Wake Up!- Parshat Chayei Sarah 2019 / 5780

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

November 22^nd  2019 -Volume 10 Issue 5 24^th Cheshvan 5780

Parshat Chayei Sarah

Wake Up!

We've all fallen asleep in class. It happens. I could be a late night studying or partying depending on your predilection or the yeshiva you attended. It could be in that subject or with that teacher or rebbe that just seemed to drone on and on in that slowww….monoooo….toooone… voiiiiccee…that just brings down those eyelids like a ton of bricks. It happens to the best of us. I would even say it's part of the process of learning. 

I remember reading once about a great Rabbi who used to tie his payos/ (sidelocks) to the ceiling in order to keep himself from falling asleep. Every time his head drooped he would get yanked up. Ouch! I was inspired by the story because I told myself Wow! See even that great Rabbi used to fall asleep in class. I had a Rebbi once that wanted to teach us that inspiring lesson in a 'hands-on' way. His hands on my payos when I was sleeping in his class. That was the first time I cut my payos short enough that he couldn't grab them…Ahh.. the good old days of Jewish education, when the Rebbeim cared enough about you to beat you… I'm just waxing nostalgic…sorry…

On the other hand a good monotone teacher or Rebbe can be incredibly helpful I learned. See, there was one period in time when I was having a hard time falling asleep. For weeks I was just tossing and turning. It took some time until I found the perfect solution. I put on a tape (another remnant of my nostalgic youth; my young readers you can google cassette tape to see what that is) of my mashgiach's weekly class and within 3 minutes, by the time he said the "in this week's Torah portion it says…." Zzzzzzzz…. I was out cold. It worked so well I was even scared to keep his tapes in my car for fear that I might put it in by mistake and fall asleep at the wheel. The worst was when I was giving a class myself once to a group of students and I quoted something this Mashgiach had said to me and by mistake I called him Rabbi Melatonin, instead of Rabbi Miller. Ouch! They never let me live that one down.

As a Rabbi myself for many years, I sympathize with those that fall asleep during my sermons. Hey, If I wasn't up here speaking I would probably be dozing off myself. Or in the Kiddush club…. shhhhh. I really don't have a problem with it. I mean sometimes the snoring can be a problem, but I'm usually loud enough to overcome that. I even see it as a challenge. Can I make my sermons entertaining enough, interesting enough and when all else fails loud enough to keep that guy in the back seat awake? I do a lot of interactive back and forth questions to the crowd to keep them engaged. I walk around up and down and use hand motions to keep their eyes moving. I even jump up and down and bang on the shtender to express myself, of course, just so his eyes don't close. When all else fails, a good joke that has the whole shul laughing will usually wake him up as he turns to the guy next to him and asks what the joke was. You've been that guy too, don't deny it.

Well don't feel so bad. This is not a new problem. As Shlomo HaMelech says "There is nothing new under the sun" In fact, the Midrash tells us that no less of a teacher than the great Rabbi Akiva had a problem with his students falling asleep in class.

Bereshit Rabbah (58:6) “Rabbi Akiva was sitting and preaching and the public was falling asleep. He wanted to wake them up. He said, ‘What enabled Esther to rule over 127 provinces? It was the fact that Esther was a descendant of Sarah, who lived for 127 years that enabled her to rule over 127 provinces.”

Hey, if they were falling asleep in the class of Rabbi Akiva, then you can fall asleep anywhere, I guess. Now I'm not sure if Rabbi Akiva's riddle would have woken me up. A good joke, a bang on the bima or a tweak on my payos or ears were challenging enough to wake me out of a good shluf… But I guess his students were a little more inspired, or maybe Rabbi Akiva was just a bit more interesting or intimidating to sleep in front of.

But still I imagine if Rabbi Akiva thought this would wake them up, it might be something to keep in my arsenal to use one of these days. What is the connection between Sarah and Esther? Is he merely pointing out the interesting "coincidence" of the 127 connection or is there perhaps some deeper connection? Something that might inspire them to wake up in shiur.

