Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
August 3rd 2019 -Volume 9 Issue 43 Rosh Chodesh Av 5779
Parshat Matos/ Masei
Proper Signage
I was annoyed. It’s one my pet peeves in this country. They
finally put up a new sign on the road to direct people on how to get to the
Tanach sites in Jezre’el Valley. The battle of Gideon by Ein Harod, the
mountain of Gilboa where Shaul and Yonatan were killed, Ein Dor where Shaul
visited the witch before this battle. There’s lots of fascinating sites from
biblical times to see there. And now there was a sign. In English they even
spelled it transliterated right ‘Tanach Sites’. But stinking Israelis… They embarrassingly
spelled Tanach in Hebrew Taf- Ayin- Nun- chaf sofit. Really? An ayin
inside of the word? The word Tanach for
those of you not familiar is an acronym of Torah, Nevi’im and Kesuvim-
Torah, the prophets and the scripture. Everyone know this. It’s basic hebrew.
Well I guess except for the guy who writes signs in this country. They finally
got the English right and now they’re messing up the Hebrew. Oy… It’s just
frustrating. But that is signage in this country. They never seem to be able to get it right. Is it that hard to look up or ask someone how to spell or translate a word before putting a sign up about it. Why would you make 5 signs to direct me to the ‘Tumb of Rabbi Akiva’. What is a tumb?? Why would you put up a highway detour sign that directs you to the Buypass road, without knowing how to spell the word. I know that google translates the word ‘Zehirut Masa’ait Chutzot’- which literally means Careful of crossing trucks)-as Watch out for outdoor trucks, So the sign I saw the other day that says Care Full Trucks Passover- wasn’t google translates mistake. But really they couldn’t even spell careful right? Do they not know even a bit of English? At the pool the other day I was reading the sign with the rules that was titled in Hebrew as Chovot Hamitrachetz- the obligations of the swimmer as the “Debt Bather”. Sighhh… If only there was a place I could bathe my debts…
Now Americans are the first to laugh, mock and point out all of these errors. As if they could speak more than one language themselves. And as if when they try speaking Hebrew they don’t make mistakes whenever they open their mouths. We read each Shabbos by our house a book called ‘The Hot Dog Book’. It’s all these anecdotes about American mess-ups when they try to speak Hebrew. (The book’s title comes from the story of the seminary girl that actually went to the restaurant and asked for a kelev cham- literally a dog that was hot.}. So Americans really have no excuse to laugh or mock. You know the old joke, right? If you speak three languages what is called? Tri- Lingual and if you speak two you are Bi-lingual. And if you speak one? You are American…
But as a tour guide, that does speak both Hebrew and English fluently- I actually speak a few other languages as well but not so fluently- French- bordeuax, chardonay cabernet sauvignon, merlot… I speak Spanish- taco, tortilla, burrito and tequila.. Russian- Vodka.. – But anyways I certainly have the right to be upset and annoyed. The whole function of signs are to provide information. You are paying money to put up a sign to help people, to guide them, why do a half-baked misspelled mistranslated job… It’s just frustrating. Wouldn’t it be better not to put up a sign at all? Doesn’t everyone have Waze anyway?
Well this week’s Torah portion got me thinking about the Torah Mitzva of putting up signs. What, you didn’t know? Yup. It’s a biblical commandment to put up signs. At least some of the times there is. Other times, actually, quite the opposite. It’s better to not have signs. Maybe there is a merit to be learned from this mitzva as to why Israelis can’t write signs well. It’s the 9 days. It’s a time to find merit for our fellow man. So let’s look at the mitzva and see what the story is.
In this week’s portion of Ma’asei the Torah tells us of one of the last commandments of Moshe to the Jewish people to build cities of refuge for the unintentional murderer. The law is that the relative of the deceased has the right to take avenge them and they may kill the murderer. However, there is a mitzva to build cities where this unintentional killer may be protected. His city of refuge. In Devarim where it reiterates this mitzva we are told to “prepare the road for him”. The Talmud derives from here that we are commanded to make road signs that direct him how to get there. So there you are driving down the road in Israel and you pass a sign. Ir Miklat…City of Refuge 5 KM hmmm…Anybody wanna pull over and check it out? In fact, it seems that this is really the only city that one requires a sign for. Maybe the sign making people will be out of business when Mashiach comes and we have these mitzvas again… No great loss.
