Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
March 4th 2022 -Volume
11 Issue 22 Rosh Chodes Adar Beis 5782
Parshat Pikudey
Probably one of the most annoying shmoozim,
sermons or drashos that people hear and that are usually the most
pointless ones really, are the ones that talk about extravagance, spending too
much and showing off our wealth. You’ve heard the Rabbis talk about the traditional
Jewish competition between the Cohenses over who can have a fancier car, house,
outfit, wedding, vacation, Shabbos meal or you fill in the __________ . Been there, slept through that already and
they never effected or impacted any of us.
Yet, Rabbis don’t seem to get it. I
guess they like to talk about things that are easy to pick on and that don’t
get them into too much trouble. Pretty much everyone is on board with the idea
that showing off our wealth is a bad thing for the Jews. It’s a safe topic. An
easy target.
The problem and the reason why though
these are really the least impactful speeches is because the crowd generally views
themselves as being divided into two groups; the ones that have and the ones
that don’t. The latter being in the majority. The “haves” pretty much roll
their eyes at one another, increase their donations to charities and needy
people and causes and accept that there will always be malcontents that will
eye whatever they do as being too ostentatious and hope and pray for the day that
those less fortunate will be in the same position as they are. Then let’s see
how they do with all their money…
The “have-nots” on the other hand are
really happy that this speech or sermon is not about them. After all they’re
very modest and can’t afford more anyways. They’re kind of sick of feeling like
they’re not worthy or good enough in the shlocky car, suit, house or wedding
they make for their kids. Let’s beat up on the gvir. As I said in the beginning
it’s a pointless drasha, a waste of good hot air. Nobody’s really listening.
Rabbi Schwartz don’t roll that way though.
Since my weight loss I really don’t roll too much at all… When I write or speak Mussar, I do it for
myself. You guys are just the audience. I’m not really the cheshbon ha’nefesh
self-examination and reflection Mussar type. Whatever free or quiet time I
might have in my life, which really is not much lately Baruch Hashem with the
return of the tourist to the Holy Land, I prefer to utilize to make up songs,
to catch up on some learning, write a book or just sleep and veg and not talk
to anyone. But I know that I should do a bit of introspection regularly so I
write this weekly E-Mail and when I see an idea that talks to me, I know that’s
what I should be thinking about. And then I share it with you.
So, this week upon reviewing the parsha,
which is a review for the umpteenth time of the construction of the Mishkan, I came
across a strange detailed verse and Rashi that I never really noticed before. Probably
because the topic really doesn’t’ interest me that much. The pasuk tells
us about the making of the threads that would be used to sew on the apron and
breastplates. Threads and clothing in general are not my thing. I let my wife
handle that. Threads particularly, are used for sewing, a skill that this misogynistic
male never mastered. Therefore sewing kits like a a baking mixer, vacuum cleaner
and washing machine are pretty much muktza to me. But here the Torah and
Rashi really gives pretty specific instructions on how to make what seems to be
a pretty insignificant detail. The threads that sew on the garments with,
really??!
Shemos (39:1-5) And out of the blue,
purple, and crimson wool they made the meshwork garments to serve in the Holy,
and they made Aaron's holy garments, as the Hashem had commanded Moshe. And he
made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen.
They hammered out the sheets of gold and cut threads [from them] to work [the
gold] into the blue wool, into the purple wool, into the crimson wool, and into
the fine linen, the work of a master weaver. They made connecting shoulder
straps for it at both its ends, it was entirely connected. And its decorative
band, which is above it, [emanated] from it, of the same work: gold, blue,
purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen as Hashem had commanded Moshe.
Admit it. You skipped that paragraph, just like I did.
It’s boring. It’s sewing and you might even be a woman reading this. But who
wants to read details of sewing things? Rashi though takes it up a notch and tells
us the process. They would take four gold threads and each thread would be
wrapped in 6 threads of each of the other simpler threads. 6 of purple, 6 of
blue, 6 of crimson, and 6 of linen. Then
all 28 would be twisted together to make one big thread; 4 of gold and 24 of
the other colors. That’s pretty detailed don’t ya think? A little bit TMI.