Now the truth is there are actually quite a few similarities between Esther and Sarah (who's death and lifespan is the beginning of this week's Torah portion if you were wondering what the connection is). Sarah actually means princes as Rashi tells us, she was originally called Sarai.

Rashi (17:15) you shall not call her name Sarai: which means “my princess,” for me, but not for others. But Sarah, in an unqualified sense, shall be her name, that she will be a princess over all.

So both of them are connected to an expanded royalty. Both were actually taken against their will to the house of the King. Sarah by Pharaoh and Esther to Achashverosh. In both cases they don’t represent their true selves. Sarah says she is Avraham's sister and Esther doesn't reveal her Jewish identity.  As well they are each praised for their beauty. Avraham says to Sarah “Now I know that you are a beautiful woman”. Esther is “Beautiful and fair to look at”. Both as well seem to have a stronger wisdom than the men in their lives. Avraham is told “everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice”. And Mordechai “did everything which Esther had commanded him”.  Sarah is of course the mother of all Jews giving birth to the first Jewish child in Israel and who never leaves the Holy Land. Interestingly enough, Esther's son with Achashveirosh Darius ultimately becomes the conduit to allow the Jews to return after our exile and rebuild the second Temple in the return to Zion.

So there's a lot of connection between these two incredible women. If anyone is falling asleep at your Shabbos table while you are reading this perhaps challenge them to come up with more. Why did Rabbi Akiva choose the 127 countries connection and the years of Sarah?

The Shemen Hatov offers an incredible insight he notes that in the itemized description of Sarah's years Rashi notes that it says "one hundred years and twenty years and seven years were the years of Sarah". Now although the Torah is not Misphpacha magazine which is worried about my always extended "word count" for my columns, the Torah doesn't use extra words and could've easily written one hundred twenty-seven years. Rashi notes that all of them were equal for good. She was free of sin like one who is twenty and hasn't reached the age of punishment and was a pretty as 7-year-old girl. What does that mean that they were all equal for good. So unlike the way that most of us think of time and our lives as a continuum, we believe that each day Hashem is mechadesh b'tuvo b'chol yom tamid- Hashem renews the world each day. Each day is a new fresh creation. Each day has a new purpose and is a new beginning. Our job is to maximize each day individually and connect it to its heavenly purpose. Hashem is revealed in time, in space and through each of us when we elevate each day with our actions and through overcoming the challenges that He sends to us each day.

Each one of Sarah's days were maximized. When she died at 127 it wasn't just an accumulation of over a century of service. Her accomplishments that made her beautiful when she was a child, her grace, her sweetness reflected the true inner beauty that Hashem gave her to shine to the world. It was the foundation that led to the challenges that beauty could bring as she moved into her adolecesent and more mature years and she overcame those as well without any sin. When she died each one of those days and challenges were all there with her leading each day to be another and another day to be the incredible mountain of holiness that Hashem each day built anew upon. She brought them all together.

Esther who ruled over the world and who's reign ultimately led to the building of the Temple as well merited to rule over 127 countries because like her ancestor she was a queen. She had that ability to unify all the different components in this world under one Kingship- the kingship of the Melech Hakavod- the King of all glory, which of course in gematria is 127.  Their lives were that of  zeh keli v'anvehu- This is my God and I will glorify  Him- as well gematria 127. Their beauty, their challnges, their rise to royalty reflected that inner spark that each day and each part of their lives was always connected to shamayim.

Rabbi Akiva lived in one of the darkest periods. The period the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and our exile and the ultimate devastating defeat of the Bar Kochva revolt. It was the Dark ages of Jewish history and we've had plenty of them. One living in that period just wants to roll over and go back to bed. It's understandable. Rabbi Akiva needed to wake them up, so he tells them about Esther and Sarah. He tells them how this is not a long dark period, rather this is another new day that Hashem has created with its specific challenge for today. That is the way that the Kingship of Hashem will be revealed today, he told them. That is the way that we can once again return to our Beit Hamikdash. That we can see the Melech Hakavod. But for that you have to wake up. You have to make the most of the day. It's just one day. But it's today. That was what our Matriarch taught us. That's what our Queen dictated to us. May we see the day when Hashem's throne is once again returned to His palace.

