Who Are You Again? - Parshat Chukas-2021/5781

 

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 "Your friend in Karmiel"

June 18^th 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 36 8^th Tamuz 5781

 Parshat ChukasWho Are You, again?

I have a confession to make. I don't remember you. I usually recognize your face, particularly after we have just hugged and kissed and slapped each other on the back. But I certainly don't remember your name. Don't feel bad I sometimes get my own children's names mixed up and I only have five of them. I certainly don't remember when or where I toured with you- was it a year ago, two years ago, ten years. And I certainly don't remember what I'm sure are your very adorable children. 

Oh… You weren't tourists of mine?  Did we go to yeshiva together? Were we chavrusas? Neighbors? Shul-mates? I've lived lots of places. I've been to lots of yeshivas. And frankly I've had lots of fun, funny, exciting and memorable adventures and anecdotes with almost everyone that I know.  Memorable, for you.

 For me, though? It's just kind of a blur. Sure, if you remind me there is a chance that you might jog something in this rusty old noggin of mine. If you initiate that memory recall query with the words "How can you forget when we…" I will certainly fake it pretty well and give you the satisfaction of knowing that your time with me was something that is firmly and uniquely emblazoned on my mind and heart- just as I know that my time with you is certainly in yours. But, I really don't remember you at all. But thank you for the hugs and kisses anyways.

 

Now, I really don't take the entire credit for the fact that in your mind our special time together was so unforgettable. (Years of therapy does help slightly in helping you get over some of the lingering trauma; I'm told). It wasn't just me and my inspirational guiding skills and good jokes and songs. It was your vacation time. It was Eretz Yisrael. Of course it would be something that you never forget. Memories were built and shared with your family that were meant to last a lifetime and we accomplished that together. But they are your memories. Your special times. Your family. Your trip to Eretz Yisrael. I was just the simple shaliach that was privileged to share and join you for it. And until a year and a half ago I would do that most days of most weeks with another family almost as special as yours. Although their children were certainly not as cute.

 Now this is not just the folly of popular tour guides like me. I know many Rebbeim and teachers that have taught for decades that don't remember most of their students as well. Not mine of course. They have told me that still wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares that I am still sitting in their classrooms. It's hard though to remember most other students. There are hundreds of them over the years. Yet, each of us remember all of our teachers. They were our focus for an entire year and they have left indelible memories upon each of us. In my case I still have the bruises to prove it.

 I still remember the tour guides my parents took on our Israel trips when we were kids. Not that I can tell you anything they said or showed us. I don't think I could've even the day after our trip. But I do remember the ice cream that we had. It's still part of me. But that is the nature of people. We can remember the person that focuses their attentions on us. But it is hard for us to remember those that we are meant to be focusing upon and inspiring. They become a blur. An eternal bond is formed with those that we are inspired from, but rarely is that same bond shared by those of that are doing the inspiring and teaching. Our tourists and students all merge together like a good pot of chulent. They are just that. "Students", "Tourists", people I have "taken around". They don't really have identities.

 I always feel a little bit guilty when I have these encounters. I'm in the States now for my nephew's Bar Mitzva and niece's wedding and have had the pleasure of davening in these "shtiblach" minyan factories where in just the last three days I've had tens of these "reunions". (If you are one of those people I met the past few days, don't worry I'm not talking about you… You- I remembered. Of course… how could I forget. We had so much fun together… but everyone else-). I wish I did remember you. I wish I was bonded with you the same way, that you feel connected and bonded to me. I really do. I feel so much love and affection from you. I wish I could reciprocate and tell you honestly you were as special and meaningful to me. I really do and I feel guilty that I don't. Yet, I take comfort that I'm not the first one that failed in this area. In fact, perhaps this was the only failing of our first tour guide; no less of a man than the great Moshe Rabbeinu.

 This week's Parsha tells us of the "sin" of Moshe Rabbeinu, that ultimately caused his Divine tour guiding license to be revoked wherein he would not be privileged to ever guide in Eretz Yisrael. The Jewish people, as usual were complaining and fighting. When one reads the Torah it seems that they really never stopped. Although the truth is over the 40 years in the wilderness we really only have record of maybe 10 or so fights. That's really not that bad when you come to think about it. "Ha'levai oif mir ge'zukt" as we say in Yiddish.

 This time though they have a legitimate complaint. There is no water. It's dangerous and scary in the wilderness when all of a sudden the rolling drinking fountain of Miriam dried up after her death. How would they survive?

