from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
"Your friend in
Karmiel"
December 27th
2024 -Volume 14 Issue 9 26th of Kislev 5785
The Last “I”nitiative
I told him that I thought it was a
bad idea. It was a stupid idea. And perhaps most of all I thought it was an
evil idea. I think he was a bit taken aback. But, what did my well-meaning friend
really expect when he called me to join him on what he thought was going to be
a world-changing project? I was never really a yes-man, or Rabbi. Particularly
when it comes to ideas that to me seemed to be taking off in the frum world. I’m
a traditionalist, I guess. And I particularly get nervous when people come up
with things that they believe others have to do for the miracles to come.
So to back up a bit, my friend and
colleague called me a few weeks into the war with what he thought was going to
be THE project that will save all of the hostages and win us the war. See,
there was this story or video clip that was going viral all over the frum media
of this woman that lived in Kfar Azza that I’m sure all of you have seen or at
least heard of. It was a story of how the terrorists were coming to her house
on October 7th and she was hiding and cowering with her two children
in fear. Something came over her at that moment and she turned to Hashem and
prayed. She promised that if Hashem would save her and her children, that she
would begin to observe Shabbos. Sure enough. As soon as she finished her short
prayer from the depths of her heart, the terrorists turned around and left the
direction of her house and she was spared. That’s the story. And I have no doubt
that it’s true. She’s for real. It’s an amazing story.
As many know there certainly was an
inordinate amount of shomer shabbat kibbutzim, settlements, cities, synagogues
and yeshivos that were spared that Simchas Torah morning. There were some
non-religious ones as well, but certainly most of the devastation took place in
the non-religious areas. The ones that weren’t observing Shabbos. The ones that
were perhaps even violating it by music festivals… Shabbos saves. Our rabbis
tells us this. I believe that.
To be fair, as well, I also believe
fundamentally, and it’s quite obvious, that our Rabbis have said that anyone
that doesn’t have the benefit of a HEALTHY Jewish education and that was raised
secular, has the same halachic status as a child that was kidnapped that at a
very young age. Think that cute red-head baby Bibers. If God forbid we don’t bring
him home…God forbid… He wouldn’t be responsible for not fulfilling mitzos.
He doesn’t know. He didn’t learn. Neither did anyone that didn’t have a healthy
Jewish education. It’s not their fault they don’t keep Shabbos or go to parties.
They won’t even be punished for it. They’re an oneis. They had their heritage
stolen from them. Yet, at the same time they don’t have the protection and beauty
of Shabbos.
So this friend of mine called me up
after he saw this video and he wanted to start this project. There were at the time
assumed to be 251 hostages that were taken to Gaza. So what he wanted to do was
start a project or movement, by which everyone would try to find 251 people
that had never observed Shabbos before and they would undertake to keep Shabbos
as a merit for one of the hostages to return. He thought that this would be an
amazing idea. It would bring people closer together, make them more religious,
it would connect us through Shabbos and of course it would bring back all of the
hostages. He wanted my support. I wasn’t as excited as he was to put it mildly.
But maybe that’s because I read this week’s parsha a little different than he
did.
Parshat Mikeitz, which is always
read Chanuka time, is a parsha that is very much about returning hostages. It’s
about silly, stupid and bad, failed attempts. And it’s about understanding what
really can bring them back. What we need to do to BRING THEM HOME. It’s 2024. Ba’yamim
ha’heim ba’zman hazeh- in those days, but for our times. That’s what Chanuka
is all about us realizing. About us revealing. It’s not ancient history. It’s
us today.
The parsha picks up from last weeek
with Yosef being held in some tunnel in Egypt. With no hope left. It’s Mikeitz.
It’s the end. He thought the Butler would help him. He thought maybe he would
get a pardon. But everyone else did except for him. Maybe he thought if Trump
would get into office everything would be better. But he was wrong. 2 years
passed and nothing changed. Keitz sam la’choshech- an end came to the
darkness, our parsha begins Rashi tells us. The darkness was his faith
that someone else could change his situation. After two years of waiting for it
to be over, he realized there was no one else but Hashem that was gonna pull
him out. Not Pharaoh. Not the Butler. Not Biden’s “Don’ts” Not Trump. Not Bibi.
