tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39419200492688854512024-03-24T16:32:22.810-07:00Holyland Insights and InspirationInspirational Weekly Parsha Insights and anecdotes of Rabbi Schwartz and his never dull family as they acclimate and absorb into their new home in Karmiel Israel, having made Aliyah- August 2010Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.comBlogger663125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-21860293366778381542024-03-22T04:31:00.000-07:002024-03-22T04:31:45.921-07:00Being Meshuga- Purim 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insnorts and Indigestion</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Oily
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Hagaon
Hagadol Doctor of Geopolitics and Musical wonder </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ephraim
Schwartz </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
Shnorrer in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">October
167<sup>th</sup> 2024<i> </i>-Volume 613
</span>Issue 666</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> -97<sup>th</sup>
of Adar IV 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">PURIM 2024</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><i><u>Being
Meshuga</u></i></strong></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><i><b>(Annual Top Ten List) </b></i><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">We are at war now in case no one out there has chapped yet. I know it’s strange for people to brains around the concept. We really haven’t had a war like the one that we’re having right now in my lifetime. Sure, we’ve had had “operations” and even extended battles that we liked to call wars a bunch of times in the past. But we only called it that because it was good for business. It was good for the travel business that could make money on “solidarity missions”. It was great for the tzedaka business because after-all who doesn’t want to support a nation at war. It was really great for the tefilla and kabbalot industry where Rabbis could get people to come to shul, to stop talking during davening, throw out their i-phones and wear short shaitels in order to bring salvation to the Jewish people in those terrible times of crisis that we called wars. But between you and me, all of those battles in the past were really just fun little swat the annoying mosquito Arabs that are pains in the tuchas activities. As someone splained it to me here once, In America everyone understands that every so often you have to take a lawnmower and cut down the overgrowth in your backyard. Here our backyard is Lebanon, Gaza and even the West Bank. So every few years we gotta trim those hedges as well. But it wasn’t war.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This though is different. This is insane. This is Messianic.
This is over 1500 civilians dead. It’s dying soldiers every day. It’s hostages-just
like in biblical times. Its pogroms like in the Crusades and the Cossacks. And it’s
antisemitism like we’re back in Germany in 1939. Colleges, University leaders,
Swastikas on shuls, everyone needs a gun, governments that are turning their
back on us right and left- mostly left though. It’s insane. It’s meshuga. It’s
surreal. There are 19- and 20-year-old kids in this country writing out last
wills and testaments. That’s not normal. Even worse is that they’re actually
being read and put on bumper stickers after they’ve horrifyingly been needed
and read by their funerals. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, burnt kibbutzim,
daily missile barrages, the worst atrocities that aren’t even conceivable and
all from a few miles that’s shorter than Kings Parkway to 12<sup>th</sup>
Avenue or Jackson to Freehold in traffic. It’s been 167 days that what was once
thought to be one of the strongest militaries in the world hasn’t been
successful in wiping out a bunch of stupid teenagers with rockets. It’s
absolutely crazy. It’s a real war. A war on all fronts. And the war has made us
crazier then ever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are a lot of songs that have come out of this war. Am
Yisrael Chai, Acheinu, Gam Ha’shaot Ha’chashuchot she’balayla etc. and other
inspirational tunes, lyrics and prayers that highlight different aspects of the
war. Yet the one song that I think best <i>“taytches’</i> it all up is the song
“<i>Mi Meshuga- Ani Meshuga- who’s’ crazy? I’m crazy</i>” song. We have the
craziest nation in the world. We’re in the craziest situation we’ve ever been
in. And thus there’s nothing like losing it in the heavy lyrics and beat and
jump up and down and just scream “<i>Mi Meshuga? ani Meshuga</i>”- I’m crazy I’m
crazy I’m crazy… Because we really are a crazy nation and people. We do things
that are crazy because we experience things that are crazy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Think about it for a second. Who flies into a war zone to bring schnitzel
to a soldier? What army in the world has soldiers literally dancing and putting
up Tik Tok videos daily as they sing and dance and read from ancient books or
pray and daven in tefillin and Talit in Gaza with missiles flying all over? Which
nation has tens of thousands of little kids writing letters and praying for
above crazy soldiers and the soldiers hanging those letters on their tanks? Who
thinks about beef Jerky for soldiers and make sure they have BBQ’s pizza and cigarettes?
How not normal is that thousands of senior citizens are out and up early
morning every day picking crops for farmers they don’t know or making cheese
sandwiches for children of refugees or mothers of reservists? You realize this
is crazy right? This is not normal? People are going daily to funerals of
people they don’t know, paying shiva calls and paying random bills for soldiers
and other needy families. M<i>i ki’amcha Yisrael </i>is a tame description of
our people. <i>Mi meshuga ki’Yisrael</i> is more appropriate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it’s crazy times. And crazy times makes us do crazy things. And
what’s even most amazing is that there is not a Jew out there that thinks what
we are doing is crazy. We think this is normal. We don’t’ understand even
understand how we could do it otherwise. Our barometer of what’s normal is tuned
differently. The war has done this to us. Hashem has brought us to this place.
He understands that for us to get to where we need to be right now, we have to
get a little meshuga and Baruch Hashem we are slowly getting there. The
craziness has a goal. It has a destination. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have little patience though for everyone to get to that
destination. I don’t think Hakadosh Baruch Hu does either. He’s actually been
waiting about 2000 years for us to finally get there. The thing is, He’s pretty
sure that we’re the crazy ones that haven’t jumped on the plane yet and come
here yet. Yeah, He knew that we were stiff-necked when He hooked up with us in
the first place. To be honest it’s kind of what attracted Him to us in the first
place. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s like one of those stupid things that happens when you’re dating,
and you just love the fact that the woman you’re going out with is not just
some push-over but actually has a strong opinion about things. Or how the guy
that you’re seeing has such an easy-going personality and is able to make a
joke about everything and be so upbeat. And then you marry them and hit
yourself on the head trying to understand what was wrong with the woman that
would just say yes and agree to everything, or what you could possibly find
attractive about a guy that just doesn’t take anything you say seriously and
can’t have a deep emotional discussion with you. Welcome to my life. Yeah… Hashem
pretty much goes through that with us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But He’s apparently pretty over that by now. It’s enough
already. It’s time for Him to come home. For us to come home. So, He pretty
much understood that for that to happen things have to get crazy. Biblical
crazy. Ten plagues crazy. Corona wasn’t enough. Dead Gedolim didn’t do it.
Shidduch crisis, tuition crisis, shechita bans, shul shootings, yeah yeah yeah…
<i>vayter ge’gangin</i> as they yiddish…<i>na’avor gam et zeh</i>… So, He had
no really choice but to go totally Meshuga. To take us back to the Crusades, to
the Cossacks, to 6 million crazy. To bring out our crazy. Because that’s the
only way He understood we could get to the end of the story. That we would
finally turn the one page of our exile that we seemed to be stuck on. We’re
kind of like Joe Biden in that way that can’t get the next sensible word out of
our mouth because we’re stuck in a stutter and just say stupid things. You just
want to slap the guy and say be quiet and read the teleprompter telling you what
the next word is. Yeah… that’s the slap we’re getting. Because crazy isn’t what
we’re doing now, crazy is not doing what He wants us to do next. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So on that order I decided this year to help out Hashem a little
bit, who sometimes because of this whole Hidden thing He has going on and doesn’t
like to say things clearly to us and prefers to let us figure it out ourselves.
I think it has something to do with this free-will concept which is really
getting out of hand and hasn’t been doing the job. So as God’s helper on this
world with a large social media following between my whatsapp statuses and
weekly E-Mails-although from your sponsorship and donations to my pleas and
cries one might debate that… - I decided to help Hashem out a bit. To say it
like it is. To reveal the craziness of not coming to Israel now and finally
making this over. So welcome to our annual 2024 PurimTop Ten list of the year. Drumroll…
<i>baaa dumm dumm…</i> Here we go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Top Ten Reasons You’re Crazy if you don’t
make Aliya now<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10) Ever watch those Holocaust movies and start yelling at the
screen at those people sitting there in Poland, in Hungary, in Germany, in
Amsterdam. Dude… get out of there. They’re coming for you. Hellooo don’t you
see the parades outside your doors with those swastikas. Doesn’t the fact that
they shot up your shul tell you something? Don’t you like see how every
stinking country where we were comfortable…too comfortable… it all changed very
quickly and you couldn’t get out. Don’t you remember how you couldn’t get to Israel
over Corona? I mean even if the first guys didn’t chap. Poland didn’t get it
let’s say. But really by 1940 don’t you think Hungary should’ve stopped saying…
Oh noo… it’s not going to happen here. Our goyim are better. Crazy, right? And they
didn’t even have an Israel to come to. I mean you yourself was saying “how can
anyone stay in France” with all that anti-semitism? Duhh… remember that
conversation. 70% of your neighbors want you dead. Believe the polls. Listen to
the News. Stop banking on Trump. The game is over get out before Lakewood
becomes Auschwitz, Boro Park is Birkenau, Detroit and Denver are Dachau, and
the five towns are Treblinka and Theresienstadt. Leave now. I don’t want to
have to make pilgrimages to the <i>mekmos hakedoshim</i> in America of the “glory
that once was”. It’s over. Leave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need you here now.
We really do. We need your money. We’re in trouble. We need all that money you’re
wasting on your shuls, your tuitions, your building campaigns, your fancy
weddings, lawns, cars, meat boards. We need you to sell everything that you
have and built there over the past 70 years and bring that money here now. I
mean it’s really a waste because the goyim there are just going to take it from
you anyways. They’re just going to burn it all up. They’re going to confiscate
all the art you bought. They’re going to requisition all of your possessions.
They’ve always done that. It’s what always happens. And stop stop stop stop
saying Oh no… this time’s different. It will never happen here. Just stop
already. Don’t you know how stupid and crazy that sounds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s sounds about as dumb as a two-state
solution or a cease-fire agreement. Break that stiff-neck of yours. Sell it all
bring it here. We need it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8) The truth is it’s more than just your money we need here. We
need your brains and your clear thinking attitude that the Israelis here don’t
have. You get it over there- just like we get your situation from over here. We’re
really smart about what other people should do. <i>Ein adam ro’eh es mumo</i>-
we just don’t see our own blemishes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You guys get it over there that what’s going on over here is ridiculous.
You’ve been talking about it in the coffee room in Lakewood for months already over
your water cooler at work and at your Shabbos table. You know that we should
just stop playing games and just blow the whole thing up and kill everybody. We
need to stop with this ridiculous humanitarian aid to the animals that are
killing us. You understand that we need to literally start hanging Hamas guys
up from the gate that we have in prison and chop them into little pieces
hundreds of them each day until we get our hostages back. You see the craziness
in the fact that it’s 167 and we haven’t really done anything significant yet
in ending this already. In the 6-day war we quadrupled our country when we faced
an army ten times our size. This should’ve taken a day and a half. So we need
you here to tell them that. They can’t hear you in your coffee room. Stop
yelling at the TV screen of what you perceive as the impending holocaust here
and get into the room. It’s crazy to be over there and just watching this
happen. Do you really how stupid you look?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7) Besides your money and your world-view we actually need your
hands and man and woman power as well. There are sandwiches that needs to be
made, there are jobs that need to be filled while everyone is out fighting for
our lives. There are crops that need to be picked that are just heart
wrenchingly dying on the trees wherever I drive in this country. We need
doctors, nurses, therapists… so so many therapists OTs PTs and every other T. We
need smart computer people, we need developers, construction guys. We need bus
drivers or even people that can just drive a car and deliver things to people. The
lawyers can stay there though. The politicians as well. When I say we need you,
I don’t mean for a four-day mission so you can go back to the States and show
everyone pictures of the <i>chayal</i> you sponsored a bbq from or the one you
visited in the hospital. We need you here for good. This isn’t ending. Your four
day missions are cute and very inspiring, invigorating and <i>chizuk</i>
giving, but it’s not enough. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The truth is it’s really not even anything. It’s like giving your
kid a nice breakfast and telling him to fend for himself for lunch and dinner.
Are you really <i>areivim zeh la’zeh</i> or not? Do you really feel that what we
are going through is your <i>tzarah</i>, your kid, your brother, sister or
mother or not? If this was your brother and he needed you to move here-which we
do and you didn’t come and you sat back and watched it happen, wouldn’t that be
crazy? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meshuga?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6) Now, if your doing the Jewish thing now, you’re telling
yourself that you really don’t have money, so that one doesn’t count. You don’t
have any particular skill set that you can bring, you sell stuff on Amazon. You
don’t even feel you have an opinion that will make a difference with by coming
here. So you’re really not that crazy. Well hope about this one? We need your
body. We need to populate this country. We just cleared out the whole North of
Gaza that needs to have Jews in it before the maggots come back. We need you in
the West Bank and need to make that as populous as Jerusalem. Don’t tell me
that you only can live in those large Jewishly populated places like Lakewood
or Boro Park. You moved to Jackson, Tom’s River, Century Village, down to Mill
Basin and stinking Waterbury. So move to the Shomron. Move to the Gush. Move to
Karmiel, the Galil, the Golan. Fill the country with Jew so that there’s a
humanitarian and housing crisis that will require we take over every Arab
village. Settle the land. Is it your home or isn’t it? Hashem is screaming this
at you. He gave half of you and really every Jew a natural draw and nack for
the real estate and construction industry. Do you really think He did that so
you can build a new neighborhood in Freehold? Another condo in Phoenix? What
don’t you get about this? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5) Ok let’s start getting a bit spiritual here as well. You know
that joke… everyone does, about the guy on the sinking boat. Where Hashem sends
him the rescue boat, the helicopter, the life preserver and he keeps saying
Hashem will save me… Hashem will save me… and then he comes up to heaven and
God says who do you think sent you all of those things? Well that loser is you.
You literally daven three times a day to return to Israel. You say it every
time you bentch. You say <i>l’shana ha’bah bi’yerushalayim</i> at your Pesach Seder
and even really mean it. You get down on the smelly floor on Tisha B’Av and mournfully
tell Hashem how much you want to come back to Israel. Ummmm… yeah… helicopter,
life preserver, rescue boat… He gave it to you buddy. Wake up. We’re here.
There are flights. There’s plenty of land. There’s opportunity. There’s
yeshivos, falafel stores, there’s even Heinz ketchup and in some places you can
even find American cheese. What the heck are you wating for? Your prayers have
been answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How crazy is it to stay
on that sinking boat when Hashem has literally sent you everything you need and
more. How can you even get up tomorrow morning and say <i>v’li’yerushalyim
ircha b’rachamimm tashuv</i>- and not think you’re the guy on that boa in the joke?
Crazy… right? Except it’s not and really never was a funny joke in the first
place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4) Taking spiritual to the next level though is really more than
about being honest with your prayers. It’s about doing the mitzvos and
experiencing your Judaism the way that its meant to be felt. Let’s be honest
here. Let’s look at the Torah, at Chazal, at the commentaries, at the basic
premise that literally every single great Rabbi and leader of Klal Yisrael
since Moshe Rabbeinu understood to be true. The mitzvos were given to be
observed here in Eretz Yisrael. The function of Klal Yisrael we are repeatedly
told since the beginning is that we all move to Israel and keep the mitzvos
here and thus the shechina will reside with us and shine out the light to the
rest of the world. If Hashem wanted us to just keep the mitzvos and Shabbos,
and Sukkah and Tefillin and listen to His commands He could’ve saved us forty
years in the wilderness and just cleared out Mitzrayim for us. He’s not the Israeli
army, He doesn’t have a hard time clearing out a country for us. If He wanted
us in Europe, in Poland, in Lakewood to just build shuls and Beit medrashes, if
He wanted just a lot of acolyte followers that does what He wants, He could’ve
just left Avraham Avinu in Charan. Our first Patriarch was doing great there
with his kiruv organizations. But it was never about that. It was about
fulfilling the mitzvos here. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You know this. Stop playing dumb. Stop pretending that your
Sukkah, your fancy “mikdash me’at’s that you build, the matza that you eat and
even the tzedaka you give there are anything more than Splenda mitzvos. They
taste like sugar and our sweet and even drinkable in your coffee and you even
get lots of credit in <i>shamayim</i> for keeping the biblically and
rabbinically commanded mitzvos- as the Ramban says- so that when you merit to
live in Israel, you’ll know how to do them, but they’re not the real thing. You
get that right? It’s why you daven that Hashem brings us home. It’s why pretty
much every <i>gadol</i> always wanted to come here. Forget about the <i>shemitta,</i>
the <i>terumos </i>and <i>maasros</i>, the mitzva to settle the land, that your
really can’t even pretend to do over there. So c’mon. you’re a religious Jew.
You follow the Torah and “give up” so much and sacrifice so that you can do
things properly. You pay fortunes of money for “<i>hiddur mitzva</i>” so that it’s
only done the best and fanciest way? So, isn’t it crazy that you wouldn’t just
actually come here and do it in the place where you really get the most out of
it? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3) Next up that is particularly relevant and that you should
think long and hard about this week during Torah reading is that only in Israel
now you can fulfill the mitzva of wiping out Amalek. I know a lot of you have
gotten their gun licenses already. You’ve been practicing on the range. Are you
really saving those bullets for the dumb pink haired college Free Palestine
loser that’s going to come knocking on your door. He’s not Amalek, he’s just a
loser without a job, a life and a brain. Here with Hamas and Hezbolla we have
the real thing you can kill. That we need you to kill. We’ve been waiting a
long time for this milchemes mitzva. We’ve had to satisfy ourselves with
twisting a gragger by some of the Haman’s that the reform gabbai in your supposedly
chareidi shul allows you to bang and make noise by. Come to Israel now and you
can hear the sweet bloodcurdling sound of bullets smashing through and
exploding in their heads. You can hear Amalek’s screams pierce the heavens as you
chop them into little pieces. You can have fun dropping bombs on their heads. That
sweet whizzing sounds as you launch RPGs at their hospitals. It’s a real purim
party! It would be really crazy to stick around and just write Haman and Amalek
on the bottom of your shoe and dance on him when you can actually be stomping
on their baby’s heads. Wouldn’t you agree?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) Getting to the end now of our Top Ten List and it’s time for
Jewish guilt. Think of how disappointed all of your ancestors for thousands of
years are in you. Think of them all sitting their next to Hashem by His throne
of glory and literally not being able to get over how pathetic it is that the
dream that they all had their entire lives of being able to move, to settle, to
live and breathe every day the holy air of Eretz Yisrael is being squandered by
their children and grandchildren because they like the Pizza better in America,
or because they’re scared that they don’t know the language well enough or won’t
have the same customer service they’re used to and might have to god forbid bag
their own groceries. Think about how Moshe is sitting up in Shamayim
remembering his 515 prayers non-stop to Hashem to be able to have the opportunity
that you have and how really ticked off he must be at you. I mean if you thought
he got angry at Gad and Reuvein and they just wanted to stay in the Golan Heights,
imagine if they would’ve told him that they prefer Cedarhurst or Baltimore! Really?!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can you imagine how aghast the Gaon of Vilna and the Baal Shem
Tov must feel that people that are claiming to be their students or chasidim won’t
even teach their children about how central our return to Israel even before Mashiach
comes was to them and how much they gave up just to be able to do that. Or how
about the Rambam, what he must be thinking about those guys that spend all day
mulling over his every letter, but don’t get how he literally established a yom
tov for generations in his family just because he visited here and how he
mourned and felt miserable each day that he didn’t come. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forget about the 6 million souls that sang ani
ma’amin what they must be thinking. I mean you gotta admit, that you can’t
really have many fans in heaven right now that are proud of your “lifestyle
choice of dwelling”. To disappoint daily every single holy soul that came
before you and brought you to this era where Hashem has given us the bracha and
dream that they only wished they could have is really a little bit meshuga don’t
you concur?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) and so here we’ve arrived. I mean literally arrived. The
number one reason why you’ve gotta be crazy not to make aliya right now is
because there is no experience in the entire world that will be more amazing
and powerful then getting off that plane and knowing that after 2000 years you’ve
finally come home. The tears will flow. Your heart will explode. Walking down
that tarmac will literally feel like you’re walking down the chupah to the <i>shechina.</i>
All your bubbie’s and zaydie’s <i>neshomos </i>will be standing in the aisles
waiting for you, <i>shepping</i> nachas. The air you breathe will all of sudden
start to change you. You will see that flag waving, that blue and white magen David
on a talis and you will feel a holy love for a land that red stripes and stars
could never make you feel. 3000 years ago, there were prophets that saw that
scene. They told people about it. They saw you. They saw those El Al wings of eagles
that you landed on. The sun is shining brighter than it ever did before. The
Shechina is coming as well, because all of His children are around the table, waiting
for Totty to come down. We realize then and experience what normal real was
meant to feel like. That everything until that moment was crazy. Tikun Olam has
happened when you come. The world isn’t broken anymore. It isn’t crazy anymore.
The nations are all coming. Crazy is over. It’s not meshuga. It’s Mashiach. And
you brought him. The crazy is over and new world has begun. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have a safe flight and fraylechen Purim</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><b><i>This week's Insights and Inspiration has been sponsored by my
children who love me, who appreciate all my hard work for them, who think I’m
the smartest father in the world, who want to be just like me when they grow
up, who wish my E-Mails would be longer and longer. My parents chipped in as
well because they love when I mention them and share all the personal details
of my upbringing with the world. Even Rivky and Gitty my sisters wanted to kick
in some money just to tell the world hwo lucky and proud they are to have me as
their brother. Gedalia as well and Jodi can’t thank<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me enough for marrying them off and making
them live in Norfolk Virginia and preparing the whole city for them. <o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR"><b><i>Needless to say once again I lack a sponsor and so I just make
things up so I don’t look bad… Yeah… you know how that goes..</i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just when you thought that
I had shnorred enough I’ve come up with a new way to hit you up for money with
this new column… Yes I think that there are no causes in America worthy of any
of your charity. I kind of feel its like Mitzrayim over there that I
singlehandedly have the job of emptying out so that you can finally get out of
galus already. See how much I care about you<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Chesed Amusei Beten-</span></u></b> This is one of the most incredible
and important organizations out there that everyone of you should immediately
contribute to- after you donate to my shul of course. Theres a major stomach crisis
in klal Yisrael right now. People in the Frum world are so fat that they can’t
fit into plane seats anymore. Their pants are splitting right and left and it’s
quite embarrassing. Things fall on the floor, usually a few French fries or
something important like that and people can’t bend down over their huge belly
to pick them up and its mamash baal tashchis. Forget about the shidduch crisis and
tuition crisis, girls can’t get into cars, kids can’t fit through school doors.
People need stomach surgeries, because Ephraim Schwartz is really the only
skinny person in the world left.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>So with complete and cow udder dedication, Rabbi
Schwartz who is always considered about the well being and health of the pants
of klal Yisrael has started this organization in order that other people as
well can have their stomach chopped in half and eat only three bites. Sure
there are starving children in Africa and Ethiopia that are dying because we
don’t finish what’s on our plate, but who cares about them anyways? They yelled
at us in the international courts. But
this organization costs a lot of money. But it’s an investment that will pay
off. Imagine how fast all the meatboard and chulent stores and bagel shops will
close down. Prices will drop. We all gain… I mean not weight but gain
spiritually from this endeavor.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>So please click on this link and make a fat donation
today</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>www. ThinlikeRabbiSchwartz.Causematchidy.Jew</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Fun
shikker and fun shenker shtinkt mil bronfen. </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The drunkard and the
bartender both smell of whisky.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">97
Yoshka pished at the site of the church located in ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Chareidim
don’t serve in the Army because?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
They’re too fat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
It’s a gezeira that they might come to vote<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
The Army is scared that Thursday night chulent gas is against international
rules of War<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
They do serve, who do you think comes up with all our winning strategies in the
coffee room of Zichron Moshe?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach" style="text-align: left;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>In Honor of PURim MY latest new
release… Its; the only song I’m posting this week. You just have to listen to
it five times… If You want the Rap at the end… IT’s amazing… Tell me how much
you love it…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai</a>
–<b><i> Remember this great Rabbi Schwartz
Purim composition! Get into the groove it’s the ultimate Purim Seuda song..
Techlet Mordechai</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>And here’s my La’Yehudim
song and composition. These are the only songs you need to play the entire
Purim… Now jut play again and again…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b><b><u>Purim Prayers-</u> </b>It is the holiest day of the year.
Yom Kippurim is only a day “ki” Purim like Purim. Purim is the real deal. It’s
when all of the gates in heaven are opened and one needs to utilize this
special day to daven for things that we never thought of davening before. See
on Yom Kippur we can only achieve teshuva and repentance for the sins that we
committed when we regret them and feel bad for them and promise never to do
them again. On Purim we daven that we are able to get away with murder. That we
can throw up on people that have been annoying us all year around. That we can
make fun of those Rabbis that were pains in our neck. That we can break our
neighbors porch and relive ourselves on their annoying rose garden. The power
of Purim is that we can do all of those things at it mamash becomes a mitzva of
being happy on this special holy day.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>As well there are personal needs that we request on Purim
that we can daven for. We can pray very hard that we get a laxative quick. That
we don’t have such bad heartburn. That Hashem magically brings us another
bottle of wine. Somehow directs our stumbling drunken feet to the house of a
great party with lots of meatboards. That our wives and children don’t hate us
tomorrow and that we don’t say anything to revealing that might make them hate
us forever. Or even better yet that they get as drunk as we do and forget it
all tomorrow morning.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Now for these special prayers and requests to work on
Purim one has to daven differently then you do the rest of the year. Whereas on
Yom Kippur Hashem likes to see us in a white Kittel, on Purim He appreciates
clown costumes or some cheap thing you picked up in the thrift shop for $5. La’Mehadrin
is that it should be very sweaty by the time you come to daven and have wine
stains on the collar. Chasidim must bring a gartel to shul, but on Purim the
obligation is to tie it around the drunk guy swaying fitfully next to you’s feet.
He’s been crying in your ears for so long and Hashem is frankly getting a
headache from him and would love to see him fall on his face when he tries to
take three steps backwards.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Now on Purim Hashem is a little bit hard of hearing.
He’s like in Karlin all around the world and so He really needs you to shout
your prayers to Him out loud. Silent Shmona esreis are for the rest of the
year. Even better is to break into songs at appropriate times, He likes
Carlebach ones the best. There really is no need for a Chazan on Purim for your
prayers, cause everyone is one person on this special day and therefore
everyone should just sing over him regularly. It does get confusing though at
some points so if possible someone should randomly call out page numbers
through out the service and just so everyone knows he could probably stand on
the bima when he does so, although the rest of the year that is strictly forbidden.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Finally the last and most important part of prayer is
to make sure that you have destroyed the yetzer hara and Amalek before you
daven. You need to reach a place of ad d’lo yada- where you are like Adam
Harishon before he sinned. So therefore in order to get to that special holy place
it is important to feel like Adam Harishon who had no shame about his body
before he sinned. He didn’t need any fig leafs to cover himself up with. He was
like a baby the day he was born. And you should as well reach that special
high. You don’t even need a Mikva. Hashem is your Mikva. He will purify you. So
let yourself go. Feel Free. The salvation is on the way. Skinny Dip while you
daven. Your in the garden of Hashem.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Happy Purim, have fun!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<b>2025 CE</b>-War ends- After 168 days since the terrible attack on Israel from Hamas the war in Israel has finally ended. The Navi told us that there would be miracles that were even greater then when we left Egypt but who would’ve thought it would be this. See, after 167 days of fighting endlessly in Gaza where so many soldiers were killed and there was no hope or sight of any return of our hostages all of a sudden a plane flew into Ben Gurion airport. It was full of people that were inspired by this weekly E-Mail they received from this incredible tour guide, song writer and purported Rabbi from Karmiel. They said they were here to finally take care of the problems we’ve been having.
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Obviously it was a long
flight and many of them hadn’t had shwarma in a long time so they stopped off
at Halo Teiman on their way over to Gaza with their driver in the minibus. They
fressed there for a few hours because they knew that they needed extra energy
and then they headed over to the border. Of course they stopped a few times
along the way to get snacks and take pictures with some chayalim, but
eventually they had kfituzus haderech and made it over to the border. Once
there they quickly took out their gartels and davened Mincha and were then
ready for action. They climbed on the nearest tanks. Took some more pictures.
Video chatted with their friends back in Boro Park and then got off the tanks
and went back to the minibus to get some more food.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By this time Hamas who
had heard about this impending attack from Yair Lapid, Chuck Shumer and some
college students in Harvard were wondering what was going on. They all climbed
into a tunnel together and prepared to attack the unwary chasidim. What they
didn’t chap was Hashem had miraculously sent an important business call to one
of them, who was working on big deal that he was handling and they all got
distracted and forgot there’s a war that needed to be fought. Hashem saw this
tremendous faith of klal Yisrael that were able to be so clueless and ignore
all of the dangers surrounding them and jump into that phone call like Nachshon
ben Aminadav. Hashem was so inspired by this incredible heroism and mesirus
nefesh that he preformed a miracle and the ground opened up and swallowed all
of the Hamas up. The war was over.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The chasidim finished their
phone calls and sang songs to Hashem about Rebbi Nachman and Reb Shayaleh that
had saved them from all their troubles as he always did. They even included Rebbi
Shimon Bar Yochai into the song too. It was greater than the song of Moshe at
the sea. We had been saved once again. Immediately the Chasidim started to look
at the new real estate development opporotunities that were on the new beach
front properties available now from the river to the sea. And thus Shneller’s
Gaza Estates were founded.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">V”NAHAPOCH HU!</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NO JOKES TODAY…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HA HA HA…. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OK I told you that there would be jokes and I lied. Eleven pages
is long enough.. you’re not getting this far down in the E-Mail anyways… So
enjoy. Bentch and send me money quick!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fraylichen Purim<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your favorite Rabbi</span></i></b><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-29391876905840012452024-03-21T12:03:00.000-07:002024-03-21T12:03:55.835-07:00Hate Them- Kill Them- Parshat Vayikra Zachor 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">March 22<sup>nd</sup>
2024<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span>Issue
23</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">
12<sup>th</sup> of Adar II 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Vayikra- Zachor</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><i><u>Hate Them- Kill Them</u></i></strong></p>We do things differently in my shul than other places. We do them right. On the one hand we are a pretty chareidi congregation. Most of my mispalelim are hard core chariedi kollel guys. Yet we have the prayer for the soldiers, the State of Israel and now for the return of the hostages. I don’t know how any self-respecting Jew can daven in shul that doesn’t have these prayers. Reishit tzmichat geulaseinu… Really? That bothers you…? Grow up. It’s here.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
speak after </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">kriyat ha’torah</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on Shabbos morning as American congregation
Rabbis do. People need a good </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">drasha</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and story Shabbos morning, or at
least a snooze or time to be </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ma’avir sedra</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> before they come home. And it’s
so much more fun to leave for the Rabbi’s speech, make kiddush in the backroom
or join a breakoff minyan in the yard than sticking it out for the whole service.
This is particularly true for those that only just showed up a few minutes
before Torah reading anyways… See, we aim to please everyone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We
sing Friday night Carlebach style. We sing the entire Hallel on Rosh Chodesh.</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I mean the final blessing of Hallel literally
says the word “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vi’yishoriru</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- and we sing it” … I don’t know how other
congregations even say the blessing without having sung Hallel. When we’ve been
saying Tehillim after prayers we don’t say the standard October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
ones that everyone else says. Rather we open it up and read inside the ones
that Hashem chooses for us. We do things different as I said. We do it the only
real way it’s supposed to be done. It’s why we daven nusach sefard too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But
perhaps one of the most different things that we do is each year before the
Torah reading of Parshat Zachor that we will read this week; I give a speech
that is different than most Rabbi or Gabbai speeches before the biblically
mandated reading. I tell it like it is. See in most shuls the Rabbi or Gabbai
will get up and say something to the effect that the Torah reading of Amalek is
a biblical obligation. One needs to hear every word. There shouldn’t be any
talking. Keep your kids quiet. They will even read it twice in order that some
of the words that have multiple pronunciations are read correctly each way.
This is very important. It’s the only biblical mandated reading. Pay attention…
Blah Blah Blah…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Welcome
to Rabbi Schwartz’s shul now where these is a different speech that is given.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Hello
everyone. Thank you for coming today. We are about to begin the Torah reading
of Amalek that is done annually. I’d like to preface this Torah reading by
telling everyone that there is absolutely no biblical obligation whatsoever to
hear the reading of the Torah of the story of how Amalek attacked us. There is
no mitzva to hear every single word, although that could be a good thing. There’s
no obligation to hear it read twice. There is a different mitzva though however
which sadly enough we might be the only shul in the world that will be
fulfilling, because of this important speech that I’m giving.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See,
the Rambam is quite clear about what that obligation is. He writes in the Sefer
HaMitzvos as follows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mitzva
192- <i>We are commanded to constantly remember what Amalek did to us, i.e., to
be the first to attack us [after we were redeemed from Egypt]; and to speak of
it constantly; to arouse people to wage war against them and hate them, in
order that it not be forgotten or the hatred towards them lessened with the
passage of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The source of this
commandment</i> …<i>the Sifri says, is </i>t<i>he phrase</i>, 'Remember what
Amalek did to you,' <i>refers to doing so verbally</i>. <i>The phrase</i>, 'Do
not forget,' <i>means in one's heart." This means that one should say
verbally words that cause people to keep this hatred in their hearts.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Similarly,
in his Yad Chazaka he describes the mitzva as one where we are meant to
remember what Amalek has done to us in order to awaken hatred in our hearts, as
it is forbidden to forget this hatred towards them. As I said there is no
mitzva to listen to the Torah reader read from the Torah. There is another
mitzva though.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
mitzva that we are going to fulfill now in this shul as the Rambam describes is
to be filled with an overwhelming sense of hatred. We are going to be so full
of hate that we will want to go into Amalek villages and slaughter all of them.
Men, women, children. We will want to chop each of them up into little pieces
gleefully. We want to throw their little devil spawn babies into ovens and burn
them on high. We want to carpet bomb them into oblivion. We want to chuck their
old, evil, wheelchaired bound, senior murdering citizens in a river and a sea
and watch the bubbles slowly fizzle out as they scream in pain. We will want to
watch their cities burn to the ground. We will kill every animal. Every puppy
of theirs. We will sing “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">mishe mishe mishe nichnas adar</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” while dancing
in the rivers of blood that will flow through the streets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">That
is the biblical commandment that we are going to fulfill now when the Baal
Koreh reads the Torah reading and we remember how evil they are. It’s not and
never has been about saying “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">zeicher</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”or “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">zecher</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” correctly or
reading it with an Ashkenazi, Sefardi ,Yemenite or Chasidic </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">havara</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> or tune…
It’s about arousing an eternal hatred that wants to avenge and destroy them
deep deep inside of our souls and hearts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See,
as I said we do it a little differently in my shul. I don’t get why other Rabbis
don’t feel the obligation to inspire their congregations to fulfill the mitzva
properly and give a similar speech.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now
to be violently honest, although I’ve given this speech every year, I never
really felt it as passionately and graphically as I tried to give it over. I
really don’t like the sight of blood much. I could never really join the army, unless
they just wanted me to be the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">rah rah</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> guy that riles everyone up, which
incidentally I’m quite good at. But guns and me don’t really go. I have a big
mouth that has gotten me into trouble more often then I can think, but I’ve
never really physically hurt anyone. Sticks and stones and breaking bones are
not me. Name calling though… inflicting severe emotional pain… yeah I’m guilty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
truth is I don’t think I’m the only one like that. I’m pretty sure that most of
you readers are as well the non-violent type. You’re Jewish and live in America
after-all. It was probably even difficult for you to even read that last graphic
paragraph-if you’re even still here and haven’t unsubscribed yet. It’s why we’re
so in awe of these brave </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chayalim</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of ours that have that fire burning
inside of them like the great Maccabees and the army of Yehoshua and King David.
These guys are the real deal. They’re made out of something biblical. They’re fighting
selflessly in the name of Hashem, in the name of Klal Yisrael. They’re doing the
job that all of us need to be doing. They’re our High Priests.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So
although I’ve never really felt my speech before, this year though is
different. It must be different. This year I think for the first time all of us
can finally tap into that hatred that the Rambam and the Torah really wants us
to have. We can understand it. We need to understand it and feel it. Hashem has
revealed to us the face of evil like never before; the face of Amalek.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But
is Hamas really Amalek? I’m sure many of our </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">yeshivishe</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> friends are
asking that question. After all, Amalek as we know is a descendant of Esau,
while the Arabs are seemingly from Yishmael. Yet Rav Soloveitchik quoting both his
father Reb Moshe and his grandfather the great Reb Chaim of Brisk deduce from
the fact that when the Rambam mentions the mitzva to wipe out Amalek he differentiates
in the way he describes the mitzva to destroy the 7 nations when we come to the
land of Israel from Amalek. By the 7 Canaanite nations the Rambam specifically
notes that the mitzva is inapplicable today as Sancheirev (whom we just learned
about in our Eras column below for those that have ever made it that far down
in this weekly E-Mail to read) mixed up and re”colonized” all of the nations
around the world. Thus, we have no idea who they are. In describing the mitzva
to wipe out Amalek though, the Rambam doesn’t mention this disclaimer. He
writes, as the Torah does, that this is an eternal existential and real battle
and obligation. From this he understands that any nation like Haman that comes
to declare genocide on the Jewish people as part of their mandate, has the
halachic status as Amalek. Boom. End of story. Hate them- Kill them. All of
them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
fact there even seems to be a Yerushalmi that notes that Haman himself was
perhaps not even a direct descendant of Hamdasa and the Agagi ,which differs
from the Midrash and Bavli take on him. Rav Soloveitchik thus ruled that the Nazis
YM”SH were Amalekites and one even fulfills the mitzva of remembering and
instilling our hatred for them by studying Holocaust history. Stalin as well
falls into that category. The great Jerusalem sage and holocaust survivor Rav
Gustman Z”L used to tell his students that when he killed a Nazi with his bare
hands back in his partisan days he felt that he had fulfilled the mitzva of
wiping out Amalek. If that is the case, then Hashem has truly brought us this
year to the day when we can finish up the job that King Shaul didn’t, by wiping
out this last remnant of them. By hating them to the core. By understanding
that Humanitarian aid only makes sense if there are humans to receive it. And
by achieving a hatred like we’ve never had before for everything that has a
pulse on the other side of that fence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There
is an incredible Midrash that the holy Chortokever Rebbi brings that perhaps
can shed light on this unique mitzva. The midrash writes that when Hashem told
the Jewish nation that we need to remember eternally the mitzva to destroy
Amalek, the people turned to God and said</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We
are mere flesh and blood and we are mortal. How can we remember something forever?
Isn’t it better since You are immortal and infinite that You, Hashem, remember
and destroy them?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem
thus responded to them, that all we need to do is read from the Torah portion of
the mitzva to destroy Amalek and He will consider it as if we destroyed them ourselves</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Rebbe asks that it is a strange response. Why does Torah reading help as if we
destroyed them? Are the words and emotion really just as good as sticks and
stones, or as missiles, bombs, and AK47s? As well how does this address the
question that we asked of why it wouldn’t be better if Hashem was the One to
remember and destroy them for us? The Chortkover answers that what the Torah
reading does is that it connects us as a nation right back to Egypt. We are the
same people now as we were then. We are still reading the story. We are still
emotionally connected. It is in those days but it is in our times. It is today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amalek’s
eternal battle is to disconnect us from that past and from one another. They attack
the weak, the spiritually disconnected, the vulnerable, the ones that perhaps
have even been thrown out of the spiritual camps because of their sins. Amalek’s
fight is against </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">netzach Yisrael</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the eternality of our nation that transcends
time and space and even individuals. When we read the Torah and feel that story
that happened and are emotional about it, then we have won them. We have
destroyed them. But it only works if you feel. If you hate. If you understand that
we need to be avenged. That the Shechina can only shine if we eliminate the
source of evil that is sworn to prevent that from happening.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
truth is I don’t need Rav Soloveitchik to tell me that we are in a battle
against Amalek. I look at our nation and our era now and what they have done to
us, and it is obvious. There is so much unity now. What Amalek did was make us
realize that we are our all brothers and sisters and responsible for one
another. It’s not just some soldier that was killed- it’s </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">my</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> brother, </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">my</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
son, </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">my</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> husband, </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">my</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> father. It’s not just some kibbutznik or
festival goer that are kidnapped and sitting in Gaza. It’s my sister, my
brother, my little cute red-headed baby. There are no them and us. There’s only
Am Yisrael.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As
well it’s not only Hamas that is our enemy. They are not the only Amalek. It is
the “Free Palestine” idiots. It’s Hezbollah. It’s all of those that are </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">b’chol
dor v’dor omdim aleinu</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-that stand up on us- as if they are better than us.
As if they have the moral high ground. As if we are the baby-killers. As if we
are the ones that are committing Genocide.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They
stand on us and tell us what we need to do. What we can’t do. Who we can’t
kill. Who they don’t want us to kill. We need to understand that this is not
coming from some type of lack of information. That Hamas and Palestine and
Amalek have a better PR force then Israel does. That missions and hasbara
campaigns and speeches before the UN and International courts and the US
congress will change. They stand on us not because they don’t get it. Rather it’s
because they are out </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">l’chaloseinu-</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to destroy us. Us is all of us. It’s
the settlers, it’s Yerushalayim, it’s Israel, it’s Lakewood, New York, Gateshead,
London, South Africa and Australia. It’s every Jew in the 127 countries of
Achashveirosh that were perhaps scattered and disconnected before Purim, before
October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, but have since discovered that we are all part of one
whole.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What
unites is not just sympathy, </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chesed</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, tzedaka, and the prayers that will
help fix the situation and bring them all back. It’s a much stronger emotion.
It’s perhaps the strongest emotion in the world next to love. It’s hate. We’re
a loving and forgiving nation and people. It’s natural to us. Yet we all feel hatred
now as well, each of us to a different degree. We feel hatred towards these
barbarian Amalekites. And we should. We need to. For the less we hate- the less
we love and care.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why
is hate so important? Why is it so essential? Why is it even more powerful than
love and the strongest emotion one can experience? The answer on a very deep
level is that one can only hate if it’s personal. When we love someone, what we
are doing is expanding our sense of self onto another. It’s loving myself and
he is part of me. I become bigger and bigger and feel warmer and better the
more I love. The more I’m united with someone else. Hate, though is the extreme
opposite.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
hate someone when they have taken the core of who I am. They have killed me.
They have taken my son or my daughter to Gaza. They have killed my brother or
sister who’s a soldier. They have burned my baby and left me an empty shell- as
the so many mourning that I see daily look like. That’s when hate comes out.
The more I hate, reveals the more I feel they have taken from me. The less I hate,
the more I “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">get over it</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”. The more I “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">move on</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” and don’t feel
emotional, the more I’m disconnected from myself. The more I’m disconnected
from the person they took from me. From my brother in Gaza, from the ones that
they abused.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">That’s
what Amalek wants to achieve. To divide us. To make us not care about one
another. To hit the weak, the ones “outside the camp”. The ones the rest of us
comfortable ones, frummer ones, safer ones, can sort of shake our heads, write
off, shed a tear, perhaps even pray for and say some Tehillim for. But that we
can’t hate for. We can’t want to go out and kill them all for. We don’t feel
enough that it is our personal loss to take the ultimate vengeance for. That’s
what Amalek is banking on. That’s what Hamas is too. And so is your neighbor
down the block in Lakewood, in Congress, on 5</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Avenue with his Free
Palestine flag. They’re counting on the fact that we’re not connected enough to
really hate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On
October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> we felt that hate and connection though. We feel it when
we see those protestors, when we hear the pain of those suffering. When we see
the obituaries each morning for another fallen soldier and broken family and
when we see those posters of the hostages. Yet it’s been waning for some of us.
People are calling me for tours for Pesach and Sukkos, as if there’s no existential
Messianic war going on right now that will bring Mashiach. This to me is
scarier than Hamas. It’s scarier to our country and its soldiers who are terrified
that all we may be fighting and dying in vain for just another “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tzuk Eitan</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”
Gaza or Lebanon war. Because we don’t have enough hatred to see it through the
end. To be </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">timcheh</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> es Zecher Amalek.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Shemen HaTov writes reads this scenario into the Torah’s commandment itself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">V’haya
b’haniach Hashem Elokecha es kol oiyvecha m’saviv</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
and it will be when Hashem removes all our enemies from around you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When
you don’t feel there’s any threat anymore. When you feel that you’ve restored “security”.
When you’re already </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ayef v’yageya</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- you’re worn out and tired from
fighting, from hating, from killing, from the world screaming at you… you’ve
had enough. The Torah then tells us- rather commands us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Timcheh
es zecher Amalek</span></i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- wipe them out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Don’t
stop. Bring it to the end. That is the mitzva that is the biblical commandment
we are meant to think about this week and that we fulfill when hearing every
single word of the Torah reading. Maybe even twice and maybe even in different </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">nusachs</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
This year though we need perhaps to hear that Torah reading in Arabic. In Hamas’s
hate-filled language. We need to hear it in Amalekite language, so we learn the
hatred that is not natural to us from them in order to see this through to the
end. To be able to dance with joy at the destruction of the evil that Hashem
has brought us to experience in our Messianic Era. </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">May this year Hashem’s throne finally be
completed with the final eradication of His enemies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have
an easy meaningful and generous </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">😊</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> fast of Esther a memorable Zachor and a
Fraylichen Purim!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<b><i>Just when you thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. It's been 165 days of War and this essential column is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows, farmers etc…</i></b>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">re are so many needs and I know that you want
to participate and help them not just read about them. So each week I will
feature in our E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can
contribute and make a meaningful difference to. (t<u>his of course should not
come at the expense of your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming
Purim appeal iup above! </u></span></i></b><b><i><u><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">😊</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">) But this is a way that you can bring light and
money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give regularly and if
you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot or message of your
donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so they know that it
came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">IBF- Israel Beef Forces- my Beef Jerky
guys!- </span></u></b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">As Napoleon aptly put it, "An army
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is an incredibly high protein food — to give soldiers the energy they need
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<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">SmorgasBOARD by Etan makes high quality
home cured beef jerky and meat boards. IBF is the new operational arm of
SmorgasBOARD by Etan and is making premium beef jerky available to our soldiers
on the front lines. </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">In the face of danger, our mission is
clear: to provide essential sustenance to the brave soldiers fighting in the
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Recognizing the vital role nutrition plays in sustaining their strength, I.B.F.
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<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I.B.F. is more than just a meal; it's an
expression of our love, care and gratitude towards our heroes. It’s our way of
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<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">PLEASE SEND ME SCREENSHOTS OF YOUR
DONATIONS SO I CAN FORWARD TO Avi and Eytan </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and let them know that our Readers love him
and appreciate his hard work for our soldiers.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://vimeo.com/912579142">https://vimeo.com/912579142</a>
</p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://causematch.com/Israel_beef_forces/tate"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://causematch.com/Israel_beef_forces/tate</span></a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Di
velt hot feint dem moissernik un dem mussernik..”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The world hates the
informer and the moralist.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">32.The
name of the valley where the Eshkol Reservoir is situated is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What is
the origin of most of the drinking water in Israel today?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. The Sea
of Galilee<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. The
Mediterranean<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Runoff
water<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. Ground
water<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a>
– <b><i>In Honor of PURim MY latest new
release… Its; the only song I’m posting this week. You just have to listen to
it five times… If You want the Rap at the end… IT’s amazing… Tell me how much
you love it…</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai</a>
–<b><i> Remember this great Rabbi Schwartz
Purim composition! Get into the groove it’s the ultimate Purim Seuda song..
Techlet Mordechai</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=copuiawkyCY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=copuiawkyCY</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Simcha Leiner 613 Eli Marcus Avi Peretz
Purim!!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYGd4HOend4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYGd4HOend4</a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> – <b><i>This song is
really really amazing- the lyrics are fantastic…but theyre in Hebrew – Giborei Al
by Hatikva 6</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y61gzf7CByc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y61gzf7CByc</a>
– <b><i>Best and Funniest song of the
week- Amalek Histalek!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><span style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>A<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> Different Type of Salvation-</u> </b>It was 1942 Purim when the Asih
Kodesh, the holy Piacezner rebbe of Krakow wrote this piece. It’s eternal
message resonates today like never before. He notes that the salvation and song
we sing on Purim of Shoshanas Yaakov describes that we experienced this when we
saw the Techelet Mordechai the garments of Mordechai. What does Mordechai’s
clothing have to do with salvation?</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>He writes that there are two ways Hashem answers our prayers. The first
is the standard one. We ask Hashem, we daven from within according to the
trouble we experience and Hashem answers us. Yet there are times when the tzara
is so great that we can’t even verbalize it. It encompasses us on all levels. We
are enclothed in it. It is the level that Dovid describes as being Tefilla l’ani
ki ya’atof- it is the prayer of the pauper who is ensconced in it from the
outside. He’s wearing his trouble on his garments and thus lifney Hashem
yishpoch sicho- his words just our forth. His cry just fills the world. When
that happens then Hashem utilizes what is called the ohr makif- a light that
surrounds us. That isn’t limited by our internal prayer which is finite by the
body and heart that it comes from. Rather it comes from the outside. It’s all
over. It turns the whole world around.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>That is what happened on Purim. On Chanuka we were in Israel still.
We had the Temple. Our trouble was great but it didn’t cover us from all sides.
Thus the miracle was limited. The salvation was a jug of oil. We came back, but
the truth was it wasn’t a long-term salvation as we lost it all very quickly
afterwards. Purim though we were still in exile. We were wearing the “royal
clothes’ of Achashveirosh. We were wrapped in pain and trouble and it
surrounded us. It was then that we knew that the redemption would be an eternal
one. Would be one where everything flipped around. That’s the holiday of Purim.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>And that’s why as well each year we begin Purim with the eternal
fast of Esther. We need to experience that sense of exile, of our lives being
threatened, we need to be overwhelmed and it pours out. When we do that then we
can celebrate Purim. Then we can see the redemption. All the holidays we are
told will be nullified when Mashiach comes except for Purim. As well all of the
fasts, the chasidim tell us will be turned into days of joys. Except one.
Taanit Esther- today is eternal. It is the <i>ohr makif</i>. It is being
wrapped in Hashem. That is forever. That is the day that has power like none
other. Let’s utilize this day and bring it up to the salvation that we are
looking for!</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">722 BC-Shomronim/ Kuthim- </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> When <b>Sancheirev</b>
exiled our nation he didn’t just throw us out of our land. He repopulated our
holy country with foreigners. The Navi tells us that he moved in nations from <b>Bavel/
Iran</b> from <b>Kuth</b> which is <b>Ethiopia</b>. In case that sounds familiar
to you in this Purim season <b>Achashveirosh</b>’s kingdom reigned from <b>Hodu</b>/<b>
India</b> until <b>Kuth</b>-Yup the same
one…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now the reason why he did this colonization was
in order that there will be no sense of loyalty to the country that one resides
in. He learned this it would seem from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yosef</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Egypt</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who as well
repopulated the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Egyptians</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> all over the country so that when his brothers
came down they wouldn’t feel any more foreginers or persecuted than anyone
else. See, it all starts with the Jews...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now there are many ramifications as a result of
the above. Our sages tell us that since </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sancheirev</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “mixed up the world”,
the biblical nations such as the 7 nations we are meant to destroy are no
longer the inhabitants of those countries. As well many authorities rule that
even </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amale</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">k, unlike what we wrote in our main E-Mail, is as well no
longer a nation that we know whom it is. As well the 10 tribes have been lost
forever according to some because of this repopulation and their eventual
assimilation into their new countries. According to some never to return.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This was a big deal on all levels.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yet the most practical aspect of this </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">bilbul</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-
mix-up as the Talmud tells us is that it brought to Israel a new nation that
settled in the shomron. They were called the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kuthim </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and they remain
until today. The Navi tells us that they were idolators but being that Eretz
Yisrael doesn’t tolerate idolatry Hashem sent lions to attack them. Terrified
they turned to </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sancheirev</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who ordered the Rabbis to solve the problem
which they did by teaching them Torah or at least about Hashem and not to
defile the land. They considered themselves converts as a result. Even worse
they eventually after the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Purim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> story when the Jews returned claimed to
be the real Jews. The ones that Hashem really chose. They worshipped Hashem,
the Navi tells us, but they also worshipped their idolatry. Kind of like
Christianity in that way. Some things never change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eventually our sages ruled that their conversion
wasn’t proper as it only came out of fear. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yet
until today there are </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shomronim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who live in the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shomron/ West Bank</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
area by </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mt. Gerizim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which they believe is the real </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mt Moriah.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
They take visitors. They even bring sacrifices. They believe in the written
Torah but not the oral tradition. They’re strange but seemingly harmless people
over-all. But god willing soon, we will return to our borders and once again
have our land back with all of its children and our ancient enemies will be
destroyed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">V”NAHAPOCH HU!</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NO JOKES TODAY…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HA HA HA…. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">C’mon that’s kind of funny…!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t worry the jokes will come still… but first you have to
donate… sponsor… help our campaign… up above…<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But don’t worry…<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our annual Top Ten List Purim E-Mail is on it’s way… <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I always take care of my peeps!<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">**********************************</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u>The answer to this
week”s question is <span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u></b><span style="background-color: transparent;">– This is really insane. I can’t seem to get out of this
50/50 rut. I thought I got this one right and I was wrong. The second part of
the question I got right. I knew that the majority of the water came from
Mediterranean. We have three desalinization plants that takes out all of the
salt. I also know where the Eshkol water reservoir is. I pass it all the time
as I drive through the lower galil. Yet I for some reason wrote that it was in
the Jezreel valley. I was wrong I realized when I saw the answer. The correct
answer is the Netufa valley which is just North of the Jezreel, although it
does from there down into the valley. So another half right and half wrong. Oh
well. At least I’ve still passing this one. So the score is score is <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>22.5 points</b> <b>and the MOT having 8.5 points</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-74040957689925127522024-03-15T05:03:00.000-07:002024-03-15T05:03:33.719-07:00A Day in the Life- Parshat Pikudey 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">March 15<sup>th</sup>
2024<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span>Issue
22</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">
5<sup>th</sup> of Adar II 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Pikudey</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk158987563"></a><a name="_Hlk149910562"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">A Day in the Life</span></u></i></strong></span></a></span></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Back in my previous Tour
Guide life before October 7<sup>th</sup> I very rarely would give my clients
and the families that hired me to tour
with them an itinerary of what we would do. I even wrote a whole E-Mail for
those of you that remember on the many reasons behind that policy. (You can
read it here-if you didn’t receive it after you drove me crazy a million times
asking me for one </span></span><a href="https://holylandinsights.blogspot.com/2022/11/i-tinerary-unplanning-parshat-lech.html" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://holylandinsights.blogspot.com/2022/11/i-tinerary-unplanning-parshat-lech.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ). Needless to say, in a nutshell I always
felt that an itinerary was the enemy of a good day. I wanted to meet them first,
get a better feel for what’s best for them. I didn’t want to be locked into
anything in case, as usually would happen, the schedule changed. We were late,
we got stuck in traffic. I didn’t want them to feel they missed out on
something. I wanted them to enjoy every part of the day-which kids never do if
they know that there’s something exciting at the end of the day. I liked to
keep that surprise element about what’s coming next open. So there was no itinerary
on a Rabbi Schwartz day. If you came with me on a tour you had to do so on
faith. Trust me, or at least your friend that recommended you take me on a
tour. And Baruch Hashem, I don’t think I’ve ever disappointed.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well,
guess what? Now the tables have turned on me. Welcome to my new life. I’m a “war
guide” now. My clients are no longer tourists or even “war”ists. My clients are-
as I tell the good people from America, who call me daily for these “Chizuk
missions” that I now do-the people whom we visit, we strengthen, we help, we
comfort and whom we donate to. They are the focus of my daily trips. They are
the ones that I care about and are there to service. The widows, the orphans,
the soldiers, the farmers, the families of hostages, the wounded, the hurting
and the bereft. Everyone else with me in the minibus or car are just coming
along for the ride. They’re just carrying the luggage. The luggage filled with
all of the heart, tears, love and money that we are delivering. </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My real clients are the children of Hashem
that we will be visiting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
problem though is that Hashem has a funny way of also not planning itineraries
for me. He has His own ideas about where I’m going to be going and He doesn’t
like to share them with me either. It’s payback time for all of the clients I
had in the past, that I made go through that trial of faith before starting a
tour with me. He’s not telling me, just as I never would tell them. </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mida k’neged
mida</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- Tit for tat. But just like a Rabbi Schwartz tour. I’ve learned in
this daily process He’s been putting me through, </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He will never disappoint me with a less than spectacular
miraculous day. </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every
tour, every day, it’s another adventure. You’ve read some of them already in these
weekly missives that I somehow try to pass off as a Dvar Torah- so you don’t
feel too guilty reading it in shul in the middle of the Rabbis speech or
kabbalat Shabbat. Yet at the same time you could read it in the bathroom and
not feel too guilty either… Who does that for you? </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> But this week though being it’s Rosh Chodesh
Adar and Hashem was feeling exceedingly joyous He decided to have some real fun
with me as He rachets up His “surprise-here’s-where-you’re-going-next” factor.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
woke up Monday morning with a day that I had somewhat planned- which is pretty
much all I even feel I could do. I had a basic outline and schedule which included
picking up my clients at 9:30 AM from the Waldorf, heading over to the hospital
to visit some soldiers at 10, I was going to visit a hostage family at some
point in late morning and take their son to a carnival that I was hoping my
clients would be inspired to help sponsor after meeting him. As well in the
evening I had made up to bring pizza to soldiers for Rosh Chodesh </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and sing and dance with them a bit and be home
back in Jerusalem about 8 or so. Sounds like an amazing day right? I thought it
did and was quite proud of myself for putting all those little pieces together
to make it happen. Things had clicked. Hashem had gotten me all the right appointments
I needed. The timing seemed great. </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Little did I know that He was just playing
with me. He was having some pre-Purim Rosh Chodesh Adar fun with His </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeled
Sha’ashuim</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- Ephraim Schwartz- His personal little play-toy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
wake up in the morning to go to davening to the sight of an empty parking spot
where the mechanic who had taken my car a week ago and who had promised me that
I would see my car in the morning, as he would leave it there for me. Well, the
car wasn’t there. I called him up frantically and listened to his Israeli
excuses about why my car wasn’t there. The truth is I really didn’t listen. It
was irrelevant. I needed my car. I had tourists to pick up. What was I supposed
to do? He did the Israeli “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ahh jahst tek ah Ohto-buuuz to mai houzzz in
Givat Zev</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”. I wasn’t taking a bus in the morning in traffic. I didn’t have
time for that. And that’s how I knew that my day was already going to be
different. Here we go again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
walked out of the BNB that I stay by to try to get a cab and lo and behold one
just pulled up just as I exited. Ok… that’s nice and convenient. The cab driver
asked if I had ordered him, I told him I didn’t to which he responded that he
really wasn’t working then. He had just come to have coffee with his mother up
the block. I begged him to give me a ride to Givat Zeev to get my car. It was
strange that he wasn’t jumping at the fare, but I just wrote it off to typical “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m
-doing-you-a-favor-by-taking-you</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” Israeli version of customer service and gratefully
got into his cab. I was wrong though. Because as we started to schmooze, he
told me that he really doesn’t work that much anymore at all. He pretty much
stays at home most of the time. You see his son was murdered at the festival.
