To Be A Chasid- Parshat Beshalach 2021/ 5781

 

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 "Your friend in Karmiel"

January 29^th 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 16 17^th Shvat 5781

 

Parshat Beshalach

 

To be a Chasid

His child was sick. The Doctors had given up hope. There wasn’t much more he could do but pray. His friends at the eclectic synagogue that he prayed at, consisting of Chasidim with various Chasidic Rabbis and movement affiliations, all encouraged him to approach their Rebbe for a blessing and for prayers. Not particularly affiliated with any Chasidic movement or rebbe he went to a few of them for blessings. The Vizhnitzer, Gerrer, Bobov, Lubavitcher, Satmar, Pittsburger and Bostoner (he never made it out to the Karmieler J), all received him independently heard his woeful story and all blessed him that his child should have a Refuah Shleima a complete healing and promised to pray fervently for his recovery. He left feeling renewed hope and comforted by their deeply empathetic caring and reception.

Returning from his international “blessing tour” he went back to the hospital to find the doctors standing in amazement at what they described could only be a miraculous recovery. The tumor was gone, his organs were recovering, his son would live a long healthy life. Tears flowing down the father’s face he pledged to give a Kiddush the following week in his shul in honor of this incredible news. The mood, as can be imagined in shul that week was jubilant. As the L’Chaims were passed around the room on the special 18 year old single malt just right for the occasion, the Chasidim began the ultimate debate; which Rebbe should get the credit for the miracle that took place. Each Chasid claimed it was their Rebbe that had stormed the gates of heaven and that had ultimately been responsible for the healing of the young boy. Needless to say as in most good Jewish debates of this sort no resolution was found. One of the Chasidim, of the Satmar affiliation, decided after davening to walk down to his Rebbe, the always sharp and to the point, Reb Yoel Teitelbaum ZT”L of Satmar, and ask him who he thought should get the credit.

The Rebbe heard his Chasid’s earnest quandary and responded in the way that only the Satmar Rebbe was known to answer.

“Which Rebbe will get the credit?” he asked his Chasid “Why that’s simple. The Rebbe with the most Chasidim will ultimately get the credit. Because, after all, he has the most adherents and they will be sure to promulgate the story in their Rebbe’s name the most.”

“But who really gets the credit?” he said wryfully, “That is really the Ribono Shel Olam- The True Master of the Universe; Hashem. But unfortunately He has only ‘vainegeh Chasidim’-too few Chasidim so you may never really hear about it.”

What does it mean to be a Chasid of the Almighty? For that matter what does it mean to be a chasid at all? As a child growing up in Detroit there were not too many Chasidim around (besides Chabad which of course are everywhere-but I mean the big furry hats and long coats type). But every year we would have an annual Stoliner Shabbat (or ‘shabbis’ as they would say it), when a hundred or more Chasidim would come for their yearly pilgrimage to their Rebbe’s grave in Detroit for special prayers. The memories of those Shabbosim are etched in my mind. Loud, fervent, inspired davening, Kiddushes and Friday night Tish when the Rebbe would lead his Chasidim in song while sharing his fruit and his drink with them were all just parts of the other-worldly – or better yet old-worldly experience that I had felt I entered in. Watching the Rebbe and listening to him speaks pearls of Torah (in Yiddish- which I didn’t understand) one could sense a feeling of holy awe that permeated the room. You were connected to something higher than life. You wanted to be there forever.

This week is known as Shabbat Shira- a Shabbat of song. The Torah reading of the week contains in it the song our ancestors sang upon their miraculous salvation and the splitting of the sea. The Talmud tells us that even the simplest maidservant achieved a greater level of spiritual prophesy at that moment than even the greatest prophets. They all became Chasidim of Hashem. And Chasidim sing. There is a special custom this Friday before Shabbos Shira to give food to the birds prior to the onset of Shabbat. One of the reasons given for this custom is because the power of song is the domain of the birds. We borrow their special power this week and share with them our food.

What is the song of the birds? They are the most transcendent of creatures. They fly across the skies and see the incredible beauty of Creation. Their songs are so close to the heavens because they see the Almighty wherever they fly. When a Chasid closes his eyes and sings he can also fly. His soul soars and he is connected to Hashem, our Father… our Rebbe.

This Shabbos is also always connected to the holiday of Tu B’Shvat the New Year of the trees. Look outside and the trees still look dead and barren. The grass is not green and the fruits are not yet growing. Tu B’Shvat tells us to look deeper. Our sages and Botanists both agree that underground the sap is starting to flow. The Creation and flourishing is just around the corner. The song is slowly starting and we should already begin to sing. A true Chasid doesn’t need to see the fulfillment of the blessing to begin his song. As soon as he knows his Rebbe has heard his plea, he begins to rejoice. He can already hear the song. So as you sit down with your family this Shabbat, teach them the song of this Shabbos. Show them who your Rebbe is. Hashem could use a few more Chasidim.

