Conversion Tag-tics- Parshat Emor-Behar 2019 / 5779

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

May 17^th 2019 -Volume 9 Issue 32-12^th of Iyar 5779

Parshat Emor/ Behar

Conversion Tag-tics

He had waited a long time for his meeting with the Beit Din for them to finally discuss the fulfillment of his dream of the past few years… to become a Jew. He knew they wouldn’t be friendly or encouraging. I had told him that from the get-go when he had approached me over two years ago. But he was determined and firmly committed. We had been studying, he was a regular in our shul, maybe even more so than some of those that were raised frum. He had even finished a tractate or two of Talmud and certainly was pretty fluent in halacha. I had been pushing for this meeting for Martin already for about a half a year and the day had finally come. He sat before them and waited respectfully and nervously for the interview that would forever change his life.

They started off asking him to recite the Shema. That was pretty strange, and even somewhat humiliating. He had been after-all davening with a minyan 3 times a day for 2 years and of course reciting the Shema. He said it with a brisker havara, like the best yeshiva guy. I beamed. Then they asked him if was violating the Shabbat each week. After-all a non-Jew is not allowed to fully observe the Shabbat, even when going through the process of the conversion. Did he light a match each Shabbat in order to observe, his non-observance -as bizarre as that sounds, while of course observing the rest of the Shabbos traditionally? He told them that lighting a match in order to violate Shabbos for no purpose would be a melacha she’ein tzarich l’gufa- an act on Shabbos not for the specific purpose of the act that it was meant to be done for. So that would make it only a rabbinic violation of Shabbos. Being that he wanted to violate it biblically he would turn on a light switch which could be either the act of lighting a fire or building (creating a circuit) depending on the Chazon Ish or Reb Shlomo Zalman. Don’t mess with Rabbi Schwartzes boys, thank you very much, I smiled to myself.
Then came the personal questions. They were suspicious and skeptical. Why would anyone want to become a Jew? Life is easier as goy. Anti-semitism is on the rise. Ever hear of the Holocaust? You don’t have to be Jewish to go to heaven. There are plenty of gentiles up there and plenty of Jews down below.  Why be Jewish?

So Martin responded that being Jewish connected him with Hashem. From the moment he awakens with Modeh Ani, praying three times a day, mitzvos, blessings, Torah… it all keeps him connected. It all reminds him and elevates him to a higher spiritual existence that he yearns for. I thought that it was a great inspiring answer. The rabbis’ though have probably heard it before. It’s like those medical school interviews- Why-do-you-want-to-become-a-doctor? To-help-people answers. One of them turned to Martin and cynically said,

“Well if you like praying so much, you can become Muslim and do it 5 times a day.”

As I said, Not friendly. Not encouraging. Now Martin didn’t respond. Which was a sign he wasn’t Jewish yet. We Jews can’t not respond. But that acquiescence and humble acceptance is probably what got him his conversion. I on the other hand, being a born and bred tribe-nik had no problem telling them that Muslim prayer consists of exactly one sentence. Allah akbar and Muhammed is his prophet- then bow down on a carpet a few times. In most shuls the abridged Mincha with a heiche-half kedusha is longer. Yeah, nobody does prayer like us.

We are getting closer and closer to the anniversary of our national “conversion” day. The day that we became a Jewish nation, of Shavuot. The parshiyot that we read during this sefirat ha’omer period as we get closer to that day are meant to be our personal conversion classes. In Israel we are a week ahead of those in Diaspora. You know, Israeli conversions always have to be a step ahead of those over there. But the theme that we have been seeing in the past few weeks parshas, as we have noted, all revolve around kedusha- holiness. We started with the mitzvos of Kedoshim; the acts that sanctify the Jewish soul This week in chutz la’artez they read Emor which discusses the sanctity of the Kohanim and kedushas ha’zman- sanctifying the appointed days on the calendar. In Israel we have arrived at the final stage in that triumvirate of the world Olam Shana Nefesh- Space, Time and Soul continuum, the land of Israel. Where time and souls can be perfectly sanctified.

The centrepiece in last weeks’ Torah portion is the prohibition of chilul hashem. To desecrate God’s name, which seemingly is the opposite of Kiddush Hashem sanctifying It.

Vayikra (22:32) Lo Tichalilu et shem Kodshi v’nikdashti b’toch bnai Yisrael- and you shall not desecrate My Name and I shall be sanctified amongst Israel.

