Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
February 18th 2022 -Volume
11 Issue 20 17th Adar Alef 5782
Parshat Ki Tisa
It was mind-blowing. Here I was in the
city of Tiverya wandering around in an unkept field of weeds and wild brush. I
was working on my upcoming column for Mishpacha magazine about the city and as
well I have an exciting new project I have been working on with Artscroll. No,
they’re not publishing my books. Don’t get too excited. Despite my Mishpacha
credentials I’m still not politically correct enough for them; or at least my
writing isn’t. And I’m not going to tame that down too much either. How could
it be the “Most enjoyable Book about Pesach” without Rabbi Schwartz jokes in
it. But it seems that they do like my new svelte look enough to feature me in
their upcoming video in honor of the completion of the Schottenstien Elucidated
Talmud Yerushalmi. My job was to video and explain where the Talmud was written,
and I was having a bit of a hard time. It was somewhere here, I knew, but the
place was a wreck. It didn’t look like too many people had been here since
Rabbi Yochanan started writing the Talmud in the 3rd century.
Now, despite the fact that it is called
the Talmud Yerushalmi after Jerusalem. I knew that it was written here in
Tiverya. At that point in our history the Jews had been thrown out of Jerusalem
after the Bar Kochva revolt and were in fact banned from coming to the city
that had been renamed Aiela Capitolina. Yet when Rebbi Yochanan who was a
student of Rebbi Yehudah who edited the Misha and wrote down the body of the
work of our Oral tradition, decided that he was going to expand on that work by
collecting and writing down all of the discussions, stories and debates that
surrounded the Mishna and it’s laws, with some good stories and anecdotes along
the way, the center of Judaism had already been relocated to Tiverya. Yet Rebbi
Yochanan wanted the generations to remember Jerusalem. So this first Talmud was
named after our destroyed city that we had been exiled from in order that our
hearts and minds would always turn to it. So yes, I knew the place it was written
was here somewhere. But where?
And then before me appeared a man. He
wasn’t wearing a Kippa although he was Israeli and certainly Jewish. He had pulled
up next to my car and asked what I was doing there. That’s how I knew he was
Israeli. Americans pretty much mind their own business. Israelis really only
mind everyone else’s. I told him I was a tour guide, working on an article and
checking out the spot. He said “Do you want to see something cool?” And a few minutes later there I was standing
in the room where the great men of the Sanhedrin once met. The broken beautiful
colored marble was on the floor still, the benches where they once sat were
buried under earth and there was a little pillar front and center of the top of
the room where it was clear the head of the Sanhedrin once lectured and where
Rebbi Yochanan and his brother-in-law Reish Lakish would later have their great
debates, as they compiled the oral tradition and discussed it’s teachings. I
was in awe. Speechless. Which all of you that know me know that really doesn’t
happen too often. Don’t worry it didn’t last long…
I turned to my new friend who saved the
day for me and asked him what he happened to be doing here. He told me that he
himself was a tour guide and had just discovered this place two weeks ago.
While he was driving by, he saw my car parked there and something inside of him
told him to pull over and show it to us. In my head I heard Shlomo Carlebach’s
“Eliyahu Ha’Navi” song start playing. Hashem, perhaps in the merit of
Rebbi Yochanan, perhaps in the merit of Mishpacha, of Artscroll, of
Schottenstien, the future tourists I will take here, maybe even in the merit of
you guys- at least the ones that sponsor these weekly E-Mails… OK even those of
you that actually read them- more than just the jokes on the bottom. Perhaps in
the merit of my wife who really would like me to get away from my computer for
a few minutes, Hashem sent me his special messenger to help reveal to me the
hidden place of the Sanhedrin amongst these ruins in Tiverya.
Yet, I stood here astounded. How could
it be that such an important and holy site is left so forlorn? This place
should be taken care of, it should be marketed, people should know about it.
They have an ancient Roman theater here, a bathhouse where the Tana’aim and
Amora’im, our holy sages from the Mishna and Talmud would congregate and bathe,
and the study hall where these great sages battled in their fiery disputes of
Torah daily and yet it is overrun hidden and destitute.
