Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
August 29th 2025 -Volume 14 Issue 43 5th of Elul 5785
I generally don't like preaching to a choir. I don't believe people need to hear the same old-same old that they have been hearing their entire lives. I certainly am not interested, and loving your fellow man like yourself means treating others as you would wanted to be treated and even more so as Hillel taught the convert on one foot, "what is hated upon you don't do to others". I don't always keep that rule, but certainly when people pay me a lot of money to teach and tour them around, I want to make sure they have a new experience. Someone that will challenge them to appreciate the world and certainly Tanach, our history, our land and best of all what's going on now here in Eretz Yisrael, like they never have before.
Thus generally my style is to provoke my tourists to think out of the box. I challenge them to think about why they're not living here, despite the essential role Eretz Yisrael has in the Torah, Judaism and our mission of being Chosen. Not to mention the fact that it's unquestionable that all of their ancestors for thousands of years would've been here in a heartbeat had they the opportunity that we have today. Fuggetabout all of the great Rabbis and sages that we spend so much time revering, writing books about and studying.
I challenge people to view our historical stories differently. To imagine the challenges and lifestyles of our ancestors. What sinas chinam really meant in bayis sheini. Hint it wasn't about pillows, feathers and lashon hara, as much as Jews murdering and killing each other in the streets. To take the stories and understand what their tests were about idolatry, sacrificing on bamos outside of the mikdash. What were their wars like. How the Torah commands us to kill everyone repeatedly, certainly nations that prevent us from establishing a Torah state here. That's everyone. Men, women, children and babies in diapers. How we laid sieges. How we unfortunately were far better at murdering and killing and having civil wars against one another rather then doing what we're meant to do and taking that aggression out on our real enemies.
We talk politics. A lot. About Bibi. About Trump. About Chariedim serving in the army. About hostage protests. The left, the right the Rabbi. Whatever is going on. I never will tell people what they expect to hear. It's probably because my world-view, which of course is the true Torah one, is really not talked about by anyone. I challenge pre-concieved notions. Oft-repeated, but generally not well thought out, ideas. Stuff that's been regurgitated over and over again by many of their Rabbis, schools, talk shows and podcasts. I quote pesukim, Chazal, polls, science, whatever I can make up to prove my point. I have yet to find someone that thinks like I do, before I start with them of course. On all sides by the way, the chareidim, the hard core right, the left certainly not, frum, non frum, it doesn't make a difference. Everyone is going to be challenged and exposed to views they've never considered before and hopefully even offended along the way. Because unless you hit people deep in their kishkas and conscience and evoke an emotional reaction, then you haven't gotten any where yet.
I don't necessarily believe I'm always correct. There are certainly a few people in Klal Yisrael greater than I, who have more knowledge, more da'as Torah, more life experience and perhaps even a better grasp of the situation not only politically but spiritually. I'm fine with that. The Torah even gives us a mitzva for situations like that. We are forbidden to stray from what our Torah leaders, our judges tell us right or left, it says in this week's parsha. Rashi, this mitzva is even if you think that they're mistaken. You see left as being one way, and it's obvious to you and they're telling you it's right, or vice versa. Most people don't really fulfill this mitzva because they automatically just assume whatever the Rabbi tells them is right. I don't really change my mind that quickly. I think it's still left. The Torah doesn't tell us we have to change our minds. Just that we're obligated to follow their direction. It doesn't even tell us that they're really right. It really could be left. But it doesn't make a difference. It's the direction Hashem wants us to follow. It's their guidance He has chosen to give them that He wants us to travel on. And hey at the end of the day, to be honest, I'm not that sold on my opinion, to blindly follow in the direction that I think is right. I listen to Waze- although they mess me up sometimes- al achas kama v'kama when Hashem is my Waze.