Now how many people would need this sign? I can’t imagine that there are too many unintentional murderers out there. How many people were chopping wood when the blade breaks off and slams someone, or come down the ladder. Even a car accident Reb Ovadia Yosef notes if the owner is disobeying the law it is considered as if it was intentional murder (karov lameizeid) or what we call vehicular homicide and if he wasn’t it is an accident and he would not be liable. So it is certainly a rare case of the man who would need these cities Yet for some reason that is the traffic signs we need on the sides of our highways.
On the other hand, a far better use of our resources it would seem would be to post signs on how to get to Yerushalayim. After-all that would be the place that all Jews would be heading to regularly. Everyone would be bringing their sacrifices, their new fruits that had grown, their tithes to eat in Jerusalem and three times a year the entire nation would be heading up to the Beit Hamikdash for the pilgrimage holidays. And yet fascinatingly enough it seems that it was quite the opposite when people would go up to Yerushalayim they would camp out in the streets of the city and people would be encouraged to ask them where they were going. We wanted people to keep asking for directions to get there. We want the pilgrims to schmooze with as many people as possible. There were no signs. The Rav of Brisk even suggests it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they didn’t find the quickest and easiest route there as opposed to the city of refuge. Now I know that it is politically correct today to worry about the minorities and the few challenged people, and the rights of criminals and terrorists rather than the masses of God fearing citizens. But shouldn’t our priority be the people going to the Beit Hamikdash rather than the guy who killed someone unintentionally?
The answer and insight he suggests and that he draws from here is that absolutely not. The unintentional murderer who is fleeing for his life is scared, he’s frightened to talk to people, he’s on the run. The Torah teaches us that we have to have mercy upon him as he may be too scared to ask for directions. We therefore have a mitzva to have clearly delineated signs and directions to his safe-city. The pilgrim is actually quite the opposite. We want him to stop and talk to as many people as possible. Let him share with everyone that he is heading up to our capital, to our Temple, to see Hashem. ‘Bo’u na’aleh Tzion’- in the words of the Rambam. ‘Come up and let us head to Zion together’, would be the call they would make each morning as they packed up their stuff and continued their journey to our Holy City. So stop and ask and ask and schmooze and generally Israelis will tell you the famous yashar yashar v’sham tishal- strrraitt strrrait and den esk sahmone else agehn’. We want you to tell people that you are going to Yerushalayim. Turn off your Waze and roll down your window and ask someone how to get there. Let the world know that we are coming to see Hashem.
It is fascinating that this mitzva of placing signs up for the Ir Miklat for the unintentional murderer is the final national mitzva of the book of Bamidbar. Next week we begin ‘Moshe’s book’ the long speech of Devarim that Moshe gave to the Jewish people repeating all of the mitzvos of the Torah. Our 40-year journey has ended. We are on the banks of the Jordan river opposite Yericho waiting to go in and the mitzva Moshe concludes is that we need signs for unintentional murderers to find their safe place in Eretz Yisrael. How inspiring? Really? Is that what we are here for?
The answer is yes. Not only is that what we are here for but it is that understanding that will bring us back to Eretz Yisrael once again. Do you know what took us out of our Temple 2000 years ago and why we haven’t returned yet? Why there is a big “golden pimple” desecrating our holiest site. It’s because we have not yet put up signs for “unintentional murderers”. We have let them wander around with their questions. We have perhaps even judged them and ostracized those that may have made mistakes or have been careless, or who may have not been as righteous as we ‘holy people’ are. We’re too busy putting up signs on how we can get to Yerushalayim ourselves, how we can be even holier, than to worry about those who perhaps are still stumbling around trying to find their way to some place of refuge from the mistakes they have made in their lives. The last mitzva that Moshe commands us at the end of our journey and as we approach the land of Israel is that we have to worry about the dignity of those that may not be on the path to the Beit Hamikdash. We have to put up signs for them. In the words of the Torah
Bamidbar (35:25) The
congregation shall protect the murderer from the hand of the blood avenger, and
the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge to which he had fled,
and he shall remain there until the Kohen Gadol, who anointed him with the
sacred oil, dies.