The truth of the matter is, I noted in
the video that I made, the Talmud Yerushalmi as well lay for centuries if not millennia
in the same sad and sorry state. This first Talmud ever, that really served as
the basis for it’s child the Babylonian Talmud fell into disuse and remained a
closed book; left for a handful of isolated scholars that had access to it and
chose to delve into its wonderous teachings. It was like an old record or 8
track while everyone was spotifying the Bavli on their new Iphones. And yet to
return there today with the recently completed edition of the Schottenstien
Talmud Yerushalmi in my hand that will open up the door to once again, as they
did with the Artscroll Schottenstien Bavli, to the masses and restore it’s
glory to its special place gave me hope that one day this holy Beit Midrash
will be restored and be filled with the students of Rebbi Yochanan and the
sages who succeeded him filling the holy city once again with the voices and
sounds of those reading and studying the teachings he left for us.
{By the way don’t you think Artscroll or
Schottenstien should sponsor a weekly E-Mail? Are you reading Gedalia…? }
Yet on the other hand upon reading this
week’s Torah portion I was struck by an incredible message and idea of the Meshech
Chochma that sheds some lights on broken ruins and the function they serve
throughout our history. He doesn’t speak about Tiverya, the Yerushalmi or even
Batei Midrash explicitly but he does talk about the shocking and perhaps most
visceral destroyed and shattered item in our history; the Luchos tablets with
the Ten commandments that Moshe Rabbeinu broke after the sin of the golden calf
in this week’s parsha.
What makes this aspect of the story so
remarkable and that really begs to be asked is that I can understand that Moshe
is disappointed, outraged and even shattered over this terrible sin, yet
breaking the tablets that Hashem had Himself written seems to be extreme. I hear
if he wants to kill everyone involved. If he would feel the need to do something
radical to shake them up. But can you imagine if a Rabbi who was upset at his
congregation got up on the Bima and took out a lighter from his pocket and set
a sefer torah on fire?! And then stepped on it and ground it all up? Now
imagine if this wasn’t just a sefer Torah, but rather it was an ancient one.
One that the Gaon of Vilna wrote. One that Rashi wrote. Maybe even the Sefer
Torah that Ezra the scribe had handwritten when the Jews came back to the Bais
Hamikdash. This was decidedly worse. This was the tablets written by Hashem.
Tbis was literally the original deal. It was the only physical manifestation of
Hashem’s presence that took place at the only time in history revelation of His
glory at Sinai to our entire nation. And Moshe simply smashes it and destroys
that it one moment. As they ask in yeshiva, “Ha’yitochen??” Is this
really possible?
Even more startling is that he did this
without any previous commandment from Hashem. It was on his own. Yet, even more
astounding is that out of everything that Moshe did his entire life, it is this
one act that the last verse of the Torah, which in Hashem’s eulogy on Moshe
describes as his greatest achievement.
U’lchol ha’yad hachazka, u’clchol
ha’mora ha’gadol asher asah Moshe l’einei bnai Yisrael-
and for all of the mighty hand and the great awe that Moshe did before the eyes
of the Bnai Yisrael.
Thus concludes the Torah. And Rashi
tells us from our sages that asher asah is a hint to Hashem telling Moshe
“Yasher Koach she’shibarta-
your strength should continue because you broke them.”
What makes this act so great, so
important that it dwarfs everything else Moshe did? The plagues, the splitting
of the sea, the giving of the Torah, the shepherding of the nation for forty
years in the wilderness and you know that wasn’t easy. We’re not a simple
flock. But all of that is negatable compared to the breaking of the tablets.
That’s the only and greatest “shkoyach” Moshe gets from Hashem. Why?
Now on the one hand this can be
explained rather simply because in fact this was precisely the only thing that
Moshe really did on his own cognizance. Everything else that he did was all
from Hashem. He was just following orders. He was just the tool in the hands of
Hashem. He was an eved- a loyal servant carrying out his charge and holy
life mission. You don’t get a shkoyach or a medal for doing what you’re
supposed to do. Here though he acted on his own. Perhaps he even took Hashem by
surprise. Ok Hashem knows everything, I’m just saying that for drama. But you
get the point. Yet, the question remains, how did he get the chutzpa to do this
and even more significantly why?
The Meshech Chochma enlightens us on
this very question that should strike a sense of awe in all of us. He suggests
that the sin of the Jewish people was that they felt that Moshe was this holy
prophet and that they needed some type of intermediary between them and Hashem.
