Seeing is Believing- Parshat Chukat- Balak 2020/ 5780

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 3^rd 2020 -Volume 10 Issue 3 11^th Tamuz 5780

Parshat Balak (and Chukas for you guys over there!)

Seeing is Believing

They usually came to Israel for the summer. This past year they were planning on coming for the summer and perhaps even Sukkos to spend more time in their favorite country. They rented an apartment for the whole year and hoped to visit a few times. But man plans and God laughs, the saying goes. Moishy's father got sick and he was needed by his side for most of the year and the apartment remained empty.

That wasn't the only thing going on with the Levy family. Suri, Moishy's wife, had a rough year personally, a close friend of hers seemed to have a vendetta against her and had caused her much anguish and financial harm. Yet following the advice of his Rebbe she had done one of the hardest things she ever did, approaching the person and coming to terms with her, even assuming responsibility despite the fact that she had done no wrong. It was for the sake of peace, and their Rebbi had told her that she who pursues peace is bound to see an abundance of brachos from Hashem. But it was a rough year.

 After his fathers' passing this past winter, they decided they would at least come for Pesach a holiday they had never even considered celebrating before in Israel and at least get a little use out of that apartment on Rechov Elisha that they had rented.  Yet when Moishy spoke to his Rebbe about their plans he said that he looked forward to seeing them on Purim.

Purim? Who comes to Israel for Purim. The kids have schools, they would only be there for a few days as they would have to come right back. Besides it was a busy work season and it wouldn't be easy to get off. And they had already made plans for Pesach to come. So it would mean coming in, leaving and coming back a few weeks later. He told the Rebbi that Purim really didn't seem like the right time to come. But the Rebbi once again repeated his blessing that he looked forward to having them at his Purim Seuda. Despite the craziness of the idea Moishy was a man of faith. His Rebbi had asked for him to come. He would make it work.

So it was two days before Purim when the Levy family got a flight out of Atlanta, Georgia and came to Israel. As they packed Moishy had doubts. Yes, no, should they shouldn't they. The tickets are paid for. But I'm going to be so jet-lagged the entire time. We'll be spending more time in the air almost than on the ground. They got into the Uber and headed over to the airport. In the airport itself, they said maybe we should just head home. We'll just bite the loss on the tickets. The thoughts of being crunched up in economy, airplane food, landing half asleep only to have to head back a few days later just seemed insane. But then they got called to the front desk. It seems there were seats in First Class open and they were giving them upgrades. You don't pass up first class seat to Israel. It seems that this bracha was beginning to pay off. What a great restful flight they said to one another as they landed. The best yet.

The next day the gates closed. No flights in and out. Welcome to Israel in the year of Corona 2020. At first their plan was to remain here until Pesach and then head home. After-all life was waiting for them back there. The kids had school. How would they manage? But then they remembered this great tour guide that had taken them for a few years on their annual trips. Whadaya know the once busy tour guide was suddenly available to learn with their children every day. You can't get much better than that J. But the States awaited them, their kids had friends, Moishy's business was back there and their oldest son Reuvein had a Bar Mitzva coming up in June they knew that they had to get back.

But Pesach came and went. The US sounded like a scarier and scarier place to go back to. The pandemic, the politics, the anti-semitism and the economy. It was a different world on so many levels. It wasn't the country they had left and frankly it wasn't the country they wanted to go back to. As well surprisingly the pandemic had opened up new opportunities for Moishy as his other business didn't require him as much to be present. Maybe we should stay. Maybe the time has come for our lifelong dream of finally moving here.

But the kids don't speak Hebrew. How will they manage. We can't even get them tutors as we don't know anyone that can teach them ulpan style. Don't worry, it seems Hashem was telling them, when they met their downstairs neighbor Shaindy. This warm friendly American- Israeli that had already bonded with their children was a speech therapist. She specialized with American kids and was happy to learn one-on one with them Hebrew. Oh and by the way, her father-in-law was the principal of an American Israeli school. Their connection with him opened the door for all the schools for them and their children were accepted.

What about transportation. They needed a mini-van to get around in. As their Visa was expired the dealership told them they wouldn't be able to buy the car they wanted. It had to go through bank managers and tax authorities that needed to approve the bringing in of money to purchase a car on an expired visa. It can't be done they were told by the nice chiloni dealership guy, there's too much red-tape and the people that he needs to connect are so over swamped with the Corona limited workhours it's not gonna happen. But see, the car guy isn't the man running the Levy family's VIP visit/ stay and now move to Israel.

