Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
October 4th 2019 -Volume 9 Issue 52 5th of Tishrei
5780!
Parshat Vayelech/ Shabbat Shuva/ Yom Kippur
Non-Approved Sefer
He had gotten a few haskamos/ approbations already on his
book. The great Rabbanim of Vilna had already declared that there was no equal
to among writings by any author of their times.; not in the rishonim or acharonim.
The Rav of Lidda described the book as ‘a precious work, a veritable treasure
of strong wine, with a bit of his own added with his spirit of understanding.’
When he came to Novardok, the Rav of the city Reb Baruch Mordechai even sent
his students out to clandestinely test him by engaging him in conversation for
6 hours. By the end of the conversation the Rav returned with his report that
after repeatedly trying to catch the young Reb Yisrael Meir in a slip-up, in a
bit of gossip, some reid… he passed with flying colors. The haskama
he got read “he expounds well and even more so he fulfills what he writes.’
Yes, he had certainly received a tremendous amount of positive feedback for his
revolutionary work on the laws of lashon hara- evil gossip, but there
was still one letter that he did not yet receive. It was the most important one.
Yet, it never came. Reb Yisrael Salanter, refused to send his approbation to
the Chafetz Chaim for his work for his seminal work Shemirat Halashon.
Reb Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883) was the revolutionary leader that was from the generation before the Chafetz Chaim. He was not only part of the development of the Yeshiva movement but he was the father of what became known as the Mussar movement, authoring works on Jewish spiritual ethical living and incorporating its daily study into the yeshiva system and the average Yankel’s daily study. When he first he was first asked by the Chafetz Chaim about writing a book on such a challenging topic that it seems the masses are just too entrenched in. It wasn’t a popular topic. The Talmud tells us that everyone suffers from the plague of negative speech. Reb Yisrael, responded in his classic fashion, that if even one person were to give a sigh after reading the book and expressed some regret about this sin, some contemplation, some awareness about its gravity, then the entire book was worth it for that. So it seemed like a no-brainer that he would get his seal of approval when the book was to be published. But yet…. It wasn’t forthcoming. Something was wrong.
When he asked why he wouldn’t be getting his approbation, Reb Yisrael pointed out that there was a law that was mentioned that he felt was problematic and therefore couldn’t see putting his name on a book that would have such a ruling. (I guess back then there seemed to have been a strange custom that people actually read the sefer before they wrote their haskamos). What was the halacha? The Chafetz Chaim gives one a scenario where someone spoke lashon hara about someone. He feels bad it’s almost Yom Kippur. He wants to repent. He wants to do teshuva. So what should he do? Does he have to ask forgiveness? Right now his friend has no clue that I told people that he’s really a faker. That he lies on his tours. That he rips his dvar torahs from weekly E-Mails and Mishpacha columns… He will be so embarrassed if I told him that I did this. Maybe it’s better to just not to tell him. Certainly not tell him any details. Just give him the traditional meaningless yeshivish “Hey, R U moichel me for nythng I might’ve done to U” text. The Chafetz Chaim said that regardless he had to fess up and ask forgiveness. You can’t get atonement or do teshuva without it. Reb Yisrael refused to sign off on this law.
When Reb Yisrael Meir showed him that this was not his own idea. It was in fact based on the 13th century sage Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi’s classic work on Sha’arey Teshuva. Reb Yisrael didn’t care. It’s very possible, he said, that a man may not get atonement or even repentance for the sin of lashon harah, unless he gets forgiveness from your friend who you spoke bad about. But what right do you have to get your forgiveness and repentance on the pain that you would cause another person. Better you should never have done teshuva, than you cause another yid to feel bad and humiliated. That’s something I could never give my letter of approval to.
His students later asked him why he couldn’t just give his letter and note that this one law he disagreed with the author. Reb Yisrael, ruefully noted that nobody ever reads the letter of approbation. They just look at the signature and skip the words written in small letters. There might be one person out there that assumes that I am given tacit approval to that. And then I will be responsible for causing pain to someone. That I cannot have on my conscience. That I cannot be a part of.
