Karmiel

Karmiel
Our view of the Galile

Friday, August 26, 2022

Double Comfort- Va'eschanan Nachamu- 2022 5782

 

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

August 12th 2022 -Volume 11 Issue 44 15th of Av 5782

 

Parshat Va’Eschnanan Nachamu

Double Comfort

 

Was it only just a week ago that we were sitting on the floor and crying over the destruction of our heart and soul, the Bais hamikdash-our temple, not yet rebuilt? After a full week of summer vacation- touring, kayaking, hiking throughout our beautiful country, it seems like moons ago. Have we moved on already? Have we forgotten about the reality that we were hoping for that still hasn't come?

 

This Shabbos is known as Shabbat Nachamu, the first of the 7 weeks of comfort in which we read a selection of the prophets each Shabbos for the Haftorah that offer words of consolation to the Jewish people over our loss. It's our Shiva- so to speak; the time when Hashem, who understands our souls and the tragedy we endured on Tisha B'Av much deeper than we do, tells us that we need to be comforted. How sad is it when someone comes to pay a grieving mourner a Shiva call and he finds out that the mourner is out on the beach? Yet, to be fair to us summer vacation frolickers and for those of you that might be feeling guilty, we are not meant to be mourning now either. The mourning is over. It ended the day after the fast. So on one hand there is Shiva on the other hand we are not mourning. What is the season all about? Are we meant to move on, or are we meant to still be reflecting and receiving consolation?

 

The answer I believe can be found in the strange repetition of the opening words of this week's Haftora- Nachamu Nachamu Ami- Console, console my people- Says Hashem. The Maharsha, the classic 17th century Talmudic commentary, notes that in many places when our sages comfort they repeat the phrase twice-"Kol Hanechamot B'Lashon Kaful-all consolations are expressed in a language repetitively" The classic case he refers to is the famous story of Rabbi Akiva and the sages who when upon seeing foxes run through the temple ruins had different reactions. The sages burst out wailing and Rabbi Akiva began to laugh. Perplexed they turned to him, and he explained that just as they were mourning as they see the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah "foxes in the ruins” in that destruction, he sees in that a sign that the prophecy of its eventual rebuilding and the return to the temple will be assured as well. The rabbis then respond, "You have comforted us Akiva, You have comforted us, Akiva".

 

Rabbi Akiva laughed. He saw the ruins, the burnt remains of the Temple that he used to pray at and where the offerings and the Divine presence were centered around for so long. He saw the destruction and the later failed return of Bar Kochva, and he laughed. For Rabbi Akiva understood what consolation and mourning all were about. Rabbi Akiva understood that in the ruins of the temple lie the beginning of the rebuilding. Our mourning is our consolation. Our connection of Tish'a B'Av gives us the strength and direction to move forward.

 

When one sits Shiva, it because he is beset with a sudden tragedy, the loss of a close relative. The process of shiva and the mourning for thirty days and the whole year that follows is one that helps a person adjust to the new reality of life without that individual. He needs time to absorb the loss and heal. When it comes to the Temple, the opposite takes place. We build up our mourning from the three weeks before. We work towards that day when we fully appreciate the gravity of our lives without the Temple...without the nearness of Hashem. Once that is over though, like Rabbi Akiva we can be doubly consoled. We must focus on the laugh, on the knowledge of redemption still to come. We are consoled doubly. Once by the fact that we know that our souls were still alive enough to feel that pain-our mourning was successful, and secondly that we know that if we were capable of still crying...still feeling that pain...still experiencing the longing to come home...than Hashem must feel that too. And He will come back and we will be united once again.

 

The consolation Isaiah tells us is Nachamu Nachamu Ami- Be comforted be comforted- my nation. You are still my nation. I haven't left you. Be comforted for our loss. Be consoled in the knowledge that I have never left you. There maybe foxes jumping and dancing and building foreign places of worship on our once Holy Home that we shared together. But know that we will be together once again.

 

The next seven weeks until Rosh Hashana when we start fresh again are that time of comfort... When we appreciate and are strengthened and fortified by our shared destiny together that we know is soon on its way. The tours we take together as a family and as a people, the serenity we try to achieve in the seven weeks before the High Holidays are part of the holiest work a Jew can do. We don't move on and forget the past. Rather we take our work and our struggles and our pain and recognize that they themselves are the secret of our endurance. The key to our redemption.... So if you're looking for a good tour guide this summer ....

Have a doubly incredibly consoling Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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WE’RE BACK IN MISHPACHA!

After a few months of busy tour guiding hiatus was finally able to get out the long awaited

MISHPACHA MAGAZINE

Tour guiding column

Check out this week’s edition and column as I explore the Golan and Gilead region along Syrian borders of Israel. It’s this week’s parsha as well- how incredibly timely.