Not only was his 24-year-old son Amit killed, but his son’s fiancé Nurell and
her sister Roya were killed there together with him. I slowly started to
understand why my car wasn’t where it was supposed to be parked this morning.
Hashem had other plans for me today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">While
we drove to Givat Zeev where he lived, his wife Orly who pretty much hasn’t
left the house in 5 months called. She didn’t sound in good shape at all. He
told me she hasn’t slept more than an hour or two straight a night in the past few
months As well his 22-year-old son Omer called in. He had a dream last night
that his brother came to him and he told him that everything would be</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> b’seder</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
I didn’t know that</span><b style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i> I</i></b><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was the</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> b’seder</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Hashem had sent. But
now I did. I told Yossi, that I would be over later that night with my group of</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
chizuk</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> givers and thus my crazy day on Hashem’s plan commenced.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">After
I jumped in my car and quickly davened at Belz down the block I rushed backed
to the Waldorf. I after all had to pick up my people to go to my appointment in
the hospital with the soldiers. At least I thought I did. It seems I was wrong
though. See, because about 15 minutes away my hospital contact called me to
tell me that they were running late. I would need to push off my visit for an
hour. Hashem was generous and gave me 15 minutes to pull this off, and so I
quickly called my friends in Chabad of Katamon where they make about 3000
sandwiches a day for children of refugees and Reservist wives who have enough on
their plate- excuse the pun and asked if they needed a hand or two for about an
hour to help, which of course – another pun there, they did. Good. Baruch Hashem!
Making sandwiches this morning just became part of our itinerary, I told my
tourists as they got in the car. Or at least His itinerary.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As
we were wrapping up the sandwiches- these terrible puns keep coming- quite
literally. They called again from the hospital to tell me that I had another
hour to fill as the soldiers we were meant to meet were not yet out of therapy.
Oy… Hashem is really playing with me here… I quickly made a phone call and
whadaya know? My good friend at Eretz Chemda was relieved to hear my voice, as
he just got 20,000 pairs of tzitzis just dropped off by the army for soldiers
that needed whatever hands and time I could spare to help make. So now we’ve
got tzitzis making on Hashem’s itinerary. OK… I’m flowing with this…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finally,
we finish the tzitzis and are making our way to the hospital. The visits with
the soldiers and the Osim Samayach organization was incredible (donate below!).
The soldier’s stories were one after another mind-blowing. (you really have to
start watching my daily whatsapp statuses to appreciate all of this! Send me an
email with your number or better yet message me at +972-50-597-0649 and I’ll
add you). What they’ve done. Their passion. Their faith. Their sacrifice. What
they’ve lost and how much they want to keep doing and seeing this through until
the end. By the third soldier however I realized that my plans were going to
have change again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See
one of the couples that was supposed to come with me and help sponsor the
carnival I had planned to join had to cancel and didn’t come along that
morning. The one woman, Ilana, who did come was my only potential sponsor left
and I really wanted to take her to this hostage family. They really needed to
meet her, and she really needed to meet them. They needed her special </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">neshoma</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chizuk</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that she could give. But she had told me in the morning that
she needed to be back at her hotel at 2:00 PM, as she hadn’t really spent time
with the grandchildren she had come to visit. Well now, because of all of the
delays it was not going to happen. It was already 1:15 and I wasn’t going to be
able to make it to their house and have a meaningful visit and get here back on
time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">All
of this is racing through my brain as we’re meeting our last soldier and he’s
telling us about how he was injured when the building he was “clearing” in Chan
Yunis had been blown up by an RPG. As he’s talking and I’m already giving up
hope and planning in my mind to just take her back to the hotel and go with the
other family to visit the hostage family and figure out how to pay for this
carnival, the soldier says something that catches my ears. He tells us how not
only was he wounded in Gaza, but in fact he was at the festival as well on
October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and he was rescued from there by a security guard that
was incredible and was good friends with his other friends there. Would you
believe it? The guard that helped his friends and him was none other than Rom
Breslavsky the hostage in Gaza whose mother we were on the way to meet, who
really didn’t have too much information about her son from and since that morning
when he was taken. I videoed his story for his mother and Ilana with tears in
her eyes turned to me and told me that she is obviously going to come with me
to the hostage family. Hashem had His plan and tour and she was on board!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So
we headed out to their house blown away that out of all of the soldiers in the
world, Hashem found the one that he wanted us to meet to bring this video to his
mother. He even rearranged our schedule a bit so that we would have the perfect
timing to meet him. When we arrived, it was perfect timing as well. Sivan, Rom’s
aunt had just gotten there with the younger brother Ziv. And yet much to my
surprise Ziv decided that he wasn’t interested in my carnival, and he ran off
to the mall with some friends. Oh well, no carnival now…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
truth is I didn’t really have a sponsor anyways at this time, but now once
again I had to make new plans. While Ilana and the other family were talking to
Rom’s mother who was really emotional about the video and their meeting, I was
on the phone trying to figure out where I was going next. Baruch Hashem my
farmer Shachar said that he would be able to meet with me as he ahd lots of
lettuce and greens that he needed help harvesting. So I thought at least I was
good to fill up my former carnival slot until our soldier pizza delivery. Perfect!
Thank You Hashem! But I was wrong. Hashem still had fun in His bag to play with
me. This was just another part of His game.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We
left the Breslavsky family after our emotional visit. Ilana and the family
exchanged numbers and they promised to be in touch-which is really the most
important part of our visits. These families need constant </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chizuk</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and
the meetings we have are really for my good people from America to adopt the
people that we meet and to be their lifelines. About 20 minutes from Beit
Shemesh though on the way to the farm, Shachar my farmer called me to tell me
that he had to apologize but he got called out and wasn’t going to be able to
meet with us. I turned my eyes to heaven at that point and just smiled. Hashem
is really in an Adar mood</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. v’nahapoch hu</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> meant that he was going to turn
around my whole day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Desperate
for something to do I made a quick call to my friend from the Beef Jerky boys
in Beit Shemesh and asked if we could come on over and help him out prepare and
package some good cow for our chayalim, so they have some </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">basar</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in the
belly when they wipe out Amalek. It’s hard to really get into the spirit with
tuna fish from their army rations. He was a little hesitant as he had another
group there at the present, but once they left, we would be fine. So we could
come over and hope for the best. I was beyond hope. I had faith. Hashem was
driving our day and He’s usually on target and doesn’t waste any of my time. And
I was right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just
as we pulled up, the other group packed out (actually I had the wrong address and
by the time we got to the right address the other group was literally just
walking out!).We had a blast slicing and preparing the beef Jerky knowing the
soldiers would be getting the necessary protein they needed that evening thanks
to us and then we popped out to daven Mincha with the boys. When we came back
though Chani, the mom on our group told us that she now understood why we had
to come to the Beef Jerky instead of the farming. For she had been given a new
job while we were davening which was to put stickers on each bag that they had
just printed up. The stickers had the names of hostages that one could daven
for and have in mind when they made their blessings. The stickers that we were
putting on today? </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">None other than Rom ben
Tamar’s! Hashem had sent us there so I can send Tamar a video of them so that
she would know that even though Ephraim Schwartz and his friends may have left
their house. But Hashem had not forgotten about them or Rom. He was still with
them. She still could have faith and chizuk.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From
there it was off to pick up the pizza for soldiers and bring them some Adar
cheer. It was fun, amazing as it always is. You can’t imagine what a few slices
of pizza and the knowledge that appreciative Americans flew across the ocean to
bring them can do to build our army’s morale. Finally our incredible day on
Hashem’s itinerary concluded going over to Yossi my taxi driver from the
mornings house where we hugged, cried, comforted and sang with him with Orly
and their son Omer over the loss of Amit. Yossi told me as I was leaving that
after that cab ride in the morning (which felt like a year ago) he spoke to
Amit’s fiancée’s grieving father, Menashe, who had lost his two daughters and they
both decided that this was a sign from heaven that they needed to do something
more for the</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> neshomos</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of their children. They had already put out a Tehillim,
a birkat Ha’Mazaon and even a Tikun klali, yet today they decided they were
going to do the ultimate memorial. They were going to try to raise money for a
Sefer Torah for their children. We were the first to contribute to this new
campaign, that Hashem had decided was an important part of His plan. And thus
our day came to an end. The story and book is over. Welcome to my life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On
that note this week’s parsha is also the conclusion of a Book; the book of </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">galus</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">geula</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- exile and redemption, as the Ramban calls it, the book of Shemot.
Our book started off with us going down to Egypt. With names. Each Jew, each
family. We are each special. We are stars that Hashem counts. The book
concludes however with the final verse that tells us that Hashem is with us in
all of our travels. He is there </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">l’einei kol beis Yisrael b’kol ma’aseihem</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-
the cloud and the fire of Hashem is there day and night wherever we go. It’s a
strange verse and ending. Parshat Ma’asei with our travels doesn’t come until
the end of Bamidbar. At this point in time historically we were a few days away
from Israel. What travels? Where were we going? Why is this the end of the book
of redemption? We’re still in Galus. We haven’t come home yet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
answer is because the function of redemption, the purpose of the Creation, is
when we realize and experience that Hashem is with us in all our travels.
Hashem doesn’t need a home down here. It’s quite nice up in heaven. He created
this world so that He could be with us. So that He could live with us. So that He
could hold our hands on every trip, on every journey, in the darkness of night
and in fire and in the morning in the light. The Mishkan isn’t and never was
about a building campaign. It was about the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shechina</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> residing in each
and everyone of us always.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Each
and everyone of us, we find out in this week’s final ‘closing credits parsha’,
has every screw, every bolt, every pillar, every gold, silver and copper
accounted for. There’s nothing left over. Each person’s donation is there. That’s
what this week’s boring parsha is about. Nobody stays for the ending credits of
a movie. Well, almost nobody stays. The mother whose child is the screenwriter,
the 10 year old boy who’s father was the extra in that street scene. They’re
waiting to see their names in lights. We each play in an important essential
part of the parsha, in the Mishkan. We each have a contribution that is mentioned
and accounted for.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
parsha tells us Hashem is walking with us every day. He’s journeying with each
of us all the time. He’s got your sandwich for gan in the morning with Rabbi
Schwartzes crew from America to make it, even though you might think Hashem
abandoned you when He threw you out of your home or your father is fighting in
Gaza. He has your tzitzis taken care of and made this morning even though you
may have never worn a pair before, despite the fact that they don’t sell any in
Chan Yunis where you’re serving. He’s going to visit you in the hospital and the
</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shechina </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">is resting on top of your bed. He’ll even let you send a
message to the family of the security guard who saved you and give them strength.
It’s not a big deal for the Creator of the World. He’s right there with you. He’s
actually Planned the entire day around you. That is redemption. That’s the book
that we concluded. We are the credits that are scrolling down the screen. We
are the names and Shemot that went down to exile and we are each the precious
stones on the breastplate of the Kohen and the bolts and brackets of the home
of Hashem. The movie is almost over. The last names are gone, the final
sacrifices Hashem took from us that are sitting next to His holy throne of
glory are waiting to accompany that shechina down here to its final eternal
resting place. Chazak Chazak Vi’nitchazek!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have
a joyous Shabbos and an exuberantly happy Adar again!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; outline: none !important;">Just when you thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. It's been 158 days of War and this essential column is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows, farmers etc…</span></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><br style="outline: none !important;" /></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; outline: none !important;">There are so many needs and I know that you want to participate and help them not just read about them. So each week I will feature in our E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can contribute and make a meaningful difference to. (t</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: underline;">his of course should not come at the expense of your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal iup above! 😊</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; outline: none !important;">) But this is a way that you can bring light and money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Osim Sameach-</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Dovid Tzarfati
is one of the most amazing young men I have ever met. About five years ago as a
young yeshiva student then and currently learning in the Chevron Yeshiva he had
a car accident in the Golan Heights with some friends of his where sadly some
of them died. He himself was hospitalized for many months and during his stay he
came to appreciate how miserable hospitals are and how an important part of the
healing process is having visitors, guests and good food brought to you. Thus
upon his full recovery he studied to become a paramedic and then utilizing and
developing many contacts in the medical world as well as in the hospitals he
began a volunteer organization where thousands of volunteers from seminaries
and schools as well as guest come and visit and bring gifts and food to
patients and most of all Simcha. Coffee, popcorn, carnivals for children,
musicians, clowns, and special events as well as being a loving caring heart
and support fro every family in hospitals all over Israel. </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">During Corona Dovid’s teams visited
people in their homes and brought them cheer and food and now with the war they
have become the address for the many that want to volunteer and visit soldiers
and bring them the cheer that is so necessary to the hundreds that are in Tel
Hashomer- Sheba, Shaarei Chesed and hospitals all around Israel. Their efforts
cost a lot fo money and you may not be here in Israel to visit those soldiers.
But won’t you please donate and help Dovid and his incredible organization? </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">PLEASE DO AND SEND ME SCREENSHOTS OF YOUR
DONATIONS SO I CAN FORWARD TO DOVID and let him know that our Readers love him
and appreciate his hard work for our soldiers.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTU0pOlpLY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTU0pOlpLY</a>
</p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.charityextra.com/charity/osimsameach/admin">https://www.charityextra.com/charity/osimsameach/admin</a></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">A
mayse uhn a moshl iz vi a moltsayt un a tsimes.”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">A story without a moral
is like a meal without a sweet dish.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">31.The
peacocks tail is an expression of communication between animals and it is
called_______.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Which of
the following birds is considered an invasive species?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Tristram's starling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Common
Myna<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Eurasian coot<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. The
Great Tit <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach" style="text-align: left;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>In Honor of PURim MY latest new
release… Its; the only song I’m posting this week. You just have to listen to
it five times… If You want the Rap at the end… IT’s amazing… Tell me how much
you love it…</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOE9N6yIlEM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOE9N6yIlEM</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Shoshanas
Yaakov new tune from the one and only Yehudah Green!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHWuF50uVH4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHWuF50uVH4</a>
– <b><i>Incredible song by Shlomi Shabbat composed by Yossi Hershkovitz who was
killed in Gaza and a father, teacher and inspiration to all. Hauntingly called
Gam Ki Eilech B’Gai Tzalmaves as I walk in the shadow of death.</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5K6peWWEDI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5K6peWWEDI</a>
– <b><i>Found this really amazing song Malachim ba’madim- angels in uniform! Go
soldiers!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wfOrbgIKpw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wfOrbgIKpw</a>
–<b><i>
Benny Friedman and Moshe Tishler on a Am Yisrael Chai Mashup!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>100 Sockets-</u> </b>The parsha is called counting. Pikudei. I’m not a numbers person.
It’s already boring. Yet each number, each bit of gold and copper that was
given had to be accounted for. The Torah gives us the exact number of
everything. But to be honest, I really don’t care much. That is of course until
I understood that there is an eternal lesson in each number. Perhaps the most
essential one though of all is the one hundred sockets or “ad<i>ani</i>m” that
were donated. The Baal Ha’Turim and other commentaries note that the verse
contains in it a secret plague-stopping secret. The Navi tells us that in the
times of Dovid Ha’Melech he sinned and brought an evil eye amongst the people
by counting them. We’re not supposed to count people. We use tzedaka or verses
to count them. Yet when Dovid did that a plague broke out and from that time
our sages tell us that the cure for that plague or the vaccine perhaps even
more accurately so the plague doesn’t fall upon is to recite 100 blessings each
day. For the money of the half shekel went to those silver sockets. They didn’t
come from the regular donations but rather from the mandatory half shekel
count.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>What’s the connection between sockets, blessings, counting and
plagues, I’m sure you’re wondering? The answer the <i>Chidushei Ha’rim</i> is
that the word socket oden- is like the word Master. It is understanding that
Hashem is at the nuts and bolts of everything. A plague happens when we don’t
see Hashem. When He’s covered up. The word <i>magei</i>fa-plague in fact is in
Aramaic the same word to cover up and seal a barrel <i>magufa</i>. When things
don’t function normally it means that Hashem’s light is somehow being blocked. There’s
a screw that’s loose. The bolt is not firmly in the socket. Or as they say in Hebrew
the <i>teka</i> isn’t in the <i>sheka</i>. So we have to say blessings. One
hundred times a day to keep everything functioning smoothly. To tighten our
connection. To remain plugged in.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>When we count each person, then they just become another number.
51, 52, 53… They’re part of one whole and frankly are irrelevant in of itself.
It’s what the Nazi’s tried to do to us when they tattooed a number as they came
into Aushwitz on their arms. Hashem tells us that when we do that we are
blocking the light of His presence. It brings a plague. A <i>mageifa</i>. Thus
in order to restore that we have to recite a blessing. We have to bring out
that light again. We daven three times a day. That turns on the power for all
day, afternoon, and evening for all of the blessing to flow. But it doesn’t end
there. Each day we have to as well make sure we are counting the blessings that
we receive throughout the day. To see Hashem and let His light shine out. In that
way we always will stay connected.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">722 BC-Exile- </span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So the time of the eventual exile of the ten
tribes commenced. This week we read the parsha of Pikudei which Rashi states utilizes
the word Mishkan twice as it is a collateral for the two temples that would be
destroyed. The beginning of the end of our life in Israel in the first commonwealth
is with the exile of <b>Sancheirev</b> or <b>Tiglet Pilessar</b> or <b>Shalmenessar
</b>who according to some were all different names of the same person. The exile
of the ten tribes took place in three phases. The first was in the 20<sup>th</sup>
year of<b> Pekach </b>when<b> Assyria</b> attacked him and <b>Aram</b> and the
Northern and Eastern portions of Israel were exiled. <b>Hoshea</b> then became
king.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The next phase was 8 years of peace as a vassal state
under </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and then </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pul</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> came down and basically exiled 7/8 of
the remaining tribes and we lost the Jews of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reuvein and Gad</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on the eastern
banks of</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Jordan</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and the ones that had been up in Damascus. As well the
temples of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeravam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and the golden calves were destroyed and thus </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hoshea
</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">opened up the gates to </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jerusalem</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> as we mentioned last week. We had
the opportunity to become a united nation from the tragedy, but we didn’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The final blow came when </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hoshea</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> stopped
paying tribute and decided to go for his independence by holing up with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Egypt</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
in the South. That was the straw that broke the camels back. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sancheirev </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">wouldn’t
put up with this. This was the 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> year of his reign. And </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sancheirev</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
came and sieged Israel for three years until he destroyed them and exiled the
tribes to the other side of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Euphrates</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, some suggest in </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Turkey</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
or </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Iraq</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> somewhere near </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ninveh</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Yet to make matters worse it wasn’t
just that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sancheirev</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> exiled the nation as well, he moved new inhabitants
in. We will learn about the Shomronim next week and what they did to us. And
maybe even see a Purim connection as well. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE BEEF JERKY JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Sometime in the 1970s, on an absolutely
freezing day, a shipment of meat arrives in a town in the Soviet Union. The
townspeople, bundled to their eyeballs, line up outside the town store to wait
to be given their rations. After about an hour, a man comes out of the store
and announces,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>"Comrades,
I'm sorry to tell you, but there isn't enough meat for everyone, so the Jews
have to leave.</i>" The Jews in the line leave grumbling. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">About an hour later, the man comes out of the
store and announces, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Comrades, I'm sorry to tell you this, but there
isn't enough meat for everyone, so anyone who is not a member of the Communist
party will have to leave.</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">" More grumbling as the non-Party members
depart.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Another hour goes by and the man comes out of
the store again and announces, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Comrades, I'm sorry to tell you this, but
there isn't enough meat for everyone in the line, so anyone who wasn't a member
of the Party before 1956 has to leave."</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> More grumbling as all the
younger Party members leave. A few old people remain in the line.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Another hour goes by. It's now getting dark
and it's cold. The same man comes out of the store and announces, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Comrades,
I'm sorry to tell you this, but there isn't any meat. Go home."</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">One old lady in the line turns to her neighbor
and says, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See? It's like I told you. The Jews always get the best
treatment ..."</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><u style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A woman's poem</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He didn't like my salt beef <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And he didn't like my cake. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My kichel were too hard... <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not like his mother used to make. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn't make the borsht right <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He left the cholent stew. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn't wash his gatkes… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The way his mother used to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I pondered for an answer <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was looking for a clue. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then I turned around and gave him a potch... <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like his mother used to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do not use "beef_stew" as a
password! It's not stroganoff.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I said to the woman at the deli, “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’d like
to buy a corned beef and pastrami, with pickles</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She replied, “<i>Sorry... We only take cash or
card.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone
can roast beef<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I saw Han Solo crying while eating his beef. Later
I asked why. He said it was chewy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ve
started investing in stocks; beef, chicken and vegetable. One day I hope to be
a bouillonaire.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Christians, Muslims, and Jews are always
fighting, but Hindus never have any beef......</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When vegans get into an argument is it still
called beef?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have no idea. But if it gets physical, all
vegans know the art of foot karate. They call it tofu.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I went to the store for some beef broth. But
they were all out of stock</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If a mass of beef fat is 'tallow', and mass of
pig fat is 'lard', what is a mass of human fat called?</span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">'American'.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When vegans have an argument, is it still
beef? No. It’s leaf.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yankel goes into a fancy Israeli restaurant and
orders the main dish special of the day. After a few bites he calls his waiter
over and says </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Waiter! Is this a Prime Rib or Filet
Mignon?</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ Can't you tell by the taste of it?”</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Dudu asks him back<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then why do you care?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u>The answer to this
week”s question is <span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u></b><span style="background-color: transparent;">– This is one of those questions that there is no question
I would’ve skipped. I had no idea. Nor do care about the answers. But hey I got
it half right. But that’s mostly luck. Mostly luck because I eliminated the
tristramite which is all over Ein Gedi and they’re pretty friendly birds. I
went with Myna which is the correct answer because it has an annoying whiny
sounding name. The first part of the question about peacocks though I had no clue
and frankly coulnd’t care less about what I discovered is called the
ahndicapped evolutionary principle. Which is basically that if you take a
handicap and pretend it’s a a strong point then you can win. It’s like a migoo
in gemara talk. Basically the colorful tail is a handicap because it makes you
more vulnerable to predators. So the fact that the peacock struts its tail is
showing that it’s not scared of enemies and means it must be strong. So the
more it struts its tail the cooler the females thin it is. There’s a message in
that, but I’m too tired to think about it. Well anyways I’m still on my 50/50
streak so the score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>22 points</b> <b>and the MOT
having 8 points</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"> <b><i>Insights &
Information </i>is sent to e-mail addresses that of have been submitted to
the Rabbi Schwartz. To unsubscribe at any time, I send an e-mail to </b></span><a href="mailto:rabbschwartz@yahoo.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">rabbschwartz@yahoo.com</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"> with the words "unsubscribe
insights" in the Subject line and/or the first line of text. If you know
of anyone that may be interested in receiving this newsletter feel free to pass
this on to them...</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-88392419053303830212024-03-08T06:46:00.000-08:002024-03-08T06:46:53.034-08:00War Worries- Parshat Vayakhel -Shekalim 2024 5784<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">March
8<sup>th</sup> 2024<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 21</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> 28<sup>th</sup> of Adar I 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayakhel- Shekalim</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u>War
Worries</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m
getting scared. Terrified is perhaps even a more accurate word. I don’t know if
I’ve ever felt this way before. I feel like I’m walking on nails. That there’s this
huge black cloud coming my way and it doesn’t seem like anyone else I talk to really
sees it. I mean everyone to a large degree understands that what I’m feeling is
accurate, yet like me we’ve been ignoring it. Trying to push it to the back of
our minds and shoo it away. Focus on happy/laughy stuff. Yet it’s getting
closer and closer. The war is about to really begin. And from everything that I
see and hear and am watching, it’s gonna be bad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It hit me yesterday when I was talking to my BBQ guy for
soldiers about some upcoming groups that wanted to sponsor some “chizuk dinners”
for some soldiers. Like I tell them, they are our Kohanim Gedolim today, these
chayalim doing Hashem’s holy work and this is our Matnat Kehuna- our priestly gifts
of cow chow. He told me that he’s having a harder and harder time finding bases
to do Grills as most of the soldiers have already moved up to the Northern front.
Golani has already moved to the North, as has most of the Shiryon Armored
Brigade. Many other units as well are moving up there. I was by an Airforce
base and someone told me that they have even seen planes taking tanks up there.
The war in the North is coming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What makes this frightening is that it’s really not a “war in
the North”. It’s a war that according to everyone I talk to is one that will be
on the entire country. The way the military experts and officers I have spoken
to tell me- (which are not the guys in the coffee room in Lakewood or in the
back of the Shteeble you go to.)- Hezbolla is not Hamas. They’re not teenagers
with rockets, or Kalishnikovs. Hezbolla is a trained army by Iran that has between
50-100 Elite forces. They have missiles- not rockets that are targeted and can
take down buildings and skyscrapers in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that Iron Dome can’t
do anything about. I’m sorry did I say “can” take down. The way that they
described it to me was that they “will” take down. The estimated figure of civilian
</span><s style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">casualties </s><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I mean fatalities is over 35,000 in the first three days,
when- not if – the war breaks out. My friends that work in the hospitals and
Kupat Cholim here and around Israel have told me that they are having regular exercises
to prepare for 500 casualties a day minimally. This is what’s coming our way.
This is where we’re headed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now it seems almost incontrovertible to me that this war is
happening, as it pretty much is to everyone in this country. There are close to
a hundred thousand residents of the villages and cities in the Upper Northern Galil
all along the entire border that have been evacuated for months already. They’re
not only not living in their homes and farms because of the incessant missile
attacks. But rather as quite a few have them have told me, they know that there
are tunnels that have been built under their homes and fields from Lebanon.
They’ve heard them drilling for years and the Army has never done anything about
them. Soldiers that are there in the North have even confirmed this to me, as
they are serving there right now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After October 7<sup>th</sup> these families learned that
ignoring tunnels and an enemy of subhuman and sub-animal monsters on your
border is just not a healthy thing for your family if you want them to stay
alive and not chopped up into little pieces and burnt to death. It’s just bad
homestead planning. So they’re not going back until they’re cleared out. They’re
not getting cleared out unless or until we invade and go into a foreign almost nuclear
Iran proxied country called Lebanon. When that happens, the fun begins. Welcome
to Gog and Magog. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to a report I saw on Arutz 7 yesterday, Bibi has given
them until next Friday to come to a “diplomatic solution” otherwise Israel we
begin it’s full stage war. Happy Adar everyone. Purim Samayach!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now the truth is once you understand this you can understand as
well, why we’re talking about cease fire right now- we want to give soldiers a
break with their families before the war starts. It’s as well why they army and
government has been very conservative – or cheap, or broke in terms of
providing many of the basic necessities for soldiers. Why we’re not flattening
buildings and cities like used to and are sending our holy boys in to fight
building by building and losing so many of them. It’s because we’re saving
whatever money and resources for the war in the North. The final battle of Mechiyat
Amalek. The war that will finally bring Mashiach. Maybe that’s why I’m laughing
so much when people call me up about their tiyulim and trip plans for the
Summer and even Pesach and “maybe we can go to Masada?” or “do I think that Tzefat
will be open by then?” type questions just make me roll my eyes. The only tours
I’m thinking about for Pesach are the Bais Ha”mikdash ones. I just don’t see it
any other way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now this E-Mail is not here to frighten you. It’s really more
about me just putting my feelings, stories, jokes and of course most
importantly new songs down on paper and sharing them with you. It’s getting it
off my chest and expressing in the wonder and awe how the inspiration of our
Torah reading is always there to give me direction. Give me focus. Bring us
light. Well this week as we bless the new month of the </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Adar Number 2 and Erev Rosh Chodesh is also
parshat Shekalim and the Parsha of Vayakhel. There’s a lot going on in the
Parsha, the reading and Shul this week. Hey, it’s the end of days, we have a
lot to accomplish.</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Let’s take it apart half
piece by half piece. Let’s become whole.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The parsh aptly named is Vayakhel and Moshe gathered the people.
He made us one. Rashi tells us this takes place the day after Yom Kippur. After
we were forgiven for the Golden Calf. We’re back before Simchas Torah again. We’re
rewinding to before October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. We’re uniting the people to build a
Beit Hamikdash. It’s like it didn’t happen. It’s perhaps what should’ve happened
if we didn’t have that sin. We pick up the story of the building of the House
for Hashem where He will reside with us where we left off in Parshat Teruma and
Tetzave before we read the story of the sin. We gather together as one, not as
if it hasn’t happened, but as a nation rectified after we suffered the
ramifications of our failure to make it happen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The way we unite, Rashi tells us is “al pi diburo” It’s through
the word of Moshe, the word of Hashem. It’s with the mitzva of Shabbos, when we
have faith and understand that all of our pursuits, drives and needs not only material
and physical but even spiritually to build a house for Hashem and a Mishkan are
only by the word of Hashem. We stop for Shabbos. We don’t have to do more. He’s
there with us and taking care of it all. We just have to get out of that stress
and push it all away and appreciate, that He is the one taking care of
everything. We just need to relax and take faith. We don’t need to build the Mishkan
on Shabbos. He’s building it and taking care of it. It’s not our home it’s His.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The rest of the Parsha is a repeat almost of the building of
each vessel and the structure of the Mishkan. It’s amazing. It’s each person the
Torah tells us is donating their heart. Their skills. Their talent. Their holy
light. Everyone has something unique. Everyone has something they can build or design.
This one has some gold, this one can sew curtains, this one can carve the Menora,
the Ark, the cherubs. Each person was given “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chacham lev</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” and “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">tevuna”</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-
and understanding and wisdom of their heart that no one else has. Generally
when we think of wisdom we think of the brain, yet the Torah tells us that this
project isn’t about the brain. It’s the wisdom of the heart. It’s understanding
the emotion of the contribution that only you or I can bring.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Betzalel who was the head
of the project, the Talmud tells us was given the wisdom to combine all of the
holy letters of the Torah- </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">tziruf osiyos</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. The sages explain what that
means is that each letter represents a different Jew. The entire creation is written
from the Torah. Putting the letters together means understanding on a mystical
level how each Jew can contribute. What our piece is. How everything comes
together and the world shines out Hashem from when all those pieces of the
puzzle of the Torah and Am Yisrael come together. He is called Betzalel because
he is Be’tzeil El- He is the shadow of Hashem. He reflects the light of Hashem
down here in this world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fascinatingly enough the additional parshat that we begin to
read this week as well which is the first of the four supplementary </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">parshiyos</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that are added, Parshat Shekalim is the opposite message at first glance. The
Talmud tells us that when the month of Adar begins we begin to be “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mashmia
al Ha’Shekalim</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the Jewish court would begin to put out word and collect
money for the annual daily sacrifices. Each person would give a half Shekel. No
more and no less. We’re all the same. There is no more individuality. There’s
no nicer or worse half shekel. We’re all equal. We’re all only a half. What is
the difference between the sacrifice and the contribution to the Mishkan where
we are each charged to bring as much of ourselves as we can? Why shouldn’t Rechnitz,
Reichman or Trump give more than Schwartz?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The answer is as we said in the name of the Parsha. It’s </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vayakehl-Al
Pi Diburo</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. It’s understanding that it’s all from the word of Hashem. It’s
taking a step back and the rich man saying that all that I have and afford is
only what Hashem has Given Me. He’s my partner in everything and He determines
and wants His name to shine out not mine. That the community should shine as
one equal unit. I can’t stand out in that way. It’s about the poor person who
may not feel he has the half shekel to donate. It might be his monthly salary.
It might be his kids lunch money. It’s about him saying and realizing that he
as well has a very rich partner called Hashem in his life. His partner says
that he could afford. That he wants him to stretch himself. That he shouldn’t
be worried. That he can have faith. That in each donation that comes to the
daily sacrifices that faith and word of Hashem is present. That’s the half
shekel. That’s what we start off Chodesh Adar the month before the redemption
of Nissan will take place.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Talmud tells us that we read the parsha of shekalim before
Purim because we need this reading to remind us of how we overcame our enemy
Haman who thought to destroy us. Haman gave 10,000 shekels to Achashveirosh and
claimed to him that we should be destroyed because we are a “nation that is
spread out and divided between the nations”. We read our Shekalim Parsha first-
and this year because it’s a leap year (and of course the year that Mashiach is
coming) we read as well Parshat Vayakhel to bring the merit of our nation
uniting before his Shekels. Our half shekels came first, our personal donations
and heart came first. That’s how we not only avert his genocidal plot for us.
It’s how we destroy Amalek. It’s how we destroy Hezbolla and Hamas. It’s how we
build a house for Hashem.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Gaon of Vilna points out that when Mordechai got the
reprieve from Achashveirosh the Megilla tells us in a strange language that we
were ordered</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Hikhalu v’amod al nafsham</i>”- to gather and stand up for
our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The word</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “hikhalu”</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is plural, yet “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">amod-</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">to stand”
is singular. The redemption comes when we come together as one. Rav Teichtel
notes that it is why Purim is like a second giving of the Torah. Because again
we were as one man with one heart. It’s why Esther tells Mordechai </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">leich
knos es kol ha’yehudim</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- to go and gather all the Jews. It’s the only way
our salvation can happen. It’s the only way Hashem can be revealed. It’s what
the Talmud tells us that in the future the Jews will all do teshuva for Hashem
will bring someone like Haman who will bring terrible decrees against our
nation and we will all repent and immediately be redeemed. Isn’t it interesting
how</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">the difference between Hamas and
Haman is the changing of the Nun to the letter Samach- the next letter and
level up. OK I know that’s just the English writing of the word Hamas. But in Hebrew
do you know what the difference of Gematria is between the 2? It’s thirteen. </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Echad</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
One. That’s how we win. That’s how we all do teshuva. That’s why I shouldn’t be
scared.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The messages from this upcoming month of Adar are in front of
us. The war is coming. But so is the redemption. The month of joy is in front
of us. We need to continue to unite. To love. To be there with all of our heart
and to reveal Hashem. And as he preformed miracles for our ancestors back then
so will He preform for us today and final herald in the Mashiach.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a joyous Shabbos and an exuberantly happy Adar again!</span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><br /></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Just when you
thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. This essential column which
is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of
helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different
organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows,
farmers etc… There are so many needs and I know that you want to participate
and help them not just read about them. So each week I will feature in our
E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can contribute and make a
meaningful difference to. (this of course should not come at the expense of
your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal in another
month </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">) But this is a way that you can bring
light and money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give
regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot
or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so
they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Merkaz HaChesed
of Sderot-</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> Founded 24 years ago the by my friend Avichai Amusi who had moved
to the city of Sderot by the Gaza Border with the aim of caring for the people
of Sderot as well as the residents of the towns and villages in the region The Chesed
Center is a not-for-profit organization that is based on the work of volunteers
who bring their enthusiasm to these projects. With so many familied moving back
now the demand is more than ever…</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">The Chesed Center incorporates the
following areas of assistance:</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">1. Distribution of food baskets – Some
670 families in Sderot as well as those in the towns and villages in the Gaza Strip
area receive food baskets every week. The baskets contain in-season fruit and
vegetables as well as basic food commodities. About half the food baskets are
handed out at a special distribution center while the rest is delivered to the
homes of those needy individuals who are unable to come in person to the
center. In addition to the weekly allocations, special efforts are made at
holiday times (Rosh Hashanah – New Year – and the festivals celebrated in the
fall, Purim, and Passover) to make a substantial distribution of food on a much
wider scale and thereby they will have all they need to celebrate the festivals
and experience the true holiday spirit.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">2.
Soup Kitchen - The Sderot Hessed Center runs a restaurant to provide a
nutritional response as required on a daily basis. The kitchen serves a hot and
nutritious meal for about 80 diners, most of whom are senior citizens,
especially those who have been left all alone in the world; Holocaust
survivors; and the handicapped. The soup kitchen is designed to look like a
regular restaurant. The atmosphere in this restaurant is welcoming and shows
respect to its patrons just like family, and those same people who lack the
means to eat warm and nutritious food during the week can now enjoy every day
an hour or so of relaxation and contentment.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">3. Clothing store – This is a second-hand
clothing store, d offers for sale clothes, shoes, and other accessories. The
clothes are donated by well-known companies or collected by the local
residents, sorted and sold at a nominal price, a policy which shows respect for
the customers who come there to buy their clothes. </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">4. A charity furniture store - This store
offers second-hand furniture, which was donated to the Hessed Center, collected
by the Center's volunteers and distributed to the needy and families on low incomes.
In special cases, the Center succeeds in obtaining new furniture and these are
allocated to needy families.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">5. A charity store for tables and chairs
– These chairs and tables are made available for festivities and celebrations
as well as for mourners, heaven forbid.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6.
Yad Sarah</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">NOW THEY NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER
WITH FAMILIES MOVING BACK TO SDEROT!!</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCk04TvWeaY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCk04TvWeaY</a>
</p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And here’s the link to donate</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://thechesedfund.com/ameiricainfriendsofiyim/emergency-food-and-assitance-to-homeless-and-beraved-families-in-sderot">https://thechesedfund.com/ameiricainfriendsofiyim/emergency-food-and-assitance-to-homeless-and-beraved-families-in-sderot</a>
</p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Ven
tsu a krank iz duh a refueh, iz dos a halbeh krenk...”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">When there’s a remedy
for an ailment, it’s only half an ailment.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">30.The
Zin River flows into the ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In
which route was the Ancient "Derech Hamelech" (Path of the kings)
paved?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
The route between the Gulf of Eilat and the Coastal cities of Lebanon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
The route on the Transjordan ridge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
The route on top of the mountains<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
The route between Alexandria and Gaza<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>In Honor of PURim MY latest new
release… Its; the only song I’m posting this week. You just have to listen to
it five times… If You want the Rap at the end… IT’s amazing… Tell me how much
you love it…</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Come on you can’t get
enough…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>– <b><i>Isn’t it
catchy…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>You want to hear it one more time…<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yiddelach</a>
–<b><i> Now Call you r kids over and make them
listen to i..t </i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif;">😊</span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b><b><u>Half the Job-</u> </b>This week we begin to read the
first of the four parshiyot before Pesach the first being of the mitzva of the
half shekel coin that we bring for the daily sacrifices. There’s a fascinating
Midrash that tells us of a debate between Rebbi Yehudah and Rebbi Yehoshua ben
Levi about the power of prayer and teshuva. Rabbi Yehuda learns that Teshuva
can accomplish half of the job of everything that we need, while prayer can
accomplish everything. Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi however disagrees and says that
prayer only can accomplish half the job. He brings a proof that Moshe prayed
for forgiveness for Aharon after the sin of the golden calf and thus only two
of his sons, Nadav and Avihu were taken, rather than all four.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The commentaries discuss why it works this way. Why
can’t prayer accomplish everything? The Trisker Magid explains that Tefilla/
prayer has two components to it. There is Hashem who hears our prayer and
answers and then there is us that receives it. With prayer we can only
accomplish that we ask Hashem for the needs that we have. He wishes to answer
and give everything to us, but we have to have enough space within ourselves to
receive all of that benevolence. If we haven’t repented then there’s not enough
room for all He wants to shower upon us. It is for that reason that the Derash
Moshe notes that we say every prayer a confession of <i>selach lanu</i> and we
ask Hashem for Teshuva. That teshuva opens us up to be able to receive the
complete package that we then continue to ask Hashem for.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Perhaps that is as well the idea of the half shekel donation
as well for our daily sacrifices that we contribute. Hashem is telling us that
the money we donate which is meant to serve as an atonement, as teshuva for our
sins is only half the job. We can’t just pay and be done. We have to Pay and
Pray. It’s two pieces of a whole.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>One last great thought from the Ropshitzer. He writes
that whenever he davened he would ask for double of what he needed. That way
since prayer only accomplishes half, he then would get half of the double which
is exactly what he needed. With this idea he explains homiletically the verse
in our parsha when it talks about the money collected for the Mishkan. The
Torah tells us that the people were bringing too much and they were told to
stop. The pasuk says</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><i>V’hamelacha haya dayum v’hoseir</i>- the work was enough and there
was more.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He notes this is a contradiction for if it was enough
then how was there more? He answers with this idea. The “work” he says is of
course prayer. The work of prayer brought them exactly what they needed. How? V’hoseir-
because they prayed for more than they needed.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Great Vort! Great idea! So daven double and Hashem
will answer us all…</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">730 BC-The Last King of
the North- </span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Jewish Nation of
Israel is in tatters. We have civil war between the <b>Northern Kingdom</b> led
by <b>Pekach</b> which engaged <b>Aram</b> to help them, and which captured and
killed hundreds of thousands and even joined with the Philistines from <b>Gaza</b>
to ravage the Jewish cities of the <b>Shefela</b>. As well we have the response
of the kingdom of Yehudah led by the wicked king <b>Achaz</b> who turned the Temple
into a house of idolatry and cut a deal with <b>Shalmaneser</b> of <b>Assyria</b>
to attack and exile most of the <b>Northern Kingdom</b>. According to one
account already 7/8 of the ten tribes in the North had already been exiled by
the time the last and final king took over. The king <b>Hoshea Ben Elah</b> was
the one that brought us to our bitter end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Navi tells us that
when </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> attacked and exiled much of the North</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Pekach’s</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> captain
</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hoshea </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">aligned himself with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tiglat Pileshar</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and assassinated </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekach</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
He then paid of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tiglat</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and was appointed the King of the North or </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ephraim.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
As king he agreed to be a vassal of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and pay an annual tax. He
was trying to do his best to hold things together.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Navi tells us in an
interesting description that although he was also an idolatrous king, yet he
wasn’t as bad as the ones prior to him. He did one thing good which in fact
ironically turned out to be bad and the final blow to the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Northern Kingdom</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
He removed the security fence and guards that had prevented the Jews in the
North from going to </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yerushalayim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to worship in the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beit HaMikdash</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
These had been in force since </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeravam ben Nevat</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-the king who followed </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shlomo</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
the first generation after the Temple had been built. Since then nobody had
gone to the Bait HaMikdash from the North.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And now they were finally permitted to go. The day was actually established
to be a quasi holiday celebrated until today on the 15</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of Av. This
would seem to have been a good thing. But it wasn’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See, the problem was that
the Jews didn’t go. They stayed in the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">North</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. They stayed in Lakewood. In
Boro Park. Perhaps they were comfortable enough in their own shuls and places
of worship. Maybe they said-perhaps even rightfully so, that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yerushalayim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
wasn’t frum enough. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> after all had defiled the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beis HaMikdash</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
with idolatry. It was not “holy” enough for them. It felt too goyish… But Hashem
and our sages didn’t see it that way. The fact that no one went made this a terrible
accusation against us if not the final straw to break our back. And thus it was
decreed that the game would be over.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As in all our lessons in
this column there is so much that we have to learn, to rectify, to understand
in order that we don’t make the same mistakes. They same righteous
justifications. It is not for naught the Torah tells us that we have to learn
our history and know the years of generation and generation. History is
repeating itself. We just need to look at our past to understand our present. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE ANNIVERSARY JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My wife sat down on
the couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, <i>'What's on TV</i>?'<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I said, '<i>Dust</i>.'
And that's how the fight started....<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My wife and I were sitting at a table at my
high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as
she sat alone at a nearby table.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My wife asked, “<i>Do
you know her?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Yes,</i> ” I
sighed, “<i>She’s my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking after we
split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn’t been sober since</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“My God</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">!” says my wife, “<i>Who would think that a
person could go on celebrating that long</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that’s when the
fight started.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A wife wants a fancy
Porsche for her fiftieth birthday. She drops hints to her husband:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You know we've
had a really good year, heck, good decade, fiscally. For my birthday, I'm
really hoping for something sleek, maybe baby blue. Something you can really
step on and it'll go from 0 to 200 in like .2 seconds..."</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The husband nods
knowingly. So for her birthday, he buys her a scale.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that's when the
fight started...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My wife told me she
wants to give her clothes away to starving children, I told her that if they
fit them they aren't starving. That is when the fight began<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I tried to talk my
wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95. Instead, she bought a jar
of face cream for $7.95. I told her the beer would make her look better at
night than the face cream. And that’s when the fight started.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman is standing in her room looking in the
bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, <i>“I
feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a
compliment.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The husband replies, “<i>Your
eyesight’s near perfect.”</i> And that’s when the fight started.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his birthday, I gave my son an iPhone. My
daughter received an iPod for hers. For my birthday, I was pleased to receive
an iPad. My mother was given an iMac for her birthday. Thinking along the same
lines, I got my wife an iRon. And that's when the fight started…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Esther was throwing darts at her husband's
picture on a dart board and not even a single one hitting the target. When he
entered, saw and asked<i>, “Honey! What are you doing</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Esther said " <i>Missing
you…".</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that's when the
fight started…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A man walks into a bar,looking all bummed out,
and orders a drink. After a few minutes he orders another. About thirty minutes
later he orders a few more drinks. The bartenders asks," <i>Dude you look
really depressed. Is everything okay</i>? "<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man
explains," <i>My wife and I got into big fight. She says she won't speak
to me for 31 days."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The bartender
asks," <i>Well isn't that a good thing."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man replies,"
<i>Sadly, tonight's the last night."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Dentist friend just
divorced his wife who is a manicurist. All they did was fight tooth and nail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A married couple are
having a fight. Finally the wife screams at the husband to get out of the
house. She throws his suitcases at him and he packs his things. On his way out,
the woman says, "<i>I hope you die the slowest, most miserable, most
agonizing death imaginable.</i>" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So he turns and says, <i>"
What, so now you want me to stay?"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Got in a fight with my wife last night"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> says one guy to his friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Again",</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> said the friend, <i>"How did it end this
time?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Well, she ended
up on her knees, practically begging"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Really, what did
she say?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Get out from
under the bed you coward"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A married couple were fighting when they drove
past a farm full of pigs. The husband then asked his wife, "<i>Family of
yours?"</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wife looked at the
pigs, then replied, "Yea, in-laws."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Husband says: <i>When I get mad at you, you
never fight back. How do you control your anger?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wife says: <i>I clean
the toilet..<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Husband says: <i>How does that help?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wife says: <i>I use
your Toothbrush</i>.....<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire 15 years of marriage my wife
and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have only had one fight. And it's
still not over…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u></b><span style="color: black;">– I’m in this sick rut. I’m just getting them half right or
half wrong depending on which way you look at the glass. Actually I thought I
would get it the other way right and wrong, but the truth is I wasn’t sure of
either answer. Nachal Tzin I guessed Yam Ha’melach but I wasn’t sure because it’s
really a bit south of there, and really the correct answer would’ve been to the
Arava which is the direction of the Dead Sea, but it seems that either answer
was correct, as in ancient times or even more recent times before the shrinking
of the Dead Sea the water from the Nachal got there as well. So that part was right.
The second part though confused me and I got it wrong. For some reason although
I knew that the coastal road was called Derech Ha’Yam and the mountain road
called Derech Hahar, I thought that one of those was also derech Ha’Melech so I
went with the Gaza Alexandria answer. But the truth is thee correct answer was
the Transjordan route. I probably should’ve known this. It is a biblical
question and the route Bnai Yisrael wanted to take. But I got it wrong. So
still in the Rut but I’m still passing this exam with the latest score is <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>21.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 7.5 point</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-80777831971912966772024-03-01T02:42:00.000-08:002024-03-01T02:42:06.650-08:00Next Level- Parshat Ki TIsa 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">March
1<sup>st</sup> 2024<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span>Issue 20</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 21<sup>st</sup> of Adar I 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Ki Tisa</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u> Next Level</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are three chapters of Tehillim that we stopped saying in my shul after October
7<sup>th</sup>. They are the three most recited Psalms that Jews recite in
times of trouble. Psalm 20 “<i>la’mnatzaych b’yom tzarah”</i>- Hashem answers
in times of troubles, Psalm 121 “<i>Shir Hama’alos Esah Einai</i>”- I lift my
eyes to the mountains and Psalm 130 “<i>Shir Hama’alos Mima’amakim”</i>- I call
to you from the depths. We’re probably the only shul that doesn’t say those
psalms these days. Everyone’s saying them- hopefully all the time three-times-a-day
by services. I like to be different though. I don’t do what everyone else does.
And neither does my shul. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See, my feeling is, that those Psalms with really meaningful
words-don’t get me wrong, are all October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Psalms. They worked in
the past. They bring salvation when you say the words and don’t think about
them too much. You can just mumble the words while you’re taking of your </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">teffilin</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and running out of shul. While you’re checking your phone for all those
messages you got that you held yourself back from checking during davening
because you know that guy sitting next to you in shul would glare at you if you
pulled out your phone. They’re a nice feel-good solidarity touch so you can
start your day and feel that you connected in some way to some trouble that’s
going on in Klal Yisrael, with someone who needed an extra prayer because they
were sick, some Rosh Yeshiva that was undergoing surgery or more recently in
Israel some political party that your Rabbi felt very strongly needed to win
more seats in the Knesset. Those psalms work for that. But things are different
now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now we are in a post October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> world. Gog and Magog
is happening. The final painful birth pangs of Mashiach are upon us. And they
hurt like </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">gehennom</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. There are no epidurals on the table. Pain,
suffering, widows, orphans, hostages, refugees and so so much death, darkness
and evil surround us in Israel and in the entire world. October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Tehillim don’t work for that. You don’t pop a Motrin when you’re in labor. The
level needs to be raised to a whole new sphere. Everything we do needs to
change. And thus we don’t recite them in our Shul anymore.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rather what we’ve started to do in the Young Israel of Karmiel,
(at least when I’m around- which sadly isn’t too often. Some of us have to work
for a living to pay for this Shul … Teaser for the upcoming annual Purim
campaign people…get your wallets ready…), is that we open up the actual
physical book of Tehillim which we pass around and recite three Psalms that we divinely
ordained randomly open up to. Nobody knows them by heart. Everybody needs to
read them inside. The words jump out at us as we are blown away by how much they
were written as if to be speaking to us right now. Hashem has chosen which ones
he wants us to say each particular morning and it’s amazing how many of the
psalms have the words </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chamas </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">in them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I</span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">t’s a different level of prayer when you have to read the words
inside. When they’re new, when they’re fresh, when they’re not what you’ve
always been saying,</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">then
the tefillos we recite become more meaningful. It’s like the High Holidays
tefillos. They’re uplifting. You feel like you’re reaching places that you
never reached before. And that’s what the October 8<sup>th</sup> world needs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As we’ve seen this past year in this weekly E-Mail, it’s not
only our prayers that take on a new level, but our Torah reading and portions
as well are speaking to us-if not screaming at us, like they never have before.
If you had any doubt about that, the title of the parsha should be a dead
giveaway. “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ki Tisa</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- when you will uplift the heads of the Children of
Israel”. OK, I’ll admit that the word “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tisa</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” also means to count, or to
carry, but all Hebrew words that have different translations but share the same
root are connected. They all have a common theme. Counting, carrying, uplifting
and even forgiving and atoning are all about bringing us to a different place.
A higher place. A place where the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shechina </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">can be revealed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What makes this even more interesting and relevant is that the
heart of this “uplifting” titled parsha is perhaps the greatest downfall and
calamity of our nation. The entire second aliya and most of the parsha is about
the sin of the Golden Calf, Hashem’s desire to wipe us off the face of the
earth, the devastating toll of the tribe of Levi killing the sinful brothers,
the plague that followed and Moshe’s ultimate prayers and Hashem’s forgiveness.
It’s the worst of times. It’s the least uplifting of times. It almost makes the
title “Ki Tisa” seem ironic. Yet in that title is a message for us as well. The
most devastating moments are the ones from where we can get and will get
uplifted the most from. </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So how do we get there? How do we move past the devastation? How
can we turn it all around? This is the month of Adar after-all. It’s the time
of </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">V’nahapoch hu</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- when Hashem turns around all the troubles and makes
them into festive holidays. The answer though is in the first few narratives
that precede our sin of the Eigel. The mitzvos Hashem commands us to do in
order that we are prepared for what will come our way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first mitzva is the giving of the half shekel. Each person
needs to contribute. Each person can do something. Each person has a part to
play. So reach into your pockets and cough it up. I’m sorry, did I say pockets?
I’m wrong. My mistake. Your pocket is soooo October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. That’s how
we donated when there was an appeal going around the shul for a cause. That was
perhaps your shul’s building campaign. That’s your child’s school building fund
pledge. Those are pocket donations. Your pocket and your wallet though are not
where it ends. It’s got to come from your heart.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rashi notes that the word
“</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">teruma la'Hashem</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- an uplifting for Hashem” is mentioned three times.
There are three gifts that need to be given. The first two are by the counting.
A half a shekel was given for the silver sockets by the original count and the
second was when the Mishkan was completed where each as well contributed
equally for the annual sacrifices. Those two are to atone for our sins and to
prevent plague. It’s the nuts and bolts of the building campaign and the maintenance
fund. In that we are all equal. We are all half. We are all responsible. It’s
not his sin more then my sins. When a calamity hits we’re all the “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">atbach al
yahud</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” that they want to get. It’s not his sin more than mine. Yet the
third donation Rashi mentions is the one for the actual building of the Mishkan.
It’s building a house for Hashem, it’s not a pocket donation. It’s as much as
you have in your heart. You can’t just write out check or even click on a link.
It’s next level. There’s gotta be a piece of your heart in that donation. And
everyone has to squeeze that heart to the next level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once we do that. Once we’ve recognized that we are all dependent
and responsible for one another-there’s no rich, there’s no poor, we each have
an equal part to play and to build, and once we’ve then as well opened up our
hearts, the next stage is to really start to cleanse ourselves. Or as the
Onkleus translates the word ‘</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">V’Rachatzu</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">’- which he normally translates
as wash, but here changes and defines it as sanctifies ourselves. We do that in
the copper basin. The basin that is covered with mirrors. For us to really
sanctify ourselves and to become a holy vessel for the</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> shechina</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, you can’t
just take a nice shower or even a dip in the Mikva. That’s old school. In the
Mishkan, in the Temple, before you walk into and do the service where Hashem’s
presence is going to reside, we need something more. We need to take a hard
look in the mirror first. We need to find our inner beauty and spark.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The basin, our sages tell us, was built from the mirrors the holy
Jewish women used in Egypt to lift up and inspire the men to be with them and build
a Jewish future. They would show the men themselves in the mirror and tell them
“</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m prettier and beautiful ‘</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mimcha</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">’</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- which can be translated as </span><b style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>than</i></b><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
you, but the Chasidic masters teach us that it translates as “from” you. My
beauty comes from you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There’s a famous story that Rebbi Nachman has about the King who
hired two artists to draw a portrait of his kingdom. One worked very hard for a
year, the other lazed about. He was Israeli. “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aiilll geht too eeet</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”. “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeish
zman</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">aiv’e gaht taiymmm</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”. At the end of the year the first person
revealed his masterpiece, and it was truly magnificent. One saw the palace, the
orchards, the sunset over the glorious walled city. When it was the second artists
turn to reveal his work, he unveiled his big curtain and lo and behold what was
behind was a mirror that reflected the first picture in all it’s majesty. There
was one difference between the two though. The second Israeli artist’s “painting”
being a mirror also reflected the image of the king standing before it together
with the artist that stood by his side.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rebbi Nachman ends the story thought that although the king only
gave the first artist the bag of gold payment- and told the second Israeli
artist that he could enjoy the view of it reflected in his mirror. But he
enjoyed the 2</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">nd</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “artist” mirror rendition even more than the first.
Because it showed him with the artist together. That is the Kiyor. That is the
mirrored basin. That is how one needs to “next-level” cleanse and sanctify
oneself in the mikdash. We need to see Hashem, the King in ourselves, by our
side. That reveals a holiness that a dip in the Mikva could never do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We’ve opened up our wallets, our hearts, we’re part of one
whole, we’ve done our inner reflection and cleansing, it’s time to move on to
the next stage. Move up. The next </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">mitzva</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is perhaps one of the most
fantastic ones in our history. It’s a </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">mitzva</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that only one person in the
history of Klal Yisrael can do. It’s to anoint and make the special oil that everything
becomes holy with. Hashem tells Moshe- “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">V’Atah</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”- and </span><b style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>you</i></b><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
take this oil. The oil that Moshe made not only lasted for centuries throughout
the entire first temple period and was used to anoint the Temple of Shlomo with
until it was hidden away, but we are told that it is only that oil that would
be used for the third Temple coming up soon as well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Badatz Eida Chareidis mehadrin l’mehadrin oil is just not good
enough. Oil blessed by the Baba Sali, by Reb Chayim Kanievsky, even the flask
of oil miraculously found by the Maccabees is not good enough. It’s gotta be
Moshe’s oil. Because Moshe is that bridge that ultimately will connect us to
Hashem. He is the “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">mosheh</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” -the one that can pull us all up. We make all
the vessels, we build the house, we unite, and then we bring it all to Moshe
who takes everything we’ve made and elevates it. With the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shemen</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the
oil he reveals the neshoma that we’ve infused within it. And like oil over water,
it rises higher and higher. This oil is what every Kohen of Israel is inaugurated
and as well it is with this holy oil of Moshe every king and Mashiach himself will
be anointed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, we conclude with the bringing of the incense; the Ketoret.
It’s fascinating, the Midrash tells us, that Hashem tells Moshe that of all of
the vessels the most precious and beloved that He has is that Kiyor mirrored
water basin. As well when it come to the offerings that we bring Hashem tells
Moshe</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From all of the offerings they bring there is nothing more beloved
by Me than the Ketores. For all of the
other sacrifices are for their needs. How is this” The Chatas offering is for
sins, as well as the Asham. The Olah is for wrongful thoughts. The peace
offering is for atonement for positive commandments. But the Ketores is not for
any sin, any guilt, any atonement. It comes for Simcha- for joy</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">You know what the ultimate next level is? Simcha. Joy. It’s all
the spices together and the sweet smell that emanates from them. It’s the chareidi
Satmar chasid dancing with the Israeli soldiers waving a flag. It’s when the “secular”
left wing kibbutznik is holding the Kollel guy on his shoulder waving a poster of
Bibi Netanyahu. It’s when an Ethiopian Oleh and a Russian atheist and a
American college teenage birthright student grab hands with a Holocaust
survivor from Hungary and form a circle around a Torah scroll. It’s when this
Purim we are all dressed in costumes because we realize that even on the
outside if I look like Superman, or Achashveirosh, Queen Esther, a police
officer, a hobo or a clown on the inside there is an aroma of holiness of
incense that Hashem can’t just get enough of. That will wipe out any plague.
