Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
September 20th 2024 -Volume 13 Issue 48 17th of Elul 5784
Parshat Ki Tavo
Curse of the Generation
It was what I call a nachas call; but not the kind that most people would kvell from. I was smiling though, from ear to ear. It was my daughter Shani on the phone. It seems she had just gotten back from the school where my grandson had started first grade. She was there because she got a non-nachas call. Yoel, it seems was causing trouble. He had run away from his Rebbi, he walked out of class. He said it was boring.
I can relate to him. He’s been reading books since he’s three years old, just like his Zaidy did… He knows everything that there is to know about dinosaurs and really most other obscure topics. He regularly has meaningful conversations with Siri about all types of subjects. “Alef- kamatz-ah” isn’t really cutting it for him. It’s rough being too smart for your school. Throw that together with a clearly genetic abhorrence for authority figures who are not as smart as you and it’s a recipe for disaster. And thus Shani was called down for the third time in the past two weeks to collect my prodigal grandson. It seems that the Rebbi, principal and old Russian security guard were having a hard time catching him. Unlike his Zaydie, Yoel’s also pretty fast. They used to catch me in three seconds.
So, Shani was calling me not only to share her latest ordeal, but mostly to inform me that the curse that I had given her, that it seems I got from my mother, who very likely got from hers that she should have the same wonderful challenges that I had with her, had come to fulfillment. The chickens had come home to roost. We take the curse of tzaar gidul banim- the “joys” of raising children seriously in our family. Although I’ve found that really it’s the oldest child that gets the double portion of that joy. I gave that nachas to my mother, Shani to me and Aliza and now Yoel is carrying on that family tradition. Ahhh… nachas, as I said. The legacy continues.
The truth is though, as curses go, having a child that gets into trouble in school is really not the end of the world. Like many curses in life, there’s a big blessing in them. How many people don’t merit to have children? Don’t merit to get married even. How many of them have serious learning issues; psychological issues. How many aren’t smart enough to convince the teacher and principle that they’re really sorry and that they will be better and get back into school? That don’t have the chein to smooth talk their way out of the trouble that they’ve gotten in to. Curses of children and grandchildren like mine are really the biggest blessings. Halevai, that all of klal Yisrael should only suffer curses like that.
This week’s parsha though introduces us to curses of an entirely different realm. Parshat Ki Tavo is one of two parshiyot in the Torah that contain curses that Hashem tells us we will suffer if we do not follow the mitzvos. The other parsha that we read before Shavuot each year in parshat Bechukosai, which is also pretty graphic, is tame however compared to this parsha which contains double the curse, then the one in Bechukosai. 98 in total. As opposed to Bechukosai though, where there seems to be some uplifting and hope at the end, when Hashem tells us that He will remember the covenant He made with our forefathers, in our parsha there is no such disclaimer. There is no reassurance. It ends with us being sold as slaves back to Egypt and nobody wants to even buy us. Not that we Jews were ever really that good at housework in the first place. But, jokes aside, it’s a rough parsha to read. Particularly after this past year, when so many of those curses we have seen have been fulfilled and are still suffering from.
It starts off with the “plague that He will attach to us until it consumes us”. “The fever, the parching and withering that will pursue us until we are annihilated”. Remember the Corona years when we thought that was the worst that could happen. Well that follows with the weather storms “the dust and dirt that will descend upon us until we are destroyed”. It’s not just the weather though… the real bad stuff starts with our enemies from which we will be “struck down; whereas we seem to have “one road to go out to them”, but in the end we are “fleeing from before them on seven roads”. Even more pathetically we will be fearful in our response because we are “trembling before all the kingdoms of the earth”. Our flesh “eaten by birds of the heavens and animals of the earth” and nothing frightens them. We will go crazy, we will be blinded, we will be confounded, groping like a blindman in the darkness and not succeeding on our path. And after that “there is no savior”. Mashiach didn’t come.
