Insights
and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 4th 2019 -Volume 9 Issue 14-27th of Tevet 5779
Parshat
Va’eira
Getting
it Right
It always amuses me,
although it is somewhat tragic, how the ignorance of many Israelis about our
history and biblical figures can sometimes lead them to making pretty hideous
mistakes in what they emulate. One great example is this hotel that I visited
in Eilat a few weeks ago with my wife, I say visited because I couldn’t afford
to stay there, but the spa was only 90 shek, so that’s where we went while
sleeping at a cheaper hotel. {Not that you get the wrong idea, that I just
visited Eilat, which is a fantastic vacation city, but it was a business trip
as well, as I had to check it out for some upcoming tours I had. Oyyy the
travails of being a tour guideJ}.
Anyways the hotel was
one of the most magnificent in Israel a few blocks long and glorious in every
architectural way. Its name troubled me though. It was called the Herod’s
hotel. Now I understand that they were naming it after that great King of
Israel that built the 2nd Temple which according to our sages “one
who had not seen in the Temple of Herod had not seen a beautiful building in
his life”. In addition he built the Tomb of our forefathers in Hebron, the
glorious port city of Caesarea and other huge edifices around Israel (tour
guides on this list can you name them?). Yet, Herod was not a nice person. He
was kind of a psychopath. I was wondering as I was looking out at the beautiful
swimming pool, if the namers of the hotel knew that Herod had his own children
and grandchildren drowned in his pool, because he suspected them of trying to
overthrow him. Or as I stood over the beautiful balcony looking out at the
glorious view of the Eilat mountain range and the hills of biblical Edom if
they knew that Herod’s wife committed suicide jumping off the balcony of his
palace rather than being married to that tyrant. (Incidentally he had her
preserved in honey after that and would continue to bring her to all State
Functions-think about that next time your husband says Honey, can you come hereJ). The man was literally a
paranoid murderer, who killed thousands of Jews in the worst possible way. Not
someone I would think you should name a hotel after.
One can go to the Dead
Sea area and be greeted by the Lot Hotel. Also not a great name for a hotel.
Again being that this is near the ancient city of Sodom, where Abraham’s nephew
Lot lived and which the angels rescued him from before its destruction with
fire and brimstone, it was thus named. Yet, let’s see what I would expect to
see in a hotel named after Lot. First of all, the food is probably pretty
salty, the beds might be too short or long and your feet can be stretched or
shortened as was the custom in Sodom. Tour guide and Rabbi advice, don’t’
complain or ask for room service. In addition,
I would probably be a bit nervous being my daughters there, as Lot threw his
two daughters out to the street to be molested by the local mob. On the other hand,
the wine is probably pretty good, as the Torah tells us Lot got plastered after
his city was destroyed…yet I wouldn’t recommend sharing a room with any family
members that night. You never know who you’ll wake up with in the morning.
Sadly, there’s a lot
of things like this in Israel. I always get saddened when I meet an Israeli
named Nimrod-which the Torah tells us was a great warrior, but our sages tell
us that he was the despot king that threw Abraham into the fiery furnace and
build the Tower of Babel to rebel against God. Why not name your child Hitler,
or Stalin? It’s not just an Israeli problem, though I remember once being in a
Synagogue in Chicago and an individual got up to the Torah to give his newborn
daughter her new name. He called her Michaela Yardena, which sounded kind of
nice until I put two and two together and realized that the man was a Chicago
Bulls fan. Ouch! But the truth is throughout history we see Jews seem to be
forgetting our roots, the significance of maintaining our decidedly and
uniquely Jewish identities and names and trying to blend in as much as
possible. I remember once going to the ancient city of Tzipori, with a Chasidic
family and how they noted how strange it seemed to them that the names of those
who had dedicated the synagogue mosaic floor 2000 years ago were Plonius and
Marcus-decidedly not your typical Jewish names. I reminded them subtly that
their names Berel and his wife Fayga were also not really biblically oriented.
Ummmmm. But it’s true. Jews in Spain became Pedro, in France became Jean, and
in Africa probably Walla Walla Boom Boom. Yeah we kind of forget that the
non-Jewish names and countries that we are in will come and go. It is only us
that are eternal.
Why do we forget? Why
do we try to assimilate? What can we do to counter that? Is there some Divine
plan or trick to remember? The answer is of course there is. In fact Hashem
commanded us twice a day to remember one story. To have a Seder feast each year
with our family and to retell the story of how we became a nation. The lesson
that we learned on the day that we were born. The lesson of our Exodus from
Egypt.
