from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
October 7th 2022 -Volume 11 Issue 52 12th of Tishrei 5783
Parshat Ha’azinu / Sukkos
Listen Up
It’s a special Sukkos coming up this year. Are you ready for it? See this year on the first day of Chol Ha’Moed Sukkos, being that Mashiach will already be here, we will all be in the newly rebuilt Bais Ha’Mikdash for the Sukkos holiday. It was really amazing to watch that heavenly building made out of fire come down from heaven and land smack on top of that ugly golden pimple that has been defiling the holiest place on earth for over a millenia. There have been Kohanim blowing golden trumpets all week long as described by the Rambam. In fact the Talmud tells us that a kohen without one of those cool trumpets really isn’t the real deal and you should check after him. I mean this is a huge event. Forget about Shwekey, Yishai Ribbo, Shapiro or any of those other lame concerts you were planning this Chol Ha’Moed the big event will be taking place on the Temple Mount.
There’s been a big bima-platform constructed there already as the King Mashiach will be standing there and will be reading the Torah from the verses in Devarim for the entire nation. When I say entire nation I don’t only mean men. Ladies, children, religious non-religious (although pretty much everyone is a believer these days). Sefardim, Ashkenazim, Chasidim in Shtreimels standing side by side next to those knitted small yarmulka guys and the black hatters are all gathered together there too. What’s really cool as well is that there is no dais or mizrach vant on the Temple Mount. The great Jewish leaders, Rabbis and sages are all standing right there next everyone else (again as the Rambam describes it). We are all one. We are all equal. We all have one King who has give each of us a mission and there’s no one’s that’s more important than the other. There are lots of little infants and newborns as well all next to their Mommys and Tottys. They don’t understand a word, but who would want them to miss out on this event. It’s a mitzva to bring them as well. Not that there would’ve been any babysitters available anyways. But Hashem just was chucking out free mitzvos on this special day, so He told us to bring them along.
Don’t act surprised that this is happening this year. I mean Hashem gave us enough clues that the redemption was right around the corner. It’s been coming a long time, pretty much since the terrible curses were fulfilled during the Holocaust when the Jews returned to Israel. The miraculous wars and the return to Yerushalayim. The slow but steady recognition of the world of Israel’s important prominence and it’s acceptance of our borders and the Golan and Yerushalayim. Corona pretty much made the whole world recognize how powerless we are and how really we are not in control of anything in the world. That great idol called science with all it’s knowledgeable clowns in the Ministry of Health were shown to be bumbling and even in some cases murdering bufoons
Aliyah has been booming as more and more Jews don’t want to be stuck behind in Exile and miss the big show. Forget about the fear of the fate of what’s going to happen to those who dilly dally in Galus. I mean most of them saw the writing on the wall with the recent crazy rise in antisemitism and the liberal governments trying to destroy Jewish education and chase everyone out of New York. Yeah some silly people thought it was a sign from heaven to move to Boca or Miami… we always have some slow ones amongst us…what can you do. But most of them got out before it all crashed down. They didn’t forget their Jewish history lessons of what happens when we overstay our welcome.
The final clue of course is that this year was a shemitta year. There are more people and more lands of Eretz Yisrael that have kept the shemitta then since the times of King David. In the first Temple period we know the Jews weren’t too careful about Shemitta which is why we were exiled and the during the 2nd Temple most Jews weren’t even in Israel. They stayed in Babylonia and missed out on the whole thing. This year there has been so many miracles that I have heard from farmer after farmer- many of which I have shared with you here. It’s been obvious that Hashem has been revealing Himself more and more and even doing extraordinary things to make sure that Eretz Yisrael this year will have the greatest shemitta year ever. The merit of these farmer’s faith and the unity amongst the Jewish people who contributed like never before to partake in this mitzva by helping, assisting and partnering with them brought us all together in showing how we all believe that there is One King. One owner of the land. We redeemed it and rid ourselves of any false notions that Eretz Yisrael was like anywhere else. The holiness returned to it. The land would be ready for redemption. The Shechina is finally back. And in a few days we’ll be in the Temple rebuilt reaping the rewards that all of our ancestors have dreamed of. Together at last. Welcome to Shnas Ha’khel- the year of the ingathering.