Click here to read article

https://mishpacha.com/lookout-for-peace/

share, comment, let me know what you think, tell them how much you missed me and enjoy a taste of Eretz Yisrael with your favorite weekly tour guide Rabbi

YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“A kluger farshtait fun ain vort tsvai.”- A wise man hears one word and understands two.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/kum -  It’s Bein Hazmanim! Vacation time!  Atime for hikes and to explore Hashem’s country he gave us.  In honor of that I give you my latest and perhaps even most geshmak composition yet! Kum! Sung and arranged by the amazing Dovid Lowy!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP_rB2dUTME  – Benny Friedmans latest Yama Yama Yama who had the same idea for words as I did… mine is much better though won’t you agree…?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q44p4dbG2GI  Yakov Shwekey’s latest release song “It could be you

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q44p4dbG2GI   I definitely can relate to this speeding ticket one from Bardak LOL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzL-mnMK3y0 And of course Shabbos Nachamu is never complete without the ultimate classic of the Rebbi Shlomo Carlebach’s Nachamu… You really need to learn every word of this song and his Isaiah the holy prophet speech like I did…😊

 

 

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

6)  The Chaifa port was built  in the era of the  _________ rule

The economic significance of the port was among other things

A)  to replace the Jaffa Port that had been shut down

B)  And exporting point to ship out oil and its refinery to Europe

C)  As a connecting point between the ports of Beirut and Alexandria

D)  the actualization of the vision to build a train between Beirut and Chaifa

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

 

Good Mourning- Parshat Va’eschanan- Whenever you see the number 7 you should know by now that there will be a Shabbos connection. This week begins the  period of time known as the Shiva D’nechemta- the 7 weeks following Tisha B’Av up until Rosh Hashana when we read the 7 haftoras of consolation. It is really amazing when you think about it. Just a week ago we were sitting on the floor mourning the destruction of our Temple and now we are enjoying our vacation and feeling uplifted and consoled. These 7 weeks the Magid of Kobrin says correspond to the 7 weeks between when we left Egypt to the receiving of the Torah and Shavuos. Yet it’s the next stage. It takes it back to where we should’ve moved from there.

 

See from the giving of the Torah we were a mere few days journey from Eretz Yisrael. There we were meant to fulfill our mandate of creation. Then and there we were meant to build the Bais Hamikdash and bring Hashem’s presence down to the world. That first Rosh Hashana after we left Egypt would’ve been the day when Creation finally achieved it’s pinnacle once again revealing Hashem’s malchus-kingship to the world and restoring the Shechina to its home down here. But we sinned and we lost it. We missed the opportunity. But now with the mourning of the Temple we start that process again.

 

Shabbos Nachamu is always the portion of Va’eschnanan which once again reads the story of Sinai and ten commandments. This time though it is complete with the mitzva repeatedly of the mitzva to love Hashem and His love for us. That is the consolation. We are finally moving forward. Each one of these Shabbosos we get closer and closer to the Bais Hamikdash. Shabbos is that day of love and the holiday today of the 15th of Av recalls the return of that love to our nation that in truth we never really lost. It was just hidden. We weren’t aware of it. We thought we had been abandoned when really we were just being reminded how important it is. How much power and potential we have. How much Hashem believes and cares about us.

 

7 Shabbosos until we reach Shabbos Shuva. The Shabbos of return. The haftoras that we read are not merely consolatory. They are connected to the parshas that we read as well. They reveal the power and light in each Shabbos that we can take and bring out to the world. Every Shabbos has that light. But these Shabbosos are especially close. These Shabbasos we are on the way to finally being redeemed.

 

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

 

Eliyahu’s cave- 724 BC – I’ve told you in the past that this column has a spiritual energy much like the Torah reading that connects often to current events. Well this week I got a surprise when I found something fascinating. It seems to be brought down by historians and even Rebbi Nachman of Breslav that there was a custom to go and pray by the cave of Eliyahu Ha’Navi in Chaifa on the Sunday after Shabbso Nachamu. How cool is that? It’s the week we are up to and right where we are in our study!

 

The only problem is that seemingly there really doesn’t seem to be any really reason to believe that it is in this cave where Hashem revealed Himself to Eliyahu and charged him with his next mission. In fact, as we discussed last week the Navi seems quite clear that the story took place by Mt. Sinai. Now there is a kabbalistic tradition that Eliyahu spoke to Hashem from a grotto and the cave in Chaifa is a grotto and there certainly aren’t too many grottos in the Sinai desert. (Which of course begs the question as to how Moshe went into a grotto there). But those same kabbalistic sources say that the cave was eventually moved mystically to Pek’in which also isn’t near Chaifa. It was there in Peki’in that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai hid in the same cave from the Romans. So perhaps maybe once Hashem was moving the cave and grotto around from Sinai it made a pit stop in Chaifa?  Who knows?