This week’s Torah
portion tells us the beginning of the story of our Exodus. We’re all familiar
with it. We saw the movie, sadly enough, Heston’s and the Disney version. We
know about the blood, the frogs, the wild animals, lice and hail and we
remember the splitting of the Sea. Little kids sing about Pharaoh in Pajamas in
the middle of the night. Hashem made a big production out of this. It is
certainly memorable, we know the stories and our sages and our parents
Midrashic elaborations and embellishments. Yet sometimes we get so caught up in
the details we can forget the big picture. We can forget the big question. The
elephant in the middle of the room. I think it is the question that we should
ask, but perhaps too many of us might have the wrong answer, particularly in
our politically correct world. I remember someone once asked me it in Seattle,
although they kind of missed the boat, but they came close. Let’s see if we can
stumble on it together and maybe than we can have the insight I believe we are
meant to in our lives today.
The question I was
asked is why were the animals killed, throughout the story? The poor fish in
the plague of blood, the frogs-they didn’t seem too bothered about the lice,
but the poor sheep and cattle in the plague of Pestilence. Oyy… What did they
do wrong? A real good Seattlite question J.
Being a Rabbi I kind
of responded to the question with what I think is really a better question. We
do that sometime, by the way, in order to get to the clarity of the issue and
to follow the line of questioning and logic to its ultimate conclusion. I asked,
what about the babies and children of the Egyptians, what did they do wrong?
Let’s take it a step forward. Was all of Egypt really culpable for the actions
and stubbornness of Pharaoh? There were many of them that were pretty ready to
let the Jews go at various points during the plagues. Yet all of Egypt
suffered. All of them drank blood for a week. All of them had boils, lice,
darkness, they all lost their firstborns. Why? I can understand that sometimes
there is collateral damage in a war. If it’s Israel that causes this there is of
course world condemnation. If it’s the US then they talk about establishing a
commission to investigate, If it’s Putin, he kind of smiles, and if its Arab
against Arab like in Syria today then we all just send them money and supplies.
But this is God we are talking about that is inflicting this upon- a decidedly
and unquestionably evil nation-but certainly He is not abiding by any type of
Geneva Convention laws.
The question, as well
guess can be posed, why we had to suffer so long as well? What was the point of
all of those Jewish babies thrown into the Nile? The torture, the slave labor,
the attempted Genocide? The horrors that our people suffered for close to two
centuries is incomprehensible? Why did God allow it? This is not only a
question that we are allowed to ask. The Torah in fact at the conclusion of
last week’s portion as asking it? Where are You? You have not redeemed your
people. The Torah begins this week with the answer to all of the questions
above with the answer in a nutshell it goes something like this
“I am God-the
Omnipotent one and I have heard your cries and I will take you out with great
miracles and bring you to the land of Israel So you will know that I am Hashem
who takes you out and the land your forefathers dwelled in will be yours as an
inheritance.”
Got it?
All makes sense now? Let’s take it slowly and try to dissect this. After all it
is the essence of everything. It’s what we are meant to remember.
We had forefathers,
they recognized Hashem as the Creator of the world, but never revealed the
ultimate mission of bringing the concept of a God that is above time and space
that is running the world with an ultimate goal of it achieving that
recognition of its Godliness to the rest of the world. And thus HE has chosen
their descendants to be his people that would be charged with bringing that
light to the world. That’s the picture. Those people for them to succeed have
to realize that they are different than anyone and everyone else. They can be
leaders and the most influential people in the world at one point in time, As
Joseph was in Egypt, as the Jews were in Spain, Germany, Communist Russia or
even the good old US of A. And in the next minute, if they forget their
mission, their job, their ultimate real home, they can be thrust into the Nile,
the inquisition, the Gulag, or the Aushwitzes of history. But ultimately I will
take them out. Note the tense of the word that the Torah uses “I am Hashem
who takes you out” present/future tense. Always that is our story.
When I take you out it will be with miracles that are there to show you that
you are not Egypt. They will drink blood and you will not be able to even give
them your water, but sell them to them (otherwise it wouldn’t change). Don’t
get confused, you are above them. They need to realize that and even more
significantly you need to realize that. Their animals die so they must come to
you for animals. They’re children will die, so that they may recognize that
only through the Jewish people and nation will salvation come, will the light
come. We need to realize that even more so.