The parsha that we read this Shabbos before we enter the holiday of Sukkos in this holy short period in between the High Holiday and the Chag Ha’Asif- the holiday of the gathering is Parshat Ha’Azinu. It is the Parsha of song that we will all sing and that for generations since Moshe taught it to us has stayed with us. It begins with the words
Ha’azinu Ha’shamayim v’adabayra-Listen heavens and I will speak
V’tishma ha’aretz imrei pi- and the land will hear the words of my mouth.
The commentaries all wonder what is this call to heaven and earth? Rashi explains that they are witnesses and eternal ones at that to our nation and to the promises Hashem made to us and we to Him. As well they are the ones that will carry out our reward and punishment and the blessing and curse as per our adherence to the mitzvos. Yet, I saw an incredible homiletic interpretation from Rav Shach that really hits the nail on the head on this special year and what’s to come. But first one last quick shemitta story- perhaps the last as we conclude this amazing year and embark on the most exciting and historic new one.
It was a few months ago that I called Eyal in Moshav Amikam in the Sharon, not far from Caesarea. I told him that I had heard about his farm from Keren Ha’Shvi’is and the grapes that he grows for wine that are all being left fallow and ownerless for all to come and take in this shemitta year. I wanted to bring my tourists there to visit him and learn about the Shemitta and his sacrifice and faith, however I was quite taken aback when he told me that he really didn’t think it would be worth my while. My Chariedi tourists wouldn’t be interested in his story. You see, he explained, he wasn’t really religious. He was a chiloni a Jew that was secular. I was puzzled. I asked him to explain. He was someone that didn’t keep Shabbos, kosher or most other mitzvos, yet when it came to this huge mitzva of giving up hundreds of thousands of shekels of his business he all of a sudden decided to observe the mitzva?! What was going on? I told him that now I definitely have to meet him and understand and being that I’m not someone that really takes no for an answer, particularly when it comes to an amazing experience for my tourists, he relented. And so we came.
Sitting there in the dunams and dunams of untended wild overgrown vineyards of Ayal he proceeded to tell us his story. He was raised in this little secular moshav where has family had come fascinatingly enough from China after the civil war there in the 50’s. He was raised without any religion besides for the love and passion for Eretz Yisrael. Yet he was always fascinated by the Torah and he would read and study it on his free moments and his days off. It was last year when he was on vacation in Australia and there was not much to do one Shabbos while he was there that he started to read the Torah portion about Shemitta and somehow it caught his interest. It sounded amazing and bizarre. To leave your field and income for an entire year fallow. How or why could anyone do that? Why should they? Who would demand it? He understood very well when he read that for generations and during the first temple the Jews didn’t really keep this mitzva. It’s an impossible one. It didn’t make any sense.
It all changed and clicked for him though a few months later when he was sitting at home again back in Israel. He was sitting out on his porch and looking out at the beautiful green orchards and vineyards that blanket the entire Sharon plains. He remembered as a child how when he was growing up here the entire area was all sand dunes. It was land that the arabs had said was cursed. Nothing had or would grow there. They sold it to the Jews and laughed at them for buying it. And yet today it was all lush and growing. It was a miracle. And that’s when it all clicked. He realized that what he was looking at was a fulfillment of the prophecys of the Torah and our prophets in ancient times 3000 years ago. They told us that when the Jews return to the land after exile the land would bloom once again. It would flourish and be rich with trees, plants and greens. He was literally sitting on his porch and was staring out at the same image the prophets must have seen in his mind when Hashem showed him what would be in the future. He was that future. The time had finally come.
Yet, at that moment of truth and awakening, something else happened to Ayal. He had another epiphany. He realized that the same Hashem who promised and kept His word that the Jews would return to Israel also wrote that even we didn’t keep the Shemitta year as holy would just as easily be thrown out again. He did it once or twice before. He’ll do it to us again, until we finally get it. Ayal is not a stupid man. He also was someone that loved living in Israel a lot. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t think America is a great place at all. Maybe because he never tasted Amnon’s pizza or Essen’s corned beef. But he was quite happy and invested a lot to be in Israel. Nothing would take him away from this country and thus he decided that he would keep Shemitta. He may not do (as of yet) many other mitzvos. But this one was a real important one he decided and it has in many ways changed his life. It brought him miracles. It brought him even greataer livelihood than he would’ve thought. Hashem bestowed His gifts and blessing upon him. But the biggest one is that at nighttime he can go to sleep knowing that he is in this special blessed land for good. He’s done his part to bringing the shechina back.
