Karmiel

Karmiel
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Friday, January 26, 2018

A Spectacular Sea Splitting Spelling Synopsis- Parshat Beshalach 2018 / 5778

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 26th 2018 -Volume 8 Issue 16 10th Shvat 5778

Parshat Beshalach
A Spectacular Sea Splitting Spelling Synopsis

How do you spell Tzfat? Well that should be easy. Just look at one of the signs coming into the city. Actually that probably won’t work. Because depending on what entrance you came in you would be greeted by a different spelling. There’s Sfat, Safed, Sfad, Tzefat, Tzefad, Zfat. I don’t know why this is so difficult for Israelis. Akko is not much better. There is Ako, Acre and Akko Acco. Perhaps most exciting in Israeli signs are their seeming fetish for the letter “Q” as in Qiryat Shmona, Qumran, or any other word that has a “kuf” in it, despite the fact that no one really uses a “Q” in an real words in America. It’s why a triple word score in scrabble and always with a “U” in boggle. But Israelis just love that letter “Q”. They can’t get enough it. They’ll use it instead of a “C” instead of a “K”. Maybe because it is the one letter and sound that we don’t have in our alphabet, so it’s very American and you know us Israelis we like everything American. Truth is we don’t have a “W” either, so the best we can come up with is double vav to replace it. Which of course just leads to Israelis saying “Vere eez your Vife valking, vaht vill she vant to dreenk ven she kahms bek? Vine?”

Now it’s not just the misspellings the signs themselves can be quite hilarious in their translations as well. I don’t know why they can’t just get it right. I was in Mitzpe Ramon the other day and they have quite a good film there that talks about the Creation of the World from the point of the “Big Band” millions of years ago. Now I know that Keith Richards was old and I assumed that the Rolling Stones had something to do with the Creation of the world, but millions of years ago? It’s the big band theory that they only know about here in Israel.
I’m not even going to try to list the misspellings and mistranslations from Hebrew to English in this country. Some of them are hilarious, some are pathetic and some are just pure laziness. It seems strange that for a country that seems to want to help Americans and foreigners and place signs for them in our mother language that they can’t make the extra effort to actually get it right.
Now someone once suggested to me that the truth is this really is in line with our ancient Jewish tradition. I mean if one looks at the Torah, we know that there are different spellings for different words at different times. Sometimes a word is spelled “full” with all of its letters sometimes it is missing a few. As well there are different words that seemingly mean different things that are used to describe the same incident. Each one of them have different lessons. Our job as the academics of God, is to notice these inconsistencies. To figure out what the Torah is trying to tell us and what its message is for us today. In fact one of the most critical places we find this is by what Hashem describes repeatedly as a “sign” for the Jewish people. A sign we should wear on our heads and wrap on our arms in our Tefilin, a sign we should place on our doorposts in mezuzas. The love Hashem has for us that all began with our Exodus from Egypt when Hashem made “osot- signs” for us in Egypt.
This week’s Torah portion is finally the chapter of that Exodus; the end of Egypt and the splitting of the Sea. In describing the sea splitting the Torah uses two different accounts let’s see if you can pick it up from the various verses. Hashem commands Moshe

Shemot (14:16) And you should lift up your staff stretch out your arm on the sea and bakei’hu- split it and the children of Israel shall come in the sea on the land.

Ibid (14:22) and the children of Israel came in the sea in the land and the water was a choma-wall from their right and their left.

Now after the Egyptians entered the water and Hashem told Moshe to stretch out his hands again and Hashem drowned the Egyptians the Torah tells us
Ibid (14:29) and the children of Israel went in the dry land in the sea and the water was a ch*ma- wall on their right and left.

As well in the song of the Sea the description is
Ibid ( 15:19) when the horse of Pharaoh and his chariot and riders came into the sea and Hashem restored upon them the water of the sea and the children of Israel went in the land within the sea.

OK so did they walk in the sea on the land or in the land in the sea. As well how do you spell wall in Hebrew is it with an”o” as in Choma or without ch*ma. Perhaps an even more fascinating question is the term that we use to refer to the splitting of the sea. See our sages always call it Kriyat Yam Suf. Yet the Torah never uses the word kriya- which literally mans the ripping of the sea. Rather it uses the term bekiyat hayam- the splitting of the sea. So what is up with our mistranslation? Is it some Israeli thing? The answer is of course. Yes it is.
The Chidushei HaRim of Ger is quoted as having suggested that the difference between the two terms is that kriya- ripping is a term that is only used when two things have been separated and then were put back together again. Splitting on the other hand is the first time. When our sages talk about the splitting of the sea, they refer to it as the ripping of the sea. Because they are suggesting that the splitting of the sea that happened then can and will happen again and again. In fact even at the original splitting some of our sages see that it happened twice. You just have to pay attention to the nuances in translation and spelling.
See, the Gaon of Vilna notes that Hashem wants the Jews to walk into the sea. Even before the water splits. If they do that and act with faith then it will turn to dry land. And that is precisely what the majority of Israel did. In that case the water was like a choma- a wall around them. There were Jews however that waited. They didn’t have faith. In fact according to our sages there were two Jews- Dathan and Aviram that waited around in Egypt to see what would happened. It was in fact, the Targum Yonatan explains, to these two that at the beginning of the parsha the Torah tells us.
Ibid (14:3) and Pharoah said to the children of Israel they are confined in the land the wilderness has locked them in.
Yet after they saw that pharaoh drowned they decided to join the Jewish people and the water once again split. Or more precisely it tore- as in a second time- for them. However this time they went in the land on the water as it was already split and they did not have the faith to walk in the water and wait to see it turn to land. Upon this second splitting the Torah says ch*ma- without the “o” because it spells the word cheima- which can mean wrath as well. The Torah wants us to note that when it split the second time it was not so happy. After-all it was splitting for these two guys that didn’t have much faith.
Why did it split for these two seeming trouble makers and what is the inspiration that our sages wish for us to take from this, by referring to the miracle of the tearing of the sea. Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin notes that Dathan and Aviram despite being the ones that complained, that later on joined Korach, that in this week’s Torah portion went out to pick manna on Shabbat. That were the initial ones in Egypt that snitched on Moshe for killing the Egyptian and that forced him to flee. Despite being the quintessential trouble makers. They have one merit. They were the taskmasters in Egypt. They took blows for the Jewish people, rather than allow the Jews to get beaten. If someone will put themselves on the line for their fellow Jew, no matter how unobservant, or even anti-observant, anti- god, anti- Moshe anti- Shabbos they might be, Hashem will split the sea for them.  That is the lesson of the splitting of the sea.
Our sages tell us that a man’s livelihood is like the splitting of the sea, finding one’s mate is like the splitting of the sea. Just as when the sea split we had to have faith. We had to walk into uncharted and difficult waters, and yet Hashem opened it up and split it for us. Similarly each step we take to make our living, to find our spouse. Or even if we have found our spouse already, we are mandated daily to find again and again our zugiyot- our partner in our spouse. It takes faith, it takes trust and it is step by step. Yet despite the challenge and the sense of inadequacy that we may have at that great demanding task, our sages wanted us as well to remember that the sea splits even for those not worthy. Even for Dathan and Aviram. Each Jew is special. Each Jew has merit, particularly those that put their lives on the line for their fellow Jews (Yes, I mean our boys in green here in Israel). Hashem notices the little nuances in each of us. He finds that there is meaning and a precious redemptive treasure no matter how we spell our names, how we look, how we observe. That is how we were redeemed then. It is even more so, how we will be redeemed very soon.