Hashem didn’t just
miraculously transport us from Egypt magically poof “Disapparate”-for all those
Harry Potter fans.” To Israel. He extricated us from them with 10 plagues that
would teach them and us a lesson that we should never forget. He blew them
away. He showed that every aspect of Creation would go against its natural way
of working because they all serve Hashem which is above time and “modern”
conceptions of right and wrong, just and fair and “proportionate and
disproportionate responses”. The only right is what brings the world closer to
its inevitable purpose, the only good is when the Jewish people recognize that
it is ours to bring that to the world from the country that our forefathers lived
in for that is our inheritance and our legacy- the word Morasha/inheritance is
also present and future. Evil is whatever stands in the way of that purpose.
Whatever detracts and enslaves us, whether it is external forced labor and
persecution or it is our internal tendency to stray and abdicate our role and
assimilate. Or even worse look to the world for direction or morality, rather
than lead and teach them as we are meant to.
Hashem is just and all
His ways are just. The story of our birth as a nation is one that is filled
with horror and dread. It is what happens to a world that is Godless. It is
what happens to a world that the Jewish people had chosen to assimilate and
accept the dictates of their society rather than to lead the world. It brought
tragedy upon us and it brought tragedy and devastation for Egypt and the rest
of the world. We have said “Never Again” many times since then, yet tragically
it has happened again and again. It happens daily horrifically today even
within the “modern” State of Israel that Hashem has blessed us with returning
to. We are home but still need leading. Still not teaching. Still answering to
the worlds hypocritical sense of morality that seems to only be slung at us,
because we have not given them the alternate and only true sense of morality
that we are meant to. We have yet to claim Israel as the country that is our
inheritance to bring the name of Hashem and His Torah as the only true theology
to the world. It’s why we are here. It’s why we were born. It’s what the world
is waiting for us to do. It’s what our Father is waiting for us to do.
I await
the day when hotels in the US of A will be called The Avraham Avinu Hotel, that
in Saudi Arabia they will be called the Moshe Rabeinu Plaza, that the names
Herod, Lot and Nimrod are not only never used in a Jewish context but are even
scorned by the rest of the world. A world where the entire United Nations will
invite the leading sage to teach them about ethics and morality. A world where
evil is finally eradicated. A world where the Jewish People finally and truly
Never forgets.
Have a blessed
brachadikeh Shabbos and a great new month of Shevat!,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
********************************************************
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Gai farshtai a maidel: zi vart oif di
chasseneh un vaint tsu di chupeh..”- Go understand a girl: she looks forward to her wedding and weeps
as she walks to the marriage ceremony.
RABBI SCHWARTZES COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw9_S5xjwsE
– Luzzy and Rivky’s theme song by the Wedding Miracles Amazing
wonders!
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/rivkah
-In honor of Rivky and Luzzy’s wedding this
week, the song I composed for their Chuppah. Like and share!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YvKMmFRgkI
- Benny Friedman new video Bikur Cholim No
Time Like Now
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'S “LOMDUS”
CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Parshat Vaeyra– Lashon hakodesh/ Hebrew is
an amazing language. It defines the essence of the object, or term. The letters
are not arbitrary. They are the letters Hashem created the world with and
therefore they have meaning within themselves. But this is not a kabbalah
column. It’s lomdus. But I felt you need that introduction to understand why
lamdanim put so much emphasis on understanding every nuance of a world Our Talmud
does as well. And the reason is because behind that little nuance there one can
reveal an entire new story. Here’s a good example.
In
this weeks Parsha by the plague of dever- perstilence, the Torah seemingly contradicts
itself, if you pay attention to the nuances. By the plague the verse tells us.
Shemos (8:6) and
all of the cattle of Egypt died and from the cattle of the children of Israel
not one died.
In
the next verse however it tells us that when Pharaoh went out to make an
assessment of the damage
Ibid: And Pharaoh
sent and behold there wasn’t ad echad- even until one of the
cattle of Israel that died.
So
seemingly these verses are both say that no cattle of Israel died. However, the
Torah phrases it strange. It should just say not even one- what does “until”
one mean. So the truth is Reb Yehoshua Leib Diskin notes, that in the Talmud there
is a dispute whenever the word “ad” is used. When we say something is “until or
up to something” does it include that thing as well. In Talmud terms it is
called ad vad biklal oh eino biklal- is ad part of the general rule or
the exception. If that is the case then the first verse would be telling us
that none died and the second would be telling us that none besides one died.
Hmmmm now why would that be, the lamdan must ask?
So
the Mahril Diskin explains that the rule in Egypt was that one had to give a
1/10 of one’s cattle to the King. That being the case, he suggests that if a
person had ten sheep than one died therefore exempting him from the tax. If on
the other hand he had less than 10 then none died. He suggests that it is in fact what the verse
is telling us. First it tells us that none died. Then Pharaoh sends us
messengers to get his tenth tithe sheep from everyone and he found out that none
died from the Jewish people until one- unless there were 10 and then the 1/10th
sheep died for Pharaoh not for the Jewish people.