I believe that there is a common misconception about this mitzva. I think when most people talk about making a chilul hashem, they think it refers to desecrating or defaming God or Hashem. Now that obviously can’t be. We can’t desecrate God, just like you can’t make water not wet and fire not hot. It is that way by definition, as Hashem is always holy. Being michalel Hashem literally means not desecrating Hashem- as in God, but rather ha-shem as in His name. Kiddush Hashem is the same. We are not making Hashem holy, rather we are sanctifying His name in this world. That is our primary mitzva. That is what we are here to do.

What is a chalal? In modern heberw it means outer space, or the hollow part of your house that you are waiting for them to construct which is not permitted for you to live in, but is there for you to use illegally and “one-day build in”. A chalil is a flute. Something hollow and empty. Kind of like the world before Creation. Tohu vavohu- empty and bare. Hashem then formed the universe and filled it with creations that are there to reveal His presence in that world. L’maleh es kol ha’olam kvodo- to fill the world up with His honour. To put his name ha-shem on everything here.

When we do mitzvos we are being mikadesh that shem- we are dedicating and putting a plaque with God’s name on it all over it. When we don’t fulfill the commandments, when we sin, we are being michallel et hashem- we are making a chalal- a hole and removing His name from the world. Just like I used to remove those silly little name-tags my mother used to sew onto my shirts so I wouldn’t lose them. She got smarter later on and started writing them with non-erasable marker. The actions I do, whether it is how I treat my parents, my workers, my animals, the needy, the food I eat and the way I do business all can either be about “my” world or Hashem’s world. Am I putting my name tag on it or His?

Right after the mitzva of Kiddush Hashem the Torah tells us about the day and term that Hashem dedicated to this concept is Shabbos.

Ibid (23:3) Six days you shall do your work and the seventh day Shabbat Shabbaton should be called holy-no work shall be done it is Shabbos for Hashem in all your dwelling places.

Stopping work, putting all my needs aside, turning off everything I have to do, every electronic gadget and e-mail I need to respond to, is making a statement. It is Shabbos for Hashem. I am putting His name on this world. It’s not my world. It’s Hashems. That is mikra kodesh. Calling it holy.
That is really the essence of all of the holidays that follow from there in the Torah’s description, taking different points of times different seasons, different crops and putting Hashem’s name tag on it. It’s why as well the Torah portion concludes with the story of the man that blasphemed who received the death penalty. Our lives here are for one purpose to fill the world with the name of Hashem (Not na nach nachman me’uman despite some people with lots of spray-paints misguided belief and efforts- sorry that just came out of my keyboard). We can do it with out lives or god-forbid we can do it with our deaths. The choice is ours.

And finally finally we have the mitzvos of the ultimate Shabbos la’hashem- the ultimate writing of Hashem’s name and that is in the land of Israel.

Ibid (25:1) v’shavsa ha’aretz Shabbos la’Hashem- And the land shall rest a Shabbos for hashem.

Check out Rashi.

Shabbos La’Hashem- L’shem Hashem- for the name of Hashem, k’shem -like (the Name?) is says by Shabbos of Creation..

Is there any greater way of placing Hashems name on our land then the entire country just shutting down any work on their field? Letting anyone who wants come into their pastures and take what they want. Now imagine if our whole holy nation did this. The entire world would know that the Jewish peoples land is not theirs. It is God’s country. It has the name of Hashem all over it. It would be as Rashi, described, like Shabbos of Creation, when Adam stood in that garden of Eden on that first morning and realized the entire amazing world had a Creator. Has a Divine name-tag.
When Martin went to the Mikva and accepted the mitzvos in front of the Beish din a few weeks later he got a new name. He was now Moshe. He was part of our people and the name of Hashem was with in him. Like a new child, there was a world of potential in front of him. There was a Creator and Father in heaven that he would always be connected to. When we approach Shavuot we as well have that ability to become born anew. To once again say na’aseh v’nishma as Martin/ Moshe did. It is time to bring Shabbos to the world. Shabbos for Hashem, just like the world was at Creation. Shabbos that will bring the whole world together. Shabbos that will bring that shofar of redemption to ring throughout the land.
Have a Divine Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Emess iz nor bei Got un bei mir a bissel...”- Truth is found only with God, and with me only a little.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q.   It is possible to watch eagles in Israel primarily in:

a. The Hula Agamon

b. The Carmel hai bar

c. The bird sanctuary in Eilat

d. Wadi Kelt

RABBI SCHWARTZES COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/mlg0iZkmPwM  – ZAnvil Weinbereger Pirkey Avos Choir pretty neat…

https://youtu.be/iy5JpzoEtO8    – Avraham Fried Acapella TRibuite from Soul Choir some great oldies

https://youtu.be/4WkzErL8kP0     –I don’t know why this bizzarely fascinates me… Simcha Leiner Crockpot interview.