The day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is around the corner. It’s an amazing day, if you think about it a bit. A day when we can become clean. A day when we can get rid of all of the baggage that we have been schlepping along in our life. We’ve been building up to this moment since we started mourning the Temple in the beginning of the summer. We longed for Hashem. We recognized how sad and distant we are from Him, from His Home. (OK maybe we had a few weeks break for bein hazmanim/ summer vacation, or just to stock up on some sins to atone for…oy…) We entered the month of Elul with the shofar, with increased charity and prayers. We upped the game before Rosh Hashana with Selichos. Rising early. 13 attributes of mercy, day in and day out. Finally, Rosh Hashana is here. 48 hours pretty much in shul davening or eating funny fruits and heads of fish and black eyed peas. We know Hashem is the King. We know He is our Father. We have been judged. We want Him all over the world. We want the real redemption. We want to be that chosen people. It’s the most important thing in the world. And now we are almost at the pinnacle. We will be like the High Priest in the holy of the holies. We will experience what it means to be an angel as we yell Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso l’olam va’ed- Blessed is His Kingdom forever. Hashem Hu Elokim! We are about to be there. Nothing else matters…
But something else does matter… Did you just smack the guy in the face behind you with your talis while you were shuckling? Did you just disturb the person near you with your dirty tear-filled tissues you are leaving all over the table? Did you push your way into the shul? Did you slight someone or even make some not so good comments or remarks about the guy that bought that Aliya… the off key guy singing next to the chazzan. Are you that off key guy, who is just so high on your prayers and your own teshuva, that you’re not thinking about everyone else you are paining. Are you the Rabbi of the shul who worked really hard on his sermon and will give it over whether there is anyone there that can bear to listen anymore? Am I?
Truth is these are questions that I think we all have to think about on Yom Kippur that unfortunately is a day that we spend -rightfully so, focused on our spiritual goals and pursuits and we don’t think enough of how those pursuits may have caused pain to others. Has my extra learning seder at night put undue pressure or stress on my wife and children? Have I recognized that is happening and tried to do something to compensate for that. Or does it not matter because “I’m learning”. Has my extra hiddurim in kashrus, in making sure all your mitzvos are the nicest, in your communal tzedaka giving somehow impacted other financial obligations you may have and may be cutting corners on. Have the standards I have decided that are right and appropriate for me and my family in the “frum” “torah” lifestyle we have built for ourselves, perhaps given the impression that everyone not up to my standards, that don’t dress, the way I do, that don’t eat the same kashrus I do, that don’t go to the same shul or vote for the same party, or listen to the same Rabbi that I do are somehow less than me. Not as worthy as me. As holy as I am. Or as I am trying to become.
Do we need to stop our prayers and ask them all for forgiveness? According to the Chafetz Chaim, I would say we probably do. But there’s so many… What will I say? How can I approach them.
“I’m sorry, I made you feel small. I’m sorry for fooling myself into believing that only my way is right. That I’m better than you. There is so much I’m sure I could learn from you. That I should learn from you, that I never allowed myself to. Maybe because I didn’t want to be seen with you. Maybe because it would mean that I’m really not that special at all. That, I really am not as holy as I look, dress or act. That Me and you are really pretty close in the big picture. You might even be holier…”
Reb Yisrael Salant saves us from having this conversation with them. He suggests it might pain them to know that we acted and thought this way about them. That we talked this way. We have no right to improve ourselves on the hurt and humiliation of someone else. So don’t ask them forgiveness. But how will I atone? You might not… But perhaps if we have this conversation with Hashem at some point on Yom Kippur, Hashem might find a way to grant us repentance with the regret we express, the resolution we make to change our ways and our confession we make to Him, rather than to the hims and hers we may have hurt.
