is that one Hashem should bless you with much posterity and he should protect you from thieves. The second opinion is he should bless you with much posterity and should protect you from it. I found this Midrash to be particularly inspiring. Sometimes we need to be protected from other people that try to harm us but the second opinion suggests that even more so we need protection from our possessions and wealth itself. It can change us. It can make us think that we are better than others. It can make us stingy or aloof. It can even prevent us from sponsoring weekly E-Mails. May Hashem protect all of us from that JJ

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Meet people from all over the world – This is a tourist country. We have been spread over the Diaspora for thousands of years. Yet since the establishment of the State of Israel. We have come home. Not everyone merits to live here yet. But most Jews today at least visit the land of Israel. And it is truly an amazing thing to meet and see Jews from all over the world who return to our 3000 year old homeland in order to partake in that sense of coming home. It’s not only Jews historically Israel has been the country were all religions and cultures would come for pilgrimages. Today there are tourists from Korea, China, India, Nigeria, Russia, Australia and South America. All come to see God’s chosen land and His chosen people who have returned. This is perhaps the greatest miracle of modern times. Everyone wants to see it. So it doesn’t’ make a difference where you go in this country you will see the buses and the tourists. Wish them a Shalom and tell them that very soon. They will have something even greater to see. Our Temple once again restored in the Holyland on the Temple Mt. Won’t that be something amazing!
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  LANGUAGE JOKES OF THE WEEK
Q: What's the longest word in the English language?
A: Smiles. (Because there's a mile between the first and the last letter.)

Q: What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
A: Short 

Q: What is the word that everybody always says wrong?
A: "Wrong". 

Q: Name one eight letter word that has kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end.
A: "Inkstand", "in" is at the beginning, "kst" is in the middle, and "and" is at the end.

AND FINALLY…
Q: What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?
A: Tri-Lingual.
Q: What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
A: (Bi-Lingual.
Q: What do you call a person who speaks one language?
A: An American! 
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Answer is B: This should also be an easy one for anyone that was raised with the holiday of Sukkot when we take these four species and shake them fulfilling a biblical commandment on the first day of Sukkot and as a remembrance of the times of the Temple on all of the other days of Sukkot where they would be taken each day. A harder question might be what are the 7 species that Israel is blessed with that the Torah mentions. And that’s what they were trying to trip you up with in this question. Can you name them? Ok here’s the answer Pomegranate, wheat, barley, fig and olive you figured that out because they were listed above as choices and now what’s the last two? … Grapes and dates. And there you have it. Incidentally the last two are not listed explicitly but rather are referred to as Vines and Honey.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Romantic'a- Bamidbar Shavuot 2015/5775

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

May 22nd  2015 -Volume 5, Issue 28 -4th Iyar 5775
Parshat Bamidbar/Shavuot

Romantic’a
 
It sounds romantic” the Rabbi said to me. It wasn’t the first word that came to my mind, as I had been describing to him my vision of opening a new Torah center here in Israel. One that would bring together all Jews, from all backgrounds and orientations. One that would assist new Olim immigrants to the land of Israel and help them and their families integrate into Israeli society. One that would shine out to the rest of the country how we can as a people live in harmony and build a home that our Father in heaven would be proud of here in the holy land. One that would inspire all those that still linger in the diaspora to leave their comfortable yet-so not spiritual, so not divinely natural nor so not right homes and move to the land that we were always meant to live and develop. A small house of the Lord, which would inspire the heavens to already bring the ultimate home back again. No Romantic wasn’t the word I would have used.

But he was right. It was romantic. Obviously not in the roses, wine and hotel lounge kind of way or of the cheesy hallmark card type either. Both of which you gasp at the price you’re paying for something you know is five times of what it should cost. But you shrug your head and still that voice in your head, convinced that it is ultimately worth it (and it usually is). No this was different.  This was real romance. It was that ephemeral feeling and tug in your heart that you get when the sky is blue and the world seems like it could be perfect The type of love makes you feel that you will forever remain with that silly grin on your face as absolutely nothing could ever shatter that love, no matter how wild and crazy it seems.
 
It’s the word that has been lingering in my mind the past two weeks. Like a quiet whisper, a cell-phone on consistent vibrate ‘romantic…romantic…romantic…’ I even bought my wife flowers but it doesn’t still. I pass glorious mountains and valleys and hear them singing...romantic...I turn on the radio and hear the national anthem…I think of Mashaich … romantic… I open up a text to study and prepare my Dvar Torah or class…and I feel that tug… that longing…can they hear and see it too? Can we really do this? The world seems possible. All it takes is a little money and a lot of love.
 