Just miracles. Just Chanuka. Yosef’s efforts are pointless and misguided. Stop
looking to other people to solve your problems. There’s only One address one
needs to turn to. We needs to turn within to ourselves. One needs to turn their
eyes to Hashem.
Although Yosef was in prison for
ten years. The parsha begins with the end of the two additional years that he
sat there, waiting for his efforts and his hope and faith by turning to others
besides Hashem to save him, to finally come to an end. Mikeitz, doesn’t only mean
end or conclusion. It means li’hakitz- to wake up. Yosef needed to
become “woke”. He needed to get out of the dreamland that deals, and exchanges,
and diplomacy and anything besides Hashem will bring him home. When that ends.
Yosef is redeemed. His new mantra is mi’baladei Hashem- there is nothing
besides Hashem. No one else that can help Pharaoh, that can interpret dreams,
that will save Egypt from the famine, that can return him to his brothers. It’s
only Hashem.
The parsha continues with the brothers
going down to get back Yosef. Shimon is taken hostage, by Yosef. There are
demands and the conclusion of the parsha is about the possibility of Binyamin
being taken hostage too. Yosef’s brothers implore Yakov to send Binyamin with
them to get back their brother. To get food. To finally bring a cease fire. But
Yaakov is wary. He doesn’t trust deals. He’s a bit older than his kids. He’s
been betrayed again and again in his life. Esau backs out of his deal. Lavan as
well. He knows that you can’t trust these people as far as you can throw them. He
doesn’t want to lose Binyamin too.
There are two hostage negotiating
teams that come to Yaakov. Two attempts to BRING THEM HOME. The first, Reuvein,
fails. According to Rashi, Yaakov calls him a Bechor Shoteh-. It’s a
stupid idea. What’s Reuvein’s approach. I’ll trade. If I don’t bring back Binyamin,
I’ll give up my two sons instead. Yaakov is aghast. Really…? Reuvein, you just
don’t get it. This story is not about trades. It’s not about your sons/my sons.
The address you should be turning to is not looking at how you can manipulate
or convince me by showing signs of faith, by making offerings of what other
people or your even own children would or should give up. You’re missing the
boat. You’re not looking within. You’re not taking personal responsibility. I’m
not impressed.
Approach two is Yehudah. He doesn’t
offer any trades. He merely says. I guarantee it. I’m responsible. I will do
whatever it takes.
V’chatasi Lecha kol Ha’yamim- I have sinned to you all of my days.
No deals. No trade-offs. No putting
it on someone else. It’s my sin. It’s all on me. That works. Yaakov bites. The redemption
can come.
Yehuda, who perhaps had learned his
lesson with the death of his own two children. Yehuda, who perhaps had learned
what it means when he put the blame on Yosef, and as a result his own brothers
put the blame on him. Who had almost obviated his own responsibility to his
daughter-in-law Tamar, who fascinatingly enough as well was a hostage. An aguna,
a trapped caged woman, unable to marry because of his own actions and sins. He
had gone through his own process and understood that for the redemption and
return of the hostages, he couldn’t put it anyone else’s shoulders besides his own.
Yosef, learns this lesson, Yehudah
learns this lesson and finally as well, our parsha continues with the rest of
the tribes learning this lesson as well. When they leave Yosef’s house, the
Torah tells us that they stop off at an inn for the night and “The One”- who
Rashi tells us is Levi (the one previously mentioned with Shimon) opened up his
sack and finds the money they paid Yosef and that he had planted back there
inside of it. He shows the rest of the brothers, whom, the Torah goes out of
the way to tell us, don’t check their bags until much later after they get home.
They have an interesting response to Levi
Va’yeitzei libam, va’yecherdu ish
el echov ma zos asah Hashem lonu- And
their hearts went out and they trembled- a man to his brother, what has Hashem
wrought upon us.