We begin our Yom Kippur prayer each year with the Kol Nidrei and the service begins with the statement.
Al daas hamakom v’al daas hakahal … anu matirim l’hitpalel im kol avaryanim- with the approval of Hashem and the approval of the congregation. we sanction prayer with all the transgressors.
We start off our Yom Kippur with haskamos. The haskama/approbation of Hashem and the haskama of the congregation. It is the haskama in the sefer/ book we are trying to get published. It is the sefer ha’chayim- the Book of Life. The book of the righteous. The Book of forgiveness. Hashem’s approval is not enough for us to begin. He can give a pass on the sinners against Him and include them in the congregation. But for those that sinned against each other, we need the da’as ha’kahal- the approval of the congregation. And they permit it. I know for many when they say these words they look around the synagogue and think about all the sinners that have come only twice a year to shul, or the guy or woman next you that isn’t as holy as you are. But as my Rebbi one time told me. The avaryanim us. We are the sinners and perhaps it is they that are permitting us to pray with them. May Hashem forgive all of our sins. May we all be cleansed together as he writes us in His book for a sweet and holy new year. And may the Melech Ha’Chafetz Chaim- the King who desires life give us his stamp and seal of approval as we enter Taf Shin Peh- 5780- May be it be the year of our pidyon our ultimate redemption.
Have an extraordinary Shabbat Shuva ,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
**********************************
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Men iz dir moichel di t’shuveh, nor tu nit
di avaireh.”- Never mind the remorse, don’t commit the sin.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTeGFfwSBGI – If there’s one song I recommend
listening to before Yom Kippur this is it. Shlomo Katz V’Hakohanim. I admit I
have listened to this song almost as much as I’ve listened to my own…It is
about as holy as it gets…
Gissinger ZT”l
And of course if you have not yet heard my two newest compostions in
honor of the High Holidays yet or you just need your weekly fix J here they are once again
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/hashem-melech-r-ephraim-fina
–
My Hashem Melech (sung and arranged by Dovid Lowy) that is fun and upbeat and
certainly encaptures the entire High Holiday season. Extra points to anyone
that uses it in their Yom Kippur services
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lulay-heamanti-kavey –You have not experienced the essence of Elul until
you hear this incredible, beautiful, magnificent brand new composition hot from
the studio of mine Lulay He’amanti- Kavey El Hashem from the l’Dovid you recite
daily in this season. Listen like share… Its truly one of my nicest compositions.
Thank You Dovid Lowy for your arrangements and incredible hartzig voice!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF
THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
Q In order for a
mikveh to be valid (kosher), it must have:
A) A volume of over 40 se’ah and pumped water
B) A volume of over 40 se’ah and un-pumped water
C) A volume of over 40 se’ah and seven stairs
D) A volume of over 40 se’ah and plaster preventing seepage
A) A volume of over 40 se’ah and pumped water
B) A volume of over 40 se’ah and un-pumped water
C) A volume of over 40 se’ah and seven stairs
D) A volume of over 40 se’ah and plaster preventing seepage
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S “LOMDUS”
CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Yom
Kippur– In honor of the High Holiday of Yom Kippur, I’ll give you
a lomdushe vort not only about the holiday, but about the essence of
what being a lamdan is. There’s nothing more lomdushe than being a lamdan
about why it’s called lamdan … Right?
What am
I talking about? The Roszhiner Rebbe notes that throughout the year we refer to
Hashem as a Melech Mochel V’Solayach- A King who forgives and atones.
Yet on Yom Kippur we conclude our prayers with the words ki ata salchan u’machlan,
u’ ma’avir asmoteinu mikol shana v’shana- and you are a “forgiver” and an “atoner”
and you pass over our guilt from year to year.