The truth is, in Hebrew there is no real word for Romance. Romantica- was the best that those imaginative authors of the modern Hebrew language could come up with. Because in true Hebrew-Lashon HaKodesh- the holy tongue, only words that have a true basis and essence in the spiritual have translation. Not fantastical notions of the imaginary. So there is love- Ahava (its roots in the word to give) and even Cholat Ahavah which is lovesickness; that longing to give and to be part of something greater. But that indefinable and elusive romance is just not a holy word. Biblical romance is for a higher purpose; it is a game plan in reality to achieve the attainable.
 
Yet, this is the season that brings out that feeling. The spring is coming to an end. The birds are chirping the flowers growing. Creation has started anew and we are part of it. We even feel that we can be the center of it. It is in this season each year that we celebrate and commemorate the holiday of Shavuot- the day when we graduated from being just a former  and recently freed slave nation to becoming the ‘Priests to the world of God; his Chosen people. Being free and the exciting story of the miraculous Exodus, captures the imagination and is the thing of movies. Romantic’a. But the realization of our mandate, the acceptance of an entire people of the commandments of our Creator, that my friends is true love.
  
The fourth book of the Torah that we begin this week, almost always before Shavuot, is called Bamidbar-In the Wilderness. It begins with Hashem speaking to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai where we received the Torah and experienced en masse His Revelation. The Midrash asks why was the Torah given in the Wilderness? Couldn’t God have found a nice air conditioned Heavenly Palace from which to call his Press conference? The Midrash responds, that it is to teach us that the Torah is compared to the desert that is open and accessible to all humankind. The Torah as well, as it says (Isaiah 55:1): Let everyone who is thirsty, come for water- is free and open for all those who wish to drink of its wisdom. The wilderness is a place that is quiet, empty, and barren is perhaps a Romatic’a type of place for some. Being one with nature- as they say in Seattle quite often. Romantic’a. But a Torah that is each of our heritages, one which you do not have to be a great scholar, a wealthy person or even one with any background in learning to partake in? That is a gift of true love. We have a Book that has the answers to all our questions, that gives us strength, inspiration and guidance for every aspect of our lives. It’s ours. The world is possible with it.
 
But perhaps the most Romanticized story that we read in this season and that captures the true deeply felt love Shavuot is meant to for us realize, is the story of Ruth that we read on the holiday. The Midrashic version-which merely reflects and elaborates upon the text- of this heroic Moabite convert, who became the scion of the Davidic and eventually Messianic line, was that she was a young maiden who had intermarried into a prestigious family under a questionable conversion status. Romantic’a. Perhaps her husband felt that love would conquer all. It didn’t. As it seems he was certainly insincere and died in punishment for his sin. Yet, rather than taking the easy route out, she stayed. She ends up becoming a beggar and gleans in the fields of her husband’s relative who was a leader of the Jews and a very old man. As is the custom she was meant to marry her husband’s relative out of loyalty to maintaining his line. Not Romantic. Boaz (the older wealthier relative and Rabbi), informed her that if the first relative doesn’t marry her then he will. Again not exactly Romantic. She agrees. Boaz asks the man. Man says no. Boaz marries her and according to the Midrash she conceives that night and Boaz dies. Again not necessarily little cupids flying around with arrows and certainly not the version you can expect to come out on the Big Screen anytime soon. But it is in fact our symbol and story of love.
 
I’m sure Hollywood’s version would have had two gorgeous young looking people attracted to one another in some magical way. They are torn apart by a wedding gone sour and yet reunited on the beautiful wheat fields as they run- in slow motion- to one another and embrace in fulfillment and longing as they walk off in the sunset together forever. But did either of them ever sacrifice for one another? Is it about fulfilling their own dreams and desires? Than it’s not real. It’s not love.

Shavout we tap into the real love. We read a story like Rus and we see the big picture. We see and are inspired of how a former princess can leave her entire life behind and refuse to return, even after being offered the opportunity repeatedly, because she chose to live a life of truth… of true love dedicated to all her Father in Heaven has in store for her. Even if it means begging, even if it means entering into a marriage that was solely for the purpose of producing an heir to her husband’s line. It was true love and a higher calling, not Romance. Not Romantic’a; rather the kind of love that all of us deep in our souls have the potential to achieve. It is romantic to be in romance, but romance alone doesn’t bring us the fulfillment we seek. We need to actualize that, we need to make it real.
 