The next morning, he called them back and asked them what special merits they have? They were puzzled. What was he talking about? Well it seems that the head of the tax authority "happened" to come into his dealership. She wasn't a former client. She was just in the neighborhood- far from her home saw his place and decided it was time for a new car. He told her their plight. A week later they were driving around in their new minivan. If there were any doubts if this was where they were supposed to be. They had all "hit the road". And I haven't even told you the cherry on the top of the cake yet.

This week's parsha is called Balak. It begins with the words Va'Yar Balak- and Balak saw. The commentaries all struggle with the name given to the parsha. Balak, the king of Moav, is like Hitler. He hires Bila'am a man with a proven tracker of successfully cursing people and causing their destruction. A man who knew how to tap into the few seconds a day that Hashem allows his wrath to reign and His harsh judgement and even got Hashem to act upon his curses. His diabolical plan is to wipe us off the map, get Hashem to abandon us and there will never be a Jewish people that will get into Israel. Imagine a parsha named "Hitler", "Stalin" or "Haman". Why not use a better name for the parsha, as it does in most cases, the first word of the parsha Va'yar- and he saw? Why jump to the second word, the name of this Rasha, and name a parsha after him?

The answer perhaps it because we couldn't call the parsha va'yar. Because the entire parsha is about those people that really don't see. Our sages who named the parsha wanted us to understand this in the most dramatic of ways. They wanted this question to jump out at us as soon as we started reading it. This is the parsha not-called "And he saw". It's named after the Rasha and is all about those who don't see.

What doesn't Balak see? The first verse tells us that he saw all that Yisrael did to the Emorite. That's the first mistake. See, we didn't do anything to the Emori. The only thing we did was ask them for safe passage through their land. We wouldn't even drink any of their water. If they said no, we were happy to reroute and go around them. We weren't looking for a fight. Yet they came out with their full gear brand new Russian tanks and Iranian missiles and attacked us. Hashem wiped them out for us. Just as he killed their soldiers as they hid in the caves as we came through the valley smashing them in with the hills from Israel opposite them. And yet Balak, like all the enemies throughout our generations only "see" the Israeli oppressors occupying the land of the poor innocent Emorites. Balak is passing UN sanctions against us. "What Israel did to the Emorites" is the name of the resolution. It's not a parsha of seeing. Hafuch! Just the opposite. It's a parsha of Balak. A parsha of anti-semitsm. Of refusing to see.

The parsha continues with the person the Torah tells us he is Shesum Ha'ayin- he is blind in one eye none other than Bila'am. The Baal Shem Tov suggests that the reason he was blind in one eye was so that at least that eye never became impure and could still properly spiritually see. Yet he is the eternal symbol of the person who really doesn't see what's going on. Hashem tells him he can't go, he shouldn't go, he won't be able to curse. Read the signs buddy… What are you blind? As opposed to the Levy family, who got a first class ticket to the destination their Rabbi told them they should go to, (as does Hashem pretty much tell every Jew to go to Israel…shhh…), Bilaam's entire journey seems jinxed. He smashes into a wall, he smashes into vineyards, goes off into vineyards and finally the car/ donkey breaks down. There's nowhere to go. Hello-oh… anyone home? Yet, he persists in beating his donkey. And even the talking donkey doesn't get him to open his eyes. Even an angel with a sword threatening. Bila'am still thinks that he will be successful. Don't be distracted by the facts.

What both of them don't see though is most clearly at the end of the parsha. They try again and again to find fault, to find a crack in Hashem's love for Klal Yisrael. They think they can mention sins that we did, the golden calf, the sins of our forefathers, the places where we complained and rebelled, the snakes, the sins in the future that will cause our temples to be destroyed. He pulls out everything in the book. But you know what? Hashem doesn't see that either. Lo hibit oven bi'yaakov, v'lo ra'ah amal b'yisrael- Hashem doesn't perceive any iniquity in Yaakov and doesn't see any perversity in Yisrael. Hashem only sees love for us. He sees that all the sins and mistakes we make are only external. We are His children that is all He sees.  To see otherwise is Balak. It's not seeing all of the real signs.

Two weeks ago we celebrated Reuvein's bar mitzva in the old city of Jerusalem. He had spent a few months before coming to Israel working on Parshat Shelach, as that was the Torah reading he was supposed to read in America. Here in Israel we were a week ahead.  I spoke and told the family how Shelach was a parsha for those in Chutz la'aretz that didn't appreciate coming to Israel. Korach though was always meant to be his Bar Mitzva parsha and I proved it to them.