https://youtu.be/rQnTodvonmk  – Lag Ba’Omer in Meron 1935 rare footage cool!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S “LOMDUS” CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Behar– Lomdus is a little like making a puzzle. You have to get all the pieces together and then you examine which fits where and what order they go in and then slowly as you work the picture comes out and everything fits together. Now there are two ways to do a puzzle. You can keep trying piece by piece, which of course is very long and tedious. Or you can organize them by themes and the colors you identify eg; the hair and head pieces on the top, the feet and toes on the bottom etc etc.. and then once you’ve done that then you can easier narrow it down more and more until you know exactly what goes where. That’s the way the lamdan does it. Examine it all and then put it together.

This week the Torah at the end of the parsha throws a few mitzvas together.

Ibid (26:1-2) And you shall not have a shaved flooring stone in your land to prostrate yourself upon it. Because I am Hashem. You shall observe my Shabbasos and you shall revere my sanctuary I am Hashem.

The Talmud derives that the prohibition to prostrate oneself is only in your land it does not include the Temple where prostrating would be permitted. Incidentally this where the custom comes from that when we prostrate ourselves on the floor on Yom Kippur we cover the floor- although I don’t know why those who have carpeted synagogues would do so. (anyone?) Now the Chatam Sofer wonders why is this prohibition not in the Temple as well? If Hashem doesn’t like prostrating to Him outside of the Temple then why not in the Temple as well? A Puzzle.

He then looks at the other pieces the Torah has divided for us which are the following mitzvos. Observe Shabbos and revere the temple. What does this have to do with the commandment not to prostrate yourself? He therefore suggests that it is a puzzle that fits together. See in the Temple it is impossible to not have stone floors, or even to cover the floor. There was blood and dirt from the offerings all over and it had to be cleaned. As well if it wouldn’t be paved and smoothed stone then it would be forbidden to clean it on Shabbos- as sweeping on a non-smoothed floor is forbidden as you are smoothing it out. And there the Torah puts the puzzle together for us.

Don’t prostrate on shaved smooth floors in your own lands- But not in the Temple.

Why?

Observe the Shabbat and Revere the Temple- the Temple needs to be cleaned on Shabbat- because we are obligated to revere the Temple and it can’t be dirty- and on Shabbos it is forbidden to clean a non smoothed floor. Therefore it has to be permitted to prostrate yourself there.

Puzzle complete!

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

Division of the Land –Tribe of Binyamin 1265 BC – Now the first 5 tribes, have been given the land that had already been conquered. Reuven, Gad on the eastern side of the Jordan River, half of Menashe with them and the other half in the center of the country with his brother Ephraim, the double portion of Yosef. And the land of Yehuda, that we mentioned. The other 7 tribes though needed some extra encouragement as their land had not all been conquered so Yehoshuah urges them to divide it and the drew lots in Shilo again.

The next tribe and perhaps the one with the holiest real estate was the tribe of Binyamin. In Moshe’s blessing to Binyamin he said that Binyamin was the yedid Hashem- the beloved of Hashem and Hashem would dwell securely amongst him and “between his shoulders”. Practically speaking. From the time we entered the land until the time the temple was destroyed, Binyamin always had a piece of the Divine “action”. The Mishkan/ tabernacle was always in his portion. It was in the cities of Shiloh, Nov and Giveon until it was moved to Yerushalayim.

Now hold on a second! Didn’t I write last week that Jerusalem was in the portion of Yehudah? I’m glad you were paying attention J.

The answer of course is Geroge Washington. You see what state is Washington DC in? It’s not in any state. Why not? Because good ol George knew his bible. And he realized that Jerusalem the capital of Israel should was as well not entirely in the portion of one tribe. It was slit-in fact right through the Beir Hamikdash between Yehudah and Binyamin. Yehudah, being the representative of  the children of Leah, and Binyamin being the rep of the children of Rachel. No one tribe or Matriarch should have it in their possession and feel they are more important. Just as no state should have Washington DC.