Have a royal Shabbos and a miraculous Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Shlof gicher, men darf di kishn" - Sleep faster, we need the pillows.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/ForS09KA29o   – In memory of the Kedoshei Har Nof and my friend Aryeh Kupinsky My composition Avinu Malkeinu

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/rivkah –Another Rabbi Schwartz compostion Rivkah Achoseinu composed last year in honor of my sister Rivky's wedding from this week's Torah portion

https://youtu.be/KxnqgaJAvPE  - Gad and Benny Elbaz Shmor Sheirit Yisrael with children honoring holocaust survivors

https://youtu.be/2xX6QQAAfDo  – Itzik Orlev beautiful video and song Lo Nishbar

https://youtu.be/BVEc-bV9Dxk – And of course Shabbos Chevron is not complete without Dedi's Chevron

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

2) A rabbi associated with the restoration of Tiberias:

A)    Chaim Abulafia

B)    Haim Farhi

C)    Haim Ben Attar

D)    Shimon ben Shetach

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/MITZVA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Mipnei Seiva Takum Vhadarta Pnei Zaken'- Honoring the elderly- The Mitzva quoted above is not until Kedoshim (32:19) however in this week's Torah portion we are introduced to the first elderly person. Huh? How's that possible Avraham lives almost 2000 years from creation weren't there old people before him? Our sages tell us that there weren't. In fact this the first time that the Torah tells us that someone got old.

Bava Metzia (87.) V'Avraham Zakein u'Ba Bayamim- “Until Avraham there were no signs of old age. Whoever wished to speak to Avraham would [often] speak to Yitzchak, and one who wished to speak to Yitzchak would [often] speak to Avraham. Thereupon Avraham prayed for mercy, and old age came into existence”

So if you have any problems with the signs of aging you now know who to blame for it all…

But looking old is more than just a way of finding the right person to talk to. The commentaries explain that Avraham, as in everything that he did, appreciated that there is a mitzva to honor the elderly and he understood that it would only be possible if there was a visible difference, a nice white beard, wrinkles of wisdom, and perhaps an even receding hairline.

The Chinuch explains that the idea behind the mitzva is that Judaism recognizes that the function of this world is to accumulate wisdom and understanding and one that has seen many years and experiences in life is worthy of being shown respect in order that the world appreciates the value that we place upon that. This is a truly fantastic idea if you think about it. Most of the world when asked why honor the elderly might tell you because they are infirm, weak and you are younger and stronger than they are. But the Torah tells us just the opposite. The mitzva to honor the elderly-seyva- in Hebrew is connected to the mitzva to honor the zakein- the elders which are not old people necessarily but rather zeh shekana chachma- he who has acquired wisdom. The halacha in fact is that an elderly person who may be totally unknowledgeable- an am ha'aretz and even a sinner we are meant to show respect to. For they have lived a life of experience and it is that we are showing honor to.

Now how old does one have to be to get the royal treatment? The Mishna in Avot tells us that one acquires wisdom at age 60 and reaches the age of seyva at the age of 70.  So to honor a wise person it really is any age, however if he is not a chacham then it would seem to be that until the age of 70 you don't go those special privileges and that is in fact the halacha. However, the AR"I Hakadosh understands that the mitzva to honor the elderly is even at the age of 60. So if you're a bit of a Kabbalist you can start at age 60. The Mitzva includes of course honoring both elderly men and women and even non-Jews. For what is being honored is not even necessarily the person but rather the appreciation of his age and his experiences.

Interestingly enough I have seen some halachic authorities that based on that difference between the honor due to a wise man based on his Torah learning and his accomplishments and an elderly person where one is honoring their age note halachic ramifications. A talmid chacham is allowed to forgive his own honor. A Kohen on the other hand is not as the honor is not for him, rather it is for his priestly status. Similarly, an elderly person the honor give may not be towards him but rather for his age and one can suggest he may even not be permitted to tell you to sit back down. It's not his prerogative. As well the mitzva for the elderly is only to stand up before them when they get come within four amos of you; as it says mipnei seyva takum- rise before the elderly. The zakein which is the wise man on the other hand has a mitzva of v'hadarta to honor him. That would mean not sitting in his seat, not interrupting him and other signs of showing honor to him. Those laws would not apply to one who is not a chacham as those laws apply even if he is not there.