This Shavuot we can tap into that. Feel that love in the air. Stay up all night, go to classes, push slumber from your eyes to learn just one more word of Torah. And celebrate how lucky we are, a nation that is lovesick to connect with our Father and Him to us. It sounds Romantic, your soul is whispering its call, now let’s make let’s make it real.

Have a Romantic Shabbos and Glorious Shavuot

,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
Shavuot song stay up all night starring my good friend and fellow guide Moishe Hamburg!

The Matzah Shemita miracle plot that foiled Hamas pretty cool!

Am Echad starring Ari Goldwag-in honor of us standing as one by the mountain 3300 years ago

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
While in the states I picked up a great book with yiidsh quotes and wisdom and I have always wanted to teach my kids Yiddish so here we go each week another great proverb in yiddish maybe you guys will learn it too!!

Libeh iz vi puter, s’iz gut mit broit.”- Love is like butter, It’s good with bread.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES  OF THE WEEK
My life is a like a big romantic comedy, Except there’s no Romance and it’s just me laughing at my own jokes. – anonymous
Stalking is when two people are going on a nice romantic walk together but only one of them knows about it.” Anonymous
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(New exam this week these questions are from the most recent tour guide exam-let’s see how I do)
answer below at end of Email
Photosynthesis is the process of?
A.    The transformation of light energy to chemical energy in plants
B.     The transformation of light energy to chemical energy in animals
C.     The production of electricity from solar power
D.    The physics of purification of water
.RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK
The book of Bamidbar begins “And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Mishkan on the first day of the second month (Iyar) in the second year after they came out of the Land of Egypt”.The Midrash notes why the Torah goes out of its way to describe the date and location here as it does not do so anywhere else.
It answers with a parable of a wealthy man who was known to own much real estate and investments who was however unable to find contentment in his personal life. He had just divorced his second wife the daughter of a magnate who had embittered his days with constant bickering. His first wife he had divorced because she was unfaithful to him. He refused to discuss these marriages with the press and when questioned about his previous marriages and divorces he refused to disclose any details, documents and dates as to when these occurred. After many years his friends suggested a match for him that was unusual for a man of his stature. The girl was from an impoverished home yet he was assured that she had a refined character and was of noble stock. After he had researched her and found that all that had said about her was true he exclaimed “This time I have found the right wife! I will now publicly announce the day of here wedding and give her a marriage contract.”
After creating mankind Hashem became so to speak disappointed with one generation after another. The generation of the flood and the dispersion rebled against him The Torha therefore glosses over the rise and fall of these generations without any specific details or dates. Of their appearance and exit from the stage of history. Regarding the Jewish people though Hashem said “ They are different! They are from the children of Abraham Yitzchak and Yaakov. I know that these people will always be loyal to me.
Therefore just a Ketuba, a marriage document specifies the date and place of the wedding so to the book of Bamidbar which describes the second year when all of the Jewish people are commanded to take their banners and flags and their places around the home of Hashem our Tabernacle
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Observing the pilgrimage holidays – Three time a year we are mandated to go up to Jerusalem and see the presence of Hashem on the mountain he has chosen for His home. In the times of the Temple, the Mishna describes Jews from across the country sleeping in the city streets on their journey up in order to inspire everyone else to come with them. The dignitaries and shopkeepers of Jerusalem would come out to greet everyone and the entire nation would gather in Jerusalem where miraculously everyone found a place to stay, to eat, to pray. Today we do not have the Temple yet many come from around the world to celebrate Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot in the Holy land and in Jerusalem. By each of these holidays there is a priestly blessing by the Kotel that thousands participate in, reminiscent of those ancient times. I always try to make it for the holiday of Shavuot as this was the first holiday 48 years ago just a week after the 6 Day war that Jews were able to once again return to the Kotel in our hands. Who knows maybe this year in the few hours remaining Mashiach will come and we will be able to be up on top on the Temple rebuilt.
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  SHAVUOT JOKES OF THE WEEK
Abe and Sadie made a rare appearance in synagogue. It’s probably true to say that they are not the most religious of Jews. In fact, they only go to shul two or three times every year—and this Shavuot happened to be one of those days. At the end of the service, Abe shook Rabbi Rosen’s hand.
"Sadie and I both thoroughly enjoyed your service today, Rabbi, especially your sermon on keeping the commandments."
Rabbi Rosen replied, "It’s nice of you to say so, Abe; so why don’t you and Sadie come here more often?"
"It’s difficult," he replied, "but at least we keep the Ten Commandments."
"That's really good to hear," said Rabbi Rosen.
"Yes," said Abe proudly, "Sadie keeps 6 of them and I keep the other 4."
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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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The Morgensterns, a Jewish couple who lived in England, won 20 million pounds in the National Lottery and resolved to live luxuriously on the proceeds. They bought a mansion in Southall and surrounded themselves with all the material wealth imaginable. They even decided to engage a butler.
After a thorough search, they found the perfect butler—very proper and very British. Soon after they engaged him, they told him that the following day was a holiday where the custom was to eat a dairy meal, and that they had invited the Cohens to join them for a dairy luncheon. They asked him to set the dining room for four. The following morning the couple left the house to go to Shavuot services. When they returned home, they found the table set for eight. They asked the butler why he had set for eight when they had specifically instructed him to set for four.
Replied the butler, "Sir and Madam, the Cohens rang soon after you left and asked that I inform you that they would be bringing the Blintzes and the Knishes."
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And of course the classic…
There is a well known Midrash about how God offered the Law to a number of nations, which all refused it, before He offered it to the Jews. What isn't known very well is the inside story.
God first went to the Egyptians and asked them if they would like a commandment.
"What's a commandment?" they asked.
"Well, one of them goes, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,'" replied God.
The Egyptians thought about it and then said, "No way, that would ruin our weekends."
So then God went to the Assyrians and asked them if they would like a commandment.
They also asked, "What's a commandment?"
"Well," said God, "one says, 'Thou shalt not steal.'"
The Assyrians immediately replied, "No way. That would ruin our economy."
So finally God went to the Jews and asked them if they wanted a commandment.
They asked, "How much?"
God said, "They're free."
The Jews said, "Great! We'll take ten.