Have a harmonious Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 ***************

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

"Fun fartrikenteh baimer kumen kain paires nit arois..." No fruits sprout from dried out trees

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

14) A site recognized as a World Heritage Site:

A) Mount Tabor

B) Capernaum (Kefar Nahum)

C) Caesarea

D) Beit Shearim

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

 https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shiras-hayam-the-song-of-the-sea-vayosha   – Shabbos Shira is incomplete without singing Rabbi Schwartz'es Vayosha song of the Sea compostion. It's most likely the tune Jews used when they left Egypt!

https://youtu.be/ULbsZ7g9OWY  - Der Rebbe Iz Duh… Yehudah Green's aweseome new song and video… this will be ung by every tish and oneg so learn it quick…

 

https://youtu.be/YXONm-fXWe8  - 8^th Day has a new hit song- Rollin

 https://youtu.be/c_iKXeV0Kic  - Rabbi K and his son Luzzy have a great Kabbalat Shabbos song and beautiful video- Yamin U'Smol

 https://youtu.be/uh5Vfv7sYLg – Cool New Finds in David's Tower in Jerusalem (Hebrew)

 RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/ ERETZ YISRAEL CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

 The Prerequisites to Israel - Parshat Beshalach– Our holy books tell us that when Parshiyot share similar names we should try to find the connections between them. Your homework is to think of other parshas- besides Beshalach and Shelach that have similar names. But the similarity between the themes of our parsha and Shelach when Moshe sends out spies to the Land of Israel is of course obvious. They are both parshas with a mission to get to the land of Israel. Although separated by two books of the Torah though these stories really only take place about a year apart. The first Beshalach, of our parsha is Pharaoh sending the Jews out of Egypt. Parshat Shelach is Moshe sending the spies to Israel to get them ready for the land. And just as that was a preparation for us to go into Israel, our parsha has all the prerequisites that we as a Nation had to learn before coming into the land.

 What are those lessons? Well the first is that we have miracles that Hashem preform for us. Seemingly impassable seas will open up before us, but we first need to jump in. Eretz Yisrael will require a leap of faith. It will require the knowledge that there are no "Egypts" to go back to. When Pharaoh sent us out we knew that lesson well. Sadly, when Moshe did a year later, the spies felt that life in the Midbar was safer, more secure, perhaps even with an easier opportunity to learn Torah from Moshe. And thus we couldn't enter the land.

 The second lesson we learned when we left was that we may find bitter waters when we arrive there, but don't worry with a little prayer and casting of our sticks they will become the sweetest we have ever tasted. We will see 70 trees blossom in no time. The land will flourish in no time. Unfortunately as well in Parshat Shelach Moshe's spies see the incredible fruits of the land of Israel and they view it as an anomaly, as something negative, strange huge fruits that require two people to carry them. They're dangerous, not blessed.

 Our Parsha then gives us the next requisite lesson. The daily food that we eat. We have the Manna. It is miraculous. It comes from heaven. And it's a daily miracle that we have what to put on our table. It's called bread of faith. It doesn't work on Shabbos. That's what life in Israel will be like. The righteous will get it right near their house, the not so righteous might have to shlep all over the country for it. But it will be there. It might take some getting adjusted to. New olim certainly learn that nerve racking lesson right away. But after a while they experience those miraculous ways that Hashem provides bread on our tables. The spies of Moshe had gotten so used to the manna that they didn't want to give it up. They didn't realize that Hashem would be providing that same miraculous daily bread in other forms on the plates of Israelis as well.

 Finally, the last lesson of our Parsha is that there will be enemies, Amalekites, that will try to destroy us and not allow us to fulfill our mission in this world. The fact that they are coming to attack us should remind us that we are not just going to Israel to have a safe place to settle and thrive. We are there on a mission to restore the throne of Hashem to its full glory. It is for this reason that the nations will try to stop us. But if we remember that we have this higher mission to achieve. If we remember that we are in the army of Hashem. If we look up to the uplifted hands of Moshe on the top of that mountain and realize that Hashem is leading our army than we will be victorious. We have nothing to fear. As Yehoshua and Calev told the Jews when they returned.

 Bamidbar (14:9) "We need not fear them they are our bread, their protection has left them. Hashem is with us"

 If we learn those lessons then we will be able to finally enter the land and we will then sing the song of Hashem, the Shira Chadasha of the redeemed that we daven for each day.