 Hashem recognizing the legitimacy of their fears thus told Moshe to gather the people, speak to a rock and water would sprout forth once again. According to the Midrash a miracle took place and every single Jew stood before "the rock"; which is kind of hard when you think about the fact that there was a few million of us there. Each Jew pointed to the rock and told Moshe to bring forth water. And that's when Moshe pretty much lost it. He yells at them. He calls them rebels. He doesn't go to the rock that they want, rather he goes to another rock and strikes it twice and water comes out. Mission accomplished. Miraculous water tour concluded. Yet at the same time Hashem announces to Moshe and Aharon

 Ya'an lo he'amantem bi- l'hakdisheini b'einei Bnai Yisrael- because you didn't believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of  Bnai Yisrael. Therefore, you will not bring this gathering to the land I have given to them.

 Now that seems very intense and dramatic. The commentaries all grapple with what exactly the sin was. Some suggest that it was that he hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock. Others that he hit it twice rather than once. Some in that he didn't hit the rock that they wanted and the Rambam writes it was that he got angry at them and referred to them as rebels. Although most of the above commentaries vociferously disagree with the other suggested opinions- the irony of Jews arguing about what they were arguing about in this particular case is in itself so "Jewish". It is understandable as no one likes to attribute a sin to Moshe, and as Rashi notes this is the only sin that he is guilty of. Yet, my general approach is that all of the peshatim are correct. There is one theme that I think joins them all together. It is this sin that we find that Moshe requests that Hashem's makes sure that his successor, Yehoshua be granted the protection not to fall in.

 

In two weeks from now we read Parshas Pinchas, where Hashem once again informs Moshe that he will not go into the Land of Israel for the sin of not sanctifying His name amongst the Jewish people. There Moshe asks Hashem

 Bamidbar (27:16-17) "Hashem Elokey Ha'Ruchos - Let Hashem, the God of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

Hashem's response to Moshe that Yehoshua is the perfect man for Moshe's request.

Ibid (18) Hashem said to Moshe, "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun,

Asher Ruach bo- a man of spirit, and you shall lay your hand upon him.

 Moshe refers to Hashem here as the God of Ruach and Hashem tells him that Yehoshua is the man of Ruach for the job. Rashi notes that the particular request of Moshe and the qualification that he was most concerned with after the debacle of his sin was that the next leader should be one with a unique talent. He be blessed with ruach.

 Rashi (ibid) God of the spirits: Why is this said? He said to Him, “Master of the universe, the character of each person is revealed to you, and no two are alike. Appoint over them a leader who will tolerate each person according to his individual character.”

  A man of spirit: As you requested; someone able to deal with the character of each one

 Moshe wanted someone that would remember their tourists. Somebody that would connect with each one individually. Someone that wouldn't lob them all together under one stereotype "complainers", "rebels", "ingrates". They need a shepherd that understands that each sheep is unique. Each one has their own issues. Each one needs to feel that they are special and most importantly that their guide cares for them. That their Father in heaven is sanctified in each of them. That they each have His Ruach that is unique residing inside of them.

When we examine the grievances the nation had more closely we can see that there were in fact numerous different complaints

The people quarreled with Moshe, and they said, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord.

 There were those that had lost their relatives. Some because of the sin the punishment of the sin of the spies, other in the other plagues and tragedies in the 40 years struggle. The water crisis brought up fears of their own deaths.

 As well there were others that said.

Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there?

 The toil of the travel was getting to them. It was too long. They were promised a place where their cattle can run wild. The wilderness was not part of their itinerary.

 And then there were those that were just miserable because they just saw negativity. They saw evil. They feared enemies. Where was the holiness. Where was the Temple of Hashem they had envisioned? They said

 Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place;

 The farmers who dreamed of the holy fruits that they would plant. The fields they would inherit. The wineries they would build were frustrated because all they have seen so far is that

it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees,

And finally there were the ones that were just thirsty and said - and there is no water to drink.

 Each Jew pointed to their own rock that they wanted their issues addressed from. They wanted the proverbial water to pour forth and realize that Hashem was listening to their pain and saw their individual spirit. If that would happen then Hashem's name would be sanctified in each of them. And Hashem was prepared to do just that. He made a miracle that each Jew would feel like they were the only one standing in front of the rock. It didn't make a difference which one. It should be the one that they picked. It was their issues that needed to be spoken to not hit, not grouped together, certainly not hit twice.

 Moshe failed them. Perhaps it was precisely his closeness to Hashem and his viewing of the entire nation as a whole, 'as one man with one heart' that didn't as well give him the ability to see the individuality that each one possesses. They became a blur to him. One big beautiful nation that would all be fed from the same well. From the one source that speaks the same to everyone. The individual uniqueness, the personal experience that each one had could no longer be revealed from him. And so his last request was that his replacement and student Yehoshua would be one that will be better  prepared than he was with that quality of knowing and connecting with each person.