It is our job to help every Jew feel safe and to show them the way
home.We enter the period of the 9 Days. Our eyes turn to that glorious mountain that we have traveled 2000 years to return to and we are waiting for the Beit Hamikdash to once again tower over it and shine it’s light out to the world. We have told the world we have returned. But there are still so many that are wandering and stumbling with their lousy Israeli signs that are always confusing and never really accurate. It’s time for us to shine the light of the Torah onto our signs. To create the beacons that our brothers and sisters who have yet to find their way back home still need. Then we will hopefully merit to hear that shofar and perhaps just perhaps this year Tisha B’Av will find us dancing in the street celebrating rather than once again mourning how lost we are.
Have a precious Shabbos and a comforting Rosh Chodesh Av Tov,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Az men antloift fun feier, bagegent men dos
vasser.”- When you flee from fire, you run into water.”
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/al-eileh-acapella – My latest composition Al Eileh Ani Bochiya- Sung
Acapella by the incredible Dovid Lowy! Listen and be inspired… and Like and
share…
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF
THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
Q The 1st Maccabiah was held
in:
A) Jerusalem
B) Ramat Gan
C) Tel Aviv
D) Modi’in
A) Jerusalem
B) Ramat Gan
C) Tel Aviv
D) Modi’in
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S “LOMDUS”
CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Parshat Masei– Lamdanim
today in yeshiva specialize in gemara. Talmud learning is the crux of yeshiva
learning from 6th grade until the day we die. As one grows in their
learning we dig deeper and deeper, we notice nuances/ diyukim, we come
up with logical differences, we get to the heart of the matter and reveal its
intricacies. But unfortunately the Torah and the written word is taken for
granted and not examined with the same discerning eye. But the real lamdanim of
old were not like that. The Briskers always prided themselves on their chumash
shiur. The Meshech Chochma and the Rogatchover as well. It something that yeshivas
need to put more emphasis in. It’s where it all starts from.
The key
is really to read the pesukim like a rishon. With the same
discerning eye that one would study a tosafos. Look for the nuances or
words that might seem extraneous. You know they aren’t every word is measured.
If that’s true for tosafaos or Rashi or the Rambam it certainly is for
the Torah. Where do you think they got their style from? If you get into the
habit you can start to develop your Torah lomdus skills.
This
week’s Torah portion of Ma’asei begins with a verse like that where if it were
written elsewhere you would stop and ask what’s going on?
Bamidbar (33:3) Moshe
recorded their starting points for their travels according to the word of
Hashem, and these were their travels. with their starting points.
Admit
it your eyes are blurring over as you read that verse. It grates on your eyes.
Let’s take it slow… Moshe wrote the starting points of the travels of the
Jewish people. Fine I got that. Obviously it is the starting point of their
travels… It seems that its extraneous to write it. But let’s continue. “And
these are the travels with their starting points”… Hmmm what does that
mean. Are you telling me their starting points? Their travels? Both? How about
making this one simple sentence?
‘These
are the travels and starting points according to Hashem that Moshe recorded.’
Wouldn’t that be more economical?
Comes
the Rogatchaver and he explains with a lomdushe chakira. (I don’t know
how to translate that word- if anyone has one that doesn’t sound like some
Latin word please share it with me) A chakira is when you get to the heart of
the matter by coming up with two options of what it really means. So here’s the
chakira- When a person leaves a place there are two things that can be
happening. 1) he’s leaving a place 2) he’s going to a place. Sometimes what’s
important is not where you’re leaving but rather where you’re going. For example,
you’re making Aliya. It doesn’t make a difference where you come from the main
thing is the journey to where you’re going. Other times all that matters is
that you’re leaving. For example, you’re fleeing the Nazis, you’re running away
from the Cossacks. You’ve had enough of the tuition crisis, shidduch
crisis and rising anti-Semitism in America. It doesn’t make a difference where
you’re going just where you’re leaving from.
What about
these journeys of the Jews in the wilderness what was the main thrust of their
journey? So the Torah tells us that the starting points and the travels were
both according to Hashem. They traveled when Hashem told them to. They camped
where Hashem told them to. They were both mitzvos. They were therefore both
significant. The starting points where they left were a mitzva and Moshe
recorded them. As well the travels themselves were mitzvos in the same way.