Now the reason, I do this is not just about making fun trips and challenging people. There's something deeper behind it. There is as well in these E-Mails which is probably the only place you'll read stuff like this. It's about generating conversation in new directions. Unless we start to think and talk out of the box and change some of our conceptions, I fear that Mashiach will not come. That we'll be stuck in the same place we've been for 2000 years. That we will remain in galus. That Bibi will be our prime minister forever. That we will always be at war. That the Shechina won't come home. That there will be another Holocaust. If we're doing the same things we've always been doing and not changing, and the shofar hasn't blasted yet, then it means either one or two or three things. Either Hashem fell asleep, or He just got kind of comfortable up there in Galus, like many Jews throughout history. Maybe they have better Pizza or something and He just gave up on the whole Bais Tefilla l'kol ha'amim and Shechina residing down here and bringing a light to the world thingy.
Alternatively, another option is that maybe we're not doing the right thing. Maybe we're missing something. Maybe we need to do things differently and think differently. Because I forgot who it was that said this (Einstien?), the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So my agenda is thus to perhaps offer and encourage our discussion about why we're still not redeemed. I don't think it's sinas chinam, I don't think it's lashon hara, I don't think it's that Jew or this jews fault. I don't think it's talking during davening, smartphones, internet or shaytels. That's same old same old. It's time to think out of the box. What is it? I don't know… Come on a tour and maybe we'll figure it out together. I have some thoughts. But that's not what this E-Mail is about. It's really more about the more global issue. It's about the search. It's about new thoughts.
I'm writing about this topic because it jumped out at me this week when I was reviewing the parsha. We have the mitzva once again in this Book of Devarim which is known for it's repetition of mitzvos, of the mitzva of setting up cities of refuge for murderers who kill inadvertently, perhaps by being negligent in some form. The law is that they need to run away to a city that is set up for them which is populated by Levites and Rabbis. Yeah… I know that sounds pretty painful… They have to remain there until the Kohen Gadol dies. If they leave early then they are liable to be killed by the surviving relative of the victim they killed. It's a fascinating mitzva. It's a revolutionary concept. Some look at it as being rehabilitative, hanging out with so many rabbis. Others see this as being punitive and a way of achieving atonement. He has to realize the value of life that he treated so callously and to be better conscious of his neighbors and responsibilities. There's nothing like being thrown out of your own comfortable life and put into a new environment that can do that for you.
The more fascinating thing to me though is the Kohen Gadol's role in all of this. Why does he have to die? It's strange what's his connection? As well, it seems that two people can do the exact same act of negligence and one guy can be there for ten years and someone else for three days. Who decides? Hashem. That's pretty wild. It's as well revolutionary. It's part of the mindset that each person has to go through. Each one of us has acts of negligence and sins that we have that cause to be in exile. Each one of us is on a different journey. We each have our atonement. To use l'havdil the Christians metaphor we each have our own cross to bear. That path ends when the Kohen Gadol dies. When our atonement is finally achieved. It ends collectively all at the same time. At the same levaya. When that one shofar blasts. We're all in the city together. And we all will only be redeemed, at the exact moment that all of us each have fulfilled the atonement and fixed the things we were meant to.
Yet there's an even deeper idea, that the Meshech Chochmah shares, he notes that these cities that were set up on the opposite side of the Jordan River by Moshe Rabbeinu don't effect or become active until the Jewish people conquer all of the Land of Israel and settle it. It took 14 years. The reason he notes is that part of the conditions of these cities working is that the Kohen Gadol has to die. Since Elazar Ha'Kohen the son of Aharon was told that he would conquer the land together with Yehoshua and dedicate the Mishkan, he couldn't die. The accidental murdering refugee would be stuck for 14 years. That can't work. The only time the city of refugee can atone, can bring rehabilitation, can protect the murderer is if he has hope that perhaps today he will be set free. Perhaps today the redemption will come. Since for 14 years that wouldn't be the case then the cities don't work.