That will remove any anger. That will move Him to the next level as well. The
level that He has been waiting to come down to since Creation. That He hasn’t
moved beyond for so long. The level where His place and palace are down here
with us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">By the sin of the golden calf that follows this entire
narrative, when we fall to the lowest that we could fall to, Hashem tells Moshe
that despite His wrath there will always be a way built into Creation that He
can forgive us. That is the 13 attributes of mercy that He taught Moshe that we
need to recite and focus on. They work, Rashi tells us, even if we are not
worthy. Even though we do nothing to deserve it. Even if we are guilty as sin
and have not even repented. They work, Rav Moshe Shapiro tells us, because they
are “next level”. Because the entire purpose of the world is bring Hashem to this
world and connect Him to us. And thus even though the world is built on justice
and even on mercy, kindness and charity. But the 13 </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Middos</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> are beyond
all that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kindness, justice, mercy are all October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. When it
gets so bad, when we are so far gone, when the entire function of the world is
in jeopardy, When Hashem and us have fallen so far apart from one another. When
we are so divided that it seems impossible that Hashem could ever be revealed
from us. That He would ever have a place to reside. Then the next level kicks
in. Then He brings us to a point where the only thing emanating from our nation
is the sweet smell of incense; of unity. Of the 13- which is </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Echad</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the
one in gematria that brings us all together.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The world has changed since October 7</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. We’ve
changed. Nothing is the same. It can’t be. The prayers are new level. They have
to be. The unity is like never before. The </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chesed</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, the charity, the
solidarity. There have been so many</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> korbanot</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- sacrifices that Hashem has
taken from us over the past 145 days… and over the past 2000 years but what He really
is waiting for is the incense of unity, of purity, of holiness. The oil of Moshe
is ready for us to be anointed with. We just need to bring all that we’ve made
to Him to be sanctified. We need to bring it together. And then this Purim we
will see the salvation and the ultimate turn-around when heaven and earth unite
creating the ultimate new level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a next level Shabbos,</span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Just when you
thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. Don’t worry
it’s not like I have any extra time on my hands to write another column here.
In fact I’ve been meaning to do this already for weeks and it’s only now after
125 days of War that I finally have a chance to add this essential column which
is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of
helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different
organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows,
farmers etc… There are so many needs and I know that you want to participate
and help them not just read about them. So each week I will feature in our
E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can contribute and make a
meaningful difference to. (this of course should not come at the expense of
your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal in another
month </span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">😊</span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">) But this is a way that you can bring
light and money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give
regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot
or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so
they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">SHUVA BROTHERS
CHESED TENT-</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> On October 7<sup>th</sup> the small Gaza border
Shabbos observant village of Shuva was miraculously saved from the terrorists
that were swarming along the roads and highways and neighboring Kibbutzim. The
scene outside of their Yishuv though was devastating. Their were hundreds of
bodies that were piled up as it became the “safe” place were the army could
bring all of the murdered men, women and children by Hamas so they could be
extricated and taken to the Shura forensic center where they could be processed
and identified and that they wouldn’t be taken by Hamas.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">The three Terebelsi brothers, Kobi, Dror
and Ariel jumped into action bringing coffee and meals to the soldiers and
members of Zaka that were working around the clock there, and once the bodies
were cleared, they established a tent there that would be able to provide the
basic needs and supplies for all of the soldiers that were arriving in the area
with just the shirts on the back to join the war effort and secure our homeland
and rid us of the terrorists.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">That Chesed tent today has expanded and
is probably one of the center locations that soldiers coming in and out of Gaza
come to. There are hot meals prepared ther daily around the clock for them by
volunteers. There are showers, books, coffee and refreshments and supplies for
all of their basic needs that aren’t provided by the army. It’s a place to
chill. To relax, there’s a reading and learning and praying corner, there are
volunteers that come there to provide music for the soldiers. It’s totally
awesome. It’s chesed on steroids. Over 3000 soldiers a day frequent the Chesed
Tent. It’s all free for them and you can be part of the mitzva to help support
their efforts that continue to be essential to our soldiers.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Check out this short clip and link to see
some of their amazing work</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb-xeobapHQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb-xeobapHQ</a></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/115306">https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/115306</a></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Az
der soineh falt, tor men zikh nit fraien, ober men haibt im nit oif..”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">When your enemy falls,
don’t rejoice; but don’t pick him up either.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">29.The
name of the city mentioned in the bible as "It is the head of all
kingdoms" is___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">According
to the Bible, during the period of which king did the "United
Kingdom" split?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Zedekiah<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Josiah<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Rehoboam<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
Ahab<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b></p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/eliyahu-hanavi" style="text-align: left;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/eliyahu-hanavi</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">– </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>In honor of this week’s very
rare Haftorah reading, my tourists favorite and certainly most memorable fun
Eliyahu Ha’Navi composition and hit!!</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTlv0w-GYok">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTlv0w-GYok</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Been listening to this all week… Baruch
Levine’s latest Kumzitz album…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZDd18DVaKg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZDd18DVaKg</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>–
<b><i>Yaakov Shwekey’s latest Guf Uneshoman</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE2eu9BPU6w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE2eu9BPU6w</a>
– <b><i>beautiful medley with Yisrael
Portnoy and TYH</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jru7taoVKM4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jru7taoVKM4</a>
–<b><i> This Amazing Ani Maamin from TAI
and Yonah Broder</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><span style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>Hashem’s Prayer-</u> </b>There are a lot of prayers that we
have. All of them have been written by great men with holy spirits. Theyw ere
inspired by Hashem. The words have depth, they have meaning, they hit all of
the places that a human composed prayer needs to and can hit. But sometimes we
need something more than that. Sometimes we are in a situation where even our
cries and our tears can only accomplish so much. We have fallen so far, that Hashem
has reached a point where He’s done with us. It is at that and those moments
that Moshe Rabbeinu turned to Hashem and asked to see His “Face”. To achieve
the ultimate mercy. The Torah then tells us how Hashem told Moshe that no one
is able to see the Face of Hashem however we can see and appreciate the back of
Hashem. We can understand Him in retrospect perhaps, our commentaries explain.
It then tells us that Hashem came down in a cloud</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">VaYikra B’Sheim Hashem-</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and he called in the name of
Hashem. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Now Unkelos learns that Moshe called out and recited
these 13 attributes of Hashem, But the Midrash and Rashi seemingly learns as
well, that it was in fact Hashem that recited His 13 attributes. He taught them
to Moshe to teach us. Hashem said that even if all of our merits are used up by
the mere recitation of these 13 attributes we will be forgiven.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The Talmud in Brachos (7a) teaches us that Hashem
will have mercy even if we are not worthy, even if we are not deserving.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>How does this work? What is this prayer? And to be
even a little heretical for a minute… Why don’t we see that it’s working? After
all we Nusach sefard people recite them daily by tachanun and even Ashkenazim
recite them during the High holiday season, on fast days, at times of prayer
and yet so often we don’t see our prayers answered. We don’t see that
guaranteed return on our prayers.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>There’s a fantastic Midrash that describes Moshe
going up to heaven and Hashem was showing him around His palace up there. They
went from treasury to treasury where all of the rewards for man’s deeds are
found. These are for the one’s who do mitzvos. These are for those who raise
orphans. And so each treasury. Until he saw a huge treasure rom and he asked “who
this is for?”</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Hashem said “<i>He who has (deeds) I give him his
reward. And he who doesn’t I give him for free from here.”</i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i>There is only one condition to receive from what
seems to be the largest stockpile of reward and treasure and mercy, Rav Moshe
Shapiro teaches. You can’t have anything. You’re not on the line for reward.
You understand that there is really nothing that you have done or could do that
in anyway can get you anything of eternal value. You are not coming for payback
or with any merits. You’re coming and reciting these words because you
understand that you desperately need grace and a freebie from Hashem.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">With this he explains is why all of our prayers High
Holiday begin with the words of how shamefaced we are, like paupers, like
beggars we come to you Hashem. It’s why whenever we recite the 13<sup> </sup>Middos
we don’t even refer to Moshe by name. We call him the anav- the humble one. We
understand that the key is humility and a sense of total dependency. That’s how
we tap into this special prayer. That’s where Hashem has a huge storage house
waiting to pour down on us when we don’t deserve it. The reason perhaps why we
don’t utilize it and see the salvations we so desperately seek is because we
perhaps feel that we have some entitlement. We’ve done some things good. Hashem
owes us. We’re knocking on the wrong door and standing on the wrong line if those
are thoughts that are still in our heart. The special prayer Hashem teaches us
is to realize that we have nothing and to throw ourselves entirely upon Him. If
we do that… we are guaranteed to never be turned away.</p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ'S
ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">740 BC-Just When You Thought
it Couldn’t Get Worse– </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">As
I learn these chapters of story of Achaz, my mind as I’m sure yours as well is
exploding. It is incomprehensible to us how low we have fallen back then. Civil
war Jew against Jew, taking captives, hostages, over hundred thousand killed,
each kingdom allying themselves with our enemies- the <b>Kingdom of Israel</b>
with <b>Aram </b>and <b>Achaz </b>with <b>Assyria.</b> It’s insane. And it gets
worse… much much worse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Navi tells us that</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> after </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekachya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Northern Kingdom</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> brought </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
down against us to attack us approached </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tigleth Pilessar of Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to
join forces with us. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rezin the king of Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> had gone all the way down to</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Eilat </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and exiled the Jews from there joining forces with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Edomites</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
who took over the South of Israel. This incursion into the South of Israel
inspired our “friends” in</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Gaza</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Philistines</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to invade and
attack us as well. They conquered the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">lowland</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shefela</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. They
took over </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beit Shemesh, Ayalon, Gederot, Socho Gimzo, Gedera</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the plains
and coastal cities of Israel and yes they took hostages as well. October 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
was nothing compared to what was going on in the country. We were being
attacked on all fronts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In order to get support,
we have two choices. Turn to Hashem and do teshuva or hit up the Goyim. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
chose the latter. But he went a little crazy. He cleaned out all of the gold
and silver from the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Temple</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and sent it to the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">King of Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
who was quite happy to come to our aid… Or at least take our money. He then
attacked and conquered</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Aram </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">killing </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rezin</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and exiling them to a
place called </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kir</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which some say is near</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Libya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> others place it
down by</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Iraq</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">was so happy that he went up to </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Damascus</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
to greet </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tigelat Pilessar</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and he worshipped and brought sacrifices to
idolatry there to honor the king. Now one might think that’s just political-correctness,
but one would be wrong.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> really really bought into this thing. He came
back to the<b> Temple</b> and decided to turn it into a Temple for this
idolatry. He had <b>Uriah</b> move over the old <b>copper Altar of Shlomo where
</b>the daily sacrifices were brought and he built an identical altar to the
one he saw in<b> Damascus</b> instead and started offering on that. He took
down the glorious water basin <b>Shlomo</b> had built. He closed the doors to
the Temple and only allowed access through his palace. And he built temples and
altars to idolatry all over Israel. This was bad news. This is sick… One can
understand why Hashem got fed up with us I would think.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now as much as I’m
trying to show how much better we are then they were, I do want to point out a
few similarities that perhaps we should reflect upon as well. There is a mosque
on our Temple Mount. Jews are forbidden from praying there. There are churches
all over Israel. That’s’ idolatry. The government pays and subsidizes them, through
the religious ministries and protects them. Are things that different? You tell
me…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE PRAYER JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">(Start off with a very
teefeh joke…ponder it..)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On a cold winter
night; an older Irishman walks down the street using his prized glass flask of
whiskey to keep warm. Just as he returns it to his back pocket he slips on ice
and falls with a crunch. As he lay there assessing his injuries, he feels warm
liquid running down his leg. </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He closed his eyes and
said, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Please Lord, let it be blood."</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Berel’s mashgiach was
giving his class a long talk on sin, prayer, and forgiveness. When he finished
the lesson, he asked little Berel, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What do we have to do before we ask
Hashem for forgiveness</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">?"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Little Berel confidently
answered "<i>Sin</i>"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A ship is sinking, the
captain turns to the people on the boat and asks, "<i>does anyone here know
how to pray?"</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The priest on boards
says he can pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Captain: "<i>Ok
priest, you pray. Everyone else will wear a life jacket. We are short of
one."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I was just a
little kid, I used to pray for a bicycle. Then as I grew older I learned in
Sunday school, that's not how prayer works. So I stole a bike...and prayed for
forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What do we muslims
call the early call to prayer that wakes us up in the morning? The Allahm clock</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Where do Russian
Muslims go to prayer? Mosque O</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have a business
selling landmines disguised as prayer mats. The prophets are through the roof
so I guess you can say that business is booming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why do we say Amen at
the end of a prayer and not Awomen? Because we sings Hymns and not Hers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A man walking along a
California beach was in deep prayer when all of a sudden he said aloud, </span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Lord
grant me one wish."</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sky clouded and a
booming voice said, "<i>Because you have tried to be faithful I will grant
you one wish.</i>" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man said, "<i>Build
me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over any time I want to</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord answered, "<i>Your request is
very materialistic. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking ;the
supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific;the concrete and steel it
would take. I can do it,but it is hard for me to justify your desire for
worldly things. Take a little more time to think of another wish,one that will
honor and glorify me".</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After thinking long
and hard,he finally said,"<i>Lord I wish that I could understand women. I
want to know what they feel inside, what they're thinking, why they cry,what
they mean when they say' nothing',and how I can make a woman truly happy."</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a few minutes
the Lord said, "<i>How many lanes you want on that bridge? "</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What’s the difference
between prayer in shul and prayer in a casino? In a casino, you really mean it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rabbi Grenberg from
Brookly, Bob a doctor, from Teaneck and an Moishe the Real Estate mogul from
Lakewood were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers on
their weekly game</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moishe was the first
to speak up: “<i>What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15
minutes!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Doctor Bob: <i>I don't
know but I've what this riddiculus shlep is all about!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi Greenberg: “<i>Hey,
here comes the greenskeeper. Let's have a word with him.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi Greenberg: “<i>Hi
George. Say George, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow
aren't they?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">George: “<i>Oh yes.
That's a group of blind fire fighters. They lost their sight while saving our
club house last year. So we let them play here anytime free of charge</i>!”
(silence)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi Greenberg: “<i>That's
so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Doctor Bob: “<i>Good
idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's
anything he can do for them.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moishe “<i>Why can't
these guys play at night</i>?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">**********************************</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u>The answer to
this week”s question is <span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b><span style="background-color: transparent;">– Seems I’m on this 50/50 streak which is annoying. But
this was actually a pretty difficult question. I wasn’t sure where those words
in Tanach were coming from describing a city as Rosh mamlachot- head of all
kingdoms. I guessed Yersuhalayim which I figured is referred to as reishit- the
first in some capacity. But I knew I was probably wrong. Which I was. The
answer was in fact Chatzor in the Book of Yehoshua, which is in fact the
largest archeological stie in Israel that was where Sisra’s army came from. So
go that part wrong. But I got the second part at least the 2<sup>nd</sup> part
which was easy right. Of course the kingdom split by Rechavam who was the son
of Shlomo. Yeravam felt he was a loser and broke off and started his own
kingdom in the North. So at least I got
that part right and thus making the latest
score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>21 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 7 point</b>
on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-21943001868302915812024-02-23T03:05:00.000-08:002024-02-23T03:05:58.488-08:00Dressed to Kill- Parshat Tetzave 2024 5784<p> </p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">February
23<sup>rd</sup> </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">2024</span></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 19</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> 14<sup>th</sup> of
Adar 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Tetzave</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dressed to Kill</span></u></i></strong></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></strong></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They had just shot off missiles into Khan
Yunis about 3 miles from where I was standing. The battery was still warm and
there was smoke rising in the distance on the <i>shmoddered</i> building with
hopefully a bunch Hamas guys dying painfully in agony under the rubble. I was
smiling as I was schmoozing with these Miluimnik brigade from this Givati artillery
unit. They hadn’t been home for a few months and had just been moved here from
further north up in Gaza Strip area. It was hard to believe that I was just
shooting the breeze with these heroes right there, a stone’s throw from the battlefield.
It's amazing what a few burgers and steaks BBQ can get you these days. Before
October 7<sup>th</sup> to get onto an Army base with my tourists I would need
weeks of security checks, passports, permits from everyone in the government their
mothers and fifty waivers signed in triplicate apostilled and signed by the
secretary of Defense and the entire US state Department. Today a few slices of
pizza and some doughnuts and <i>Walla!,</i> you’re on a top secret base checking
out the nuclear codes. It’s a new world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason for this new phenomenon I’m pretty
sure is because the Army and government understand that the war we are fighting
today is different than anything we’ve ever faced before. It’s not just a soldier
war. It’s a civilian war. Our people were taken. They were raped, they were
burned, they were savagely brutalized, their bodies desecrated and mutilated,
and their homes and villages destroyed. This hasn’t happened in a hundred years-
since the 1929 Arab pogroms that took place in then all over the country and in
Chevron. Until now this was always considered the worst attack on the homeland and
there were 67 people killed in Chevron. There were 6 times that amount in just
the Nova festival alone let alone all the Kibbutzim. This wasn’t and isn’t a
war about soldiers or land. It’s about us. It’s our family and thus the
civilians get to come to the bases to give strength and support to our soldiers
who need it. And their need is not less then we the nation’s need to give and to
connect with these heroes who are putting their lives on the line to protect
and avenge us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So there I was sitting schmoozing with the
boys. I asked them what Shabbos was like out there in middle of nowhere fighting
against the enemy. Yair told me that to be honest it was very weird. He
recalled how the first Shabbos they were there they were sitting around in the
afternoon after having traveled and moved bases and positions. He said how one
of them pointed out that they were trying to figure out if there were any
prohibited <i>melachos</i> that they didn’t violate over Shabbos. They had lit
fires, built, and taken down tents, carried publicly etc… Perhaps one of them
suggested they didn’t bake anything. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They said they knew that the military Rabbi
had told them that they should obviously do whatever they needed to do. There’s
not too many situations that are much more life and death than war. They were
even told not to even bother doing anything with a bit of a change, a <i>shinui</i>-
which would categorically transform any Shabbos violation from a Biblical
prohibition to a Rabbinic one. They didn’t need to use their weaker hand or
anything out of the ordinary. It was <i>Pikuach Nefesh</i>. Life is most important.
Yet they felt guilty. Maybe they could do a little change. A little backhanded
motions It just didn’t feel Shabbosdik. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the nice things about being a Rabbi,
that I had gotten used to while I was doing Jewish outreach for many years, was
how incredible it is when all of sudden, words come out of my mouth and I have
no idea where it came from. It’s like Bilaam’s donkey’s mouth being opened up.
On the one hand it is extremely humbling, On the other, it is so so cool when
all of a sudden the right thing to say just pops out. I turned to the soldiers
and addressed them and asked what they thought they would see if-or better yet
when God- willing soon, when the Bais Ha’Mikdash <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is rebuilt in Jerusalem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would Shabbos there look like? Do you
know what would be going on? There would imaginably, jarringly to us, see
Kohanim slaughtering animals, lighting fires. They would be separating
offerings, lighting the Menorah, even, the Talmud tells us playing instruments
and music. Can you imagine that? And there was not even one little Yerushalmi kid
yelling at them and throwing stuff yelling “<i>Shabbos! Shabbos! Gevalt!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason for this is because it’s understood
that this is the service of Shabbos. It’s the Bais Ha’Mikdash. It’s what Hashem
commanded. Do you think for a minute the Kohanim felt bad? That perhaps they
thought they should do the service with a <i>shinui</i>? Of course not! In fact
it would be pasul if they did. It would be invalid and they would be liable for
the offense. They were doing the service of Hashem. They were fulfilling the
highest mitzva possible. They were bringing light to the world, a resting place
for the <i>Shechina</i>. A <i>raiyach nichoach la’Hashem</i>- a sweet, pleasant
smell to Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Well you soldiers,”</i> I said-or to be
more accurate the Divine words came out of my mouth and said- “<i>are the
Kohanim Gedolim of our generation. You are doing the avodas ha’kodesh, the Divine
work of this world. You are saving lives. You are eradicating evil. You are
bringing light. That battery you shot off is the menora. That smoke rising in
the distance is the ketores. It is the heavenly incense. It is a rayach nichoach-
a sweet pleasant aroma before Hashem. There’s nothing to feel bad about. You are
doing the avoda of Shabbos. Bringing peace to the world. Our little BBQ we made
for you is our simple matnas kahuna. It is our priestly gifts. Go do your work
faithfully. Thank you for your service</i>.”</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This week’s parsha introduces us to the role
and special clothing of the Kohanim; their uniforms. Because soldiers of Hashem
need uniforms. The uniforms by the way came from the donations of the people. I’m
just dropping that little piece there the next time you get an appeal for helmets
or vests for soldiers. That’s what we’re donating here. <i>Bigdie kehuna</i>-
priestly garments. Nobody asked why doesn’t the government or the Army take
care of that? They understood, that there was no army, no government. They’re
our kohanim serving for us and it’s an honor and privilege to clothe them. But
that’s just an aside. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Kohanim we are told were chosen because
they replaced the first-borns after the sin of the Golden Calf. They restored
the honor of Hashem. They gave their lives for that. But on an even deeper
level they gave their souls. They became killers. They fought against the
sinners, the <i>eirev rav</i> who had incited the nation to sin and forget that
Hashem is the one who took us out of Egypt. It wasn’t Moshe, whose name isn’t
even mentioned in this Parsha. That was the <i>miscontzeptzia</i> that led to
the golden calf. Moshe didn’t do anything. It was all Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even without Moshe we would still be redeemed.
We still have Hashem. We only really had Hashem. Because Hashem is in us. Moshe
was just there to reveal it to us. And the sin that the Kohanim fought against
after the Golden calf was to eradicate the notion that we needed a Moshe, a
golden calf, a government ,a peace agreement ,a United States or United Nations
to rescue us. The First Borns didn’t see it that way. But the children of
Aharon did. The tribe of Levi was there. They were called Levites because they
knew that Hashem was always being <i>melave- </i>accompanying us. He is the
only <i>Melave Neshek</i>- the armed accompaniment that we ever need.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet there is an even deeper reason why the tribe
of Levi and specifically the children of Aharon were chosen to be the ones that
would be given the honor of this service. The reason is because they were
willing to take the “sin” themselves rather than the Jewish people. For it was
Aharon who seeing the unrest of the nation and the turmoil they were suffering
that was drawing them into sins that they couldn’t step back from that brought
him up to the base and take the sin of the Golden Calf upon himself. The
Medrash states<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>At the time that the Jewish people came to do the action,
they first came to Chur and said</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Make us a god’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When he refused to listen to them, they stood upon him and
killed him. They then approached Aharon and he feared and he said “Now what
will I do. They killed Chur who was a prophet, if they now kill me then the
prophecy of killing ‘</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a prophet and Kohen in one day’<i> will cause
them to be immediately exiled</i>. <i>It is better that the blame of the sin
should be placed upon me and not Israel… <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem then said to Aharon. You</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
“loved righteousness” <i>seeking out to keep My children righteous and didn’t
want them to be found guilty of evil. Therefore, Hashem your God has anointed you.
By My life from all the tribe of Levi only you and your descendants will be
chosen for the High priesthood.’<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Shvilei Pinchas brings an incredible Chasam Sofer that
explains this idea as being the highest form of </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mesirus Nefesh</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- sacrificing
one’s life for the sanctification of Hashem. He notes that when one is martyred
or killed for the name of Hashem, or gives up their lives rather than violate a
sin or on behalf of the Jewish people, then as holy and incredible as that is,
they really are only giving up their bodies. Their physical existence. Their
souls though they know will live eternally. Aharon saw Chur do this and
understood though that something even more dramatic had to be done to save the
Jewish people. He decided that he was going to give up his soul as well. He was
going to sin, so that they wouldn’t. He was ready to give up his portion in the
World to Come eternally in order that the rest of the Jewish people won’t fall
to a place that they would never be able to come back from. He decided it was
better for him to sin and take all the blame and allow the Jewish people to
remain pure. Hashem’s spirit would still be capable of resting amongst them. Aharon
understood that would sacrifice would potentially mean that he wouldn’t merit
to be there with them. But he was ready to give it all up. At least the nation
and Hashem would be able to remain whole.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ironically, he reads homiletically and quite literally a new
insight in the words of Rashi who quotes the midrash that describes that ultimately
when the Mishkan was built and Moshe told Aharon to come close and bring the
offering, Aharon was intimidated and felt unworthy. He felt that he had sinned
with the golden calf. Moshe then told him that he shouldn’t feel embarrassed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ki lakach nivcharta-</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> because it was precisely
because you sinned and took the sin of the people upon yourself that Hashem chose
you.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Radomsker Rebbe takes this even a step further. He
understands that Moshe was telling him that it was for this reason specifically
s</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">he’nivcharta</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- that </span><b style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>you, </i></b><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aharon</span><b style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>,</i></b><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> chose to do
this sin. It was in order that you could do</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> teshuva</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and bring an
offering. In that way you could lift up the rest of the nation and help them do</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
teshuva </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">as well. For a </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">tzadik</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> only has the ability to lift up others
if he is in some way connected to the people and their sin. If the</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> tzadik</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
doesn’t have any </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">shaychus </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">to that particular failing, if he doesn’t relate
to the challenge and struggle of the people that come to him, then it’s not
within him to lift them up. “</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You, Aharon</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,” Moshe told him “<i>Chose to do this sin in
order that you can bring the people to teshuva and atonement through you. Don’t
be intimidated. Don’t feel ashamed. Your sin was only a</i> “melacha she’eino
tzarich l’gufa- <i>a sin that never had any intent of any violation of the law.
And thus you should come close and bring the offerings.”</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With this idea he explains is the uniform that the Kohen wears
in the form of the</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> eiphod </i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">apron that had the names of Israel on its stones
on each of his shoulders- besides the names that were written on as well upon
the breastplate stones The two shoulders, the Koznitzer Magid explains, are
like the wings of the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">nesher</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that Hashem promises to bring us to Israel
upon. Rashi tells us the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">nesher</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (really a griffin- not the commonly
mistranslated eagle, but hey I’ll let it fly… excuse the pun) is the highest
bird that flies with its children on its back. It does so because it is not
scared of danger from any predators above. It’s only threat is from the hunter
with an arrow from below. It says “</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">it is better that the arrows should
pierce me rather than my children</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”. So too, Hashem says that I’d rather
that I </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and the one that gets shot rather
than my children Israel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Magid asks, is Hashem really fearful of any arrows or
hunters down below? Who could possibly shoot something that would make Hashem
feel the need to protect us by putting on His back? Rather he explains that the
idea is that when the Jewish people were leaving Egypt the Satan claimed
against us that we were idolators and sinners and were not worthy of miracles.
We were not worthy of being redeemed. We were too far gone. We were ugly. We
were fighting. We were October 6</span><sup style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is to these Satan’s accusatory arrows that Hashem said, He
would take the bullet for. He would take upon Himself the blame. He would put
us on His back and redeem us and bring us Home. Those are the wings of the eagles.
And that is the shoulder stones of Aharon of the </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">eiphod</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that he wears
with the names of the children of Israel that he carries upon himself as well.
He carries us, he took the bullet for us as our soldiers today as well “violate”
the Shabbos in order that we may keep it. That Hashem could rest amongst His
nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I’ve said every week, we are getting closer and closer to
that final day. The </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">bigdei kehuna</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> are on our soldiers. These holy kohanim
are carrying the burden of the Jewish people on their shoulders. Those vests
that they are wearing on their hearts are shining out the light of the tribes
of Israel of </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">each one of us represented
by a precious stone that has its own color and light to it. It’s that </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">achdus,</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that unity, that makes them bullet proof. I was moved to tears this week as I
saw the light in their eyes as they read letters that my tourists or more accurately
“</span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">war-ists</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” brought them from children all over America. They felt the
love. They felt the caring. They understood that despite what the world accuses
them of, despite the trauma and pain of their brothers that have fallen, the
sacrifices that have been taken from us on that holy altar of Hashem and the danger
of arrows flying from the Satan, they have nothing to be intimidated or embarrassed
of. They are doing </span><i style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">avodas ha’kodesh</i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">- the holiest work in the world. May
Hashem watch over and protect them with their mission and His completed for
eternity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a festive Shabbos and fraylich Purim Katan,</span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Just when you
thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. Don’t worry
it’s not like I have any extra time on my hands to write another column here.
In fact I’ve been meaning to do this already for weeks and it’s only now after
125 days of War that I finally have a chance to add this essential column which
is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of
helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different
organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows,
farmers etc… There are so many needs and I know that you want to participate
and help them not just read about them. So each week I will feature in our
E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can contribute and make a
meaningful difference to. (this of course should not come at the expense of
your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal in another
month </span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">😊</span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">) But this is a way that you can bring
light and money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give
regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot
or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so
they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">EZRAT ACHIM-</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Long before
October 7<sup>th</sup> Ezrat Achim founded in 1997 by Rav Kopp the head of
Zaaka in Beit Shemesh has been known to be the address for chesed in the community.
What had started as a small organization that would provide medical equipment for
families with chronic illnesses and medical needs exploded into a full-time
provider and center over Corona when they took responsibility for so many
families that required assistance from food preparation, transportation,
Vaccines, Bilirubin testing for children. Since October 7<sup>th</sup> though
they expanded their activities assisting thousands of evacuated families with
their basic needs, with getting their children into schools, with medical assistance.
They prepare meals and food for Soldiers daily as well as basic supplies that
they are lacking. As well as offer support for wives and families of soldiers
serving and families in mourning over lost sons. There is almost no area that
this incredible organization doesn’t touch and it is manned by thousands of volunteers
who come daily to prepare help and assist in every area.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Check out this short clip and link to see
some of their amazing work</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0BuZt9_1Us"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0BuZt9_1Us</span></a></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://ezratachim.com/en/donation/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://ezratachim.com/en/donation/</span></a></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Shpilt
tsu di shoh, iz kain zind nit duh.”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If it’s done at the right time, it’s not a
sin.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">28.The
language in which the sights in the "Madaba Map" are written is
___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">What
is the name of the trail which begins in Nazareth, and the pilgrims walk in the
footsteps of<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Jesus?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">A.
The trail of the Apostles<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">B.
The Nazareth trail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">C.
The Gospel trail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">D.
The Sea of Galilee circuit trail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/vatem">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/vatem</a>
-</span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: left;"></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>My latest release- an amazing gorgeous new
song to be sung about our upcoming redemption… V’Atem- Wings of Eagles… thank
you Dovid Lowy for arrangements and Vocals! Let me know what you think!!</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim</a>
– <b><i>Get into the Purim Spirit with
Rabbi Schwartz compositions- Here’s my La’Yehudim with Dovid Lowy on Vocals and
Arrangements</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/techelet-mordechai</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>– <b><i>And of
course here’s my Techelet Mordechai composition with Yitz Berry. You haven’t celebrated
Purim Katan until you’ve listened.</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PydoRLq_agU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PydoRLq_agU</a>
– <b><i>Dovid Lowy kumzitz at Mevaseret</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hptZdP_hulY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hptZdP_hulY</a>
–<b><i>
Latest KoKulam very moving community of Beeri meeting and singing with Chatzeirim
where they are moving to…</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><u>Dressed for Sucess</u>– </b><span style="text-align: left;">This week we start getting closer
and closer to the service of the Beit Ha”Mikdash/ Mishkan with the inauguration
of the Kohanim into the service. Last week we described much of the vessels of
the Mishkan which our sages tell us correspond to our modern day Mikdash Me’at-
our shuls. It begins with the Neir Tamid- the eternal lamp that is the custom
to have in our Shuls in the front before the Ark which of course corresponds to
the Holy of Holies where the Aron is located. There are Menoras in our shul and
of course there is the Kohen who is today represented by our Chazan; the
Shaliac Tzibbur.</span></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p>The Parsha continues though with the special clothing
that the Kohen wears. They are for honor. They are for splendor. He is the representative
of the people and he has to dress that way. The clothing to a large degree make
the man and there are mystical aspects to the design and hidden meanings in
everything that he wears. Today as well although there is no specific uniform
for a Chazan to wear there is an appreciation that he has to dress respectably.
In some shuls the Chazan is required to wear a hat and jacket, in others a
gartel belt and in others its merely long pants and sleeves that cover their
elbows. I’ve even seen some shuls with artificial makeshift long sleeves that
they have to attach to their shirts. I dunno… it just looked weird to me.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p>There is an amazing idea that Rav Shimon Schwab
writes about clothing and its impact. He notes that whenever we make a bracha
on a mitzva we recite the words that Hashem sanctifies us with His mitzvot- <i>Asher
Kidishanu B’Mitzvotuv</i>. When we do a mitzva with our body then our body becomes
sanctified. It becomes holy. He explains with this why one doesn’t make a
blessing on the Torah by merely thinking about Torah, only if one writes or
speaks in learning. For mitzvos that one fulfills only in the mind or with
faith doesn’t impact the physical body. It doesn’t sanctify the body.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p>He notes as well that’s why when we wash our hands
before praying (which fascinatingly enough the Gaon of Vilna’s custom is to do
that with a blessing) we recite al Netilat Yadayim- that we have uplifted our
hands. Our actual body becomes sacred. And thus he continues that if we view
our bodies as holy, as a sefer Torah, then as well we understand the idea of
why our clothing which is like the cover of a sefer Torah has to be holy as
well.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p>Conceptually one might think that they can pray and
talk to Hashem in a Mickey Mouse T-Shirt but can you imagine aSefer Torah with
a T-Shirt on top of it. Our bodies are no less holy. Particularly when we come
to Hashem and daven to Him. When we pray, we are the Kohanim. We become holy
physically through that act. And thus the clothing we wear when we prepare for
that can and will change the way we treat our prayers. And if you dress right,
we will be answered right as well. </p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">740 BC-When Jews go to
the Goyim to solve our problems - </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">With the return of the 200,000 hostages to <b>Achaz</b>’s kingdom
of <b>Yehuda</b> that were taken by <b>Pekachiah’</b>s kingdom in the North
after the civil war and where 120,000 were killed, <b>Achaz</b> became even blindingly
even more rebellious and pathetically blind to his evil ways. He banned Torah
study in <b>Yehuda</b>. He closed down the yeshivas, the Kollels and it wasn’t
even to send them into army duty. It was literally a <b>Communis</b>t shutdown,
it was like the <b>Inquisition</b> and the decrees of <b>Antiochus</b>. But
this was Jews led by a Jewish king.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He shut down the Temple
service in the Beit Ha’Mikdash, he put a throne in the sanctuary, and he
permitted forbidden marriages. They don’t teach this stuff in school because it
is just too incomprehensible to understand. But it’s our history. It’s
important to see how far we can fall. And at the same time, it’s also important
to realize that as bad as we may ever think things may be, how secular we might
think our modern day State or Jewry state of affairs is, it was worse then.
Much worse then…We’ve still come a long way and very very far from how we were
back then.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In response to this once
again the northern kingdom flared up against </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, yet this time </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekachia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
incomprehensibly made an alliance with the</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><s> Hezbolla</s></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> terrorists from</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which is in modern day </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Syria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the capital being</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Damascus </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and
their king </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rezin</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Jews allying themselves with our murdering enemies to
attack their brothers in </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jerusalem</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. They swooped down from the North and
laid siege on </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jerusalem.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This was a mistake and again it’s not what
Hashem wants to see. Hashem thus sent the prophet </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeshaya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (whom we will talk
more about) to assure the wicked </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that he needn’t fear. This step
that the kingdom of Israel was too much for Hashem. It’s one thing if we fight
amongst ourselves which is serious enough. But to actually bring our enemies of
Free Palestine into this against us is too much to bear. Thus he told </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ephraim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (the name for the Northern kingdom of Israel would be
destroyed and exiled within 6 years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And yet even at this
point in time </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">doesn’t relent. He refuses to rely on Hashem even in
this most serious of situations. He decides he needs to take things into his
own hands. His plan…? Hook up with Assyria and its king </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tigleteth Pilesar</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and join forces with him against </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who had conquered the southern
city of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eilat</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. And thus the continuing saga of the exile of the Jewish
people from our land and the desecration of our Temple moves to the next level.
Phase two has begun</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE UNIFORM JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Where do hockey
players go to get another uniform? New Jersey</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Last night, I gave my wife
a medieval battle uniform to polish while I went to the bar...</span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">She always said she
wanted a night in, shining armor.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A tourist asks a man
in uniform, "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Are you a policeman?"</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I'm an undercover
detective."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Then why are you
in uniform?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Today is my day
off."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why is the army so
strict about their uniforms? To minimize casual tees...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yesterday I saw a
police officer wearing a pilot's uniform I thought it was a bit odd. Then I
realized he was one of those "plane clothes cops."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A very self-important
college freshman attending a recent football game, took it upon himself to
explain to an old veteran sitting next to him why it was impossible for the
older generation to understand his generation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You grew up in a
different world, actually an almost primitive one,"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the student said, loud enough for many of
those nearby to hear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The young people
of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the
moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and
hydrogen cars, computers with DSL, BPS, light-speed processing .... and</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">," pausing to take another drink of
beer.... The old vet took advantage of the break in the student's litany and
said, "<i>You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were
young, .. so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little twit, what are you
doing for the next generation?"</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The applause was
deafening. Don't you just love old vets...?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A fellow came to a
tailor to have a suit made for a special occasion. When the suit was ready the
man came to the tailor's shop to try it on. To his horror he discovered that
one sleeve was significantly longer than the other sleeve and one pants leg was
about 10cm shorter than it need be. The fellow complained to the tailor. The
event was that evening and he needed the suit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tailor advised the
desperate fellow that he should pull his arm up in such a fashion that the
short- sleeved arm sits right at the hand. He contorted himself as recommended.
Then he suggested that he shift his weight in such a way that the cuff of the
all too short pant leg comes right to the shoe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He paid for the
ill-fitted suit and went off limping down the street. Two gentlemen were
walking behind him and were observing how he was ambulating down the street.
One man said to the other, <i>"Look at that unfortunate fellow, how
disfigured and misshapen he is</i>!" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To which his colleague
replied on a positive note, "<i>At least he has a good tailor!"</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a war going
on between the British and the French and in the middle of the war two soldiers
from opposite sides stop to talk and the Brit asks the French officer “<i>why
do you wear red uniforms. Don’t you realize that they stand out and can be seen
a mile away?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He responds <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>respond “<i>when someone is shot the blood
blends in and morale stays up. Why do you wear brown uniforms?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><u>The answer to
this week”s question is <span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b>– So another 50/50 this week; half right and half wrong. I
got the first part wrong. But close not that it helps. The Meidba map found on
the floor of a church in Jordan of the Byzantine empire and the cities in
Israel from the 6<sup>th</sup> century I believe I thought was written in Latin.
But the correct answer it seems is Greek. Not that I care… Part II though was
easy. The Yoshka trail known as the Gospel Trail is through the entire lower
Galil. Basically everywhere that Yoshka pished they made a stop. My good friend
Chagi though as a result of this incredible desecration of our Holy Land memorializing
this evil heretical Jew that founded a religion that killed millions of us
throughout the generations- far more than the Muslims ever did, from the Crusaders
and on, in response developed the Sanhedrin Trail. This trail also in that area
follows the path of the Sanhedrin after our Exile through the cities and
locations in the Galil. So I got that right and thus the latest score is <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>20.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 6.5 point</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</p><p></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-8424249745396948852024-02-16T04:59:00.000-08:002024-02-16T04:59:58.374-08:00An Eternal Memorial- Parshat Teruma 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">February
16<sup>th</sup> </span>2024</b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">-Volume 13 </span>Issue 18</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 7<sup>th</sup> of
Adar 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Teruma</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u> An Eternal Memorial</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></strong></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eli wanted to buy a food truck, perhaps even a
fleet of them. It wasn’t for him. It was for Elkana, his son. Elkana was
learning to be a chef before October 7<sup>th</sup>. His dream was to have such
a truck in order to drive around to soldiers and bring them quality good food.
There’s nothing like food that brings Jews together and that was Elkana’s
dream. That dream ended with Elkana’s death along with 20 of his brave soldier
brothers, our martyrs when Hamas blew up the building they were inside of in
Gaza. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elkana did not merit to realize his dream, he
was taken too young at age 21 defending his country, wiping out the evil,
fighting for Am Yisrael. Yet Eliyahu, his father wants to see Elkana’s dream fulfilled.
His brother told me that Elkana excelled at Kibud Av Va’Eim. This food truck
that Eliyahu plans to go around with will bring all Elkana’s brothers together
with their father as they help him with it. They will fill the void that Elkana
left. They will restore the light that was vanquished.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For Linda it wasn’t a food truck. It was a
small memorial corner in her backyard that she wanted to build for Yonatan’s
memory. He had so many friends that still come over all the time. He was
someone who loved life. Who fought hard in the army and brought a smile and joy
to anyone that knew him. Despite the fact that its over 120 days since he was
murdered at the festival on Simchat Torah-the festival where he saved lives
evacuating people, his friends visit his grave and just sit there and mourn him
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When his mother last talked to him he assured
her that he would be alright. He would be home soon. That she needn’t worry.
His father had passed when he was a child, he as well was a hero serving as
Bibi Netanyahu’s driver. Yonatan Chai Azoulay, Linda’s son was even named after
Yoni, Bibi’s brother who was killed saving Jews who were hijacked and kidnapped
by the heroic Entebee rescue operation. It seems that Yonatan as well like his
namesake was destined for that same fate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet Linda wanted him to remain Chai. Her dream
was that her backyard would have a place where his friends could come to
remember him. Where she could have Shiurei Torah, nights of inspirational
singing. Where Yonatan’s spirit would continue to give life and inspiration to
the so many he touched in his short 23 year old lifetime. There he would live
on and be remembered for ever and gather eternal zechusim- merits. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elchanan Kalmanzohn’s father, Rav Benny had a
bigger dream for his son Elchanan’s memory. As we sat with him in Otniel in the
southern Hebron hills, he told us how Elchanan and his brother Menachem went
down to Kibbutz Be’eri that Simchas Torah morning after finding someone to
cover their responder unit in the Chevron area for them. There they spent 15
hours rescuing and evacuating door to door under fire over a hundred residents.
In one home they rescued a mother who was in labor, in another Elchonon stopped
to help an older woman find her hearing aide. There were some homes that were
too terrified to even allow them in until they recited Shema for them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elchanan was killed by terrorists during that
operation and his brother was wounded. His wife and the five orphans he left
behind understood what a hero he always was, yet they didn’t even know that he
was a member of the intelligence Mossad as well as being a decorated soldier at
the young age of 42 when he was taken. His gravestone there in Otniel is the
only one that bears both of those emblems. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While a Sefer Torah was dedicated in Be’eri
for his neshoma, Rav Benny told us that the family wanted to do something
special to memorialize him. When they were going over some of the options, they
remembered Elchanan’s will and testimony that he wrote a few years back when
his Uncle Rav Mickey Mark was murdered by terrorists on the way home, with his 15-year-old
son Padidya and daughter Tehilla in the car 7 years ago. {Rav Mickey’s son
Padidya, Elchanan’s cousin, was killed as well a few weeks ago in Gaza leading
a unit. The pain doesn’t end….}<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Elchanan’s will that he wrote at that time
to his family. He told them that if he should ever be killed he wanted to be
buried in Otniel. This was his home. His life’s mission was settling Eretz
Yisrael. Redeeming it from the Arabs and expanding Jewish life to all the
borders of our land that Hashem had returned us to. He wanted to build and grow
the village that they lived in. And his final words he wrote that even if god
forbid the government ever saw fit to give the land to the Arabs in some type
of two state “rip-us-to-piece”s agreement, then his body should remain there.
It shouldn’t be exhumed and moved. Otniel is his home. And thus Rav Benny told
us his legacy would be to start a new neighborhood in Otniel <i>L’zichro.</i> A
caravan where would the first families could move in. It would be named after
Elchanan and his legacy and response to his murder would be to increase our
settlement of the land. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The stories and memorials continue and go on
and on and on. There are the so many Torah scrolls that have been dedicated in
memory of fallen soldiers. There haven’t been too many houses that I have paid
a Shiva call to that haven’t handed me a Tehillim or Torah work that has been
dedicated to their fallen son. There are close to 1500 <i>kedoshim</i> that
have been murdered since October 7<sup>th</sup>. Five hundred and sixty-nine of
them are soldiers. There are tens of thousands of orphans, widows, grieving
parents and siblings. There is no one in this country that hasn’t lost someone
that they were in some way connected to. We’re a country in mourning. One that
has lost too many of its finest sons. Yet in that darkness there is a bright
light that is shining stronger and stronger. The Bais Ha’Mikdash is being built
on the light emanating from the sacrifices- the <i>korbanos</i> on the sacred
ground of our holy land that is being redeemed. For our soldiers are not dead.
Am Yisrael is Chai.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This week we begin the story of the building
of the Mishkan, the temporary dwelling place for Hashem that is the prototype
of what will ultimately be the Bait Ha’Mikdash in Jerusalem where the Shechina
will ultimately reside. Our sages tell us that this is really what the purpose
of the entire Creation of the World and mankind is all about. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Rotza Hashem Dira Ba’tachtonim</i>- Hashem
wanted a dwelling place down here.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s our job to build Him one. Maybe that’s
the reason Jews have always been drawn to Real Estate. We were Chosen as we
learned in last week and the previous weeks parsha of Yisro and Mishpatim at
Sinai to be His contractors on this world. To build Him His eternal Home. Fascinatingly
enough as we mentioned last week the narrative of the Sinai revelation and the
giving of the Torah was divided over two Torah portions, with a break in the
middle that contained all of the laws of Mishpatim. Similarly, but taken to
even the next level we have the portions that discuss the building of the
Mishkan divided into four portions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first two this week’s Parshat Teruma and
next week’s Tetzave, are about the commandments to raise the money for the
various vessels and necessary components of the Mishkan; the Ark, the Menora,
the Table and the Altars and beams. While next week will discuss the clothing
of the Kohanim. The last two portions of the Book of Shemot Va’yakhel and
Pikudey discuss the actual collection and construction. It’s a lot of words in
a book that’s pretty thrifty on Divine ink. Sandwiched in the middle is the
story of the sin of the Golden Calf. The obvious questions the reading of these
<i>parshiyot </i>beg is why so many words, why so many times do we need to
repeat this and why is this interrupted by the story of the Golden Calf? That
last question, though leads to perhaps the biggest question which is when did
this whole story really occur? Was it before the sin or afterwards? Why is it
split up like this with no clarity as to when this occurred?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fascinatingly enough the answer to this last
question actually quite typically Jewishly is a dispute. We Jews never agree on
anything. Yet, the Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches us that all three of the opinions
about how this all occurred are in fact true and contain an eternal lesson for
all of us that is even more powerful today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first opinion is that of the Zohar, that
both the commandments to build the Mishkan and the actual collection of Parshat
Va’Yakhel take place before the sin of the Golden Calf. In fact, it even notes
that’s why for the sin of the Eigel they took the gold and jewelry from their
wives because it was all used up for the Mishkan. Rashi on the other hand
understands that this week’s parsha of the commandment as well as the following
<i>parshiyot</i> take place after Moshe came down from the Mountain and we
sinned. The Ramban finally takes the middle approach where the command was
before the sin, but the collection wasn’t until afterwards. Three opinions that
are all true in some metaphysical way and they contain a message for us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Rebbe understands that each of these three
approaches, as well as the three basic materials of the Mishkan, gold, silver
and copper, all correspond to a different type of Jew. There are the righteous
ones, as we as a nation were after the Sinai revelation when we were cleansed
of all our sins. The <i>tzadikim</i> might assume that they don’t need the
Mishkan. They don’t want to be busy, building physical buildings. Shlepping
wood, banging nails, sculpting gold and weaving curtains isn’t really their
thing. Gold? Silver? Money? Phewww… that doesn’t interest them. They’re above
that. They just want to sit and learn and daven. They want to rise above this
world. Leave that for everyone else. They want a yeshiva exemption. The Torah
thus tells them with Moshe’s commandment, that it’s time to roll up their
sleeves and get to work. We were put on this world to raise it up. To connect
Heaven and Earth to build a physical stone and mortar building for Hashem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The second group are the Jews that Rashi
describes who sinned by the Golden Calf, repented and were forgiven. The Baalei
Teshuva. They are perhaps in some capacity greater than the righteous. The
Rebbi sees them as being represented by the gold. It’s rare. It’s something
that’s not easily acquired. It’s rising up to Hashem rather than bringing
Hashem down to us that the Tzadik who is silver does. They as well might feel
that the Mishkan is not for them. It’s for the righteous to uplift the world.
The Baal Teshuva has been-there-done-that already. It might be dangerous for
him to go back in. To get back to the places that he was, to the working world,
to the physical existence and continue that past. To him as well Hashem
commands, get back and finish the job. It’s not over until the Mishkan is
built. Until I have a home. Don’t go all Israeli on me and stop in the middle
of the project because “<i>eets good enaf</i>”. It’s not over until it’s over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, we have the last set of Jews. The
ones that sinned and haven’t done teshuva yet. According the Ramban it is to
these Jews in between the purity of Sinai and the aftermath of the Eigel
timeframe that the <i>mitzva</i> was given to build the Mishkan. They are the
copper. The simple ones. The word copper in Hebrew is <i>nechoshes</i>- which
shares the root of the word <i>nachash</i>- snake as in original-sin-snake. The
tainted venomous sin that we got rid of at Sinai but reinfected ourselves with
the sin of the Eigel. They/we are as well essential. Perhaps even most
essential, as the foundation of the Mishkan, the bolts that hold it all
together are the simple Jews who haven’t done teshuva necessarily yet. They
just have that holy untainted spark that is awaiting to be uplifted. They are
the basic cogs of the Mishkan. They are what make up the foundation of where
the <i>Shechina</i> will call its home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet there is an even deeper connection behind
the placement and interruption of this story of the building of Hashem’s home.
It’s not just dispersed between the Sinai revelation and the sin of the golden
calf. More specifically our Parsha begins after the conclusion last week of
Moshe going up to heaven to receive the Torah after the revelation of the Ten
Commandments. The Mishkan begins with a mortal flesh and blood man who leaves
this world. He is taken up above. The nation down below feels they are lost
without him. That they can’t go on. That life will not and can’t be the same
without his light. It is into that void that the commandment to build the
Mishkan is given. It is right then and there that Hashem tells Moshe to command
the nation to take that energy and that emotion and channel it into building a
Home for him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each Jew had a special connection to Moshe and
each one felt that they had lost him in some way. Will he come back? Won’t he?
Who ever heard of someone coming back down from heaven? Who ever heard of
someone coming back from Gaza…? For many Jews the day after the euphoria and
Simcha of the giving of the Torah on the 7<sup>th</sup> of Sivan (Sivan is
gematria October… just joking…but c’mon the connection is really eerie… and you
started to try to figure it out…) was a day of mourning. Their Moshe was gone.
What do you do? Can you show faith? Can you keep that faith? Can you build a
Home for Hashem with the knowledge that this is really for the good? That it’s
the last piece before the <i>Shechina </i>will come down… That even if you’re
the most righteous person there’s work down here to do; to connect with those
that aren’t as observant as you. That even if you’ve sinned that you’ve
worshipped idols and made festivals around golden calves. Can you believe, feel
and understand that Hashem still wants you to get up and bring your gifts, your
copper to His sanctuary? That you can be the holy korban He chose for His
altar.That although you may have not yet done <i>teshuva,</i> that you may feel
unworthy, but this has never been about you. It’s about all of us together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Mishkan is about creating a united nation
made of gold, silver and copper Jews. It will contain an Aron that have the
original holy tablets written by Hashem that are untainted, with its broken
shattered pieces sitting side by side with the new Tablets written by Moshe. It
will rest in the Holy of Holies at the heart of the Mishkan. It’s that Oneness
that is the basis and only way that Hashem can have a home here. If even one
child is not at that Shabbos table, is still in Gaza, hasn’t yet returned and
brought their spark, their <i>teruma,</i> their gift, their uplifting of the
world, then the table is not complete. The Oneness of Hashem is not at rest.
It’s not really home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This week, unlike most years the 7<sup>th</sup>
of Adar the day that Moshe Rabbeinu died does not fall out on the week of
Parshat Tetzave as it generally does but rather on Erev Shabbos of Teruma. Even
this <i>yartzeit</i> like most things this year are different and therefore
there must be a message in it for us. The answer perhaps is precisely in what
we are seeing and undergoing right now. Our great Chasidic masters teach us from
the Zohar that every Jew has a spark of Moshe within them. It’s that eternal
spark that he implanted in our DNA that is the pure Torah he taught us. While
Moshe was with us, we didn’t realize that it was within us to be able to activate
that spark. That we had a Moshe inside of us that as his name translates can pull
up the world. Batya, Pharaoh’s daughter named him that as he was pulled up himself
from the water and he thus then had the power to bring everyone up with him. We
have that power as well. That power first became recognized by us when he went
up to heaven. When we felt he was no longer with us. When we felt lost. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is then Hashem tells us in this week’s
portion that we can build Hashem a house that will uplift the world to Him.
That the Shechina resides in us. That Moshe is still alive. That we are eternal.
That we can build an eternal home. That we can bridge that gap between heaven
and earth, with our actions, with our mitzvos, with the things the Torah, Moshe
taught us, the Torah’s we learn and teach, the achdus and unity we bring, the
kindness that we do and the charity we give. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We read this portion this week right after the
yartzeit of the 7<sup>th</sup> of Adar. We read this parsha at a time in our
history where the building of that Bait Hamikdash is being paved on the
foundations of the memorial acts that we are building for the so many martyrs
that we know are really not gone. That they are up above with Moshe. They are
looking down as the Shechina is coming closer and closer to its resting home.
The eradication of Amalek that Moshe started in that first battle after we left
Egypt is finally coming to its conclusion. It’s not only being won by the army that
is no less heroic and holy than the one Yehoshua led at that time, but it is
being won by soldiers who turn their eyes to the Mountain. To Moshe with his
hands uplifted. To heaven asking Hashem for mercy and strength. May all of
these merits, and the power of all of the sacrifices and<i> kedoshim </i>that
Hashem took from us bring that Home down to us this month of Adar, with all the
children and our Father home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk158987563;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have a joyous Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;">NEW COLUMN!!<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Just when you
thought this E-Mail couldn’t get any longer… well here it goes. Don’t worry
it’s not like I have any extra time on my hands to write another column here.
In fact I’ve been meaning to do this already for weeks and it’s only now after
125 days of War that I finally have a chance to add this essential column which
is dedicated to giving you readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of
helping out our country and nation by donating to a weekly link of a different
organization, a cause, soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows,
farmers etc… There are so many needs and I know that you want to participate
and help them not just read about them. So each week I will feature in our
E-Mail in this column another cause and link that you can contribute and make a
meaningful difference to. (this of course should not come at the expense of
your sponsorship of my weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal in another
month </span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">😊</span></i></b><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">) But this is a way that you can bring
light and money to the so many that need it. Give what you can. But give
regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send me a screenshot
or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever receives it so
they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A Chesed Food
Truck of the family of fallen soldier Elkana Yehudah Sfez</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Elkana was a
hero and soldier that fell this past month along with 21 of his comrades fighting
in Gaza. We miraculously visited his mourning family and they shared with us
how special he was and how his unfulfilled dream and plan was to become a chef
and bring good food to soldiers in a food truck uniting Jews and giving chizuk
to our brave soldiers. His family has taken on this project to be his living
legacy that Eliyahu, Elkana’s father and his brothers plan on driving around
daily giving that gift to others. Please help the family raise the necessary funds
by contributing to this campaign, bringing nechoma and consolation to the
family, creating a zechus for Elkana and bringing chizuk and achdus to Klal Yisrael.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Here is a litte video link or two about Elkana
</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAFxLnlvvSo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAFxLnlvvSo</a></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIycfST56YU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIycfST56YU</a></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/bringromhome"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/bringromhome</span></a></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Aider
es kumt di nechomeh, ken oisgaien di neshomeh “- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Until the consolation
comes one can go out from their soul.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">27.The
name of the line separating two drainage basins is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In
which settlement in the Galilee lives a large Bedouin community?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Tiberias<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Basmat Tab'un<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Mi'ilya<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
Safsufa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/vatem">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/vatem</a>
-</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>My latest release- an amazing gorgeous new
song to be sung about our upcoming redemption… V’Atem- Wings of Eagles… thank
you Dovid Lowy for arrangements and Vocals! Let me know what you think!!</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XNucai5q3w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XNucai5q3w</a>
– <b><i>Seems like wings of Eagles is on all good people’s minds… This Luzy
Klatzkow and Rabbi K’s latest release as well “Wings”</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZeiIjNGR4o">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZeiIjNGR4o</a>
</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>– <b><i>Eitan
Katz new release of golden oldie Chamol with so much more meaning and heart in
NY concert…<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_9hnZFp_2w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_9hnZFp_2w</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>Ari Goldwag and Dovid Lowy
collab…on the nicest song on his new album release. Tomorrow is Now!<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15HBrgWPGoY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15HBrgWPGoY</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> Naftali Kempeh’s latest release
Yeish Inyan<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>Before the Ark</u>– </b>This week we begin to read the
narratives of the Torah that describe the construction of the Mishkan; what the
Torah describes as the resting place of the <i>Shechina</i>. It’s a new
revolutionary concept for our nation and perhaps even for the world. It seems
that until that point there were temples for idolatry. As well we have
sacrifices and prayers that were always present from the Creation of Man. We
believe that Hashem is everywhere, and one can daven to Him and connect with
him any place. Yet here we are introduced to a central gathering place of
service to Hashem. To a large degree the Mishkan was meant to be a temporary
building for the few weeks it took to get into Eretz Yisrael and build the
ultimate house for Hashem. It’s a lot of Torah-Scroll word space for a
temporary building. Yet, as we know The truth is for thousands of years we’ve
been “davening” and servicing Hashem in temporary galus/exile buildings and
shuls then in His one Home in Yerushalayim. And thus the messages of the
Mishkan and the idea of coming together and gathering to reveal the <i>shechina</i>
are derived from the Mishkan and its service.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The different components of the Mishkan are all
things that bring together and represent the different factions of Klal
Yisrael. The external altar made of copper and wood is the simple Jew.
Interestingly enough the Midrash tells us that the wood it is made out of
represents the forefathers, they were planted by Yaakov, Avraham had the angels
under the tree, Yitzchak as well carried wood to his binding on the altar which
will become the place of the Mizbayach. The altar are the prayers of every Jew,
our sacrifices and that we are all children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. We
start our Shemona Esrei with the connection to them mentioning the merit of our
forefathers.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p> Next we have
the Menora and the Shulchan which represent both those individual Jews that
represent the light and wisdom of the Torah and the ones that are the Gomley
Chesed and supporters of Torah. Each Jew can find their place in one of these
pillars. We have doctors, lawyers, accountants, Torah scholars and we have
business men, philanthropists, Charity organizations that give and provide
life. That is the second blessing of Shemona Esrei.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Finally we approach the Holy of Holies. Within it is
the Aron. It’s symbolic of the Har Sinai, where Hashem revealed Himself to us.