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Answer is A: Come on, even my 7th grader knows this. It’s botany 101. Although I admit that Botany was my least favorite course in our tour guiding program. As my tourists know, one of the questions that I dislike the most after- what are we doing next, or are we there yet, is what type of plant/tree is that? I did not grow up on a farm, fruits and vegetables come from the supermarket. Inevitably I used to tell people that whatever tree they asked me what it was is an avocado tree. “Really, wow cool!”. Was the gratifying response. Until once someone asked me why there was oranges growing on the avocado tree. “Well, that’s the genius of Israel! We can make anything happen hereJ”. I’ve gotten a bit better though. I can now tell you what palm trees and olive trees look like and even mangos. Everything else is still pretty much an avocado though…

Friday, May 15, 2015

Hunger Gains- Bechukosai Yom Yerushalayim 2015/5775

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

May 15th  2015 -Volume 5, Issue 27 -26th Iyar 5775
Parshat Bechukosai
 Hunger Gains

Uh Oh. I know I’m in trouble when I begin to wax philosophical about dieting. Usually that is a sign that my post-Pessach -get rid of all those potatoes and Matzoh lbs- diet is in serious jeopardy. I know how it works. It starts with some brilliant insights on the principles of effective weight loss. Very slowly it then moves to some weak justifications of why a little piece of ……. really won’t impact my firmly committed resolve. After all I have just intellectualized the significance of why this is so critical to my lifestyle. I rationalize that one cannot go over board though. I quote Maimonides that one must choose the middle “golden path” avoiding extremes. Sponge cake is golden. Yet in the back of my mind I know that one I start quoting Maimonides, I’m in trouble. Before you know it I have reached the recognized reality that my justifications were indeed weak and I admit that I am not on my diet any more. This of course means that I will have to try harder next year post Pessach to find something else to write about for my weekly email so that it doesn’t happen again. Yet this week’s Torah portions contains in it two such beautiful insights into the Torah’s perspective of eating (and life for that matter), that I feel that it is worth the risk just to share them. Oy, what I don’t do for you. I will not quote Maimonides though.

The first insight comes from an interesting blessing that Hashem promises to the Jewish people if they follow the commandments.
You will eat your bread and will be satisfied”.
 Now even for those of us not on Atkins, the blessing may seem quite lame. I imagine that when many of us think of a blessing or reward for following the sometimes daunting commandments and restrictions of the Torah, we would hope that the good Lord might provide us a little something more than the promise of satisfying bread. Yet Rashi, the great 11th century most basic of Torah commentaries, quotes the Medrash that takes this blessing even further.
 "One eats just a bit and it will be blessed within his belly”.
So the reward is not even a lot of bread. Rather interestingly enough it seems to be the feeling of satisfaction that we are promised to feel after eating just a little bit.