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

The conquest of Jerusalem - 872 BC-  It took 7 and a half years of him ruling in just Chevron but finally at the young age of 37 Dovid Hamelech finally was accepted and inaugurated as the King of all of Yisrael. All of the tribes sent their representatives to Chevron and Dovid was hailed as the king.

 His first matter of business it seems was not writing executive orders reversing everything the previous administrations achievements. Rather it was about uniting the Jewish people around one capital; liberating Hashem's city and palace on this world. It was finally about Yerushalayim. See when Dovid was fleeing from Shaul the verse tells us that he fled to Nayot, which we said there is a neighborhood in Jerusalem that is named for it. It received its name from this week's song at the sea where the Beish Hamikdash Nevei Kodshecha His holy abode. For he stayed up all night learning with Shmuel about the exact location of where the Temple was meant to be built.

Now Yerushalayim sits in the portion between two tribes; Yehudah and Binyamin. It has been these two tribes that represent all of the Jewish people as they are the children of Rachel and Leah. It's the perfect place to unify the Jewish people.

 There was one problem though. It was enemy territory. The city was well fortified and it was in the hands of the Yevusi or Jebusites. They had felt very comfortable as they believed that they were safe because of the treaty that their ancestor Avimelech had made with Avraham.  Yet that deal was over. The time for us to return had finally come.

 The perfect and most favorite place to tell this story for tour guides is of course in the Ir Dovid- the city of David which still stands with the walls from that period. One can perhaps looking out at those walls picture the blind and lame men that the Yevusim placed on the wall taunting Dovid that even they could protect the city that was so well fortified. The blind and lame were meant to symbolize Yitzchak Avinu who was blind and Yaakov who was lame, that not even the merit of our ancestors will protect us.

 Dovid though makes a promise in a very strange but archeologically significant statement. That someone needs

  Shmuel (5:8) "To strike the Yevusi by hitting the Tzinor- the pipe". Huhhh?  The next verse tells us how Yoav successfully did that and the city became Dovid's but how?

 Well the Medrash gives us a few different scenarios. The first is that Yoav hoisted a huge cypress tree and used it to scale over the walls. Another Midrash suggests that he cut off the water supply of the city and yet another suggest that he knocked down the pole where the lame and blind soldiers held onto for support.  Tour guides though will not tell you any of those stories. We've got a better one for you and it starts with a British explorer and archeologist named Charles Warren in the early 1900's in Palestine. But let's save that for next week… Nothing like a good cliff hanger.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S GREAT CHASIDIC JOKES  OF THE WEEK

 A mitnaged once walked into a the Chasidic minyan of the Rebbi of Ruzhin. He was astounded that after davening was over the chasidim gathered around the Rebbi with a bottle of Shnapps and started making L'chayims with one another. The outraged misnaged turned to the Rebbi and said

"What is it with you chasidim? By us litvaks when we finish davening in shul we all sit down and learn mishnayos. And here, you all drink l'chayims!" the Rebbi looked at him and smiled and explained.

"See by you the prayers are all dead without life, so you recite Mishnayot which is customary by a mourners home. By us the prayers are full of life so we drink l'chayim!"

 

One day a chasid came to the Tzemach Tzedek. He had an upcoming courtcase with the local Poritz and he was very nervous of how he would answer all of the accusations against him. The Rebbi asked for the chasid to tell him what the Poritz was claiming and then told him what he should respond. But the chasid was still nervous and continued to ask the Rebbi, but what if the the Poritz then answers me this and this and that? The Rebbi again told him what to respond if the Portiz came up with counter claims. But still the Chasid was nervous and asked the Rebbi one last time but what if even after all of that he still claims this and that and this. The Rebbi looked at the Chasid and told him not to worry

"The Portiz doesn't daven Shemona Esrei three times a day and doesn't have that time to think about all of the rebuttals that you did…"

 

A Misnaged once asked Reb Naftali Ropshitzer why is it that Chasdim are always drinking schnapps and making l'chaims. Reb Naftali answered "Why it's to make the blessing of Shehakol Nihiye b'dvaro- that everything happens with the word of Hashem, as often as they can…"

The Misnaged then challenged the Rebbi "well then why don't they just drink water"

"Ahhh" said the Rebbi "A Chasid that recognizes that everything comes from Hashem shouldn't deserve a little mashkeh/ drink!"

 

One Chasid once came to his Rebbi and was complaining to him how difficult it was for him to make a living. He had trouble even  buy food for his familyeach night. The Rebbi told him that he felt the solution was that he the chasid should work on being b'simcha-filled with joy and that would bring him the segula that he needs. The chasid turned to the Rebbi and asked

"but how am I supposed to be b'simcha if I can't even put bread on my table!?"