First of all Korach is the only parsha that has the name re'uvein in the first pasuk of the parsha. That's pretty cool. Second guess what the Parsha is all about? You got it! The tribe of Levi, and Levy wasn't only their last name, they were in fact Levi'im. If that wasn't enough though, the parsha also mentions the mitzva of redeeming the first born and of course Reu'vein was the first born of his family. Yup, this was meant to be his parsha and then we got the final sign. The cherry on top.

Motzai Shabbos Moishy threw a huge Bbq melave Malka for the occasion and as we were chomping down steaks and burgers all of sudden 10's and 10's and 10's of Jewish students from Mexico come in. They don't seem too religious but they all seem to be having a great time. I look at Moishy and tears start to stream down his eyes. Always one for a good story I asked him what was going on. And this is what he told me.

See Moishy's father that had passed away was born in Israel and raised not religious. He moved to Mexico, after being subject to religious abuse in the "secular" Israeli Army back in the 50's when he put on tefillin despite not being religious himself. There he connected to a Rabbi who drew him close to yiddishkeit. Perhaps the straw that broke his secular upbringing camel's back was when he saw the terrible intermarriage and inter-dating that was going on amongst the Jewish youth of Mexico. His yiddisheh neshoma was pained by this and for the next 50 years of his life he dedicated his resources to Jewish social and outreach programs for the Jewish youth of Mexico. Who knows how many Jewish children found their Jewish spouses and are raising Jewish families because of his merit.

Two days before the Bar Mitzva, Moishy while walking down the streets of Jerusalem met a Rabbi who had once come to his house to raise money for Jewish programming for College students from Mexico. The Rabbi was shocked to see Moishy and Moishy as well wanted to know what the Rabbi was doing here. There were no flights to Israel. There hasn't been for the past three months, what's going on? The Rabbi, explained how he had come here with a group of students three months ago for a 10-day trip before Purim. But with the outbreak of Corona they were stranded in the country, and as their colleges were closed anyways, the students decided to stay and he was running Torah programs for them simultaneous to their now distant learning college program. Yet, the students really needed a fun-get together. Did Moishy have any ideas about how he can entertain them, maybe even this Saturday night?

Moishy got choked andcontinued. 

"As we celebrated this Shabbos, I thought about how my father is not here with us at this simcha. How much nachas he would get that we have returned from the land he fled and are now here celebrating the putting on of teffilin and the rebuilding of our life here in Eretz Yisrael. These boys dancing here tonight are my father's message and kiss of nachas. His whole life was dedicated to outreach to the Jews of Mexico, and here he has sent us them to be here with us. To dance for him with us. I see my father here."

Hashem sends all of us signs every day. Signs of His love for us. Signs for where he wants us to live. Signs for how he wants us to live. Our Father always sees us. Those signs are for us to always see Him. May we soon as well see His return with all  of His children as we sing and dance at His simcha.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 This week's Insights and Inspiration is sponsored by Ruth Cohen of Norfolk, Virginia in honor of the Bar Mitzva of her grandson Alter Shmuel Bridge, son of Sid and Amy Bridge. You are such an incredible young man and you have such amazing parents that are so proud of you. May you continue to be a source of so  much yiddisheh nachas and may you only see bracha and hatzlacha as you continue to grow in Torah and Maazim Tovim.

Mazel Tov!

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

" A sach mentshen zehen, nor vainik fun zai farshtai’en.."- Many people see things but few understand them.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

34) For which of the following sites is a security clearance and coordination required?

A.  Alexandrion fortress (Sartaba)

B.  The Temple Mount

C.  Shiloh

      D.  Ein Keshatot (Umm el-Qanatir)

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlt9P0nDDTY– Amazing Story of Fire and Torah this week

https://youtu.be/Jm92ZAPNIT8 - Ma Tovu -  a beautiful song Eitan Katz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_KuOGC_1wo - "Karva" great new sog Eitan Katz and Zusha collaboration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyzvohk5L3k  – Avrham Fried and Eli Marcus U'vais Hahi- a new Yossi Green hit

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F20tS_pH88 – This wasn't easy for me to find but got it! The original Ma Tovu from my youth that I grew up. Listen at 3:28 to the original Negina Recording

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/MITZVA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Chukas- - Forbidden Relations with Gentiles–The end of our Parsha tells us the final solution of Bil'aam which was to get the Moabite women to seduce the Jewish men into their tents. In Bila'am's words he understood that Hashem hates licentious relations and we would incur His wrath and that would be the end of us. To a large degree his plan was successful. 24,000 Jews died in a plague that was only brought to a halt when Pinchas shishkabobbed the leader of the tribe of Zimri who was brazenly consorting with the princess of Midian, Kozbi in front of Moshe and Aharon. The Midrash describes Zimri's chutzpa in that Moshe was sitting and judging the people who had been making visits to those tents to death and he got up to defend his tribe.