 Whether each of us need a tour guide that can remember each of us and that can be connected to us as much as we are forever connected to them is arguable. But we all need a teacher that can be connected to us in that way. As well we all need to be the teachers and inspirers that are not merely teaching material, subject matter and even Torah, but that are teaching people, that are connecting to them. That are part of their lives. Our Rebbeim are our shepherds. Our students are our sheep. When the shepherd doesn't feel each sheep's particular needs they wander, the leave the flock, they get taken by the wolves. But Rebbeim like that don't grow on trees. The greatest gift we can have is when Hashem sends us the right people that we can fulfill the dictum of Pirkey Avot of Asei Lecha Rav- to make for ourselves teachers, Rebbeim, spiritual mentors, connectors to Hashem. To pursue them, to connect with them and to make them part of our lives. For it is their hugs and true acknowledgement that will guide us on the most important tours of life.  

Have a special Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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

Miss my smiling mug and voice and want more subscribe to my weekly Whatsapp or Youtube video for my

FREE

My weekly 10 minute or less video short last week's Parsha

Here's last week's Video

THE HOLINESS OF KORACH

https://youtu.be/RglpqNwJKfw

  You can get the weekly Rabbi Schwartz video by subscribing to my Youtube page on the above link. Or alternatively by Facebook friending me

And I will add you to the Whatsapp group

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

 RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

" Altz ken a der mentsh fargesn nor nit esn."– " A person can forget everything but eating

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

33) The settlement of Be’erotayim is located in the area of:

A) Arava

B) Pitchat Shalom

C) Pitchat Nizana

D) Beer Sheba

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/Fe7vfKo1uCU  – Rabbi "K"s latest video Ko Amar with some awesome footage of Israel and it's rebirth. I just love those old black and white videos and it's a beautiful song.

https://youtu.be/LpUOwuL79_I  – A moving and beautiful song about the knot of the Teffilin by an orphaned Bar Mitzva boy (with a stunning voice) who is going to be wearing the teffilin of his father A'h

 

https://youtu.be/laKsCf_XuvE   - Doni Grosses latest release with Shaleshes Jr.s newest song Shiru lahashem

 

https://youtu.be/2WnTIr8vBJE   -  A thousand voices- Baruch Levine, Rivi Shwebel Ari Shonfeld. And boys of Waterbury in honor of Night Seder America

 

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

 

Impure Liberation – Parshat Chukas- This week's Torah portion tells us of the conquest and battle that the Jewish people had against Sichon the King of the Emori in conquering the Trans-Jordan area. Rashi tells us that this land had originally been owned by Ammon and Moav. In doing so he was "metaher" it- he purified the land. See, the Jews were prohibited to attack those nations which were descendants of Lot. Yet once Sichon conquered them, it was fine to wage war against him and take them.

 Rav Kook sees something fascinating about this process. How is it possible, he asks, to use a terminology such as "purification" when talking about a wicked person like Sichon? His answer is that the process of purification happens because there are sparks of holiness that are locked up and trapped in the impurity and they are released when it is purified. There are two ways that things can be purified or in the words of Kabbala the process of Birurim- separating and uplifting the holy sparks. One is by elevating the holy sparks through holy actions that draw them out. In the laws of Shabbos that is called taking the ochel out of the pesoles; The good from the bad. That is the standard process and it is the work of the righteous. Finding those hidden sparks that are hidden in everything and everyone and helping to uplift them.

 The other process is the opposite. It is when the level of ra- evil is raised to such a harsh degree that the holy sparks themselves flee. That is what happened with Sichon. While the children of Lot and Moav were there the world did see them as evil. They saw a civilized nation, that may have not been so nice or accommodating, they may have had some bad character traits. But, c'mon they can't be bad. Don’t stereotype. Don't call them evil. It was like that way with Germany before the Holocaust. It was that way with Europe that many Jews felt were civilized. They were cultured and would no longer commit the horrific atrocities that the Cossaks and barbarians and peasants of the past had. It's kind of the way many feel the United States and many cultured advanced nations are today.

 The Nazi's blew that myth out of the water. The evil was raised to a degree that the whole world recognized that it was evil and the sparks of holiness were entirely released as the game was up. That's what Sichon did. That was how things became purified.

 When it comes to the modern return to Eretz Yisrael both of those processes take place as they did when we originally came here 3000 years before. There were righteous people that came here with the mission of living and experiencing and restoring the holiness to the land that had been bereft of its children for so long. At the same time the world saw so much evil. So much murder. So many Jihad's and atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people both in and outside of Israel that it recognized how important it was us for to return. For us to have a place of holiness. A place where we can uplift the entire world from. The days of redemption are like the days when we first came here. We can come with holy intentions or we can come because we are fleeing with the holy sparks the evil that is growing and rising in the world at large. Which is the reason you want to come for?