Practically, speaking this mitzva is meant to be fulfilled by standing up as a show of honor when an elderly person comes within his presence. This could be a major pain for someone who is around old people all the time, but fear not it seems that this mitzva is only once a day and in the evening for them. Also if one is in middle of work or rising for them would cost a loss of money one is not obligated to do so. During the recitation of Shema or even bentching when blessing if an elderly person walks in one should stand. The obligation is not just to do the little tushy shuffle that a lot of people do to show honor. Rather it is to stand fully up and to remain standing as long as they are in your presence. Which means of course if you are on a bus and an elderly person walks in you should not only stand up and give them your seat but are obligated to remain standing as long as an elderly person is standing as well before you on the bus.

The Torah goes to great length to show honor to the elderly. The sifri tells us that Reb Shimon Bar Yochai says that in the world to come Hashem will show honor not to the kings and to the prophets but rather to the elders and it is a kal va'chomer if Hashem will show them honor then for sure us of flesh and blood are required to show honor to them.

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

The end of Avimelech 1041 BC  So after Avimelech took control of the city of Shechem having murdered his 69 brothers on one stone he ruled for three years. But the curse given by Yotam was ultimately fulfilled. Our sages tell us that the unity of evil-doers is not a unity. They will come together for specific shared "interestim" as they say in Israel, but ultimately you can always count on the fact that they will turn around and betray each other. And that's what happened.

The people of Shechem that had previously backed Avimelech turned against him and his army. They found themselves a new hooligan to follow Gaal Ben Eved. He wasn't Jewish and there's nothing like a good goy the Jews always feel that can do the job better than we can. They lay ambushes and start looting people coming around Shechem. Ultimately Gaal, who makes fun of Avimelech and Gideon his father tries to bring them back to the good ole biblical days when this area belonged to Chamor the children of Shechem. The goyim were here first and we should honor that. Sounds familiar? That turns one guy, Zevul, off. He snitches to Avimelech and Avimelech comes with his army and divides them, as his father does into three divisions. Some attack and kill the men of Shechem that are out in the vineyards in that area. I always like to point that out to my tourists when we pass by vineyards near Shechem. The others wait outside of the city for Shechem. Zevul was able to challenge Gaal to leave the city and Avimelech took care of him pretty quickly. He then attacked the city burned it down and plowed it with salt so that nothing will ever grow there. The remaining members of Shechem ran up to the tower to hide and Avimlech went up to Mt. Tzalmon which some suggest is Har Eival outside of Shechem where he chopped down a big tree placed it on his shoulders encouraging his men to do the same. They then schlepped them down to the tower and set them on fire killing the 1000 men women and children inside. This was the fulfillment of the curse of Yotam about the fire that comes out of the thorn bush that will eat up those who supported the murderer of his brothers.

But don't worry Avimelech got his just desserts as well. His resounding success over the city of Shechem enticed him to attack the next city Tebez, which is today a city north of Shechem called Tabus. It's under the Palestinian authority today so stay away. Once again Avimelech lays siege on the city and the people who seemingly should have learned by now ran up to their tower. However this time as Avimelech came to burn down the tower, a woman dropped a huge millstone on his head. Mortally wounded, Avimelech told his officer to kill him- so no one would say that he was killed by a woman- and thus he died. In his death he was paid back for having killed all his brothers by sword on one stone. The stone and sword came back to get him it seems. And thus ends another tragic era in Tanach.

Next week it gets even more dramatic with the story of Yiftach, stay tuned!

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S JEWISH SLEEP JOKES  OF THE WEEK

The new Rabbi was in the middle of a sermon when he suddenly beckoned to the shammes to come over.
The Rabbi said to him, "That man in the third row is asleep. Wake him up." 
The shammes replied, "You put him to sleep. You wake him up.”