Answered the wise Rebbi "Ayyyy what don't we do for a bissel parnassah…"

 

The Satmar Rebbi told his Chasidim that the known segula of reciting Parshat Ha'Manna that is meant to bring parnassa only works until 8:59 AM after that the best segula is to go to work.

 

Reb Naftali Ropshitz once noted that only once was he bested in a conversation and it was by a ten year old girl. He said that he came to a small little village that had only 10 men. When he came to the Shul to speak he noted that there was a cemetery right next to the Shul. So he turned to the congregation and asked them what was the point of the cemetery.

"Seemingly, it serves no purpose, for as there are only 10 men here if someone dies there won't be a minyan anymore. So it should be forbidden for anyone to die. And if it is permitted to die than whats the point of having a synagogue.

A little girl in the front row piped up "The cemetery is there for people that come from outside of the city that lecture us and then die here…"

 

A chasid who had done some very embarrassing sins was wrought with regret and fear of Divine retribution. So he came to Reb Naftali and explained that he had a very close friend that had done these terrible sins and his friend was embarrassed to come to the Rebbi and ask him what he needed to do that would serve as an atonement for his transgressions. The Rebbi turned to him and said " tell you're friend that his is very silly. All he had to do was come to me and tell me that he is asking for a friend and I would be happy to tell him and I wouldn't be any wiser to it…"

 

A Chasid once came to the Rebbi to complain about his son-in-law.

"Rebbi, I don't know what to do with him… All he wants to do is daven, say tehillim and sit and learn Torah all day long…"

The Rebbi turned to the Chasid and told him "What's so bad… I also sit and learn and daven and say tehillim"

The Chasid answered "Yes, Rebbi, that's true but you do that because that's your parnassa, my son-in-law wants to do it for real…"

 

How many Lubavitchers does it take to change a lightbulb? The lightbulb never died

 Or alternatively…

How many Chabad Chasidim does it take to change a lightbulb? 3 one to change the bulb, one to hang the picture of the Rebbi and one to broadcast to the entire world that its been done

 

How many Satmar Chasidim does it take to change a lightbulb? 3 one to take down the picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbi, the second to break the old lightbulb and the third to break all the other lightbulbs.

 

 Q. how many Breslovers does it take to change a lightbulb? A. Three. Two to hold the ladder very still as the third guy dances it in, around and around.

 

A Hasidic man, with a long beard, payis, a kaftan (long black coat), and shtreiml (the traditional fur hat), walks into a bar with a multi-colored parrot on his shoulder.

The bartender says: "Where'd you get that?"

The parrot replies: "Brooklyn. There's thousands of them."

 *********************************

Answer is D –This one is not such an easy one. Although I knew it easily because I visit Beit Shearim so often and it's necropolis (burial caves) from the times of the Mishna and Talmud periods is one of the coolest in the world. Yet, I think most people would probably guess either Caesarea which is certainly more famous (especially since Rabbi Schwartze's great Mishpacha column and video J) or Capernaum- the Christian site with the house of Peter mentioned in the New Testament. But those sites are just on the tentative waiting list. If you guessed Tabor though you're off base. The church there isn't too old less than 100 years or so and despite it's significance there's not much to see there besides a great view. So I got this one right to and the score now stands at 12 for Rabbi Schwartz and 2 for the Ministry of Tourism on this exam.

Plague-demic- Parshat Bo 2021 /5781

 

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 "Your friend in Karmiel"

January 22^nd 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 15 9^th Shvat 5781

 

Parshat Bo

 

Plague-demic

 

It's impossible to read about the story of our Exodus from Egypt without thinking about Pesach. I know it's only the month of Shevat. We haven't even begun thinking about Purim yet. But yet this year, more than other, I think the Torah portions of plagues and redemption strike a relevant chord. Particularly after our last Pesach which was certainly one of the most-if not the most- challenging and bizarre Pesachs we have ever celebrated. Locked up. Isolated. Terror out in the streets. Not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Remember all that toilet paper we were stocking up on. It feels like moons and a lifetime ago. Yet here we are reading the story once again not even a year later. Yet it feels like a lifetime later in a different world that it once was Pre- Corona. It's a world of masks, of lockdowns, of no livelihood, no trips to Israel or touring. A year that the entire world went crazy in all areas. Are we looking at the tail end of this yet, as the pundits are telling us and assuring us? I hope so, but I certainly don't have any faith in any of them. I've had too many false hopes crushed already. I'm not doing that anymore.