Even stranger though, is that it seems a
pretty big waste of gold threads. I mean this wasn’t dyed gold or anything like
that. It was thread that was actually made from real gold. Even more than that,
the Ramban notes that this was a brand-new technology to make thread out of
gold and it was a very elaborate process. The gold needed to be hammered down
into very thin plates and then thin little threads were cut from it. Yet with
all this effort seemed to go unappreciated as nobody really even sees the
thread. It was covered on all 6 sides with plain old wool and linen dyed
threads of all colors. That seems really like a lot of effort and expense for
something that nobody would ever know about; a waste of good gold.
Rav Margalit the Rav of Karmiel in his
amazing sefer Mapik Margaliyot, points out as well that this process and design
is really quite the opposite that we were told about in the construction of the
Aron, Ark of the tablets. There, the wood was hidden in a middle box while the
inside and outside were gold. I can understand that construction because the
gold is visible and there are all types of messages and lessons our Rabbis draw
from that. The strings that tie on the breastplate and the apron of the Kohen
though? Not so much…
The answer perhaps is really understanding
what the function of gold, money and the materialistic things in this world are
here in this world for. The point of it all, is for us to utilize them and uplift
the world and reveal Hashem’s magnificence with them. It’s not about us. When
it comes to the Aron, to the Mishkan, to building a palace where Hashem’s
presence would reside, we are meant and charged to go all out. Make it as
beautiful as possible. Polish it up. There should be a sense of awe when we
walk into the building. That’s the idea of a castle and of a King. Whatever
will give me more inspiration to Hashem, make it nicer, fancier and shinier.
Even the Kohen himself is meant to wear glorious
garments l’kavod u’l’tifferes- for glory and splendor. He is our
representative into Hashem. We should see him and be in awe as well. He should
be dressed to the hilt. Diamonds, fancy stones and golden clothing and even a
gold plate on his head that says the name of Hashem.
But the problem is what about us. Are we
also Kohanim? Should we also be dressed and showy and flashy as after all we
are the nation that are the priests of Hashem? Should our houses which are
meant to be palaces of God where Hashem will reside amongst our midst also have
ornate gold cabinets, Italian marble floors, stained glass windows (never
understood that term- my windows always have stains on them…)? What about
modesty? What about humility? What about all those speeches the Rabbis give?
The answer and lesson is that we have to
know that we have our gold inside of us. There is a thin little thread that will
shine and glory and we keep it hidden. When we go to the Mikdash then we join
those humble threads together and we attach them to the breastplate of the
Kohein and walla! We are now embodied in his shiny glorious clothing. On his
breastplate with all of the tribes of Israel. We are in the holy of Holies with
him. But when we don’t have that, when we are alone, when we are not in the
Mikdash keep that gold buried under 6 threads of all of the other colors. Of
the simpler lifestyle. But know that inside of each us there is a gold thread that
is waiting to join together with everyone else.
We live in era of plenty. I remember
listening to a shiur once from Rabbi Yisrael Reisman who pointed out that the
poorest amongst us is living far better than perhaps even Baron Rothchild, who
didn’t have air conditioning, that when he traveled had to sit on a wagon with
all types of bumps along the road, who didn’t have hot showers or flush
bathrooms. Certainly not the internet, phone service or amazing, wonderful
weekly E-Mails. Kollel guys in Bnai Brak have it better than he did. Am Yisrael
that are holy have built beautiful shuls, give incredible amounts of charity
and use our money, our gold and our plenty to build houses for Hashem. Houses
were the Shechina resides. But yet with that all we somehow seem to
forget that we are meant to hide that gold as well. We need to pound it down
and cut off a little sliver and wrap it in simplicity. It’s not because it’s
not nice to show off. It’s to remind us that there is a thread of gold that we
each have that is deep inside of us and should only be brought out when we are
connected, all of us together, in the Bais Hamikdash. When we are all Kohanim Gedolim.
When we have one breastplate where those threads have the most meaning.