We are mortal flesh and blood. Sure, we could see and connect to Hashem that
one time on Mt. Sinai, but from there on in we need holy people, holy things,
holy places where and how we can connect to Hashem. They figured if they can’t
have Moshe than they need something else. In the Mishkan there would be cherubs
over the Ark of the covenant, it’s not such a bad thing. Let’s have a golden
calf. It will be created with the name of Hashem. It will direct our hearts and
minds to Him. It will be a physical manifestation of Hashem in this world just
like Moshe the Ish elokim- that holy man who was able to soar up to the
heavens and preform miracles from Hashem for us would be. That’s what they were
looking for. But they were wrong.
Hashem doesn’t need intermediaries. The
truth is the only real thing holy about anything is the Jewish people’s divine
spark that connects to that through following the mitzva of Hashem. Moshe
realized- and this is really the amazing part about what he writes- that if he
gave them the tablets written by Hashem, then the luchos would
themselves become another eigel; a golden calf on their own. Toirah,
Toirah, Toirah. It’s a holy sefer. It’s a magical mystical book. You should
keep it in your glove compartment. Hang a picture of it in your basement and it
will keep away rodents. Go visit its tomb in some village in Ukraine. Go make a
video there to celebrate the completion of the translation of a body of work of
global proportions.
Moshe needed to shatter that idolatrous
notion. He needed them forever to know that the only thing that makes something
holy- including himself incidentally, is that it is a tool that klal Yisrael
elevates and comes close to Hashem with it. Once the Jewish people are not
there, it’s gornisht. Don’t turn it into an idol. Don’t put it in a
museum. It’s a churva. If you want to find Hashem then look at the Torah
in your heart. Make it real, don’t treasure as a good luck charm. That’s not
our religion. We were put here on this world so we can find the Hashem inside
of each and everyone of us and reveal that. If we get caught up looking to find
and reveal it in the so many golden calfs, and even Jewish golden calves that
are out there, we ignore and bury the ones that are karov eileich ha’davar
me’od, be’ficha u’vilvavcha- that are so close to us in our own hearts and
souls alone.
Thus Moshe shatters those tablets, so
they themselves don’t become a golden calf. And for that Hashem says “Yasher
Koach”. Thank you for sending that message that only you could send. Thank
you for letting them know that even you Moshe Rabbeinu are not a god. Not a
magic worker. Not a miracle maker. Thank you for letting them know that the
greatest and only real manifestation of My holiness will be from each and every
Jew themselves. Even the Torah isn’t an inherently holy book without them. Even
the Torah and the ten commandments tablets that I myself wrote. He then
commanded that these shattered tablets will always sit with the ones that Moshe
wrote afterwards. To remind the people, that the ones that Hashem wrote and
that Moshe broke are no holier than the ones written by Moshe, a mortal flesh
and blood man himself. It’s no holier than the one that you and I can write
every single time we open up this book.
I saw a vort from the Kotzker Rebbi this
week and posted it in my whatsapp status (which incidentally you guys should
all be watching, as I have begun posting different snippets from my daily
tours, besides the weekly parsha short that I video. If you want to subscribe,
just send me your number). The Kotzker asks that originally the Jewish people
claim they wanted a replacement for Moshe, but then right after the eigel, they start singing and dancing in front of
it saying “this is your god that took us out of Egypt”. Mema
nefashach- either way he asks. What did they want a Moshe replacement or a
God? The Kotzker in his usual sharp pointed way responds.
“If you make you’re rebbe into an
eigel, a golden calf then eventually you’ll turn him into the Eibishter. You’ll
make him into Hashem”
So I sit here in this old deserted place
of the Sanhedrin in Tiverya that is over run and abandoned and I appreciate
even more so the wisdom and foresight of Rebbi Yochanan and his Rebbi, Yehudah
Ha’Nasi and even the great Hillel who lived towards the end of the period of
the Bais Ha’mikdash and who had witnessed as we had turned our Temple into a
holy sentimental archeological relic. A beautiful building, but it was empty of
the soul that we were meant to reveal from within ourselves to light it up and
to shine it out to the world from. They understood that buildings will come and
without us they will go. But we need to have something that will carry us no
matter where we are even without any physical remnants. That is the Torah that
is in our hearts. That is the teachings and the discourse that we can continue
and extrapolate from and that we each can find our own portion in. Hillel, thus
put his focus into establishing Torah study as the centerpiece of our nation.