Their hearts go out, and they
tremble. But the Pardes Yosef notes, that they are not scared for themselves.
They tremble for their brother. They’re nervous for Levi. The Yonasan Ben Uziel,
adds even more poignantly that they ask what Hashem has wrought upon us, for they
don’t feel that it’s their responsibility our sin. It’s Levi’s fault. It’s his
sin. The way that they were processing this was placing the blame and
responsibility, which is clearly coming from Hashem on someone else. It’s what
they always did. What we always do…
Yosef, was wrong. He was a snitch. A rodef-
trying to be King. Yehuda’s at fault, they remove him from his position. Shimon
is taken hostage. Well, that makes sense. He was the one that threw Yosef in
the pit. It’s Hashem punishing him. Now Levi has the money in his bag. They
tremble for their brother. But at the end of the day, it was him and Shimon
that were in on this. The rest of us… We’re still good. We’re just following
orders. It’s not me that caused the
hostages to be taken. It’s the guys not keeping Shabbos yet…
It was only after they come back
home and empty their own bags that for the first time they don’t just tremble for
their brother, but the Torah tells us Va’yirau- they feared. Or perhaps
they saw. They understood. They’ve got stolen money in their own pekeleh
as well. They have something that they have do teshuva on. Something that they
have to return. It’s fascinating when they come back to Yosef, they change the
story, they describe how they came to the inn and they all opened up their bags.
V’hinei kesef ish b’fi amtachto- and the money of a man was in his sack.
Kaspeinu b’mishkelo- our money in its weight.
It’s confusing. Is it one man who
finds the money? Is it each man? Is it our money in its weight? Why change the
story, when it seems that in reality they didn’t really find their own money
until they came home, not there in the inn. Many of the commentaries wonder why
and how they could lie like this. It seems a strange thing to make up.
But perhaps what they are saying is
really the truth. This is their confession. We came to the inn. We all checked
our bags. None of us found money except for Levi. We thought it was his fault.
That we are guiltless. It’s his sin. But then we discovered that we were wrong.
Kaspeinu b’mishkelo- our own money was also taken. We had our own sins.
Our own mishkal- scales of guilt. Our own burden. We also made money off
the sale of Yosef.
Va;neshev oto b’yadeinu- and we returned it to our own hands. Our own plates. Our
own guilt.
There was a speaker that once came
to my daughters Beis Yaakov school and spoke about the war. He took questions
after the lecture and a girl raised her hands and asked why everyone was so
busy helping out and getting things for the soldiers. Barbeques, doughnuts,
Pizzas, raising money for them. In her holy spiritual Bais Yaakov world and
innocence, the way she saw it was that the soldiers are really not doing
anything here. They are just the external force of our battle. The real power
is in our Torah. It’s the Kollel Rabbis and Yeshiva Bochrim learning. It’s the
prayers. It’s the kabbalos and resolutions. That’s the real fighting
force and artillery of the Jewish people. Why are we busy with soldiers so much?
My daughter, being my daughter,r
was a bit upset by this line of questioning and asked me how I would respond. I
told her that I would’ve told the girl that she is a hundred percent correct.
The entire war is spiritual. Every bullet that hits its target, every tunnel we
blow up, every Hamas guy we kill it’s all only because of the merit of Torah
and our prayers and mitzvos. The soldiers, tanks and airforce are really not
doing anything.
At the same time though, I asked
her, why she is angry at Chamas? Chamas didn’t kill anyone. They didn’t burn,
they didn’t pillage, they didn’t terrorize, they didn’t kidnap. That’s just Chitzoniyos.
That’s just external. The real guilty party here is the Kollel guys. It’s the bitul
torah. It’s the sinat chinam. It’s the machlokes and fighting
in Satmer, in Gerrer, in Bobov, in Belz, in Ponivizh. It’s all the Jews in
America that don’t move to Israel. It’s the talking during davening. Those are
the real murderers. Those are the real terrorists. The blood is on their hands.