 

Yet, I do find it fascinating that there are so many out there that do really believe that this time we are really seeing the end of it. We have a vaccine. All will be good. Sure there are mutations. Sure we haven't really had enough time to see what the long term ramifications or effects of this will be. Yes, you will still need to wear masks and social distance. No, we don't know when we will be opening up the borders yet. But why not be optimistic? Why not believe that this time it really is over…

 

Don't get me wrong. I've taken my first vaccine and will be taking my second soon, but that's really more a business decision for when my tourists return and to get my green passport that will get me into places- if God willing that ever happens again.  So I took it. But that's because my general practice in life is that if it doesn't cost me too much I try to listen to the person who I believe is the Gadol Ha'dor, Reb Chayim Kanievsky, who said that we should all take it. He's pretty much got some link up there to heaven, that I'm not sure he's even aware of, but the things that he says usually are on target in almost miraculous ways. So even if I was skeptical about the efficacy of this vaccine, if he said I should take it, that's all I really need. I figure it can't be much worse than all the other chazerai I put in my body. Can someone please pass the chulent and the Coke. It's right next to the cold cuts platter.

 

Yet, I guess the reason I'm not as optimistic or positive as everyone else, is that I'm burnt out already. Sure I want it to be over. How much longer can this go on for? Yet I think about Pharaoh in Mitzrayim. The plagues there went on for a year. One year. I'm sure he and the Egyptian had plenty of false hopes throughout that year as well. Wheww… there's no more blood in the river…. Thank God the frogs are finally gone… We recovered from those lice all right, the weather is clearing up and someone turned the lights back on. Can you imagine their joy when the plague of darkness finally was over? That bright beautiful sunshine that greeted them the next morning. Sure their coffers had been cleaned out by the Jews, but that was fine. They were alive. They were in one piece. They could get back to business. And then-"BOOM!"-Plague of the First Borns. Yeah… they also had high hopes each time and what did it do for them? In the end they all just drowned in the sea next week and there you go… As you can see it's been a pretty dark week for me.

 

There is something fascinating though that I noticed while reviewing last weeks parsha. I'll present it to you as a riddle. It's about the plagues, and as I said we're getting in the Pesach mode here and you always need to have plagues-games for the kids- which is kind of morbid in itself if you really think about it. But I guess a riddle game is better than them jumping like frogs all over the room- which they seem to be doing anyways this past latest lockdown, or playing dead like the animals, or throwing ping pong balls at each other. Let's stick to riddles. They're a lot quieter. So here we go.  

Your riddle of the week is… Drumroll…. What do the plague of Frogs, Hail, the Death of the First Born and Covid-19 have uniquely in common? Something that is not by all the other plagues. Something that perhaps can give us a better appreciation of the essence of the challenge that we face today.

 

Stumped? That's fine. It's not something that we would necessarily think about- which is why it struck me as being so interesting. See, by all three of those plagues in Egypt-and only by those three-does Hashem use the word Magefa- which in modern Hebrew is the word for pandemic to describe what took place. The reason why it seemed so strange to me, was that I don't think at least the first two of those plagues would have been my first guess to call a pandemic. I think if you asked most people which of the ten they would call a pandemic, most would probably say dever-pestilence where the animals died, or maybe boils,  or maybe even lice. But frogs and the severe weather conditions of hail are usually not what we would call a pandemic.

 

Even more interesting that the plague of frogs is in fact the first time in the entire Torah where the word magefa is used. According to the tradition of the Gaon of Vilna, the first time the Torah uses a word reveals the true essence of that word. That would mean that if we really wanted to understand the concept of magefa we need to examine that plague. Why would frogs be called a pandemic, a word we generally would ascribe to a deadly medical virus. Frogs seem to be the easiest and most fun of all of the plagues. Sure they're annoying, but hey, no one really go hurt from them.

 

Rashi on the verse of the plague makes the question even more difficult. He writes that

 

Rashi Shemos (7:27)-Negef/pandemic- Makeh- plague or striking. And any terminology of Magefa does not mean death rather a term for striking…

 

Isn't it puzzling? What does Rashi mean that magefa does not mean death? Throughout the Torah we find the term magefa- referring to a pandemic that kills people. We find it after the Golden Calf, after the spies, 24,000 died in the magefa after the Jews sinned with the Moabite women by Baal Pe'or. How can magefa not mean death? I did see an old version of Rashi that adds in the word "only" into his text. That magefa doesn't only mean death. Yet, even that seems not so accurate. Pandemic pretty much always by itself seems to mean death. Yet, Rashi though in this particular case seems to be correct- as he usually is. Here we have the first "pandemic/magefa ever and yet in fact there really was no one that died by that plague of frogs.

 

There is another similarity between the three plagues as well if you think about it. Check the verses, it's pretty cool. It seems that one of the overwhelming aspects of each of those three plagues the Torah repeatedly notes, is that there is a lot of noise. The plague of frogs was all noise. It drives them crazy. It's deafening. The non-stop chirping and shrieking. Remember how the CIA blasted non-stop heavy metal music to torture information out of terrorists. Maybe here's where they got it from.