Rabbi Yissochar Frand draws a very powerful insight from this rather humble blessing. All too often when we think of blessing we think of prosperity. Someone who has made it on our society is one who has the most and the best and the latest of everything. Unfortunately, I have encountered too many of these people and can attest that for a large part, many of them do not live with a sense of appreciation and feeling of blessing. On the other hand I have been privileged in my younger Yeshiva years in Israel to spend Shabbos with many families that feel they live the most blessed lives in the world. Many of them live in small apartments with families of ten children. Many do not own those basic western “necessities” microwaves, food processors, and computers. Yet the joy and feeling of blessing that fills these homes resonates with that special blessing of Hashem.

In a very similar vein the Seforno an early 15th Scholar notes another strange promise by God. We are told in Parshas Behar about the Mitzvah of the sabbatical year- Shemitta. After being commanded to leave our fields fallow for the entire year giving them a year of Shabbos, free from producing any fruit. The Torah then addresses that most primary concern.
“And if you may say, What will we eat in the 7th year if we do not plant and gather our crops? I will command my crops for you in the 6th year and it will produce for three years.”
The implication, it would seem, is that we only receive this blessing by virtue of the question "And if you will ask, what shall we eat?" What would happen, if they would not ask the question? Are we to infer that in that case, the crops would not double? Precisely, says the Soforno. If they would not ask the question, there would be no NEED for a quantitative blessing. The blessing would instead be something even greater. They would be satisfied with the smaller amount, and not fall into the never ending cycle of the unsatisfying pursuit for more.

One of the most difficult parts of dieting I find is eliminating “mindless eating”. Just turning off the brain and eating not for satisfaction purposes rather just eating for eating’s sake. This is not only true for eating unfortunately I believe it is true in our pursuit of “stuff” as well. Mindless impulse buying, things we have to have, places we have to go to, we lose focus on developing a mindset of satisfaction and instead hope upon hope that more of whatever, will make us feel better. Yet the Torah shares with us the true path to happiness. “Who is a wealthy man? He who is satisfied with his lot.” says the Mishna in Pirkey Avot. The road to true wealth and happiness is not going to be determined by how much food one has on one’s plate or how much money one has in the bank. Rather the truest happiness will only be found when we can feel satisfied and blessed with all that our loving Father in heaven has given us.

As we move closer to the holiday of Shavuot and work on building up to that spiritual peak of that anniversary of our receiving the Torah on Sinai. Let’s work on stepping back from our mindless pursuits (eating and otherwise) and begin a process of dieting. For as we focus on those actions that will truly bring us to a true state of satisfaction, we will be opening our lives up to the greatest blessing that Hashem has to give.

This week many celebrate the holiday of Yom Yerushalayim here in Israel. It is the day that 48 years ago. Hashem returned Jerusalem to our hands. It was not something we planned on, It wasn’t even a planned military objective. We turned around the corner as our soldiers entered through the Lion’s Gate in the 6 day War and wadda boom wadda bing we were there. Har Habayit BiYadeinu- The Temple Mount was in our hands. A true fulfillment of the verse Omdot Hayu Ragleinu B’Shaarayich Yerushalayim.- Our feet were standing at the gates of Jerusalem. We merited Jerusalem because we were never satisfied with the stuff of the Diaspora. Our Forefathers longed for it. They dreamed of returning and building once again the Temple of Hashem that will shine out to the world. Hashem created us with a hunger and a drive that is seeking to be satisfied and that can never be satisfied until it is fulfilled. Until the day that it will ultimately be rebuilt, our Jewish souls will always have a sense of void that needs to be fulfilled. It certainly isn’t meant to be filled with the quick fix noshes, luxuries and comforts that a few decades of no one trying to wipe us out in our foreign countries of existence might have provided us. It shouldn’t even be satisfied with the miraculous establishment of the State of Israel and the return of millions to our homeland. Even a day like Yom Yerushalayim when we celebrate the return to our holy city should cause us to look at the Kotel and see merely a candy wrapper; a retaining wall of the Temple Mount that was meant to envelop the home of Hashem that still needs to be built. It is what Hashem craves. Ratza Hashem Dira BaTachtonim.- Hashem desires a dwelling place here on this world. We can’t stop longing for that desire to be fulfilled. The Book of Vayikra concludes with the blessings and curses that can be achieved or that we will suffer if we forget that desire. If we forget that master plan. It’s time to give up the nosh. It’s time for the final glorious and eternal banquet that awaits us.