On our hands. It’s my fault.The stolen money is in my bag… Chamas is just the external.
Why are you angry at them? You can’t just take the credit and not the responsibility.
Our Gedolim never did- as the Chafetz Chaim would repeatedly say that if there’s
an earthquake in China it’s because someone is wasting time during seder in
Radin… Or something like that… Certainly it’s even more true when something is happening
in Israel…It’s not them. It’s not even the not-frum. They’re an oneis. They’re
tinokos she’nishbu. They don’t know better. It’s us. It’s the Rabbis It’s the
Chareidim- the ones who “fear Hashem”. It’s me…
But you are angry at Chamas it seems,
little girl. So, you do worry about the chitzoniyos.
If that’s the case then you can buy a soldier a pizza, you can say thank you to
them, you can at least say the prayer for their well-being.
Do you know why the project to get
people to keep Shabbos to save a hostage is a bad idea? It’s because it’s
putting the blame on someone else. It’s their chilul Shabbos that is
preventing the return of the hostages. That’s the way they would hear it. How
would you like it if I started a project and put up signs that 251 people from
each chasidus should make peace with their dissenting break-off to save a
hostage? Or that the two sides on the various yeshiva fights, the Bnai Brak and
Jerusalem factions, the two Ponivizhes should make peace for a hostage. How
long would that sign stay up on the bulletin board there in the hallway?
What if I said that 251 people
should make Aliya to save a hostage. There was a great miracle story that someone
promised to make aliya and he was saved. So how long would a sign like that stay
on the wall in Lakewood? In Monsey. In the five towns. Maybe even in Teaneck?
It wouldn’t last long. Because it’s not my sin… It’s Yehuda. It’s Yosef. It’s
Shimon. It’s Levi…, I don’t have anything really bad in my pekeleh…
The parsha that we read on Chanuka
is Mikeitz. It’s the holiday of the end. It’s the holiday of waking up. Of
putting a wick in our menora. Ner Ish u’beiso. It’s in front of my own house.
By my Mezuza that I have to light the candle. It’s the holiday of the miracle
of finding me searching to find my own oil that I have to redeem. That I can
uplift. That I can ignite.
We sing Maoz Tzur. We sing about
the keitz bavel- the end of Iran. The keitz shivim- the end of
the seventy years of exile when we realized that Bavel and Iran isn’t our home.
That Zerubavel, that what we had thought that we could flourish outside of
Eretz Yisrael was wrong and it was time to come home for the redemption. That
the keitz is here.
Do you know what’s fascinating
about this song? It’s first person. It’s me.
Maoz Tzur Yeshuosi- It’s my Rock of salvation
Tikon beis tefilasi- It’s my house of prayer
Az egmor b’shir mizmor- I will conclude with song.
Ra’os sava nafshi- my soul has been satiated with bad
B’yagon kochi kila- my strength is expired
Dvir kodsho haviani- I was brought to the Beis Hamikdash
V’higlani ki zarim avaditi- I was exiled, I served strangers.
It’s me me me me. Unlike most other
songs and holidays that are “we” and plural Chanuka it’s about me. It’s my
song. It’s my miracle. It’s my candle. It’s my hostage. It’s my redemption. But
for that to happen we need to take the “I”-nitiative. It starts with I.
With my own miracle. Karov keitz ha’yeshua- the awakening and end of the
salvation is close. The beginning of the salvation has started. Iran and Bavel
are falling. May by the end of Chanuka, perhaps even this Shabbos we merit for
the return of the longest hostage. The Shechina, Hashem, back to His Home. Keitz
sam la’choshech- there should be an end to the darkness. The bright new
morning should begin.
Have a light-filled Shabbos and a
happy Chanuka
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
************************
YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Shuldik
iz der stolyer: ven er volt nit gemacht di bet, volt ich nit gekumen tsu keyn chet
- It's the
carpenter's fault: if he hadn't built the bed, I wouldn't have sinned.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
NEW EXAM STARTS THIS WEEK!