When we became His holy nation. There we were united as one. There only one
person, the Kohen Gadol can go in. We are all united with Him. He is like
Moshe. He is our Shaliach Tzibur, our Chazan. He stands before our Aron today
in our Shuls. That is the third blessing of the Holiness of Hashem that can
then be revealed in all of us. Our shul has become the Mishkan. Our prayer has
returned us to Sinai. It is then after we have done this service that we can
continue with the rest of our requests. Because then our prayers are no longer
for our personal needs. Rather they are for the world. They are for the
Shechina. They are for the Bait Hamikdash and Hashem’s presence in
Yerushalayim. May we finally have those prayers answered.</p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">740 BC-Achaz the Wicked
King- </span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You know the saying how
the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Well that’s not always true
particularly when it comes to the <b>Kings of Yehudah</b>. Last week we
discussed the righteous King Yotam, this week we learn about his successor and
son a real rotten apple <b>Achaz. Achaz</b> was one of the most evil <b>Kings
of Yehuda</b>, who until that point hadn’t too bad over the years. <b>Achaz</b>
brought them though to their lowest point. He not only introduced idolatry to
levels it had never been brought to before with the worship of the Baal but he
brought in the worship of the<b> Molech</b> in the valley of <b>Gei Hinom</b>
which included the sacrifice of children by passing them through fire. Sick,
sick people… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact today the valley
of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gei Hinom</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mount of Olives</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and the boardwalk of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jerusalem
</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">outside of the old city still maintains its name because of that worship
that took place there. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> sent his own sons through the fire, but the
midrash tells us that Chizkiya his righteous son was miraculously saved because
of the merit of his future descendants </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chananya, Mishael and Azarya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who
generations willingly allowed themselves to be thrown into a firey furnace
rather than worship idols. Their ancestor was saved in the merit of the
children. There’s a message there for us today, when our young men are
eradicating the evil and going through fire to avenge the blood of our children
who were burnt and slaughtered. Yet </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz’</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">s cruelty and evil led to the
wrath of Hashem against his kingdom in perhaps one of the most incomprehensible
wars. Hashem brought the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> from up in Syria to wage war against Achaz
and to make matters worse the Book of Divrey Ha’Yamim tells us that the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">King
of Israel, Pekachia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> as well took advantage of the situation and as well
went to war against Achaz. Brother against brother facing off as enemy armies.
The tragedy is uncompromisable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In that civil war Divrey
Ha’yamim tells us Pekachia killed 120,000 men of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yehuda</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> all in one day.
The thought they were acting out in the name of Hashem because of the evil worship
of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">but in truth it was a horrible war that led to even greater
atrocities. They took captives and hostages from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yehuda</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 200,000 women,
children, boys, Jews taking each other captives and hostages! They looted, the
spoiled. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>We</i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> were </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hamas-</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> but were Jews doing this to our
brothers… It’s incomprehensible that Sinat Chinam could reach such a level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ultimately Hashem sent
the prophet </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Oded</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to rebuke and warn the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kingdom of Israel</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> about
the evil of their ways. And thus the men of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ephraim </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">heard this rebuke and
feared the Divine repercussions and returned and clothed those hostages and
returned them to the city of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yericho</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Yehuda</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. One would hope
this would bring an end to the war and to the evil of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Yet, it
only emboldened him more. He saw this return of his hostages as a victory. A
sign that he could do what he wants and continue in his evil path. The contzeptzia
hadn’t been broken. And so he continued to sin. Next week we will talk about
how much further and lower we can fall.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY GRAVESTONE JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">“I saw a gravestone that said ‘Here lies a
math teacher. He finally found peace in being a sum of all parts.'”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My friend’s gravestone says ‘Beloved coffee
lover. He couldn’t espresso how much he meant to us.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“On another gravestone, it reads ‘An avid
baker. Life really kneaded him, but he always rose to the occasion.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“A musician’s
gravestone reflects ‘He was always in treble, but found harmony in the end.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A chef’s gravestone bears the words ‘He
spiced up our lives and left us with seasoned memories.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A skydiver’s
gravestone bears the words ‘He soared through life and embraced the fall. In
the end, he took a leap of faith.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“On a magician’s gravestone, it says ‘He
pulled off disappearing acts with such poise. Now he has vanished into
eternity.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A carpenter’s gravestone reads ‘He crafted a
life full of love and sawdust. Now he’s nailed the final masterpiece.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In memory of a librarian, the gravestone
declares ‘She was always bound to books. Now she rests between the pages of
history.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A comedian’s gravestone states ‘His jokes
will forever echo in our hearts. Laughter was his final punchline.'”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A lawyer’s wife died.
At her grave, everyone was appalled. The tombstone read, “HERE LIES PHYLLIS,
WIFE OF ATTORNEY MURRAY WILLIAMS; SPECIALIZES IN DIVORCE AND MALPRACTICE”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Murray burst into
tears. His brother said, “You SHOULD cry, pulling a cheap publicity stunt like
this. Murray said, “<i>You don’t understand. I gave them my business</i> card”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His brother
apologized.. But then he continued “…<i>and they didn’t include the phone
number</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Two men walking in a
cemetery find a recent gravestone , so they read it:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Here lies an
honest man and a competent lawyer"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So one of the guys
turn to the other:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"When did they
start burying two people together?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is written on a
very successful hacker’s tombstone? “R” His IP is well hidden.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why would I want to
buy a tombstone? It's the last thing I need.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel was blessed
with 12 children yet that was turning out to be a problem for him when he was
trying to rent a house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No landowner
would allow him to rent their house due to the number of children he had.
Frustrated, Yankel told his wife to visit her father's tombstone and bring all
but their youngest child with her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He then visited a
property and told the landowner that he would like to rent the place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Is this your
only child?" asked the landowner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No, I have 12
children</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">" replied the
man.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Then where
are the other 11 kids?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"In the cemetery
with my wife,"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> he truthfully
replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Late one night, Jack
takes a shortcut through a cemetery. Hearing a tapping sound he becomes scared
and quickens his pace. The tapping gets louder and Jack is now scared out of
his wits. Then he notices a man chiseling a tombstone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Thank goodness</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">!" Jack says to the man. "<i>You
gave me a fright of my life. Why are you working so<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">late?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"They spelled my name
wrong</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was once a man
named Odd. He was very embarrassed by his name and didn't want anyone to know
about it. When he died he had no name written on his gravestone. One day a
bunch of tourists came to his town and visited the graveyard where they came
across a gravestone with no name on it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>That's
Odd!"</i> He said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This morning as I was
walking through I saw someone crouching behind a gravestone. I said, <i>'Morning.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">' He said, <i>'No I'm
just lost my keys.'<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After my friend died
from an allergic reaction to peanuts, I went to his funeral. Everyone got upset
when I put an Epipen on his tombstone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So I explained: <i>"It's
what he would have wanted"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b><span style="color: black;">– Ah well… there goes my streak. I got the first part
right. Well sort of… I knew the answer in Hebrew for the Water Drainage Basin
line- I wasn’t sure of it in English. That’s what happens when you take the
course in Hebrew. So I knew the answer was kav parshat ha’mayim. They talked a
lot about the fact that there’s a mountain range through the middle of Israel
and the water flows down on both sides of the country. Part of the whole Syrian
African Rift thing. It’s also why the Avos and most civilization begins in the
middle of the top mountain range so as to maximize the water flow on both sides
and dig cisterns. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Part B though I got
wrong. I had no clue and guessed. Mi’ilya. I knew it was either that or Bosmat
Tivon. I was wrong bed coin flip. Mi’iliya not far from my house actually, near
Maa’lot is actually a Catholic Arab village. Hmm.. never knew that, see learn
something new every day… But lost my streak but still doing pretty good on this
exam. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the latest score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b>
<b>20 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 6 point</b> on this latest Ministry of
Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"> <b><i>Insights
& Information </i>is sent to e-mail addresses that of have been
submitted to the Rabbi Schwartz. To unsubscribe at any time, I send an e-mail
to </b></span><a href="mailto:rabbschwartz@yahoo.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black;">rabbschwartz@yahoo.com</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"> with the words "unsubscribe
insights" in the Subject line and/or the first line of text. If you know
of anyone that may be interested in receiving this newsletter feel free to pass
this on to them...</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-83638736602704318012024-02-09T00:36:00.000-08:002024-02-09T00:36:42.497-08:00Worthy Cause?- Parshat Mishpatim 5784 2024<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">February 9<sup>th</sup>
</span>2024</b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">-Volume 13 </span>Issue 17</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 30<sup>th</sup> of
Shevat 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Mishpatim</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u> Worthy Cause</u></i></strong></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
wasn’t in a good mood when he messaged me. I had just come from a visit that
was unplanned- at least by me- to a mother of a young man, Rom, who was
kidnapped in Gaza. It was unplanned because I had other people who I had meant
to visit with my "Chizuk-trip-philanthropists”, a special mother and
daughter who had granted me a few hours of their precious limited time here to
visit families. The family I had meant to visit canceled on me and Rom’s mother
and two brothers fell into my lap instead. Their story tore me to pieces and
ripped out my <i>kishkas</i>. Thus when my friend Yossi texted me with a
message of someone whom he had met who was looking to sponsor and support a
family who was evacuated, I just wasn’t in the right mood. But first a bit
about Rom’s family situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tamar,
Rom’s mother was an Aguna for many years. Her husband walked out, and the
burden of raising her three sons fell onto her lap. Her oldest son had some
problems of his own that prevented him from finding meaningful employment and he
had moved back into their small apartment in Neve Yaakov where he shared a bed
with his younger brother. Not a typo, by the way… He shared a bed. She was
struggling enough as is, but when she broke her foot a few months ago and
became immobilized and required surgeries, things really started to get rough
for them. Her middle son, Rom, who had just gotten a break from his army
service took on some extra jobs to help take care of his mother and support
their family. Their roof was leaking. Their refrigerator broke. Rom himself
finally earned a bit of money and he rented out an apartment for himself,
little did he know that he would only live there for a few weeks, as Simchas
Torah would be the last time that he would be there until now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
weekend of the last day of the holiday, Rom got called up for a job to be a
security guard at the Nova festival. He didn’t even tell his mother he was
going. It wasn’t only until 7:00 or so that his mother got the call from him
that he was alright and that he was in a safe tent and was being evacuated. The
problem was that this wasn’t exactly true. What Rom in fact was doing was
evacuating other people. Going from place to place at the festival and leading
people under fire to safety from the terror that was raining down on them from
all sides. Two young girls told Tamar how they were hiding in a garbage bin
covered in bodies terrified until they heard Rom’s strong friendly helpful
voice call to them and how he cared and encouraged them not to be scared as he
led them to that safe tent where he borrowed a Bedouin's phone to call his
mother and assure her that he was alright. It was the last they heard from Rom
since then. It was only weeks later that the army told them that Rom had been
kidnapped. He was in Gaza. They don’t know when and if he will come home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things
went from bad to worse for Tamar and her family. They fell into deep depression.
The older brother Amit stopped coming out of his room for months. He felt
helpless and to blame for his brother having to work and felt he should’ve been
in his place. Little cute and strong Ziv was having problems understandably in
school and he moved out with his aunt to Rishon Li’Tziyon who could give him
the attention he needs. Ironically or tragically enough that meant that Tamar
was no longer able to get her child support from the government- her <i>kitzvat
yeladim</i> provided for every family. To make matters worse even though she
was entitled to some government money as the status of a hostage is similar to
one who loses a son and provider. Her Ex who had not given her a Get and abandoned
the family took half of that money leaving her with not even enough money to
cover their basic expenses- let alone the apartment and rent that Rom took out
just two weeks prior that they had to continue to pay the lease on, that
emotionally she wasn’t able to give up or deal with. Things were very bad and
then they got worse- if you didn’t think that was possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See,
they were brought into New York by the father of a basketball player that heard
about their story for them to attend a game, bring awareness to the plight of
the hostages and to help the family out. Before coming to the game, the Chabad
Rabbi had raised 20,000 dollars for the family which he gave to them. That hope
and joy though was taken from them, when within a few hours of them having that
money, it was stolen from them along with their suitcases and passports. The
Breslavsky family was living a nightmare that didn’t seem to end. They felt
cursed. They were drowning. And there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
That was the home that Hashem brought me to, and I had no clue.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
was after that visit when I received Yossi’s text it went something like this-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Hi
Rabbi, I just got back to Eretz Yisrael from my trip to America and I had a
meeting with someone who asked me if there was a religious family that I knew
of that was evacuated from their home that he might be able to help out
financially.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Seeing
this as a sign from Hashem I immediately forwarded him all the information
about Rom and his family’s plight with a link (that I will include below in our
new column…stay tuned for the tzedaka/chizuk/ donation of the week column)
where he could donate to. The next question though he sent me was what set me
off. It was just three words, but that’s all it took.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Are they religious?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeah…
I wasn’t in the mood, and so this is what came out of my iPhone. Perhaps it was
a message from Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>The
family religiously observes the biblical mitzva of living in the land of Israel
that Yankel “Five Towns” is not observing. Rom has since he was born. Rom was
moser nefesh and gave his life literally to save other Jews on Simchas Torah
while Yankel “Five Towns” sat on his couch and ate chulent. The family is in
dire financial straits and are drowning in debt and are far more religious than
the Jews who were on the 49th level of impurity in Egypt whom Moshe Rabbeinu
called his brothers and went out to see,to save and to help when they were
being beaten and killed…”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But I’m not sure if they have a kosher phone, or if he davens
with a minyan, learns daf yomi, goes to the Mikva erev Shabbos or wears a white
shirt and has a black velvet yarmulka, but I can check if that’s important to
Yankel. Just please send me a list of Mitzvos that are necessary to observe in
order to get help from him, and I’ll get right on it.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OK
maybe Hashem didn’t send the message. As I said I really wasn’t in a good mood.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which
of course brings us to this week’s Torah portion. I really thought Mashiach
would be here by now. Last week we read about the revelation of Hashem at Har
Sinai and I thought to myself, that’s it. It’s gonna happen. It’s what we’ve
been leading up to. And yet another week passed by. I opened up the parsha and
Mashiach’s still not here. We’re still at War. We’re still at Sinai. The story
continues at the end of this Parsha. Yet there’s a sandwich between the two
narratives of the Sinai revelation. Last week it was Hashem revealing Himself
to us. It was thunder, lightning, shofar sounds and the cloud of Hashem coming
down on the Mountain so we could hear Him speak to us. It was the Ten
Commandments. It was supernatural. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week we’ve graduated to kita beit- to 2nd grade. It’s about us serving Hashem.
It’s about our sacrifices to him. It’s the splitting up and sprinkling of the
blood. It’s all the mitzvos of how we can prepare the world and bring Hashem
here. The mitzvos listed in the parsha are diverse. But according to the Sefat
Emet there is a common theme in all of them. They all connect in someway to the
idea of freeing up space in our soul for Hashem to enter. It’s about finding
that point in our hearts that is the spark of Hashem and getting rid of all the
clutter that holds us back from revealing him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the Jewish slave that has gotten so used
to his lifestyle that he doesn’t see the freedom before him. It’s about helping
a fellow Jew. It’s the first crops, It’s <i>shemitta</i> and the Shabbat and
holidays when we can see the Face of Hashem in our lives. It’s our
responsibility for our actions. It’s how we rectify our sins and bring the
spark back. It's finding and even taking a deep look into the shame of thieves,
of kindness to animals, of developing a sensitivity to everything in Creation.
It’s about taking responsibility and realizing that we are here not just to
follow and listen to the word of Hashem but to create Mishpatim- judgements
that partner with Hashem in Creation. It’s Sinai part II but it’s our side of
the story in the split-screen narrative. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smack
in the middle of this parsha there is the prohibition to afflict a widow and
orphan. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kol almana v’’yatom lo ta’anun</span></i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Any widow and orphan you (plural) should not afflict. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Rambam notes that the usage of the word “all” widows and orphans is even for
the wife or orphan of a king. It’s not just poor helpless people from run down
neighborhoods. A widow is a widow is a widow; as is an orphan. They are
suffering. They are in pain. They are all the same. Watch out and don’t make
them suffer anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet
the Ibn Ezra takes this prohibition even a step further. I don’t believe that
there is anyone of us who would ever persecute or harm or even pain an orphan
or a widow. The Torah is not talking to wicked people. The Torah however when
it comes to this prohibition utilizes the plural <i>ta’anun</i>- as if many
people shouldn’t pain a widow or an orphan to teach us in his words that <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Anyone
that sees a widow or orphan suffering and doesn’t help them he is also
considered as if he pained them”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
just in case you don’t think this is literal, the Midrash in Tana D’vei Eliyahu
tells us of the two greatest sages and the first of the ten martyrs that were
taken out to be killed in the time of the destruction of the Temple; Rabbi
Shimon ben Gamliel and Rebbi Yishmael Ben Elisha the High Priest. Rabbi Shimon
began crying at this terrible torturous death that they were facing. They were
to be mutilated publicly. Facetimed and Telegrammed live by the Hamas Romans.
He turned to Rebbi Yishmael and asked him<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Why
has Hashem decreed that we are to be killed like idolators, like Shabbos
violators, like people who eat non-kosher and bugs and worms? Why should our
deaths be this way?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi
Yishmael answered him that perhaps we went once to the bathhouse or we were
busy eating and drinking and a widow and orphan came to ask us for their help,
for some support and they were sent away because we weren’t available, and they
were pained by that. And the Torah tells us that if one afflicts a widow and
orphan then Hashem says<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>And
my wrath will flare, and I will kill you (plural) with a sword and your wives
will be widows and your children will be orphans”. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
is why this is happening. Because we were too busy to note their pain. They
were hurting and we weren’t there for them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Torah fascinatingly enough describes the pain and the cause and effect of this
affliction in a very wordy doubled language that Rav Shimon Schwab notes is
reflective of the psychology of the widow and orphan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If afflict, you shall afflict them, then call out they will
call out to Me, then Hear I will Hear their cry”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He
explains that when someone is afflicted, picked on or hurting, they experience
the pain and suffering that they are undergoing. Yet when it is an orphan or
widow there is a double pain. There is whatever they are suffering and then
there is the thought of the old pain that they had of their loss. They think
that if my husband or father were around to be there for me, this wouldn’t be
happening. They experience that loss and suffering of the original death of
their loved one and protector once again. And thus every pain is doubled. Every
cry to Hashem that they have is not only about their current suffering but of
their original loss as well. And thus Hashem Hears both cries and responds and
avenges accordingly doubled.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Klei Yakar even reads the verse homiletically. When it says that you are
afflicting them, you are also afflicting Hashem who is the Father of all
orphans. He is in heaven as is their father and husband watching His loved ones
suffer and Hashem is pained as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
one thing that shook me up though the most was the Rambam. Maimonides in his
Sefer of Mitzvos when he describes the prohibition to afflict the widow writes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Hilchos
Deios 6:10) “<i>And this prohibition although we do not give lashes for its
violation has its punishment written in the Torah as it says “</i>And I will
flare my wrath and kill them with sword” <i>Hashem has made a sealed covenant
that anytime that they cry out to me from CHAMAS (persecution/robbery) they
will be answered</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes,
he uses and writes and adds the words Hamas there. He’s speaking to us. He’s
telling us not to ask if they’re religious or not. Not to be too busy eating or
drinking or taking a shower while they’re suffering. He’s telling us that
Hashem is their Father and is suffering as well. And he will see that they’re
taken care of. That they are avenged. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
Rom’s case Hashem was certainly there for his family. As I approached the door
to their house- the house that I had no clue I would be coming to an hour
beforehand, the woman that was with me froze. She looked at his picture on the
door on the sign that said “Bring Rom Home” and she started to shake. She
turned to me and told me that since the start of the war she took upon herself to
daven for the name of one hostage. Each day, and every prayer she has been
davening for the return of Rom Ben Tamar. She chose that name out of the
hundreds of others because her name as well was Tamar. And wouldn’t you know it?
That was the house Hashem had brought the one person in the world that had the
wherewithal to help this poor suffering family and to give them<i> chizuk</i> and
support. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
two Tamars embraced and couldn’t stop crying as she entered the house. Tamar
was overwhelmed that Hashem had brought her to the home of the family she had
been davening for and Rom’s mother, who had no clue who this lady was and what
her financial capabilities were, was crying because a mother with the same name
as hers across the sea had been davening for her and her son and Hashem had
brought her there to take away some of her pain. To hug her, to tell her that
she is suffering together with her. That her pain and that of all of the
mothers, the widows, the orphans, the so so many suffering, is the pain of all
of us. That we are all one. That Hashem is suffering as well, and that despite
His Hiddenness there is a small light at the end of that tunnel peeking out
telling us that He is still here and that miracles can still occur. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Revelation of Sinai is still happening. The voice from Sinai calls out to us
each day. It doesn’t ask us if we are religious or not. It asks us if we are
one Nation. If we can reveal Hashem’s light. If we care enough to feel our
brothers suffering. If we care enough to do something about it. If we can
create a just world. It’s calling to us and asking if we can serve Hashem on
this mountain, not whether He can reveal Himself. He can do that anywhere. The
Exodus from Egypt, that first redemption occurred, Hashem told Moshe when he
asked Him what merit we had to be redeemed, in order that the nation would
serve Hashem. That we would reveal that spark. We would bring our sacrifices.
We would divide that blood amongst all of us and feel that it is our sacrifice.
It was for our narrative of Sinai in this week’s parsha. It was for the caring
of the so many orphans and widows that He has created for us to help. That need
us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
month of Adar is here. This year we have a double month of Adar. An extra month
of joy. An extra month of charity and extra month to wipe out the evil of
Amalek. An extra month before the month of Nissan which we are promised will be
the month of redemption. It’s right around the corner. It’s less then 60 days
away which is half the time since this war has begun. The Hiddenness is almost
over. The light is ready to shine out forever. All we need to do is our part of
turning on the switch and opening up our hearts for it to come out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have
the most amazing light-filled Shabbos and joyous Chodesh Adar,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;">NEW COLUMN!!<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">CHIZUK/TZEDAKA
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Just when you thought this E-Mail couldn’t
get any longer… well here it goes. Don’t worry it’s not like I have any extra
time on my hands to write another column here. In fact I’ve been meaning to do
this already for weeks and it’s only now after 125 days of War that I finally
have a chance to add this essential column which is dedicated to giving you
readers an opportunity to have a meaningful part of helping out our country and
nation by donating to a weekly link of a different organization, a cause,
soldiers, refugees, supplies, Hostage families, widows, farmers etc… There are
so many needs and I know that you want to participate and help them not just
read about them. So each week I will feature in our E-Mail in this column
another cause and link that you can contribute and make a meaningful difference
to. (this of course should not come at the expense of your sponsorship of my
weekly E-Mail or our upcoming Purim appeal in another month </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">) But this is a
way that you can bring light and money to the so many that need it. Give what
you can. But give regularly and if you can I’d really appreciate if if you send
me a screenshot or message of your donation as I can then forward it to whoever
receives it so they know that it came from our helpful readers. So here we go…</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">The family of Rom Ben Tamar Breslavsky</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">- I decided to
start with Rom’s family as I already told you much of the story above. They
need help financially. They are truly struggling. They have rents, they have
medical needs and pills besides the enormous costs of therapy that is beyond
what the government is giving them. They don’t receive money from the Hostage
forum as they don’t participate in their demonstrations. It’s too hard for
them. The government gave them some money as a “bereaved family” as that is how
they are qualifying them until further information about Rom is received. Yet
it is not nearly enough as is and lo and behold the absentee father who left
Tamar and the children took half of that money as well. So please click on the
link below and help them. The money goes directly to the family and is US Tax
deductible.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Here is a litte video link or two about
Rom</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nissimofficial/reel/Cz4yTL-t5z5/" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">https://www.instagram.com/nissimofficial/reel/Cz4yTL-t5z5/</a></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2In8BONN60/?igsh=YjR4MzIwcjZyNTBq" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2In8BONN60/?igsh=YjR4MzIwcjZyNTBq</a></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And here’s the link to donate</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/bringromhome" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/bringromhome</a></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Ven
a yosem leidt, zet kainer nit; ven er frait zikh, zet di gantseh velt.”</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">When an orphan suffers,
nobody notices; when he rejoices, the whole world sees it.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">26.The
name of an ancient Temple which was found in the Uvda Valley is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In which period
did the first "Agricultural Revolution" occur according to research?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">a.
Neolithic period<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">b.
Paleolithic period<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">c.
Chalcolithic period<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">d.
Canaanite period<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim" style="text-align: left;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/layehudim</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">-</span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: left;"></span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: left;"></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>in
honor and celebration of Adar it’s not too early to start getting happy with my
La’yehudim composition arranged and sung by Dovid Lowy!</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjig9pEkkKY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjig9pEkkKY</a>
- <b><i>A moving rendition of prayer of
Tefilla for Chayalim with children of Efrat and families of hostages, fallen
soldiers and those in reserves fighting…</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcoSt7H3Gc4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcoSt7H3Gc4</a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>– <b><i>Wow I don’t know how I stumbled on this it’s Tefilla l’ani
9 years ago for the three “hostage boys” in that first Gaza War..</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PZ6DIKQ8gk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PZ6DIKQ8gk</a>
– <b><i>Gad Elbaz’s latest song Ima Yikara</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbClZVIlbM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbClZVIlbM</a>
–<b><i> This beautiful violin rendition of the
famous Rebbes Pada B’Shalom when the Baal Ha’Tanya was told that he would be
let out of Prison. Starts slow and then becomes fast in hopes for the release
of all of our hostages.</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5H4AkiUCo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5H4AkiUCo</a>
<b><i>- This golden oldie Hitna’ari has
a whole new meaning in todays war by Avi Reimer and Yair Bodner</i></b> </p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>A Poor Man’s prayer </u>– </b>One of the most important aspects
of tefilla is to appreciate the sense that we are needy and depend upon Hashem
to take help us. We all have to come with our hands outstretched and ask for
our basic needs. It's an incredibly humbling experience. It's what it's
supposed to be. One of the more oft recited Psalms of Dovid Ha’Melech begins <i>Tefilla
L’Ani</i>- the prayer of the pauper. The Zohar tells us that there are three
prayers that have a description. There is the <i>Tefilla L’Moshe</i>- the
prayer of the great Moshe. <i>Tefilla L’Dovid</i>- the prayer of the King of Israel
and the composer of all of our Psalms and songs. And last but as the Zohar
tells us not only not least but rather holiest and most readily accepted is the
Psalm of the Oni- the pauper, the poor person who has no one besides Hashem to
rely upon. Hashem is closest to the broken hearted it is the Oni the poor
person whose prayers are the first and most accepted.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>How do we achieve that level which is the essence of all of our
prayers? This week’s Torah portion tells us of the mitzva to lend a poor person
money. It says it however in a cryptic fashion.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><i>Im kesef talveheh es ami</i>- if you will lend money to my
nation</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Es ha’ani imach</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- to the poor person with you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Rashi quotes the Talmud that tells us that when it uses the word “if”
here it is one of three places where it is not a condition but rather an
obligation. We are obligated to lend the poor person money. Why then does it state
the mitzva in the form of the word “if” which seems to say it’s not an
obligation. The answer perhaps can be found in the next part of the verse which
in itself is awkwardly worded as it says we are lending “my nation” comma and
then the “poor person with you” . What does that mean is it the poor person? Is
it my nation? And of course he’s with you, where else would he be?</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Rashi sheds light on this quoting the Midrash where he explains
that what the Torah is telling us that when you are lending money then it is to
the entire nation, not just to the poor person. Rather it is the poor person
who is with you. It is the poor person within yourself.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">“L<i>ook and examine yourself as if you are poor</i>”.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>What makes a poor person poor? It’s because he is lacking
something. Well let me tell you something. I know a lot of rich people and yet
so many of them are also poor in that way. They are missing something that
perhaps the poor person has that they don’t. It could be they don’t have
children. Or their children need shidduchim, or they are having problems with
them. Some of them have serious medical issues. Many have stress, anxiety,
depression, they need “happy pills” to keep them functioning. I understand it.
They hear all of the <i>tzoris</i> of Klal Yisrael. Everyone they meet is
trying to reach into their pocket. They don’t sleep at night because they are
worried the FBI might knock on their door one day with some target on their
back from the IRS or wherever. It doesn’t matter how clean they may be, if they
want to get you, they can get you. They’re poor and miserable. The homeless guy
or the poor Yerushalmi that may not have money for their son’s wedding (or
apartment) may be richer than them in many ways.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The Torah tells us that when you lend money, or when you hear of a<i>
tzorah</i> in Klal Yisrael then realize that it is just one aspect of the
national <i>tzarah</i>. It should awaken in you the things that you are missing
and how you are as well a poor man in some capacity that needs help. Yes, you
may be the one with the money in the wallet right now, but that can change any
minute. Give to the poor person that you are. Fulfil the mitzva of loving a Jew
like yourself, understand that it is in fact yourself that is poor. Hashem gave
you money to be the person that gives.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">The Maharal says something very powerful. He says that when a rich
man gives a poor man money then the poor man gives the rich man more then he receives.
Because until now he was just a rich person. But now he has become a “giver” a <i>nosein</i>-
Now he has become like Hashem. That is the ultimate gift.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>When we daven we ask for the prayer of the poor person. We include
everyone in our nation in our prayers because we recognize it is the <i>ami</i>-
My nation. It is the <i>Oni Imach-</i> it is the poor person that we have
awakened in ourselves that is asking. And when we do that and when we are truly
recognizing how broken we all are as long as all of us are not complete. Then
Hashem answers. Then we have the holiest prayers.</p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">740 BC-Yotam the Righteous King- </span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many are familiar with the famous statement by <b>Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai </b>who is buried of course in <b>Meron,</b> that even if the
whole world were judged for a harsh decree he would be able to absolve them and
find mercy for them in his merit. Yet there is a different Chazal that brings
his statement a little differently that is less well known in the Talmud in
Sukkah. There it says that <b>Rebbi Shimon</b> could find mercy for the entire
world from the day he was born, if his son <b>Elaza</b>r was with him then he
could even absolve the world from the first day of Creation. However
fascinatingly enough he stated that if <b>Yotam the son of Uziya the King of
Yehuda</b> was with the two of them then he can find enough mercy until the End
of Days! Wow!! Who was this King and what’s his story?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As we mentioned </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziya/Azarya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> his father
sinned by bringing the incense in the Temple and was made into a leper and the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">earthquake</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that hit Israel at that time. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> already reigned in his father’s
lifetime while </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was quarantined away near in the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beit Chofshit.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Our sages tell us that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was the only one of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kings of Yehuda</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that did not sin. And then it lists the sins of each which is a good recap for
us of all of the Kings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So first we have</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Dovid</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who of course
sinned with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Batsheva</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. He is followed by </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shlomo</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who permitted the
idolatry of his non-Jewish quasi converted shiktza wives. Next we have </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rechavam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aviya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who abandoned the Torah ways. Asa took it even a step further
and went as far as hiring the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">King of Aram</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to fight against the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Northern
Kingdom of Israel</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yehoshafat</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> brought the unity back together again
however his partnership with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achav</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the evil </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">King of Israel</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was a
sin. Yehoram killed his brothers and their families in order to take the
kingship. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achazaya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> served idols. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yehoash</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> killed the prophet </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Zecharia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
who rebuked him.</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Amatzya </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">as well was an idol worshipper and finally we
have </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziya/ Azarya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who lit the incense. Yeah… we don’t have a pretty
history of politicians, kings and leaders. Bibi’s cigars and bribes are small
fish compared to what was going on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The worst part though really is to come after </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
were it really goes down hill with his son </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Achaz </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">who was really bad idol
worshipper amongst other things we’ll learn about in the coming weeks. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chizkiya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
was pretty righteous, but he disobeyed the Sanhedrin. His son </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Menashe</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
though was probably the worst of the worst. and finally </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yoshia and Tzidkiya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
ignored and rejected the prophecies that were given to them of Israel’s
destruction and eventual Galus. They just couldn’t accept the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contzeptzia.</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
It didn’t seem possible. Ohhh how things stay the same.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> ruled for about 11 years. He is <b>Ir Dovid</b> in Jerusalem. The
area of the <b>burial of Kings</b> has been uncovered there. It’s not a place
that many visit but if one is looking for mercy according to <b>Reb Shimon Bar Yochai</b>
the grave of <b>Yotam</b> might just be the perfect place especially if like
today it’s not easy for all to get to <b>Meron</b>. And we certainly need those
extra prayers.</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY WIDOW JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sam died and left
$50,000 in his will for an elaborate funeral. As the last attenders left, Sam's
wife, Rose, turned to her oldest friend, Sadie, and said: "<i>Well, I'm
sure Sam would be pleased</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I'm sure you're
right"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> replied Sadie, who
leaned in close and lowered her voice to a whisper: <i>"tell me, how much
did it really cost?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"All of it" </span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">said Rose. "<i>50,000."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No!"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Sadie exclaimed <i>"I mean, it was very
nice, but really.......$50,000?"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rose nodded. "<i>The
funeral was $6500. I donated $500 to the church for the priest services. The
food and drinks for another $500. And the rest went towards the memorial
stone."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadie computed
quickly: <i>"$42,500 for a memorial stone? Exactly how big is it?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Seven and a half
carats."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why are women called a
"widow" when their spouse dies, but a man is called
"widower"? Do men have to be better at everything?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What do you call a
woman who knows where her husband is at all times? A widow</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Berel was a wealthy 70
yr old man when he lost his wife and wasn't seen by his friends at their
country club for a long time after. Then one day he walked into the club with a
gorgeous young woman on his arm, and introduced her as his wife.</span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Getting him aside, they asked him how he
managed to attract such a beauty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I lied about my
age by 20 years"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What, you told
her you're 50?"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> They replied<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>No, I told
her I'm 90</i>" he answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Faygie’s husband Chaim’l
dies, and she spends many years as a widow, missing him terribly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In time, she too
passes away, and is excited to see her husband in heaven. She runs up to him,
ready to give him a big hug, saying, "<i>I've missed you so much!I can’t
wait to be with you now forever"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chaim’l gets a big
frown on his halo’d forehead and says, "<i>Hey, hey, hey, not so fast. The
deal was 'til death do we part.'"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why didn't the widow attend the 9am funeral? She
wasn't a mourning person</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A man walks up to the Widow at a funeral and
asks if he can say a word.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Of course</i>", she replies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man plucks up the courage and says, <i>"Bargain".</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Widow looks at him, teary eyed and says, "<i>Thank
you so much, that means a great deal". </i>OYYY!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just before the funeral services, the undertaker
came up to the very elderly widow Zelda and asked her how old her husband was?"</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
"98," </i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">she replied. "</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Two years older than me."</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"So you're 96," </span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the undertaker commented.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She responded, <i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Yeah I know it’s hardly worth going home
is it?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"This is the hardest part of our
job," said the police officer to his rookie trainee after Adam was
pronounced dead in the accident.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Yeah, you have to learn how to break
the news slowly. His wife is a very sensitive person</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So the rookie police officer knocks on the
door and Adam's wife opens it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i> Hi</i>,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he introduced himself , “<i>Are you Adam's
widow?"</i> said the police.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this
week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">A</span></u></b><span style="color: black;">– Remarkably I got this one right! The only real temple I
remember is the leopard Temple not far from Eilat. I’m surprised because it
seems to be a non-memorable type of place. A bunch of rocks that they say are
in eh formation of leopards if I recall correctly. They say it goes back to the
Stone Age or Neolite period… who really cares. As well Part B of the question
that talks about agriculture as well I took an educated and figured it was Neolithic
as well. Cannani is too late obviously, Paleolithic seemed like more dinosaur
period and too early. Which left Calcolithic which is copper age and the New stone
Age of Neolite and that seemed to make more sense. So I went with it and was
right! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So both right this week again making the latest
score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>19.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 5.5 point</b>
on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-46934417947541244092024-02-02T05:17:00.000-08:002024-02-02T05:17:13.478-08:00Shabbos in Gaza- Parshat Yisro 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Febuary
2<sup>nd</sup> </span>2024</b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">-Volume 13 </span>Issue 16</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 23<sup>rd</sup> of
Shevat 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Yisro</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u>Shabbos
in Gaza</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></strong></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Julia
didn’t want him to go. She told him that he didn’t need to work on Shabbos.
Hashem will provide. He always does. Yet her son Barr told her that he felt
that he had to. The family needed money. His father Tal was wheelchair bound.
He’d been injured five years before when he was hit by a car while on call as a
medic on his motorcycle on his way to save a young girls life. It was a miracle
that he survived and after years of surgeries and months of being in a coma,
when he came to he had lost function of the ability to speak coherently despite
his full mental capacity. So young Barr at age 18 had already become the man of
the house supporting his mother and 4 siblings while Julia cared for Tal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whenever
Barr got off from his army duty- which he refused to take the natural exemption
he was offered to care for his family, he felt he need to go out and make some
money in order to cover the sea of bills that had ensconced the family. He wasn’t
observant as his mother was. Julia had only become a <i>Baalat Teshuva</i> a
few years before and that alone put struggles and challenges on the family, who
didn’t all jump on board. And thus on Friday October 6<sup>th</sup> Barr kissed
his mother Good Bye assuring her he would be alright and headed out to the Nova
Festival to be a security guard. But things did not turn out alright. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shabbos
morning the country woke up to sirens. Anil, Tal’s Philippine caretaker informed
them the family what was going on in the South and called Barr to find out what
was happening. Barr assured them that things were under control. He was
evacuating people and that he would be in touch soon and come home. An hour or
so later they spoke again, and he sounded weary. he could only talk for a
minute or so and said he was alright and still working on saving lives. That
was the last they heard from him. From 8:30 or so the communication went dead.
Unlike so many though that it took sometimes weeks to find out what happened to
their loved ones, Julia and Tal got a video sent to them, courtesy of Hamas,
with Barr in the back of a pickup truck with his hands tied behind his back
along with 4 other hostages being taken to Gaza. The last words they have and
heard from Barr was his calling out his own name numerous times to the terrorist
and then with fire in his eyes yelling at his abductors<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Titaplu
bo, titaplu bo</i>- take car of him- take care of him! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barr
ben Julia and Tal, who as well are both medics and dedicated their lives to saving
and giving life to those that are in danger or are injured, was continuing his
parents work in the worst of situations. Ignoring his own peril and demanding
that those captured and injured be taken care of by the sub-human monsters that
are terrorizing us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
met Julia for the first time in Hostage square in Jerusalem. My tourists-or “War-
ists” as I call the generous donors that come to give <i>chizuk</i>, bring
light, support <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and hope to our country
in one of it’s worst moments, were donating chulent, kugel and a kumzitz
evening in Hostage square for them. There she shared with me her story and told
me that she is not involved in any of the “deals” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or demonstrations to release hostages and
bring Barr back. To be honest, she said doesn’t really feel any of them are
really that important or effective. She has chosen instead to be busy with what
she calls “spiritual deals”. The deal and our eternal “bris olam” covenant of
Shabbos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Julia
felt that there was a message in that all of this occurred in Shabbos that was on
Simchas Torah. Perhaps it was a message that was about a lack of appreciation that
so many of our unaffiliated brothers and sisters and perhaps even we frum Jews
as well have of a lack of <i>simcha</i> and<i> oneg</i> that Shabbos really has.
The gift that it is. Since then, Julia has joined forces with Rabbi Grossman</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and Rav Raanan’s organization Ayelet Hashachar
to bring Shabbos food, hot plates, candles and goodies to families of hostages,
where hundreds have signed up to begin observing Shabbos and receive these
packages as an added merit for their children that should return safely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
few weeks after their project began, Julia met Corrine Zecharia whose daughter
Eden was as well kidnapped from the festival. She had not heard any word from
her daughter since that black Shabbos. The last thing she knew was that she was
hit by gunfire and taken into Gaza. Was she alive or dead? Would she ever get answers?
When she met Julia and they shared their sorrow and worry, she began to cry and
took on Shabbat as well for the first time. That very next Sunday after that
first Shabbos, Corrine observed, the IDF found her daughters body together with
another soldiers in Gaza and she was returned for burial. Corrine’s pain and
mourning are still great, yet she tells everyone that it is only a result of
her Shabbos acceptance that Hashem miraculously at least gave her some
consolation and rest with the return of her daughter’s body for burial. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week we read the Parsha of Yisro. It is the week when we finally have reached
the pinnacle of the entire creation with our receiving of the Torah on Sinai.
At the heart of the Ten Commandments is the mitzva of Shabbos. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remember
the day of Shabbos in order to keep it holy. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
sages quote and understand from the Prophets that the day of Shabbos and our
observance of it is not just about not doing work, making Kiddush and going to
Shul. Rather it is to take pleasure and enjoyment in the day of Shabbos. See,
the Jews already had the concept of Shabbos even before the Sinai revelation.
In Egypt, the Midrash tells us, Moshe was able to swing them a day off weekly
from Pharaoh from them to gather. As well a few months prior already, when we
left Egypt and were by Marah we were given the mitzvah of Shabbat. For months
we had already been collecting the Mannah, as we learned last week in the
Parsha, for 6 days a week with a double portion on Friday. The Shabbos that we
were given on Sinai though was an entirely different level and appreciation of
this day. It wasn’t just a day off. Goyim have that as well. This was a day of
Rest for Hashem. This was day to take pleasure in Hashem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s
a strange concept, this idea of pleasure and enjoyment on Shabbos. We don’t
really find this by other mitzvos. Shabbos has to have special food. Chulent,
Kugel, <i>salatim</i>, treats and special Shabbos cereal and parties. We have
special Shabbos clothing. We have Shabbos songs. It’s an amazing day of
seemingly physical enjoyment. In fact, our sages tell us that any money we spend
for Shabbos doesn’t even come off our annual Rosh Hashana allotted budget. It’s
free. Whatever you want, buy it for Shabbos. I know this sounds great, but what
exactly is spiritual about this. How do we remember and sanctify the Shabbos day
by doing this? Why does our party and good time considered what makes this into
a “Shabbos for Hashem” as we are commanded to do? Shouldn’t a day of Hashem be
full of prayer, repentance, Torah study. What’s with all of this pleasure and
chill?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
answer I saw recently in beautiful new sefer written by Reb Yonah Ephraim
Carlebach ( I bought the sefer because I’m a Carlebach fan and you put that
together with my name, my father and son’s name and I was sold by just the
author), is that the real only way that one can truly be at rest, can
experience <i>Menucha</i>, is if they feel that everything is taken care of.
That there are no worries in the world. That they are exactly in the Perfect Hands
that is going to take care of everything for them. What makes the best hotel in
the world it great, is that you have all your needs taken care of. The best food,
the best service, all your business is done. There is absolutely nothing on
your plate besides sitting back and enjoying. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now
there rarely is that perfect hotel. There’s always something to kvetch about. There
are always somethings that aren’t perfect. Something that still needs to be taken
care of back home. Some work that’s left undone. Some E-Mail that has to be
answered. In fact the only way and place in the world where, when and how that
can ever occur is with Hashem. It’s on Shabbos. It’s when we recognize that
Hashem is exactly that. That He is in charge of everything. That we are in His
perfect Hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t need a cell-phone. I have nothing to
answer. No E-Mails to check. The News is irrelevant. I am <i>mamash</i> free.
Pleasure, <i>Oneg,</i> Menucha, rest, all those things can only happen when I
feel that everything is perfect. The things that always disturb our sleep, that
take away from us enjoying ourselves and the world and maybe even our vacations
and certainly our day-to day lives is when we feel that things are not working
out the way we had planned. That we need to control things. We need things to
be different. Those feelings leave us sleepless. They keep us up at night. They
frustrate us. The mitzva of Shabbos is really all about pleasure, because that’s
how Hashem reveals Himself in our lives. That’s how we show we believe and
trust in Him. That’s how we bond with the One that Created the world and
remember that He put us here. He’s on top of everything. He’s giving us
everything we need. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
was two months after Julia started this project that she was at the Kotel for a
mass prayer gathering. Out of nowhere she met up with Itay Regev who made his
way over to her as he had something that he wanted to share with her. Itay and
his sister Maya had just been returned from Gaza after the hostage exchange.
Itay shared with Julia that when he was taken, he was held together with Omer
Shem Tov in a dark tunnel bunker of Hamas. Itay himself was not religious, yet
Omer who had more traditional leanings told him that first Shabbos there that
he wished he would be able to make kiddush. That he dreamed of getting out and
observing Shabbat once again. Itay told him at the time that Shabbos was just a
dream. Who knows if they would even get out alive?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
that moment the terrorist walked in that Friday evening and handed them their food.
A plate of rice, some dried out pita and lo and behold in their hand was a
small bottle of grape juice. They couldn’t believe it. They shook their head
and eyes in shock. In this darkest of places, in this hole of holes Hashem had
sent them Kiddush. Omer’s prayers had been answered. Hashem was with them. They
were in His hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They
took that bottle of wine and Omer made Kiddush and they each took a swig and
then hid the remainder of the bottle in their bandages. Every Shabbos of the 50
plus days they were there they took that bottle of wine of faith and miracles
and made kiddush. Shabbos had given them that hope. And ultimately when Itay
was released, and he heard about Julia’s project he wanted to share with her
that it was perhaps her Shabbos merits that had brought them that hope and
miracle. It wasn’t Shabbos that protected them, rather it was Shabbos that gave
them the strength, hope and light at the end of that dark underground tunnel.
The light that led to his redemption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
Hostage square there is now famous Shabbos table that is sitting there. There are
244 seats at that table of which 110 have already been returned. They have wine
glasses and set plates. There are 134 that have pita, spoiled rice and yellowed
water in plastic cups in front of them still. We are waiting for them to come
home as well. The story of our hostages really is the story of our national
redemption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
we recite Kiddush each week and particularly in this time, we recite <i>Zecher
Le’Yetziat Mitzrayim</i>- we remember our exodus from slavery, darkness and
captivity to light and redemption. Redemption can only come when we understand
and appreciate that our goal is not just to get out of the tunnel. It’s about
more than no longer be persecuted or terrorized. Rather it is about arriving finally
to a place of <i>Oneg; </i>of pleasure. Appreciating that true liberation is
only when we are totally at rest. When we are One with Hashem. When we have
nothing else that needs to be done or taken care of. That the world is perfect
and has been completed. That Hashem is as well at the head of our Shabbos
table. That He is blessing His children. All of them. That the world is at
rest. That we have arrived at the day that is entirely Shabbos. That the whole
world has Shabbos. May Hashem bring that day soon. This Shabbos even. May Barr ben
Julia and Omer and all of the hostages return, may their families find consolation,
and rest, and may we all celebrate Shabbos soon together at that one table in
the Bait Ha’Mikdash when the <i>shechina</i> itself which has been away from
home for over 2000 years as well come Home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have the most amazing enjoyable and restful Shabbos</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"Es
iz besser tsu leben in naches aider tsu shtarben in tsar.”- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It is better to live in
joy than to die in sorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">25.The
Jerusalem Talmud was signed in ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In
which of the following settlements did the Sanhedrin not settle?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Jerusalem<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Shfar'am<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Safed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
Tiberias<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/good-shabbos" style="text-align: left;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/good-shabbos</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">-
</span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>The Commandment of Shabbos is all about my Good Shabbos composition from
Dovid Lowy on arrangements and vocals</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etDfpl5pA38">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etDfpl5pA38</a>
– <b><i>Avraham Fried’s incredible war time hit Li’natzeach</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6P2IHfi8Jc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6P2IHfi8Jc</a>
–<b><i>
Bibi singing a prayer for the soldiers and the country and Ani Maamin</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoo5xN-N3BM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoo5xN-N3BM</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Shai Graucher’s 100 days of Chesed</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29U78wPYI0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29U78wPYI0</a>
<b><i>- Shlomo Carlebach medley from Moshe from
Moshe Groner and Mendy Hershkowitz orchestra</i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>Hashem’s name </u>– </b>It is perhaps the most recited
word in the entire Davening and the most important one. It’s the name of
Hashem. It’s really a remarkable thing if you come to think about it, which
unfortunately we don’t often enough. We are literally calling and speaking to Hashem
by name! We don’t refer to our Rabbis or elders or even non-Jewish government
figures by name. We generally speak in the third person. What does Rebbi want?
Is there something I can get you Mr. President? Father can I get you a drink?
Ok maybe my kids don’t do that…. But there certainly is a special honor when
talking to someone of stature and showing respect. Yet, when it comes to the Master
of the World and the King of all kings, we say Baruch Ata Hashem- Blessed are
You Hashem. It’s like saying How are you Joe to the president…but much worse. How
do we do that?</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>This week’s parsha tells us something amazing. The verse
tells us that Hashem says</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>“<i>B’Kol makom asher <b><u>azkir</u></b> es shemi</i>
-In every place that I mention my Name, I will come to you and bless you.”</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Now what I wrote wasn’t a typo. The verse doesn’t say
every place where we mention Hashem’s name rather it’s any place that Hashem “I”
mention my name. The son of the Gaon of Vilna explains that our sages tell us
and we recite by the blessing of the moon, that</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>“<i>Kol makom she’<b><u>ata</u></b> motzei geduloso
shel Ha’kadosh Baruch Hu</i>-everywhere that you find the greatness of Hashem
there you will find His humbleness.” </p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>He reads the dictum homiletically. That whenever we
use the word Ata- you to refer to Hashem in the first person. That is where you
find His humility. Hashem humbles Himself to allow us to say praise and bless
Him. It is like a king or a president that stops on the road to listen and hear
some simple peasants bless him. Like a great Rabbi who visits a kindergarten or
a special needs school and lets the kids sing praises to Him. Trust me they don’t
get an ego trip from this. They know they are great and this kid or this downs
child or this poor homeless man that might tell them Hey King, or hey Rabbi, I
think you’re really cool! doesn’t do anything for them. Yet, that’s what Hashem
does each time we pray. Hashem tells us that whenever I mention my name, it’s
really not even us calling Hashem. It’s Hashem allowing His name to be
mentioned by us. That’s where He blesses us. That’s the greatest gift and
blessing that we can get. That we are in the presence of Hashem.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>So yes the name of Hashem is the most mentioned one
in our prayers. Yet it’s something that we should never take for granted and
perhaps even pause a minute before reciting at the incredible love and honor
Hashem gives us by even allowing us to call Him in that way. Then we will truly
receive His blessing.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">750 BC Earthquake- </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Leaving our story of <b>Northern Kingdom</b> of <b>Israel
</b>and chaos and beginnings of the Exile under the rule of <b>Pekachia ben
Remalia</b>, we shift our screen to the tribe of <b>Yehuda</b> and the kingdom
in the <b>South</b>. We left off with the King Uziah/ Azarya. To remind you and
to recap <b>Azarya</b> was a relatively righteous king that returned the nation
in teshuva except for the bamos the personal altars that he was not able to
remove. He was a warrior king that as we mentioned expanded and conquered all
the way down to <b>Eilat, Gaza</b> and even across the <b>Jordan river</b> up
to <b>Damascus</b>. Kind of like our wars today on even more fronts than back
then.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As well we discussed the
ultimate fall of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uzia/ Azarya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> when his arrogance led to him bring the
incense on in the temple. We wrote about this Chanuka (which seems like a year
ago already) and how as opposed to Chanuka when the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chashmonaim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> tried to
usurp the kingship from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yehuda,</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> here we have the king of Yehuda trying
to step into the role of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kohanim</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. As well we mentioned that Hashem
punished </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Azarya</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and he became a leper and he remained that way until he
died and was buried in the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beit Chofshit</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. In his final days one of the
most righteous kings- if not the most righteous of all kings </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> his
son took over and ruled while his father was leprously incapacitated. We’ll talk
about him next week.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is though one
fascinating piece of this story and history that we didn’t mention which is
that our sages tell us that at the time that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziah</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> brought the incense
the heavens shook, and fire came out from the Serafim angels and wanted to burn
them just as when </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Korach </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and his 250 men brought the incense and fought
with </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Moshe</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aharon</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Even more fascinating is that Josephus
tells us of an earthquake that hit Eretz Yisrael at that moment as well and the
prophets tells us of the famous earthquake in the days of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziah</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> as well.
This earthquake changed the face of Israel and destroyed many places as we
shall see. It is as well a repeat of the Korach story where the earth opened up
to swallow them up.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the year 2000 there
was a scientific study done by the Weizman institute that identified the earthquake
which they say took place in the year 750 BC (with a 30 year margin of error)
right in this period of time of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uziah </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and his son </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yotam. </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was
about 8 on the Richter scale which is huge and seemed to have hit in the North
by </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lebanon Israel border</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> not far from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tel Chatzor</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which seemingly
got destroyed from this earthquake.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The lesson and
punishment of the earthquake is that when one starts to step into and take over
the role of someone else. If you’re jealous. If you feel you should have
someone else’s life and portion. Then guess what? You’re really saying that the
place that Hashem gave you on this earth isn’t right for you. The earth will
crumble below your feet. You will be swallowed as you try to swallow others. That
is the fate of he who is not satisfied with the ground that Hashem has placed
him on. A lesson for all of us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY SHABBOS JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Yitzy and Henya, a
young orthodox couple, were expecting their first baby. Suddenly, Henya’s water
broke on Shabbos and they had no choice but to call for a taxi to take them to
the hospital’s maternity ward. Because Yitzy wanted to try and minimize the
Shabbos violation, he told the dispatcher that he must send them only a
non-Jewish driver.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The taxi quickly
arrived, but when Yitzy and Henya were getting in, they overheard the
dispatcher on the two-way radio ask the driver, “<i>Have you picked up the
anti-semites yet?”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sadie Cohen lived in
an integrated neighborhood on Long Island. A neighbor, a very friendly and
generous black woman, stopped by one Saturday and offered,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"<i>Mrs Cohen, I have to go to NYC this
afternoon to meet my daughter. Can I get you anything?"</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mrs. Cohen thanked her
and counter-offered,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"<i>Listen, I have a commuter's ticket
for the train. Why don't you use my ticket, and you'll bring it back tonight.
After all, it's paid for. Why should you pay extra?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The neighbor thanked
her and with the ticket in hand, made her way to the train station. When the
train arrived, she boarded, and as the conductor walked through, he happened to
glance at the ticket, noticing the name <i>"Sadie Cohen."</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The conductor asked,
"<i>Excuse me, madam, are you Sadie Cohen , the person whose name appears
on this ticket?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman smiled
sweetly and nodded her head in the affirmative. More than a little suspicious,
the conductor asked, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Would you let
me compare signatures? Would you mind signing your name?" <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The black lady turned
indignantly to the conductor and snapped, "<i>Man, are you crazy? You want
me to write on Shabbos?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rabbi Bloom was in the
park one Sunday when he meets three members of his Synagogue who have not
attended services in some time. They are a little embarrassed, but he
encourages them to come to shul. Next Shabbos they make an appearance, but
because they turn up some time after service began, all the main seats are
filled. Several other latecomers were already seated on folding chairs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi Bloom calls over
the Shammas. "Moishe, please get three chairs for our guests in the
back." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moishe is a bit deaf
so he leans closer and says, <i>"I beg your pardon, Rabbi?" <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rabbi Bloom again
says, <i>"Get three chairs for our guests in the back</i>." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moishe was puzzled but
as there was a lull in the service, he goes to the front of the shull and
loudly announces, "<i>The Rabbi says</i>, <i>'Give three cheers for our
pests in the back!</i>'"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel listened to the
Rebbe at shul one Shabboss morning and when the Rebbe asked those with special
requests to come to him at Seuda Shlisheet/(3rd meal) , Yankel came. When it
was his turn, Yankel sat down and the Rebbe asked, "<i>What do you want me
to help you with?" </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel said, <i>"Pray
for my hearing, Rebbe."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Rebbe put one hand
over Yankel's ear and his other hand on top of his head and prayed a while. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then he removed his
hands and asked, "<i>Yankel, how is your hearing now</i>?" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel answered,
"<i>I don't know, Rebbe. It's next Wednesday at the courthouse</i>!"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abie and Sadie had a
religious goods store on Delancey Street on the Lower East side of NYC. The
neighborhood was changing. The Jews were moving to Westchester and the
Hispanics were moving in. "<i>Abie, we have to move to Westchester</i>,"
said Sadie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We can't",</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> said Abie. "<i>This neighborhood is our
life. We've been here for thirty-three years. Maybe we can start stocking
Catholic articles too."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadie says,"<i>What?
Catholic articles? Bistu in gantzen meshuggeh? We're Jews. No Catholic
articles!!!"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, a month passed
and they sold nothing but two tallisim, three mezzuzahs and one set of
tefillin. Now was the time to fish or cut bait. Sadie agreed that they had to
stock Catholic articles, so she said to Abie,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>OK, call that
Catholic supply house on Park Avenue</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abie: "<i>Hello,
Catholic supply house on Park Avenue? This is Abie and Sadie's on Delancey
Street. I want 100 autographed pictures of the Pope, 200 of those beads - what
do you call them, rosaries? 500 crucifixes...and I need those things here
tomorrow</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>OK, Sir. I
got your order. Let me read it back. 100 autographed pictures of the Pope, 200
sets of rosaries and 500 crucifixes. But, tomorrow we don't deliver...
.....it's Shabbos</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two astronauts make
the first manned flight to Mars. Upon landing, they find themselves face-to-
face with a couple of green Martians. "<i>How do we make contact</i>?"
asks the first astronaut. <i>"They look pretty primitive. Let's impress
them with some of our technology." <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"OK</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">." says the first. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He reaches into the
pocket of his spacesuit and pulls out a shiny cigarette lighter. The Martians
look interested. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I think it's
working - light it!"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
says the second. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first astronaut
turns the wheel and a flame shoots out. Immediately the faces of the Martians
turn from green to red. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Wow</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">!" says the first, "<i>they must
really be impressed."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then one of the
Martians reaches out his little green hand, points a finger at the men, frowns,
and says very sternly, "<i>Nuuu…Shabbos!"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u>The answer to
this week”s question is <span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b><span style="background-color: transparent;">– What you mean you didn’t watch my Artscroll yerushlami
video? You should know this the answer is of course Tiverya. By the time the
Yerushalmi was written Jews weren’t allowed to live in Yerushalayim. It was
Aila Capotalina a Roman city. Tiverya was the city of Torah for centuries even
longer then Jerusalem the Sanhedrin sat there. In the year of the Churban the of 70 CE we had
already moved the Sanhedrin to Yavneh. From there it headed up North to Usha
Shefram Tzippoir Beit Shearim and Tiverya was the last stop. Thus making Tzfat
the correct answer which wasn’t even a city in those days. So both right this week again making the latest
score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>18.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 5.5 point</b>
on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-46519447658138931022024-01-26T05:05:00.000-08:002024-01-26T05:05:34.760-08:00From the River to the Sea- Parshat Beshalach<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">January 26<sup>th</sup>
</span>2024</b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">-Volume 13 </span>Issue 15</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 16<sup>th</sup> of
Shevat 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Beshalach</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u>From the River to
the Sea</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s a bracha that has been recited by many since this war has begun.