Wives and betrothed abused, houses, destroyed, vineyards never planted, oxen slaughtered, cattle stolen by our enemies and still “ein moshiah”. “There is no Mashiach”.
Sons and daughters will be kidnapped, and our eyes will be pining for them day and night but our hands will be powerless. Every day harried and downtrodden and we will go meshuga from the sights our eyes see… Is this the parsha of the week or is it a recap of the events of 2024 since Simchas Torah this past year. Since last Rosh Hashana?
Yet it continues. We will be a laughingstock to the world. This will happen amongst the nations that Hashem will exile us where we have begun to serve their wood and stone gods. There amongst those nations we won’t have any rest. Hashem will give us a trembling heart, longing of eyes, and suffering of our souls, as our life hang in balance opposite us and we will not be certain of what tomorrow, the evening or morning might bring from the fear of our heart. This is not writing on the wall. It’s words in our Torah. Words of Moshe, of Hashem, of our future. Of today. Prophecies and curses that have occurred to us in the past and been fulfilled and prophecies that we are living today and whose fulfillment and destiny we can’t seem to hide from.
And the worst part, Rav Moshe Shapiro notes, is as we said, there doesn’t seem to be any hope or consolation for these curses. They will come upon us. They are our destiny. They’re as certain as the generational curse of Schwartz trouble. They- as opposed to the ones in Bechukosai that correspond to our first exile from the land of Israel- foretell of what will befall us in this final exile without an end, if we don’t follow the mitzvos. Which of course we really never have done. We always sin. We never entirely do teshuva. Since that Temple was destroyed so long ago, there probably hasn’t been one moment when all or even perhaps anything more than a tiny minority of Klal Yisrael could ever turn to Hashem and say we’re all good. We’ve followed all Your words. We’ve kept our covenant.
And thus we are doomed. And thus October 7th is still going on. Is there a way out? Will the curses end?
Well, the good news, Rav Shapiro notes, is that the entire reason why we are reading the curses this week is in order that as our sages put it “tichleh shanah vi’kililoseha- the year and it’s curses should come to their conclusion”. Yet, how does that work? Why is end of the year the time when the curses come to their conclusion. And what does that even mean? See, back in Bechukosai and in other places, such as by Bilaam, we have a concept of the curses being turned around and turned into a blessing. This is something different though he notes. This is not a turnaround. This is the curses reaching their end. This is them finally reaching the point that they can’t go anymore.
If you paid attention to some of the quotes above and as well in many other verses in this long laundry list or curses there is a phrase that keeps coming up, an adjective that describes the limits of the curses. Ad hishamdach- until you are destroyed or “ad avadoch- until we are annihilated”, “ad kaloso”- until we are consumed. Check out chapter 28 verses -20, 21, 22, 24,45,48, 51, 52,61 and that’s just a quick count.
The word “ad-until” finds itself in many of the descriptions that befall us. As well it repeatedly describes our situation as one where there is “ein moshia- there is not any savior. Ein macharid- there is nothing that frightens them, ein l’ael yadecha- there is no power in our hands. The common thread is that these curses are there to take us to the end game. As Moshe introduces them to us, he tells us v’hisigucha- they will overtake us. They will bring us to the point where there is nothing left. There’s no teshuva, there’s no prayers, there’s no hope, Not even the merits of our ancestors. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov’s covenant which were good for the first Temple’s exile help us in. this final exile though. This one will be until the end. It’s not something that will change and turn into a bracha. It’s one that where the curses which will reach their culmination. They will reach the point where there is only one gate left that can save us. That is the gate-the sha’ar of matnas chinam- of the free ride one gets when they don’t have any merit left.
There is a remarkable midrash in which Moshe is shown all of the different gates and treasury houses of reward and goodness in the heavens. He sees room after room, each greater than the previous one. There is a room for the studiers of Torah, those that have good deeds, those that are involved in community work and those that are god-fearing and charitable. The final room that he enters though has no end to it. It’s infinite. It’s a different plane of existence. When Moshe asks Hashem who this treasure house and special gate are for, Hashem responds it’s for those that don’t have any merits. It’s for those who have nothing else to come before Hashem with besides the free-gift, besides throwing themselves completely upon his grace and mercy.
