Holyland Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
October 3rd 2025 -Volume 14 Issue 47 11th of Tishrei 5786!
Parshat Vayeilech /Shuva/ Yom Kippur Edition
(Thanks to all that responded to our appeal… For those that haven't we were given a new bank account RH… Let's use it to help us here in Eretz Yisrael… check it out below…)
It's going to be a different type of year this year. It has to be. We're there. Hi'giya zman geulaschem- the long-awaited time of our redemption is imminent. We all feel it. I think we all felt it this Rosh Hashana. This crazy roller coaster the past few years is not stopping. It's a frightening year. So much has to be fixed. So many have died. This war doesn't nearly seem over in anyone's eyes. The only thing that's becoming clearer and clearer is that for it to end and reach the place that we're all waiting for, that the entire world is waiting for it to reach, there's going to have to be big things that occur. Big, scary, things. Miracles. The eradication of evil. Nations lining up on sides of good or evil. Of Israel, of Hashem, or of Amalek, of death and smoke.
We're finding ourselves more and more alone. We're recognizing that there is only Hashem that can bring this day. This end. But we don't yet see the end zone He wants us to realize. We're not all selling our homes and moving here. We're not demanding that we eradicate all of the evil, rather than just to once again create a livable environment where they are murta'im- subdued. We're not all uniting under one banner. It's crazy and absurd that we're fighting, we're demonstrating. Imagine two Jews, or two camps of Jews, sitting in a concentration camp, in Auschwitz, in the Lodz Ghetto, in Warsaw, arguing and not talking to each other. Making break-off minyanim secretly of course, and protesting and snitching on one another. Crazy, right? Stupid... no? Small minded, senseless, self-destructive. Sinas Chinam- isn't even the word for it. It's suicidal. Yet that’s where so many of us still are more or less to some degree or another. And that's going to change. It's going to change in this amazing terrifying year. And I can't think of anyway that can happen that doesn't seem horrifying. That doesn't look like October 7th. And it's what has filled my thoughts this entire season.
It is on that note, that I decided to look for a different type of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur then I've had in the past. The theme, for many of you that read this each week, that has been driving much of my E-Mails and thoughts is no more same-old same-old. It's gotta change. I need a new outlook, a new game-plan an new idea that will bring a new reality. One that brings the Shechina down to where it is desperately trying to get to. That's just awaiting for us to get on board the train. So I turned my eyes to a different Rosh Hashana in our history. A different holiday experience. One that worked. One that brought the Geula- the redemption. I opened up, this year, the book of Nechemia in chapter 6. It's the story of our return to Israel after our first exile. 70 years of Bavel, of Persia, of Iran, of the story of Purim are up. Koresh had allowed us to return and rebuild. It had gotten halted along the way. The children of Haman, who were hung had attempted to stop us. Amalek is always there right before the redemption. But now we were back. The walls of Jerusalem were put up. The temple had not yet been rebuilt. But the nations of the world trembled because they knew it was coming.
It was the 25th day of Elul when this was completed.
Nechemia (7:17)"And it was when our enemies heard and all the nations around us saw and this befell them in their eyes. And they knew that this was from Hashem."
Now to clarify this return and take heart, to who those were that came back with Ezra and Nechemia. This wasn't the scholars, this wasn't the Rabbis, this wasn't the wealthy baalei batim and lay leaders. It wasn't Lakewood, Williamsburg, Bavel Park, or even YU and Teaneck. They didn't want to come. They were comfortable. They were perhaps scared that the fake spiritual high and greatness that they had over there would be lost if they came to Israel, that didn't have Torah and had lots of enemies. That Amalek still had control over and who's spiritual leaders weren't the caliber that they had.