It’s one that I only pretty much recited until now when I flew back and forth
from the States. To be honest it really didn’t have such meaning to me. The
blessing is one that is recited on four occasions. It’s called the <i>Gomel</i>
blessing- or in yeshivish <i>shprach bentching</i> Gomel. The <i>halacha</i> is
that there are four that need to recite this blessing of thanksgiving. One who
crosses over an ocean or desert, one who recovers from a serious illness and one
who is released from prison or captivity.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now thank God, I’ve never been in prison or captivity although I did
serve plenty of time in detention in the principals office, but I don’t think
that counts. As well I have never been sick enough where it was life-threatening,
though I might have said it when I went for my stomach surgery, just because they
put me under for the surgery. So really the only times I have recited the
blessing was on my overseas flights to America (and Africa!), which as well
doesn’t seem too life-threatening.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Actually, the last time I came back from America when I recited the blessing,
I had in mind for the first time that Hashem saved me from that dangerous country
of yours where antisemitism is up like a million percent and most of the people
I passed on the street at these Free-Palestine protests want me and my nation
wiped out and think Hamas or the Nazis didn’t do a good enough job. They after-all
went to the right Universities that indoctrinate them. That’s not even to
mention the “Der Shturmer-Goebel’s worthy TikTok social media and “legitimate”
News outlets that should be quite frightening to most people that don’t suffer
from 80-year-old short term memory loss of pre-Holocaust era propaganda. That
was scarier than the flight across the ocean. Yet the blessing is as well for
any life-threatening situation that one is saved from and so I might have said
it as well for some car accidents as well that I came out in one piece from.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yet today here in Israel there are not too many soldiers that haven’t
recited this blessing after every mission that they come back in one piece from.
There are thousands, if not tens of thousands that survived the pogroms of October
7<sup>th</sup> and the following days in which they and their families were in
their words miraculously saved. Tens of thousands of missiles have fallen on
this country, in cities like Ashkelon and Ashdod, all over the Northern border.
It’s literally miracles daily and so many that “<i>were right there’</i> just
minutes before that were saved. And then there are those that I visit in the hospitals
that were unfortunately injured. Whether they were soldiers, civilians wounded in
attacks, and all of the usual non-war related <i>cholim</i> that have undergone
serious surgeries and illnesses. Yes, the <i>Gomel</i> blessing is perhaps the
bracha that <i>Klal Yisrael</i> is reciting more often than ever and like all things
that are happening in these days of the final era before Mashiach comes it is
something Hashem wants us to focus on.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now just in case you were skeptical, one need not do more than what we
do every week this past year and just take a peek into this weeks <i>parsha, </i>which
is of course the <i>parsha </i>of our redemption from Egypt. The highlight of which
contains of course the Song of Sea that we sang upon being redeemed. The
singing of that song our sages tells us is in fact the source for all the criterion
for the recital of this blessing. We were freed from captivity, we didn’t
suffer any of the sicknesses of the plagues that were placed upon Egypt, and we
crossed the sea and the desert.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">And so in the song of praise we thank Hashem for it all. We recognize
that He is our savior. The song begins with the word Az Yashir- then we sang,
and our sages tells us that it is a song for all times. It is past and it is present,
and it is even about the future. Its conclusion is that Hashem will rule
forever and how we will build him a Beit Hamikdash where his <i>Shechina </i>will
rest. It’s a song that we sing daily. It’s to a large degree the original
Hatikva- the hope song that is full of praise that we await to sing when we are
finally able to see its fulfillment.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rav Kook Zt”l however takes this blessing to a whole new level. He
notes that the words of the blessing describe a fulfillment of an obligation
that we have. It is unique in that way,
as other blessing of thanks just seem to be an expression of appreciation to
Hashem that is about the moment or experience that one has undergone. Here the
bracha almost puts us down in calling us undeserving or “obligated ones.”</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Blessed are You, Hashem our God, ruler of the world, who rewards the <i>chayavim</i>-
the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">What did we do wrong? Why not just say and sing “<i>Thank You Hashem”?</i>
Perhaps even deeper to an understanding of this blessing and maybe even this
war as well is the question of why we even have to thank Hashem for this “<i>salvation</i>”?
After-all isn’t He the one that threw us into the dangerous situation in the
first place? He put us into slavery. He gave us the sickness or illness that we
recover from. He imprisoned us. He sent these animals to attack us and enslave
us. He gave us October 7<sup>th</sup> and missile attacks. So why do we have to
thank Him so much when we didn’t die or get killed?</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The answer though perhaps can best be found in the flowers I bought my
wife this past Shabbos, and the ones I’ve started buying the past few weeks. I’ve
stopped taking her and my family for granted. A week, a month and already more
than three months of meeting so many families who have lost loved ones. Whose
children will never grow up knowing their Abba. Of meeting soldiers who have
lost their limbs and can’t walk, can’t go to the bathroom alone, don’t know if they
will ever be able to see or hear again. The families of hostages that I’ve met
who are still living on October 7<sup>th</sup> and would do anything to have a
phone call saying Good Shabbos from their loved ones. Who haven’t slept and
refuse to do so until they can once again tuck their children into their bed safely
and wish and kiss them good night. After spending a Shabbos with the families
of refugees who haven’t slept in their own beds for over 100 days already and
probably won’t for who know how many months to come, even my house, my own bed,
my Shabbos table around my dining room suddenly has so much more meaning. There
is so much more that I have never appreciated and taken for granted all these
years, that I realize I truly am not worthy of. There’s so much that I have to
thank Hashem for and that I need to say Gomel for.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">That, writes Rav Kook, is the essence of this special blessing. He
notes that the four categories of people that recite this bracha all correspond
to the different blessings and perhaps even challenges that we have noticing
and appreciating the goodness Hashem is always providing us with. The first one,
those that travel through the desert are the refugees. The ones that have no
home. Perhaps all their lives they only saw the amenities that they didn’t have,
or the nice ones that their friends did that they may felt they were lacking.
They don’t have enough rooms, the ceiling leaks, they wish they would have nicer
weather, they had a bigger backyard, a swimming pool. They want a nice hotel
breakfast and bigger kitchen. Well try spending a few days in the desert. Or
maybe even get thrown out of your house to a five-star hotel in the Dead Sea
for a few months and then you will see and thank Hashem for all the goodness
your own four walls in your home really are, leaky roof and all.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The second, those that travel over the Sea is for those that perhaps
don’t appreciate where they are living. They think they need to go to Cancun.
They want a cruise. The land and country where they live is just not enough for
them. They need adventure. The same old-same old humdrum daily life and grind
of going to work and coming home is boring. Is mediocre. It’s doesn’t give them
the high or the thrill they seek. They don’t get how amazing their existence
is. How blessed Hashem has made their lives. They think they are lacking, when
in fact He has taken care of everything that we could ask for. Soldiers fighting
in the land and sea and that haven’t had a normal day can tell you that they
would do anything to rewind and go back to their normal lives. That they miss
that day-to-day grind. “C<i>hozrim la’Shigra-</i> back to the regimen” is what
so many here want. Yet now it is with an appreciation like never before in the
obligation we had to thank Hashem for how much and for how long he set us up in
what was in fact a truly perfect and blessed existence before this.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">The last two that recite this blessing are the ones coming out of
captivity and the ones who have recovered from an illness. They are more
personal blessings. The most personal ones perhaps. The one who recites this
blessing after undergoing some type of medical emergency and life-threatening
medical experience knows and understands how precious the gift of life and
health is. He was given it anew. Whereas before this he might’ve wished that he
was skinnier, prettier, stronger, more capable, more energetic. Where we might’ve
said if only Hashem had done this or that for me… or made me this way or that
way… After facing death, we all realize how incredible it is that we wake up
each morning and can breathe. That we have life that we can accomplish things
with. That we have family that are around us and care for us and that we can
give to you. That we can hug and kiss and be embraced by. Because so many don’t.
Because so many didn’t make it through. Because so many loved ones have been
lost and don’t have the life that we do. And then we <i>bentch Gomel</i> and
thank Hashem for what we didn’t realize or appreciate He has done for us until
now.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Finally, the last category is the prisoner. The captive. The hostage.
The one who has perhaps thought that he needed to be a free-spirit. That felt
trapped in life. That feels stifled by Torah, by Mitzvos, by community, by
family, by obligations. That perhaps always lived with a gnawing sense that the
life that Hashem has given us is one that hampers our “growth” our “becoming”
our sense of being. They/we/I want to be free. Well welcome to 210 years of
Egypt. Welcome to jail. To slavery. To Gaza tunnels with Hamas terrorists
imprisoning you. That’s what being “not free” is really like. That’s what
lawlessness and no sense of direction and being stifled feels like. Ask our
soldiers who have spent days and days on high alert in far flung places how
much they long to daven with a minyan, to be able to return to the Beit
Midrash, to put on tefillin or wear <i>tzitzis</i>. How much they long to
attach themselves to Hashem and to His light rather than to struggle in the
murky darkness of a godless world. Then you can understand how much we’ve
missed and not appreciated about the beauty and pleasantness of the ways of Hashem
and how fortunate we have always been to be chosen to be the ambassadors of
that light to the world.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I remember one of the first times I was driving around with some Pizzas
and cigarettes for the soldiers and one soldier came over to me and asked me if
I had tefillin for him to put on. I apologized and told him that I didn’t. I
wasn’t in the habit to drive around with my tallit and tefillin, and to be
honest he didn’t really look like anyone that I thought would be interested.
The tattoos, piercings and ponytail he was sporting didn’t scream I really need
some religious rituals or Torah. But I was wrong. He rebuked me.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> “<i>What type of Rabbi are you
to come around with out Talit and Tefillin</i>?” he told me.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I guess I was the cigarette,
Pizza type, but that’s not what he was looking for. He wanted Hashem. He wanted
light. He wanted to connect. He realized how much he had been missing in his pre-October
7<sup>th</sup> life. He had been “<i>Gomeled</i>.”. And now he wanted to sing
the song of Hashem. The song of forever. Of ‘<i>Hashem Yimloch L’Olam Va’ed.</i>’</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">While we are singing the song of the Sea, our enemies and the nations
and individuals of darkness are singing a different song. It is “<i>From the River
to the Sea</i>”. One of my great colleagues mentioned to me that their call and song is one that we as well should be
echoing. The story of our Exodus in the Parsha two weeks ago begins with Moshe
visiting Pharaoh and the plague of blood by the Nile River. It concludes this
week with the splitting of the Sea. Our redemption will come from the river to
the sea God willing this week. It will as well return us to our true borders
which are from the other side of the Jordan River all the way up to that other
River past Iran, Iraq and Syria, the Euphrates and take us all the way to the
Sea which is not only the Gaza strip but to the Sea of Egypt and beyond. When
we have the river to the Sea we will be able to set the whole world free. We
will shine the light of Hashem upon the world. We will build that temple that He
has been waiting for. And finally we will hear the entire world respond to our
Gomel as is traditional.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><i><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mi
she-g’malcha kol tov, hu yi-g’malcha kol tov selah.- </span></i></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #1d2936; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">May he who rewarded you with all goodness
reward you with all goodness for ever</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have a grateful appreciative restful Shabbos</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"Ven me zol Got
danken far guts, volt nit zein kain tzeit tsu baklogen zich oif shlechts.- </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If we thanked God for
the good things, there wouldn’t be time to weep over the bad.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">24.The
"Ecce Homo" Arch was built according to the hypothesis in the study
by the emperor_______.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What is
another name for Pools of "Beit Hasda" (Bethesda Pools)?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">a. Pool of
Towers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">b.
Hezkiah's Pool<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">c. Sheep
Gate Pools<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">d. Pools
of Israel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCK7zLj2U0" style="text-align: left;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCK7zLj2U0</a><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">- </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Check out this Famous Rabbi Schwartz
and family Story of our Exodus from Egypt with my Va’Yosha composition</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuIB3ZKsXiQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuIB3ZKsXiQ</a>
– <b><i>Joey Newcomb’s latest One Note Niggun…</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxW57BL1EW4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxW57BL1EW4</a>
–<b><i> Yackov Shwekey’s latest Ten Li Koach-
for return of Uri Danino and all hostages</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdZN0NYW0VY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdZN0NYW0VY</a>
-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>Kinos
Be’eri wow… a lament for the kibbutz unreal…</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp-jJpj4dq4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp-jJpj4dq4</a>
<b><i>-
Gorgeous Eyal Golan latest Yeled Sheli</i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p> </p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u>Dovid's Non- Prayer </u>– </b>This column has discussed how to pray and how to daven, this week’s
parsha tells us that when the Jews were standing before the Yam Suf before it’s
splitting and start to cry and to daven, Hashem tells them that they shouldn’t
daven.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">Ma Titzak eilai- For what are you crying out to Me? Speak to the
Jewish people and let them travel.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The Midrash on this verse tells us that Moshe asked Hashem what
they should do if not pray. And Hashem responded</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>“It is for you to sing song and praise to the One to whom the
Kingship belongs.”</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>It seems strange that at the moment of the greatest trouble when we
are facing the army of Egypt with no where for us to go that it is at this dire
moment Hashem tells us not to pray. What’s going on?</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">Reb Aharon Karliner asks another interesting question that I know
has bothered me and I’m sure most of you that have recited the prayer before or
after the recitation of Tehillim/ Psalms. There it states that we ask Hashem quite
audaciously that He accepts our prayers</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i>Ki’ilu amram Dovid HaMelech olav ha’Shalom b’atzmo</i>- As if King David OB’M recited
them himself. </p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">C’mon… You know that bothered you… Really? My simple prayers should
be as if King David himself recited them! What’s that all about? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>So he answers with a story of a village of Jews who were facing a
terrible decree from the king based on a false blood libel that levied against
them. They realized that they the King would not necessarily be open to their
request for clemency and even a hearing and so they waited for the opporotunity
when they might be able to come into him. As they stood outside of the palace
they saw a group of local peasants and farmers that were coming before the King
with requests that he lower the taxes that they were suffering from as they had
a very difficult year. The peasants though were typical ignorant polish
peasants and they had no clue how to write their request and fill out the necessary
paperwork to bring their request and gain access to the king. They approached
the Jewis representatives standing there and asked if they could fill it out
for them.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The Jews seeing their opporotunity of course agreed and yet when
they filled out the peasants petition rather than talk about the taxes they
wrote about their own plight and the false blood libel and pending decree
against themselves. When the peasants brought this petition before the King he
took one look at it and asked the peasants what the meaning of all of this was.
When they admitted that the Jews had filled out the form, the king smiled and
laughed and appreciated the cleverness of the Jews and granted them an audience
and accepted their request.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Reb Aharon Karliner thus explains our prayer and how we must daven
at certain times and moments that is perhaps the key to all of our prayers. He
explains that when Dovid Ha’Melech davened he never davened for his own needs.
He always directed his prayers for the Shechina, for Hashem’s praise.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i>Me’hulal ekra Hashem U’mei’oivai evashe’ah</i>- I will praise as a I call to
Hashem and I will be saved from my enemies. Dovid praised Hashem and then
Hashem saved him from his enemies.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>When we daven we ask Hashem to not think of our prayers as we are
davening for our own needs, our own troubles, our own salvation. Rather he
should accept our prayers as if Dovid Ha’Melech is saying them to praise
Hashem. We’re just saying the words. He wrote the letter, the plea; the
petition. We’re like the polish farmers perhaps that don’t know how to write
and we’re like the Jewish delegation that perhaps aren’t worthy to get an
entrance to the King because we’re not sure if we’re worthy enough. But if we
use the words of Dovid Ha’Melech and we come in with the praise of the King then
we’re sure to be answered.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>That is what Hashem tells Moshe. Don’t daven for your needs. Just
sing My praise and then you can travel. Then you’re in. Then the miracles will
come.</p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">734 BC The Exile continues- </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Things were getting worse and worse in the Northern
kingdom of Israel. The previous kings <b>Menachem</b> and his son <b>Pekachia</b>
were evil and as we said their pacification plan didn’t work as <b>Pul the king
of Assyria</b> attacked and exiled the <b>Eastern side of the Jordan</b> and the
land of<b> Gilead</b> with the two tribes of <b>Reuvein and Gad</b>. <b>Pekachia
ben Remalia</b> <b>Pekach’s</b> general assassinated the <b>King of Israel</b>
and took over the kingship with his men from <b>Gilead</b> and promised to make
things better for the Jewish nation. Yet, like most politicians it was mere
words. Hashem was running the show. He was trying to get us to teshuva. And yet
our leaders didn’t realize this. Some things never changed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Under the rule of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekach</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the next phase
of the exile of the ten tribes continued with the continued attacks from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aram/
Syria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pul</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who was more commonly and historically known as </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tigleth
Philesar the 3<sup>rd</sup>. </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He attacked the North conquered and exiled
most of the Northern Jewish settlements and tribes. Pretty much like has happened
today. The Navi tells us of the tribe of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Naftali </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">which includes the
settlements of</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Iyun</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> near </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mapal Ha’Tanur </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and the name of the
nachal there today. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Beit Avel</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kadesh</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which are around </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kiryat
Shmona</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, as well as </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chatzor</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> all the way down to the Kineret where
Tiverya is. Basically, the entire </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Galile Panhandle.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> It’s hard to even
fathom that here we</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">were just about 100-150
years before the destruction of the first Temple and almost 1/3 of Eretz
Yisrael is already in the hands of goyim and our nation has been thrown out and
are refugees.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is even more shocking though, is that it is
at this time that </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekachia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> himself decides to create a civil war and
fight against </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">kingdom of Yehuda.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> As we will see next week this is not
just a civil war but in fact there will be hostage and prisoner taking as
brother fights against brother as the nations around us seek to destroy us… It’s
the worst of times and getting worse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY THANK YOU JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Yankel was thinking
about how good his wife was to him, so he prayed to god to give thanks. </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">To the man’s
astonishment, the booming Hashem spoke to him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel:” : “<i>Hashem,
I’m so grateful that you gave me my wife. If I may ask, my Lord, why did you
make her so beautiful?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem-“ <i>I made her
so beautiful so that you could love her, my son</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel:” : <i>And why
did you make her so kind-hearted?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem: “<i>I made as
such so that you could love her, my son</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel:” <i>And why,
did you make her such an amazing cook?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem: “I <i>blessed
her with the talent of cooking so that you could love her, my son.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yankel: “<i>Thank you,
Hashem but forgive me but I must ask one more question. Why, did you make her
so dumb?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem “<i>I made her
dumb, my son, so that she could love you.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank God we don't
need to hunt for food anymore. I mean, I have no idea where pizzas live in the
wild</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only in Israel will
you find someone that tells you when you ask his affiliation “<i>Baruch Hashem I'm
an atheist</i>”… Wait...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is this atheist
swimming in the ocean. All of the sudden he sees this shark in the water, so he
starts swimming towards his boat. As he looks back he sees the shark turn and
head towards him. His boat is a ways off and he starts swimming like crazy.
He’s scared to death, and as he turns to see the jaws of the great white beast
open revealing its teeth in a horrific splendor, the atheist screams,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>Oh God! Save me!”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In an instant time is
frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the
water when he hears the voice of God say, “<i>You are an atheist. Why do you
call upon me when you do not believe in me?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aghast with confusion
and knowing he can’t lie the man replies, “<i>Well, that’s true I don’t believe
in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Lord replies<i>,
“As you wish,”</i> and the light retracted back into the heavens and the man
could feel the water begin to move once again.</span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As the atheist looks
back he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of
sudden the shark stops and pulls back. </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shocked, the man looks
at the shark as the huge beast closes its eyes and bows its head and says, “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Baruch
Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech Ha’Olam…”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Right after takeoff, a
pilot comes on the microphone to welcome his passengers. “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you for
flying with us. The weather is....”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then he suddenly
starts screaming while still on the mic, “<i>OH MY GOD! IT IS BURNING!!, IT IS
BURNING!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then silence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A few seconds later,
he comes back on and says, “<i>I’m terribly sorry about what happened. I
spilled some scorching hot coffee on my lap...you should see my pants!!”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A voice from the back
of the plane yelled, “<i>Why don’t you come back here and see ours?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berel is at a looking
to buy a horse, the horse trader leads him to a majestic white stallion. </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The horse trader said:
"This horse can understand three commands, if you want it to walk, say “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Praise
Hashem</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”, if you want it to gallop say “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Baruch Hashem</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">” and if you
want it to stop say “</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Please Hashem”.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berel did not believe
the horse trader, so he requested to try it out. He got onto the horse and then
said: "Praise god." The horse started walking. He then said "<i>Baruch
Hashem</i>" and the horse started galloping towards the end of the cliff.
Berel panicked and forgot the phrase to stop the horse, it looked as if he was
about to fall, he shouted out of fear: "<i>Please Hashem</i>” the horse
stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berel, being relieved,
said "<i>Baruch Hashem</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you, student
loans, for helping me get through college. I don't think I can ever repay you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">"</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">No thanks. I
am a vegetarian."</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is a fun thing to say when someone hands you a baby.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">"</span><i style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you for
calling the NSA..."</i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> "The only government organization that
**actually** listens to you!"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Be thankful for
Doulas. They really help people out</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I want to thank
everyone here for teaching me the word "Plethora" It means a lot<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'd like to thank my legs for supporting me. My
arms for always being by my side and my fingers... I could always count on
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I once thanked a French guy to death It was a
merci killing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you weight loss surgeons. What you do
takes guts</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">**********************************</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this
week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b><span style="color: black;">– Wow! It never fails to amaze me how much information that
I never need still is implanted in my brain. I thought for sure I got this one
wrong and probably would’ve skipped it had I been taking the exam. But whadaya
know… I got it right. I forgot the whole Christianity religion and gospel
stuff, and to be honest really never paid much attention to it in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my course, as bubbeh mayseh- particularly
from a religion that killed so many of us in the name of their false Messiah
savior- was not something I ever thought I would need and certainly not guide.
Yet, I remembered Hadrian’s famous Arch in the Old city on the Via Deloraosa-
which is similar to the famous Titus Arch which was a victory Arch, as opposed
to one that served a function as entrance to city wall. See the Roman’s didn’t
have walls around the city. We shouldn’t either by the way. We as they did
should just make it too scary for anyone to even think of attacking or invading
us. Well it turns out that arch is also known as the Ecco Homo arch where Yoshka
was shown before he was crucified and a whole derasha was given there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span>As far as part 2 I definitely
didn’t have a clue about the pools but guessed Shepherds pool because I
remembered something about some fake news “miracle” where Yoshka healed someone
on Shabbos by bathing there and the Jews made a whole protest and it was a
shepherds pool and I was right! So both
right this week again making the latest score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>17.5
point</b> <b>and the MOT having 5.5 point</b> on this latest Ministry of
Tourism exam.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-48830741019647143882024-01-19T03:23:00.000-08:002024-01-19T03:23:35.809-08:00Bring Him Home- Parshat Bo 2024- 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Insights and
Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from
the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy
Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your
friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">January
19<sup>th</sup> </span>2024</b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">-Volume 13 </span>Issue 14</b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> 9<sup>th</sup> of
Shevat 5784</span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Bo</span></u></b></a></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u>Bring
Him Home</u></i></strong></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></strong></span></span><strong><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Elka, can you get off the couch and come back to the Shabbos
table now!”</span></i></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">“<i>Tully, I’m talking to you too…” </i><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">“<i>I know my E-Mail is long. I know that all of the books and sefarim
that we read by the Shabbos table meal can be annoying and the couch is so much
more comfortable. But I want everyone sitting here at the table. I don’t want
you dozing off. I want you sitting next to me. No, we can’t just finish up the
meal and read and learn afterwards. Daddy, needs time in between courses for
there to be room in his tiny belly for the next few bites of chicken and kugel,
that I’ll hopefully be able to eat- and keep down. So get back to the table and
sit here next to me and listen</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Welcome to the weekly conversation by the Schwartz Shabbos table. I
know and understand my children. The couch is so much more comfortable. They’re
tired. So am I. Yet, it’s one of those pet peeves in my life- that they still
haven’t gotten straight and that still is a weekly argument, that I inherited
from my parents. The rule in my house growing up was that you don’t get up from
the table until the meal is over. It’s rude. It’s like making a statement that the
conversation going on is not important to me and you just want it to be over
already and therefore if you got up from the table the rule was you couldn’t
come back. No dessert for you, now depending on the week and what was for
dessert was a decision that we had to make if it was worth it or not. I didn’t
like that rule then, and now Hashem has fulfilled my mother’s curse to me that
now I’m having the same conversations and arguments with them that she had with
me. What goes around comes around.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yet to be honest, it’s something that I appreciate more and more these
days more than ever. These days with most of my “Chizuk missions” that I’m
running leaving from Yerushalayim in the morning I’ve found myself the last few
weeks leaving my home Motzai Shabbos and coming home Thursday and even Friday.
I don’t see my children, my wife, my bed and I really feel the need to bond
over the weekend. I miss my bed and want to spend time catching up with it. Oh
and with my kids and wife too… So the Shabbos table which has always been the bonding
place for the family is even more important to me. And thus I don’t want anyone
to walk away from it, or leave me. I want us all together for the limited few
hours of Shabbos peace that we are fortunate to have.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Last week though after a long endless few week of these missions which are
just draining on all levels. Putting together various families, constantly
recalculating where I’m going and who we’ll be meeting with and giving <i>chizuk</i>
to, traveling back and forth and of course going from tears, horror, consoling
and singing and dancing with soldiers and davening for everyone we meet is an
emotional roller coaster. I needed a break. I wanted to get away. I was not up
to coming home and giving three <i>drashos</i> over Shabbos and leading
services in my Shul. I just wanted some sun and quiet for the weekend. Yet at
the same time I didn’t feel like I could disconnect from everything that is
going on. There’s too much going on. Too many families hurting. It’s an <i>eis
tazara</i> for Klal Yisrael. Our boys are out there serving in Gaza, the
hostages are still not home, and there are so many broken families all over. I
couldn’t go on vacation and turn it off. So we decided to go for Shabbos to Ein
Bokek to the hotels where many of the refugees are staying. At least we could
be with them and give them <i>chizuk</i> and connect to what they were going
through while we were getting some sun.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The truth is it’s nice over there. If I had to be thrown out of my house
than there are worse places to be then in a five-star hotel by the beach with a
spa and delicious hotel meals and concerts and entertainment all the time.
There was this funny clip from the comedian Adir Miller going around of this
guy Yossi, evacuated from Ashkelon sitting in a Jacuzzi in the hotel being
interviewed about his terrible situation. He told the reporter that he refuses
to go home until the last Hamas terrorist is killed. He will remain there
sipping his drink until the war is over. When the reporter came back to him and
informed him that it was over Yossi asked him and what about Hezbollah? When he
was told that Hezbollah and the northern front which was far away from his
house in Ashkelon was as well all taken care of, Yossi took a long sip on his
cocktail and thought and said</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">“<i>And what’s with Houtim?!</i>”</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yeah… It’s really not that bad over there. And so we walked around and
talked to the refugees who many have obviously undergone severe trauma and are
dealing with unreal PTSD in many if not all cases and have been sitting in
these hotels for 104 days already. I asked them what it was like. Was it really
so bad being where they are. To be honest, I used up a lot of points staying in
the hotel that Shabbos. The response they gave me was just 7 words. It was 7
words that hit my like a brick and I believe that it is the essence of everything
that has been going and that Hashem wants for us to be focused on. They told me</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">“We just want to go home already”</span></strong></i></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">They miss their homes. Shabbos is not fun in a hotel for more than a
week. They want family dinners. They want home-cooked food. They want to bond.
They want their own beds. They want to feel together. They want their own four
walls. They need to feel like a person again rather than a guest- despite how
nice and comfortable their temporary accommodations might be.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Those words have been ringing in my head since Shabbos and I hear them a
lot even louder from so many other places. I regularly visit Hostage square and
meet with families whose children, whose brothers and sisters, whose parents and
even grandparents are being held by these subhuman animals in Gaza. There are
signs everywhere you go. On your shampoo bottles and milk cartons and the shops
and street signs everywhere. Bring them Home Now. We want them home. <i>Tachzor
ha’bayta Achshav! </i>During protests once when I was sitting there was someone
with a big sign that said</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">“<i>B’chol mechir tachzireim Ha’bayta</i>- at any price bring them
back.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">It wasn’t a family member that was holding the sign and the person
holding it seemed like a secular left-wing hopefully former Peace Now person,
so I felt comfortable walking over and engaging them in a conversation. I asked
him what he meant by “at any price”. Because personally I also agreed with the concept,
and I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. We weren’t.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> See, my “any price” was that we
every day blow up another village from the sky-without endangering anymore of
our boys in green. That we slaughter men women and children madly until they
return our boys or at least be inspired that the civilian houses that they are
being held in feel inspired to return them to us. That we literally do not give
one drop of water, food, and certainly not gas or electric to anyone over the
Gaza line and lay siege until they die and hand them over to us. And finally, if
that’s not working, we take out thousands of Hamas prisoners we have in jails
here and hang them from the security fence daily and chop them up into little
pieces until our hostages are returned. Any price means any price to me. It
seems though we were talking different currency. His any price was just handing
a bunch of terrorists back to them so they can come back and kill us again.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oh well, the <i>contzeptzia</i> still hasn’t been broken for some. Not
everyone has come to the recognition that Hashem has been bringing us to the
point where we have the level of hatred and vengeance, he wanted us to have
here when we first came into the land and were told to wipe out the 7 nations
and Amalek. All of them. Otherwise we will always suffer from them and they will
be thorns in our eyes. I don’t like thorns in my eyes. I just want them home.
And those that haven’t gotten that yet really need to join me on a tour of the
Kibbutzim in the South to appreciate as they tell me- that there are no
innocent civilians over there. They are all evil. They all need to be wiped
out. Because the unspeakable atrocities need to be avenged.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">But it’s not just the hostages and refugees that need to come home.
There are over 350,000 men women, boys, girls, fathers, brothers that are out
fighting now. They’re living in tents, their sleeping on the wet ground, they’re
under fire in Gaza, on the Lebanon border, on Mt. Chermon and Har Dov. They’re
in tanks, in helicopters, they’re medics, they’re engineers, they’re warriors.
And they haven’t been home for along time. And they miss their Shabbos tables.
They miss their spouses. Their wives and children the other heroes of this war
are struggling without them. It’s insane. Nobody is home. Everyone is in exile.
Farmers don’t have their fields and crops, major cities, stores and shops and
malls are closed. Tzfat art gallery street is a ghost town. It’s unreal. We
need to go home is the cry. It’s the name of the war.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">And then it struck me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. There’s someone
else that hasn’t been home either. Yet it’s not just for 1 day, or 104 days and
not even for a year or ten years. It is the <i>shechina</i>. It is Hashem. It’s
been over 2000 years that Hashem is not in His Home. That it lies in ruins with
a golden pimple on top desecrating it. That may have been set up in many five-star
hotels in Lakewood, Boro Park, or even before that in Poland, Lita, or Spain or
Russia or Babylonia. Really nice hotels there that the <i>Shechina</i> was in.
Beautiful Shuls with minyanim all the time and Beit Midrashs with Torah like it’s
never been heard. But it’s a hotel. And the <i>Shechina,</i> Hashem just wants His
own House, His own Shabbos table with His children.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Well this week’s Torah portion the one that begins the story of our
actual redemption (then and hopefully now as well). Also tells us about an interesting
mitzva that was necessary for us to leave Egypt. To get out of the darkness. To
move into the light. To come back to our land. It is the last moment of our exile,
and we have one major command that Hashem says an eternal one. One that we
should remember for all ages. One that is the secret of our final redemption. The
mitzva is to sit together at the table in one house. It is to remember annually
that all of this is about having a home. A <i>bayis</i> where we are all one.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">That last night when Hashem is wiping out the first-borns of all Egypt
Hashem tells us that it is time for us to go into our houses. The word <i>‘bayis’</i>-home
is repeated again and again. We should place blood on our houses and doorposts.
Reb Zalman Sorotzkin writes that blood will be the sign on our houses that
Hashem will see as He goes out and slaughters the animals that terrorized us and
slaughtered our babies and children. He will see that blood and remember the
children taken from their houses, from their bedrooms and drowned and
slaughtered and murdered and burned and raped. That blood that united us and
made us realize that we are all one family. That we are one and He is one. The
blood of the sheep that is their <i>avoda zara</i>- the idolatrous godless
nation that we slaughtered and bravely took and posted on our bedposts, because
we knew that without Hashem, we have no home. He has no place for His Shechina.
That blood is there to remind us of what sadly our home has been built on. The sacrifice
and martyrs who fell on Kiddush Hashem. Because they were Jews. Because the
nations didn’t want Him to have a Home as well.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s interesting that the word ‘<i>Bayis’</i> consists of three letters
that represents this idea. Beis- the first letter is the second of the aleph
bet- it is the first letter of the Torah. It is the beginning that starts and
connects to the Aleph the first letter that is Hashem. It’s where we start our
work in the creation of this world for the aleph- what the kabbalists call the A<i>lufo
Shel Olam</i>- Hashem the First can have a home to reside. The final letter of
the word <i>bayi</i>s is <i>taf</i>- it’s the last letter of the aleph beis. It’s
the end. Our homes are from the beginning to the end. It’s what it’s all about.
And in the middle is that one letter<i> yud.</i> It is the <i>pinteleh yid</i>.
It’s the name of Hashem. It’s the <i>Shechina</i>. It’s our Shabbos table. It’s
Hashem residing and sitting at the table with His children. Smack in the middle
of our home. The yud in the middle of the<i> bayis</i>.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">But it’s not just the <i>bayis</i> - the home either and it’s not just
Egypt. The parsha continues and tells us that when we come into the land there
will be children that will ask what this is all about? What is it all this
service for you, the wicked child will ask? Who needs it? Why do we need to sit
at one table just us. Why can’t we bring the goy to the table and to eat our
Pesach offering with us. Why can’t we just live with the rest of the world? Why
not intermarry. Share our seder. Share our blood and unite it with their black
South African apartheid, with their spilled blood in their wars in their
Somalian, Armenian or Ukranian genocides. Why do we need our own home. What’s
wrong with living in their countries. Some of them are still somewhat nice to
us. We invested a lot in our hotels/ Batei Midrash and beautiful synagogues,
schools, JCC. ’s and chesed organizations. We have shiurim everyday and Daf
Yomi. Yes, there are wicked children that ask these kind of questions… Ouch!</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hashem answers that we should tell them, that we’re not home. That He
is not home there. That there will be blood there. That they will kill us. That
He will save us when we all gather into the one Home that He needs to be as
well. That we create a united home for all of us. A home where the shechina
that yud will reside in the center.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rav Sorotzkin continues and tells us that this mitzva of eating
annually the Korban Pesach has an incredible halacha to it. We can’t leave the <s>Shabbos</s>
Pesach Seder table when we’re eating it. There’s a prohibition of carrying it
outside of the house. Even with an <i>eiruv</i>. You can’t even leave the room
and it eat in another room. Everyone each year must sit together for this meal.
It’s a big meal. We have to finish it all together. You’re going to need guests
to accomplish that task. You need to have people over for your Pesach Seder
each year, otherwise you have leftovers and that’s a prohibition. You can’t
carry your little plate and walk away. We need to sit together and understand
that is a holiday about having a home. That our job in this world is to bring
the Shechina home. That can only happen when we are all one. When we are a
family. When we are all at the table with perhaps the people we never might
have felt that we should sit with together. That we may not have thought were
kosher or holy enough to be participate. With people that they may have thought
were too frum for them. That didn’t care about them. That they thought we were
perhaps only parasites trying to milk them.</span></strong></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> None of us got it. Because we weren’t
home. Because we wandered, we assimilated, we forgot in how much pain the<i>
shechina</i> has been in being in captivity and exile. We had homes for 2000
years without that yud. Without Him. We would perhaps come back to Israel and
visit the ruins and rubble of His destroyed house to pick up whatever scraps
remained there. To see the nice museum an Kotel that they made out of His once
beautiful palace. Just as they talk about turning Beeri or Kfar Azza into Israel
Holocaust museums. Guess what? They don’t want that… They want their homes back.
And guess what? So does Hashem…</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">So here we are. We’re reading the parsha of Geula. Our weekly Torah
lesson that Hashem spoke to us on a mountain 3000 years ago is more real than
ever. The month of Shevat and this week’s Tu B’Shvat is when the sap begins to
rise up the tree. The flourishing of our redemption has begun and it’s almost
complete. The day of returning home awaits for all of us. For our hostages, for
our refugees, for our soldiers, for all of our diaspora Jews and for Hashem. So
it’s time to get off the couch and come to the table. The main course is about
to begin and my E-Mail is finally over.</span></strong></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong>Have a warm family Shabbos.</p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"
Besser bay zikh krupnik, eyder bay yenem gebrotns</span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">.." Better barley
soup at home than a roast at someone else’s home.</span></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">23.The
religion of the people from the Rajar (Ghajar) village is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In
which of the following places are there remains of a Temple from the Iron age?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Muhraka<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Banias<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Tel Arad<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
Ein Gedi<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMdvVnOuIgk"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMdvVnOuIgk</span></a>
– <b><i>Yonatan Razel Eis Milchama<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJp0MeIzKi4"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJp0MeIzKi4</span></a></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>
Eretz Nehederet Women Heroes- wives of reservists- the true heroes funny!</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzTFQzbSQo"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzTFQzbSQo</span></a>
-</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Hillarious Binyomin Miller Incomplet of
Skinny Pinny fame<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3rtnQ_7y4"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3rtnQ_7y4</span></a>
<b><i>– AM Yisrael Chai Ayal Golan my song of the week that can’t stop singing
with English lyrics</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYnZRH6Q6QY"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYnZRH6Q6QY</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">my friend Jeremy Gimpel Acheinu for the
Bibers birthday</span></i></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b><b><u>Dog Eat Dog World</u>– </b>Short story on prayer with an
amazing insight from Rebbi Meir Permishlan for you. This person once came to
Reb Meir and complained and cried. He worked and worked and worked and slaved
and labored to eke out a living and nothing helped. He was still under the
water, whatever he tried wasn’t helping. He was sinking quick and he didn’t know
what to do. Reb Meir turned to him and held his hand gently and quoted him a<i>
pasuk</i> in this week’s Torah portion that described the moment that the
Jewish people had their redemption when all of the Egyptians were getting
killed.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>The Torah tells us that there were no dogs that
barked that night.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><i>U’Lchol bnai Yisrael Lo yechratz Kelev Lishono-</i> that for all of the Jewish people
a dog did not wag it’s tongue.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>Reb Meir then read the verse homiletically.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">U’lChol Bnai Yisrael</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- and for all the children of
Israel… A lesson for all time is </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Lo Yechratz</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- don’t wag yourself, don’t make yourself meshuga
running around trying to scramble exerting extra effort to “make it”. Rather</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Kelev Lshono</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- your heart (leiv) should be the same as your tongue.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p> You just need
to be sincere in your prayers. You just need to know that when you ask Hashem
to help you, to heal you, to provide for you, to redeem you. That you really
believe it in your heart as well. That you understand that He is the only address
that can help you and give you what you need. If your Leiv is like your lashon-
if your heart and soul are in synch and you are not just offering lip-service
in your prayers then you have nothing to worry about. Hashem is our Father waiting
to answer our prayers. We just need to make sure that they come from our heart.</p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><u>RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</u></b></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The beginning of the
Exile- </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Civil war had taken over
the first Temple period with King after King rising up and killing the previous
one. In the North kingdom of Israel <b>Shalum be Yavesh</b> rises up and kills <b>Zecharia
</b>the son of <b>Yeravam the 2<sup>nd</sup></b>. <b>Shalum</b> himself reigns
for one month until <b>Menachem be Gadi</b> kills him and he assaulted and
attacked the <b>Aramian/ Syrian city of Tiftza</b> and committed atrocities
against their women. He ruled for 10 years and led an idolatrous kingdom when
Hashem sent the king of <b>Asyria </b>led by <b>Pul </b>against him. <b>Menachem</b>
seemingly as they say here in Israel didn’t understand the language that needed
to be spoken and tried by them off with a thousand talents of silver and paid
off each soldier 50 shekels. And it helped somewhat but not for good and not
for long… Because it was at this point that the Exile first started.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our sages tell us that
it was at this time that the two and half tribes on the other side of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jordan
River</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> were first captured and exiled. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ashur/ Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> led by </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pul</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
conquers them and the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Golan Heights</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, th</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">e Eastern banks of the Jordan
River </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">all fell to</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Assyria</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. The exiles were sent into Galus never to
be heard from again as the first of the ten tribes to disappear. The </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">East
Bank </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">since then which today is in Jordan is still no longer in our hands
and hasn’t been entirely in our hands since then. The reason they were the
first to fall, our sages tell us is because they were the least connected to
Eretz Yisrael. They chose to stay there and asked Moshe to as well have their
homesteads there. This is despite the fact that they were the first to fight
and conquer the land at the heads of our troops.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The reign of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Menachem</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
was handed down to his son </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekachiah Ben Menachem.</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> He as well continued
in his fathers ways and he himself was ultimately killed after two years by
another </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pekachia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. This one was his own captain the son of </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Remalia</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
he was joined by the children of those that had been exiled from </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gilead</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
on the other side of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jordan</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> who felt they were abandoned by their
King. The civil war is getting fiercer and fiercer. The situation is getting
gloomier and gloomier. The decline of the </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1<sup>st</sup> Temple</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> era has
officially begun and next week we’ll see that it gets even worse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY COMING HOMEJOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Berel is a </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">mathematician at Yale university. He comes
home from a symposium to be met at the door by his furious wife.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What's the big
idea, coming home at three in the morning in this state</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">?" she yells.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Dear,"</i>
Berel calmly responds, "<i>what time did I say I would be home</i>?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<i>Quarter of
twelve, that's what you said</i>!" screams the wife.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"...Well?"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> demands the mathematician.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm coming home late
tonight...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mom: Why?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dad: I have a
toothache, I'm going to the dentist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mom: Okay. What time
is the appointment?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dad: Tooth hurty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mom: ... Wow. I feel
so bad…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A baby mosquito is
coming home from his first flying lesson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Son, you did good?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Terrific! Everyone
clapped<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why didn't the
astronaut ever come home to his wife? Because he needed his space!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sherlock Holmes comes
home with a box of lemons...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Watson asks where he
got them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Holmes replies, <i>"A
lemon tree, my dear Watson."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A plumber comes home very
upset and yells out to his wife- "<i>honey, you would not believe the
bidet I've had."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Sarah, Yankel’s wife
doesn’t come home one night. The next morning, the she tells her husband that
she had slept over at a friends house. Yankel being the suspicious type then
contacted all of her friends asking about it and whadaya know none of them said
that she was there. A few nights later, Yankel doesn’t come home one night.
Just like his wife, the next morning he tells her that he had slept over at a friend’s
place. Sarah as well was suspicious and contacted all of the Yankel’s friends
to ask about it and would you believe it, apparently Yankel was at 8 houses, 2
of which said he was still there!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">James gets up from his barstool after a long
night drinking alone and falls right to the floor. He crawls to the door, pulls
himself up to open it, and falls through the door as it swings open. James
continues this process as he crawls home pulling himself by his hands; falling
to the floor with every pull. As he rounds the corner to his apartment, James
pulls himself up to the door knob, inserts the key and twist it and the door
open. As much expected, James collapses to the floor, unable to support himself
in this drunken state. James finally makes it up the stairs to the room where
his wife is soundly sleeping. He wrestles with himself while removing his
clothes, attempting to be as quiet as possible. James decides that he cannot
make it into the shower to clean himself off, and he pulls himself up into bed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unsuccessfully, James awoke his wife on his
way into bed. She stared at him angrily and said, "<i>You were out at the
bar again, weren't you?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No,"</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> said James, trying to sound inconspicuous.
"<i>I was out at the movies with some buddies."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Don't lie to me."</span></i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Said his wife. "<i>The bar called and
they said you left your wheelchair there."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I came home from the bar the last night and
was met by my wife asking, " WHAT DO YOU MEAN COMING HOME HALF DRUNK?!?!"
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I said, "<i>I ran out of money!"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Avram comes home from Shul one day in grief
and despair. His wife asks what happened “<i>Oy vey iz mir</i>” he tells her - <i>So
much spending! So much money I am going to lose! Today our rabbi gave a speech:
"For many years we are living among Russians but they still don't like us.
And we don't even know why. I gave it many a thought and decided that it's
because we don't drink vodka. Next time everyone should bring a bottle of vodka
with him, we will empty every bottle into a big bowl and nobody will be allowed
to leave until we finish all the liquor." So I need to buy a whole bottle
of vodka! So much spending!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>What a G-d's fool is my husband</i>!” -
she answers – “<i>Nothing could be simpler. Go buy a bottle of vodka. I will
empty it into this here decanter, fill the bottle with water and seal it back
accurately so nobody will notice. Then a single bottle of water won't make any
difference in a bowl full of vodka.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Avram cheered up, did as he's been told, took
a bottle of "vodka" with him to the synagogue next time and humbly
emptied it in the bowl like everyone else. The Rabbi took a cup, filled it from
the bowl and sipped a bit. Then, in disbelief, sipped much more. Then put the cup
aside and sighed: <i>Well, that's why<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yanky a 16 year old Jewish boy is coming home
from a party ...On the way home , he has to go past graveyard .But since he
didn't want to miss the game on the TV , he goes through the graveyard which
has a shortcut to his house .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The graveyard was covered with thick fog which
was so much that he couldn't see the ground in front of him . Eventually, it
happened.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He falls in a grave dug out which had a coffin
in it . The height of the grave was too high for the boy to climb out . But Yanky
is smart enough to tilt the coffin and climb on it . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After coming out of the grave , he continues
walking for a certain distance , until he hears a THUD THUD THUD .When he turns
back to see , he sees the coffin out of the grave .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Quickly , he starts running .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He reaches his house and closes the door .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He could now see the coffin on his driveway
.He quickly runs up to his bathroom .The coffin crashes through the window .His
parents are fast asleep .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The coffin is coming up through the stairs .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The coffin is in room .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yanky crying , starts throwing everything he
can find on the coffin .Toilet paper, Shampoo , soaps , Perfumes , scent
bottles and what not .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THUD THUD THUD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The coffin is nearing him . He now starts
throwing the medicines . As a final desperate attempt , he throws the cough
syrup at it . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then , at last , the coffin stops .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #020000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u></b><span style="color: black;">– This one was also an easy one. I actually before Corona started
guiding there and havea good friend there that shows me around this Allohite
village that fell under our control in the 6-Day War. The Syrians claimed that
the village was theirs as they were Allohites-which seemingly is a more
peaceful and open-minded version of Islam at least theoretically. We never
conquered it because we assumed it was from Lebanon who had never entered the
war. Lebanon actually even claimed afterwards that it belonged to them. They on
the other hand were quite happy being part of Israel. For many years the
village was split in half and Hezballah stood right outside their doorsteps as
the government and United Nations didn’t allow us to put up a fence. Today
Baruch Hashem there is one that was placed there and built officially by the
residents themselves after a terrorist attack there a few years ago. The have a
great park there with a menora and signs and symbols of all religions and many
of them even serve in the Israeli army. They don’t like our enemies more than
we do and are actually quite patriotic as well. </span></p><p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The part B of this question is
also easy. As Tel Arad has an alternate Beit Hamikdash there quite small built
in the times of the Melachim where they even found idols that were taken down
and buried during the period of Yoash who destroyed all of the bamos. Yet
seemingly they planned again on using them after his reign as they were just
buried rather than destroyed. So both right this week <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>making the latest score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b>
<b>16.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 5.5 point</b> on this latest Ministry
of Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-83165282657329920042024-01-05T05:47:00.000-08:002024-01-05T05:47:55.272-08:00Brother Tours- Parshat Shemot 2024 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">January 5<sup>th</sup>
</span><u><span style="color: #c00000;">2024</span></u></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 13</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> 24<sup>th</sup> of
Tevet 5784</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Shemot</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"></a><a name="_Hlk154498263"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Brother
Tours</span></u></i></strong></span></a></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk154498263;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk154498263;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk154498263;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“So is it still
possible to tour Israel?” my friend on the phone who had booked me 6 months ago
wanted to know. They had first planned this trip before Corona and that threw an
unvaccinated diseased monkey-or bat wrench into their plans. Then the
post-Corona flood wave of tourism back here made it a bit prohibitive for them
to come, as well they need to recoup a bit financially. It seems that they were
from the few frum <i>yiddelach</i> that hadn’t figured out how to make a bundle
off the pandemic. But they finally got everything together. We had planned a
few amazing days together. The North, the South, fun activities, inspiration,
history, connect with our roots and our land and then October 7<sup>th</sup> happened.
Now what? Are we still on? Can we still go? Are places still open? What’s the
story…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">They’re not the
only ones that have called with that question. I’ve had others as well that
were planning family trips, Bar Mitzvas, Grandparent-grandchildren trips. They
all understand that things are not the same. That we are at war right now. They
know that things are going to be different. But they want to know if it’s still
<i>l’maaseh</i>- <i>aktchualeet</i>-realistic to come now. My response to them-
despite the fact that there are tour guides doing the regular thing-incomprehensibly
as it is to me right now, is that I feel that asking me for a “tour” of Israel
right now is like asking me for a tour of Manhattan a month after 9/11. Sure,
the Statue of Liberty might be open and the great restaurants, museums and
Times square, but they’re not going to be getting a tour of Manhattan anymore.
It’s a tour of 9/11. In Eretz Yisrael right now it’s not waterfalls in the
Golan. It’s not Masada and Herod the Great. It’s not tunnel tours and it’s not
jeeping in the Judean desert anymore. It’s a new world. And it’s one that you
can and have to be part of. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Since Chanuka when
my first friend remarkably called me up my life has changed. My phone thank god
has been ringing off the hook from good Jews that have been calling me non-stop
to join me on my trips around the country to give <i>chizuk</i>, strength, love
and money to the so, so many that are in incomprehensible circumstances. They
tell me that they feel like I did the first three days of the war. Stuck on
their couches, in their offices and kitchens in Lakewood, Five Towns, Miami, the
Midwest and around the country and feeling helpless, while their brothers,
sisters and country are undergoing the most challenging crisis in the last 50
years. They need to come here. They need to feel. They need to be together.
They can’t stay on their couch anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">For tours like
that I’m available-although thank God I’m getting booked up and filled up with
those requests as well. The benefit though of what I’m doing now though, is
that I’m putting families together. Whereas when my clients in the past who
were coming, I would almost never combine families or groups together. It’s
just a big headache. This one wants to do this, and that one wants to do that.
Things take longer, it’s a shlep and it’s a lot more coordination. As well I
always felt that a trip to Eretz Yisrael was family-bonding experience. It’s
something that everyone should have, discover and reveal their personal connection
to Eretz Yisrael. To find their portion, their place, their experience. But
these trips that I’m doing now are not about my clients coming. It’s about what
and how we can maximally give and help those that we are visiting. And
therefore the more people that I can bring to a place and give chizuk and help
alleviate their overwhelming financial, material and emotional needs, the more we
can do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What will be doing
on these trips? When I was guiding I always told my clients that there four or
five ingredients that I put into every day that I toured that I had felt they
needed to get the full Eretz Yisrael experience. Each day would have some
history in it, some nature to take in the beauty of the land, some fun
activities, some holy places and of course good food along the way. Today I’ve identified
as well about six or seven different areas that I feel it’s important to try to
cover on our trips so that we and they can experience, contribute and bring
light to on their trips here. Places and people that desperately need the light
that only someone that comes across the ocean to be with them can bring. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The first area is
of course the Kohanim Gedolim- the High priests of our nation today, our brave <i>chayalim</i>-soldiers
that are doing Hashem’s work and wiping the darkness and evil that has thrust
its dark cloud over our country and the world with the great light of Hashem
that they are shining out of their M16’s, F16’s and Merkava tanks. They need
supplies, coats, scopes, gloves, helmets, boots- yes I know that army should be
providing these things, but tachlis is they’re not. Go kvetch and complain and
bad mouth the Israeli army that is overwhelmed and not only un-prepared, but
who’s last major war had about 40,000 reservists called up in the Lebanon war
and today had to in one day deal with over 300,000 that are serving. Or
alternatively, don’t kvetch and go back to October 6<sup>th</sup> conversation
and rhetoric and do something about it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As well our boys
in green need good food. They need warm meals, they need BBQ’s after serving on
Har Dov for 40 days on the top of our freezing mountains, or after 60 days in
Gaza, or after the daily grind and terror of going into Shechem, Jenin and all
of those “peaceful” Palestinian Authority occupied areas. They need good sandwiches
for breakfast, they need Beef Jerky and protein to take with them on their
missions. And they even need the little notes that you can and will write and
send them on these packages that tell them that we are thinking about them.
That we love them. That we can’t even express how much it means to us that they
are putting their lives on the line daily for us. That we are awed by their heroism
and bravery. And that they are our messengers to wipe all of these guys off the
face of the earth and bring me a hotel in Beirut and a beachfront property in
Gush Katif. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The next group of
people that we need to visit and love are the so many that are experiencing such
trauma right now. There are families that lost someone, it could be on October
7<sup>th</sup>, it could be soldiers that have fallen, others that have gotten
killed in terrorist attacks or missile fallings. There are families who have
injured husbands, fathers, brothers and sisters that are in hospitals right
now. Some that are in serious condition, others that have lost limbs, are
undergoing trauma. They need our chizuk, our prayers, some hugs and light.
There are families of hostages who for them it’s still October 7<sup>th</sup>.
They can’t move. They’re not functioning. They don’t sleep. They’re terrified
that the world is forgetting about them. That the country has forgotten about
their loved ones. It’s happened before in Israel, where for years they’ve had
our captives. We need to hug them and tell them we’re here for them, We need to
tell the mourners that we flew in to hear about their lost one. That these children
are with us. That we want to know who they are so we can daven harder for them.
With their faces emblazoned in our hearts and minds. That we can make kabbalot
resolutions in their merit. We need to shed tears and take away some of their
pain. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As well there are
the farms and farmers whose entire livelihood and lives are going to pot. Whose
crops are dying on their trees that they planted, and invested so much into.
They don’t have workers anymore. They themselves may be serving in Gaza or at
other places around the country protecting us from our enemies. Their wives are
struggling. Their children don’t have a father and are not sleeping and all the
while their entire winter crop just sits and spoils or is not being planted and
tended to. We need to help them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Finally it’s not
just individuals, it’s communities that need our help. That need your visit.
That need your money and support. That want your love and hugs and empathy.
That want a big brother and sister that care about them enough to come here and
be with them and hold their hands. There are over 130,000 people that have been
evacuated from their homes. They’re living in hotels and tzimmers around the
country. Many have them had events and visitors and concerts, but they haven’t
left their hotels and gotten out. Even worse are the communities that have not
been evacuated. Some are over the 6 KM line that the government has not
authorized alternate living space and they are getting slammed with missiles. They’re
in bomb shelters regularly on the Northern border. Others like the families in
Sderot are still there because they can’t or are unable to leave. They need
meals and food and visitors to be <i>mechazek</i> them. So so many children who’s
lives have been overturned. That are not only going crazy, but are driving
their parents who may have a husband or brother who’s serving somewhere crazy
as well. They are our brothers and sisters. We need to be there for them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There are all of
the kibbutzim in the South as well, that need help. They literally went through
a pogrom that we thought went out of style in the times of the Cossacks, the Chmielnicki
revolution, the Crusades. The type that we read about every Tisha B’Av. It’s
heart-wrenching to walk through and still 90 days later smell the smoke and
blood and see the destruction and havoc. I’ve had visitors that have come and
told me that they didn’t want to go there. They felt it was too much. That
there was no need. That they just wanted to do “uplifting” things. I disagreed
with them. I said that as long it was an age-appropriate group that they needed
to come there and see it for themselves. Let me explain why.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I have always been
against the March of Living, Holocaust tours. I’m a positive guy. I feel we
need to focus on the future. We are blessed with Eretz Yisrael. We can’t look
back. The whole thing of “Never Again” happened again and it was never more
than anything but a cool mantra and slogan, because it is Hashem that will decide
what we will go through our not, and His decrees which we can never understand,
are more about the way that we behave towards one another and the light we are
successful in bringing out to the world, and the true desire to return to Eretz
Yisrael where He wants us to live, so that he doesn’t throw us out of the
places that He never wanted us to feel comfortable in. Yet this is different.
This is now. This is the present.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Every soldier
before going out to Gaza is brought to these Kibbutzim and terror zones. The
army understands that the soldiers in order to truly fight the way that they
need to fight they need to understand the extent of the atrocity that took
place, the chilul Hashem that has happened, the vengeance that needs to be
taken in order to restore the light to the world. The immensity of the evil
that they will be facing. They need to see it with their own two eyes. It needs
to penetrate their souls. In the same way all of us our soldiers as well. Our prayers,
our resolutions, our Torah study, our charity, our unity and love is the
firepower behind the bullets, missiles and bombs that we are leveling on them.
We can’t fight with Pre-October 7<sup>th</sup> spiritual ammunition. It’s not
enough. We need prayer and Torah and charity and love on steroids to conquer
this evil. Because we are not fighting just to wipe them out. It’s not about
bringing security to Israel for the future. It’s about bringing Mashiach. It’s
about the final redemption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Which of course
brings us four pages into this E-mail to this week’s Torah portion as we begin
the Book of Redemption. To be honest, I thought Mashiach would be coming this
week already. We finished the story of our family. We’ve fixed it all. It’s
time already. Yet of course it seems that we’re still not entirely there. The
Parsha begins with the story of suffering under Pharaoh, of the torture and
senseless murder and enslavement of our nation and with the murder of our
babies. It’s bad. It’s 210 years of October 7<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And then there is
Moshe. He’s our shepherd and our savior. He’s the one that turns it all around.
For 210 years Hashem has hidden Himself from us in the darkness of Egypt. And
it all changes when Moshe does something remarkable. He called Rabbi Schwartz
and left his cozy safe palace in <s>Monsey, Lakewood, Cedarhurst, Los Angeles,
America</s> Egypt and he went out to his brothers to see their suffering. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Vayigdal Moshe</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and Moshe got older, <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Vayeitzei El Echov</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and he went out to his brothers<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yaar b’sivlosam</span></i><span style="color: black;">-and he saw their suffering<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What was the
purpose of Moshe Rabbeinu’s trip? Rashi tells us it was in order to “<i>focus
his eyes and heart to be distressed over them.” </i>Moshe knew what was going
on. He watched the News every night. He read the papers, he surfed Yeshiva World
and even watched my daily status posts. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to go
there and see it for himself. He needed to feel the pain and suffering. It
needed to hurt so much that it would become his own pain where he would do
anything to relieve that pain. So he got off his couch and came. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What made this
even more incredible was that the verse tells us that Moshe went out to “his
brothers”. Were these really his brothers? Moshe since being an infant was
raised in Pharaoh’s palace. He was aristocracy. He had a big 8-bedroom house
and backyard. These were slaves. They were different than him. They were in Egypt
“<i>shlav beit</i> “kids- not just second-class citizens but almost sub-humans.
Yet, Moshe went out to his brothers. There was no disconnect. There was no
Moshe saying yeah, but those Kibbutzim were left-wing secularists that brought
it upon themselves. There was not but they were festivaling and violating
Shabbos and Simchas Torah. There was no I’m better or frummer than they are, or
I’m only connecting to those that are like me. He went out to his brothers. He
wanted to know who they were and what they were going through and he needed to
feel the pain. It’s just five Hebrew words, “He went out to his brothers and he
saw their suffering” and yet it’s a whole world and it’s what brought the
redemption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What was it that
Moshe saw? He saw an Egyptian man hitting a Jewish man. He saw the blows. HE
felt each whip on his own back. He saw that the poor slave was an “<i>ivri</i>”.