The month of Adar is a month of Megillas
Esther- the month where the hiddenness reveals itself. But there has to be something
that we keep and have hidden that we are saving for that great revelation. Perhaps
that’s an idea behind our Purim Costume custom. Cover up the outside. Mordechai
puts on sackcloth as do the Jewish nation in teshuva. Before that we were
feasting with the Goyim, we had the beautiful vessels of the Temple that we
dined upon. We had all the wealth in the world. But we didn’t have anything
hidden. There was no gold that we kept inside. When we put on the simpler
garments, when we realize the sins of our ways. When the goyishe styles
are not setting the tone for what we dress, what we eat, how we present
ourselves. Then The King, who in the Megilla we know is always a reference to Hashem,
sends for Mordechai and dresses him the clothing of the King. We are all one. Our
hidden golden threads can be connected to the breastplate. We can be redeemed.
The month of Adar Sheni is the month
when we can turn everything around. There are no haves and have nots in Klal
Yisrael. Every “have-r” of us is incomplete without the gold thread that
the have-nots possess that will connect him to the Mikdash. There are therefor
no “have-nots” either. We each have a “chut shel Zahav”- a hidden golden
thread, that the Torah goes out of its way to elaborately describe in the
process of building the Mishkan and bringing the shechina back amongst
our nation.
We all just need to find that gold and
then hide it a bit. Keep it private. Think of it as the purim costume we are
putting on and that no one but Hashem and us know about. That gold thread can
be in the car we drive that’s not the best out there, the little extra’s that we
may not put into our home improvement, the little piece of extravagance that we
tone down in the simchas that we make. It’s not just rich people. It’s all of
us. We all need to hold back from at least one thing that we are not going “all
out” on. It’s our private golden thread. If we do that Hashem will then see
that we are “all in” and we will merit to the ultimate redemption that is
awaiting us.
Have a doubly joyful Shabbos
and Chodesh Adar Sheni Tov,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
This
week's Insights and Inspiration is sponsored by my fellow Detroiters Raffi and
Sherri Zurrof in the zechus of his parents Alav Hashalom Avraham ben Shlomo and
Zahava bas Mordechai two incredible pillars of the Detroit community who’s charity
and benevolence and commitment to Torah values serve as inspiration to all
those that know and remember them.
As
well it should be a merit for all of our brothers and sister in Ukraine, that Hashem
should watch over and protect them in these frightening perilous times. May
Hashem send the redemption to them and all of Klal Yisrael and turn this month
of darkness for them to one of light and simcha.
**************
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FINDING THE YID
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH
PROVERB OF THE WEEK
Di zun shaynt glaych af orem un reich.- Money lost, nothing lost; courage lost,
everything lost.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE
WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim
– It’s Adar! Time for Rabbi
Schwartzes greatest hits for Purim!! This one with Dovid Lowy singing my
geshmak Layehudim. Get on your dance shoes…
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai
– And here’s my amazing Techeles
Mordechai with the one and only Yitz Berry singing this great Purim seuda
composition of mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJjiu-GG5es
– Mishenichnas Adar in the Knesset.. Only
in Israel…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkQDUOAgveg
– Yitz Berry and Eli Klein latest Moshe Klein song UMordechai Yatza
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
18) The "city
line" (ha kav ha 'Ironi) served as a boundary between these countries:
__________
This line was determined on the basis of:
A) The United Nations 1947
Resolution
B) A distinct topographic
route
C) The historical Ridge
Route (derech gav ha’har)
D) The line of posts held
by each party
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS
CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
No Ands -Parshat
Pikudey - “These are the accountings of the Mishkan” – that is the
way our Torah portion begins. Rav Yitzchak Shapiro the Blendover Rebbe notes that
we have a rule that many are familiar with from back in Parshat Mishpatim that
when the Torah begins a portion as it does most often and it begins with the
word “And” then it is a continuation of the previous topic. However when there
is no “and” in the beginning of the Parsha then it is a brand new idea and
concept. A fresh start. Seemingly after three or four parshas that all deal
with the Mishkan its collection, its construction and all of the minor details that
went into it, then this Parsha which is the conclusion of all of that should certainly
be introduced with the word “and these”. And yet it isn’t. It’s just a new
start “these are the accountings”? Where’s the missing “and”?