1) At the start of the 21st century, Israel discovered
reservoirs of _______________
near its shores.
What is reclaimed water?
A. Wastewater treated to enable reuse in agriculture
and industry
B. Desalinated seawater to be used as drinking water
C. Water restored to natural areas which have dried
up, such as the Hula Lake
D. Water artificially infused into salinated wells,
mainly in the Arava region
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/maoz-tzur
– In honor of Chanuka my latest
song composition Maoz Tzur! Aren’t you ready for a new tune.. this one is great
with Dovid Lowy doing my amazing arrangements and vocals!
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/haneiros-halalu
– And once you’re at it already
why not use my fantazstically uplifting Haneiros Halalu tune for lighting your
candles as well
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/al-hanissim
– And here’s my Al Ha’Nissim
another amazing Lowy arrangement and vocals
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/chasof-zeroah
-
Finally my first Chanuka hit Chasof Zeroa arranged and sung by
Yitz Berry!!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES
AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Old Bones- 621BC – Prophecies get fulfilled. Hashem just doesn’t work on our
timelines. It’s Chanuka time. It’s time to go back to those days of the Beit
Hamikdash and think about when it all went South. The First Temple built by
Shlomo was only in use by all of the Jewish people for about 20 years or
so. When he died Yeravam ben Nevat, Shlomo’s Rebbe breaks off and
builds his own Temple. Two of them actually. One in Beit El and One in Tel
Dan. Yup… Jews didn’t want to daven together. Back then Hashem sent a
prophet to Yeravam to Beit El and told him that a day would come
when not only would his kingdom be destroyed, but the very altar he was worshipping
on would be used to burn the bones of all of the false priests and prophets by
a future king named Yoshiyahu a descendant of Dovid. Guess what?
It took 350 years, but we finally got here…
Now the prophet that came
to Beit El with this prophecy and preformed signs from Hashem by freezing the
hands of Yeravam and splitting the Altar and its ashes, was sworn by
Hashem that he couldn’t eat anything in Beit El and needed to return
home a different way then he came. Yet a false prophet met him along the way
and wanted to discredit him so he convinced him that Hashem gave him a new
prophecy that permitted it. The good prophet then joined him for his “last
supper” and set off where he was killed by a lion. Ouch… Hope it was a good
meal. The false prophet had regret and took the prophet’s body and buried him
and admitted his guilt to his children and ordered that he be buried together
with him. He figured that would save his bones from being burnt by Yoshiyahu
later on. And sure enough that’s what happened.
Our chapter tells us how
Yoshiyahu comes to do his job and sees this one grave that has trees growing
all over it, different than all the other ones. He inquires after this and hears
the story and spares these bones. Teshuva works. It helped this prophet. This
is the final act of Yoshiyahu before the great rededication ceremony. The Pesach
like no other one in our history. Stay tuned next week…
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY INITIATIVE & CHANUKA JOKES OF THE
WEEK
There is an initiative
by the US government and the American Dairy Counsel that cheese needs to be
sold only in block form. By doing this we could make America Grate Again.
My friends say I never
take the initiative. I wish they'd just stop being my friends
A government run
initiative to restore the male geese population is getting a lot of media
attention...
Critics are referring
to it as proper gander.
I was in a job
interview.
"Can you give me
a time where you've wrongly taken the initiative?"
"Hey, I'm the one
that asks the questions here," came the reply.
A guy bought his wife
a beautiful diamond ring for Hanukkah.After hearing about this extravagant
gift, a friend of his says, “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?
Who do penguins
celebrate Hanukkah with? The Icebergs
I asked my dad if I
could borrow 50 dollars to buy stuff for Hanukkah... He said "40 dollars?
What do you need $30 dollars for?".
An old Jewish couple,
Harry and Sadie, were married for 35 years but never got along...
...One day around this
time of year, he says to her, "So? I suppose you'll be wanting a Hanukkah
present?"
She says to him,
"Harry, I want a divorce."
Harry says, "I
wasn't planning on spending that much.