 

What happened in that cave? There Eliyahu complains to Hashem about how irresponsible the Jewish people are. He condemns us before Hashem. He’s upset that he preformed all of the miracles of Mt. Carmel and gave us back rain and we still continued in our evil idolatrous and even murderous ways. We don’t keep the Bris. We don’t keep the covenant. We have abandoned the Torah and Mitzvos. Hashem though takes the opposite approach and stands up for us incredibly. He comes to Eliyahu with huge windstorm, with an earthquake and with fire. He then brings a soft quiet voice and tells Eliyahu that he really doesn’t get it. The Jewish people are always connected. We will never lose our spark. Sure, we may be distant here and there. We may lose sight of our greatness and what we are meant to be doing. But ultimately, we will always return. And Eliyahu will be the one who’s fate will be to see that. To herald in the heavenly era of return.

 

It's fascinating I point out to my tourists that the two rituals where we have a tradition to see Eliyahu is at a circumcision and by the Pesach Seder. It is those two rituals that it seems that Jews no matter how distant they are always are connected to. That we have never abandoned. Perosnally those would not have been the two that I would’ve chosen. But our holy nation is always attached. And Eliyahu will always be the one to witness that. And thus he will be the one to testify to the redemption as well and herald in Mashiach.

 

Shabbos Nachamu, the week after our mourning for the Temple, Jews would go to the cave of Eliyahu to connect to that power. To ask and daven that Eliyahu’s mission that he received that day in the cave will finally come true. That Mashiach will be here riding up on that white donkey of his blowing the Shofar. May this be the year that happens.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S DOUBLES JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

A man walks in a bar and says: 'I'd like 7 double whiskeys, please.'

The bartender nods and starts pouring 7 glasses of whisky.

As soon as the first glass is ready the man starts chugging, one glass after another.

The bartender, dumbfounded, asks the man: 'Why are you drinking so fast?'

The man answers: 'well, you would do the same as me, if you had what I have,' while chugging the last glass of whisky.

'So, what is it that you have?' asks the bartender.

not a single penny!”

 

A man walks into a bar and asks for a double-entendre. So the bartender gave it to her.

 

The bartender asks the guy sitting at the bar, "What'll you have?"

The guy answers, "A scotch, please."

The bartender hands him the drink, and says "That'll be five dollars," to which the guy replies, "What are you talking about? I don't owe you anything for this."

A lawyer, sitting nearby and overhearing the conversation, then says to the bartender, "You know, he's got you there. In the original offer, which constitutes a binding contract upon acceptance, there was no stipulation of remuneration."

The bartender was not impressed, but says to the guy, "Okay, you beat me for a drink. But don't ever let me catch you in here again."

The next day, same guy walks into the bar. Bartender says, "What the heck are you doing in here? I can't believe you've got the audacity to come back!"

The guy says, "What are you talking about? I've never been in this place in my life!" The bartender replies, "I'm very sorry, but this is uncanny. You must have a double."

To which the guy replies, "Thank you. Make it a scotch."

 

At the job interview, I asked what is the salary like. They said I'll start at minimum wage and make double of that in two years. Ok, I'll be back in two years.

 

Rivkah, a young mother, was teaching her 6-year-old daughter Sarah how to unbuckle her seat belt. 

Sarah asked, "Do I click the red square, mummy?"

Rivkah said, "Yes, darling."

Sarah then asked, "Single click or double click?"

 

A university English professor tells his students

In English, a double negative forms a positive. But in some languages, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, in no language can a double positive form a negative.”

But then a voice from the back of the room piped up,

“Yeah, right.”

 

I served a pot of chili to a table of anti vaxxers and jokingly told them it could double as a covid test.

They thought it was a bit tasteless.

 

Berel was in a cave, looking for treasure. He found an old lamp, rubbed it, and a genie came out.

The genie said "I will grant you three wishes, but your ex-wife will get double."

The man agreed, and said "I wish I had a mansion."

The genie granted it, and his ex-wife got two mansions.

The man said "I would like a million dollars."

The genie again granted it and his ex-wife got two million dollars.

Then the man said, "Scare me half to death."

 

 

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Answer is B-  I got another half wrong on this one. I obviously knew that the Chaifa port was established under the British. I also knew that under the Turks Yaffo port was still in use and it really continued until it was replaced by the port of Chaifa. It just was used more as the Ellis Island of Israel rather than for shipping and exporting. I though though the reason was because of the train to Beirut, but in fact the correct answer was the primary reason was for exporting oil from Iraq through the British mandatory Palestine to Europe. It didn’t really happen that much though. As the War of independence and the establishment of the State through a wrench into the whole thing. So I got half on this one and the so the score now is Schwartz 6 and 1  for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.

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