Cool!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S
AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Crossing the Yarden 1272 BC Although he did not have as
good of a PR agent as Moshe did, the crossing of the Jordan River by the Jewish
people led by Yehoshua was just as miraculous. In some ways perhaps even more
so. The Torah tells us that unlike by the Red Sea when the Jews were nervous
and frightened, by the Jordan river they seemed to have kicked the fear of raging
waters and went right in. Now when I cross the Jordan river- generally in the
North of Israel I have to be point out to my tourists a few things. Number one,
this is not where the Jews crossed. They crossed on the southern Jordan, across
from Yericho above the Dead Sea. We can’t cross that today because
the other side is Jordan. The second thing I point out, is that the Jordan was
certainly much larger than today. For today it really is not much more than a
creek. But it still is a cool chavaya to “cross the Jordan” which I do
by the Golan near Gesher Arik or Gesher Bnot Yaakov.
As well the crossing of
the Jordan in the times of Yehoshua entailed taking 12 rocks and building an
altar/ memorial from them of the crossing. These rocks the Midrash tells us
were ultimately taken up to Gilgal where it was built and then perhaps
taken down again and re-erected and plastered over by Mt. Eival when
they had the blessings and curses, but we’ll get to that later. Today
throughout the area of the Jordan Valley there are a few sites where they found
circular manmade rock formations that can be associated with Gilgal, a word
that means round, although the Torah tells us a different reason it’s called
that. The closest one to the Yericho crossing is near Moshav Argaman.
Finally the Torah tells
us that unlike the Red Sea crossing here the Kohanim and the Ark stayed on the
other side and came last and then they flew over in the midrash version,
carrying those that were carrying it. One can imagine the excitement of the nation
finally realizing they have entered the land, but oh no, the Ark is on the
other side, the Kohanim are still there, the water closed up and then poof it
flies over their head to the other side. Hollywood couldn’t do it better. And
this is the story I like to tell my tourists when we stand by Kasr El Yahud
right by the Jordan river as we overlook the place of the crossing. I also tell
them to look in the water to see if they can see the 12 replacement stones that
Yehoshua put in the Jordan river instead. No one has found them yet. But the
Torah tells us that they are still there. So keep looking!
RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S HOTEL JOKES OF THE WEEK
Funny Hotel Notices In The Lobby
1.
English well speaking.
2.
We take your bags and send them in
all direction.
3.
In case of fire, do your
utmost to alarm the hotel porter.
4.
The elevator is being fixed for
the next day during that time we regret that you will be unbearable.
5.
In the lift: Do not enter the
elevator backwards, and only when lit up.
6.
To move the cabin, push button for
wishing floor.
7.
Customers are expected to complain
at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 am daily.
1.
Is forbidden to steal hotel towels
please. If you are not person to do such thing please not to read notice.
2.
Please to bathe inside the tub.
3.
Please leave your values at the
front desk.
4.
You are invited to take advantage
of the chambermaid.
5.
Funny
Notices In a the Bar:
1.
Ladies are requested not to have
children in the bar.
2.
Our wines leave you nothing to
hope for.
3.
Special today - no ice cream.
4.
Funny
Holiday Notices in the Hotel Shop
1.
For your convenience, we recommend
courteous, efficient self-service.
2.
If this is your first visit to
Tokyo, you are welcome to it.
3.
Order your summer suit. Because is
big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.
4.
Specialist in women and other
diseases.
5.
Teeth extracted by the latest
Methodists.
And of course my favorite joke…
Yankel’s mother calls his camp after the summer with her complaints. She is furious that her son came home without his towels.
“What type of camp is this?” she yells “What type of children, from what type of homes that takes things that don’t belong to them? I don’t understand how this could happen!”
The secretary at the camp apologized and suggested that perhaps little Yankel had merely misplaced his towels and they would proceed to look for them immediately. She asked the Mom if she could please describe them for her.
Yankel’s mother said “They are very recognizable, they all say Hilton on them….”
************
Answer is C– C’mon this one is Easy shmeezy. Everyone
should get it right. Not only get it right but even figure out where the
intersection is? Mesubin of course means reclining. And where do you have
reclining? By the Pesach Seder, of course. The haggada starts off with a story
of all of the Rabbis that were reclining all night long and talking about the
story of the Exodus from Egypt. They were all at the house of Rabbi Akiva. What
city? Bnai Brak, of course where this modern day intersection is.
score is Schwartz 10 and 1 for MOT
(Ministry of Tourism) on this exam so far.
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