Parshat Ki Tavo is a remarkable parsha. It is the parsha of us finally coming into the land. It begins with the beginning. It begins with the Bikurim. With the Reishis- with the start of everything. The first fruits. The fresh new land. It travels from that beginning to our exile in Egypt and the new start of us coming home. The vow, the covenant, the miracles and the blessings. Yet then it gets to the curses. It takes us all the way to the end. It finishes us up and rips out all of our sins. Until the end.- Ad hishamdach, Ad Klos- until it’s over. But when it reaches the end, then the curses dissipate. They can only come “ad” until the final point, but once it hits that final point, the restart begins. The gateway of those who have lost everything opens wide and then we find that in fact everything can now begin.
It’s not a pretty pathway. But once it reaches that final curse then the new era can begin. Tichleh shana v’kililoseha- the year ends, the curses have come to their conclusion. A new year begins. A year that is not dependent on anything from the previous year. A year that can begin from the head. From Bereishis. A year that starts without any curses. Because there are no curses left. They’ve all been completed. They’ve all brought us through the gate where there’s only chein- where Hashem Himself is carrying us. An era when we are entirely one with our Creator. We’ve returned to Eden.
Our sages tell us that Mashiach will not come “ad she’yiclu nishamos kol ha’neshamos she’baguf- until all of the souls of “body” have been completed. Reb Chayim Vital explains that all the souls of the world were all contained in the soul of Adam Ha’Rishon. Through his sin, as a result of the curse, death and exile from Hashem resulted. He was no longer an entirely spiritual entity that could walk with and reveal Hashem. The history and function of mankind is to bring all those souls throughout the generations back to that state. It happens when we are able to rise above our “guf”. When we realize our bodies are not what identifies us. It’s not what our essence is. Curses more than anything else have the power to bring to us to that realization. They remove us from our attachment to our material existence. From our petty and small minded absorptions. They return us to Hashem. They bring us to our core. Ad Hishamdach- until the ego is entirely destroyed. Until we realize that there is ein od- there is Nothing else. Besides Hashem. Then Mashiach can come. Then the curses will be over. Then the new year can begin.
Shani caught Yoel. She brought him home. She bathed him. She gave him dinner. She put him to bed and then she called me to tell me the curse has come to its fulfillment. It wasn’t his fault. He was born with that curse. It was his destiny. It’s something that he will overcome. It’s what makes him who he is. It’s the things that he will have to overcome and to become who he is meant to. It’s a curse that will reveal and bring out his essence. It’s the curse that he got from his mother, his father, his grandfather, from Sinai, from Egypt, from the Garden of Eden. It’s his soul that is being fixed. That’s waiting to come home.
Hashem has caught us as well. After 5784 years all the souls and all the curses have returned us to the land. So many souls have been taken to the heavenly throne. There are no more left in the guf. We are tired. We have no other savior. We have reached the end game. There is no hope. There is no merit. We need You to take us home and bathe us. K’dalim u’krashim- like paupers and destitute we stand before You. Tachel Shana u’birchoseha- begin a new year and its blessings.
Have a blessed Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" A kluleh iz nit keyn telegram; zi kumt nit on azoy gich..- A curse is not a telegram; it doesn't arrive so fast
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72H5QRmswns – Homebound- song of Aliya…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFQRoG5f4EA – Magnificent Selichos songs from yeshiva in Cholon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGTWi1ea_9o – Ein Li Milvadcha- Ishai Ribo’s latest release!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqBlTTFPyUU – Mordechai Shapiro’s latest Ekev!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC_6Aj8RIK8 – Yackov Shwekey’s latest Ha’Melech
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
23.The two world powers that originally set the current border between Israel and
Egypt were_______
Which of the following communities is located beyond the Green Line?