Rav Shach thus explains the verse and song of Moshe as a message to us.
Ha’azinu Ha’shamayim- we need to listen to the call from heavens.
V’tishma ha’aretz imrei pi- and look out and listen to the voice and the sounds, and the miracles that I show you that call out to you from the earth, from the land, from Eretz Yisrael. If you listen and see those miracles, then you will be able to sing this song. You will see the return. You will be ready for the great day that is right in front of us. We will finally be redeemed.
We’ve all heard the heaven and earth the past few years. The time has finally come for the big concert of Hakhel. The heavens are me’saprim kavod E-l- the heavens are telling us of the glory of Hashem, the earth sings the song of Hashem and redemption. The choir is all ready. It’s been a long wait until we finally rid ourselves of all of the ear wax that’s been clogging our hearing, but I believe that this Yom Kippur we finally cleared it out when we shouted together Hashem hu Elokim 7 times. When we said Shema Yisrael so loud that it went up to the heavens and brought the shechina back down. Mashiach is here. The time is now. I can’t wait to see you all there. And those of you that booked me for tours… We’ll take a raincheck. Once you all get settled in to your new country and home. There’s a lot of amazing new things to show you. First stop will be the Temple tours. It’s something you really don’t want to miss. Just bring a sheep or two along for the tour, we’re gonna have a divine bbq afterwards with our holiday sacrifices. And I know the best places to get them…
Have an amazing Shabbos and fantastic Sukkos
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Az meshiach vet kumen, vellen alleh krankeh oisgehailt verren; nor a nar vet bleiben a nar..”- When the messiah comes, all the sick will be healed; only a fool will stay a fool.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ushpizin - You know your Sukkos is not complete without my most beautiful Ushpizin composition!
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lmaan-yeydu-vsamachta – And after you’ve sung the old V’samachta a million times and you want something new and fresh.. Sing my V’Samachta and you get a mitzva d’oraysa by singing it in your sukkah- the only song that gives you that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uArBJB4bdbI – and if you haven’t yet seen the Miami Boys viral Tik Tok video watch in awe and wonder how the music I grew up with is turning the world on its head!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyxAQ8RpzPI – Mordechai Shapiro, Benny Friedman and Matt Dubb in this latest release L’Chai Olamim sure to be simchas Torah hit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJpphCG1SwE – The latest Bardak commercial pure genius!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOIr9nyrfYA – The latest Degel Hatorah Jingle that we will be hearing non-stop until the elections are over… Oy Mashiach should come just so we don’t need to go through that again..
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
14) The animal that is a symbol for the Parks and Nature Reserve authority _________
It was chosen because
A) It likes being with people and frequents near residential areas
B) It is an animal that is indigenous to Israel as a desert animal that is mentioned in Tanach
C) It was facing extinction until actions were taken to repopulate it
D) It accentuates the significance of wildlife for educational tours
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Achav and Eliyahu Part II - 724 BC – After the murder/execution of Navos Ha’Izraeli as a result of the false witnesses that Achav’s wife Jezebel hired to testify that he blasphemed against Hashem and Achav, Achav moves down and takes his coveted vineyard. One can imagine him sitting there chilling and satisfied perhaps sipping a glass of wine when all of a sudden Eliyahu Ha’Navi appears and ruins the party. In a harsh rebuke Eliyahu utters the famous condemnation heratzachta v’gam yarashta- did you murder and also inherit?!! What do you think is gonna happen to you?