Rebbi Yehudah added to that by writing the Mishna. Not to make a holy book, but
to give us tools to bring that light out from ourselves through it. And Rebbi
Yochanan in writing his Talmud Yerushalmi, which birthed the Babylonian Talmud
had that same vision. More and more books would be written. Would be
elucidated, would become part of our nation. That is what makes the Torah
alive. It’s what keeps us alive. Not the ancient texts that are treasured but
the new generations light and soul with every new addition that comes forth.
Not all of us could write books. Not all
could write E-Mails. But we each have us have a light that we are meant to
bring out to the world. The Parsha of Ki Tisa which begins with the half Shekel
coin and the counting of every Jew, is the clue that this is what the message
of the golden calf is really all about. Appreciation that each of us count.
Each of us complete that Shekel of Hashem who is the other half of our shekel.
Each of are as holy as the tablet Hashem wrote on the luchos libeinu-
the tablets of our heart. May we merit to reveal that light and shine it out to
the world.
Have an enlightening earth-shattering 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
OUR LIGHT
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
“Dayn mazl, Got, vos du voynst azoy hoykh; anit volt men dir di
fentster oysgezets-
You're lucky, God, that
you live so high; otherwise people would break your windows.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE
WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8qYk8Vq-FU
– You will love this. A bit of nostalgia with the
great Sandy Shmuely from my childhood… I don’t know how I found this but love
it..
https://youtu.be/fbYlne8tCSY
– Been reading my good friend Sruli
Besser’s book on Rabbi Trenk and saw this short video on his yartzeit from a student
visiting his grave and meaningful minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLMjOUH2DjU
– Another great song on Eitan Katz’s new
Teruma release. Ki Keil Melech… I love this disc.
https://youtu.be/7x46haMqkV8
– Great Shmuli Ungar new hit son Tatty and Mommy !
https://youtu.be/kydr-fZGOLo
- I really believe this new album of Eitan Katz is one of his
best. Check out this new song and video with Joey Newcomb… It’s awesome.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
16) The name of the fortress from
the time of Herod, built north of the Temple Mount is: ________
The main reason for building it
there was:
A) Proximity to the Via Dolorosa
B) Proximity to a spring
C) Topography
D) Fear of invasion by the Edomites
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS
CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Making Shabbos -Parshat Ki Tisa- We say this verse
from our Torah portion each Shabbos multiple times and many have the custom to
recite it by Kiddush by day as well.
V’Shomru Bnai Yisrael es Ha’shabbos- and the Jewish people will guard the Shabbos
La’asos es Ha’shabbos-
to make the Shabbos
But what does it mean to make Shabbos, is a question that we should ask ourselves
after saying it this many times. How does one “make” Shabbos. Seemingly the
observance of Shabbos is one that is kept by not violating any of the
prohibited acts considered work. But if that’s true than we’re not really
making anything? We’re merely not violating it.
The Ostrovozh Rebbe writes an incredible idea about this
verse and he explains that the Talmud tells us of as story of a merchant that
was walking around asking people who wanted to live long. He had an special
elixir and crowds started to gather around him. He opened up his bag to pull it
out and much to their surprise in his hands was the verse of King David in
Tehillim that asks
Mi Ha’ish Ha’Chafetz Chaim- who is a man who desires life
Netzor Leshoncha me’rah- he who guards his mouth from speaking evil; from speaking lashon
hara.
The great sage Rebbi Yannai upon hearing about this
merchant remarked how he never understood this verse until he heard it so
explained by the merchant.
The Ostrovzher explains that what Rebbi Yannai learned
from this man is precisely the dilemma that we are facing by our making Shabbos
question. It would seem that one who doesn’t speak Lashon Ha’rah isn’t
doing something worthy of reward. He is merely not violating the commandment of
speaking gossip. Why should one get reward for not sinning? For keeping quiet.
The answer though is that the Talmud tells us that one that is a Shomer-
A person charged with guarding something is in fact considered as if he is
doing an action. It’s the act of watching and preserving something. For that
one gets reward. If one guards his tongue, he is not merely avoiding engaging
in sin, rather he his preserving and protecting the holiness of his mouth, his
spirit and is rewarded with extended mortal life for that.