A. Kfar Qassem
B. Jaljulia
C. Tulkarm
D. Umm al-Fahm
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK
Back to the Garden- I believe that most of us are familiar with the idea that we’ve mentioned many times that our 3 times daily prayers were established to correspond to the daily sacrifices and the burning of the fats done in the Beit Ha’Mikdash. Yet fascinatingly enough the Midrash Tanchuma in this week’s parsha tells us a different and perhaps even perplexing source for our prayers. The Midrash tells us
“That when Moshe saw with his Divine inspiration that the Temple would be destroyed and the Bikuurim- First fruits we no longer be brought, he stood up and established that Bnai Yisrael should daven three times a day. For prayer is even more precious than the sacrifices.”
Now, this midrash certainly needs explanation for a few reasons. The first of course is that the Bikkurim are not brought three times a day, rather they are brought once a year and only really from Shavuos until Sukkos. As well seemingly they are not even really a sacrifice but rather a gift for the Kohanim that one brings to the Beis Ha’Mikdash. There are many gifts that one gives to the Kohanim, what’s different or special about the Bikkurim? And what does this have to do with prayer?
There’s a fascinating Rambam that describes the essence of prayer and the service in the Temple. He writes how the place of the altar is the same place where Avraham brought Yitzchak up as an offering, it’s where Noach brought his offering after the Flood and most significantly it’s where Kayin and Hevel brought their sacrifices. That’s where we bring all our sacrifices, that’s where all of our prayers are directed towards. Interestingly enough, when one thinks about it, the first sacrifice of all time was Kayin’s and fascinatingly enough it wasn’t even really a sacrifice. It was a gift to Hashem of his lesser crops. His gift to Hashem wasn’t accepted. The problem was that unlike his brother Hevel, Kayin didn’t bring the best. He didn’t bring the first. He didn’t bring Bikkurim. Hashem tells Kayin that night when he was upset, that he doesn’t need to be upset. He can lift himself up. He can do teshuva. He can start fresh. He can go back to the Beginning. To the Reishis.
Kayin messes up and doesn’t. He kills his brother. He can’t restart and thus he becomes exiled. He is alienated from the earth. The downward spiral of mankind has begun. All our sacrifices and prayers are to get back to that beginning. To get back to that altar of Kayin and bring those first fruits, that he didn’t, to Hashem. In fact many sefarim suggest that the Kohen who receives the Bikkurim really is in place of Hevel. Just as Hevel didn’t own land and was a shepherd, So too the Kohen has no land in Israel. It’s why together they wave the Bikkurim, it’s why it’s done by the Mizbayach, unlike all of the other gifts that are given to the Kohen. It’s why it is done with prayer and with song and why after we bring it we ask Hashem to look down from heaven and see and bless us and the land. It’s the reason why we were brought out of Egypt. It’s how we will return and reap the blessing of the Land of Milk and Honey.
Moshe saw the churban, he saw there would be no more Bikkurim, he saw that there was no way to return and thus he established tefilla three times a day. Each morning, each evening, each afternoon we connect back to the beginning. We fix the sin of Kayin. We pause our day and time and lift ourselves up and bow and prostrate before Hashem. We express our desire to thank Him and to return to Him. We connect with our forefathers who as well established those altars of return, and we merit to bring those bikkurim once again to Hashem. And with that return
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Menashe’s sins 642 BC -Having concluded discussing all of the prophets during the era of Menashe which seemingly were not able to get him to repent, it’s time to get back to the terrible sins that he committed. In the past we discussed his sins of idolatry and the desecration of the Beit Hamikdash like never before. Yet as we saw by Achav idolatry is not enough of a sin to really get on Hashem’s nerves. With Menashe it escalated to murder, chaos and havoc as well. The verses tell us that Menashe went on rampages each day killing over 1000 Jews having them shlep huge rocks that smashed them. As well that became contagious as murder took hold of the Jewish nation following his lead. It even reached a point where in a fascinating midrash he killed his own grandfather the prophet Yeshaya. He had enough of his rebuke so he plotted for his death.