Have a quaint, quiet, qomforting  Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This week's Insights and Inspiration is sponsored by my dear friends Jeff and Amy Brooke of Norfolk Virginia upon the occasions of the marriage of their daughter Chana to Avi Horowitz and the marriage of Herb and Bina Zukerman this past month. Mazel Tov! May the young and “elder” couple be blessed with a house of Simcha, bracha, nachas, health and all things good. And may you guys continue to see many more simchas from your family!
Mazel Tov!

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Der got vos hot geshpoltn dem yam vet dir shpaltn dem kop oykh!”- Der got vos hot geshpoltn dem yam vet dir shpaltn dem kop oykh!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email

Q  The “Duc in Altum” church is found in:
A. Magdala
B. Tabha
C. Capernaum (Kfar Naum)
D. The Mount of Olives

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/hwspmVuuqLo   - Funny spoof of Netanyahu Israel speech with hillarious translation really LOL

https://youtu.be/JaiT5HgdF9w - beautiful “Lo Mir Machen Kiddish” song by Beri Weber by Wedding last week

https://youtu.be/EGLA79z_Brk    - Perhaps one of the most majestic renditions of Kah Echsof the holy Shabbos song ever! Shloimy Daskal

https://youtu.be/cVC57jpkY2c Splitting of Sea in Hebrew

https://youtu.be/T4H5tjx2Zpg - the history of splitting the Sea in Hollywood cool! But nobody does it like Hashem!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HAFTORA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Now there are different customs many times between Sefardim and Ashkenazim about haftora readings. Sometimes we read different portions, sometimes we start and end at different places. If you examine the haftoras many time they have similar themes, others they are bringing out different aspects of the Parsha. In all cases though it is certainly interesting to examine both readings, as all Jewish customs are considered like Torah to be learned.
This week, when we read Shabbat Shira the song of the Jewish people at the Sea, the custom was to read as well the portion of the song of Devora and her battle over Sisera. Now Ashkenazim read the story leading of the battle whereas the Sefardim read just the song. Maybe Ashkenazim like stories more than songs, or only appreciate a good song when there is a story first. Sefardim though don’t need a story to sing. Now there are certainly many similarities between the song of Devora and the song by the Sea. Both of them praise Hashem and recognize His hand in the victory, as well as all nations hearing about this battle. As well as the song of the sea concludes with Miriam’s song Devorah’s song ends with praise for Yael. Yet there are differences as well. Much of Devora’s song blames those that did not come to fight; the tribes, the stars, the nations.
Interestingly enough the first part of the haftorah as well spends time discussing Barak’s reluctance to battle without Devora joining him. This hearkens back to Moshe not wanting to bring Jews out until Aharon joins him. This is in glaring contrast to Yael who is perhaps not even Jewish and not part of the battle who joins and kills and defeats Sisera. Perhaps it can be suggested that the theme the haftorah are pointing out to us is those that have faith and join versus those that do not. As well whereas the song of Sea is entirely focused on Hashem. Devorah in her song recognizes and sings about the heroics and bravery of those that joined in battle.
Devora the Judge (1026-1066 BC) – The fourth of Israel’s judges after coming into the land of Israel was a woman. Devora was known for her piety and wisdom and her heroic battle against Sisera. She would judge underneath a palm tree, our sages tell us in order to symbolize that Jews would

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Gilad and Jacobs Battle with Angel 1555 BC- Yaakov was gone from Israel for 22 years. It is interesting to note that all of his children were Olim. Binyamin being the only Sabra. When he comes back to Israel he faces enemies right away he is chased home from his uncle Lavan, he is beset pon by his brother Esau, and he even does battle with Esau’s angel the mysterious man in the night. Now I do not generally tour with my tourists outside of Israel. Yet we certainly do overlooks to other countries and places that were Israel. One of those places is the land of Gilad. Right across the Jordan river South of Tiverya, in what was the biblical portion of the tribe of Gad. Yes, Jordan is occupying our territory. Terrible that no one is making a fuss about this illegal occupation. The Yabok river today which is a tributary on Jordan’s side of the Jordan river an dis called in Arabic the Zarka river,  is about halfway between the Dead Sea and Tiverya. It is there that Yaakov crossed from Gilad to Israel. It is there that he went back to fight with the angel and called it Penuel. There is a lot to talk about on the drive up on Highway 90 certainly our biblical stories and the crossing places of our forefathers can certainly make the trip more meaningful as we connect to our biblical roots across the Jordan River as well. May we soon return to there.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE SEA JOKES OF THE WEEK
Why can’t blind people eat fish?
Because it’s sea food.

What did the beach say as the tide came in?
Long time, no sea.
What did one ocean say to the other ocean? nothing, they just WAVED. can you SEA what I did there? I’m SHORE you did.

i had a dream about the whole ocean was filled with orange soda turns out it was a fanta sea

How did Moses cut the sea in half? With a sea-saw

Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay they would be called bagels

Why did the Jews cross the sea?  To get to the other tide.