I saw an incredible insight that shed light on Zimri's rationale. He suggested that the problem was really that the Jews were serving idolatry in the tents of the Moabite women. That was they price that was demanded of them to enter. Perhaps it would be better to bring the women here to the camp, where there was no fear of idolatry. Being that the sin of being together with a non-jewish woman in the Torah seems only to be a prohibition to marry them, then in fact there was no biblical prohibition, certainly not a cardinal one, letting it take place under the auspices and in the holy tents without any fear of idolatry…God forbid. And if you, Moshe, feel it's a problem. Why you yourself even married a Midianite woman, which seemingly is worse. This was his claim which might even seem justified to some. Better let them do a lesser sin, if any in our house than losing them entirely in the Moabite tents to avoda zara.

He was wrong and Pinchas proved that and the plague resolved the whole issue eternally. However was he right halachically? So in truth the Rambam seems to be quite clear that the biblical prohibition with the punishment of misa b'yidei shamayim-death by heaven" is only when one marries a gentile (at least for a Yisrael-a Kohen is always biblically prohibited. Marriage though does not mean with a Rabbi in a shul, rather even if someone lives together as a couple that would also be considered like marriage. As well someone who publically consorts as Zimri did with a gentile woman is also subject to the death by any zealot, like Pinchas who is in the vicinity that wishes to stand up for the honor of Hashem and the Jewish people. One who is not marrying or living together though would be subject to Rabbinic lashes for this sin though. As the Rabbis were smart enough to recognize that generally one thing will lead to another in these cases.

The Rambam though cautions us that one should not take this sin lightly for all other sins the ramifications end with his action. Here however any children that may be born by a non-jewish mother as a result of their relationship is not considered Jewish. And take it from someone who has been in outreach for a long time, placing that status on your children is one of the most painful things you can put them through.

This prohibition as well, and even its status of consortin publicly, the consensus seems to be that public knowledge of their relationship suffices to bring it to the level of biblical status. Meaning the only time it would fall under the rabbinic prohibition is if this was something that was not known. As well in order not to get into any sticky situations already from the time of Hillel and Shammai during the second Temple a decree was passed on even being secluded with a non-jewish woman for even a short period of time. And you know those two Rabbi's couldn't agree on most things… But this was one they both did. Following that decree all of the prohibitions between an unwed Jewish man and Jewish women such as physical contact of a more loving nature or listening to them sing or seeing them not modestly dressed are as well prohibited.

We are a holy nation, we are Hashem's nation and our job is to build nice yiddisher families. Stay away from those that will take us away from that. It's as simple as that.

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

Shaul's first War -879 BC – As we mentioned last week, there were a group of people that didn't accept Shaul as their King, despite his overwhelming vote from the majority of the nation and being selected by the Urim V'Tumim and anointed by Shmuel. There are always those that say "Not my President, or Prime Minister". Until of course they need them to cash their stimulus checks… or to fight their battles for them. So Shaul went home and not long after Hashem sent Nachash, the King of Ammon- currently of course in the easily identifiable place by name alone, Amman, Jordan, to attack the people living in Yavesh Gilead, also on the other side of the Jordan River seemingly in a place called Tel Abu Cherez near a place also easily and biblically identified called Wadi Yabes. These were the same people that didn't accept Shaul. Well… who needs a King and an army now?

They tried to cut a deal with Nachash where they would all agree to be his slaves, but his response was that they would each need to chop out their right eye as a sign of shame to close that deal. Yeah, he wasn't exactly that reasonable. Our sages take it a step further and said that the right eye besides being meant literally was also a reference to the Torah that he demanded be destroyed- the Torah of course being our eyes. His objection was that the Torah states that we are not allowed to marry someone from Ammon and Moav and he felt that was very racist. Ammon Lives Matter, apparently Jewish lives…not so much.