What
does that mean Hashem is a forgiver or atoner? So Reb Yisrael of Rozin notes
that in the Talmud it tells us that when one sees his ones enemy donkey roveitz-
lying under its burden. The Talmud tells us that is only if he is rovetz- as
Rashi explains. Happenstance weighed down and lying down. But if he is a ravtzan-
one that always lies down when you put something on him then you are exempt
from helping him. The added ‘nun’ to a word means that the object being
described is a repeater. It becomes its identity. It no longer is an action
that is done it becomes what or who it is that is doing it. Similarly, we use
the word gazlan- a thief it’s not just someone who steals once, or even someone
who knows how to steal it’s someone that is always stealing. Alternatively an
Askan is a community activist. Not just somebody that does this once or twice
but that becomes his entire being.
Reb
Chaim Brisker points out that idea as well should correct a misconception about
another “nun” word Lamd’an’- Most people think that a lamdan is someone
that can learn very well. Someone that has a good head and he knows how to take
apart a piece of Talmud properly. Can find insights into a text in the Torah.
Can write a weekly column on lomdus. They’re all wrong. A lamdan
is someone who learns a lot. He’s a repeat learner. He’s a repeat learner with
lomdus of course. But it’s not a description of his style in learning or
his intelligence or learning skills. Being a true lamdan means learning
and learning and learning until it becomes who you are.
.On Yom
Kippur we come to Hashem not just as a King that forgives. Rather Hashem is our
forgiver. He is an atoner. That is what His essence is. If that is the case, then
we want forgiveness. Please atone us… God willing this Yom Kippur may we find that
Hashem is a salchan and a machlan- Our forgiver and our atoner.
May we get true atonement for all of our sins and be sealed for a sweet new
year.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND
PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Yonah Ben Amitai 750 BC –So, we’ll take a break
from our chronological People, places and Eras to jump to our reading this Yom
Kippur when we read the Book of Yonah. Yonah ben Amitai was a prophet in the
times of the First Temple in the period of the King Yerava’am the second, a few
decades before the 10 tribes of the north were exiled. There are various
different seemingly contradictory midrashim as to his early roots, Chazal put
him much earlier at the period of Eliyahu Hanavi, being the child of the woman
that he brought back to life. There are some sources that suggest he was from
the tribe of Zevulun and others from the tribe of Asher.
Regardless, this story
is the crux of the Mincha of Yom Kippur and I would say certainly one of the
most famous in Tanach. Certainly one that I try to connect people to when they
visit Israel.
So in a nut shell three
parts of the story. Part 1) Hashem tells Yonah to go to Ninveh, which is
near Mosul in Iraq, and tell them to do Teshuva. Yep Iraq was
wicked back then as well. Yonah didn’t want to. He felt that if he got them to
repent it would reflect bad on the Jewish people who were not repenting despite
the rebuke they had gotten. So he goes to Yaffo/Jaffa to chap
a ship to Tarshish which it seems is a city today called Tarsus
in in Central Turkey. The idea being that if he fled the land of Israel
then Hashem could not appear to him, as Hashem only reveals prophecy in Israel.
This of course is story that I share by the port of Yaffo, today and you
can even see a little film in the visitor center there.
The second part of the
story is when he goes out to the sea and a huge storm comes and he allows
himself to be thrown overboard, once it becomes apparent that it was Hashem
sending the storm in his honor. The cast lots and his number came up… He gets
swallowed by a fish (or possibly 2 or 3 according to the midrash) and he davens
to Hashem and he is expelled he goes to Ninveh and gets them to repent. This
story I like to share when I stand by the water of the Mediteranean and
its stormy, so you can get a feel of what it felt like. That happens a lot by Rosh
Hanikra. As well when I walk down into the grottos there I always feel like
I’m going into the belly of the whale. Alternatively, in Eilat when you
go to the underwater observatory you get a feel for that underwater
experience of Yonah.