What’s the most popular TV show in the ocean? – Whale of fortune!
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S SHABBOS CARTOON OF THE WEEK






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Answer is A – So as you know Churches are not my forte. In our tour guiding course we of course had to be knowledgeable and visit the important churches in Israel. Now although we- in our course which was technically religious (Jewish) did not require us to go into the church which would be a violation of Jewish law- and a disgrace to millennia of our ancestors that would have given their lives rather than to visit any of those places that worship that heretical Jew in whose name multitudes of them were killed in Crusades, Inquisition, pogroms and the like. Yet we still had to know everything about the churches and what was in each of them. The information I pretty much deleted from my limited memory brain not long after my exams. Yet I was still able to get this answer correct by process of elimination. See Magdala was the only one that I was never at. It is in fact a newer Christian site near the Kinneret North of Tiverya. And I was familiar with all the other ones. Tabha being the one with the fish and bread “miracle bubbbe mayseh”. Capernaum or Kfar Nachum is where Yoshka was thrown out of shul because fo his heresy and he cursed them as well its where Peter’s house is supposed to be. And Mount of Olives is all of the churches of the nations and the stories of Yoshka before he was killed. So Magdala is the right answer- Duc in Altum means something about the deep… I dunno it was too boring to read… google it yourself if you care… I bet you won’t and don’t…. so why should I?

Thursday, January 18, 2018

It's All about the Kids- Parshat Bo 5778 / 2018

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 19th 2018 -Volume 8 Issue 15 3rd Shvat 5778
Parshat Bo
All About the Kids
I always get inspired to write about things that people tell me that they don’t enjoy reading. I don’t know maybe it’s the rebel in me. Anyways I bumped into a good friend of mine this week and he told me he enjoys getting my weekly E-Mail and inspiration. He reads the first 20 pages or so each week until I start writing about my kids and my family and then he just deletes. He has no patience for my personal family reflections. So here we go YS. This E-Mail is for you delete now.
I love my kids. They’re really great. Each one of them is unique, special and all of the good things about them all come from me of course. Sure they can be argumentative, and they have problems with authority-well at least my authority, and they really don’t know how to clean up after themselves well. Those things, of course don’t have nothing to do with my genes.  After all I never have problems with my authority and I never argue with myself. Even the cleaning up thing is really not from me. My room since I’ve gotten married always seems to be clean. And I have like this magic thing in my house. My table kind of clears itself and my laundry somehow always finds its way to the laundry basket and cleaned and folded back in my cabinets. But besides those minor things about my kids they really are great. Th are growing up pretty fast, though.  I mean every month or so when I see them, as we pass through the house and nod to one another in between my touring gigs and their schoolwork they seem to have aged. I really should spend more time with them. Before I know it they may even get older than me. See I never age. I’m still 18ish, I think it’s that same magic thing in my house that makes that happen.