The people of Yavesh Gilead came running to Shaul and rather than saying, what most of us might, "ahhh so now you want me…" He stood up indiginant for the honor of the Jewish people. He understood that although they may not have thought him as their King, they were his people. He demanded that every single Jewish male join the fight against Ammon. To make this demand a little more graphic. He chopped up the ox that he was grazing- as after not assuming the kingship he went back to his farm- and he sent a piece to every tribe threatening that this will happen to all of their cattle unless they join the fight. And they all came; 330,000 of them.

The next morning the men of Yavesh Gilead sent a message to the camp of Nachash that they would meet him in the morning, leaving it ambiguous enough that he would assume he would have some fun with their eyeballs. That night Shaul divided his camp into three and attacked for four hours decimating Nachash's army entirely. Boom. All gone. The people euphoric with their victory and their incredible new king, then turned to those men that had opposed Shaul's kingship and sentenced them to death for rebelling against Shaul. Interesting how this didn't bother them that much before this great victory… Shaul however made the bold statement that no one shall die on this day, pardoning them. Let's all go to Gilgal and get this Kingship going. And thus the Jews joined once again unanimously to coronate Shaul this time with everyone as their King.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S HEAVENLY SIGN JOKES  OF THE WEEK

FUNNY CHURCH SHUL SIGNS

The fact that there is a Highway to hell and a stairway to heaven gives you an idea of the anticipated traffic numbers

 Acting perfect in Shul is like dressing up for an X-Ray

Tweet others you want to be Tweeted

When you throw mud at someone you lose ground

Adam and Chava- the first people not read Apple's terms and conditions (it wasn't an apple)

Avoid Truth decay-brush up on you Torah

Hashem does not believe in Atheists therefore they do not exist.

Come to shul, because there are some searches that just can't be found by Google.

Little Moishie Epstein was walking home from school holding his Tanach (Hebrew Bible) when he thought about his day’s lesson, and exclaimed loudly “Baruch Hashem” (praise God).Along came a university student who had recently completed a religious studies course. He asked the boy what he was so excited about.

“Today in class my teacher taught me that that God opened up the waves of the Sea of Reeds and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."

The university student laughed lightly, sat down next to Little Moishie and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. So you see, it would have been no problem for the Israelites to wade across."

Little Moishie was stumped. The university student, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go. Scarcely had he taken two steps when Little Moishie said, “Baruch Hashem!” Confused, the university student asked for an explanation.

"Wow!" exclaimed Little Moishie happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Sea of Reeds, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"

The story is told of the atheist who accosted a rabbi.

"Do you believe in life after death?"

The rabbi has no time to reply.

"Well it’s a load of rubbish!" shouted the Atheist. "I believe in science, evolution, survival of the fittest, and when we die, that's it! No eternal life, no judgment, and no God!" The Atheist continues his assault against the rabbi tirelessly."Eternal life! Eternal life! Ha! Its all pie in the sky when you die. When I die that's it, the end, no eternal life, no nothing." He continues, until he reaches his climax, "I will be buried six feet under when I die and that's it! Nothing! Caput! When I die I am utterly convinced that that will be the end of me!"

"Well thank God for that" replies the rabbi.

What do you get if you cross a dyslexic, an atheist and an insomniac? 
Someone who lays awake at night wondering if there is a dog.

Hannah comes home from her afternoon out with Arnold looking very unhappy.
"What’s the matter, Hannah?" asks her mother.
"Arnold has asked me to marry him," she replies.
"Mazeltov! But why are you looking so sad?" her mother asks.
"Because he also told me that he was an atheist. He doesn't even believe in Gehenom."
Her mother then says, "That’s all right Hannah, it really isn’t a problem. I suggest you marry him and then I will show him how wrong he is."  

Atheist: What's this fly doing in my soup? Waiter: Praying. Atheist: Very funny. I can't eat this. Take it back. Waiter: You see? The fly's prayers were answered.

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Answer is A–  There goes my streak, It was so nice while it lasted. I was in doubt about this one between Sartaba and Temple Mount. I knew that there was some security restrictions on the Temple Mount. But I was pretty sure that they had set times when people could come and I didn't think that any special coordination was needed or background checks. But at the same time Sartaba my other choice where I only went once for a climb up this miserable mountain outside of Yericho, I didn't remember any special security coordination, although I knew that it was in west bank. I knew that Shiloh didn't or did Umm el Kanitir in the Golan Heights. So I went with Temple Mount and I was wrong. The correct answer is Sartaba as it is near an army base that uses the area as a firing zone. So another one wrong for me making the score Schwartz 24 and 10 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam. I'm still safely passing but let's see if I can get a score that would make my mother proud.