He thus explains brilliantly that this final portion is
really a whole new and brand new world for the Jewish people. The Mishkan was
erected as an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, forty days after the Revelation
of Hashem. Their altruistic and repentant giving and their teshuva had been accepted.
The past was erased. It’s a fresh start and the horrible sin was gone. The
shechina now resides amongst our nation, Hashem tells us. The clouds of glory
have returned. We are one with Hashem and able to enter the land. All we have
sinned has been forgiven.
Each Shabbos as well we are told that our sins can be
forgiven. The Nesivos Sholom repeatedly quotes his father as saying in Yiddish “De
voch vi de voch ubber chutch zennen duh a Shabbos” the week is as the week is-
but at least there is a Shabbos to start new. It’s the day that we can put all
of our worries, our mistakes, our failures away. Shabbos bo tashuv- Shabbos is
the day like the return of the Mishkan when we can return. It is the shoresh-
root of the word. To return.
We can imagine the joy Klal Yisrael had when they saw
those clouds of glory come back. That is the joy we have each Shabbos when we
can accomplish the same thing. The month of Adar Beis is a month of return and
teshuva (watch my whatsapp video this week- if you haven’t subscribed and don’t
receive shoot me an E-Mail and I will add you). May Hashem accept our teshuva
this month and give us a new beginning that we have been waiting for.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN
ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Ido Ha’Navi - 797
BC- Nor far from the Banyas waterfall with
its ancient Greek and Roman Temples in the Jewish village of Shaar Yashuv
by the border of the Golan Heights, pilgrims to Israel for hundreds of
years would visit the tomb of a prophet whom the Druze arabs referred to as Nebi
Huda. It seems that they had mistaken this tomb to be the grave of Yehuda
Ben Yaakov, however it is in fact the tomb our tradition tells us of the
prophet Ido about whom we spoke about last week. The prophet sent by Hashem to
warn Yerava’am and admonish him for his arrogant sins of creating an
alternate temple and changing around the holidays.
The Navi doesn’t call him by his name and refers to him as
the “Man of God”. It is for that reason perhaps that some opinions disagree and
suggest that Ido was a generation or two later being the child of the Shunamite
woman who had a miraculous birth and resurrection story, which we’ll get to
maybe in a few months. But the common consensus was that this man was in fact
the prophet Ido, who later will be the great great zaidy of the prophet Zecharya
whose book is one of the 12 books of Trei Asar.
So anyways, what happens to Ido? The Navi tells us that
after he left Yerava’am’s temple in Beit El having miraculously collapsed
the altar there and freezing Yerava’am’s arm that he stretched out
against him, he was approached by someone who was a false prophet who convinced
him to join him for a meal. Now, Ido had already been told by Hashem not
to eat anything from this city, but the man told Ido that he had a
prophecy that it was no problem and in fact Hashem had sent him to invite Ido
over for a meal. Ido, trusted him and sat and ate and then boom! Hashem
appeared to him and told him that he would be punished for violating His
command to him. He would not make it to his grave in peace.
Sure enough, Ido leaves and is quickly attacked and killed
by a lion. Miraculously though again the lion stood there watching his body
next to the donkey that brought him there. Word went out to the city and the
false prophet felt remorse that he had caused his death. He went there took his
body and buried him in Beit El. By his eulogy he told his children that he
wanted to be buried next to this Tzadik as he had caused his death. He wanted
to show that he regretted his actions and the words that Ido had warned Yerava’am
and the city about their sins were true.
Now from this story it seems quite clear that Ido was
buried in Beit El which is quite far from the Banyas. How did Ido’s
tomb make it up there? I have no idea. But when it comes to tombs and graves of
tzadikim, in Yiddish we say “mir fregt nisht kein shaylos” – we don’t
ask any questions. We don’t daven to dead people in our religion anyways. We come
in the merit of the tzadikim who’s story we connect with. If the Banyas
is where they connected to Ido and this story then so be it. Hashem
certainly will hear our prayers.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE RICH PEOPLE JOKES OF THE
WEEK
Yankel bought his wife
a beautiful diamond ring for her birthday. After hearing about this extravagant
gift, his friend Berel said to him, “I thought she wanted one of those
sporty four-wheel-drive vehicles.”