But to be honest, Es Chata’ai Ani Mazkir Hayom- I will recall my sins today- I really don’t appreciate or think about my kids much. Who has time to? I’m actually writing about them and thinking about them this week because I’m in Los Angeles. I miss them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I never look at my kids pictures when I’m home with them, but last night I looked into my wallet and just had one of those father moments as I looked at my darling Shani’s toothless smile back up at me from her picture, or Yonah’s cute little pre upsherin curls.  Yeah I know I should update pictures as those are like 20 years old. And I have a few more kids since then. But who actually develops pictures anymore? Kids are great when they’re far away. Especially when they are far away and can be accessed via pictures, back to a time when they don’t argue with you.
Now my kids feel the same I think about their father I think. Dads are great when they’re not around or there to argue with.  I remember back in my tour guiding course when I was in Eilat for a few days I called up my little 5 year old Elka to say hello. I asked her if she missed me. And she asked me when I was coming home already. I was touched. I was moved. I felt loved. Then she asked me if I bought her presents. I of course explained to her that when I went away in Israel I didn’t buy presents for them. Only when I go to America do I buy presents. She then got very serious with me and asked me when I was going to America… Oh well… maybe she didn’t miss me so much…
I write about children for another reason this week as well. This week’s Torah portion, or Part II of the Exodus from Egypt story which began last week, seems to be very busy with children. I noted last week in my shul that the stopping point between the first 7 plagues, which was last week’s Torah portion, and the final 3 this week, of locusts, darkness and death of the first borns, seems to be an odd place to break up the story. If you would have asked me I would have stopped after the first 5, making it an even 5 and 5. Alternatively we know that it can be split up into three groups De’TzaCh, A’DaSh B’aChaV- 3 plagues 3 plagues and the last 4. But why stop after the plague of hail? I answered what I answered last week. You had to be there. But in a nutshell, I spoke about the theme of the first 7 plagues which was to bring Egypt and Pharaoh to a recognition of Hashem as the God. The theme of this week’s Torah portion is entirely different. If you ask me it’s about the kids.
The Parsha begins with Hashem telling Moshe to come to Pharaoh. Now seemingly what would be the point of this? In last week’s Torah portion Hashem introduced the saga of the plagues as being in order that Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the Jews and really the whole world will recognize Hashem. They do. Mission Accomplished. Pharoah announced Hashem is righteous. He admitted that he was wicked. Why continue to game. He said uncle. Or Father.
The answer Hashem introduces Moshe to in this week’s Parsha is
Shemot (10:2) In order that you will tell your children and your children’s children...
Meaning if the first part of the story was about Pharaoh the rest of the story is going to be about our children, our descendants and passing on that story and tradition. In fact if we follow the story from here on we note that is what is going on. Pharaoh is ready to cave by the warning of the plague of locusts. Yet he refuses to let the children go. Moshe refuses.
Ibid (10:9) With our youth and our elders we will go, with our children and our daughters…
The final battle Moshe is going to have is for our children. We need them. They are the future. They are what this is all about. We need the elders to pass on the tradition and the youngsters to absorb and continue the line. That is what will make us eternal.
After the plague of darkness Pharaoh agrees to let out even the infants. But the story is not over. There is one last plague; the plague of the first-borns. Their children will die, ours will become sanctified. From there we move on to the laws of the Pesach sacrifice. Interestingly enough those are precisely the laws that by the Pesach Seder we are told to teach the wise son. Later on the parsha continues with the questions of the simple son, the wicked son and the one who doesn’t even know how to ask. The point of the Exodus is for these children to keep asking. To have an unbroken chain that remembers we have been sanctified.
The final mitzva of the Parsha is to sanctify the first born of every Jewish womb. Yet it is interesting and revealing how this mitzva is commanded and how Moshe passes it on. See Hashem tells Moshe
Shemot (13:2) Sanctify for Me the firstborn of every womb of the children of Israel from man to animal.
Seemingly a simple command right? Wrong. Moshe goes through a whole drasha for 12 pesukim that begin with
Ibid (3:3) Remember this day that you left Egypt from being slaves for with a strong hand Hashem took you out from this and you should not eat Chametz.
He continues with the command that this should be in the spring. That we will come to the land of Israel. He seemingly gets sidetracked describing Israel as a land of milk and honey. Back to the laws of eating Matzos, the questions of the children. Finally he arrives at the mitzva of the first borns and even then he changes it a bit.
Ibid (13:13) and every first born of a donkey he should redeem with a sheep… and every first born of your children should be redeemed.
So Moshe rather than talk about their sanctification describes it as pidyon- redemption.
He continues and explains the lesson as
Ibid (13:15) And it was when Pharaohs heart was hardened to send us out and He killed all the First Borns in the land of  Egypt…Therefore I sacrifice to Hashem the first of the womb of the males and the first born of my sons I will redeem.
As I noted this is a pretty extensive expansion of the simple law that Hashem commanded that our firstborns should be holy. The Rashbam and other early commentaries understand that the mitzva of the First born is really two fold. There is the pre-golden calf and post the golden calf. See when we left Egypt that night of the First Borns, we became chosen to teach Hashem to the world. The method of our teaching would be through our children, primarily our first-borns would be the Priests, the Kohanim our intermediaries between Hashem and His people and from them to the rest of the world. Now this was despite that they were idolaters as the Egyptians were. Yet Hashem saw in us that greatness. He saw our commitment to our children, to passing down our heritage through them. To answer their questions, to prompt them to ask. Yet on that night they were saved because of our future. That is the mitzvah that Hashem tells Moshe- sanctify your First Born; plain and simple.
Moshe on the other hand is commanding us about the process after the sin of the Golden Calf. He speaks about a time when we will come into the land. By then the pendulum of priesthood had changed hands. The First-borns lost it. They failed to teach the people faith, rather they inspired fear, doubt and quickly were involved in making the golden calf. So they lost it. Now although they lost it. The nation never did. Moshe tells the nation that sanctity remains. That role and obligation remains. Each parent must redeem his child. Must see in his child the potential for greatness, must see them as an essential link in our chain, in our mandate to reveal Hashem to the world. The first born may not be the leaders, or the priests anymore but that holiness needs to be passed down from generation to the next. At the start of every new generation, with the birthing of a first born, we must realize and remember we are different than Egypt. Our children can always leave Egypt. We can’t leave without them. That is how we Bo El Pharaoh- How we come to Pharaoh.
I’m about 10,000 miles away from my children as I write this. I miss them. Yet I am away because I am at a wedding of the child of a close friend of mine. There is nothing more Jewish than a Jewish wedding. We are told that all of the previous generations are there at the Chupah. They rejoice at this newest link being formed. Another generation gets ready to begin. Our family started 3000 years ago, that chain still lives on. It is truly remarkable. And we owe it all to our kids. May our Father continue to bless all of His children that we should merit to see our Father return to His Home as well soon.

Have a blessed simchadike Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Oib di velt vet verren oisgelaizt, iz es nor in zechus fun kinder”- If the world will ever be redeemed, it will be only through the merit of children.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
Q The Jewish calendar year is based on:
A. The sun and the moon
B. The sun
C. The moon
D. None of the above is true

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/u9o4bqAQVhs  -  Beautiful song by the two incredible brothers Eitan and Shlomo Katz Al Hatzadikim in memory of Rav Shteiman

https://youtu.be/0wqMp3J8FB4 - Awesome story by Rabbi Yoel Gold- I love his stuff but this one is really cool wathc till end!

https://youtu.be/8oQk5ghFE50   - I loved this song when it first came out. I love Shwekey but he still isn’t an Abie Rottenberg.

https://youtu.be/9EjjfkHql3I   - And of course the Little Kinderlach will bring Mashiach from Country Yossi classic!


RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HAFTORA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Quite a few of our Nevi’im as we pointed out lived at the same time. Although in yeshiva I think it was all one big blob of nevi’im and it really doesn’t make much of a difference. It’s why I include the timeline and the bios to this column of each of the nevi’im hopefully with its review each week of different prophets and their contemporaries we can get a feel and appreciation of each of these great men and their times.
Two such prophets Yirmiyahu and Yechezkel both lived during the period leading up to and following the destruction of the Temple. The difference being that Yechezkel, whose prophecy was the haftorah of last week, was in Babylonia already, while Yirmiyahu, this week’s Haftora, was in Eretz Yisrael. It is fascinating to look at each of their prophecies about the same incident in before the Exile of the Jews; namely the defeat of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King.
It seems this was a very significant incident in the world at the time. Egypt was who Israel counted on for support against the Babylonians and their defeat in Yechezkel’s view was one of Hashem destroying the arrogance of Egypt and establishing His name in the world, ironically enough through Nebuchadnezzar. Yirmiyahu on the other hand sees this battle as it reflects as a forewarning of what will happen to the Jews for relying on Pharaoh.
Yirmiyahu (46:25) So said Hashem of Hosts the God of Israel behold I will punish Amon of No and Pharaoh and Egypt and their gods and on their kings both on Pharaoh and those that put their trust in him.
The connection to the Parsha is of course the plagues, the stumbling blocks Hashem put before them and their arrogance and denial of a day of judgement.
However Yirmiyahu, unlike Yechezkel mentions that Egypt will be returned to their country as they were in the past. Similarly he tells Yaakov that even though we will be exiled we will return to Eretz Yisrael. Two different views of this world story. One from the eyes of exile and Yechezkel who is warning Jews that even Exile they must remember that Hashem is the one behind it all. Yirmiyahu on the other hand from Israel forewarning us that the sword of Nebuchadnezzar is coming our way, and yet we should know that we will return just as Egypt will. Isn’t it so much more interesting when you know the history?