 Izzy is sitting in synagogue one Shabbat morning when he falls asleep and starts to snore. The Gabbai quickly comes over to him, taps him softly on his shoulder and says, "Please stop your snoring, Izzy, you're disturbing the others in the shul."
"Now look here," says Issy, "I always pay my membership in full, so I feel I have a right to do whatever I want."
"Yes, I agree," replies the Gabbay, "but your snoring is keeping everybody else awake." 

A reform Rabbi was having an argument with an orthodox Rabbi.
He asked him, “Why don’t you let the men and women of your congregation sit together as they do in my congregation?”
The orthodox Rabbi (who had a mischievous sense of humour) replied, “If you want to know the truth, I don’t really mind them sitting together at all. The trouble is, however, that I give sermons and I can’t have them sleeping together.”

Moshe was talking to his psychiatrist. "I had a weird dream recently," he says. "I saw my mother but then I noticed she had your face. I found this so worrying that I immediately awoke and couldn't get back to sleep. I just stayed there thinking about it until 7am. I got up, made myself a slice of toast and some coffee and came straight here. Can you please help me explain the meaning of my dream?"
The psychiatrist kept silent for some time, then said, "One slice of toast and coffee? Do you call that a breakfast?

"

Ben Cohen had been drinking at a pub all night. The bartender finally said that the bar was closing. So Ben stood up to leave and fell flat on his face. He tried to stand one more time; same result. Ben figured he'll crawl outside and get some fresh air and maybe that would sober him up.
Once outside, Ben stood up but fell flat on his face again. So he decided to crawl the 4 blocks to his home. When he arrived at the door, Ben stood up and again fell flat on his face. He crawled through the door and into his bedroom. When he reached his bed Ben tried one more time to stand up. This time he managed to pull himself upright, but he quickly fell right into bed and fell sound asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
He was awakened the next morning to his wife, Yente, standing over him, shouting, "So, you've been out drinking again!"
"What makes you say that?" Ben asked, putting on an innocent look.
Yente replied "The bar called - you left your wheelchair there again."

Its 3:00 A.M. and Goldie wakes up to see her husband pacing the floor."Melvin, why can't you sleep?" she asks him.

 "You know our next door neighbor, Sam. I borrowed $1,000 from him, and it's due tomorrow morning and I don't have the money. I don't know what I'm going to do." Melvin replies.

Goldie gets out of bed and opens the window. "Sam," she shouts, and several times more, "Sam, Sam."

Finally a very groggy Sam opens the window opposite her and yells back, "What, what is it...it's 3 AM, what do you want?"

Goldie says, "You know the $1,000 my husband owes you? He doesn't have it."

She then slams the window shut, turns to Melvin and says, now you go to sleep, and let Sam pace the floor."

  

And of course the old classic… A Rabbi dies and goes up to the gates of heaven. Before he's let in, the angel in charge has to consult with God for a long period of time if he deserves a place in heaven. As the Rabbi is waiting, an Israeli bus driver approaches the gates of heaven. Without a second thought, the angel who was consulting with God let the bus driver through. The Rabbi points at the bus driver and yells, "Hey! How come he gets in so quickly? He's a simple bus driver, while I'm a Rabbi!"

The angel explains, "Dear Rabbi, you don't understand. When you would be giving your sermon during the prayer services, your whole congregation would fall asleep. When this bus driver drove towards Tel Aviv, all his passengers would be at the edge of their seats praying to God!"

wife.

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Answer is B–  If last week was a hard geology question this week was an easy Jewish Rabbi history question. This one was a no brainer. Anyone in the old city of Tiverya can see the first Shul and building in the rebuilt Ottoman city of Tiverya was the shul of Reb Chaim Abulafia who was persuaded to move back to the Tiverya from Turkey to start the city anew. Haim Farhi was the Jewish adviser who helped save the city of Akko from Napoleon, The Ohr Ha Chaim Hakadosh lived in Jerusalem and I have no clue why Shimon Ben Shetach one of the earl Tanaim is even thrown into this question. But the game /test continues evening up the score to Schwartz 1 and 1 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.