He was a “Yahud”. He hear Allahu Akbar. He smelled the smoke. He walked through
the blood-stained sands and ash-filled rooms. He left with the stench of the
death of babies on his clothing. He looked to the right and to the left. To the
United Nations, to the all of those Me-Toos, to the civilized world, to the Universities
for Social justice, to the Red Cross and he saw- ki ein ish- there’s nobody
there. No one cares. That we are a nation alone. And saw he took action. He
couldn’t not. He realized that everyone else was sitting comfortably and just talking
and pontificating, but no one was smiting the<i> Mitzri</i>- Egyptian. So he
did it. Because he understood that it was his brother that was getting hit and
no one else was going to be there for him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet he left with his
faith shattered. How could this happen? How could this be? Why am I the only
one that is here. Where’s the world? The next morning he got his answer when he
returned. Because a one-day mission with Rabbi Schwartz is never enough. Because
despite the fact that yesterday was exhausting and draining and emotional and
took everything I had, my brother is still suffering. And I have to go out
again tomorrow. Because there’s still something else I have to and can do. And
there’s no one else that can or will. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet on day two. He
got his answer. He understood it all. He said <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>Achein noda ha’davar</i>-
Now the matter is known to me.”. What did he see? Two men fighting. Two Jewish
men that just didn’t get that it was October 8<sup>th</sup> and not October 6<sup>th</sup>
anymore. Two men that didn’t chap that we’re all in this together. That didn’t
understand we’re all on the same boat. They didn’t appreciate that the only way
to remove that hiddenness of Hashem in this dark world is if we bring his light
his One-ness into the world by us coming together. By us stopping to hit our
brothers. By not falling back into that fight that brought us down here in the
first place between Yosef and his brothers. That’s the <i>davar</i>- the matter
that started it all. It’s the <i>davar</i> that Yosef spoke about his brothers.
It’s the <i>davar</i> that Yaakov sent Yosef to find and return the peace from
his brothers and it is the <i>davar</i> that Yosef was able to reestablish in
the house of Pharaoh at the end of the last parsha with his forgiveness, reconciliation
and even support for one another. But now Moshe realizes that the <i>davar</i>
is back again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The world doesn’t
care about us if we are divided and don’t care about one another. They can’t
care for us, because when we are at each other’s throats, when we sit on our
own coach and not there for one another, then we are not the nation that will
shine the light to the world. Then the opposite happens. Then they have to
remind us and persecute and pain us until we get back to where we need to. To
where the light can shine from.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Moshe sees that
and flees. And he waits until the tide changes. Until the pain gets so great
that we have one voice and cry out to Hashem. The hiddenness is too much. We
need You. And Hashem hears it finally. He looks down on His children and
remembers His covenant. He remembers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yar Elokim es
Bnai Yisrael-</span></i><span style="color: black;"> And Hashem saw the children
of Israel. He saw us a nation. He saw what the pain had brought us to. He saw
that Moshe even far away in Midyan was still connected to his people and that
it was time to come back for a second trip. He saw that the men who had sought
out the life of Moshe were gone. The fighting was over. The pain was too great.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yeida Elokim</span></i><span style="color: black;">- Rashi tells us Hashem put His heart and did not hide His
eyes from us anymore. The redemption can come. We can move forward with the
miracles. We can head home and wipe out the evil. We can finally finish the
mission of Yaakov of Shema Yisrael Hashem Echad revealing His One-ness through
our Achdus. We can finally go back and have the good old-fashioned Rabbi
Schwartz tour of Eretz Yisrael once again. I’m booking them now for Pesach. So
don’t wait too long for this once in a life-time <i>achdus</i> tour to bring
that day sooner. It’s time to come out to your brothers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have a inspiring Shabbos and an
uplifting Shabbos Mevorchim.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">T</span></i></b></p><p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Kirtser
geshlofen, lenger gelebt”.- </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The
less you sleep, the more you get out of life.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">21.
According to the Bible, the first month of the year is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Which
of the following characterizes the customs in a Reform Synagogue?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Women sit in front of men<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Women will read from the Torah<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. The
Temple will not be mentioned<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. The
reading of the Torah will be in English.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">No Words </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s the one thing that every one says after they see and hear
about the atrocities perpetrated against us. The death, the destructions, the
horrors, it’s just too much. It’s incomprehensible. We walk out and they all
say they same thing. Ein Milim- there are no words. Words haven’t been created
to encapsulate it all. It’s too much it’s overwhelming. It’s just tears and
sobs.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">To a large degree the Netziv notes in our parsha this
week is the essence of all our prayers. To move beyond words. The Torah tells
us that after the 210 years of exile finally Hashem saw what we were undergoing
and </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Vayishma es Koleinu- He heard our voices.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It doesn’t say He heard our prayers. It wasn’t the
words. Perhaps we had even reached a point when we couldn’t even pray anymore.
We just cried from pain. We were hurt and we were broken and we turned to Hashem
and said hear our broken voice and our sobs. It wasn’t refa’einu- heal us, It
wasn’t forgive us, it wasn’t even redeem us. It was just pain and hurt and a
connection from the depths of our souls that Hashem is the only address to turn
to with that pain. And then he answered us. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">That is the prayer that we are looking for today. And
just as then that is the voice that is getting louder and louder. And the day
when the redemption from Egypt will be forgotten because the redemption that
awaits will come soon and be so much greater. We just have to awake that voice.
We just have to move beyond the words. </span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY NEW YEARS JOKES OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">“My New
Year’s resolution for 2023? I will be less laz.”— <strong><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Jim Gaffigan<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Now there are more overweight people in America
than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means
you’ve met your New Year’s resolution.”— <b>Jay Leno</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEW YEARS PRAYER FOR THE ELDERLY<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God, grant me the senility to forget the people
I never liked anyway,<br />
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do, <br />
And the eyesight to tell the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DIETING NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2019: I will get my weight down below 180
pounds.<br />
2020: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 200 pounds.<br />
2021: I will develop a realistic attitude about my weight.<br />
2022: I will work out 3 days a week.<br />
2023: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to
make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell
with them as usual.” -<i>Mark Twain<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cindy was taking an afternoon nap on New Year's
Eve before the festivities. After she woke up, she confided to Max, her
husband, 'I just dreamed that you gave me a diamond ring for a New Year's
present. What do you think it all means?'<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Aha, you'll know tonight,' answered Max smiling
broadly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 27.2pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At midnight, as the New Year was chiming, Max
approached Cindy and handed her small package. Delighted and excited she
opened it quickly. There in her hand rested a book entitled: 'The meaning of
dreams'.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– So first part is
easy. Rosh Hashana the first of Tishrei is the new year. Although it is pretty
cool you have to admit that this is the question that comes up right after the
secular New Years day… The second part of the question is interesting I’m sure
the correct answer is the wome reading from the Torah. Yet there certainly is a
removal of the Temple in many of reform prayer books as well in old times and
even still today, and there are some that have Torah reading in English.
Interestingly enough in ancient Mishna times we had a translator that would translate
the Torah for the community as well during the reading. I would give
explanation in between aliya to aliya back in my Seattle TLC days as well. Yes,
it was a long davening. But we’re there to learn the parsha not just ritually
read it and especially today when there’s so many messages for us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this
is another one right making the latest score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>15.5
point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4.5 point</b> on this latest Ministry of
Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-72312423746918054532023-12-29T04:07:00.000-08:002023-12-29T04:07:09.323-08:00Death and Life- Parshat Vayechi 2023 5784<p> <a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insights and Inspiration</a></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">from the</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">Holy Land</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">from</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">December 29</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"> 2023</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">-Volume 13 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Issue 12</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"> 17</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"> of Tevet 5784</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email#" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Parshat Vayechi</a></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"> </span><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email#" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Death and Life</a></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Spoiler Alert- You’re brain will explode at the end of this E-Mail and you will cry and be moved as I am. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">We sat with Avi and cried with him as he told us the story of his son Naor. We looked at his picture, at his glowing beautiful face filled with so much light, with such a smile. It was just a few months the picture was taken at his brother’s wedding. He was with his girlfriend of 6 years, Sivan, who during shiva their Rabbi who came to visit them told them had met with the two of them to discuss getting married. They were so beautiful together. They had a life planned, a family to build, and on October 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> all of that came to an end as they were in the first home in Kfar Azza to be attacked and massacred by these Hamas monsters who terrorized them for hours, before brutally killing them. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">It took three days until Avi got word that their bodies were found. 8 days until Sivan’s body was positively identified and 10 until Naor’s was. I didn’t ask why it took so long to identify the bodies. The pictures of what the bullet ridden, burnt small apartment they were staying in that Shabbos that Sivan’s parents arranged for them told me more than I ever wanted to know. Moshe and Baruch who had come in, as many good people are from America the past few weeks to visit and give chizuk to families whose lives have been shattered by this terrible tzara and war we are going through recited Kel Malei Rachamim- memorial prayer for Na’or and Sivan and we lit a candle for their souls. We sang Ani Maamin. We hugged and we kissed, and we cried together. And on my way out I gave them a small little flower pot with a poem on it from the Chesed Shel Emet organization that I’ve been working with along with a short poem, a list of contact information for all of the Organizations and Government rights and support that they may have and can access, as well as a thousand shekel gift card to stores that they can shop in. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">I left the house and sat down on the bench and cried. It’s so hard. There’s so much pain. So much death that we are surrounded by these days. Every morning we wake up another 3-6 pictures of soldiers that were killed. Young boys, fathers, husbands, brothers, sisters. So many shivas, so many funerals. Ad Masai- how much more, Hashem? How much must your nation suffer? Later that evening we went to an exhibit in the Tel Aviv Expo of a recreation of the Nova festival. It was Aushwitz in Israel. Tables and tables of shoes, sneakers, sandals. There were boxes of glasses, of toys, knapsacks. There were tents with sleeping bags, racks and racks of clothing. It looked like Walmart, but each of the belonged to someone. They were all what was gathered from the 3000 people that were at the festival in which hundreds were killed and kidnapped from. They recreated the bar with the environmentally correct cups that they would give you a free chaser or bottle of water if you returned, rather than threw out, because for most of the people that were attending the festival the worst thing that they thought could happen in the world was that the planet would melt from global warming. Little did they know the real threat was the Satanic animals that were plotting the genocide of our nation a few miles away. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">I looked at the burnt cars there, shot up and set on fire with their fleeing passengers inside. The seats had all been taken out and buried. The ashes gathered as well. And then I just walked through picture after picture of everyone that was there, the videos taken from phones of them dancing, living, singing just hours before. And now all there is left is an exhibition. Sadness. Pain…</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Yet in all of this there is something else going on as well. There is life. There is light. There is hope. Am Yisrael Chai, is the song that is on everyone’s lips. We are alive. We are living. We are eternal. Before October 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> I don’t think many saw it that way. There was so much division, fighting, politics. The doomsayers spoke of civil war. Of the destruction of democracy. And yet divinely ironically when the worst moment that no one ever foresaw actually came. We shined life again. In the death and destruction we rose and continue rising like a phoenix from a fire. Am Yisrael Chai.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">This week’s parsha, the last of the book of Bereishis before we begin Sefer Shemot that our sages refer to as the book of Redemption, is named Vayechi- and Yaakov lived. Yet, the parsha in fact is one that discusses his death. Life and death. Yet, there’s a fascinating Talmud that Rashi quotes on the verse that describes the death of Yaakov. The Pasuk tells us.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">And Yaakov concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought into his people.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Rashi notes that the Torah doesn’t specifically use the word “death” in regards to Yaakov’s passing</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">“… and our Rabbis of blessed memory said: Our father Yaakov did not die.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">The Talmud in Taanis tells us that there were two Rabbis Rebbi Nachman and Rebbi Yitzchak were eating, and Rebbi Yitzchak who had come to visit from Israel to Bavel and during the meal they were sharing he said over this teaching about Yaakov that he had heard from his Rebbi, Rebbi Yochanan. There as well Rashi even takes it a step further and says</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Elah hu chai l’olam</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> -He is not dead- but rather he lives forever”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> Rebbi Nachman turned to him incredulously and asked. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">“And then was it for nothing that the eulogizers eulogized him and the embalmers embalmed him and the buriers buried him?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Rebbi Yitzchak responds that this idea is in fact derived from a verse</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">“… as it is stated: “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Therefore do not fear, Yaakov My servant, says Hashem, neither be dismayed, Yisrael, for I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> (Jeremiah 30:10). </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">This verse juxtaposes Yaakov to his seed: Just as his seed is alive when redeemed, so too, Yaakov himself is alive.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">It’s a strange Talmud and back and forth. Seemingly Rebbi Nachman and Rashi understand that Rebbi Yitzchak is not merely talking metaphorically. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked his question. We all know that there is eternal life. In many places our sages tell us that the righteous are called living even in their death. The truth is even in the beginning of the parsha and many places Rashi mentions Yaakov’s death and his passing. So did he die or didn’t he? As well what is answer of Rebbi Yitzchak to the question about Yaakov being buried and embalmed? What is the verse about the children of Israel being redeemed eventually have to do with Yaakov physically dying or not?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">The answer though really is to understand the word </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Chayim</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- life in Jewish thought. Being alive in Judaism means being connected to the function of our existence. An animal is called a</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;"> chaya</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- because its mere existence fulfills it’s purpose. Its job is to breathe. As long as it does so it alive. A human though has </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">chayim</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- life, only as long he is perpetuating what he is here to do. In Jewish life that is to reveal the light of Hashem in the world. When one dies, he can’t do that anymore. He is meis- dead. Interestingly enough the word for death meis are the last two letters of the word emes- truth. They’re just missing the alef- which represents the number One. Hashem. One is meis- dead when they are disconnected from Hashem Echad- the Oneness of the our Creator, what the Kabbalists call the Aleph of the world. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Our sages tell us that someone that doesn’t have children, is like a dead person. This is not just someone who doesn’t have physical children, but also someone who doesn’t leave a perpetuating legacy after themselves. Which incidentally someone who never merited to marry or have descendants can still do through creating eternal legacies in the acts that they do. Many great Rabbis never had children, but adopted children, founded organizations, created Torah works, institutions, had students all which continue to perpetuate and reveal the light of Hashem even after their passing. Death only occurs, when ones light is extinguished. But as long as the flame is still burning, that person is still chai. They are still alive.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Parshat Vayechi, is not the story of the death of Yaakov. It is the story of how he is still alive. The parsha tells us the story of his blessings to his children and grandchildren. How he lit that torch in each of them, before his passing. How he gave each one of them the strength and the power to move forward and keep his flame alive. The Torah doesn’t use the word death when it comes to Yaakov, because he is still chai. He is eternal because we his children are still here. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Rebbi Nachman understands this concept as well, he asks though but isn’t there something to be said for the fact that they eulogized him, they embalmed him, they buried him. Isn’t there a point to mourning? Isn’t there some form of closure that is necessary? To move on. To get back to normal. There are so many today that are undergoing this terrible situation that they don’t even have a body to bury. They have children captured in Gaza, that may be dead. That Hamas may be holding their bodies. Isn’t there something to be said to be focused on that? </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Vechi b’kdi sapdu oso</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- is it for nothing that they did that? </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">His question comes after the destruction of the 2</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> Temple. When we lost it all. When we were exiled. When so many murdered and were killed. Isn’t there something to be said for a holocaust museum. A monument? To embalm and preserve the dead body a bit? The tragedy, the horror..? </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">To that Rebbi Yitzchak who had come from Israel told him that Rabbi Yochanan told him that there isn’t. Just as when we were exiled after the second temple Yirmiyahu prophecizes and takes out his harps by the river of Babylon and sings Am Yisrael Chai, the children of Israel are still alive. We aren’t dead. So too Yaakov is not dead. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">This morning I got a phone call from Avi, Naor’s father. His voice was trembling. He wanted to thank me and he had something special that he had to tell me. I broke down as well. I asked him to put into writing and this is what he sent me.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">“Dear Rabbi Schwartz, </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">I wanted to tell you that yesterday was one of the most moving days of our lives. It was my dear wife Galit’s birthday yesterday. We sat all day in the house depressed and broken. We couldn’t find it in ourselves to celebrate. Our dear son Naor was not with us. Naor was murdered on October 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;"> on Kiddush Hashem. At around 12:00 you arrived with your friends from America to hear about our dear son. We spoke with you about what a giving boy he was with boundless love and respect for everyone. We looked at pictures. We told you how close he was with his mother and how hard it is for us that he is not with us. It was very emotional and meaningful to us.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Before you left you gave my wife a small present. That evening we opened it up and we were in shock. We were in speechless…. We felt that Naor had sent you to us. The gift was the same that he would give to his mother every year on his birthday. There was a gift card to shop for clothing in her favorite store. We felt that Naor sent angels to us on her birthday to bring her the present that he always would give her on this day. He wanted that his mother shouldn’t be sad and for her and us to understand that he is always with her and watching over her and will never forget her. And he sent angels to our house . This was very meragesh… Thank you angels for giving us this gift. We will never forget this day…</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">With love always Avi.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Am Yisrael Chai!</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Have a strengthened Shabbat Chazak</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">************************</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Az men ken nit iberharn dos shlechteh, ken men dos guteh nit derleben.- If you can’t endure the bad, you’ll not live to witness the good.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">answer below at end of Email</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">20.The Hebrew date of the declaration of the Independence of Israel is ___________.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">What was determined to be the status of Jerusalem according to the partition decision of the land of</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Israel in the United Nations?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">A. All of Jerusalem would be under Arab control</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">B. All of Jerusalem would be under Jewish control</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">C. Jerusalem would be under international control</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">D. Part of Jerusalem would be under Jewish control and part under Arab control</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yesimcha" style="color: #315fc3; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yesimcha</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> - </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">This week’s Torah Portion my magnificent Yesimcha Elokim and the blessing of children! Thank You Yitz Berry for vocals and arrangements</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcLCe5iBvVc" style="color: #315fc3; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcLCe5iBvVc</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> – </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Gospel according to Berkley- Eretz nehederet’s latest Hamas spoof!</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyI2GPDDLWc" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">h</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyI2GPDDLWc" style="color: #315fc3; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyI2GPDDLWc</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> –</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Homeland Concert Bring them Home Caesarea Amazing…</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Ww4cDVZng" style="color: #315fc3; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Ww4cDVZng</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> - </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Anushim K’Malauchim- Men like angels Motty Illowitz</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYmghzgz5qM" style="color: #315fc3; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYmghzgz5qM</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">- Benny Friedman’s latest release Lo Lifached powerful lyrics.. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Longing for Redemption – </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">In the blessing of Yaakov to the tribe of Dan in this week’s parsha he concludes with three words that perhaps become the mantra of our nation and all we daven for. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">L’yeshuoscha kivisi Hashem</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- I long for Your redemption Hashem.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">No matter what we were going through, no matter how far a Jew is from their faith and observance, the words Ani Maamin that we long for Mashiach have been on our lips. It is the hope of our nation. Our national anthem in Israel of Hatikva- the Hope- is for that day to come .</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">In our Shemona Esrei there is a fascinating insight on that one blessing that connects directly to this longing. It’s interesting that many of the blessings conclude with the reason why we are turning to Hashem and ask Him to answer our prayers.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">The first one is third blessing we recognize Hashem’s holiness because</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Ki Kel Melech Gadol V’Kadosh</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- because You are the great and holy King</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">In the fifth blessing we ask Hashem for forgiveness</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Ki Mochel V’Solayach Ata</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- because You atone and are forgiving</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">In the next blessing for redemption from troubled times </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Re’eh Na</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- we conclude because You are the strong Redeemer. The same with the blessing for healing. It’s because You are the Faithful healing and merciful King. And it continues in many of the blessings.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">The one exception to the rule is the blessing of Es Tzemach Dovid- the blessing for the sprouting up of the seed of Dovid. The prayer for Mashiach. There it concludes fascinatingly.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Ki li’yeshuoscha kivinu kol ha’yom</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">- because we long for Your redemption all day.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">We don’t ask Hashem to redeem us because He is the One who can bring Mashiach. Rather He should do so because we long for it to happen. Let that thought sit in your brain. It’s an amazing idea. In the same way that Hashem is the healer, the forgiver, the source of all Holiness. There is one thing though that we have. That we have the same power of Hashem to reveal. That is the coming of Mashiach. Mashiach and the redemption is waiting to happen. We just need to want it. We need to open the door. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Do you know what the bracha is really telling Hashem? It’s telling Hashem that we are coming to the doorbell that is ringing for us. We’ve been waiting for the Mashiach package to come. We’ve been waiting all day. We’ve been waiting for 2000 years. We haven’t given up hope. That is what Yaakov teaches us in this blessing. He wanted to reveal the end of days to his children and he does so in these three simple words. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">L’yeshuoscha kivisi Hashem!</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Short on Time this week… Will IYH pick this column up next week…</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">We’ve arrived at my favorite week of the year. Goyishe Chol Hamoed</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Muhammed was an Ashkenazi Jew. Turning this statement into a pretty post doesn’t make it true it just spread lies that have important ramifications. Stop spreading lies. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">For a group that inists anit-Zionism isn’t anti-semitism, the sure said the quiet part out louf when they planned a protest at a literal Holocaust Museum.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Gazalighting- Gaza-lighting/verb</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Phsycological manipulation where one who commits atrocities uses the response to gain sympathy for their actions</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Example: </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Bob kidnapped a baby and chopped off his head and put it in an oven and then complained when he was arrested. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Harvard, UPenn, MIT… seemed to be more concerned with pronouns: He, She, They, Them, </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Than verbs</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Murder, Rape, Behead, Kidnap</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">2020 conversation with woke liberal</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">“I’m Unvaccinated”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">“OMG, You’re literally trying to kill me!!”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">2023 conversation with same woke liberal</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">I’m literally going to kill you and commit genocide”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">“Assalamu Aleikum, brother!”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">**********************************</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">The answer to this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">C</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">– A no brainer. If you don’t know the answer to this don’t become a tour guide. Yom Ha’Atzmaut is Hei Iyar 1948. And Jerusalem under the partition plan was meant to be an international city… Yeah right… Thank God that didn’t happen. Actually until 1967 the old city was Judenrein and under Jordanian control. Imagine if they would’ve had the whole thing… Baruch Hashem we had the new city of Yerushalayim at least. It took us 19 years until we got back the Kotel and the Temple Mount. Now we need to finish that return to our borders with Gaza, Syria and Lebanon as well. So this is another one right making the latest score is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Rabbi Schwartz at</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">14.5 point</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">and the MOT having 4.5 point</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-80869991790186190662023-12-22T05:29:00.000-08:002023-12-22T05:29:17.827-08:00Returning Songs and Sons - Parshat Vayigash 2023 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">December 22<sup>nd</sup>
2023<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue
11</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
10<sup>th</sup> of Tevet 5784</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayigash</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Returning Songs
and Sons</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There have been so many scenes and moments from this war.
So many pictures, memes, songs that capture the raw emotions, the intensity of
all the incomprehensible and unprecedented feelings that we are all going
through. There always is. We live in an era of soundbites, Tik Tok, and of
course Whatsapp status( in the Frum world), we don’t have time for lengthy articles,
News columns or programs. We want the quick fix and bite and move on. It’s all
we can handle. It’s like our generation has had my stomach surgery on our
brains and attention span. Three bites and we’re full. But those three bites
have to count. They have to have it all…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It's not only that way today. There have always been images
that have captured the moment. Those soldiers holding the flag on Iwo Jima, the
guy standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square in the Chinese Communist
revolt, The Menora with the backdrop of the swastika Banner in Berlin in the
Holocaust, the young boy with those frightened eyes surrendering in Warsaw
Ghetto and of course the three soldiers with tears in their eyes at the
liberation of the Kotel kissing the Western Wall in the 6 Day War. A picture is
worth a million words and those pictures capture all the raw emotion of the era
and times. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Good pictures of course have also accompanied songs of the
era. Who remembers “<i>We are the World</i>” for the starving children of
Africa, “<i>Where have all the flowers gone</i>” was a Vietnam hit. I remember
in the Gulf War there was this “<i>God Bless the USA”</i> song that had the
lyrics “<i>And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And
I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that I think would probably be ironically
politically incorrect to sing for most of the Americans today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Israel as well had and has it’s songs. Y<i>erushalayim Shel
Zahav </i>was the 6-day wars song, <i>Lu Yehi</i>- Naomi Shemer’s Beatles “<i>Let
it Be</i>” knockoff was the Yom Kippur anthem, and the “<i>Ein Li Eretz Acheret”</i>
song- composed during the War of attrition still gives strength and determination
to soldiers and their families today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pictures, the music and songs together give us that snapshot or meme that can
wrap the overwhelming and immensity of what we are undergoing in one easily
digestible morsel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">This war is no different. In the frum world that song is
Acheinu. It’s a war of brotherhood. Of us being there for one another. Of us
realizing that we are one family. That no matter how divided we were, how
estranged we are from one another, how far we may live and how different our
lives are we have one shared enemy that doesn’t differentiate between us. That
my brothers pain hurts me deep in my soul- even though I have never met him
before. It may be the brother that we might have thrown in the pit and wrote
off as being a danger to our nation-hood, but now we have revealed that we are incomplete
without him. That we can’t become who we were meant to be without him by our
side. We recognize how much we love him, how much pain our Father is in when we
were divided, how he had sparks of holiness that we never knew about. Sparks
that ignite our own inner flame. Sparks that we realize that we needed to
attach to in order to reveal the light of the Shechina, of Hashem in this world.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet there is an even more powerful song and image that
captures even more all that we have been going through the past 78 days. It’s
replayed itself over again and again. We’ve all seen them again and again. Yet,
no matter how many times it never fails to bring tears to our eyes. Even the
funny meme knockoffs make us cry. The song is “<i>Gam Ba’Shaot Ha’chashuchot <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shel Ha’layla- In the darkest hours of the
night,there will always be a little star to light your way home</i>” ( here it
is with translation in case you always wanted to know what the words are - </span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqO-jpPoMHE&t=0s"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqO-jpPoMHE&t=0s</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"> ) . And then of course you have the image of the son, the soldier,
the father, the brother, the sister returning home from the battlefront to the loving
arms of the family that has been praying, hoping, crying longing for them. That
embrace, those tears, that moment captures it all. I can’t see enough of them.
I can’t stop watching these clips. It's the moment that we are all focused on.
It’s really what this war is all about and it encompasses the direction and
goal Hashem wants us to achieve. The return of all of us to our Father. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Just in case you are a bit skeptical about that assertion,
then you need to look no further than this week’s parsha which is the culmination
of the entire story of our nation- or rather the prelude of our family becoming
a nation in the story of the return of our family and Yosef to his father
Yaakov. It hasn’t been 78 days that they’ve been apart. It’s been 22 years.
Yosef was kidnapped and sold as a young boy and today he is almost 40. The
moment and drama has been building with the great reveal to his brothers- I am
Yosef is my father still alive. Does he still remember me? Does he miss me as
much as I have missed him? Has he like me looked out my window at night and
seen those stars and dreamed of him looking out at and seeing those same stars.
The stars that Hashem took our Father Avraham out to see. That He promised him
we are the just like them. That we will shine forever in the dark. Does my father
still remember me and long for me on those dark nights? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The moment finally comes. Yosef sends down wagons. Yaakov
has a vision from Hashem in those darkest hours of the night; the <i>sha’ot ha’chashuchot
she’belayla</i>. Hashem tells him that He as well is going to be going down
with him. He will be there and has always been there on those dark nights. And He
will come up together with Him, with us and bring us back. And the reunion
finally happens. One can almost hear the music starting up in the background as
Yosef himself harnesses his chariot and drives over to Goshen to greet him and
gets out of the wagon and runs into his father’s waiting arms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Vayeira eilav</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and he
appeared to him<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yipol al tzavrouv</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
and he falls on his neck<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Vayevch</span></i><span style="color: black;"> – and he cries<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Vayevch al tzavoruv od</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
and he cries again on his neck<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It is a powerful moment. Yet there is something strange
that Rashi notes. One would think that Yaakov would as well be crying, there
would be hugs and kisses. Yet it seems that Yosef is the one doing the crying,
hugging and kissing. It is not as if Yaakov is not an emotional person. We find
in fact that he hugs and kisses his father Yitzchak, his wife Rachel, later on
his grandchildren in next weeks parsha Ephraim and Menashe. He’s not a Kalteh Litvak
or a stoic Yekkeh. Yet here strangely enough the Torah doesn’t share Yaakov’s
at least physical response and embrace of Yosef. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">In fact the response that it does share seems a little bit
strange and depressing. The next verse tells us that Yaakov says to Yosef<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Amusa ha’paam</span></i><span style="color: black;">- I can
die this time<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Acharey ro’i panecha ki odcha chai</span></i><span style="color: black;">- after I have seen your face, because you are still alive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Really??!! That was the problem? Yaakov didn’t feel he
could die properly without having seen Yosef? As one of the commentaries ask,
one would think that Yaakov should be asking for arichus yamim- long days
together of life to make up for all that lost time with his favorite son. Why
is he thinking about death? Rashi’s interpretation is even more perplexing. He
quotes what seemingly seems to be a Gaonic source that cryptically says that
Yaakov didn’t cry because he was reciting Kriyat Shema. The Sifsei Chachamim
takes this quite literally and thus notes that the halacha is that one is
forbidden to interrupt while reciting the Shema and thus Yaakov didn’t respond.
Yosef, he suggests must have davened early already that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet the Maharal takes a different approach. He notes the
famous Talmud that tells us that when Rabbi Akiva was being taken out to be
killed and his flesh was being flayed by iron combs from his Hamas Roman Nazi
torturers, he as well was reciting the Shema. When his students asked him if it
was even obligatory at this moment under such duress to recite the prayer,
Rabbi Akiva answered them in words that is engrained in our nations soul and
was on the lips of every martyr since then. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“My entire life when I recited the Shema and I said the
words to love Hashem with all of my soul I envisioned myself giving up my life
for Hashem. Now that it has finally come to my hands to fulfill this mitzva
will I not fulfill it?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Throughout generations our kedoshim- our holy martyrs went to
their deaths with the acceptance of the Kingship of heaven on their lips. They
didn’t see Romans, they didn’t see Inquisitors, Cossacks, or terrorists. They
saw a loving Father in heaven taking them home, bringing them up to the
heavenly gates next to His throne where they rest eternally and bask in His
glory. They said Shema Yisrael and accepted their fate as His will. They understood
that dying that way with Shema on their lips was the greatest sanctification of
Hashem’s name that was possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What is so special about Shema? What do the words mean? Why
is this the prayer that we recite to our children before we put them to bed, that
we recite twice daily, that is today being recited by soldiers all over Israel
and that is even hanging on big billboards not only in Jerusalem but even in
Tel Aviv? Shema Yisrael- is not merely to hear. Rather it is to internalize. It
is to make the idea one and part of ourselves. The idea is that Hashem is one. This
is not merely a monotheistic statement of our faith in one rather than multiple
gods. Nobody really believes in idols or a pantheon of Greek or pagan gods as
they once did. Rather it is our statement of faith that the entire universe,
all that there is, all that happens in the world, all of Creation is Hashem. He
is everything. He sees and is always present. In times of light and darkness. In
the <i>Sha’ot ha’chashuchot</i>- in the blackest Shabbos and nights He is there
with us. For He is one and there is nothing else besides Him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The job of Klal Yisrael- the children of Yaakov who is
called Yisrael, is to reveal that light to the world. To have the whole world
recite Shema. To be inspired by our Shema. Yet, that only works if we can say
it ourselves and show our love for Hashem with all of our hearts and souls as well.
When we can show that we are ready, like our ancestor Avraham Avinu was, to sacrifice
not only our own lives but even our children, as he did by the Akeida, if that
is the will and command of Hashem. Because ultimately that shows that at the
end of the day, we truly have internalized, that there really is nothing
besides Hashem’s will in the world and we are merely here to be vessels to
reveal that light. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yaakov, the third and last of our patriarchs who was raised
on this knowledge and the stories of his father Yitzchak’s sacrifice, and the
faith of Avraham understood what his job in this world was. His entire life was
to pass that light and torch on to his children. Yosef was the embodiment of it
all and it was why he dedicated everything to teaching him and raising him with
the importance of our mission. The mission to reveal the light, that could only
be revealed when we are one. When the children of Israel are united. And when Yosef
was lost, Yaakov felt that he had failed. That he had been unworthy to carry on
that important mission to the world, and to a large degree he was right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Our hatred, our lack of unity, our blindness to the
essential nature of each of us would make it impossible for the Shechina to
ever shine. And thus he sent Yosef out on the mission to restore it. In the
words of Rabbi Dovid Fohrman it was another Akeida story. It was Yaakov sending
Yosef into the most dangerous world to bring about the light and sanctification
of Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But Yosef succeeds. He not only brings the brothers together,
but he brings out something even more important. <i>Areivus</i>- a sense of
responsibility for one another. This is really the essence of what it takes to make
Hashem Echad. Today many people speak of unity. Unity is that we stand as one.
We’re there for one another. We help and we feel each other’s pain. <i>Areivus</i>
though- as Yehuda took over and told Yosef that he felt for his brother Binyamin
is deeper than that though. It is that I am responsible for you. Because you
are me and I am you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The law of Areivim is that one Jew can fill his obligation
for another Jew. I can make <i>kidddush</i> and you fulfill your obligation by
hearing it. I can do a mitzva and it is as if you have done the mitzva. If you
have a debt then the guarantor takes on the debt as if it is his own. Because it
is his own with acceptance of that responsibility. That is oneness. That is the
revelation that Yosef brings out from the brothers. It’s when he finally breaks
down and cries. Because the light has been revealed. Because now we have truly
become one and now the One-ness The Hashem Echad can be revealed to the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">When Yosef sees Yaakov, the verse tells us that he appeared
before him. Rashi tells us that Yosef took all of his personal emotions aside
and stood before his father- so that his father could see him. He entirely
nullified himself before his father to show him that this was never about me.
It was about revealing Hashem. It’s all that Yosef did in Egypt. He taught the
entire world that Hashem is Echad. Yaakov in turn sees that and like Rabbi
Akiva much later (who the kabbalists tells us shared the same soul as Yaakov-
besides the same letters of his name) takes all of that love he felt for Yosef
and he channels it to Hashem. <i>Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad-</i>
I can reveal that light now. Until now had I died, I would’ve been remiss. It
would’ve been out of sadness. It would’ve been without bringing Hashem’s light
to the world. But now I can pass, for the torch has been passed. Hashem’s
one-ness will be shared with the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I don’t think it’s coincidental that the image and videos
that are so moving of this war are of children returning to their parents. It’s
what this is all about. Each of us are children of Hashem Our Father in heaven
has been waiting for not 22 years like Yaakov or even 78 days for us to return home
to Him but rather for 2000 years since our Temple, His home has been destroyed
and really for 5784 years since he threw us out of His Garden. But we are on our
way home. We are not only uniting but taking responsibility for one another.
Our soldiers on the frontline our children, are literally doing that. They are willing
giving their lives for us, because they understand, we all understand that they
are us and we are them. The more that we as well feel and understand that it’s
not someone elses child that’s there fighting, that’s kidnapped, that’s
homeless, that’s wounded, that’s a widow and orphan, but that it’s me. That it’s
my brother whom I’m an <i>areiv</i> for then the light of Shema will shine
down. Then Hashem Echad will be revealed. Then we will have a new song and a
new era that will define our era. The song of hope, prayer, love and redemption.
May we sing it soon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span> </p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have a lightfilled Shabbos and may all our prayers be answered,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Tsu itlechen neiem lid ken men tsupassen an
alten nigenTo every new song one can find an old tune.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR
GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">answer
below at end of Email</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">19.Menachem
Begin commanded over the ___________ organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Where in
Jerusalem is Menachem Begin buried?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. In the
"Great Leader of the Nation" cemetery<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. On the
Mount of Olives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. On Har
Hamenuchot<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. In
Sanhedria<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/avinu-malkeinu"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/avinu-malkeinu</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- <b><i>in memory of all of those fallen
on Kiddush Hashem my Avinu malkeinu<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>composition. Thank you YItz Berry<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>And as a zechus for all of the
soldiers my Shomer Yisrael Composition with Dovid Lowy arrangements and Vocals<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEbji84Ii3k"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEbji84Ii3k</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> Mordechai Shapiro’s latest Ani Yehudi<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nic1TLdqCU"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nic1TLdqCU</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Gorgeous
Solomon Brothers Shvurei Lev with a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carlebach twist…</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzqFRRoreZE"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzqFRRoreZE</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
Shuli Rand powerful Ani Maamin </i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yehuda’s Prayer </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The longest speech in the Torah is Yehuda’s speech which assumedly
is to Yosef to release his brother Binyamin, however if one examines the speech
our sefarim tell us that in fact Yehudah is not talking to Yosef he’s talking
to Hashem, and Yosef is just listening in. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Vayigash Eilav Yehuda Vayomer Bi Adoni- and Yehuda came close and
he said please my Master.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">That Adoni is in fact Hashem. It is a transformative idea if one
reads the speech with that in mind. What is he telling and asking Hashem? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Al Yichar Apcha b’avdecha- don’t be angry with your servant. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ki Kamocha Ki’pharaoh- because Hashem you are like Pharoah- I
understand that all that Pharoah is doing is really from you. All my troubles, all
that has gone wrong. All that you have hit me with it’s all from You Hashem</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Adoni Sha’al es avdav leiomor Hayeish Lachem av oh ach- You Hashem
asked me in the from of Yosef if I have a brother. If I have a father?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see what you want me to reflect upon. I am
examining my deeds and realize I abandoned my brother. I caused pain to my father.
To You Hashem. You asked me and I realized I have sinned. You sent Yosef to
order us to bring Binyamin down to Mitzrayim. It’s all you Hashem. We have
sinned. I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now take responsibility. I’m
now ready to put my life on the line for him, for klal Yisrael. I am his guarantor.
My life is tied to his life. He is tied to our Father’s life.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When Yosef heard this he couldn’t hold back. He broke down. Yehuda’s
prayer was answered. The light shown out. All of the house of Pharaoh heard. The
Shechina had resided and the brothers are united.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">That is what prayer is really about. Vayigash- coming close, not
only to Hashem, but to ourselves. To get to our inner kishkas and see what we
need to do to get close. When we do that, Hashem answers. The geula can come.
We will finally be redeemed. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezra HaSofer 313 BC-</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll
take a chronological break from this column, to pause this week to talk about
the great leader Ezra Hasofer who's yartzeit is the 9<sup>th</sup> of Tevet
this Monday. Our sages tell us that if the Torah wasn't given through the hands
of Moshe, Ezra would have been the next choice. In fact many of the basic
practices of Judaism and the Torah "culture" comes from his
establishments. Our Hebrew writing known as Ketav Ashuris, that we have today
dates back from Ezra, the way that we read the Torah and its establishment to
be read during the weekdays comes from him as well. He established many customs
to prepare for Shabbos as well as to encourage Jewish women to be more
attractive to their husbands increasing the holiness of the Jewish home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was he who led the return to Eretz Yisrael
from Babylonia and the rebuilding of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Beit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hamikdash in Yerushalayim. This is something I
like to talk about and mention obviously when<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">we look up at the Temple Mount from the Kotel and
discuss how Ezra's temple that was funded<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Cyrus of Persia was more of a small wooden
shack then the great Temple of King Solomon or<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">later of the Maccabees or Herod who built the
final complex.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps most significant of his accomplishments,
is the incredible ceremony that he held upon coming to Israel and finding that
many of the Jews were intermarried with the nations that lived here. Can you
imagine that within 70 years after suffering a holocaust of the destruction of
the first Temple that the majority of Jews would be marrying out of our
faith... I guess some things never change. What did change however was Ezra. He
got up and mourned, cried and put on sackcloth and told the Jews that they had jeopardized
the future of our people. We are a Jewish nation that is meant to be proud and
marry one another and create a nation that will shine out to Hashem. Incredibly
that speech stirred to the Jews to action where they sent away their non-Jewish
wives and returned to the faith of their forefathers. There's a great picture
of this speech in David's Tower by the Jaffa gate in the museum, where it goes
through all of the different eras of Israel and I like to talk about that
there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps the one failure of Ezra was that he
failed to inspire the Jews in Bavel to join him in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this historic return. It seems the Jews living
in Israel despite non being religious were able to be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">inspired much quicker to leave their wives and
families, then the Jews in Bavel were to leave<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">their Kosher Pizza shops on 13<sup>th</sup> avenue
or in Lakewood or the five towns equivalent they had<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">there. Maybe 10% of the Jews went up with them.
Mostly the shleppers, the ones that couldn't<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">marry into the nation and lots of Kohanim and
Levites who wanted jobs in the temple. It's hard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for most people to wrap their brain around the
concept that the majority of Jews never even saw<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the 2<sup>nd</sup> Temple as they remained in
Bavel. Perhaps they sent their daughters there for a year in<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">seminary, maybe they came for their kids Bar
Mitzvas, but mostly they just made their "alimony<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">payments to the Jews who had returned to
Jerusalem. Take my money and leave me alone...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is usually one of my parting thoughts that
I share with my tourists after experiencing a trip<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in Eretz Yisrael and as they head off to Ben
Gurion airport back to the unpromised land from<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">whence they came.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now although Josephus mentions that Ezra was
buried in Yerushalayim with great ceremony, as<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">far as I know there is no place in Israel where
his tomb is. It seems the cemetery on Mt. of Olives which does date back to the
first temple would be the likely place though. Jewish tradition outside of
Josephus however places his grave in Iraq near the Tigris river by a village
named Al Uzair. The tomb is still there today and Jews and Muslims would go
there regularly to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Regardless where he's buried Ezra is one of the
only people in the history of Klal Yisrael who's<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">yartzeit is remembered each year when we fast on
the 10<sup>th</sup> of Tevet when we recall the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of the destruction of the Temples. Perhaps as we
remember the destruction, we are also meant to<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">remember that the beginning of the destruction
really began already in its early beginnings when<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the majority of Israel were not inspired enough
to come back home and rejoin the return to Zion that he led... I'm just
saying...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coming up this Friday
night;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jewish women will find out what
time Friday night davening really ends!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not surprised that
Hamas is hiding in a school. I’m just surprised that the school is Harvard.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nothing screams
everything I know about this conflict I learned on Tik Tok quite like chanting
to globaluizze the intfada at a ceasefire protest.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hashem please give me
the confidence of a non-Jew explaining to me what is and what isn’t anti-semitism</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Palestine has no
history Only a criminal record.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People in the West :
phone the police when their neighbor plays loud music. Also people in the West
expect Israel to put up with neighbors that rape and kil them and plan their extermination.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women who its difficult
for that their husbands are in Miluim Reserves should just have them go to the
local mosque and screen Shema Yisrael and they’ll get sent home quick!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**********************************</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– OK I’m back on
my game here, finally. This one was fairly easy. Begin was the head of the
breakoff group and army from the Hagana called the Etzel- or which is an
acronym of Irgun Tzval Leuim- or National Organized Army, a more aggressive
fighting force that felt that the Hagana was too busy trying to pacify the
British and the only way we would ger our State is if we fought against them and
attacked them as well. He is the only Prime Minister buried on Mt. of Olives/
Har Ha’Zeitim and one of the few not buried on Mt. Herzl where other PMs,
Presidents and heads of Knesset are buried. He chose to be buried next to two
heroes Barzani and Feinstein soldiers that were sentenced to death by the British
and blew themselves up in the prison before their execution taking down some
British with them and not allowing them to have the pleasure of hanging them.
These are the true great men of the nation , Begin said and therefore chose to
be buried next to them, rather than the left-wing pacifists PM that were on Har
Herzl. So this is another one right making the latest score is <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>13.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4.5 point</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-32433316555549718992023-12-15T02:48:00.000-08:002023-12-15T02:48:00.589-08:00Spies, Seals, Soldiers and Me- Parshat Mikeitz Chanukah II 2023 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">December 15<sup>th</sup>
2023<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue
10</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
3<sup>rd</sup> of Tevet 5784</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Mikeitz/ Chanukah II</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Spies, Seals,
Soldiers and me</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Ofir is my mechanic. The first time I met him I was a bit
wary. He looked sketchy. He looked like a sefardic Joe Pesci Israeli mafia guy.
He talked fast. He had tattoos from his neck down and short crew haircut with a
few piercings. To make matters worse, he wasn’t an official mechanic either, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was what they call in Israel a “<i>chapper</i>”.
One of these guys that are handy and run around picking up business on the run
and working out of their backyard. Yet, he came highly recommended to me by a
few friends and we really needed someone to help us find a car. Having been
burnt too many times by the “official” “legit” places it was time to try
someone new. What counted the most. Though was that Aliza liked him and if Mama’s
happy then everyone is happy. Or at least I can’t get in trouble if it doesn’t
work out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet as we started to work with him I took a liking to him.
He got us a great new car. He negotiated us a great price. He was there
whenever Aliza called him to take care of every little car problem that she was
able to find. And he took care of them. That was at least until October 7<sup>th</sup>.
After Sukkos this year with the onset of the war, he wasn’t that reachable.
Incommunicado. Not answering messages, or getting back to us. I figured he was
at war. He was of age. I was nervous for him. I added him in my prayers and davened
for him and his family amongst all my other prayers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And then he called. He was in Gaza it seems, and he would
be right over after the weekend, and happy to help us. He even apologized,
which was pretty bizarre. I mean here he was putting his life on the line for
me, for my family, for our country and he was apologizing to me for not getting
back to me. Crazy…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet when he came over and we started to shmooze I realized
that I never really knew what a hero I had the fortune to be friends with. See
Ofir’s job in the army was that he was a “<i>Mista’arev”-</i> an undercover
soldier that dresses up like an Arab. In the ongoing war he had spent three
weeks amongst all of those Gazans heading from the North part of the strip down
to the South. He was checking to see if there were any terrorists that were
heading down hidden amongst the “innocent” civilians. He was on the lookout for
any hostages that they may have been trying to smuggle down. He was gathering
intelligence about where they might be hiding, what the leaders were up to,
where any arsenals, traps or tunnels that our Yishmaelite Nazi cousins may have
prepared to attack our troops with and from. Ofir was an army spy doing the
bravest and perhaps most dangerous job and I was hocking him about the plastic door
handle that was broken in my car. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But he wasn’t just a warrior. He was a Tzadik. Not the type
that we generally picture or go to for blessings, but someone who talked with and
had so much faith, so much humility, such a strong strength of <i>mesirus
nefesh</i> and sacrifice for Eretz Yisrael and Klal Yisrael that I couldn’t
help but to hug him and kiss him and ask him to bless me. I saw him in a whole
new light. Like I ‘ve never seen him before. I saw him for real. And Ofir is
just one of the many that I think everyone here in Eretz Yisrael is seeing
again and again in all our brothers and sisters whom we had thought we had
known and painted into a box but in reality never really saw the greatness that
was their essence that always lay beneath the surface. It’s like each of us had
these fake spy impressions until now that presented themselves to me, and now for
the first time I was seeing the real light, person and soul that was never
revealed to me before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Which of course brings us to this week’s Parsha and
Chanukah. I know I keep saying it and writing it but it just keeps astounding
me how every week’s parsha is like a newspaper article of the times and
messages we are experiencing. We read about how the brothers join the lines of
people heading down South to Egypt for “humanitarian aid” that is being
provided by Yosef and I’m just thinking of all of those images and videos we’ve
been seeing of all of those Gazans heading down in the same direction. Amongst them
back then just as today, there are Jewish “spies”; <i>tzadikim</i> like Ofir.
The 12 tribes, like Ofir, also have a mission of trying to find their brother
whom they had assumed was being sold into captivity. The brother who was
kidnapped- albeit by them, whose father was mourning and inconsolable over, as
there are so many parents mourning and hoping today as well for the return of
their children. <i>Mamash, “Ba’yamim ha’heim ba’zman ha’zeh”</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The story is a powerful one and a strange one. The
commentaries struggle with trying to understand Yosef’s rationale for shlepping
this thing out. Why didn’t he reconnect with his father right away? Why put his
brothers through this entire rigmarole? Sending them back with their money,
accusing them of being spies, holding Shimon captive, hiding the goblet in
Binyomin’s bag. It’s obviously not revenge. Yosef the tzadik doesn’t roll that
way. He continuously reiterates that all that happens is from Hashem. So why
not just kiss, make-up and move on. We know he wants to, so what’s holding him
back?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Last week we discussed the idea that many commentaries take
that this story is about Yosef fulfilling the mission that his father sent him
on to restore the brotherhood between them. The Ramban takes the approach that
Yosef was doing all of this to fulfill the dreams that he had in which all of
the brothers would bow down to him and accept him as their ruler. Some even
suggest that Yosef understood that this had eternal significance, that at the
end of the day the brothers would have to come together under Yosef, the
brother who would prepare the land and the nation materially. His descendant
would be Yehoshua, who interestingly enough was himself one of the spies that Moshe
sent into the land. The spy that got it right. Fascinatingly the Baal Ha’Turim even
sees in Yehudah’s response to Yosef that <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Lo hayu meraglim</span></i><span style="color: black;">- that
we are not spies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">That Yehudah was telling Yosef that his descendant Caleiv
was also not pulled into the plot of the spies to discredit Eretz Yisrael. <i>Lo
Hayu</i> as he notes in gematria is the same numerical value as Caleiv. The
entire story, the redemption and reunion of these brothers seem to revolve
around spies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s not just this story but even years later as well we
find that our coming into the land is precipitated on the sending of spies by
Moshe and ultimately again 40 years later by Yehoshua. We need good spies to
get the land. We need people that can dress up like the enemy, perhaps put on
the clothing of Esau, Yishmael, and maybe even Hamas and ultimately not forget
the Yaakov, the Yisrael, the <i>Bnai Avinu Echad</i>- that we are all the
children of one father and have that shared spark and destiny to be able to
achieve our birthright. In order for us to win and conquer our land. We need
holy Ofirs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There’s an interesting Talmud that would seem unrelated to
all of this, yet it is one that Reb Tzadok HaKohein derives a profound lesson
from. The Talmud in Chulin tells us that every animal that can be found on the
land has a counterpart that can be found in the sea. The Mishna in Keilim tells
us that the animals on land are impure, whereas the ones in the sea are pure.
The one exception to that rule though, Rabbi Akiva rules, is the seal. For the
seal lives on both the land and the sea. Yet it is considered a land animal
because in times of storm when it is in danger it flees to the land. The
Tifferes Yisrael explains that where a person runs to when they are in danger
reveals their true essence. What they are really about. Where their home really
is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">{An interesting aside to this Talmud is a ruling that I
heard that was given during one of the previous wars in Israel when some
Yeshiva students and Kollel families that had been living here went back to
America because of “<i>the situation</i>” as they like to call it. Although
some of those Kollel families had been living here for years and been observing
only one-day Yom Tov of the holidays as is the custom of Eretz Yisrael, they
were told that upon returning to America-despite the fact that they felt this
was only a temporary refuge, they would have to go back to keeping two days.
They’re not really <i>toshavei</i> Eretz Yisrael. The place where you run to
when in danger reveals what your essence is. And it seems that they were more Red
white and Blue than Blue and White. Their Aliya hadn’t yet reached their core. }<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Reb Tzadok Ha’Kohein though takes this idea and sees in
this a tremendous insight, light and praise of our nation and what our essence
is. We say in Psalms and in our daily morning prayers that Hashem is our refuge
in times of <i>tzara</i>. When a Jew is in peril, when we are facing mortal
danger, when the bullets are flying, when the terrorists are outside our door,
in our scariest and darkest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moments then
no matter how far, how disconnected, how much of an atheist or non-believer he
may have assumed himself to be, there are six words that will inevitably scream
out from the depths of his soul. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad</span></i><span style="color: black;">- Hashem is One. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The spark has been ignited. Yisrael is one nation and we
have one God. We reveal our essence. We show what we really are. Everything
else that we’ve been doing has just been “spy clothing”. It’s been dressing up
like someone we aren’t. In times of trouble though the truth comes out. The
real me is revealed. We’ve found our Yaakov again. We’ve revealed it to the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The story of Yosef and his brothers starts off with Yosef
interestingly enough being the guilty party. He’s bringing <i>lashon harah</i>
about his brothers to his father. He’s not giving them the benefit of the
doubt. He sees them as sinners. He’s not looking deep inside at who they really
are. He doesn’t see the greatness and holiness that is their essence. He’s
fooled by the clothing and mannerisms that are different and suspect to him. He’s
dressed up in his fancy coat, his colorful rebbishe bekketcheh and he’s
speaking bad and down about them.. He believes he’s doing it for the right
reasons, he has dreams of uniting them, of a future together, but he needs to
fix them first. He doesn’t realize that maybe he needs fixing as well. He’s himself
is a spy that’s working under bad intelligence. That he’s got some <i>contzeptziot</i>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of his own that need to be changed; that
need to be broken<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The brothers at the same time see Yosef as an interloper,
as someone that is power-hungry, as the jilted first-born that was trying to
turn their father against them and destroy the brotherhood and the nation.
After-all there’s always been a bad brother until now in the Torah. Kayin,
Cham, Yishmael, Esau. It’s tradition already. But they too are not seeing the
real deal. They as well are seeing Yosef’s “spy” clothing and they want to
strip him of it. They’re not reflecting on perhaps what they need to change
about themselves. That perhaps they’re being motivated more by jealousy, by a
sense of inferiority, by a fear of losing their own perceived positions to
their younger brother, than by the righteous spiritual indignation that they
claim to be working with. Everyone is so caught up in the costume they’re
wearing and they don’t realize that it’s just a camouflage covering up their
essence. Their love and brotherhood. That underneath it all, there’s a holy
spark that needs to shine and be revealed. That has to come together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yosef’s <i>tikun</i> comes first. He is thrown in a pit. He
is taught through the hardest lessons how false accusations, misconstrued
circumstances and lashon hara can destroy someone. The worst libels in the
world are laid against him. He is framed and he is persecuted. Through that
process he understands that to win over evil, he needs to humble himself before
Hashem. He has to find the light. There is nothing more that he wants than to
be seen for the real person who he is. In the time of the worst trouble Yosef
finds his essence. His internal menorah has been lit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">With that he understands that for his brothers to be healed
they as well need to go through the same process. They need to undergo the
lesson of seeing beyond the disguise and getting to their own essence. The
essence that they shared. They need to see what really matters is what they
have in common, not what divides us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
does that by calling them spies. They’re not really who they’re pretending to
be. The self-righteous clothing they were wearing was as well just spy
clothing. There was a shared brotherhood and love that weas buried so deep and
they needed to find that. So he calls them out. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">He calls them spies and they deny it. He calls them thieves
and they deny it. He tells them they are lying. To themselves most of all. That
they’re not recognizing the brother next to them. That they don’t recognize the
brother in themselves to him. That they are all the children of one father. And
slowly bit by bit it starts to work. They start to find themselves and go back
to the beginning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and reexamine things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">We hear them throughout the parsha repeat it again and
again to Yosef. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>We are the children of one father.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our brother is gone”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our father is
bereft”. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">“It was a tragedy”. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">“It was our fault</span></i><span style="color: black;">”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Bit by bit, layer by layer, as the trouble intensifies more
and more the Hashem Echad is coming out. In the time of trouble, in the
darkness, in the horror and threat like seals they’re fleeing the sea and
coming to the land. They’ve reached the point where they are ready to give
their lives once again for another. They will wage war against the entire
country, against the entire world, to save their brother. They’ve found themselves.
They know who they are, what we are about, what we need to fight for and it’s
at that point that we can shine and do what we need to do. We’ve become Yaakov
and now we can don the garments of Esau and do his job too. We can even bring
him and the entire world to Hashem. Galus could be over, because we have
learned that <i>galus/</i> exile is all about revelation; to reveal the essence
of who and what we are. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It's the last day of Chanuka. Every day of the holiday, I
noticed this morning we’ve been reading the Torah portion that describes the sacrifices
of each of the leaders of 12 tribes upon the dedication of the Mishkan. Today
on the last day we read the last 4 tribes to make it that we read all 12. The
point of the reading it struck me is for us to hear again and again that each
of us, each tribe, each brother has a place in the Mishkan. That each of our
sacrifices ultimately are the same. They may each come from a different plave,
from a borther that is different than us, but before Hashem the dedication only
comes when all 12 have brought their sacrifice. When all of us have come before
Hashem. <i>V’Zos Chanukas Ha’Mizbayach</i>- that is how the dedication of the
altar can happen. Only then can we read the final portion the Kohen Gadol
lighting the MEnora and all its lamps shine to the center. Only then can Hashem’s
house be established.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a Chanuka
like no other that I can recall. We are at battle, we are at war, we are
chasing away darkness, we are eradicating evil. There are Menoras being lit
this year in bunkers, in bomb shelters, in dark places where there has been no
light for years. Where there has only been evil. In Gaza. As well there are
Menoras being lit by many of our brothers and sisters that have never lit
before. Not only in Israel, not only in war zones, but around the world. “<i>Shema
Yisrael</i>” is being shouted by Jews who barely know what the words mean. It’s
being shouted by gentiles who see that light and want to be part of it. It’s
like the story of Purim when the Megilla tells us that many of the non-Jews
were “<i>misyahadim”-</i> became attached to the Jewish people <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Ki nafal pachad ha’yehudim aleihem</span></i><span style="color: black;">- the fear of the Jews fell upon them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Reb Shlomo Alkabetz homiletically explains that verse by
saying that the real “fear” and “awe” of the Jews is Hashem. When the non- Jews
saw that the fear of Hashem had fallen upon us, when they see where our refuge
and where we run to when we are frightened, when the storm hits us, they see
the revealed light that is shining from underneath. When they heard our Shema
Yisrael, our Am Yisrael Chai, our tefillin, our brotherhood, our Menoras, our
light, Hashem’s light, then they as well joined back then in the Purim story.