Yirmiyahu (590 BC) – One of the last prophets of the first temple. Yirmiyahu prophesied for the lastk kings of Yehuda Yoshiayahu the righteous King, and his following kings Yehoachaz, Yehoyachin, and for the 11 years of King Tzedkiyahu who was captured and exiled by Babylonians. Yirmiyahu certainly living in one of the most tragic periods of our downfall’s prophecies are full of rebuke trying to get the people to repent and avoid the impending destruction.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Yaakov’s Ladder 1577 BC – It is perhaps the most famous of all Biblical dreams. The imagery of Jacob’s ladder with the angels going up and down to heaven is classic and inspirational. Whether this is the angels that accompany him as he leaves Israel to go to Chutz La’artez as he is fleeing from his brother. Whether it is the angels seeing Yaakovs image up in heaven engraved on Hashem’s throne. Whether it is a moral lesson for the way that we have to grow in this worl; our feet being planted firmly in this world as our heads like the ladder reach for the heavens. We are told this story takes place in the city of Beit El. Yaakov has left Be’er Sheva in the South he is headed up to his uncle Lavan in North Syria or Iraq. According to Rashi and others he has already traveled all the way there to study for 14 years in Yeshiva and remembers that he passed over the Temple Mount- where his forefathers prayed and headed back there. This would make it quite a journey. But regardless it is here that he goes to sleep and has his fateful dream.
He awakes and calls this place the “Gateway to Heaven”.
Now as we know Jerusalem is the gateway to heaven so Rashi explains that the land folded up underneath Yaakov. And his feet was in Beer Sheva and his head was in Beit El which would put the middle of the ladder or where his heart would be more accurately in Jerusalem. I have seen some commentaries that describe the ladder as going up to Jerusalem from Beer Sheva and then down from Jerusalem to Beit El, which is a bit of a different take. Now modern Beit El is near where the biblical city was. In fact in the Arab village of Beitin south of Beit El there was certainly a city with biblical ruins they have found there. Some archeologists have associated this with the city of the King Yeravam, who broke off with 10 tribes after King Solomon and started the Northern Kingdom of Israel, had his capital. Interestingly enough he chose Beit El because he said that Yaakov declared that this was gateway to heaven- as opposed to Jerusalem that was selected by the house of David that Yeravam was breaking off from.
Now I have never really guided in Biblical Beit El or even modern Beit El as there is not much I have found there to show people.  Beitin is one of those West Bank villages that Jews are not allowed into and risk their lives if they go there, as is so nicely posted at entry to city. I would love to daven Mariv there once though if I ever had the opportunity with my tourists thought for after-all as we know it is there that the first Mariv service was ever made, the prayer of Yaakov before that dream. It would be a real chavaya to daven and sleep there. I wonder what we would dream about…
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S CHILDREN JOKES OF THE WEEK
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

 An irate woman burst into the baker's shop and said, " I sent my son in for two pounds of cookies this morning, but when I weighed them there was only one pound. I suggest that you check your scales."
The baker looked at her calmly for a moment or two and then replied, "Ma'am, I suggest you weigh your son."

 When Dad came home he was astonished to see Alec sitting on a horse, writing something. " What on earth are you doing there ?" he asked.
"Well, the teacher told us to write an essay on our favorite animal. That's why I'm here and that's why Susie's sitting in the goldfish bowl !"

Two kids are talking to each other. One says, "I'm really worried. My dad works twelve hours a day to give me a nice home and good food. My mom spends the whole day cleaning and cooking for me. I'm worried sick!"
The other kid says, "What have you got to worry about? Sounds to me like you've got it made!"
The first kid says, "What if they try to escape?"

For weeks a six-year-old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house.
One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event.
The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, "Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?"
Tommy burst into tears and confessed, "I think Mommy ate it!"

Little Girl to her friend: "I'm never having kids. I hear they take nine months to download."

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S SHABBOS CARTOON OF THE WEEK


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Answer is A – I don’t believe there is anything mystical about my selection of questions for this section our weekly E-Mail I just go through them in the order that they come up from the current years Minstry of Torurism’s Tour Guide exam. I’m testing myself, and sharing with you an appreciation of the amount and minutia of detail that was and is required to pass the exam to become a licensed tour guide in this country. Yet, when a question comes up that has to do with parshat Hashavua, I pause and think maybe there is some mystical Divine hand in the order of these weekly questions. Anyways this question is easy for anyone that read the Torah portion this week. The first mitzva the Jews got as a nation was to count the months, which of course would be a lunar calendar. However we are also told that the Pesach mustbe in the spring each year. Which of course if we would follow a solely lunar calendar year of 354 days would be short 11 days each year and eventually move Pesach and all our holidays to different season of the year. Which is what happens to the Muslims who follow a lunar only calendar.  So we correct our Lunar calendar by adding in leap years every few years to bring us back to the balance of a solar year. So there you have it’s really a balance between the solar and lunar calendars.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Weather or Not- Parshat Vaeira 2018 5778