 

As well the plague of hail, Pharaoh notes that the most troubling aspect is the kolot- the noise. The non-stop thunder, lightning and rumbling of the heavens. It's because of this that the Torah tells us that the plague of Hail is a magefa that will go to their hearts. There's nothing like those intense heaven shattering sounds, the Talmud tells us, to straighten out the crookedness of our hearts. And finally even the plague of the first-Born the Torah describes the sounds of wailing that fill the streets of Egypt. Screaming, yelling, cries and shrieks fill the air. And yet for the Jewish people not even a dog barks. We have peace and serenity. We have those noise blocking head phones on. We can filter it all out.

 

Do you know what a magefa is? It's not death, as Rashi says. It's a plague of noise. It's a plague of panic. Of fear. Of screaming pundits. Of non-stop media alerts and updates and numbers that grow and grow and grow and that paralyze us. Sure people die in a magefa, in a pandemic. But that's just collateral damage. As Rashi says Negef- isn't death, although people might die. It's more about the striking of fear and panic in everyone. It's why the first time the Torah even uses the word negef- there isn't even any death. It's just loud green frogs shrieking and terrifying everyone. It's too teach us that the real plague of a pandemic isn't as much the people that die, rather it's the noise, panic and extraneous fallout that comes out of the fear its meant to create.

 

But it goes even deeper than that. The word negef has the same root as the word guf- body. Our bodies are what cover up that precious neshoma of Hashem that is the spark of life in each of us. In the Talmud the word magufa- is that the seal on top of a barrel that doesn't let the internal pour out and show itself. When we leave Egypt the first mitzva the Torah tells us about is about the freeing of slaves and that slave is described as coming into his slavery be'gapo; only with his guf. Alone. No hope. Just the circumstances of the outside world. The noise that led him down this road toward slavery and covered up and distracted him from the special holy neshoma that lies within him that is waiting to shine forth. Negef is when that that spark of faith is not seen anymore. It's when the illusion of our bodies control over all that happens to us is shattered. That is really what is the source of all plagues.

If, on the other hand, we know are able to reveal what the true source of life within us is; that all comes from Hashem. Then we can tune out all the noise on the outside that is plaguing the world. We can have the serenity that the Jewish people had that first Seder night as the world and Egypt were screaming. We can have light while they sit in the darkness of their solutions and ideas of how this might be over, when this might end, whether the vaccines will be our salvation or will kill us. We can take comfort and hope that we are in the hand of the true Rofeh kol basar-The true healer of all flesh. And we can remember that Promise He made to us back then.

 

Kol Hamachala asher samti b'mitzrayim lo asim alecha- All the sickness that I placed on Egypt I will not place upon you.

Ki ani Hashem rofecha- because I, Hashem, am your Healer.

 

May just as then our great and only true Healer, send a refuah shlaima to all those that need it and finally take us out of the darkness of our exile.

 

Have a healing, peaceful Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

***************

 RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

Az meshiach vet kumen, vellen alleh krankeh oisgehailt verren; nor a nar vet bleiben a nar.." When the messiah comes, all the sick will be healed; only a fool will stay a fool.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

13) Remnants of a Philistine temple can be seen in:

a) Khirbet Qeiyafa

b) Yavneh Yam

c) Tel Qasile

d) Gilboa

 RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCK7zLj2U0&t=51s   – Check out Rabbi Schwartz and Family Plagues in Egypt video and song- Rabbi Schwartz b'Pijama B'Emtza Ha'Layla- watch again and again and again…

https://youtu.be/S01ZU7CyAtI    - V'Zakeini II- the follow up to Miriam Israel's first song for Bonei Olam sung by Benny Friedman

 

https://youtu.be/5eCy5jyUhqA - Shomo Yehudah Rechnitz's long awaited third Shir Disc is out with all the top singers- take a listen to this sampler album

 

https://youtu.be/Wvs0XeAnBBg - I think this is one of the nicest songs I've heard in a long time… Shimi Spitz and unknown composer that doesn't even play an instrument (like me) but just composes heavenly songs that come to him. Hopefully this is the first of many.

 

https://youtu.be/AdVyy1yaSiI  – Jared and Ivanka's little boychik singing Hashem Melech!

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/ ERETZ YISRAEL CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

 In Order to Walk- Parshat Bo– There is an interesting side conversation that the Torah shares with us between Pharaoh and Moshe as the plagues progress that really comes to a crescendo in this week's end game. It's a discussion or negotiation as to who will go with Moshe. At first Pharaoh is opposed to any type of Exodus, but slowly he starts to cave. At first he will allow the men. Afterwards he will allow the women and children as well, but not the cattle and sheep. And finally Moshe tells him that not only will the animals come but Pharaoh and Egypt themselves will contribute their animals to the cause as well. We kind of miss this when we read this story but The Mei Merom see's in this sub-conversation tremendous significance.