Achav though isn’t ready to do teshuva and confess right away so he turns to Eliyahu and snaps at him how his nemesis isn’t giving him any peace and even bothering him here in his new vineyard. That’s when Eliyahu really leashes it out on Achav and he doesn’t pull any punches. The dogs will lick his and wife’s bones. Any male progeny of his will be killed. His fate will be just like the evil kings before him Yeravam and Basha who were wiped out without descendants. The dogs will eat the flesh of those that are killed in the house, the birds those in the fields. You’ve done evil and you will pay the price. Yeah… that’s about as brutal as it gets. And whadaya know? It works
Achav hears the words of the prophet and he rends his garments, he puts on sackcloth. He cries, he mourns, he does teshuva. And you know what? Believe it or not? It works! Hashem turns to Eliyahu and says that he has heard and accepted the teshuva of Achav. He has forgiven the decree upon him. He will push it off to his children and his descendants. (If they follow in his formerly evil ways-which they do as we will see). How incredible is that? How hopeful is that for us? I wished I had gotten this out before Yom Kippur but it is still before Hoshana Rabba when our teshuva can still impact the judgement. May Achav’s repentance and Hashem’s forgiveness inspire us all to go even a step further in our teshuva!
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE END OF THE WORLD JOKES OF THE WEEK
I heard llamas are going to bring about the end of the world. It's going to be Alpaca-lyptic.
What do you call it when pigs cause the end of the world? The aporkalypse
When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky. They're always 20 years behind everything. (Mark Twain!!)
Scientists predict the end of the world, they say that there will be a huge tsunami on earth in 2 weeks. So presidents of all nations are now on tv to speak about it.
It starts with Joe Biden: " My fellow americans, you have now 15 days to spend all of your dollars, so just buy some stuff and enjoy while you can".
Vladimir Putin: "Mother Russia will be devastated in 2 weeks, and there will be nowhere else to live so i decided that you are now all free to speak and express yourself, enjoy it ".
Then in Israël, the prime minister starts: "We have 15 days to figure out how we're gonna live under water..."
Apparently, I have catastrophically misunderstood what "apocalypse" means all this time. Oh well.
It's not the end of the world.
Zelda turned to her shlimazel husband Yankel and told him one day.
“Every day I see you I think that half of Mashiach is here”
Taken aback by her sudden endearment he asked her what she meant?
“the donkey” she answered wryly
Two people waiting at a bus stop, and the bus is taking a long time to come. One person turns to the other and says “We have been waiting so long for this bus! It is like waiting for the Moshiach!”
The other responds, “Not at all! The Messiah will definitely come eventually; as for the bus...”
A man visits a zoo and is taken to the lion’s cage. He witnesses there the literal fulfillment of 1saiah prophecy — a lion and a calf in a cage together.
Amazed, he calls over an attendant. “How long have you had a lion an a calf in a cage together?” “Over a year already.”
“How do you do it?”
“It’s easy. Every morning we put in a new calf.”
According to one medieval folktale, two men arrived in a Yemenite town and told the inhabitants that the Messiah was arriving that night and would transport them all to Israel. The people were instructed to remain on their roofs the entire night, but Moshiach did not come. In the morning, when they went down from the roofs, the strangers were gone -- as well as the townspeople's possessions.
A Rabbi once told his congregants:When Moshiach comes there will be a long line, with everybody rushing to greet him”.
I, however will not rush. To the contrary, I’ll try to be last on line.
“When my turn comes Moshiach will ask me: “R. Mendel! Where were you until now?!” I will reply: “Moshiach, Where were you until now?!
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OOPS… forgot to give the answer for last weeks really dumb question about where the Molech sacrifice of children took place. The correct answer for that was Gei Ben Hinnom right between Mt. of Olives and the Tayelet and the old city. The second part of the question though was too bizarre which is why this is important to Christians. I ask you do you really care? They had all types of ideological answers I chose the one that says its about the cost of sin at end of days. Gei Ben hinom of course being connected to Gehnnom where we are punished. I’m not sure if its right or not. But I’m gonna say it is and it count it as a point. So there.
Answer is C The answer is of course the Ibex or that Ya’el as it is called in Hebrew. It is mentioned in Tanach and anyone that has toured Ein Gedi or the Judean Desert area can see them there, usually they come out in the evening time. They were selected though as the symbol or mascot of the Parks authrouty because they were in fact facing extinction. Today there are about 1500 of them and they are still considered a protected species. So it’s as a result of this that it was chosen. Another one right And thus the score now is Schwartz 11 and 3 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.
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