So what are the borders of Binyamin. Well it goes up to the Jordan river on the east from Jerusalem right above Yericho, It includes familiar cities of Maalei Adumim, Beit El, the Modi’in neighbourhood and Highway 443, Beit Horon and Atarot. It also includes, Mitzpeh and the Nebi Samuel area. In Yerushalayim, the valley of Hinnom, Ein Rogel and even Emek Refaim in the fancy Rechavia neighbourhood is part of their portion. Now of course much of their portion particularly the Yerushalyim Temple Mount took them a few hundred years until it was conquered by King David. But good things are certainly worth waiting for.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S CONVERSION JOKES  OF THE WEEK

A woman on a train walked up to a man across the table. “Excuse me,” she said, “but are you Jewish?”
“No,” replied the man.
A few minutes later the woman returned. “Excuse me,” she said again, “are you sure you’re not Jewish?”
“I’m sure,” said the man.
But the woman was not convinced, and a few minutes later she approached him a third time. “Are you absolutely sure you’re not Jewish?” she asked.
“All right, all right,” the man said. “You win. I’m Jewish.”
“That’s funny,” said the woman.” You don’t look Jewish.”

Three Jews who had recently converted to Christianity were having a drink together in a posh restaurant. They started talking about the reasons for their conversions.
“I converted out of love,” said the first. “Not for Christianity, but for a Christian girl. As you both know, my wife insisted that I convert.”
“And I,” said the second, “I converted in order to rise in the legal system. You probably know that my recent appointment as a federal judge may have had something to do with my new religion.”
The third man spoke up: “I converted because I think that the teachings of Christianity are superior to those of Judaism.”
“Are you kidding?” said the first man, spitting out his drink.
“What do you take us for, a couple of goyim?”

Every Wednesday morning four Jewish lawyers played golf, but one morning one player couldn't show up and they invited a gentile to play with them. Round after round the Jewish lawyers scored birdies and eagles while the gentile went way over par.

In despair, he asked what their secret was and the reply came back, "We worship at Beth Jacob every day, three times a day and thank God, we're scoring well."

Overwhelmed by his desire to become a championship golfer, the gentile takes a two year long conversion process and finally meets with the rabbinical court to make his conversion official.

Once again he found himself as the fourth man playing with the Jewish lawyers. While they scored birdies and eagles as usual, his score was no better than before. Upset, he told the lawyers that he had gone through a formal conversion and davens three times a day and his golf score was no better.

"So where do you daven," they asked?

"At Beth Am," he replied.

"That's your problem, Beth Am is the tennis shul."

A Jewish immigrant arrives by ship to New York City from Europe. The immigration inspector at Ellis Island asks him his first and last name, age, and national origin. Because of all the suffering he went through in his native land, when inspector asks him what religion he belongs to, the Jew is very uncomfortable and hesitates before answering.

Finally he lifts his head, on top of which is his peasant hat and he responds with questionable pride, "I am Christian!"

To that, the immigration inspector answers him with a question, "Christian Ashkenazi or Christian Sephardi?"

Christine and Daniel fall in love and decide to get married - but only on condition that Christine becomes Jewish. So she goes to see Rabbi Levy for some advice.
Rabbi Levy tells her, "You will have to learn how to keep a kosher home, light shabbes candles, keep two sets of crockery and a few other simple things."
"That sounds easy to me, rabbi," says Christine, "I can easily do that."
Then Rabbi Levy says, "The last thing is, you must go to a mikva."
"A mikva?" says Christine, "what's that?"
"It's a pool of water," answers Rabbi Levy, "and you must immerse yourself completely for a few seconds."
"I'm sorry, rabbi, but I have a phobia about putting my head underwater. I'll go into the water up to my chin but I won’t put my head under the water. Will that be OK?"
"I suppose it will do," replies Rabbi Levy, "you’ll be mostly Jewish but you will still have a 'Goyisha kop'."

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Answer is D–  Buzzz got this one wrong! I had no clue what the answer was. Birds are really not a thing for me. I narrowed down the question from four to 2 answers because Eilat and Hula where you have the huge bird migration- a half a billion birds annually would be the same answer, if it was reffering to the bird migration. Which the question obviously was not. So I went with Mt. Carmel, which was wrong. There are in fact only a small family of golden eagles left in Israel and they are found in midbar Yehudah, which would make Wadi Kelt the right answer. So if you want a bird tour guide, I’m not your man. Got that?  So the score is Schwartz 21 and 6 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam so far.