 He begins with the concept that Bnai Yisrael's strength is that we are called holchim- walkers. Unlike angels that are referred to as O=omdim- "standers", we have the ability to grow to move forward in our spiritual status. We have this ability because we are at our essence connected to the land of Israel where the Talmud tells us "All who walk four cubits (daled amos) in Israel is guaranteed a portion in the land of Israel. This is derived from Hashem's mitzva to Avraham to  Bereishis (13:17) "arise and walk in the land". In fact there are many stories of the Chazon Ish who would upon coming to a place in Israel where he had never been before getting out of the car and walking. As well Reb Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld the great leader of the old yishuv would take a daily walk to a new place he had not been before to fulfill this dictum.

 It is for this reason that Pharaoh asked Moshe who specifically will be walking "mi va'mi haholchim". Moshe responded that each and every Jew, not only the males will ultimately need to be considered walkers. Even the infants that cannot walk will as well need to leave and to walk the land. He then even raises the bar a step further and tells Pharaoh that even our animals and even your animals will walk and be motivated to come to Israel. The entire worlds elevation is dependent on all of us growing and taking those daily steps in the holy land.

 He notes that Pharaoh was reticent about allowing this because he saw that the tribes of Gad and Reuvein later on wanted to leave their animals on the Eastern side of the Jordan River. So he recognized that the animals would not all arrive. It was with this that he was bargaining based on. In fact, it is why Moshe Rabbeinu would later got to great lengths on those tribes behalf to make them swear that they would enter the land. And the other side of the Jordan would have the status of Israel.

 It is amazing and inspiring to realize that the entire discussion and length that we stayed in Egypt once again truly revolves at its core about our coming to the land and even the most basic level. It wasn't just about getting the Torah. It wasn't just about even coming to Eretz Yisrael. It was about walking, living, dwelling, settling and even bringing the best that the rest of the world had to our holy country. Here and only here can we uplift it all. Here is where our long walk and journey is meant to reach its destination.

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

Ish Bosheth's Death/ Dovid's rule begins - 872 BC-  After the death of his general Ish Bosheth realized that the end was near. His people had abandoned him and his rule was waning. Two of his generals Rechav and Ba'aana who had previously fled began to plot their next steps. They figured particularly after murder of Avner and Dovid not avenging that death against Yoav that they could curry favor with him by finishing the job and killing Shaul's son, Ish Boshet who remained the only impediment to Dovid's kingdom reigning over all of the tribes. But what they didn't realize was that wasn't Dovid's style. Dovid took an oath not to avenge against Shaul's descendants. It's Hashem's job, Dovid is not going to the dirty work.

 So these two generals came into Ish Boshet's palace during his traditional Israel siesta hour. They create a diversion, according to some interpretations, by killing the manager of the wheat storehouse and in the balagan enter into Ish Bosheth's room and killed him as he slept, viciously decapitating him. They then fled towards the Arava and come to Dovid in Chevron along with the head. They prostrate themselves before him declaring their loyalty and they expected Dovid's gratitude. It wasn't forthcoming. Dovid was furious. He tells them that he killed the Amalekite that merely brought him the tidings of Shaul's suicide for his assistance and his tidings. That was even though Shaul was trying to kill him. Ish Boshet was righteous. He was sleeping his his bed. How dare they even think that Dovid would want his death.

  He thus sentenced them to a brutal death to send the message that he despised this type of bloodshed. He had them hung by the pool of Chevron. Their hands which they raised against Ish Boshet were chopped off as were their feet that ran to do evil. They stayed on full display for all of Israel to know that Dovid's hands were not in this death and this would be the fate of all those vigilantes that act against his wishes on their own.  He then decreed that Ish Boshet's head should be buried together with his uncle and general Avner. Avner supported Ish Bosheth who was righteous and studied and taught Torah. His head would merit to rest with him.

This story finally brings to a conclusion the line of Shaul's reign. After this the tribes all come to Dovid and his 30 year reign of all of Israel will begin. It had been  years since Shaul had died. 7 years, that Dovid reigned in just Chevron. It was time to move to Jerusalem and finally after all of these centuries liberate Hashem's holy city.

 RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE NOISE JOKES  OF THE WEEK

 John's engine kept rattling and making loud noises whenever he drove. He sent it to the mechanic. The mechanic took a quick look at the engine and marked an "X" on the chassis with a chalk. He then gave it a swift kick and the noise stopped immediately. He then handed John a bill for 200 dollars.