The one's that returned were the chilonim. The ones that had married non-Jewish wives, married Chamas wives. That didn't know about Shabbos, that didn't know about Sukkos, that perhaps the only thing Jewish about them was that they felt connected to Eretz Yisrael. That there was a spark in their soul that shined so bright that they realized they couldn't be who they were and they needed to be in a land that wasn't the Promised one. That spark perhaps even put them on a higher level then those that fulfilled all of the Torah and Mitzvos but didn't understand that our true avoda isn't to just fulfill and learn, but that it's to bring that dedication and light and shine it out to the world from the Bais Ha'Mikdash and bring the Shechina finally home. And thus the Navi tells us about that first Rosh Hashana that took place.
(ibid 8:2) "And all of the nation gathered as one man before the water-gate, and they told Ezra the Sofer to bring the Torah scroll of Moshe that Hashem had commanded Israel. And Ezra brought the Torah before the entire nation from man to woman and anyone who could understand on that first of the 7th month (Rosh Hashana). And he read from the Torah from the morning until the afternoon on the street before the Watergate, before the entire nation… And Ezra blessed Hashem Elokim Gadol- the great Hashem and the nation lifted their hands and answered Amen! Amen! And kneeled and bowed down on their faces…"
The Talmud tells us that this blessing of Hashem Gadol- was in fact the recitation of the complete full name of Hashem that is only ever recited in the Temple, in the holy of Holies, on Yom Kippur, by the Kohen Gadol. Here Ezra is violating the law, perhaps because of the extenuating circumstances, and saying the explicit Name of Hashem, in the street! There is no Temple and it ain't Yom Kippur. But it needs to be done. And it works… sort of…
Because as the nation hears this Torah and the name of Hashem something awakens inside of them. They begin to cry, they began to mourn, they get filled with terror. All of the years of unfaithfulness and of abandonment of Hashem and the mitzvos and our mandate. Their abandonment of Eretz Yisrael and our our acclimation to galus hits them like a ton of bricks. They want to repent. They can't stop crying. Seemingly this would be something that I think most of us would feel is good.
"It's about time those chilonim did teshuva already…!"
"Maybe they'll be frum like me now and Mashiach can come…"
But Ezra feels differently. They missed the boat. They're on the wrong page. They're perhaps on the page of all of those other past Rosh Hashana's when the word "Elul" made us shiver. When we couldn't stop thinking if we will be by fire or water. When we stood in days of fear and trepidation rather than in awe and glory. When we were focused on our sins- despite the fact that they're not really mentioned in The Rosh Hashana machzor, rather than on the joy and glory of the Kingship of Hashem. So Nechemia tells them to get up. Stop being a bunch of whiny repentance and atonement babies…You've missed the boat. Let's do it different.
(ibid 9) Today is holy to Hashem. Don't mourn. Don't cry. Go home. Eaty fatty foods. (brisket, corn beef, meat boards) Drink sweet drinks (Coca Cola, Champagne, Moscato!) and send Shalach Manos to your friends that you don't know (Happy Purim!). For today is holy to our Master! Don't be sad (you're ruining the party!) because the rejoicing in Hashem is your strength!
The people didn't believe it. They were too used to the old Rosh Hashana. They couldn't fathom the concept of celebrating and rejoicing on this day. The verses continue that Nechemia literally had to send the Levi'im amongst the people quieting them. Uplifting them. Maming them understand that Rosh Hashana needs to look differently for the Shechina to come down. They need to look different. They have to look more like Purim. Maybe even more like Uman, then in the traditional melancholy scary and tear-filled shuls of galus. And thus the nation disperses.
(Ibid 12) And the nation went and ate and drank and delivered Shalach Manos and to make a great rejoicing because they understood what was being told to them. They came back the next day for day 2 of Rosh Hashana- and this is fascinatingly the source for the second day. And they read from the Torah about the upcoming mitzva of Sukkos. They never even knew about it until then, the verse tells us. That's how far they were… And Ezra commands them to go out, make sukkos celebrate for another 7 days and then come back afterwards. Fascinatingly enough he doesn't mention a word about Yom Kippur. They're not there yet. They can't do it properly. They need a full Simchas Torah before hand, he understands. He understands that they can't possibly do teshuva unless they have Chag Simchaseinu first. Unless they spend 8 days feasting in the shade of Hashem. It is only after that singing and dancing on the day after Simchas Torah (October 8th?) that Klal Yisrael can now start the process of returning to Hashem and coming home.