The Midrash tells us that he called Yeshaya to court and accused him of heresy. Crazy as that can possibly sound. He proved his words by Yeshaya’s own prophecies. He noted how Yeshaya had claimed to have seen God, despite the fact that Moshe said it is impossible. He said how Moshe tells us that we can call out to Hashem at any time, while Yeshaya quotes the pasuk that we use today to define the month of Elul we are in.
Dirshu Hashem b’himatzo- we should seek out Hashem when He is found. When He is close…
That is the month of Elul which is when the King is in the field. Well, Menashe claimed that is heresy because Hashem is always found
Yeshaya saw things were not going his way and decided rather than debate his grandson he magically transformed himself into a tree. Menashe then had his soldiers chop down the tree and thus killing his own grandfather. Wild story…
After this takes place it would seem that this king is beyond hope. There is no way back for him. Hashem punishes him and have the Assyrians capture him. And yet… as we will see… there is no such thing as no way back… stay tuned next week for the unreal and unexpected redemption of Menashe …
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HEZBOLLA BEEPER MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK
CAMPUS ACTIVISTS:We stand with victims of Jewish Terrorism in Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon
ISRAEL: I wouldn’t stand too close..
New Beeper tagline -Motor-Allah- connecting people with God
Old Gaza slogan- From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free
Israel Response – From the liver to the knee, find a new way to pee
Blowing up beepers is Israeli, Being Jewish is making them pay them for the product
Hezbolla’s scariest cartoon character? The Road Runner- “mee beep mee beep mee beep”
Hezbolla supporters in the West “Every person targeted today was a puppy, doctor or orphaned child. Sometimes all three.
Actual Hezbolla headquarters: Stop posting pictures, you donkeys, your exposing the identities of our fighters!
Guy in charge of purchases for Hezbolla: “I don’t know 250 dollars for a beeper sounds a bit expensive.
Mossad agent that sold it to them: “I’ll tell you what… Let’s make it 240 and I”ll throw in a free walkie Talkie
They had to have a second day of exploding beepers because Lebanon is chutz la’aretz… (but that’s only for a short while longer… 😊)
The international Olympic committee announces today that hundreds of Hezbolla fighters now qualify to compete in women’s boxing
Beepers? Really? What’s next fax machines? CB Radios? Atari? 8 Track tapes?
Don’t point a finger of blame at Israel… but if you really want to I think I see it there under the table…
World: Israel make your strikes more targeted.
Israel: blows up 2500 Terrorists shmekels
World: Not like that…
In a related story goats in Lebanon breathed a sigh of relief…
“Who by water, and who by fire, who by strangulation and who by beeper…”
Hezbolla leader Hassan Nasralla announces emergency Kinnus on the dangers of technology
Never ask a Woman her age
A Man his salary
An Iranian Ambassador why he has a pager from Hezbolla
The Beeper operation is attributed to Israeli Mossad agents Motta Rola and Gal Aksi together with their Korean connection Sam Song
Never buy second hand electronics from Israelis… everyone knows that…
Shidduch Crisis in heaven 72 maidens and all their “basherts” got de-shmekel”ized..
Over 5000 new ParaOlympians from Lebanon for the next games…
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The answer to this week”s question is C- And there goes my streak… This week I was totally off my game. I got both parts entirely wrong. Not even close…I guessed the United States and Russia and the correct answer was England and Turkey. As well I guessed on the second part Jaljulia and the correct answer was Tul Qarem. Yeah… bad… Don’t really care… I’m just not in the mode right now.. Well this sets me back somewhat and I think this is the first time ever that I am at a below passing score… Oy… and the new score is Rabbi Schwartz 14.5 and Ministry of Tourism 8.5 on this exam so far.
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