Have a spectacular Shabbos and festive Yom Yerushalayim.

,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
Love song for Jerusalem cute!

Jerusalem Flash Mob Eis Lirkod – at time to dance

Israel police – our pride and joy- doing the lion sleeps tonight

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
While in the states I picked up a great book with yiidsh quotes and wisdom and I have always wanted to teach my kids Yiddish so here we go each week another great proverb in yiddish maybe you guys will learn it too!!

Fyn a kargn gvir in fet bok genist men ersht nukhn toyt!- A rich miser and a fat goat are of no use until they are dead!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES  OF THE WEEK
I often hear them accuse Israel of Judaizing Jerusalem. That's like accusing America of Americanizing Washington, or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we're called 'Jews'? Because we come from Judea." – Benjamin Netanyahu
“You ought to let the Jews have Jerusalem; it was they who made it famous.”– Winston Churchill
"Ten measures of beauty descended to the world, nine were taken by Jerusalem."-Talmud: Kiddushin 
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(New exam this week these questions are from the most recent tour guide exam-let’s see how I do)
answer below at end of Email
Citrus orchards in Israel in the modern era began in what region?
A.    The coast line
B.     Western Negev
C.     Judean Lowlands (Shefela)
D.    Jezre’el valley
.RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK
This weeks Parsha tell us of that if we follow the mitzvos/ commandments Hashem will bless us with his “our rain in its time”. The Midrash explains what this means. One interpretation is that it will rain at the time of year when it si neede in Spring/The month of Nissan and in Cheshvan the fall month for they will not make the fruits soggy or flood the ground and will not harm houses our tress. Interestingly enough this year Israel has had the past month or two very unlikely rain in the month of April even and May. Someone pointed out to me that since this year is meant to be A Shemitta year and we are not meant to be working the fileds the only ones getting harmed by this are the farmers that are not keeping the Shemitta. Ouch!
Another interepertation in the Midrash is that it will rain when people are not outdoors like night time particularly on Wednesday night when there are evil spirits running around and Friday nights when all are home with their families. I added to that list when tour guide are not touring J
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Celebrating “New” “Jewish” “Holidays” – Three sets of Quotation marks depending on your orientation. Yeah in America you have July 4th, but here we have Yom Ha’atzmaut. How meaningful is Memorial day compared to Yom HaZikaron or Yom HaShoah? And only Israel has Yom Yerushalayim. Israeli holidays are not just days off to go shopping, the beach or catch up on work. These days are meaningful as we reflect on the miracle of the State of Israel and the return to Jerusalem. One literally feels they are part of the process of the unfolding of History and our destiny here. The last time new days were added that were celebrated by Jews was Chanukah over 2000 years ago. If you want to push it maybe Lag Ba’Omer 500 years ago. But here since the establishment of the State we’ve been getting these wholesale. Not everyone considers these Jewish there are some that see them as nationalistic, some that see them as holy days to thank Hashem. We Jews can never agree of course. But regardless here in the Land of Israel these days are celebrated as we await the return of the Biblical holidays with the coming of Mashiach to be experienced in our Temple hopefully very soon rebuilt.
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  BARBER JOKES OF THE WEEK
A Jewish man was walking around Jerusalem when a bill board caught his eye. It read, "We would rather do business with 1000 Arabs than one single Jew!"
The Jewish man stopped and asked himself what place would advertise such a racist proclamation. Then he got it... The Funeral Directors.

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A good, old American Jew felt the death is close and asked his sons to take him to the Holy Land, to die there and be buried in Jerusalem.
 The loving sons did as he asked, brought him to Jerusalem, put him in a hospital and waited for death to come. However, once in Jerusalem the old man felt better and better and in some weeks was again strong, healthy and full of life. He called upon his sons and told them: " Take me quickly back to the United States."
 The sons were somehow disappointed and asked: "Father how come? You said you want to die in the Holy Land and be buried in Jerusalem!'
 "Yes," answered the father, to die it's OK but to live here....!?"

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Answer is A: If you got this wrong you should be ashamed. What you’ve never had a Jaffa orange before. The coastline which is called the Sharon area is where all of the Jewish orchards started, which was quite a feat being that the salt water isn’t great for them and fresh water wasn’t plentiful. The industry originally started with the Arabs in the late 1800’s but the Jews took it to whole new level with exports and drip and motorized pumped irrigation. Today Jaffa Oranges are grown mostly in South Africa and South America and Spain so as to maximize the world wide demand and to cover us in seasons when there is no rain.