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

Team Dovid- 840 BC – With Avshalom's declaration of  Kingship, Dovid was forced to flee. He took two of his wives with him leaving behind his concubines and with his procession of men fled Yerushalayim mourning along Nachal Kidron. The is Nachal which today is leads down to the Dead Sea area from the Temple Mount is one that was used in recent time to carry much of the sewage and pollution from Yerushalyim. In recent years there has been much efforts to cleaning it up. When he arrived on Harr Ha'zeisim Tzadok Hakoehn and Evyasar and Achimatz the Levi'im came out to greet him carrying the Aron of Hashem with them. Yet Dovid insisted that they return to Yerushalayim and serve under Avshalom, They could serve as his eyes and ears in what was happening in the Kingdom.

 The next group of visitors Dovid had fascinatingly and perhaps even ironically enough was Itai Hagiti a Philistine from Gat whom it seems that Dovid had developed close relationships and who brought with him 600 men to support Dovid. Dovid insisted that they need not join in his fight, but much like Rus, Dovid's grandmother he bound himself to Dovid and refused to leave.

 Finally the last member of Dovid's team is  the figure of Chushai Ha'archi one of Dovid's older advisers. He is the counter to Achitofel who had joined agains Dovid. Chushai saw the folly of Avshalom and swore his loyalty to Dovid. Dovid appreciates Chushai's loyalty, however he feels that Chushai would better serve him being a Avshalom's side as a voice and balance to Achitofel's nefarious plots against Dovid. Chushai indeed goes back to Avshalom who is at first suspicious of him, however Chushai assures him that just as he was loyal to Dovid so he will be loyal to Avshalom his son. His job is to support the people and it seems that the nation had selected Avshalom to be the king. With Dovid's men in place his future return is now in place.

However before that happens, Dovid will still suffer some more indignities, trials, and suffering. More about that next week.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FORGETFUL JOKES  OF THE WEEK

 Moishe was invited to his old friends' home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his with endearing terms-Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.

The couple had been married almost 70 years, and clearly they were still very much in love. While the wife was in the kitchen, Moishe leaned over and said to his host, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names."

The old man hung his head. "I have to tell you the truth," he said, "I forgot her name about 10 years ago."

 Not only is my short term memory horrible, but so is my short term memory

 I swear if my memory is any worse, I could plan my own surprise party.

 I'm not getting old. I just can't remember things because my brain is too full.

 I tried writing things down to help me remember things. The problem is I can't remember where I wrote it down.

 Three old ladies are sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. Zelda says, “You know, I’m getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down.”

Sadie then said, “You think that’s bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed and I couldn’t remember whether I was going to sleep or had just woken up!

Lily however smiles smugly, “Well, my memory is just as good as it’s always been, knock on wood,” she says as she raps on the table. Then with a startled look on her face, she asks, “Who’s there?”

 An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left thetable and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said,

"Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly." The other man said, "What is the name of the restaurant?"

The first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... the one that's red and has thorns."

"Do you mean a rose?"

"Yes, that's the one," replied the man.

He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

 

Psychiatrist: "How long have you had short-term memory loss?"

Patient: "As long as I can remember."

 

Right now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time — I think I’ve forgotten this before.- Steven Wright

 

Once upon a time in their marriage, Saul Rosenberg did something really stupid. Ethel Rosenberg chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up.However, from time to time, Ethel would mention what he had done.

"Honey," Saul finally said one day, "why do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was 'forgive and forget.'"

"It is," Ethel said. "I just don't want you to forget that I've forgiven and forgotten."

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

Answer is C- Incredibly I got this one right but for no reason besides a little bit of deduction. I remember Be'erotayim in the Negev, which knocked out the Arava. I thought that Be'er Sheva was too obvious as it had the Be'er in it already. I had no clue what this pitchat Shalom place was so I went with Nitzana which I knew was in Negev and one of the Nabatean cities there. The truth is I looked afterwards on Wiki and it turns out that Be'erotayim wasn't even in the South, it's in the Sharon valley not far from Netanya. So now I was really confused because it turns out that Pitchat Shalom is also in the South so none of the answers seemed right. I posted the question on my tour group and David Bratspis got it right. He explained that Be'erotayim is the old name of a settlement currently called Azuz which is in Nitzana. So there you go. I got it right but really the question is not a fair one and is probably a recycled old one.  So the score now is 24 for Rabbi Schwartz and 8 for the Ministry of Tourism on this exam.