John felt the bill was too hefty for such a quick job like that so he demanded an itemized account of his charges. The mechanic went back into his office and came out with the bill.
*One chalk mark: 1 dollar*
*Knowing where to mark the "X": 199 dollars*

 What's the difference between an expensive purchase and a loud noise that scares a chicken?

One costs an arm and a leg. The other caused alarm and an egg.

 The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent, but had not phoned in.

Needing to have an urgent work problem resolved, he dialed the employee’s home phone number and was greeted by a child’s whispered, “Hello.”
“Is your Daddy home?” he asked.
“Yes,” whispered the small voice.
“May I talk with him?”
The child whispered, “No.”
Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your Mommy there?”
“Yes.”
“May I talk with her?”
Again the small voice whispered, “No.”
Hoping there was someone with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, “Is anyone else there?”
“Yes,” whispered the child, “a policeman.”
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?”
“No, he’s busy,” whispered the child.
“Busy doing what?”
“Talking to Mommy and Daddy and the Fireman,” came the whispered answer.
Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, “What is that noise?”
“A helicopter,” answered the whispering voice.
“What is going on there?” demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, “The search team just landed a helicopter.”
Alarmed, confused, and a little frustrated, the boss asked, “What are they searching for?”
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle…”Me!”

 A man walks into a library and asks the librarian for the Encyclopedia of Loud Noises. The librarian responds: "Absolutely! Which volume would you like?"

When Beethoven passed away, he was buried in a churchyard. A couple days later, the town drunk was walking through the cemetery and heard some strange noise coming from the area where Beethoven was buried. Terrified, the drunk ran and got the priest to come and listen to it. The priest bent close to the grave and heard some faint, unrecognizable music coming from the grave. Frightened, the priest ran and got the town magistrate.

When the magistrate arrived, he bent his ear to the grave, listened for a moment, and said, "Ah, yes, that's Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, being played backwards."

He listened a while longer, and said, "There's the Eighth Symphony, and it's backwards, too. Most puzzling."

 So the magistrate kept listening; "There's the Seventh... the Sixth... the Fifth..."

Suddenly the realization of what was happening dawned on the magistrate; he stood up and announced to the crowd that had gathered in the cemetery, "My fellow citizens, there's nothing to worry about. It's just Beethoven decomposing."

 A minister told his friend Rabbi Goldman, "Last night, I dreamed of the Jewish Heaven. It was a slum, and it was overflowing with people – running, playing, talking, sitting – doing all sorts of things. But the dream, and the noise, was so terrific that I woke up."

The rabbi said, "Really? Last night, I dreamed of the Protestant Heaven. It was a nice, proper suburb, with neatly trimmed lawns, and houses all neatly lined up."
"And how did the people behave?" asked the minister. 
"What people?"

 A very successful businessman had a meeting with his new son-in-law. "I love my daughter, and now I welcome you into the family," said the man. "To show you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in my business. All you have to do is go to the factory every day and learn the operations." 

The son-in-law interrupted, "I hate factories. I can't stand the noise." 
"I see," replied the father-in-law. "Well, then you'll work in the office and take charge of some of the operations." 
"I hate office work," said the son-on-law. "I can't stand being stuck behind a desk all day." 
"Wait a minute," said the father-in-law. "I just make you half-owner of a moneymaking organization, but you don't like factories and won't work in an office. What am I going to do with you?" 
"Easy," said the young man. "Buy me out."

 Yankel had a problem. Every time the rabbi got up to give a sermon, within a few minutes he would doze off. Worse, he would begin to snore — loudly. This may have been a problem for Yankel, but for the poor rabbi it was impossible. As soon as he would get into the heart of the sermon, this loud noise emanated from the first row — Yankel at it again.

One Saturday, the rabbi gets up to the pulpit and before opening his mouth, Yankel is already cranking it out.

The rabbi could not control himself... He shouts: “Yankel, I didn’t even start yet! How could I have possibly put you to sleep already?”

To which Yankel opened his eyes and replied, “Rabbi, — I trust you…”

 *********************************

Answer is C –Pretty easy as well. I'm not a big expert on Philistine sites. They don't interest me much particularly if there's not much Jewish things going on there. Yet Tel Kasileh located in the Eretz Yisrael museum in Tel Aviv is known for its Philistine Temples. Sure the Philistines fought in Gilboa and ran from Dovid in Kayefeh near Beit Shemesh and I guess Yavneh too is nearby to Plishtim. But I'm not familiar with any temples over there. So I got this one right to and the score now stands at 11 for Rabbi Schwartz and 2 for the Ministry of Tourism on this exam.