The third part of the
story or the epilogue is Yonah sitting in the heat and he complains about the
heat. Hashem lets a Kikayon tree grow above him. He feels great, until
Hashem sends a worm to eat up the tree and it dies. Yonah faints from the heat
and tells Hashem that it’s too much for him to bear. Hashem then points out to
him that if he is concerned with the death of a tree, Hashem certainly needs to
be concerned with an entire city. The Kikayon tree according to most biblical
botanists- yeah that’s a real thing is castor been tree- although I’ve
certainly seen it translated as a gourd tree, but I guess this castor must be
some type of gourd. At least that’s what they tell me it is when I take my
tourists to Neot Kedumim which the place to go to learn about biblical
agriculture.
That’s our story. Now
it’s up to you on Yom Kippur to find the deeper meaning and inspiration behind
this story.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FORGIVENESS JOKES OF THE WEEK
Rabbi Epstein was giving his Yom
Kippur sermon about forgiveness and during his speech he asked his
congregation, "how many of you have forgiven your enemies?”
About half held up their hands.
He then rephrased his question, “how many of you want to forgive your
enemies?” Slowly, every hand in the congregation went up, except for one.
Little old Sadie Horowitz.
"Mrs. Horowitz?" inquired the Rabbi, “are you not willing to forgive your enemies,
especially on this Day of Atonement when God forgives us all?”
"I don't have any
enemies" Mrs. Horowitz replied, smiling
sweetly.
"Mrs. Horowitz, that is more
impressive. How old are you?"
"Ninety-eight," she replied.
"Oh Mrs. Horowitz, what a
blessing and a lesson to us all you are. Would you please stand up and in front
of this congregation tell us all how a person can live ninety- eight and not
have an enemy in the world."
Little old Mrs. Horowitz got up
slowly, smiled, faced the congregation, and said "I outlived all those
old yentes."
Once upon a time in their
marriage, Saul Rosenberg did something really stupid. Ethel Rosenberg chewed
him out for it. He apologized, they made up. However, from time to time, Ethel
would mention what he had done.
"Honey," Saul finally said one day, "why
do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was 'forgive and
forget.'""It is," Ethel said. "I just don't want you to forget that I've forgiven and forgotten."
So the Rebbe was teaching
the children about Yom Kippur. He wanted to make sure the children understood
the concept of asking forgiveness. So he asked Berel “So what must we do
before we get forgiveness? “
“Sin” answered Berel
Paddy hasn't been to church for a
long while and decides he'd better go to confession before starting to go
again. When he enters the confessional box he's amazed to find that it's got a
bar lined with decanters of the finest Irish whiskey and Guinness on tap.
Behind the bar is a huge array of the finest cigars.
As he's looking at this in wonder,
the priest comes in.
Paddy says, "Father,
forgive me, it's a long time since my last confession. I must say though, that
the confessional box is much better than it used to be.
The priest says, "Get
out, Paddy, you idiot! You're on my side."
A drunk staggers into a church
one evening, goes into the confessional box and sits down. He doesn't say a
word.
The priest coughs to try and get his
attention. There's no response so the priest coughs again. There's still no
response from the drunk.
The priest coughs a couple of
more times and still doesn't get any response, so finally he pounds on the
wall.
The drunk slurs, "There's
no use knocking. There's no paper this side either."
***********
Answer is B– So this question is
wrong. First of all, you need 40 se’ah not more than 40 se’ah. Second
of all of course the requirement for a Mikva is that the water has to be
natural water that is not pumped. However,
one can have pumped water, as our mikvas today do have, but it just is
connected to an otzar which is a 40 se’ah reservoir that is connected to
it. As well the law is that the Mikva does have to be sealed so that there is
no leakage- as that would make it moving water, so technically traditional mikva’os
were all plastered. Although I guess that it doesn’t have to be plaster to seal
it. But this is a ridiculous question if that is the case. Anyways the 40 se’ah
un-pumped is the only one that is closest and so that’s what I wrote and was
right of course. So the score is Schwartz 37 and 9 for MOT (Ministry
of Tourism) on this exam so far.
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