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 12th 2018 -Volume 8 Issue 14 25th Tevet 5778
Parshat Vaeira
Weather or Not
So how you guys holding up with the weather there in the States. With your cyclone bomb and the like. Pretty amazing isn’t it? I mean Donald Trump is not even President for a year and he already solved Global Warming it seems. Right? Now that is taken care we can go back to putting on deodorant without worrying about the ozone layer. Now I know that Israelis may be hesitant to quickly jumping to conclusions and they may be a bit reticent about spraying anti-perspirant on again too quickly. I mean they were after-all the first ones to stop wearing any- decades before anyone knew that those spray cans where making icebergs melt in Antarctica. They just had a feeling it was a bad thing. But I think they might come around, once they realize that the Donald has solved the problem. He definitely seems to be some type of Messianic figure around this country lately. The President that many here wish would be our Prime minister. Because the Knesset is just not enough of a circus already.
But jokes aside, it is a pretty crazy weather situation in the world. Snow in Virginia and Florida. NY has been sieged by freezing weathers. Here in Israel on the other hand we are suffering from a 4 year drought. It has been a pretty sunny winter. Now I know that my tourists think that is a great thing. But that is only my winter tourists. Come back this summer and if we don’t get rain soon all of of our amazing and fun water hikes won’t be much more than splash holes anymore. Instead of rafting down the Jordan River we may be backside bumping down. Ouch! Not that fun. It is a serious situation though. I travel around the country and it is really sad to see how much of it is dried up. We did have some rain the past week. Even had a big storm that flooded by suite last Shabbos. But I was listening to a weather guy afterwards and he noted that we would need about 500 days like that to just get back up to the red line of the Kinneret. To where it should be. It’s time to pray for rain, boys and girls. And to be honest I really find it one of the parts of davening that I find that I find myself having the least amount of fervor or kavana in.And I don’t think I’m the only one.
See in America we were raised on the song “Rain rain go away don’t come back another day.” Rain means we can’t play ball. Rain means we’re stuck inside. Now that wasn’t much of a problem for me as I wasn’t a ball player and I liked inside. But still it was wet, dirty, muddy, certainly not anything that we ever thought was a blessing. I told my shul last week that when people in America pray for rain- when they say the prayer for geshem on Sukkot or the daily prayers of Morid Hageshem or V’tein Tal U’Matar they don’t really mean rain they mean parnassa- livelihood, the holy dollar, moola. Nobody really wants rain. Here it’s different. In Eretz Yisrael fascinatingly enough they really mean rain.
What’s even more interesting is that the prayer for rain is not even because we need it necessarily for our crops or for our drinking, showers, wash or bathing. We have desalinization, we have purification plants. We may even start exporting water soon to other countries despite our drought. No, they pray for rain because they innately sense that the land needs rain. The country needs rain and that lack of rain is a sign from Hashem of his displeasure and his withholding of blessing. Even the most secular Israeli senses this. Rain is a barometer of our relationship with Hashem. It always has been since the very beginning. In fact the very first narrative of the Torah after the creation of the world- the very first!!-  is precisely that
Bereshit (2:5) and all of the siach- tree of the field was not yet on the earth and all the herb of the field had not grown and there was no man to work the ground.
The world Hashem created needed rain. The word that is uses for tree is siach which also is a term that is used for prayer by Yitzchak our forefather who established the Mincha prayer. The world needed prayer. It needed Man to pray for it. That is our first experience of Creation- perhaps even arguably the function of our Creation as the next verse says and thus Hashem created Man. We are here to pray for rain.
As well each day in Shema we mention that if we do not follow the mitzvos then Hashem will close up the heavens and there will not be rain. The weather forecast fascinatingly enough really should be our spiritual barometer about how our relationship with Hashem is doing. And if that’s the case, then I think we should be asking ourselves more and more with these crazy weather conditions how our forecast looks.
The truth is, that it is not only because of the weather outside that I am writing about this week. It is also the weather in the Parsha. See I believe, as our loyal readers know, that the Parsha as well is our daily forecast for the messages and life lessons that we should focusing on each week. It the glasses we should put on each morning that gives us the perspectives we should have for the challenges and current events that are going on around us. So what is the weather in Parsha?