There's a powerful lesson in that as well. Do you know what redemption is? It's teshuva. Teshuva isn't just saying I'm sorry and moving on. It's not fasting. It's not chest banging. It's not regret. It's not Mussar schmoozes. It's not Elul the way many of us have been used to. Teshuva is returning home. It's returning to our Father. It's returning Him to us. The only way we can do teshuva though is if we feel that have hope. That it can come today. That we can be forgiven. That everything can change with one levaya, with one blast of a shofar. That we're not too far gone. If we don't have that hope, then the city of refuge doesn't work. Our galus doesn't count. We have to understand that it can change. That it can be different. If we do. Then we can return. But if we just think it's about the same old -same old. Just another day of davening… again, one more resolution… again, one more war… again, one more tikkun … again. Then it's not gonna work.
Hope and belief are the key to feeling that things can be different. But to do that we have to dream different. We have to think different. We have to approach the big picture in our lives and think about what one big act we might do each day that makes it the last piece. The last nail in the Bais Ha'Mikdash. The Kohen Gadol's job is to enlighten us and be our bridge. The tribe of Levi's message to those in galus each day was today could be the day. Today all we need to do is this one thing we didn't do yesterday. To do something different. Reuvein's job and task may be different then Berel's, Chani's might be different then Pessy. Dudu might be different than Nimrod and Morris's job. We're each here for our own sins. We each have our own task and each of us have an hour clock that has sand dripping down ready for it to finally come to the bottom. To finally be redeemed.
My tourists, us Torah Jews, readers of this E-Mail, are all from the tribe of Levi. Not necessarily by birth, but by occupation. We've been gifted with a Torah education to be a light to the world and even more so to our brothers and sisters who are in exile like us and with us in the same city, that need to hear our message. The messages that we need to give them has to be different than the ones they've heard before. That we've given before. Each day they need to wake up and realize that today can be that day. Because today is different then yesterday. Today we can do something new, something better. It is that message that I try to come up with every day in my own life. It's the one that I share with my tourists and readers, who have heard it all before and know that it hasn't work and therefore are just left with the options of a sleeping uninterested God, or blaming it on someone else' sins. But it's not. It's ours. And the month of Elul we have entered as we get closer and closer to that final day of redemption. To Simchas Torah for the second time since that first one two years ago. We believe will be better. We will be in Sukkah of Hashem. We will have a new Kohen Gadol. We will have a new song and a Torah Chadasha that we will dance with back home where we all have returned to.
Have a restful Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Abi gezunt—dos leben ken men zikh alain nemen."-, Be sure to stay healthy—you can kill yourself later.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
32. The material from which most of the unique tools discovered in the Treasure Cave at Nahal
Mishmar are made is: ______
In which of the following ancient texts is Jerusalem mentioned?
A. The Gezer Calendar
B. Papyrus Anastasi
C. el-Amarna Letters
D. Mari Archival texts
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lulay-heamanti-kavey –My most beautiful Elul L'Dovid Composition. This song is the whole month. LULAY with the amazing Dovid Lowy on vocals and arrangements!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAelDAbKoX0&list=RDqAelDAbKoX0&start_radio=1 – Tzemach Tzedek Niggun.. Holy of the Holies…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-su4FGXbpbw&list=RD-su4FGXbpbw&start_radio=1 – Nissim Black's latest Niggun with Aaron Holder – I won't let you down!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJrvxh_XAro&list=RDTJrvxh_XAro&start_radio=1 – Benny Friedmans latest Uve'oso Yom- On that day!1
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
A Repeat of last week… Sorry no time… Chazara is the Ikar…
Hostage Return, but Ultimate Failure - 586 BC - After the assassination of Gedalia ben Achikam, the day after Rosh Hashana and just a few months after the Churban, Klal Yisrael was in a bad despondent mode. Yishmael Ben Netanya after murdering the other Jews in Mitzpa, took hostages and captives with him back towards Amon. Amon of course is Jordan today. In fact it's why the capital is called Amman. Gedaliah's surviving adviser who had warned him about the impending attack and who Gedalia disregarded, felt it was up to him to return the hostages home. He took the special forces unit and chased after Yishmael, ultimately catching up with them by the pool of Givon, which is in the modern village of El Jib near Nebi Samuel and freeing them, Yishmael however escaped back to Ammon.