“She did,” he replies. “But where was I going to find a fake Jeep?”
What do rich people
and poor people have in common? They both love to talk about money
It doesn't matter if
you're tall, short, rich, poor, at the end of the day...It's night.
What do you call a
rich Chinese man? Ching Ching
What do you call a
rich Mexican? Jeff Pesos
Yentl a newly rich
woman once bought an expensive fur coat, once bought and expensive fur coat
which didn’t sit well with her 14 year old daughter. “Mom, do you realise that
some poor, dumb beast had to suffer so you could get that?” she said. The
woman, infuriated by her daughter’s comment said ‘how dare you speak about
your father like that!’
What does a fat american
and a rich english have in common? Lots of pounds.
When I was young, I
thought rich people bought Bose products and the rest of us had to settle for
Sony. Turns out — that was just a stereotype.
I have many jokes
about rich kids. Sadly, none of them work.
100 years ago everyone
owned a horse and only the rick had cars. Today everyone own cars and only the
rich own horses. The stables have turned.
A
kid finds a magical lamp. He rubs the lamp, and a genie appears and says, “What
is your first wish?” The kid says, “I wish I were rich!”
The
genie replies, “It is done! What is your second wish, Rich?”
How do you know if a
fisherman is rich? Check his net income.
Why is it so hard to
talk to rich criminals? Because they never finish their sentences.
"Man, if I had listened my father when I
was 8, I could've been rich today"
Friend: What
did he say?
Me: I dunno, I didn't listen
.Carolyn, a rich blonde, buys a new automatic
Jaguar XKR Sport. She drives the car perfectly well during the day, but at
night, the car just won't move at all...
After trying to drive the car at night for a
week (but without any luck), she furiously calls the Jaguar dealers and they
send out a technician to her.The technician examines the car and finds nothing
wrong with it.
So he turns to the blonde and asks, "Ma'am,
are you sure you are using the right gears?"
Full of anger, the blonde replies, "How
on earth you could ask such a question!? I'm not stupid you know! Of course I
am using the right gears; I use D during the day and N at night."
Rich Goyim have colon cleanses. Poor Jews have Prune
Juice
So Moishie the new greener was schmoozing with
this wealthy friend Yankel and he asked how he got rich. Yankel told him that when
he first came to this country he bought one unwashed apple in the market for a
dollar, washed it and sold it for 2, then bought 2 unwashed apples, washed it
and sold it for 4. So Moishie asked “And so gradually you got rich?
“No,” Yankel said “after 2 years, my
grrat uncle Berel died and left me a legacy of 4 billion dollars, and I stopped
doing nonsense “
The son of a rich Saudi sheikh arrives in
Germany for his University studies.He soon writes home to his father. "Dear
Dad, Berlin is wonderful, the people are nice and I really like it here, but
Dad I am a little ashamed to be riding to class every day in my 24k gold
Ferrari 599GTB when my professors, friends and many fellow students all travel
by train. Your son, Ahmed"
Promptly, his father writes back. "My
Dear son Ahmed, $20 Million has just been transferred to your account. Please
stop embarrassing our family. Go and get yourself a train too. Love, your
dad"
*******************************
Answer
is D – This is a pretty important
question and one that many don’t realize because it leads to one of the most
common misconceptions about the “green line”. The line was meant to be a
temporary ceasefire line between Jordan and Israel in 1948. Abdallah and Moshe
Dayan got together and drew lines with Green and red wax pencils/ crayon where
each ones positions were. The lines were thick, they crossed in middle of
houses and neighborhoods. It wasn’t thought out and it was very crude. It was
only meant to be temporary, just an outline of their positions and what would
be no man’s land. It certainly wasn’t approved by Knesset, the UN or any
official body. Yet that became the border at the end of the war and it lasted
until 1967 when we liberated Jerusalem and the old city from the Jordanians. Those
that talk about going back to the Green Line, think it’s an official thing. It’s
not it’s a scrawl on a map with crayon. Why it should have any significance is ridiculous.
But, hey, so are many other things in this country and the way the world
distorts things about us. So another one
right for me and now the score is now Schwartz 15 and 3 for MOT
(Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.
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