It’s interesting when one thinks about the plagues of Egypt of which the first 7 are listed in this week’s Torah portion. Blood, Frogs, Lice, Wild Beasts, Pestilence, Boils and finally Hail. Which of these would you say is the least extraordinary? Or how would you rank them in “coolness”. Blood- very cool. Frogs totally awesome lots of fun. Lice very creepy and slimy but definitely extraordinary I mean the entire sand of the land of Egypt turns to lice. The first three are definitely just unreal.  Similarly with wild beasts just rampaging through the streets. That’s crazy! Pestilence a plague that suddenly hits the cattle doesn’t sound so crazy, so miraculous. I mean we certainly have heard of plagues wiping out cattle before. OK so the borders that it only hit Egyptian animals was pretty strange, but it seems we have gone down a little bit from the way out there amazing change the course of nature plagues. As well the boils doesn’t seem to be so spectacular. I mean it’s painful don’t get me wrong. Perhaps the most painful of all the plagues until now, which seemed to be more terror-inducing oriented but not unheard of.
Finally we end off the Parsha with “severe weather conditions” A cyclone bomb. Are you terrified? Don’t worry by the way, about this plague the Torah tells us because if you stay in your house and if you bring your animals inside then you really won’t suffer from it. It’s only if you’re- pardon the French- an Egyptian idiot- and leave your stuff outside, then you will be struck by it. You know kind of like the people that hung around and didn’t evacuate during the hurricane.
I don’t know for some reason if I had to choose any of the above plagues this would seem to be the one that I would go for. Yet interestingly enough for some reason Hashem describes this plague as being the wildest of all of them, listen to the verses.
Shemos (9:14) This time I will send all of my plagues to your heart and your servants and your nation
(9:16) On account of this I have left you standing to show you my power and so that my name will be declared throughout the world.
(9:18) Behold at this very time tomorrow I shall rain a very heavy hail such as there had never been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
OK so this is the first time Hashem is sending all plagues to Pharaohs heart. Not sure why a bit of rain and hail is all the plagues. It’s also interesting that he keeps repeating that this is from the time Egypt was established on the earth. Almost hearkening back to that first establishment of the earth pre-rain of Adam in the garden. Moshe as well warns them to take in their cattle and slaves and tells them that if you fear God and take precautions by bringing in your stuff you’ll be fine. What is so bad about this plague? Now to be fair the Torah does describe fire coming down with in the hail which does seem supernatural, yet if I was in Egypt and I knew I was safe inside then I would just think this is a very cool firework show from inside my house. Moshe even gave any exact time for showtime on this plague. At exactly “this time tomorrow” or as Rashi says when the sun hits this spot the hail show begins. So no one is caught outside. Why is this what the Torah describes as the most terrifying of all plagues?
The truth is that we find that this in fact is the most terrifying. It is here for the first time that Pharaoh admits I have sinned. Hashem is righteous. I and my people are wicked. He sounds like a complete Baal Teshuva. A real penitent. He begs Moshe to daven to Hashem. The hail show seemed to do something that no other plague did. It made Pharaoh realize that his actions have consequences. How? He saw the weather forecast and he understood that his deeds impacted the weather.
Our sages tell us that when it thunders it goes directly to your heart. We tremble. It is like we hear heaven talking. There is nothing that shakes us more than a natural crack of lightning.  At the same time. As well there are not too many things left in the world today and even back then as well that we feel we have absolutely no control over like the weather. We can desalinate water if it all turns to blood, we can cure diseases, we can get rid of wild beasts, frogs, and we can “fight off” anything that Hashem sends against us. But the weather… When the heavens themselves are turning against us, the game is over. We know it is totally out of our league. The truth is everything is out of our league. Everything is from Hashem. We only breathe each minute because He chooses to give us air. But we take that for granted. The weather is there to remind us that the heavens and earth are connected. They have a symbiotic relationship. If we hear God we are good. If we don’t we are toast; Hail and fire toast. If we pray, there will be rain. We are connected to above. We have joined the worlds. The upper and the lower. If we don’t then chaos reigns and rains.
The Shemen Hatov notes that this plague hits Egypt in its heart because it shows that Hashem despite his wrath at Egypt shows them mercy. They can stop it at any time. It is the first plague that Hashem tells them how they can control their own destiny on weather  whether or not the plague will hit them. The ball- yes that big fire ensconced hail ball- is in their court. It’s not just a God throwing wild miraculous plagues and punishing or even frightening Egypt. It’s a Hashem, a loving father in heaven that is only doing this in order to bring even a Pharaoh and his nation back to him. It works. Pharaoh understood the weather report. He repents. It doesn’t last. His heart gets hardened. But for that brief moment and for the first time. Pharaoh can say and see that it his wickedness and his actions that can change the weather in a moment.
I was at the Western Wall the other day. There was a great Rabbi praying in front of me. He was crying. He was broken hearted. He was imploring Hashem. There wasn’t someone sick he was davening for. He wasn’t even asking for the Temple, for redemption certainly not for livelihood or blessing or peace. He was asking for rain. He kept repeating the words and crying. He wasn’t a farmer. He wasn’t thirsty. He wasn’t nervous for his crops. Yet he understood as well the weather report. He understood that for all of our prayers to work the lines between heaven and earth have to be open. That rain, that blessed weather, is the sign of how good our “reception” is. If it ain’t raining it’s because Hashem is telling us that we are out of rain-ge. He is withholding for a reason. He wants us to reconnect with him. Ignoring that call can be fatal. It is stubborn. It is no different than Pharaoh in Miztrayim. It is hardening our hearts. We are told that before Mashiach comes the weather will be out of control. It will be unseasonal, it will be extreme. Hashem is cyclone bombing us. Just as then may we hear that call and have it herald in the Redemption.

Have a redemptive Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Run away from rain and you get hail”- Men antloyft fun regn, bagegnt men hogl.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
Q The Mesubim junction is named after a site mentioned in:
A. Megillat Ta’anit (The Scroll of Fasting)
B. Serekh haYahad (the community rule scroll)
C. The Passover Haggadah
D. Megillat Eikha (Lamentation)

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/u9o4bqAQVhs  -  Beautiful song by the two incredible brothers Eitan and Shlomo Katz Al Hatzadikim in memory of Rav Shteiman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUFyBcDZPuA    -  Loving this song this week Yitein Lecha Elokim. Just a really beautiful upbeat song about blessing!

 https://youtu.be/ibww5KEiwWg  - New Benny Freedman music  video Amar Reb Yehoshua about doing things with Zerizut- alacrity a word that by the way no one really uses unless their translating zerizut.

https://youtu.be/hebh-ZoRa0o  - HASC concert Rabbi Baruch Chait and Avraham Fried singing perhaps the most popular Jewish song of all time Gesher Tzar Meod! Awesome


RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HAFTORA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

So much of the way that we understand and read our Torah narratives are influenced and directed by our sages and the Midrash that accompanied the teaching of the Torah stories. That Haftorah is like a bridge between those two worlds and views. On the one hand it is written prophecy so the words and text becomes significant. On the other hand it is words of Prophets and Sages and how they understood and read the Torah and its stories. And how we are meant to read those stories and their eternal lessons.
This week’s Torah portion which is perhaps one of the most well-known Jewish stories is the story of the plagues against Egypt. Now if one would read the story itself and perhaps even watch a few biblical movies one might get the impression that the struggle of the Egyptians nad Pharaoh against Hashem and Moshe was about slavery and the persecution of the people. And that is true. But the Prophet suggests a deeper level to the story and that is that this is a struggle about revealing Hashem to the world. It begins with a vision of Yechezkel of Messianic times with the ingathering of Exiles when that will occur
Yechezkel (28:26) And they shall dwell securely and they shall build houses and they shall plant vineyards… and they will know that I am Hashem.
Hashem tells Yechezkel that Pharaoh is the anti-thesis of that revelation for he is the one that believes himself a deity.
(29:3) He said it is my Nile and I have made it
(29:6) and all of the dwellers of Egypt will know that I am Hashem.
In the times of Yechezkel who is prophesizing about the Babylonian Exile in which Egypt had betrayed Israel and reneged on their treaty to defend us, he foretells of the destruction of Egypt. To a large degree this is similar as well to our Egypt story where Egypt forgot of the gratitude they should have had for Yosef who had provided them with food in their famine.
Egypt it seems represents this tendency to believe that they are the be-all and end- all. The Nile makes them feel self-suffecient. They can abandon their previous alliances and they can ignore the fact that there is a Creator God that makes and controls the entire world. This is the theme of the Haftorah and the truth is that is the theme of our Parsha. For our Parsha really begins with this revelation of Hashem to Moshe that the entire story of our Exodus, the plagues and the punishment of Egypt is about revealing Hashem to the world in a way that has never been done before. The phrase “and they will know I am Hashem” is not only the conclusion of the Haftorah but it repeats itself again and again. That is the lesson our sages wished us to see in this story. In our story. It’s not just about slavery and freedom. It’s about recognizing and seeing Hashem in this world.
Yechezkel /Ezekiel (590 BC) – The names of the prophets always reflect the essence and personality of the Prophet. Yechezkel’s name which means the “strength of God” is most apt for this navi whose prophecies really depict the era of redemption and when Hashem will avenge against the nations who have persecuted His people and the miraculous ways that Hashem will restore us to our Land. Yechezkel himself witnessed that redemption when the Jews as he was part of the Exile from the destruction of the Temple and he 70 years later was part of the return. Meaning he was there for the entire story of Purim and Queen Esther in Babylonia, yet he saw us return with Ezra and was part of that. We don’t usually think of the stories and lives of the prophets intersecting like that. But when we put the historical data together it can give us a better picture of the lives of these great men.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