Here we once again come to a turning point or perhaps more accurately a failed opportunity. Much like the Palestinians and perhaps even the Israelis today, we never fail to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The Navi Yirmiyahu and his student Baruch Ben Neriyah tell Yochanan and the Jews that they should stay in Israel. Don't run away. Don't leave the country. We can rebuild. We can start again. Hashem will be with us. Yet, Yochanan and the Jews with him are too fearful. They are scared that Nevuchadnezzar will come take revenge upon them, for the murder of his appointed regent Gedalia. Thus they decide to flee to Mitzrayim. To Pharaoh, he will protect us from Nevuchadnezzar. There we will have food, we will have security. Hashem has left the holy land. We need to start again with our Torah in Africa, Spain, Portugal, England, Amsterdam, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslavakia, Volozhin, Vilna, Mezibuzh, Mezritch, America, Lakewood, Jackson… Egypt.
Yirmiyahu pleads with them to stay. He tells them Hashem regrets having destroyed the Temple. He will protect us from Nevuchadnezzar. Egypt is a bad move. It's not safe. Nowhere else will be safe. They will ultimately kill us there. They will kill us everywhere. Hashem wants us in His Home. In His palace. Please don't leave. Please stay. Here it will be good. But the people don't listen. They not only go down to Egypt, but they even take Yirmiyahu and Baruch with them. And thus the era of the first Temple ends. Not with the churban, but rather with our obstinate stiff-necked refusal to believe that Hashem wanted and wants us to remain here in Israel. To be at His side. What happens to the Jews who get exiled to Egypt. Stay tuned next week, but I imagine can you probably figure it out.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S REALLY TERRIBLE MURDERING JOKES OF THE WEEK
Berel was convicted of murdering his wife of 30 years. Before handing the sentence, the judge addressed the defendant: "The court would like you to explain what made you murder your wife after over 30 years of marriage".
"Well, your honor" answered Berel "it's mostly procrastination. Every day I kept telling myself I'll do it tomorrow..."
Murdering people is not what gets you jail time. Not properly disposing of the bodies is what gets you jail time.
I've got to stop murdering elderly nuns. Old habits die hard.
I've been charged with murdering a man with sandpaper. But, to be honest, I just intended to rough him up a bit.
Tommy is in court for murder. His Jewish defense lawyer Chaim is at the last legs of his argument. In one final attempt, he says to the court
"In ten seconds the man my client is suspected of murdering will walk into the courtroom completely unharmed".
Chaim counts down from ten and everybody looks to the door. Nothing happens.
" Ah ha!" says the defense "you all looked to the door, therefor I conclude that ther is reasonable doubt in this case and ask that my client be found not guilty."
The jury then deliberates. After twenty-five minutes they return the verdict of guilty.
"But you all looked!" Says the Chaim.
"Yes," says the Jury, "but your client didn't."
Long ago in ancient Rome, the most heinous criminals were brought before Caesar to be sentenced.
One criminal was accused of murdering his mother-in-law. What made his crime especially depraved was that, after he strangled her, he allegedly cannibalized her body. Caesar said to the man, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"By golly I did it! I did it all, and if I could do it again, I wouldn't do one thing different!"
So Caesar said, "You will be put into the Colosseum, where you will be forced to do battle with men and vicious beasts. The people of Rome will delight in the spectacle of your death." And the tribunes heard and nodded at one another in agreement; for they could think of no more fitting a punishment. Because, after all, he was glad 'e ate 'er.
My wife and I can never agree on vacations. I want to go to exotic islands and stay in 5 star hotels. She wants to come with me.
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The answer to this week”s question is C- I'm not even going to try to explain this one. I got it wrong. This is really a togh exam. I guessed Iron and the answer is copper. I guessed Gezer and the answer is Al Amarna. That’s' all I'm wrong. The score is now Rabbi Schwartz 19.5 Ministry of Tourism 12.5 on this exam so far. As of now it's just a passing grade which is fine. One more question next week. Let's see how I do.