They also wanted a piece of that. They saw who we really are and understood
what they as well could also become. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Eretz Yisrael will become ours, the <i>shechina</i> will
come down once again, we will be home and Hashem will be home when the light
that comes from the storms of <i>galus</i> sends us running to the land, to our
deepest inner selves, to our brotherhood. We will not be spies that are trying
to uncover the “nakedness of the land” but rather holy spies that will reveal
the light that can shine through the 2000 years of camouflage and <i>bigdei
galus </i>that we’ve been wearing for so long and that made us forget who we
really are. The day we are awaiting for will be even greater than the one that
we had when we left Mitzrayim. Because then it was Hashem taking us out from
the 49<sup>th</sup> level of <i>tumah,</i> whereas this year we will
god-willing be celebrating with the light that we are bringing up to Him. The
light He has waited 5784 years for us to reveal. The eternal light of the Bais
Hamikdash rebuilt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have a lightfilled Shabbos and may all our prayers be answered,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Ven ain soldat volt gevust vos der anderer
tracht, volt kain krig nisht geven.”.- </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">If one soldier knew what the other thinks,
there would be no war.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">answer below at end of Email</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">18.The name of
the archeological museum which was established during the British Mandate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">is_________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Which
archeological site suffered massive destruction due to usage of outdated
digging methods?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. Tel Lachish<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Yodfat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Tel Gezer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. Gamla<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/maoz-tzur">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/maoz-tzur</a>
- <b><i>It’s not Chanuka without my Rabbi Schwartz Compositions here’ <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iky-KPl1-Og">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iky-KPl1-Og</a>
– <b><i>Ari Goldwag’s latest Live to Give<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmdS9AnUts">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmdS9AnUts</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>
Maccabeats We’re still here Am Yisrael Chai<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9pOUJ6tI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9pOUJ6tI</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Y-Studs You can Light with me Chanuka
Acapella</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXI0CLgK-Ds">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXI0CLgK-Ds</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- 613 Era-Luiton? </i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PRlr2M4x4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PRlr2M4x4</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Dovid Lowy’s amazing new rendition of a Golden Oldie “Don’t hide from
Me”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yackov’s Painful Prayer </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This column has been one of the
more challenging ones for me to write. I like challenges. It’s why I decided to
start writing it. Tefilla is called avoda- service, labor, work. It’s something
we do daily and thus it takes the most effort to keep it new and fresh. It’s
kind of like marriage in that way. And in a way it really is a form of
marriage. It’s the relationship between <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>us
and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And as everyone know the key to a good and healthy
marriage is communication. It’s the crux of it all. And Tefilla/ prayer is our
communication with Hashem. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yet, finding tefilla in every parsha is no easy task. Especially in
parshas that are full of great narratives. But I guess it’s true for
conversation in life as well. So it’s work and Baruch Hashem it’s been
fulfilling. I hope it is for you as it is for me. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Well in this week’s parsha there is a prayer as well. It’s one I
never noticed before, and I guess that’s why I like this challenge or most
challenges because it forces me to discover new insights and ideas that
hopefully can make my tefilla more meaningful.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">So what’s the prayer. It’s really just a few words. It’s right
before Yaakov sends his children back down to Yosef. He turns to them and tells
them</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">V’Kel Sha-dai Yitein lachem Rachamim- and Hashem should give you
mercy </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Lifnei Ha’ish- before the man</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And he should send with you your other brother and Binyamin and as
I have been bereaved I will be bereaved.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rashi notes that Yaakov’s terminology here is that he is telling
the brothers that I gave you all my advice, I gave you presents, I gave you the
strategy. But now all that remains is prayer. I will daven for you as well.
Ultimately that’s what it comes down to.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When he davens for his children he utilizes the name of Hashem of
Kel Sha-dai which Rashi explains is a reference to Hashem as the one who told
the world Dai-Enough! The world was expanding more and more and Hashem stopped
and fixed the world in a set position. That same God, Yaakov invokes, should as
well say enough to all of my troubles. He recalls since the day he was born he
was in constant turmoil. From esau, to Lavan, to Dina to the death of Rachel.
It’s been endless. Hashem should say enough already. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What is the connection to troubles and Hashem as the One who said
the world should stop expanding? Wouldn’t the name to be invoked more
appropriately be Hashem as the merciful one, as our Father, as the God of
peace. What does the Creation of the world have to do with anything? Why is
this the prayer that Yaakov chose.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There is a fascinating Midrash that it says when Rabbi Akiva was
taken out to be killed the angels saw this and asked is this the reward for all
he the Torah he has learned and Hashem told them to be quiet. This was His
original intent when He created the world and if they continued to protest
Hashem would have to return it to it’s original state and start all over. It’s
a strange Midrash for it leaves us with the question of the angels. Be quiet
and accept Hashem seems to say. But I believe there is an even deeper concept
here.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In Hebrew the word for world is Olam- which also means hiddenness.
Being that Hashem is infinite to created a limited physical universe it’s
essence is going to be Hashem hiding Himself, minimizing Himself. It’s the only
way that physicality can exist. When Hashem told the world to stop expanding in
essence what He was saying is that there is enough hiddenness. It’s too much.
They won’t be able to find Me and reveal Me anymore. That’s the whole point of
Creation. That in the times of trouble when we don’t see Hashem- we dig deep
and reveal His light. We find His presence. Rabbi Akiva was able to do that and
he died as so many martyrs did with those words on his lips. Hashem tells the
angels that this was the point. This is how I can most connect in the deepest
way with man. It’s the way that My relationship will be eternal. Don’t make me
go back and start again.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This is the prayer that Yaakov tells his children. That in times of
trouble they will be able to find Hashem. They will see his Hand. If there’s a
trouble if there’s a difficulty, if there’s pain, if there’s October 7<sup>th</sup>,
know that it comes from Hashem who told the world to stop hiding Him at the
perfect point. Hashem can still be found, otherwise He would’ve told the world
to continue expanding. He wants to be found. And thus if that is the case He
will tell our troubles to be enough as well. He will return your brother. He
will return us. We will all come home and be redeemed. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Decline of the Kingdom of Israel and the
aftermath of Chanuka-</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Chanukah is coming to an end and once again there seems to be a connection with
our study and the aftermath of the Chanukah story as we move from <b>Yehudah’</b>s
kingdom in Jerusalem and the death of <b>Uziya/ Azarya </b>back to the story of
the 10 tribes in the North. We are at the 4<sup>th</sup> and last descendant of
<b>Yehu </b>to be king and it has been a downward spiral. Things had looked so
bright under <b>Yehu’</b>s kingdom. He killed out <b>Achav’</b>s remaining
family. He instituted a religious reform and destroyed the worship of the Baal.
He was anointed by <b>Elisha</b> himself to lead the people but because he
didn’t complete the job and he allowed the altars of <b>Yeravam </b>to remain
he went downhill. Hashem had told him that he would have four generations to
get their act together but one after another they failed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 3 kings that ruled from the line of <b>Yehu</b>
were <b>Yehoyachaz,</b> <b>Yoash</b> and <b>Yeravam</b> the 2<sup>nd</sup>.
This week we have the final king <b>Zecharia</b> who takes over and he is no
better than his predecessors. He sins and is assassinated by <b>Shulam Ben Yavesh</b>
publicly. <b>Shulam</b> reigns for a month until he is taken out by <b>Menachem
Ben Gadi</b>, the next king to rule. <b>Menachem</b> as well is an evil king
and yet he manages to reign for 10 years. Under his rule he decided to invade
the neighboring <b>Aramean</b> city of <b>Tiphtza</b>. He assumed they would
recognize and support his kingship being that he was their neighbor. They
finally had someone from their own hood that was ruling Israel. Yet when they
didn’t he brutally or even savagely to be more accurate massacred their city.
The Navi describes his brutality as one where he literally slices open pregnant
woman. We’re talking October 7<sup>th</sup> sickness. This was as low as we
could get and the retribution of Hashem is quick and coming with the rise of
Assyria to the international world plate. And we’re their first major victims.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ashur sets heavy taxes upon Israel and <b>Menachem</b>
begins the process of Israeli pacifism paying hundreds of thousands of shekels
to our enemy to keep us safe. Ultimately this is the beginning of our
subjugation which will ultimately lead to the exile of the ten tribes by this
wicked empire. We actually have some corroborating evidence of these taxes in
transcripts found in <b>Assyria</b> as well as in <b>Shomron.</b> With <b>Menachem’</b>s
death after his 10 year rule his son. <b>Pekachiya</b> takes over and things
get even messier. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's a sad story. It’s a tragic story. It’s one
that we see repeats itself in the aftermath of Chanuka as well. We have this
tremendous light of <b>Chanuka</b> with the <b>Maccabees</b> and <b>Chasmonaim,</b>
yet it doesn’t last. The children and grandchildren of <b>Yehuda Maccabee</b>
are Greek once again. They’re Hellenists. They defile the Temple and ultimately
it leads to the entrance of <b>Rome</b> and the destruction of our Temple not
two centuries later. We have a problem taking the light of Chanuka and making
it a long term one. And when we don’t it just gets worse than it was even
before we started. Hopefully we’ve learned this lesson by now and IYh the
special light we are seeing in the world now should last forever with the
building of the Temple and the return of the children to our borders. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
CHANUKA GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The hostages are not able
to celebrate Chanuka so many people are lighting an extra Menora for them. I on
the other hand have taken on to eat a doughnut for each them. 37 down 100 to
go.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not sure whether to
have that extra doughnut or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
call it Sugani-yah for a reason. Yah! Eat it…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which coffee should you
drink on Chanukah? In English it's called 'Miracle of the 25th', but it's
better known by its Hebrew translation: nes cof hei (sometimes spelled Nescafe)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Imagine how upset
Hitler would be if he knew that Jews were being compared to him…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The IDF is pumping
water into Hamas Terror Tunnels. You wanted from the River to the Sea now you
got it…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did you see all those
pictures of the surrendering Hamas Terrorists? They call it Gaza Strip for a
reason…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even Albert Einstein
can’t explain how a doughnut that weighs 150 grams makes me 2 Kilos fatter.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did you see all those
videos and pictures of Santa putting on Tefillin. It’s become a new chasidus
called Santa Kalusenberg</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Line of the week- Queers
for Palestine are the Gay Neturei Karta.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– This is the
third week in a row that I’m only getting my answers half right. This is not
good. I knew that the museum they were talking about is the Rockfeller museum.
That was easy, they have lots fo stuff from British mandate there and its’
located in Jerusalem. The second part though I wasn’t sure. I was leaning
towards Gezer to be honest, but last minute switched my answer to Lachish. And
what do you know? I should’ve gone with my initial instinct. The correct answer
was Gezer. Ahh well I’m still ahed of the game here. And the latest score is <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>12.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4.5 point</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-58717861797814768962023-12-10T00:59:00.000-08:002023-12-10T00:59:29.792-08:00Of Brothers Lost and Found- Then and Now- Parshat Vayeishev Chanukah 2023 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">December 8<sup>th</sup>
2023<i> </i>-Volume 13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue
9</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
25<sup>th</sup> of Kislev 5784</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayeishev/ Chanukah I</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Of Brothers Lost
and Found, Of Then and Now</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s not about <i>them</i> anymore. It’s about us. The past
few week’s Torah portions taught us about the world around us. The threats and
enemies who sought to destroy us; destroy our ancestors. There was Yishmael,
there was Lavan, Esau, the Philistines. There still are. The past few weeks
have brought home and made more real for the first real time to my generation
and those younger than mine, that <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>Shebichol dor va’dor omdim aleinu l’chaloseinu”-</i>
that in every generation they “will rise to annihilate us” is more than a song
that we sing by our Pesach Seder or by Kumzitz sing-alongs. It’s real. It’s
now. And it’s been forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But this week it’s no longer about them. The rest of our
story in Bereishis is about us. Our self-destruction and our reconciliation. Our
Exile and our Redemption. As we say on Chanuka, <i>Ba’yamim ha’heim</i>- in
those days, Ba’zman ha’zeh in our times. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Last week Dinah was kidnapped by our enemies. This week
Yosef is, by his own brothers. Last week Lavan was trying to trick us and steal
our sheep, our goats and was trying to keep us captive. This week we fool our
own father with those same sheep, Yehuda reneges on his deal and obligation to
his daughter in law Tamar with those goats and we sell our own brother into
captivity. Shimon and Levi were united last week as they took up swords to
defend their family’s honor; the honor of Israel over the violation of their
sister. This week we disgrace ourselves like harlots where both Yehudah and
Yosef find themselves in cesspools of licentiousness and Shimon and Levi are
ready to take up those same swords to spill their own brother’s blood. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And the story keeps going. While last week we began with
Yaakov dreaming of connecting heaven and earth of angels and ladders. Yosef
just dreams of everyone coming together, of ruling over one another, of bowing
sheaves of wheat. Our story has shifted. It’s no longer them against us. It’s
us against one another. It’s how our exile began. It’s why it began. Redemption
and even retribution against Pharaoh and those that come up against us will
only happen when that rift heals. When we come together again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">How did we fall so fast… so far? How did we lose that <i>achdus</i>
and sense of family and brotherhood that we had when we stood together against
Lavan, against Esau, against Shechem? When we were united. Our Parsha tells us
it came when Yosef spoke badly of his brothers, it came from jealousy, it came
from righteous indignation. But it wasn’t the hatred and the fight. It wasn’t
the theological differences. It comes down to three words, and if one follows
the text and the narrative it is those three words that follow the entire
story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">V'lo yachlu dabro l’shalom</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and they couldn’t speak to him of peace<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">They couldn’t talk. There was no communication. It wasn’t
the fight. We Jews fight all the time. The problem was that they <i>didn’t</i>
fight. They held it in. They assumed that there was nobody there to talk to. No
one even worth fighting with. The Ibn Ezra notes that they couldn’t even talk about
matters unrelated to their argument. Matters of the household, what’s for
dinner, how about dem Mets.. nice new coat you got…The verse can even be read
homiletically. They didn’t speak to him- <i>dabro</i> is a harsh term, <i>l’shalom</i>
to reach a point of common ground that might have led them to peace. They had
written him off. And once you write someone off, then it’s not too far to throw
him into a pit. He’s no longer “fun unzereh”. He’s no better than a goy and
perhaps even worse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yaakov sees that and hears Yosef’s dream, he sees the
hatred and jealousy and his response is <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">V’aviv shamar es ha’<b>davar</b></span></i><span style="color: black;">- His father guarded the matter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Davar</span></i><span style="color: black;">… the matter… the
words… the conversation. This needs to be fixed. We need to come together. We
need to talk. The brothers head down to Shechem and Yaakov sends Yosef after
them with a mission. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Lech na re’eh es <b>shlom</b> achecha v’es <b>shlom</b>
ha’tzon</span></i><span style="color: black;">- go please and see the peace of
your brother and the sheep.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Find that place of peace. The peace that they couldn’t even
talk to you about. Don’t make it about yourself even. Perhaps just talk about
sheep. Talk about your job. Talk about me. But find that missing peace. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">V’hashiveini <b>davar-</b></span></i><span style="color: black;"> and return that davar- that word, that conversation….<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The holy Rebbi of Phshicha gives an even deeper insight. He
would tell his students that the eternal message that Yaakov sent him was to go
and see the peace in within your brother. Find that light within them. Shalom
is the name of Hashem- find and see that spark and godliness in them. In that
way you can connect to them. You will have what to talk to them about. You can
return the <i>davar</i>- the words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But the brothers didn’t see that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yiru oso mei’rachok</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
they saw him from a distance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">They couldn’t see past the colored coat, the colored shirt,
the different hat, the different dreams and visions. They couldn’t get close.
They wouldn’t get close. He was off the <i>derech</i>. He was far from them.
They threw him in a pit. They wrote him off and then they ate and drank, as if
the greatest tragedy in the world hadn’t just occurred. He wasn’t one of them
anyways. He wasn’t their brother.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">In fact the angel that Yosef met along the way asked Yosef
what he was looking for Yosef said famously<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Es achai ani mevakeish</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
I’m looking for my brothers. For that brotherhood. For them to see that we’re
family. That we have a shared legacy and destiny. Yet, the angel tells him<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Nasu mi’zeh- they left this. As Rashi says they left that
brotherhood. They’ve written you off. They don’t see you as one of them
anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Even when Reuvein tries to save Yosef, he doesn’t call him
their brother, rather as the <i>yeled</i>. The child. His plea is don’t hurt a
young boy. Yehudah though does still see him as his brother, when he says what
will we gain by killing our brother. Yet even he doesn’t see that as a reason
to bring him. Rather it’s to send him away. To keep him far. To sell him out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It is at that moment that the Yishma’elim come take the
stage. Yishmael, who himself was thrown out from his father’s house for one
reason. One reason only. Yishmael was chucked because as Sarah said, he was not
the brother that would inherit with Yitzchak,. His existence will threaten the
line of Yitzchak. The children of Yaakov. The 12 tribes. The revelation of
shalom in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yishmael was sent away, thrown away to the bush in <i>midbar.</i>
But he comes back when we’ve destroyed that brotherhood ourselves. He comes
back with a claim that we can’t answer. Why is he any different than us? He
comes back to take us down to exile. To kidnap our children, our brothers, to
sell them and use them as pawns. To remind us why we’re here. To make us look
close at that gaping hole in our hearts that our brother’s loss, pain and
absence has left. To make us wish that we could talk to him again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The end of the story will occur at the end of this book
when through Yosef’s machination the coin flips. It will be the brothers that
are coming down looking for their brother, Binyamin. They return to deliver
Shimon who was being held hostage by Egypt- in the form of what they perceived
to be their viceroy who was in reality Yosef, their own brother that they had
refused to recognize. It’s what happens when you don’t recognize your brother
when he is with you. Hashem will make it and force your hand to the point where
you realize that we are all brothers. If there is no Yosef, there is no Shimon,
there is no Binyamin. If there is no Itai, there is Kfir, there is no Maia and
there is no Yanky, Yoily, Shaindy or Brachie. We’re all one family. We’re all
the children of one father and one Father. There was 12 of us. We lost one. And
since then we’ve been losing more and more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">By the end of Chanuka when we read Vayigash we will read
about the reunion of Yosef and his brother. When Yosef reveals himself. The
verse tells us he <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Ani Yosef- I am Yosef is my father still alive. It still
isn’t over. The brothers still couldn’t answer. They still couldn’t speak. They
were shamed. They were frightened. They didn’t feel connected. And then it
finally happens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yomer Yosef el echuv</span></i><span style="color: black;">
And Yosef said to his brothers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Geshu na eilai</span></i><span style="color: black;">- come
close to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come close. Remember
when you couldn’t let me come close. How you only saw me from the distance. You
saw my flaws, my sins, my different color coat, shirt, my long hair, my
tattoos, my sins, my politics, my world-view different than yours. Come close.
See me with you. Feel me. Hug me, embrace me. Cry with me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And they came close… finally. And he said<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Ani Yosef
achichem</i>- I am Yosef your brother that you sold to mitzrayim <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Don’t worry. Don’t feel bad. It wasn’t you. It was Hashem
that made this happen. I was sent <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">L’michya</span></i><span style="color: black;">- to revive
us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Lasum lachem she’eris ba’aretz</span></i><span style="color: black;">- so that we will have with what to remain in the land.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">U’lhachayos lachem l’flayta gedola</span></i><span style="color: black;">- that so what we will live and merit to be a great refuge.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">We will return from being held hostage. From being
captives. We will be redeemed. We will be the brothers we are meant to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yinashek l’chol echav va’yevch alehihem</span></i><span style="color: black;">- And he kissed all his brothers and he wept over them. He
wept and cried over the years that they had lost together. Over the brotherhood
that for so long had been missing. For the pain their stubbornness had caused
their Father. Our Father. For the place that it had brought them. For the
future generations when this sin will occur again and again. It will be the
destruction of the Mishkan and the two temples. It will be the final exile of
Rome, of Edom, of Hitler and of October 7<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">V'acharey kein <b>dibru</b> <b>echav</b> ito-</span></i><span style="color: black;"> and after that his brothers spoke to him. The conversation
finally happened. We spoke. We were brothers. When that happened something else
amazing happened as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">V’hakol nishma beis Pharaoh la’imor</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and the voice went out throughout the house of Pharaoh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Ba’oo achei Yosef- the brothers of Yosef have come. They
are brothers. They are one nation. That voice of Yaakov- that kol that will
reveal the light to the world, that the whole world is waiting for is finally
here. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yitav bei’enei Pharaoh u’viei’nei avadov-</span></i><span style="color: black;"> and it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and they eyes of
his servant. For the entire world is waiting for us. They’re waiting for the
brotherhood to reveal itself. It’s a story then. It’s our story today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">This past week I visited the Kibbutz of Be’eiri, the
largest of the Kibbutzim on the Gaza border that was hit on the Shabbos
Ha’Shachor- the black Shabbos that was Simchas Torah. The horrors we heard
about, the destruction that we saw, the atrocities that were committed have
kept me up at night since then. And what we heard and saw was only a tiny drop
of what actually occurred. So much pain, so many tears, such darkness. When our
tour was over I asked my friend Yardy who was born and raised there and was the
only person that was non-military there- as he was singlehandedly trying to
salvage the crops of avocado and citrus of the Kibbutz and pick them along with
volunteers who came from all over to help, where we could daven Mincha he took
us to the Kibbutz shul. And it was then that I had the shock of my life and one
of the most powerful moments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The shul was in perfect shape. It was untouched. All around
us on all sides was destruction. Houses burnt, bullet-ridden kindergartens,
medical clinics, grocery stores all looked like Gaza. Like Auschwitz. Yet in
the middle the shul remained standing without even a broken window. There
wasn’t a grazed bullet. I was astounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would’ve thought it would be the first place the terrorists would’ve
attacked. I had imagined Kristallnacht, with broken glass, thrown and strewn
prayer books and <i>chumashim</i>, burnt talitot and desecrated sefer Torahs. Yardy
didn’t have any answer or explanation why this was left. Why the terrorists
never came here. Perhaps he suggested they assumed that nobody would be there.
It didn’t make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But then I walked outside and saw the name of the Synagogue
emblazoned on the door. It was in wood in colorful letters. It said two words.
“<i>Ahavat Yisrael</i>”. The of Yisrael. The love of brothers. It was as if Hashem
looked down, just as He did, when He went to destroy the world with the flood
in Noach’s era- because it was full of “Chamas”. It was like when He came down
to talk to Avraham before destroying Sodom and turning those cities over. Yet,
here Hashem spared the shul. He wanted us to understand that where there is
<i>Ahavas Yisrae</i>l, then Yishmael will never be able to touch us. We will be
protected. We will be on. He will be revealed. He will have His home here
amongst our <i>Ahavas Yisrael-</i> and the house of Pharaoh will find it good in their
eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">This year as we light and celebrate the holiday of Chanuka,
the blessing of those days in our time has more meaning than ever. The light
will conquer the darkness once again. Yet for that to happen we need to find
that shemen- the hidden cask of oil in our brothers. That fuel that every Jew
has, that unites us. That is DNA of our family. That makes us brothers and
sisters. When we ignite that spark as we see happening today like never before,
then the entire world will join us in our Menora. They will help us rededicate
our Temple once again. And then those days will be in our times forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have holy hartzigeh Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Ganovim un farlibte hobn lib fintsternish.- </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Thieves and those in love both love darkness.</span></b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">17.Another
name for the "Big Maktesh" is ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What is the
estimated size of the Bedouin population in the Negev?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. 600,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. 150,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. 300,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. 450,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/maoz-tzur">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/maoz-tzur</a>
- <b><i>It’s not Chanuka without my Rabbi Schwartz Compositions here’ <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iky-KPl1-Og">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iky-KPl1-Og</a>
– <b><i>Ari Goldwag’s latest Live to Give<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmdS9AnUts">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmdS9AnUts</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>
Maccabeats We’re still here Am Yisrael Chai<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9pOUJ6tI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9pOUJ6tI</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Y-Studs You can Light with me Chanuka
Acapella</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXI0CLgK-Ds">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXI0CLgK-Ds</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- 613 Era-Luiton? </i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PRlr2M4x4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PRlr2M4x4</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Dovid Lowy’s amazing new rendition of a Golden Oldie “Don’t hide from
Me”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Thanks and Praise </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Chanukah is the holiday which the Rambam and Talmud tells us are
all about one thing, and it’s not latkas or doughnuts. Its <i>L’hodot U’l’Hale</i>l-
to thank and praise Hashem. We will recite Hallel every day, we add in our
<i>bentching</i> grace after meals an extra paragraph about Chanuka and the miracles.
We say it again and again. I think its understandable to most that there is a
concept of saying thank you and showing appreciation. If someone does something
for you, then we understand that we “owe him” a big “thank you”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet a whole 8 days of holiday seems like it
is carried away. Songs, praises, again and again. Blessings, we seem to be
obsessed with the idea. What’s it all about?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I remember hearing an incredible speech one about how every country
and culture can be identified by its language and vocabulary. For example Italy
has a lot fo different words for Pasta. That’s important. Pizza too. In Eskimo
language there’s a lot of words for snow. Wet snow, dirty snow, soft snow hard
snow. It’s a big deal to them. Americans have a lot of different coffee names.
I’m just ana Americano type of guy. In Hebrew or the holy tongue there’s a lot
of different words for praise. For thanks for showing appreciation. Take a look
at Yishtabach, or the last paragraph of Hallel. There’s about 15 of them.
Because that’s what’s important to us. In fact we are called Yehudim- because
the tribe of Yehuda was thus named because Leah gave thanks to Hashem on his
birth. It’s at the core of our identity.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What is praise? What is thanks in Jewish thought? It is us
recognizing that Hashem does everything for us. That every moment we are alive
is a gift. That gift is our purpose. It motivates us to do something. It makes
appreciate that Hashem is standing with us. There are so many I have spoken to
over the past month who have witnessed so many miracles. They can’t stop
talking about it and they appreciate life differently than they ever did
before. We do this ove the entire week of Chanukah, it is the reason why we are
saved. It is the oil and fuel we are meant to reveal. This year more than ever,
we need to appreciate that. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Leper King and Chanuka?!</span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It’s Chanuka and our thoughts and prayers are for the rebuilding
of the Temple and the story of it’s rededication by the <b>Chashmonaim/
Macabees</b>. Fascinatingly enough the<b> Ramban</b> notes that despite the
incredible miracle and rejoicnng of the holiday in the year <b>165 BCE</b>
within 50 years the Temple was back to it’s sorry impure state. The children of
the <b>Maccabees</b> became Greek again. They assimilated. The defiled it. The
essence of their sin, he writes, was that they tried to take too much for
themselves. They were Kohanim, their role was to serve in the Temple. It wasn’t
to be kings or rulers. The monarchy was always meant to be in the hands and
through the descendants of the tribe <b>Yehuda</b>; the house of <b>Dovid
Ha’Melech</b>. They took too much for themselves and they didn’t want to give
up the power that they achieved in their victory over the <b>Greeks</b>. That
was their mistake. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Similarly but at the opposite extreme we learn
this week about the downfall of <b>Azarya/ Uziya</b>. With his tremendous
success and even spiritual revival of the Jewish nation, the increase of the
economy, the agriculture, the military achievements and the expansion of our
borders, he like the <b>Chashmonaim</b> set his mind up to take more than his
portion. To take the role of the Kohanim in the Temple. In Divrey Ha’Yamim it
tells us that he entered the <b>Holy of Holies</b> with a pan of incense much
to the outrage of the Kohanim. As he stood there while they rebuked him he
broke out in <i>Tzara’as</i> a spiritual form of leprosy of which one of its
causes is the sin of arrogance. Taken aback he immediately left the Temple, as
he was the law mandates for a<i> tamey</i> person. He was taken out of the <b>Old
City</b> and he was placed in a place called “<b>Beit Chofshit</b>” and it
there he remained until he died.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where is this <b>Beit Chofshit</b>?
Fascinatingly enough with this as well there is a Chanuka connection. Jewish
tradition places the location by <b>Mt. of Olives</b> in the <b>Kidron valley</b>
by a cave and elaborate burial place call the Cave of <b>Beit Chazir</b> right
next to <b>Yad Avshalom</b>. It is a burial cave from the 2<sup>nd</sup> Temple
period where the Kohanim of the<b> Chazir</b> family, mentioned in the Talmud
as one of the 24 families that would take shifts in the Temple. It is elaborate
and tradition has it that it is where the <b>tomb of Zecharia</b>, the Kohen
Gadol that was murdered in the <b>Temple</b> in the period of<b> Yoash </b>was
buried. As well tradition has it that <b>Uziya’</b>s grave was moved there from
the city of David where he was buried, as this was where he lived. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet the irony is certainly remarkable. <b>Uziya</b>
who was the <b>King of Yehudah</b> who tried to usurp the Priesthood from the
Kohanim is buried in a tomb of the <b>Chashmonaim</b>, who were priests that
tried to usurp the Kingship from <b>Yehudah</b>. The message for us today is
that one person can’t do it all in Judaism. We need our brothers. We need to
respect and appreciate that we each have different roles. If we do that, the <i>b’yachad
ni’natzayach</i>. Together we will overcome the darkness and reveal the light. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Never ask a woman her
age, A man his salary A Pro-Palestinain activist from which river to Sea and a
Palestinian what Al Aktza mosue is built on top of. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">@MuhammedSimry17 tweet-
Bombing has started in Gaza please pray for us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">@benny.wol- Yisgadel
V’Yiskadesh Shmei Rabba</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gaza Ministry of Health
Latest numbers</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Total Killed 26,334</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">22,304 children</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4207 women (or dressed
as women)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">16 men</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 Hamas fighter</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">76 non-binary/gender
fluid/ two-spirit</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m definitely ordering
my next phone from Gaza. I mean two months of battery life? Insane</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For release a senior
Hamas Operative responisblie for the on the hour missile launches has been
elimanted. He has been identified as Allah Sh’aah (on the hour)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you ever feel
helpless remember that the UN still exists. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Another week
another time I got one half right and half wrong. I wasn’t sure of the other
name of the Mactesh Ha’Gadol. I remember it had one and they changed it, but
forgot why and what the name was. The answer is Machtesh Yerucham. I think it
was changed at the behest of the city of Yerucham to get more tourism there to
the actual city near the MAchtesh crater, but I don’t think it worked. Nobody
calls it that. On the other hand the Bedouin thing I got right. There are
300,000 of them. Which is a lot. There’s about another 150,000 of them everywhere
else in Israel if I recall correctly So another half’and half score making the
new score being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>12 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4
point</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-2152859702074244772023-12-01T05:08:00.000-08:002023-12-01T05:08:24.447-08:00Home Alone- Parshat Vayishlach 2023 5784<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">December 1<sup>st</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 8</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">18<sup>th</sup> of Kisleiv 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayishlach</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Home
Alone</span></u></i></strong></a></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It was nice of
them to call for a cease fire so that I could get away to the States for a week
for two weddings. I don’t know how the soldiers would’ve survived without the Pizza,
Mike and Ikes and good cheer I bring them. I’m not sure if the military would
still be able to hold it’s strong position without me. But Baruch Hashem, we had
a bit of a miraculous break to give everyone a chance to fire up again. We even
were able to see the miraculous return of so many of our young children and women
that these sub-animals kidnapped from us. May we soon see the return of the rest
of them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I got to recharge
a bit as well, seeing family that I haven’t seen for so long. Aliza even was
able to come along with me and it was very meaningful for both of us. We were
able to visit her sister Yehudis’s grave for the first time, who is buried
right next to my father and grandparents as well, where we were able to daven.
That’s our <i>mekomos hakedoshim</i> holy place that we visit when we go to
America. That and all the great kosher shopping and restaurants of course. We
were in New York and LA primarily. A coast to coast trip. It was a week, and it
was enough. I wanted to come home. To be honest, I wanted to bring everyone
there with me home as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It was different this
time going back to the “alteh heim”. The truth is every time I’ve gone back in
the past 13 years since I’ve been here has been an evolution of emotion for me.
In the beginning there was a sense of nostalgia, of getting some of the stuff we
couldn’t get here and enjoying the visit back. From there it went to a sense
that America was really not my home, and an amazement at how I never noticed
how many goyim there were that lived there before. The next trip had me realize
how artificial much of my Jewish experiences felt like over there. My Shabbos
wasn’t a real Shabbos, my davening wasn’t a real davening, even my Torah
learning, the tzedakah I gave, the rituals I preformed, it just felt very “Splenda”.
Tastes like sugar, but just something not real about it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But as the years continued,
I felt more and more disconnected from America to the point where whenever I
went back I just felt <i>tamey</i>- contaminated. It was like I left the Holy
of Holies, like I left Yom Kippur, like I left Shabbos and was just thrown into
a cesspool of tumah, of death, of <i>sheratzim</i>. I returned to Israel and
just wanted to go to the mikva. Like I needed to go. It was like after you walk
out of a cemetery and you want to wash your hands afterwards. You just want it all
off of you. To be honest, since my surgery even the great food and eateries there-
which don’t get me wrong are truly unparalleled to anything here- are not a
draw for me. I can only eat a few bites and I’m full. It’s not like before when
I can spend hours gorging myself on all of the delicacies they have there (emphasis
on the word deli). And for a few bites, that my stomach could handle…it’s just
not worth it and I really don’t have much excitement even about going back. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet, this time was
an entirely different level. It was the first time that I’ve been back to
America where I was a bit frightened. We were in Passaic and Aliza didn’t even
want to get out of the car downtown by Main street there because she was scared
that someone would be beat her up. Why she wasn’t nervous that they would beat
me up whom she sent out to do her errand was a bit confusing- but OK… It’s not
like we actually experienced any antisemitism when we were there. We didn’t. In
fact most of the goyim that I shmoozed with were quite friendly and even
sympathetic. Yet there was a pervasive sense that I got from watching the News,
listening to the Radio, checking out the papers and even the way many of the
Jews that I met and talked were acting, that the Medina shel Chesed ain’t what
it used to be. That perhaps the sand is almost at the bottom of the hourglass
on the limited time we usually have in a host country before the tide turns.
Before the end comes. Before we have to start packing and moving and making
sure our passports are updated. Yeah… that’s what it felt like and it wasn’t a
good feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet, at the end of
the day I was getting on a plane and coming home. I would return to a perhaps
war torn country that was facing a resumption of missiles, of sleepless nights
going to sleep and dreading to read about the soldiers that may have not made
it through the night as I had been doing for the month before I went to the
States. But it was home. It was where I was supposed to be. It was my family in
my house. My “family” being my fellow landsman and my “home” being the land
where the Torah Hashem tells us He watches 24/7 from the beginning until the
end of the year. My thoughts, fears and prayers were for the ones that weren’t
getting on that plane. For the 6 million that are left behind in America. 6
million….<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As I sat on the
plane and opened up my chumash with thoughts running through my mind, this week’s
parsha of Yaakov’s return to Eretz Yisrael took on a whole new meaning. It shed
light on everything that this journey that all of us are taking to come home
like never before. It’s a parsha of the return from galus. It’s our encounter with
Esau and his angels, his almost miraculous and anomalous loving embrace of us
and our sages insight into that. It’s a story about what we undergo when we
return. The kidnapping of our daughter, our sisters, their defilement by humans
with animal names- Chamor being the first person in the Torah to be named for
an animal, a donkey and his son Shechem. It’s us going to war. It’s Yaakov’s
fear of the world outcry. It’s Kever Rachel mourning for her children.
Binyamin, the child- like so many in Israel that comes into a world orphaned,
without a mother, without a father, in a world of hate that would be destined
for exile. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s conclusion is ultimately
Esau leaving our land and the so many kings and fearful leaders and despots
that stand against us. Torah reading each Shabbos has never been more real,
than it has been since we started the cycle this past Simchas Torah. <i>Ba’yamim
ha’heim ba’zman ha’zeh</i> has never been more on target as we get closer and
closer to holiday of miracles next week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There’s no time to
go through it all though. That will have to be your homework this Shabbos. I’ll
share with you though one pervasive thought though that to me is incredible. It
is Yaakov’s approach to Esau. Our sages tell us that there are two major powers
amongst the nations. There is Yishmael- which is the Arab nations and there is
Esau which they always have seen as being the Western non-muslim world and we’ve
spoken about that the past few weeks. Whereas Yishmael is compared by the Torah
to a donkey- by Avraham by the Akeida where he tells him to stay behind with
donkey, Esau is an oxe- he is the one that has thrown off his yoke. He is brute
force. The Gaon of Vilna tells us that the essence of the prohibition to plow a
donkey and oxe together is that the combination of these two nations can
unleash a union that threatens to destroy us. It is why Esau after losing the
blessings goes and marries the daughter of Yishmael. And it is the message that
Yaakov sends to Esau with his gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>Vayehi li shor
v’chamor</i>- I have an ox and donkey. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The midrash sees
this description as referencing Yaakov’s later blessing to two of his children
where he compares them to these animals. Yosef is compared to an ox and the
donkey is Yisachar the tribe who studies Torah. Yaakov is telling Esau- I have
the power to fight against you. We’re coming home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet Yaakov is
fearful. According to some of the commentaries his fear came from the fact that
Esau had more merit than him. Some say it is the honoring of his father that
Yaakov missed out on for all these years, others that Yaakov who although kept
all of the mitzvos in chutz la’aretz but was still missing the mitzva of
settling and fulfilling them in the land of Israel, the place he was supposed
to. The place that Esau was living in. Perhaps Esau had a greater appreciation
for Eretz Yisrael than he did. Perhaps the Christians and all of the nations of
the world understand better than we do where we’re supposed to be living and
where we’re not supposed to be living. And they make the ghetto smaller and
smaller until we get it. Esau’s job is to remind us of our lack of the mitzva
of settling the land. To make us feel small until we get it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yaakov though
prepares for his return with a multi-faceted approach. He tries to garner Esau’s
support. Diplomacy, bribes, moral arguments, a recounting of the horrors of his
exile by Lavan, by Hitler. He doesn’t claim to Esau that he wants the land because
this is a fulfilment of the blessing, because this is our birthright, because Hashem
wants us to fulfill our Divine mandate and we can only do it from here. We just
want to come back because we need a place to live where we won’t be persecuted
anymore, where we can raise our sheep, where we can develop our hi-tech, where
we can flourish and not get killed, persecuted, kidnapped. And yes even where
we can worship. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">At the same time Yaakov
is prepared for war. He will raise an army. He will have angels martialed with
tzav shmona draft forms ready to start blowing things us. The Merkava tanks he
has are those angels from the Maaseh Merkava- the chariot of Hashem. Esau, has
to see we will fight for our land. We will even fight him for our land. There
may only be 12 of us against 400 of them, but hey, we’re all in. We don’t have
anyplace else to go- as Golda told Henry Kissinger. It’s our secret weapon.
Esau has to know that we’re not asking permission. We’re locked and loaded. We’re
ready to give our lives for the cause. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Finally, Yaakov
davens. He prays like never before. He asks Hashem that he be worthy of the
blessing, of the land, of the kindness and grace. He asks Hashem to save him
from the hand of Esau. Esau who at one time can be his brother, yet at the next
time can be the murderous enemy that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai tells us has a
known Halachic status and assumption always hates us. Yaakov asks Hashem to
save us from both of these Esau’s the friendly embracing one is perhaps even
the greater threat to our nationhood and family as history has taught us that we
have lost far more Jews to the assimilation and warm welcoming embrace and hugs
of Esau than from the sword and Gas Chambers that he destroys us with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">With those prayers
and preparatory actions Yaakov is ready. The party is ready to begin. He
crosses the river, yet fascinatingly enough it seems he can’t leave. He can’t
come home. He left some stuff behind. <i>Pachim ketanim</i>- small vessels, <i>klaynehkeit,</i>
those really good little paper coffee cups that have a cardboard belt around
the middle so that you don’t burn your hands and that have covers that actually
close, so the coffee doesn’t spill on your white shirt when you drink from them.
You know the ones that you can’t get over here. My wife actually brought a few
back with us. They were free by the Rechnitz wedding </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="color: black;">. So Yaakov goes back for them. He just can’t leave. He sent
his kids and wives up ahead to make Aliyah, but he still had his place in
Century Village…. Ok I’m getting carried away…sorry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But what happens
when goes back? It’s there that he must struggle with that angel of Esau. It’s
the battle that wounds him. It’s that last fight that he has to go through in <i>chutz
la’aretz</i>, the last epiphany that he needs before he can come and take his
role as the First-born. Before he can start to deal with the rapists,
kidnappers, terrorists and donkeys that are in the land. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Va’yivaser Ya’akov
livado</span></i><span style="color: black;">- Yaakov has to realize that he’s
all alone. That there’s no one that will ultimately be there for him. They may
say that we’re standing shoulder to shoulder- which in Hebrew is the word Shechem,
fascinatingly enough. Yet, the true Shechem is with Chamor the donkey that is
Yishmael. They are his children. They are his partners. They will try to
negotiate a more peaceful co-existence- “<i>ki’ilu-</i> as if”, like they say
over here, all the while Dina, our daughter and sister is still sitting in
their tunnels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The end of that
battle with that angel. The conclusion of the struggle with Esau that appears
like an angel sometimes, like a brother, is for Yaakov to get the blessing from
him and recognition that he is in fact Yisrael. Our identity will not be the
one that is grabbing onto the heel of Esau of anymore. That we are waiting to
see if he will step on us or not. That we see ourselves as needing to hold and
take our steps where he wants us to go as we grab onto his shoelaces. We are
Yisrael. We are the children of Israel. We are sarim- princes. We are princes
of Hashem. We will lead. We will be their light. When Esau sees that, then his
name as Penu-el-being turned to Hashem will be revealed. Then we can come home
and do what we’re supposed to. Then they will all follow us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">One last
fascinating thought. Shimon and Levi’s strategy to liberate Dina is one where
they circumcise the entire city thus weakening them. I remember hearing once
that the reason for that was because they were also, as Yaakov was, concerned
that the rest of the world might be outraged and join the battle to Free
Shechem and Palestine from the hands of the occupying Jews. They figured though
if they circumcise them, then the world won’t care about them. The world woll
assume that they’ve also converted and are just dead Jews and no one will ever
care or stand up for them. It’s just spilled Jewish blood. It doesn’t matter.
We’re <i>livado</i>. Alone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">What makes this
even more interesting is that the city of Shechem is ultimately given to Yosef
as his portion. Yosef who we said is compared to an ox. Yosef, the ox, is given
the city of Chamor- the donkey. Yosef, who ulimatly as well is kidnapped, by
his own brothers. Yosef who is sold down to Egypt by Yishmaelim, Yosef who ultimately
sends donkeys down to his father to bring him up to Egypt, who circumcises the entire
Egypt. Yosef, who is brought down with his brothers back to Israel when they
leave Egypt on donkeys laden with all of the booty. Yosef who is buried in
Shechem our first stop when we come into the land. The kidnapped child has come
home. He has brought all of the sparks of exile of Egypt with him. There is
nothing left and the first commonwealth and the Temple of Dovid and Shlomo are
on the way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">We are told that
there are two Mashiachs. The first stage is Mashiach Ben Yosef. That ox. That kidnapped
child that must return. That force and leadership that can provide for all of
the other brother. That can take a famine and turn it into plenty. That can
take a desert and wasteland and make it flourish. And then there is Mashiach
Ben David- who will be riding on a donkey. On a Chamor. He will unite our
nation spiritually. He will bring us all to Hashem. He will do that while
riding that donkey, like nobody ever did before. It is the donkey that Avraham
took to the Akeida. It’s the donkey that saw all of the sacrifice and martyrs.
It is the one that Moshe rode down to Egypt to take us out the first time. And
it is the one that that will herald in the day that we are all waiting for. The
day when we will no longer be alone. When the entire world will become one with
us and with Hashem. The time is now. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have peaceful soulful Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Es
lacht zikh alain un es vaint zikh alain.” </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">One laughs alone and weeps alone.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">16.The
Bahai is an offshoot of the Islamic ___________ current.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">In
which mosque in Israel, can the translations of the Quran into different
languages be found?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">A. The
Great Mosque in Ramla<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">B. The
Al Jazzar Mosque in Acre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">C. The
Al-Nuzha Mosque in Jaffa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;">D. The
Ahmadi Mosque in Haifa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/al-hanissim"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/al-hanissim</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Start Getting into the Chanuka Mode with
my Al Ha’Nissim composition thank you Dovid Lowy for vocals and arrangements</span></i></b><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxmKBmPfRI"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxmKBmPfRI</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>Gorgeous
Bentzi Kletzkin and Choir <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TNkVPmNs4"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TNkVPmNs4</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>
Moshe Klein Tachzor Ha’Bayta<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuqYrHZzov8"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuqYrHZzov8</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Can’t get enough of this song Ata Zocher-
MBD and Kempeh (Ribo does it better though..)</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkyLkXGM6g"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkyLkXGM6g</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- Just found this golden oldie redone “On
Simchas Torah” amazing lyrics</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION
OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A “Small” Wayfarers Prayer </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He was facing an enemy that had
sworn to kill him. Esau was on the way with a murderous army of 400 terrorists
coming to wipe him out. So like every good Jew Yaakov davens. This prayer that
Yaakov prays becomes the one of the most powerful prayers that in fact turns
the tide and Esau and him part from one another like the brothers that they
really were. It’s the tefilla that worked. The Talmud tells us that the great
Tanna Rebbi would study this parsha before he went out to meet with the
Non-Jewish Roman emperors and powers that he dealt with. In fact many of our
sages teach us that the recitation of this parsha is a s<i>egula</i>/ a good
omen to recite each Motzai Shabbos and certainly when one is traveling and
interacting with non-Jews. It works! Now we just have to reveal what the secret
it contains is.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yaakov introduces his prayer to Hashem as the God of
his fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak. The God who told me to go down and that
promised would be with me and the God that told me it was time time to go home
for my own good. Now at that point one would think the next statement would be </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Well, look at me… I’m doing what you told me to. I’m
following Your will. Please protect me… Save me… rescue me… After-all it’ only
because of You that I’m here in the first place.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Perhaps one could even be a bit cynical. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“C’mon Hashem You told me that You would be with me
in Lavan’s house and to be quite honest it really wasn’t what I expected. I
watched sheep day and night, I worked like a dog. I had to fight to get my
wives, my children. I was getting ripped off every second. I had to ultimately
flee and he came running after me. So that really wasn’t so great… Do you think
you can do better this time around?”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yet remarkably Yaakov has the opposite approach. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Katonti mikol ha’chasadim u’mikol ha’emes</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- I am so small compared to all of
the kindness that You have done for your servant.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I’m not worthy. I don’t deserve anything. I’m
overwhelmed by Your generosity. I’m small. I’m Your servant. That’s the Yaakov
approach. That’s the way that we are supposed to come to Hashem. That’s how our
prayers are answered best. That’s the essence of what prayer is in fact really
about.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Chozeh of Lublin notes that since the time that we
were children we expect that everything is coming to us. We deserve to be fed,
to be healthy, to get married, to make a living, to not get kidnapped and
murdered. We are raised with expectations of the way that we believe life
should work out. The way that we feel for some reason we are entitled for it to
work out. Our job in life is to overcome that misconception. To recognize that
we are small. That all that we have received in life is <i>chesed</i> of Hashem-
undeserved kindness, grace, goodness that if we thought about it would make us
realize how loved and fortunate we must be. How important we must be to Hashem.
How precious our service of Him is. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What is that service? To reveal Hashem in the world.
To connect the entire world to it’s Loving Creator who only wants goodness for
them. To share that dream of the ladder that bridges heaven and earth with all
His Creations. Yet, the only way that can happen is if it’s only about Him. If
it’s only about that mission. If I’m able to minimize myself enough to bring
that out. For as long as I feel that it’s what I deserve. It’s my merit. <i>Tzi
kumt mir</i>- it’s coming to me- as they say in yiddish. Then Hashem’s
benevolence is just “payback”. It’s Him being fair and just perhaps but not
kind and loving. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Chozeh, even takes this a step further in reading
the above verse homiletically. The recognition that “<i>Katonti</i>”- I am
small- is in itself “<i>mikol ha’chasadim</i>”- the greatest kindness and truth
that He Gives us. “<i>Asher asisa es avdecha”</i>- it is what makes us into His
servants. The ability to step back from our preconceived faulty notions and see
the Kindness which is in fact the truth of the way Hashem Loves us and Gives to
us, that door that he opens in our heart is the greatest gift. For it is with
that power and understanding that we can get the most out of our prayer and
connection with Him. It’s the way that we can reveal Him to the world. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Each time that we daven and turn to Hashem, every
venture that we embark upon, every interaction we have with the world needs to
have this idea in the forefront of our mind. It’s not about me. It’s not about
my mission. It’s about Hashem. It’s His presence we are meant to reveal. His
kindness His grace. It’s our <i>tefilas ha’derech</i>. The prayer for all our
walks through the journey of life. It’s the idea that will bring us to His
final destination. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Azarya/ Uziah- the
Warrior King</span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Last week we discussed <b>Azarya</b> (who is
also called in Divrey Ha’yamim as <b>Uziya</b>) who became <b>King of Yehuda</b>
at age 16 and conquered <b>Eilat</b> and the South of <b>Eretz Yisrael</b>.
Yet, the Navi tells us that in fact in his 52-year reign he brought Israel and
its borders to its greatest borders and military might since the times of
Shlomo Ha’Melech. His army- much like the one today numbered over 300,000
soldiers strong. His army- much like today, went into<b> Gaza</b> and conquered
the city of <b>Gat</b> as well as the other <b>Philistine</b> cities, like <b>Ashdod
and Yavne</b> and then made them Jewish fortified cities. As well according to
some opinions besides conquering the South and <b>Negev and Jordan valley</b>
his kingdom went up to <b>Syria </b>in the<b> North</b> as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <b>Yerushalayim </b>he fortified the city
like never before arming it to the teeth with catapults and fortresses. We were
at our peak. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It wasn’t only
militarily that he strengthened the country. Economically as well he created
ports capitalizing on the crossroads that Israel was between<b> Egypt</b> and
the rest of the <b>middle East</b> and <b>Europe</b> for merchandise shipping. Throughout
<b>Yehudah and the Shefela</b> he created agricultural havens with water
cisterns and large vineyards and farms for the cattle and crops. The Navi calls
him a lover of the land and he developed the <b>Carmel range</b> as well in the
North. The country flourished. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even religiously he
followed the ways of Hashem and removed idolatry from the land and returned the
nation to the service of Hashem. His one failing though was that he was not
successful in removing the worship of Hashem on the forbidden temporary altars-
the <i>bamos</i>, that existed previously. He couldn’t get the people to drop
their private “shuls” and gather together to the one place of worship of all of
us; the Bais Ha’Mikdash. That failing led to his eventual downfall and to
arrogance when he decided that with all his success he should do the service in
the Temple as well. We’ll pick up on the sad tragic end of <b>Uziya/ Azarya</b>
next week. </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Permitted
for Publishing- the Terrorist killed by Elor Azaria will not be freed in any
deal with Hamas- neither will any other killed by good citizens…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Near
Future Game Show- “Facts Don’t Matter</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sorry
Arthur, your answer was actually correct, but Paul shouted his opinion louder,
so he gets the the point. And extra bonus point also go to Sue because she was
offended by your answer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gaza
officials confirmed that 5,000 Palestinians died at the US-Canada Border
Explosion.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s
the Middle East Word for Cease fire? Reload.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hudna-
When you are cornered and manage to get your enemy to stop fighting so that you
reload, regroup and reposition to finish him off. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dear
Americans we are so glad that some of you are taking the day off from attacking
Jews for Reclaiming their indigenous homeland to celebrate the holiday
dedicated to the beginning of a colonial conquest of indigenous land. Happy
Thanksgiving!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anti-semitic
incident today that shook me up. A guy told me to shut up. I was wearing a
Kippa, so he knew was I was Jewish. Also I was in shul and it was Torah reading
so he must’ve known I was Jewish…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why
are women so attracted to Daniel Hagari Israels’ Military spokesperson? Because
he’s the only man that bother to update you every day, at a set time, what he
did today, what he plans on doing tomorrow and then answer all of your
questions at the end. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facing
an overwhelming influx of Hamas Martyrs, the virgins in heaven are now calling
for a humanitarian cease fire. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
just two generations we went from being gassed for not being blonde and blue eyed
to bein smeared as blond and blue eyed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Palestinian
Authority warns that Gaza Hospitals are running dangerously low on ammunition.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People
can be taught to Hate and people can be taught to spell but apparently it is
one or the other. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Red
Cross is that kid who contributes nothing to the group project but when it
comes to presenting stands in front and takes all the credit. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israeli
companies are now adding their own “Boycott Israel” stickers to all their
products after learning this only increases sales!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Saying
that hostages were treated well is no different than saying “her husband beats
her but buys her nice jewlery and flowers…”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Never
ask a woman her age, a man his salary, a Muslim what Al Asqa is built on top of…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Looks
like there will be a public menorah lighting in Gaza this year… but not in
London…</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0cm;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">D</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– I got this one
half right surprisingly. I guessed Sunni and the right answer was Shi’ite. Who
cares? Not me… They’re all the same to me and to most of my tourists. Hamas is
Sunni Hezbolla is Shi’ite and what does that do for us? I got the second part
right though- not because I knew or care about the answer. Just because I know
that the Achemedim are the peaceful new wave Arabs so it made sense that they
would have in all languages and I was right! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. And thus the new score being <b>Rabbi
Schwartz at</b> <b>11.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4.5 point</b> on this
latest Ministry of Tourism exam. </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-23476568935469182832023-11-23T20:17:00.000-08:002023-11-23T20:17:40.386-08:00Bring them Home- Parshat Vayeitzei 2023<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights
and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">November 24<sup>th</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 7</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">11<sup>th</sup> of Kisleiv 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayeitzei</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Bring them Home</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">He didn’t think too long about the question, which was
good. I didn’t have a lot of time. I had a flight to catch to America and this
ceremony needed to get moving. I had already cut out most of my speech- which
was painful. But now I just had to move. So when the Kohen asked my son-in-law
whether he wanted his son or the 5 silver coins in his hand to redeem him with,
my Yehuda answered ritualistically and appropriately that he’ll take the kid.
And thus my grandson Shmuel Gedalia was redeemed and we were able to wash, eat
a bagel, and make it to the airport on time. My grandson’s <i>pidyon ha’ben</i>
had taken place. Mazel Tov!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s a strange unique ceremony and I pondered it on my
train ride to the airport especially in light of the times and news and discussion
and painful debates of the day. The <i>mitzva</i> of <i>pidyon shvuyim</i>- the
redemption of hostages, of prisoners, of our two hundred and forty or so
babies, children, young men, women, holocaust survivors, Bubbies and Zaydies-
or perhaps more accurately Sabas and Savtas and chayalim and chayalot from the hands
of these evil Hamas monsters- may their names be blotted and may the all die
horrible painful deaths as Hashem avenges the blood of our innocent, is on all
of our minds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have a lot of good
ideas for the painful deaths that I’ve wished upon these miflatzot- (monster
sounds so much better in Hebrew)- in case anyone was short on them. Stringing
them up by their tails and chopping them up limb by limb as cats and pigs lick
their dripping blood with a big sign on their backsides that says this is what
happens to anyone that spills any blood of any of my sisters and brothers,
being one of the tamer terrorist deterrent methods that’s come to mind. But anyways
I digress. The question that’s racked this country and that has been ripping
all of our hearts to shreds even in its discussion is what should we do, what
can we do, how great of a price must we pay to redeem and get our family back
home again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The question is so painful, because we are all in such
torment. We all feel their loss. Our hearts are ripped open. There is no Jew who
hasn’t lost sleep, who hasn’t called up their own loved ones and hugged their
own children or parents a little longer, who hasn’t had that nightmare or grappled
with the pain of what if this was my_______. And there is none of us that won’t
admit that if we were in that position there would be no price that would be too
great to get our loved ones out of the hands of these baby burning, children
shooting, rapist demons. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet, as well we know that every prisoner we release may and
most likely will come back to kill us and wreak even more terror. The head of
Hamas himself, who was the evil behind this latest massacre, was released in a
prisoner exchange. Studies that have been documented show that thousands- not
hundreds, but thousands of terror attacks were caused by released prisoners from
previous hostage deals. Hundreds of Israeli have been killed by these repeat terrorists
whom we have put back on the streets, and that’s not counting the most recent Simchas
Torah massacre. Is that a price that we can pay? Should pay? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As well, even if we want to turn our eyes away from that
likely reality, a cease fire in of itself at a time like this, when our
soldiers are there on the ground, when the likelihood that Hamas will regroup
somewhat, will get more power, will feel invigorated and empowered and perhaps
even gain more world antisemitic world support that will try to prevent us from
eradicating this evil. That will make that clock tick faster on the limited
time the world and perhaps even the US will “allow” us to pursue this goal of
destroying them and all of our enemies. This as well endangers and puts at
great risk and will more likely cause the deaths of more and more soldiers making
their jobs that much more fatal. More funerals. More shiva calls. More families
that will have an empty place at their Shabbos table, in their hearts, in their
lives. More generations wiped out that these young men and women would’ve brought
to the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet, who can not look at those faces and pure eyes on those
posters, cannot listen to the pain and tears of the bereaved pleading families and
not be moved to do anything to bring them home? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only an animal and antisemite- of which we’re
learning that there are more and more of them and they are all around us. So
what do we do? Do we want to redeem our son or do we want the 5 coins is an
easy quick answerable question. This one though is so painful, I don’t believe
there is a right answer. Certainly not one that I can sleep with the night
after. And perhaps whoever makes that decision shouldn’t as well. What does
Hashem want from us? Is the even harder question. What does he want us to do? I
think the only answer to that question and to all of the questions that this has
brought up is that he doesn’t want us to sleep. We’ve slept for too long.
Bedtime is over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Yet, as we do every week during this incredible period, one
needs only to look to the weekly Torah portion and at least be amazed at how
much of what we’re dealing with is there for us to delve into and to uncover.
This week’s parsha of Vayeitzei, the story of the journey of Yaakov into Galus and
the founding of the first entirely Jewish family of the 12 tribes of Israel is one
that really at its start is one that has its roots as a stranger in a hostile foreign
environment, with evil murdering liars that want only to destroy us. Hello,
Uncle Lavan. From the get-go he takes away Yaakov’s beloved Rachel from him and
replaces her with Leah. Yaakov has to “redeem” his wife by working another 7
years for her. It’s the good old last minute hostage switch. Even after that,
he doesn’t want Yaakov to leave. He’s trying to keep him there. He wants him to
keep working. He doesn’t want to let him return to Israel. He keeps him busy
with sheep, goats, real estate deals, nursing homes, mortgage brokering, nice
houses, fancy shuls. Whatever it takes to keep the Jew in <i>galus</i>. And it
works for a very long time. It still does. Until Yaakov gets his wake-up call.
And redeems everything. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>Tena es nashai v’es yeladai-</i> give me my women and
children”- he cries out in this week’s parsha and its eternal call echoes still
to us today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Even the birth of every one of the tribes comes with a
price. Leah is “hated” and only marries Yaakov with trickery. Rachel is barren.
They each have to give their maid-servants to be joint wives with Yaakov. There’s
<i>duda’im</i> flowers that have to be exchanged. The Jewish family comes into
existence with a price. A question. How much would you pay for a child? How
much would you pray for one? What would you give? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">That question, that price, for our existence though really
becomes the fundamental question of our nation that will proceed with us for
the rest of the Book. What will we do to get Dinah, back from the terrorist in
Shechem? Will we hide our children in boxes to prevent Esau from taking them?
In bomb shelters? In <i>migunits</i>? Will we sell Yosef? Will we give up one
brother to save another? To save the other 12? To save the future of the Jewish
people when we perceive one of us to be a threat? What will we do and how far
will we got to get back him back after we realize how precious he is to us?