The day after Sukkos the nation gathers for the third time. This time they enter into the covenant of Ezra. It is here that Ezra for time eternal establishes that we read the curses two weeks before Rosh Hashana. That we have the parsha of Nitzavim, that we're still standing after that to announce that we are still arrive. And that we read Parshat Vayeilech as we do this year before Sukkos and Yom Kippur. That we get on the train and start moving to redemption and the building of the Bais Hamikdash. That we read about Moshe in this week's parsha who realizes on this last day of his life that he can't do what he was doing anymore. That it is not that power that will bring them into the land. Rather it is the power of Hashem, the joy and rejoicing of Hashem. The gathering of the nation as one in the mitzva of Hakhel after Yom Kippur, on Sukkos, on the holiday of joy that will bring us in. That will bring the world to it's final yovel.
In an unprecedented moment in history after that festive Rosh Hashana, and non-existent Yom Kippur that was focused on preparing for Sukkos and the joy of Hashem, the nation repented like never before. They entered into a new bris. They sent their non-jewish wives (who it seems spent Sukkos with them in their sukkos_ packing. They accepted Shabbos. They committed to shemitta, to maser, to the sacrifices, to taking responsibility for one another. They returned out of joy. They finally did it differently and were ready to be redeemed.
(ibid 12:43) and they sacrificed many great sacrifices (remember there is no Temple or beit Hamikdash!), and they rejoiced because Hashem had rejoiced within them a great simcha! Also the women and children rejoiced. And the joy of Yerushalayim carried and was heard far away."
It was heard in Bavel. It was heard in Iran. It was heard in England. In Lakewood. On Instagram. On Whatsapp. Even ChatGPT finally got it right… The people had finally come home. The ride was over. Chazal tell us that had all of Klal Yisrael came to Jerusalem and returned with Ezra for those High Holidays, we would never have been exiled and the Second Temple would've lasted forever. But too many of us were still used to doing it the "good old way".
As I read through this and shared this revolutionary idea with my shul this Rosh Hashana, it struck me that really there's something that I think I had been doing and going about wrong in my past Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana experiences. There's a famous midrash that tells us that when two people go into court for a judgement then how do you know who was successful and "won" and who didn't? We can tell by the person who comes out waving his sword and arms high in the air. Also the Jewish people do the same when we come to Sukkos and wave our Lulav and Esrog. The focus I think is that Sukkos and Simchas Torah is always, as a result of that midrash, the celebration after winning the court case. After making it out alive. After having confidence that we won't go by fire, water, by sword, by war. That we are written in Books of life, prosperity, peace, forgiveness. That we were given another year to do it all better. To be slightly different. It's a survival celebratory party. But the truth is we're wrong and we missed the boat.
The purpose of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is to get to Sukkos. It's to feel the chedvas Hashem mei'uzchem. To feel the rejoicing and exultation and the glory of Hashem. We can't do that while we are divided. We can't do that if we're pretty comfortable where we are, we just want it a little bit better. We can't do that when we feel and know that we are full of sin. So we have to go to the Mikva first. We have to make peace with everyone. We have to attend a huge coronation ceremony. But the objective is to get to that dance with the Torah. That's the goal. To do Simchas Torah right, instead of just dancing around with our Torah's being happy that Hashem saved us again. And that we're not dead, and that our enemies are subdued… somewhat.