In the same way, one who observes the Shabbos isn’t
merely avoiding doing work. By us keeping those mitzvos of Shabbos we are in
fact guarding it. We are making it. Shabbos has lasted in the world with all of
its holiness and the intricacies of its laws because we are it’s guardians. We
are the ones that have preserved it for generations- l’dorosom bris olam- and
eternal covenant. When we say those words each Shabbos we should appreciate our
special role and bris with Hashem. That’s the way we can “make it”!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN
ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
The sins of
Yeravam- 797 BC- With the kingdom of Israel splitting off from
the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin and having seen Rechavam’s
acceptance of the prophecy that this is the way it was ordained to be and
sending home the army of 180,000 men that he had marshalled to attack them, the
Northern Kingdom turned to Yeravam ben Nevat who had fled to Egypt in
the times of Shlomo to lead them. Yeravam had been given a
prophecy by Achiya Ha’Shiloni that he would rule the North and he jumped
to the task, however his ego got in the way and was to be his downfall.
The year this all took place was the Shemitta year and the
law is that the Sukkot after Shemitta all Jews would come to Jerusalem
to the Temple and there would be a huge ceremony where the entire Devarim would
be read; the Hakhel ceremony. Yeravam realized that if that would happen,
he would be forced to stand while only a king from the house of David
was permitted to sit. This would of course detract from his status as a
legitimate king. In order to prevent that he did what Jews do throughout the millennia.
He started his own shteeble. Two of them in fact. He built two temples,
one in the North which you can visit today in Tel Dan and the second
where you can see some remains still in the South of his kingdom by Binyamin
in Beth El. There you can see remains of the floor there as well as the
place where Yaakov had his miraculous dream of angels going up and down
the ladder. In Tel Dan, which was in use even in the second Temple
period by pagans one can see the Mizabyach that is the exact
measurements of the one in temple and they even found in rooms next to it
earthenware that said ketores (incense) on it. Cool!
To make matters worse Yeravam built big security
fences so that Jews couldn’t cross to Jerusalem and he even erected Golden
Calves as the symbol of his empire. It seems bizarre to us in retrospect as
the golden calf is like a swastika pretty much in its offensiveness. Yet, Yeravam
was trying to create and alternate from of Judaism that revolved around God and
was connected to Moshe who had never come to the land and to Aharon who had
built the original golden calf. Finally, he changed the holiday of Sukkos to a
month later, according to our sages he even played around with the day of
Shabbos and other holidays and he relieved the Leviim and Kohanim of any
sanctity as they refused to go along with his program and they fled back to
Jerusalem.
These are not good things and this really sets the tone for
the rest of the era of the first Temple where king after king both in Judah
and Israel will fail to restore Israel and Jerusalem to it’s former
glory. Hashem through the prophets tries to get them to repent but it is
generally to no avail. Next week we will read about the first prophet that
Hashem sends to Yeravam and the fate he suffered.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE BROKEN JOKES OF THE WEEK
I've getting feedback that my jokes are in broken English, so here's one in Spanish. Uno.
I tried to buy something from a perfume vending
machine, but it was broken. It just had a sign on it that said "Out of
Odor".
The penny marking machine at the US mint just
stopped working for no reason. It just doesn't make any cents!
Here is a joke about a pencil with a broken tip.
Never mind it is pointless.
Anyone want to buy a broken barometer? No
pressure..
I have 10 cookies, you take one. What do you
have now? A black eye, broken hand, and no cookie
A stationery store was broken into. Box files,
wall calendars and appointment diaries were stolen.
Police suspect highly organised crime.
Why is a broken drum, the best present you can
give someone? Because you just cant beat it.
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in
the morning by a loud pounding on the door.
The man gets up and goes to the door where a
drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push. 'Not a
chance,' says the husband, 'It is three o'clock in the morning.'
He slams the door and returns to bed. 'Who
was that?' asked his wife.
'Just some drunk guy asking for a push,' he answers.
'Did you help him?' she asks.
'No. I did not. Its three o'clock in the
morning and it is pouring rain outside!'
His wife said, 'Can't you remember about
three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you
should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!'