Every step was a mitzva. And thus the Torah explains it. That’s lomdish
g’lernt ah pasuk!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S
AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
The Puzzle of Jerusalem 1245 BC –
Now as we mentioned last week the first battle in Shoftim was against
Adoni-Bezek. It says that he was brought back to Yerushalayim where he
was judged. There are a few problems with this. First of all the next verses
tells us that Yehudah fought and conquered Yerushalayim, seemingly after this
story. As well in the book of Yehoshua it already tells us that Yerushalayim
was conquered seemingly when Yehoshua was alive. So when did it happen?
To make this even more
problematic. Later on in Shoftim it tells us that the tribe of Binyamin was not
successful in throwing out the Jebusites that lived there, which would then put
it in the portion of the tribe of Binyamin- not Yehudah. And then of course
finally it isn’t until the book of Shmuel where we are told that Dovid
conquered the city. So what’s up? Whose portion is it and when was it
conquered?
As can be expected there
are different rabbinical approaches. One approach is that the Torah is not in
chronological order and Yehoshua conquered it and it is just reiterating it
over here as it mentions Adoni Bezek being brought to Yerushalayim. Then there
is the opposite approach that It really only happened afterwards and Adoni
Bezek was brought to the battle of the conquest of Yerushalayim and then
brought in. Yehoshua is previously credited with the battle as it was in his
merit and inspiration that brought them into the land and charged them with the
mission.
Perhaps the most
fascinating approach is by the Kehillat Yaakov and Radak who discusses two
Jerusalems. There is the city of David which is in the portion of Binyamin that
was not conquered until Dovid as it was a fortress. Yet there was a larger city
that surrounded the fortress that was conquered earlier by Yehoshua and the
tribe of Yehudah. It was perhaps there that Adoni Bezek was brought.
This discussion is
certainly perfect to talk about in the City of David, when you discuss
the history of Yerushalayim. As well when one enters the Jaffa Gate by
David’s Tower and the museum where they have the history the different eras of
the city and the boundaries of the city this is certainly relevant. What did
Yerushalayim look like in the time of Dovid, in the times of the Judges in the
times of Yehoshua? Certainly nothing like it does today. It certainly never
looked like it does today. Home to close to a million Jews. It is and will
always be the capital of our people. And this is where it all started from.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FUNNY SIGN JOKES OF THE WEEK
(am I the only one that has been deluged with them this
week)
A sign posted in a Dentist's office said:
"Please be nice to our dentists. They have fillings too."Sign in a Police Station: It takes about 3500 bolts to put a car together; but only one nut to scatter it all over the road.
Sign seen in a veterinarian*s office: The doctor is in. Sit. Stay.
Housekeeping signs- * Martha Stewart doesn't live here!!
* I'm creative; you can't expect me to be neat, too!
* Ring Bell for Maid Service. If no answer, do it yourself!
* You may touch the dust in this house, but please don't write in it!
* If you write in the dust, please don't date it!
* I would cook dinner, but I can't find the can opener!
* I came, I saw, I decided to order take out.
* If you don't like my standards of cooking, lower your standards.
* A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen, and this kitchen is delirious.
The kitchen is close today on account of illness. I'm sick of cooking!
* Help keep the kitchen clean - eat out.
* Countless numbers of people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal lives.
* My house was clean last week; too bad you missed it!
Jack bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it."
For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it.
He eventually decided that people were too untrusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read:"Fridge for sale $50."
The next day someone stole it.
***********
Answer is C– I,’ll be honest, Sports is not my thing. I didn’t even really know or understand what the Maccabiah was, how’s that for ignorant? Yet I still got the answer right on a lucky guess. Anyways it’s actually pretty cool and I’m glad that I did this answer and question because I learned something new. See the Maccabiah is like an Olympics but only for Jews from all over the world and Israelis (regardless of ethnicity). Did you know that it was the 3rd largest Sporting event in the world right after the Olympics and the World Cup?! There were over 10,000 participants and 85 countries in the last one in 2017. I didn’t even know it was going on. Man, talk about sheltered and out of it!. This started in 1932 and it happens every 4 years, usually the year after the Olympics. The first two were in Tel Aviv- which I guess correctly and from then it was held in Ramat Gan, although the last 2 were held in Jerusalem in Teddy stadium. The Modi’in trick answer is because that’s where the story of Chanuka and the revolt of the Maccabees gets started. It is after them that these games are named, ironically and ignorantly enough the original Maccabees who fought against Greek Culture and its influence would certainly be pretty opposed to these games. So the score is Schwartz 32 and 6 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam so far.
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