Maybe October 7th happened because Hashem was done with all of those years of us not really getting the point of Simchas Torah. Maybe it's because we had too many galus Rosh Hashana's and Yom Kippurs. Maybe it's because we didn't really have a Shabbos Shuva yet, when we really said we want to return. Return to You. Have You return to us. To be together in front of the whole world unabashedly in Yerushalayim. To not just be standing on the street by the Shaar Ha'Mayim- the gate of water, the gate of Torah and calling the Name of Hashem from there. But in the Bais Ha'Mikdash rebuilt. Finally home…
As we start this new year of 5786, I want to turn to all of you that have been with me until now, and read more then just the jokes at the end. But that have been a support for me, for my family, for klal Yisrael and for Eretz Yisrael and express my gratitude for being there. You have no idea how much chizuk it gives me to hear and see how many of you read this weekly or even occasionally and even take the time to comment or disagree or correct me. I as well wish to take this opportunity to ask for your forgiveness. If I wrote things that upset you, if I challenged you inappropriately, if I was hurtful or insensitive or perhaps to graphic or passionate. I hope you know that was never my intent. You are all special to me. And I feel terrible if and ask your forgiveness if in any ways my words or actions hurt you.
May Hashem bless us all that we be signed and sealed in the Book of Life. That we soon celebrate, hopefully this Simchas Torah in the Bais Ha'Mikdash. That the bitter birth pangs of Mashiach finally end and that Hashem console his children with the only real true consolation of a Yerushalayim rebuilt and the our Father coming home to His children.
Have a Gmar Chatima Tova and a happy return to Hashem this Shabbos Shuva,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Emess kehn mir nohr finnen in der sidder."-, The truth can only be found in the prayer book.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
3. According to the Bible, the king who built the gates of Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer is
_______
Which of the following biblical stories is related to Tel Jezreel?
A. The story of Naboth’s vineyard and the exhortation of Elijah the prophet to
King Ahab
B. The story of the poor man’s lamb and the exhortation of the prophet Nathan
to King David
C. The Story of Elijah the Prophet and the War against the Prophets of Baal
D. The story of the battle with the Philistines in which King Saul and his sons fel
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/haneshama-lach –I'm very excited!! In honor of Rosh Chodesh Elul and Selichos I share with you my latest composition (the first one in over a year!!) the beautiful Ha'Neshoma Lach arranged and sung by Dovid Lowy- this song is the perfect song to get into the Elul mode
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ponecha-your-face – The song I composed the Elul before this war… our only desire is to see Hashem's face… Beuatiful that really captures the essence of Yom Kippur..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-bL9SpMCt8&list=RD2-bL9SpMCt8&start_radio=1 – MBD and Yeedle collab on a beautiful Kol Boei Olam from Nesane Tokef… may be his nicest song since yaaleh…
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AWoFnrKdt-A – Someone sent me this and just love this new take on V'al Kulam from Betzalel… really nice..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WbL1H3YZyk&list=PL3T_kAvdc6RnGb72XTXAfATSvcqPVBWfT – And Shabbos Shuva isn't complet without the original Regesh V'Shuvu el Hashem…
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
(will return after Sukkos!)
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE GOYISH FASTING JOKES OF THE WEEK
Fasting isn't expected of Muslims until they reach the age of maturity. This means that absolutely all Muslim children......grow up to fast
My doctor told me intermittent fasting is good for weight loss. I told him it doesn't work for me.
I haven't lost any weight even though I've been doing it multiple times a day
I’ve finally started intermittent fasting and been doing all my eating within a window. Sad to say it’s been the Burger place's drive thru window.
Whats the only thing a muslim can eat while fasting. Fast food
I asked a man in a turban why he wasn't fasting. He told me you don't have to fast for Ramadan if you are Sikh.
Fasting is like playing hide and seek with your appetite.
Jewish fasting holidays always remind me how slow time can move when you stare at a bagel.
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The answer to this week”s question is A- OK! I've got a chazaka!! On a major streak this new year and exam. Three in a row right! In Israel that earns me glida- Ice cream. I like Tanach questions. This one was easy. Shlomo Hamelech built those three cities and the walls around them and Tel Jezreel was of course the story where Achav and Navot have that vineyard. I've toured there so many times and it’s a an amazing story and overlook, although not much to see from that period there. So thurd week in a row and the score is Rabbi Schwartz 3 and Ministry of Tourism 0 on this exam so far..