The Marriage of Yitzchak 1674 BC – After the death of Sarah it seem there is a need for a woman in the house of Avraham, to fill here shoes. The Torah tells us that Avraham sends Eliezer to Aram Naharayim to go find a spouse for Yitzchak by his family back there. Aram Naharayim which is Northern Syria is certainly a ways from Beer Sheva where Avraham is living. Interesting enough as well we are told that Yitzchak had the same idea to find a spouse for Avraham from one of his favorite places, namely his former wife Hagar and the place that she would seemingly hang as well, with his step-brother Yishmael. Where is that? The Torah tells us it is Be’er La’Chai Ro’i- The well of the Living One that sees me. It was here that she prayed to Hashem when she was thrown out of the house of Avraham. And it was here that she was on her way to be returned to Avraham when Yitzchak meets his Bashert Rivka coming back from Syria with Eliezer. She sees him praying and she falls of the camel.
So many important lessons take place here. First that we learn that if one does a kindness for someone else or prays for someone else and he needs the same thing Hashem will answer him first. Yitzchak needed to get married and he went to find a spouse for Avraham and he was answered first. Second we learn that despite Yishmael and Hagar being thrown out of Avraham’s house because of their potential influence on Yitzchak, they are never out of Yitzchaks mind and heart and he does whatever it takes to return them to Avraham and ultimately both of them do teshuva and repent. As well this is the place where our sages tell us that Yitzchak established the afternoon prayer of Mincha.
Where is Be’er Lachai Ro’i? The Torah tells us it is in the Negev between Kadesh and Shur. This would put it somewhere in the center of the Negev. There are quite a few wells and early biblical setttlements that have been discovered in the central Negev many of them definitely Jewish. There are some that place it by Ein Obdat a spring by the Nabatean city and a really fun hike. When I am there I always try to daven Mincha with my tourists there noting that this is the place where the original Mincha was established.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE WEATHER JOKES OF THE WEEK
Q: When does it rain money? A: When there is "change" in the weather
 Q: What do you call it when it rains chickens and ducks? A: Foul (fowl) weather.
Q: What did one raindrop say to the other? A: Two's company, three's a cloud
Q: How can you wrap a cloud? A: with a rainbow.
Q: What does it do before it rains candy? A: It sprinkles!
Q: What do you call a wet bear? A: A drizzly bear
Q: Can Bees fly in the rain? A: Not without their yellow jackets
Q: Why was the blonde standing outside the department store in the rain? A: She was waiting to cash her rain check!
 Why Jews aren’t Weather forecasters.
A cold front may or may not be coming in from the North tonight depending upon the will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Tomorrow morning, early, before shacharit, there will be a slight drizzle, im yirtze Hashem. If you drive to Shul, beware of slippery conditions to prevent accidents, rachmanis letzlan. Then, later in the day, if Moshiach hasn't come yet, chas veshalom, there will be -- b'ezrat Hashem -- heavy rain. Keneina hara, pu pu pu, this will help fill the reservoirs, kein yirbu (and if you need my brother-in-law is offering a good deal on umbrellas). By Shabbat kodesh, haba aleinu letovah, the sun will emerge from its sheath and shine upon the inhabitants of the land, may they live and be well bis hundert un tzvantzic, in gezuntheit.
Okay, schoen, that's it for this evening. Enjoy your dinner, zeit gezunt und shtark - chazak ubaruch, and don't forget to count the Omer!

Izzy and Yankel are walking down the street of Chelm when it starts to rain, and in no time at all, it’s raining quite hard. Luckily, Izzy is carrying an umbrella.
"Nu," says Yankel. "So when are you going to open the umbrella?"
"It won't do us any good," says Izzy. "It's full of holes."
"So why then did you bring it?" replies Yankel.
"Because," Izzy says with shrug, "I didn't think it would rain."

Maurice and Rachel are sweethearts. Maurice lives in a small village out in the country and Rachel lives in town. One day, they go to see the Rabbi and set a date for their wedding. Before they leave, the Rabbi asks them whether they want a contemporary or traditional service. After a short discussion, they opt for the contemporary service.
Their day arrives but the weather is rotten and a storm forces Maurice to take an alternate route to the shul. The village streets are flooded, so he rolls up his trouser legs to keep his trousers dry. When at last he reaches the shul, his best man immediately rushes him up the aisle and up to the chuppa. As the ceremony starts, the Rabbi whispers to Maurice, "Pull down your trousers."
"Rabbi, I've changed my mind," says Maurice, "I think I prefer the traditional service."


RABBI SCHWARTZ’S SHABBOS CARTOON OF THE WEEK



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Answer is C – I admit I had no clue to the answer to this question. I also had no clue as to where the Mesubim intersection was. Never even heard of it before. So I guessed. The only one of the above answers that had anything to do with the concept of Mesubim which means reclining is the Pesach haggada. Eicha lamentations with a Tisha bav connection has nothing to do with reclining and it would probably be in Jerusalem or Herodian somewhere. The Yahad is like a Kumran Dead Sea thing and there is no mesubim junction in that area that I know of, nor does it have anything to do with reclining either. Megillat Taanis I think is just thrown in to mess with you. So the only answer that made sense is Pessach seder and it talks about all the Rabbis reclining in Bnai Brak. Which actually is where the intersection is. Well it’s not in Bnai Brak. But it is by Ramat Gan and south entrance to Tel Aviv where they believe the old Roman period Bnai Brak was. And there you have it.