The man does as he is told (of course!), gets
dressed and goes out into the pouring rain. He calls out into the dark,
'Hello! Are you still there?'
'Yes,'
comes back the answer.
'Do you still need a push?' calls out the husband.
'Yes! Please!' comes the reply from the darkness.
'Where are you?' asks the husband.
'Over here on the swing!!' replies the drunk
Our distributor shipped us a box of broken
calculators. Seriously, we can't count on them at all anymore.
Bernie decided he wanted to be an aeronautical
engineer and build airplanes. He studied hard, went to the best schools, and
finally got his degree. It didn't take long before he gained a reputation as
the finest aeronautical engineer in all the land, so he decided to start his
own company to build jets.
His company was such a hit that the President of
Israel called Bernie into his office. "I want to commission your
company to build an advanced Israeli jet fighter.
Needless to say, Bernie was tremendously excited
at this prospect. The entire resources of his company went into building the
most advanced jet fighter in history. Everything looked terrific on paper, but
when they held the first test flight of the new jet, disaster struck. The wings
couldn't take the strain--they broke clean off of the fuselage!
Bernie was devastated; his company redesigned the jet fighter, but the same thing happened at the next test flight--the wings broke off. Very worried, Bernie went to his shul to pray, to ask God where he had gone wrong. The rabbi saw Bernie's sadness, and asked him what was wrong. Bernie decided to pour his heart out to the rabbi. After hearing the problem, the rabbi put his hand on Bernie's shoulder and told him, "Listen, I know how to solve your problem. All you have to do is drill a row of holes directly above and below where the wing meets the fuselage. If you do this, I absolutely guarantee the wings won't fall off."
Bernie smiled and thanked the rabbi for his
advice...but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he had nothing
to lose. So Bernie did exactly what the rabbi told him to do. On the next
design of the jet fighter, they drilled a row of holes directly above and below
where the wings met the fuselage. And it worked! The next test flight went
perfectly!
Brimming with joy, Bernie went to tell the rabbi
that his advice had worked. "Naturally," said the rabbi,
"I never doubted it would."
"But Rabbi, how did you know that
drilling the holes would prevent the wings from falling off?"
"Bernie," the rabbi intoned, "I'm an old man. I've lived
for many, many years and I've celebrated Passover many, many times. And in all
those years, not once--NOT ONCE--has the matzo broken on the perforation!"
Berel, Yankel and Moishe were at a convention together sharing a large suite at the top of a 75-story hotel. After a long day of meetings, they were shocked to hear that the elevators in their hotel were broken, and they would have to climb 75 flights of stairs to get to their room. Berel said to Yankel and Moishe, "Let's break the monotony of this unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting. I'll tell jokes for 25 flights, Yankel can sing songs for the next 25 flights and Moishe will tell sad stories for the rest of the way." At the 26th floor, Berel stopped telling jokes and Yankel began to sing. At the 51st floor, Yankel stopped singing and Moishe began to tell sad stories.
"I will tell my saddest story
first," he said. "I left the room key in the car."
When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I
should get it fixed.
But, somehow I always had something else to take
care of first, the shed, the boat,
making beer.. Always something more important to
me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home
one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny
pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into
the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again. I handed her a
toothbrush and said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as
well sweep the driveway."
Hashem and the satan were in a dispute over a
broken fence. Hashem said you have to pay for half.
The Satan said "not paying".
Hashem said "you have to, or I'll
sue!"
The Satan laughed and said "where are
you gonna get a lawyer?
*******************************
Answer
is C – This one is not an easy
one for most non- tour guides. The reason is because the average person doesn’t
really care about the specific names or even the make real estate on the Temple
Mount besides the Bais Ha’Mikdash. But any tour guide really should know this
one as in our course they do grill you a lot about Yerushalayim and rightfully
so. The fortress built by Herod to overlook the Temple Mount was called
Antonia’s fortress named after and in honor of his Roman patron Mark Antony. It
was built there because of the topography of the Temple Mount so that it could
stand on the Northern corner and look over the entire temple mount area. There
were no edomites, it was built before the Via Dolorosa was there although
Christians have some claims about the place and its not close to a spring. So the score is now Schwartz 13 and 3
for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.
No comments:
Post a Comment