Will we all go into slavery? Will we hand over our innocent youngest brother,
Binyamin? What do you want Yehuda?- The money or the child? Your Olam Haba or
Binyamin? It’s one big story of <i>pidyon haben</i>. Of <i>pidyon shvuyim.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And yet the story continues and it was even foretold to
Avraham that it would be this way. We all become <i>shvuyim</i> in Egypt. We
are all prisoners. Hostages. Captives. The story that was our birth as a family,
becomes the story of our birth as a nation. Hashem redeems us. He cuts the
ultimate deal. He kills their first-borns and from that moment on every Jewish family’s
first-born boy will remember that is how a Jewish family is born. By redeeming
the first-born of their family. They are holy to Hashem. They are meant to be His
representatives here to remind us and connect us to him. The Matza we eat on Pesach,
the four cups, the story is not enough. We need every Jewish family to
recognize that when their first-born son is born- he has a role to play. The
role is that first question that he will cause us to ask of ourselves. Do we
want to redeem the birthright? Are we willing to pay the price to be that
family of Israel. That will be the first-born nation of Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">{By the way, it’s fascinating that the role of the bechor
was taken over and given to the Kohen who answered that call and picked up swords
and went to fight against even our own brothers that threatened that
birthright. That threatened our entire right to existence. It is to them that
Hashem granted the kedushas bechor. The first-born only gets that back when he
goes to the Kohen and tells him and recognizes that he wants that role back and
he will do anything that is necessary to restore. He will give it all up for
Hashem. To return us.}<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Why is it this way? Why did Hashem make it that our birthright
has to be redeemed? Why did Yaakov have to steal it and work for it to get it
from Esau. Why did Yitzchak have to sacrifice himself to get it and prove himself
so that Yishmael wouldn’t be the one. That Avraham would have to take Hagar as
a wife and even bear a Yishmael and then painfully throw him out? That he would
have to suffer with having his wife Sarah kidnapped by Pharaoh. Why? Why? Why?
Why is this birthright and chosen people status have to be so intertwined with redemption?
With struggle. With pain. With hard painful choices. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The answer our sages tell us is because the job of the
birthright is in fact to redeem the entire world. To bring the world to teshuva.
To return them to the Father that we have been captured and distanced from in a
dark dangerous place. The word for captive, for hostage, for prisoner is <i>shevi</i>.
It’s the same root as <i>teshuva</i>. Since the sin of the Adam and Chava and the
snake in garden we have been taken out of Gan Eden where we once walked
together with our Father. The sparks of holiness are spread all over the world.
They are captured in what the mystics called<i> kelipos</i>. They are hidden in
tunnels under hospitals in Gaza. In Spain. In Rome. In America. Our job is to
redeem those shvuyim. Those sparks. Those lights. We need to bring them home. To
liberate those sparks. In order to bring them home we need to be acutely aware
of the pain of that Father. That parent that longs for His children. For all of
His children. For the light that was once in His House. In His world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The only one that could do that is that<i> bechor</i>- that
chosen one who himself was redeemed. Who was born in exile. Born in that evil
and that experienced the joy and jubilation of the return. Someone who sips Frappuccinos
and sits in Universities and listens to lectures all day and are coddled and “protected”
and “affirmative actioned” and that click all day on Tik Tok and Insta will
never really get it. Someone that sits in the Bais Midrash all day (<i>l’havdil</i>)
and whose Torah learning is disconnected from the pain of their brothers and
sisters and their distance from their Father, those <i>tinokos she’nishbu</i>-
the captive children who never had a chance to understand how rich and special
and holy their legacy and job is, are just as guilty. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Someone who can go on with his and her life and their day-to-day
“yiddishkeit” when there is so so much pain and turmoil when hundreds of
thousands of families are incomplete, as they are refugees in their own country,
they have sons, daughters, husbands, fathers that are serving in Gaza and who
knows when and if they will come back, is not a <i>bechor</i>. He hasn’t understood
that our job is to be redeemers. That our job as a Jewish family is to do what
it takes to get our boys back. To bring the world back. To bring them ALL home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Our parsha ends off with Yaakov finally leaving exile and
returning to Israel. He has redeemed all of the <i>tzon </i>of Lavan- all those
precious Jewish sheep that were “captured” by the lying forces of evil- that
paint themselves white and that are the predecessors of all those that captured
us. There are angels that escort him back, just as there were angels that brought
him down. They are the angels of Gan Eden waiting outside to welcome us back
into the Garden. May this week as well be the one that bring us all Home. We
all have a flight to catch…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have holy hartzigeh Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Di gantseh velt iz ain ganev..”–</span></i></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The whole world
is one thief.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">15.The
settlement named "Em Hakvutzot" (first of the kvutzot) is
___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Which of the
following settlements is a Moshav?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. Rosh Pina<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Alonei Abba<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Nahalal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. Yodfat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyEqil-MfVE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyEqil-MfVE</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>Simcha Leiner’s latest song Ki Ata
Imadi<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2laYXcBdU&list=RD6y2laYXcBdU&start_radio=1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2laYXcBdU&list=RD6y2laYXcBdU&start_radio=1</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> Koololum amazing Like a Prayer “Bring
em home edition<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K1Kh13L1K8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K1Kh13L1K8</a>
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>The original Tzli V’Zemer Shmor aleinu
KiYeladim with Zohar for us old timers…</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTcsBfy3G3w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTcsBfy3G3w</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
mind-blowing Sounds of Sirens Swords of Barzel war edition must listen…</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSCHdRMHxiw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSCHdRMHxiw</a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Shwekey and Baruch Levine Refuah Shleima and Chasof at Zaka concert<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Mariv and Mashiach </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We’re up to the third of our Patriarchs and the last
of our three daily prayers being established; the evening prayer of Mariv. The
parsha tells us of this prayer as Yaakov runs away from his brother Esau. He is
the first Jew to enter into an elongated Galus. As he leaves the Midrash tells
us that he passed over the place of the Beit HaMikdash and realizes that he
didn’t pray there and thus he returns. On his way back it gets dark outside, he
gets tired- not sleeping over 14 years while studying in the house of Shem and
Ever can do that to you. He puts his head down and the Torah tells us that
Hashem brought the mountain to him. Eretz Yisrael folded up underneath his
head, and low and behold he was resting his head in the place of the Temple.
There he sees the vision and dream of the angels going up and down. There is
where he davens that first Mariv.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rav Charlap in his incredible work sees in this prayer and the
miracle of Hashem bringing the mountain to him the essence and secret of this
prayer, of all our prayers in fact and the secret of our redemption. He notes
that Yaakov’s longing when he went into Galus was obviously what all Jews
feelings are. They are of longing to come back. For the galus to be over. For
the Bait Ha’Mikdash. He returns to Eretz Yisrael <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>even before actually leaving and his thoughts
are on the Bais Hamikdash. That’s the first Mariv. It’s a prayer that starts
off with the recognition of Hashem in the dark, when it’s not light, when
things seem bleak. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The first blessing is that even in this darkness we see Hashem as
the Kel Chai V’Kayam- the Eternal King that rules over us. The second is that
we feel Hashem’s love for us in this dark period even more than in the morning
when we say ahava rabba- a great love. By night we say ahavas olam and eternal
love. We recite the Shema and then we focus on our redemption. On our return.
On the Bait Ha’Mikdash. It’s where all our prayers are meant to take us to. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When we do that, Rav Charlap writes, when all of our hearts and
prayers are focused on that makom, that place where heaven meets earth and
where the shechina comes down from. Then Hashem will bring the Mountain to us.
He will return the Bait Ha’Mikdash. He will bring us home. Va’Yifga Ba’Makom-
all of our prayers have to be about getting to that place. That’s where the
gate of heaven is and that is the day we are waiting for. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eilat- 600 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Today the city of<b> Eilat </b>is swamped with refugees from the <b>Gaza</b>
border settlements and from families from the <b>North of Israel</b> that had
to leave their homes from the attacks of <b>Hezbollah </b>and fear of
incursions. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard tourists say to me that <b>Eilat</b>
is really not part of Israel. They think it’s a “Zionist” modern city. <b>Israel</b>’s
“Miami beach”. It’s not a holy city. So, let’s slow down a bit and talk about this
city, which we’re up to in our Navi study that was conquered by the <b>king of
Yehudah</b> that followed <b>Amatzia</b>, who we learned last week was
assassinated in <b>Lachish</b> by servants of his who were upset that he went
to war against the North and had their children taken hostage as a result of
that. Already while<b> Amatzia</b> was still living and hiding in <b>Lachish</b>
his 16 year old son <b>Azaria</b> was anointed King. The time that he ruled
until when ultimately <b>Amatzia </b>was killed is a subject of dispute, yet it
seems that <b>Azaria</b>’s kingdom lasted 52 years which is quite long. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The major and singular accomplishment mentioned
over the reign of <b>Azaria</b> is his conquest of<b> Eilat</b> and the
expansion of the <b>Kingdom of Yehudah</b> down south to the <b>Red Sea</b>. By
the way why is it called the <b>Red Sea</b>? The reason is because it was in
the land of <b>Edom</b> which means red. I’ll bet you didn’t know that… See,
there’s always a parsha connection in this column. <b>Edom</b> of course is <b>Esau</b>.
Now it is true that <b>Eilat</b> is not in the biblical borders of <b>Israel</b>
and thus it is not subject to the laws that are dependent on the biblical
borders such as shemitta and terumos and maasros according to many of the
halachic authorities. As well it is even a subject of debate whether it should
even have two days of Yom Tov as they do in Chutz L’Aretz although the
overwhelming consensus is that they celebrate only one day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet, there seems to be overwhelming opinion that
the laws of settling the land of Israel is a separate mitzva from the laws of
the sanctity of the land. And thus since <b>Eilat</b> is certainly within the
borders that were promised to <b>Avraham</b>, and that seemingly not only that
he “walked through”, but was even conquered by <b>King David and Shlomo</b> and
settled during the <b>first Temple period</b>, as well we see that <b>Azaria</b>
conquers and again later settles the area and even fortifies it tells us that
in regards to Yishuv Eretz Yisrael this certainly is a fulfillment of the
mitzva. The Tzitz Eliezer rules this way as do many others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are certainly even many opinions that
view a battle by the <b>Kings of Israel</b> historically and as well by an army
of Israel even in modern times on behalf of strengthening Eretz Yisrael as well
is part of the mitzva. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So as you see <b>Eilat</b> besides being one of
the most beautiful parts of Eretz Yisrael is one of the 10 nations that
originally Hashem promised to Avraham that we would ultimately inherit. Those
days are here as we once again return to our borders. The ones in Gaza as well
as the other three nations we were meant to inherit on the other side of <b>Jordan,
up to Syria and Damascus</b> and even up in <b>Lebanon</b>. The time for the
fulfilment of that promise is here. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of Course the Jews
agreed to a 4 day cease fire pause that just so happens to coincide with black
Friday and Cyber Monday…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Incredible that Hamas
can immediately locate and count 10,000 dead civilians but can’t find 25% of
the children they abducted 45 days ago.m</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If “Queers for
Palestine were in Palestine their pronouns would be </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Was/ were</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– So I’m going to
count this on as right because I think that they messed up the question. The
first part was easy. Degania just south of Tiverya is of course the first and
oldest Kibbbutz in the world That was easy. The second part though was a bit
tricky. See I knew that Nahalal was a Moshav and thus I got that right. The
problem was thought Yodefat is as well. And the question really asked for which
of the following which could be understood as a singular question. They really
should’ve asked plural form which would be eizeh instead of mi which It does in
Hebrew. But there are really two correct answers her. So I’ll count it as
right. And thus the new score being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>11 point</b> <b>and
the MOT having 4 point</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;"> <b><i>Insights
& Information </i>is sent to e-mail addresses that of have been
submitted to the Rabbi Schwartz. To unsubscribe at any time, I send an e-mail
to </b></span><a href="mailto:rabbschwartz@yahoo.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black;">rabbschwartz@yahoo.com</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"> with the words "unsubscribe
insights" in the Subject line and/or the first line of text. If you know
of anyone that may be interested in receiving this newsletter feel free to pass
this on to them...</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-27544646728997097422023-11-16T14:12:00.000-08:002023-11-16T14:12:49.844-08:00Downs and Ups- Parshat Toldos 5784 2023<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">November 17<sup>th</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 6</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">4<sup>th</sup> of Kisleiv 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Toldos</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">Downs and Ups</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I’m not a roller coaster type person. It’s not that I’m
scared of them. I’ve grown up a bit since my father took me on Space Mountain
when I was 8 years old and made them stop the ride in the middle because I
thought I was having a heart attack. I’m pretty confident that I’m not going to
die if I go on one. I just don’t enjoy even the thrill of the slight chance
that it might happen. Which to be honest, I’m not sure why anyone really does. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Life is good. I don’t feel the need to escape from it. I
don’t like to think about the fact that it might not always be here. The “it”
being me. See… I don’t even like to say it or write it… I like things to keep
going the way they are. Slight improvements or small ups and downs are good-
even exciting at some points. But I don’t need to go up slowly in a small open-air
car on a tiny track to the top of an insanely twisted railroad track with crazy
drops, again and again to get a high out of life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s one of the reasons why this month has been particularly
challenging for me. Because as much as I don’t like amusement park roller
coasters- that pales as to what I feel about emotional roller coasters. Being
married to a woman who was pregnant multiple times was more than traumatic
enough for me. I like to be happy-always. Funn- always. Inspired-always. I can
deal with a small drops here and there, but really I like the steady heartbeat.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I don’t know how women do it to be frank. Those highs,
those lows, those hormonal emotional ups and downs that they have to go
through. I never appreciated the bracha I made each day of <i>shelo asani isha</i>-
until I married one. Until I got to know one really well, that wasn’t my mother
or sister. Since then, I thank Hashem every day that I don’t have to go through
those emotional swings. I can just be happy, inspired Rabbi Schwartz. Until this
past month… When everything changed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">No, I’m not pregnant. I’m not even fat- although without
tour guiding as I sit on the couch and am not out there running and hiking
around Israel a few pounds have come back. But I renewed my gym membership. Yeah...
it’s Corona-take-II, for tour guides. So, no I’m not carrying a baby around
growing in my belly. But it kind of feels that I have the weight of the world
on my shoulders. On all of our shoulders. And the emotional swings of this party
are not doing me well at all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The first three days were shock, grief and even fear. How
can this happen? Where is this going? Where is everyone? The Army…the police…Hashem?
Is this for real? After that there was anger, rage, betrayal and fury. The focus
of course wasn’t just on the Hamas, although the horror and real vengeful, destroy-Amalek
sentiment that I can say I never honestly felt before against an entire nation
men women children babies…all of them was a new emotion for me. Rather it was
against our government or lack thereof here. How could they have let this
happened. How could they be so blinded. How could they continue to abandon their
citizens? Why are they not doing more? Where are they? What are they? It was
horrible. And to a large degree it still is. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And then there were the tears. The non-stop flow of tears
that just keep coming at random moments. I’m still glued to the news- for
better and for worse. And it doesn’t stop and perhaps it shouldn’t. Families of
hostages, of soldiers that have fallen, of so so many that went through the
Holocaust of October 7<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup>…. Listening
to the constant barrage of tears of the 150,000 people that are refugees in our
own country and can’t go home and don’t even know when or if they will return. Children
who miss their homes, their friends, Businesses shutting down one after
another, farmers who after Shemitta and the post-shemitta year are now seeing
their fields and crops going to pot. The pain is so great, so deep, so endless.
And so so personal. It is so dark. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And yet the roller coaster has ups. Incredible ups and
slopes and tracks that we are climbing to heights never before. The Achdus/
Unity is insane. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love of one jew to
another, the disappearance of any hatred, any enmity any resentment or
holier-than-thou ism that we suffered and divided us for so long. The not-normal
revelation of Hashem in the world. In our world. In our soldiers, in the so
many keeping Shabbos, wearing tefillin, tzitzis in the unparalleled chesed in
the history of Klal Yisrael. In Egypt the Torah tells us “<i>Ein bayis asher ein
sham meis-</i> there was no house that didn’t have a dead body. Well today
there is no Jewish home anywhere in the world that not only doesn’t feel that they
have lost someone, but that hasn’t done something whether it is to donate, to bake
something, to take food, supplies, to daven, to learn, to comfort, to cry, to
march, to post- there isn’t a Jew that hasn’t connected to do this and revealed
the oneness of our nation and our God and it is inspiring. It’s mind-blowing.
It’s as high as it gets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There have been moments of pride. Proud of our soldiers,
proud of our citizens, of our family. There are lots of funny laughing moments
and fantastic memes and jokes and humor that we always seem to find in these situations.
There’s lots of singing, of new songs, of concerts, of inspiration. Manny
Matara- Sha- Gerrrr and Eretz Nehederet spoofs. There have been moments of
unreal joy- and that’s not just for the Bris of my grandson a few weeks ago and
his upcoming pidyon haben this week- but when miracles took place, when we
returned to our homeland, when that hostage was rescued-that was out of the
park! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There are those tear-jerking moments, the so so many Army
base weddings taking place, the proposals, the births and the bar mitzvas. Those
video clips of the soldiers coming home to their children, to their parents
with that song they keep playing again and again. As I said, it’s been a roller
coaster of emotions. Are you feeling pregnant just reading this? It’s like we
woke up the day after Simchas Torah on emotional steroids. The ups and downs
keep coming. But yet the month of light in the darkness, of miracles and of
salvations is here. The ride is getting closer to the end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As we enter this month we open up the chumash as we do
every week and look for today’s message to me. Oh and for you too… We’ve finally
reached the point of the birth of the third and last of our Patriarchs Yaakov; the
father of the 12 tribes from whom we descend. As well we get his brother our
Uncle Esau, who pretty much by the end of the parsha resolves to kill us. And
he’s still trying to. We also have the final stories of the life of Yitzchak vs
the Philistines in Gerar, non-coincidentally located in Gaza. His wife is taken
from him. He’s subject to severe antisemitism. He even calls the well that he
dug and that they fought with him over Sitna- hatred. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s actually fascinating if you read the text. The first
well he dug, it says he called Iska- contention, because they fought with him over
it. The third well which they didn’t fight with him over, he called Rechovot-
as Hashem has widened our place and made us fruitful in the land. Yet that
middle one which he called Sitna- hatred, it doesn’t say why he called it that.
The answer I’ve seen given is because as opposed to the first well where he fell
under the “<i>contzeptzia</i>” that they were fighting over land, over wells,
over water, over whatever… When they continued to fight with him even after he
gave it to them, he understood that the whole time it was all about hate. Hate
doesn’t have a reason. They’re just hateful, spiteful, Philistine animals that
can’t tolerate the Jew in our land. It’s not necessary to give a reason for it.
It’s self-understood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But that’s not what my E-Mail is about this week. That’s
just a bonus. The moment that really stood out for me is the roller-coaster
ride at the end of the Parsha. Here we have Yitzchak getting ready to pass his
blessing down to his son. This is not just a <i>bracha</i>- this moment is
really the fulfillment of all of Creation. In Yitzchak’s mind it’s a return to
Gan Eden. Yaakov will be the spiritual heir and Esau will be his material partner
in bringing Hashem’s glory out to the world. Unlike his father Avraham who had
two wives and a Yishmael. Yitzchak has only one wife. He was brought up at the <i>akeida</i>
and offered as a sacrifice. He knows that his entire job in life is to bring
the world to its fulfillment. It’s Pesach night. It’s the night of the
redemption. It’s also Yitzchak’s birthday as he was born on Pesach- as we know
that our eventual exile takes place 400 years to the day from his birth. He’s
literally at the footsteps of Mashiach. When Yaakov comes in, he smells Gan
Eden, the food that he tastes our heavenly. It’s a Pesach Seder. He’s ready to open
the door for Eliyahu. And then the ride goes downhill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Eliyahu is not at the door. It’s Esau. And Yitzchak trembles
the greatest shudder of his life. Rashi tells us he sees Gehenom open up in
front of him. The Midrash and Zohar tells us that he sees everything that will
happen from this moment on. He sees the destructions of the Temple, He sees the
Crusades, He sees the inquisition, the Holocaust, the 6 million. He sees Simchas
Torah 5784. Beeri, Kfar Azza, the soldiers, the pain, the horror and the
terror. And he shudders. And he is terrified for he realizes that everything that
he thought he knew. Everything that he thought should and would be. The son,
Esau, that he loved, that he had banked so much on. That he had planned the
future with. That ultimately would be essential to Hashem’s plan of revealing
His presence to the world had sold it. It wasn’t going to happen. It would all
be up to Yaakov now. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The path that Yaakov would have to take was going to be
terrifying, long, and full of turmoil. It was going to be a roller coaster ride
between these two brothers. One would be up, and one would be down. The day
that he had hoped for, that his father had been blessed with, that Hashem was waiting
for, when the entire world would find Him and bask in His glory, would require
Yaakov to not only do the work of Esau with the hands of Esau that he had taken
for himself, but he would still have to remain Yaakov. He would have to unite
the two parts of himself. The two parts of his nation and his descendants. Then
and only then would Esau become subject to him and recognize the blessing that
he could only get from Hashem through Yaakov.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There is a fascinating statement in the Talmud Yerushalmi.
Rav Hoshiya says <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Gadol kiddush Hashem mei’chilul Hashem</span></i><span style="color: black;">- The sanctification of Hashem’s name is greater than the desecration
of Hashem’s name. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The Talmud proves this point from the law that on the one
hand we see that we are prohibited from leaving a body of a criminal who had been
executed hanging over night. Yet, at the same time we find in Navi that Shaul’s
children who were executed were left hanging for months in order to publicize
the sin that they did and to sanctify Hashem’s name. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook though would often quote this Talmud
and explain its seemingly simple and perplexing statement. After-all it would
seem obvious that a sanctification of Hashem’s name is great and a <i>Chilul
Hashem</i> is not. Rather he understands the wording of the Talmud to be that
it is not that kiddush Hashem is greater <b><i>than</i></b> a Chilul Hashem-
but rather that it is greater “<i>mei- chilul</i> Hashem”- <b><i>from</i></b> a
desecration of Hashem’s name. When the Kiddush Hashem comes from a desecration
of Hashem’s name it is and will always be greater. It will be the greatest
light to happen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Do you know what a Chilul Hashem is, he would ask? The
Holocaust is the greatest <i>chilul </i>Hashem. For a <i>chilul</i>- a
desecration, comes from the word <i>chalal</i>- empty space- <i>chol</i>-
mundane or absent of God. When Hashem’s name is not apparent. When it is
hidden. When all we see is evil. When the righteous are exterminated, murdered,
butchered. When His nation are like sheep to the slaughter. That’s the biggest <i>Chilul</i>
Hashem. And from that <i>Chilul</i> Hashem came the return to Israel. Came the
State. It was a light that the world had waited 2000 years to experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s not only then. It’s always that way. The destruction
of the first Temple led to the light of the story of Purim, and the miracle of
our salvation and the rebuilding of the Temple. The <i>chilul</i> Hashem of the
Hellenists and the Greeks and our assimilation during the second Temple led to
the eternal holiday of Chanuka and the Kiddush Hashem that we celebrate
annually still over 2000 years later. The destruction of the second Temple led
to the Mishna, the Jerusalem Talmud, the Babylonian one. The Crusades led to
the period of the Rishonim. The expulsion from Spain, the Torah in America. The
ups follow the downs. The Kiddush Hashem that comes from the Chilul Hashem is
from where the greatest light will come out. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The truth is that is the story of our biblical ancestors.
It’s the entire Torah and book of Bereishis. Avraham’s success and downfall and
success again and downfall. It’s Yitzchak’s story. It will be Yaakov’s story,
the tribe’s story, Yosef and Egypt and our first Exodus on Pesach. It’s the roller
coaster of Jewish history and life. It’s an eternal one. It’s an emotional one.
It’s a tragic painful one, yet it’s the one that will bring Mashiach. One whose
ride is almost over. Whose pregnancy will finally give birth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The past 75 years here in Eretz Yisrael have been perhaps
the greatest and most intense roller coaster ride of all. Built on the Chilul
Hashem of the ashes of the crematoria and the martyrdom of the 6 million
Kedoshim our state was born. Yet, that state was not one that was ready yet to
acknowledge Hashem’s hand. The founders weren’t and the Jews that chose to
remain in <i>galus </i>didn’t either. We didn’t have Yerushalayim. We didn’t
feel we needed it. We were going to continue “rebuilding” in America spiritually
and in Israel economically and materially. We didn’t bring Yaakov’s voice and the
hands we took from Esau together in the country we were meant to. Thus the <i>chilu</i>l
Hashem got greater and greater and led to the 6-day war only 19 years after our
founding. Yet, the miracles that came from that Chilul Hashem when we were
abandoned by the world and when we thought we would lose it all brought perhaps
the greatest Kiddush Hashem. We quadrupled our country, we got back all our
holy places. We saw Hashem. Many started to return. Teshuva happened. The light
was great. We were on the way up. And then we lost it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The roller coaster took a downturn again. <i>Kochi V’otzem
yadi</i>- our strength, our power, our army became the “<i>contzeptzia</i>”.
Frum Jews that hadn’t moved decided that they didn’t need to. That they couldn’t.
That we need to wait. That it’s not time. And the land mourned. And the
miracles ceased. And the <i>chalal</i>- the hole and void got bigger and
bigger. Yom Kippur came and we lost thousands. We were broken. We were
terrified. Hashem saved us, yet the miracles were hidden. This wasn’t a 6- Day
war. This didn’t give us any more land. This was a test to see if we could
finally get the message and do what we need to do. And we didn’t. We made an
even greater <i>Chilul Hashem</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Sure we learned. Sure we strengthened our Torah. Sure we
even moved to Israel. But it wasn’t together. We were divided. The frum for the
frum. The Left for the left. The settlers for the settlers. In 2005 we had perhaps
the next black day of <u>chilul Hashem</u>. We left Gaza. We left Gush Katif.
We threw out 7000 Jews from their home. We made a deal with “Avimelech” of
Gerar. We assumed it was just an “<i>iska</i>” when it was a “sitna”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But it wasn’t their “<i>sitna</i>” for us. It was ours for
one another. It was a lack of appreciation of how every inch of this land is
ours from our forefathers. It’s from Hashem for all of us to live in. For all
of us to inherit. For all of us to unabashedly declare that to the world.. For
us to wipe out every single smelly Arab that doesn’t want to accept that. And
by the way there are many many that actually serve in the army and really do
want to live here in a Jewish State. It is possible. It’s what’s supposed to
be. It’s what we are supposed to bring the world to see. It’s why we took the
hands of Esau to use with our voice of Yaakov. It’s the end of the roller
coaster ride and the last big twist and turn before the greatest kiddush Hashem
finally is revealed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s not fun being on a roller coaster. It’s not fun to be
pregnant. Yet Hashem has put us on that ride. He put that baby in all of our
tummies. There is a reason why the era of Mashiach is called by our sages as the
birth pangs. It’s not just the actual real pain of the birth. It’s the 2000
year emotional pregnancy that we’ve been walking around with that is taking it’s
final toll. Yet, the end is around the corner. We’re in the birthing room already.
The crib is waiting for us. The light is getting brighter and brighter. I can
smell the Kiddush. It smells like Gan Eden. The 5784-year-old chulent has been cooking
for a long time. It’s going to be a real “Kiddush” Hashem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have holy hartzigeh Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This week's Insights and Inspirat</span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Aroif kletert men pavolyeh; arop kolert men zich
shnell.”. –</span></i></b> <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Uphill one
climbs slowly downhill you roll fast.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">14.The use of
Muqarnas in architecture in Israel started in the ___________ period.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Under the
auspices of which country did the Catholics operate during the Ottoman period?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. Turkey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Italy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Spain<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. France<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/good-shabbos </u></span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>It's been a few weeks and you probably miss this song. Here it is my Good Shabbos song!</i></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olxRpPMfVGg"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olxRpPMfVGg</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>
Ishai Ribbo and Omar Adam in Washington DC<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDIupxVmnLo"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDIupxVmnLo</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Hillarious Eretz Nehedert BBC Sinwar
interview spoof</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IiqIDCYZRs"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IiqIDCYZRs</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
Shulem Lemmer Holocaust survivors song for Israeli Hostages</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_WM5iKOfE"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_WM5iKOfE</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Ahavas Chinam Shuki Solomon…<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JBMG5mkg_s"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JBMG5mkg_s</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>Miami Boys Choir latest- We stand with
Israel.</i></b></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Praying for others Mincha </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Torah portion this week tells
us an incredible story about a special thought and approach to Tefilla that I sessential
for us to feel particularly at this point in time. The parsha tells us that
Yitzchak and Rivka after they had been married for 10 years and didn't have any
children realized that she was barren. Rashi notes that unlike his father
Avraham and even his son Yaakov, he was unable to take another wife or
maidservant to marry him and produce children because since he was brought up a
sacrifice by the akeida, he was sanctified and couldn't have a maidservant
wife. So Rashi tells us that he went into one corner and prayed and Rivka went
into the other corner and prayed.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There are a few puzzling things about these Rashi's. Did Yitzchak
and Rivkah not pray for the entire 10 years that they would have children.
Wouldn't anyone pray once they got married to have kids? Rashi as well seems to
note that it was because he couldn't take another wife that they both went to
pray. Really?! Is that what it took? And why does Rashi tell us they prayed in
the corner? Who cares if they davened in their shul, in their kitchen, living
room, study or in Uman? What does this make a difference? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I heard an incredible insight explaining a similar story in the
Talmud in Ketuvot (62:). It tells us that the Rebbi Yehudah Hanasi married his
son off to the daughter of Rebbi Yosi Ben Zimra. They got married and then he
went off to study for 12 years, as it seems was the agreement and custom back
then. Lock in the marriage when they're young and they'll finish the deal after
the learns a bit. When he returned from his studies, they tried to have
children and realized she was infertile. So the Talmud tells us that the two
rabbis discussed the options. He couldn't take another wife because then it
would look bad that he kept her waiting for 12 years like this. He couldn't
take another wife because then people would shame her and say she is only his
mistress. Therefore with no other option they decided to pray, and what do you
know? She had children. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Once again this is a very strange story. Why do they have to go
through all the options first? Did not the great Rebbi and Rebbi Yosi not
understand what seemingly every one of us does; that we should daven.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The answer is that there is prayer and then there is prayer. As
long as one feels that there are other options on the table, their prayers will
not reach the ultimate sincerity. They won't hit home the way they are meant
to. For them really to accomplish the maximum one has to feel that they have
nowhere else to turn. They are in a corner. There's no right, there's no left.
Their back is against the wall. That was the reason they eliminated all other
options before their prayer. That is why Yitzchak and Rivkah’s prayer after 10
years were the most heartfelt when they realized he couldn't take another wife.
That's why it tells us they davened in the corner. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We have a father in heaven that is waiting for us to turn our
hearts to Him and understand that besides Him there are no other options. After
2000 years of Exile we have returned here to Eretz Yisrael. Yet, as we see and
Hashem is telling us it’s not enough. that we have a home, a refuge, a place to
settle a country even to shine out the light to the world from. We need our
Father back here as well. He hasn't yet sent Mashiach perhaps because we still
feel we have other options. Our backs are not yet to the wall. We're not in the
corner. Hashem thus thrust us into a corner. We felt lost. We felt that nothing
could stop our enemies. We woke up and we davened like never before. We still
need those type of prayers. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We have entered the month of Kislev. It is a month of miracles. It
is the darkest Shabbos of the year this week and it is in that dark corner, in
that darkest of months that the light of miracles and of the dedication of the
Temple can break through once again. May we merit to have our millennia of
prayers for that day finally answered.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Civil War and Jewish Hostages? 620 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> We know and we’ve learned and our sages repeatedly tell us that the
worst things happen to us when we have <i>sinas chinam-</i> when we’re fighting
amongst each other. Today, those fights are civil compared to the times of the
prophets, we have demonstrations, media posts and lashon hara. We couldn’t
possibly imagine Jews taking swords against one another. But that’s exactly what
happens at this juncture we are up to in our column. <b>Amatzia </b>the <b>king
of Yehuda</b> after his resounding and brutal victory over <b>Edom</b>, is dealing
with the pillaging and raids of the tribe of <b>Ephraim</b> from the <b>Northern
kingdom</b> who had felt rejected by <b>Amatzia</b> when they were turned away
from battle. So <b>Amatzia</b> sends message to <b>Yoash the king of Israel</b>
in the North that they should meet in battle and settle this in war. Craziness…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yoash tries to beg out and warns <b>Amatzia</b>
that he’s messing with the wrong Kingdom. Remember the Northern Kingdom is 10
tribes against the two of <b>Yehuda and Binyamin</b>. As well fascinatingly
enough the <b>Northern Kingdom</b> looked upon themselves as being more
righteous. Since <b>Yoash</b> is a grandson of Yehu that had killed out the
house of <b>Achav</b>, the only remaining members of <b>Achav</b>’s house were
from his daughter (or sister) <b>Atalia</b> who had married <b>Amatzia</b>’s grandfather
<b>Achazya</b>. So ironically we have the <b>King of Yehuda</b> being
considered rightfully so not frum enough as they are looked upon as <b>Achav</b>’s
descendants. And<b> Yoash</b> who is a grandson of <b>Yehu</b> that killed out <b>Achav</b>’s
family felt that it was time to finish the job. Nothing like a family fight and
certainly a generational one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So they meet in battle in <b>Beit Shemesh.</b>
The fact that the battle took place in <b>Amaztia</b>’s home turf showed that <b>Yoash</b>
really wasn’t that scared. They devastated the army of <b>Amatzia</b> who fled
back to <b>Jerusalem.</b> There <b>Yoash</b> pillaged the temple taking gold
and silver from the Beit Ha’mikdash and even taking children as hostages from the
house of <b>Amatzia</b> and his vassals and lords back to the <b>Shomron</b>.
They were taken in order to serve as “insurance” that <b>Amatzia </b>would not try
to attack him back again. As I said this is pretty insane, especially in light
of what we are going through now. Jews taking other Jews as hostages. Using
them as protection that they won’t be attacked, and in fact they weren’t. <b>Amatzia</b>
was eventually hounded out and assassinated over a decade later by his own
servants in the city of Lachish- not far from <b>Beit Shemesh</b>. Probably because
they were upset that their hostages were not returned and seemingly he did nothing
to return them <b>Yoash</b> on the other hand died right after this story. It’s
chaos. And as we will see it spirals down even worse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kind of makes you feel that we were miles ahead
with our petty fights about judicial reform and <i>mechitzas</i> in <b>Tel Aviv</b>
and nasty rhetoric. We perhaps have learned the lesson that fighting among ourselves
is never a winning strategy. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shifa is a hospital
like Mengele was a doctor</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If a Jews is murdered
in the woods, does the World make a sound</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not everybody likes my
new slogan- from the Sea to the River don’t you mess with my shvigger</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New Monopoly Game Card-
“Get out of Jew-Hater Jail Free – when you’re too much of a coward and a
hypocrite to admit you hate Jews. Claim you’re an anti-Zionist and not an Anti-Semite</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Washington Rally
Security guards- “umm this rally is for 2 hours, you have enough food for a
week.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The News used to tell
us what happened and we had to decide how we felt about it. Now the News tells
us how to feel and we have to decide if it happened.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>F</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>O <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>U</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C A N
T <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>S<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WHATS HAPPENING IN</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I S R A E L<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y O U<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>N E E D</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TO <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUY <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SOME
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEW <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GLASSES</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OK I think that we have
to really give it to them. No more mercy. We need to return to them their
internet today… But we have to make HOT their provider and let them try to
disconnect from them…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have family fighting
in Israel now. They’re not in the army… they just fight a lot.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A new study out of
Johns Hopkins University shows that an increase of gun ownership among Gabbaim
correlates with reduced talking during Davening.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People now seem afraid
that Gaza will be occupied by Israel. Those same people were already saying
that Gazs was occupied by Israel. For everyone’s sanity please make up your
minds!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In response to the call
for a boycott of Israeli made products amongs Palestine supporters here is a List
of Palestinian Made Products and Companies You can Boycott</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5) </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeah…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">D</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a half and half on this one. Arab archeology
isn’t my strong point, but I knew that much of the architecture we have is in
the Mamaluk period that really built a lot. The muqranas is the flowery columns
I believe so I got that one right. Churches and all that mishigas is even less
my interest. I guessed that the Ottoman which is Turkey was the right answer
for Part B, the answer was France. Who cares? Not even interested in googling
it. I’ll take the half right and be happy with is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So got the new score being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b>
<b>10 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 4 point</b> on this latest Ministry of
Tourism exam. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-11918556394067376562023-11-09T12:47:00.001-08:002023-11-09T12:47:45.062-08:00B'Ychad Ninatzayach - As One- Parshat Chayei Sarah 2023 5784<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">November 10<sup>th</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 5</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">26<sup>th</sup> of Cheshvan 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Chayei Sarah</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><a name="_Hlk149910562"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">B’Yachad
Ninatzayach- As One</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">I never dreamed of being a soldier, being a warrior, being
Rambo, or even a super-hero that beats up bad guys and destroys evil. I’m more
of the wimpy type. I was the guy that stood behind the big, tall, scary, strong
guy (back in Long Beach it was Rechnitz) and wagged my fingers from my ears and
stuck out my tongue and mocked whoever it was that I thought deserved it. That
was as brave as I got. I wanted to be a comedian, a librarian, maybe even a
writer- although becoming a tour guide and Rabbi kind of fits all those
life-skills. But actually taking a gun and getting out there and facing off
against evil in the really battle-field- not just the pulpit one or social
media one, that was never me. And it still really isn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s why when this whole thing broke out here, I was kind
of at a loss. This wasn’t a time for words. The enemy that we’re facing, the
evil that needs to be eradicated, the filthy, sub-human, baby-killing, dreck
that needs to be wiped off the face of the earth wasn’t going to happen with
words. This called for real men with real guns. Big bad boys with big bad guns.
Me and my jokes and laptop and Whatsapp statuses weren’t going to be able to do
much. I felt helpless. And the first three days I just sat in front of my
computer and watched with horror everything that was going on…that I couldn’t
do anything about.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And then Hashem had mercy on me… like he always does. My
phone rang. It was a friend of mine. His son was on the border not far from
Karmiel. He was hungry, he needed cigarettes, he needed some chizuk and some
love. Would I by any chance be able to go up there and bring him some stuff? I
can do that! I’m good at love. <i>Chizuk</i> is what I do. Cigarettes, food,
nosh, pizza, meals? No problem. I’m in! And it’s been life changing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Since that first week, for those that haven’t been
following me on my statuses- which you should of course- shame on you…- I’ve
been heading up a few times a week to bases all over the North and even center
of the country bringing stuff to soldiers and to families that have been
evacuated. There are local volunteer organizations that have been making hot
meals for them. Many of you readers or other followers have sent me money to
buy them stuff. Pizza, cigs, supplies, nosh, BBQ’s, whatever they need.
Whatever I can get. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">It’s amazing how much this means to them. I stop off at army
posts all over the North and some of these soldiers have been there for weeks
without hot meals, without any smokes, without any love. I jump on them, I kiss
them. I joke and laugh and tell them how holy they are. What an incredible job
they have. How they are the High Priests of our nation. The Maccabees. I blast
music and sing and dance. And then I fire them up to the heavy task at hand
that stands before them. To wipe out this garbage and to return Israel to its rightful
borders and get me a nice room with a view in the future Jewish hotel in
Beirut, Israel while they’re at it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">When I do all this, something amazing happens. There is a
light that goes on in their eyes. There’s a fire that I can feel gets ignited.
They have been waiting for this. They join in the song, the dance. We grab
hands. We jump and we sing songs to Hashem. Songs of faith. Of hope. Of victory.
Of peace and of Mashiach. It’s not just the soldiers. It’s the families that I
visit. That Klal Yisrael is visiting. That Klal Yisrael is embracing and joining
together with. There is a light that has exploded that gives us a sense and
appreciation that we all each actually do have a part in this that we can play.
That we need to play. That we need to become. That part is about melding together
and breaking down all the previous barriers and becoming one. Becoming One.
United in our hearts and souls. United as a family and as a nation. That is the
real battle that is taking place and we are all soldiers in that battle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Well, if we are soldiers, then we need to have weapons. As
the saying goes you don’t come to a gunfight with a slingshot or knife. What
weapon do we have in our arsenal? The answer… Torah. Yeah… I know you weren’t
expecting that from me. I always like to shock a bit. But actually, I don’t just
mean just learning Torah. I mean learning it like never before. Like it was
meant to be learnt. <i>Lilmod al means la’asos</i>- to learn it in order to
really do it the right way. And that means starting at the beginning and reading
the Torah and finding the eternal messages that it contains for us. And then
perhaps most importantly implementing them. Taking it from the word and The Book
to action. From the couch or the shtender to the battlefield, to the frontlines.
It’s what I’ve always tried to do with this weekly E-mail. And this week’s
parsha contains perhaps the most important lesson of all; the lesson of <i>chesed</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Parshat Chayei Sarah is a Torah portion that repeatedly
mentions the concept of <i>chesed</i>. Eliezer asks Hashem to show kindness to
Avraham by answering his prayer that Rivkah passes the outrageous <i>shidduch</i>-
kindness test he had set up. That incredible task of her offering to giving
water not only to him but to his camels as well to drink, which in itself needs
explanation. When this happens the verse again tell us that he recognizes the <i>chesed</i>
of Hashem. He recognizes her <i>chesed</i>. He asks Lavan and Besuel to do <i>chesed</i>
and to let her go with him. The word ‘<i>chesed</i>’ appears 4 times in this <i>perek</i>
alone, more than any other parsha in the entire Torah. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">As well fascinating enough the parsha begins with the story
of the burial of Sarah and has quite a few funerals in it, Avraham’s and
Yishmael’s as well. Burial of the dead, our sages tell us and the kindness that
one does with the deceased is the ultimate “true” kindness- the <i>chesed shel
emes.</i> It’s the quintessential kindness and thus introduces this parsha of
chesed. Yet, why would that be highest form? What makes it so unique?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">There’s an incredible Yalkut Midrash that tells us that
Hashem notes that Avraham is the true Baal Chesed when he buries his wife. In
fact the Midrash on the verse of Avraham burying Sarah explains the verse in
Mishlei/ Proverbs about chesed using this burial as the greatest example of the
kindness of Avraham.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Rodef Tzedaka V’Chesed</i>-
He who pursues charity and kindness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Tzedaka zeh Avraham</span></i><span style="color: black;"> –
charity is Avraham as it says…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Chesed</span></i><span style="color: black;"> – is the kindness
that he did to Sarah. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Why would this be the epitome of kindness? Seemingly if I would
ask you to give me some examples of the kindness of Avraham it would be his
tent with 4 doors that would always welcome in guests. His taking in Lot. All
of the people he was <i>mekarev</i> and brought close to Hashem. His prayers
even on behalf of Sodom. On behalf of Yishmael. Sitting out in the heat of the
day after his Bris and waiting and personally serving guests. Yet, the Midrash
and our sages seem to find all of that to be pale in face of the “true” chesed
he did for his wife. Why is that so significant. I mean what was he supposed to
do with his wife? Leave her on the kitchen table? Wouldn’t anyone take care of
the burial of their wife? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Perhaps the best way to understand this idea is by
appreciating the difference between two often confused terms; t<i>zedaka</i>
and <i>chesed</i>- charity and kindness. The Maharal explains the difference in
that <i>tzedaka</i>- charity is taking care someone needs. It’s restoring
perhaps even a balance or sense of justice or <i>tzedek</i> to the world. Why
should I have and he doesn’t? Much of what Avraham does and what we are
involved in is <i>tzedaka</i>. Healing, fixing, stepping in to take care of a
need, filling a void where there is an absence in some way. It’s all about the
taking care of someone else. It’s what we Jews do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><i><span style="color: black;">Chesed</span></i><span style="color: black;"> on the other
hand is something else entirely. It’s an ethical moral character trait. <i>Chesed</i>
is about imitating the ways of Hashem. It’s something that I have to do for
myself. The difference between the two is that in a perfect world when everyone
has everything they need, there is no point in t<i>zedaka</i>. The world is
just. Yet, there is still a need for <i>chesed</i>. Because as long as I can’t
or don’t do <i>chesed</i> then I can’t reveal the godliness within myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">In the case of the burial of Sarah, Rabbi Yochanan Zweig
notes that the Midrash is written on the words that ‘<i>Avraham buried Sarah’</i>.
That’s where Hashem sees Avraham is the true Baal Chesed and not just a Baal
Tzedaka. Everything that he did until now could’ve been considered and interpreted
as acts of charity. He was filling a need and standing up for unjust
situations. The truth is even the burial of his wife could be viewed as that. All
Jewish burial is a tremendous <i>tzedaka</i>. It’s the greatest need that there
is for someone to be laid to rest properly. Look at the tremendous heroic and
mind-blowing work that Zaaka has been doing collecting all of the remains of
the terror attack. But that’s tzedaka it’s not chesed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Chesed is more than just arranging a burial. It’s not just
sending the check. Or going to the Zaka concert. It’s personal, because it’s
not about filling the need. It’s grabbing the shovel and doing it yourself. It’s
about me doing what I need to do because that’s how I can become me. It’s how I
can reveal the Hashem in myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Avraham was the richest person in the world. He could’ve
sent Eliezer to negotiate the purchase of the grave for his wife. He sent him
to find a wife for his son. He could’ve hired a crew from his thousands of servants
to dig a grave and bury her. He was over 100 years old. Yet the verse tells us
that Avraham himself dug that grave. He gets up at his moment of grief from mourning
his beloved wife of over a hundred years with whom he went through it all with,
in order to negotiate her gravesite. Because by Avraham this is a <i>chesed</i>.
It’s what he needs to do. It’s personal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">And that’s my friends is what this is really all about for
us as well. It’s the weapon in our arsenal that we need to engage in finally.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">We have always been the most charitable nation in the world.
I don’t think it would be in anyway an exaggeration to say that in the past
month alone over 100 million dollars have gone out to charity from every Jew in
the world. But it’s not just now it’s always been that way. In every community
there’s a <i>Gemach</i>- a charity organization for every comprehensible need.
We throw money at any cause, any tragedy. We have volunteer organizations for
the living and the dead, for newborns, for brides, to people suffering from
infertility and those that need <i>shiduchim</i>. For prayers, for money, for
clothing and of course for food. We have Hatzala, Zaaka, Chevra Kadishas, Bikur
Cholim, Hachanasas Orchim, and Kiruv organizations. There is no one like Am
Yisrael in that regard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">But that’s all tzedaka. That’s because we want to fix all
of the problems. We don’t want anyone to suffer. We want everyone to feel as
happy and as blessed as we are. Chesed though, is a notch above that. It’s
becoming personally invested. It’s becoming emotionally invested. It’s making
their pain, my pain. It’s not just sending a check. It’s about getting off the
couch and getting over there and holding their hands, hugging them, connecting
with them. It’s about feeling. It’s about hurting. It’s about empathizing. Not
fake showing-them-we-feel -empathy, or “<i>you’re in my thoughts and prayers</i>”.
But real can’t-sleep-at-night, can’t-stop-crying-when-I-think-about-what-they’re-going-through
empathy. I can’t stop davening, yelling, screaming to Hashem to make it stop
already empathy. It’s feeling how Hashem must feel. It’s bringing us all
together. That’s not <i>tzedaka</i>. That’s me becoming me. Me becoming Hashem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The word Chesed is an interesting one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first two letter <i>ches</i> and <i>samech</i>
spell “<i>Chas</i>” in Hebrew which means compassion. To feel. And that’s
really what we are meant to do. But even more fascinating is that if you take
the first and last letter, the <i>ches</i> and the <i>daled</i> then you have
the word <i>chad-</i> one. How do we become one? With the samech in the middle.
The full circle. The <i>somech</i>- that we support one another. We are all
connected. We are told that in the future all the righteous will form a circle
and point to Hashem in the middle and say that He is one. That is the <i>Chad</i>-
the One that shines from the connected circle that is the <i>samech </i>in the
middle. It’s all of us together as one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Eliezer when he goes to find a spouse for Avraham’s son,
asks Hashem to do <i>chesed</i> with him. He wants Hashem to do more than just
take care of our needs, of Avraham’s needs, of Yitzchak’s <i>bashert</i>. He
wants that home to be founded on <i>chesed</i> of extraordinary proportions.
Eliezer had servants there with him. He could’ve given the camels to drink himself.
He was a big boy. Yet he wanted someone who wanted to do it herself. Someone
who wanted to not just offer a drink to a hungry wayfarer and take care of the
problem at hand, rather he needed someone that would look at it is as an opportunity
to do <i>chesed</i>. Someone that, like Avraham, would be waiting around for someone
that they could connect to in that way. Someone that would rush and offer them
and their camels, like they just won the lottery, like they were finding their
Bashert. And indeed, little did she know, that was exactly what she was doing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Someone once said that a liberal is a conservative that
hasn’t been mugged yet. Sadly there are a lot of new conservatives or right
wingers in Israel these days that have had a wake-up call as to who our
neighbors always were. Yet they never got this before. And the truth is that
most of us never really did. This is despite the fact that all the signs were
there. There were enough people killed. There were enough attacks and missiles
that had happened in the past. But yet we never got it. We never saw this
coming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason is because we never
really personalized all of the tragedies, deaths and hardships that our brothers
and sisters faced until now in what we thought were isolated incidents that never
really got into our kishkas. We paid lip service but it never ripped our hearts
opened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Today we see all these antisemitic demonstrations and
protests. People ripping down posters of babies, of old people, of families and
children of the hostages and we are in shock. How can anyone do something like
that? Are they human? What’s going through their minds? And the answer is that
it’s not personal to them. It’s someone else’s kids. It’s Jewish kids. It’s
Israeli kids. If it was their own mothers, sisters, children in Gaza that were
being held or that were massacred or having missiles thrown at them, it would
be a different story. The response to that, that Hashem is telling us is that
for us this has to be personal. It has to be our brother, our mother, our
sister and brother. Our pain. Our children that are the soldiers on the front line.
Our worry. Our <i>tefillos</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because if
it isn’t then we are really only a little bit better than them if at all. So
that is the task that is in front of us. It’s the mission that makes us all
soldiers. That give all of us a job.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">Our sages tell us <i>Rachmana Liba Ba’ai</i>- Hashem wants
our hearts. The term for Hashem is <i>Rachamana</i>- the Merciful one. If we
want mercy, we have to really feel merciful. Not just pragmatic, but emotionally
full of mercy and compassion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">We are at the period before Mashiach is coming. When <i>Hashem
Echad</i>- the Oneness of Hashem will be revealed to the world. For that to
happen we need to continue with what we say in Shema each day. To love Hashem, <i>b’chol
livavcha, bichol nafshecha, u’bechol me’odecha</i>- with ALL our heart, with ALL<i>
</i>our soul with ALL our possessions; with all our all. There’s no
half-heartedness anymore. There’s no un-plugging ourselves. These families who
have lost someone, who have parents, children or siblings missing, kidnapped, those
mothers and fathers and wives and children that have fathers and sons serving in
Gaza or in the front lines are never un-plugged. That’s all they’re thinking
about. That’s what we need to be doing as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;">The slogan of the moment in Israel today is <i>B’Yachad
Ninatzeyach</i>- together we will win. Together doesn’t mean that we are there
for one another. It means that we are <i>yachad</i>. We are one. If we are one,
then what happens is not merely that we will win. It means we will be<i>
netzach</i>- we will be eternal. For that is really what this is all about.
Becoming <i>netzach</i>. Becoming One.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk149910562;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have unifying Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Es art mich vi di ketz fun mitvuch”. -</span></i></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I care like a
cat cares if it's Wednesday</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">13.In the
Sataf site one can find a reconstruction of findings of the ___________ field. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Where can the
white broom (Retama) bush be found? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. In the
Mediterranean forests and on mount Hermon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. On the
coastal plains and on mount Hermon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. On the
coastal plains and in the desert<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. In the
desert and in the Mediterranean forests<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/rivkah"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/rivkah</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–
<b><i>Parshas Chayei Sarah is never complete without my Rivkah Achoseinu song-
composed for my sister Rivky’s wedding<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2a4pQM_8ng"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2a4pQM_8ng</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> Dovid Lowy’s magnificent new release
Tamid on how Hashem watching over His land<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srbtbDfD4uo"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srbtbDfD4uo</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Shulem Lemmer haunting and heart wrenching Kehilos
Ha’Kodesh for the communities that were destroyed</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HgKB4-kQdA"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HgKB4-kQdA</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- Iyal Golan AM Yisrael Chai great song
that says it all…</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28gtzg6r3QQ"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28gtzg6r3QQ</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Avraham Fried’s latest war song! B’Karov
Mamash<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WbbVRz2UZY"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WbbVRz2UZY</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>Finally
Ari Goldwags Latest Ana Hashem Aneinu beautiful…</i></b></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Praying for others Mincha </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Interestingly enough we actually
have two prayers in our Parsha. The first is Eliezer asking Hashem to send him
the proper spouse for Yitzchak and fulfil his mission in a fantastic way.
Interestingly enough, the Netziv writes that this prayer that he davened was
the precursor to Mincha. It’s why he davened it instead of the regular one. Yet
Rav Zilberstien points out something fascinating about this prayer and the way
it’s described. The pasuk tells us he said</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Va’yomar- and he said</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Hashem the God of my master Avraham, please cause to happen to me
today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Avraham.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s a strange terminology. It seems that there are two things
going on. First ‘<i>Cause to happen to me today</i>’ and secondly ‘<i>perform
kindness with Avraham</i>’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are
these two requests? So he explains incredibly that in fact Eliezer davened his
own personal request. As Rashi tells us he himself had a daughter. Not only did
he have a daughter, but his daughter was just rejected for a shidduch by none
other than Avraham. And yet here he was going to find a shidduch for the very
boy that said “no” to his daughter. Eliezer realized that his action. His
dedication to act and worry about Avraham and Yitzchak when he had the exact
same need himself was a perfect time to ask Hashem for a shidduch for his own
daughter. And thus he asks Hashem please cause to happen to me- find a shidduch
for my daughter at this same moment that you are preforming loving kindness to
Avraham. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This is what our sages tell us is that if someone needs his prayers
answered he should pray or act for someone else that has that same need.
Amazing!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yet it is not only here where we find that concept, we find it as well
by Yitzchak’s first prayer of Mincha. The verse goes out of it’s way to tell us
where Yitzchak paused to daven for a shidduch for himself. At a place called Be’er
l’Chai Ro’i. What is so special about this place. So the midrash tells us that
this was the place where Hagar had her prayer answered for Yishmael. Once she
was thrown out she fled back there. And it was there that Yitzchak went to
bring her back to marry his father Avraham after Sarah passed away. Think about
this. Here, Yitzchak is bringing back the mother of his brother who was thrown
out, who Hashem had said to throw out. To the one that was threatening his own
birthright. Yet, Yitzchak overlooked all of that because his father needed a
shidduch, and Hagar was the only one that was fitting for that role. After all
Sarah herself had chosen her for him. And so he overlooks his own need- just as
Eliezer did- to find a shidduch for his father and bring her home to him. In
doing that he as well realizes this is the best time to daven for myself. And
he does. And just like Eliezer’s prayer he is answered right away. That is the
first Mincha ever.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Each day we daven Mincha. Do you know what the essence of our
prayer is and the power of that prayer? Our sages even tell us that it is the
most powerful of all prayers as Eliyahu was answered at that time. What makes
Mincha so powerful is precisely this idea. Unlike Shacharis which is before we
start our day or Maariv which is the end of the day after everything is over.
Mincha is smack in the middle. For us to daven Mincha we need to push aside our
own activities that we may be busy with and put Hashem first. Put our davening
first. When we do that then Hashem answers our own request immediately. During
this hectic time of war we need every merit that we can. We need to pray for
those others before our own prayers and the best time is of course during
Mincha. May Hashem then bring Menucha to us…</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The War that led to division Part II- 620 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> As we discussed last week <b>Amatzia</b> goes to war against <b>Edom</b>.
The nation of <b>Edom</b> in the South of Israel had long been a thorn in our
side. <b>Amatzia</b> felt that with his quasi-teshuva movement this was the
time to take them out. He had initially recruited and even paid to the <b>Kingdom
of Yisrael</b> led by <b>Yoash</b> a lot of money to the tribe of <b>Ephraim</b>
to join them in the battle. But then at the urging and prophecy of the prophet <b>Shemaya</b>
he backs out- even allowing them to keep the money. Hashem had told them, that
they weren’t righteous enough to win the battle with him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amatzia</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> wins and then he does something which our sages tell us was
brutal. He takes 10,000 <b>Edomites</b> and chucks em off a cliff and kills
those prisoners of War. This seems not only to be a violation of <b>Geneva
convention</b> laws, but Hashem’s as well, fascinatingly enough. We won. Take
the win and leave. As a result of that <b>Amatzia</b> steps over the line and
begins to get more arrogant. Hashem wants to send him a message and he does so
via the <b>tribe of Ephraim</b> who felt scorned being told that they weren’t
worthy to fight. So they went out and terrorized the Jewish nation from <b>Shomron</b>
all the way down to <b>Beit</b> <b>Choron</b> which is near the modern city of <b>Modi’in</b>.
They pillaged and showed who the boss is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The temperature has risen between these two
Jewish kingdoms. The prophets are cautioning <b>Amatzia</b> to tone down and
take the proper message that he needs to reflect and look in himself for the
reason this is happening. Yet, he doesn’t. He instead blames this on the
prophet for having advised him to send away the <b>tribe of Ephraim</b> and not
allow them to join him in battle. He then does something crazy. He sets up a worship
of the <b>Se’ir</b> god. The god of <b>Edom</b>. He does this to show his
rejection of the God of the prophet- Hashem. This is a big mistake. His doom is
foretold. Yet, he continues in his obstinancy and challenges <b>Yoash</b>, the <b>king
of the North</b> to a faceoff and war. This will not end well…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I find this story fascinating and perhaps even relevant
on so many levels. But to focus on one. <b>Edom</b> is <b>Rome</b>, is the west,
is <b>America.</b> They have a god. It’s called democracy. It’s called proportionality,
it’s a value system perhaps that is not from Hashem. When we feel we need to
look to them and worship their “gods” rather than listen to our own prophets,
there is no greater Chilul Hashem. What do you think?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you keep saying FREE
PALESTINE, be careful. We Jews will come and take it. We love free stuff!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beware tearing down hostage
posters won’t free Palestine, but it might end your occupation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Pro-Palestinian
arguments I’ve heard lately sound much better in the original German</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Does a humanitarian
pause mean that the hostages get to come home for a Shabbat? Asking for 240
friends…</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only in Israel can a 19
year old kid drive an 80 ton tank and yet still be considered a “young driver”
on his parents private Toyata.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Seen at a Jewish
wedding- “From the Liver to the Tea the Smorgasbord will be Free</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Military Terms
Dictionary</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">English </span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Hebrew </u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Hamas</u></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rocket Launch Site<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Atar Shigur<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>School</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Weapons Cache<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>machsan neshek<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hospital</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Headquarters<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mifkada<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kindergarten</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Operations Room<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cheder Mivtzaim<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Residential buildig</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Exchange each hostage
for 100 Pro- Hamas US college student. Good For Israel, Good for USA,
educational for students…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Islamic Jihad asked
Israel if they could buy an Iron dome to defend Gaza from the missiles that
they shoot on themselves by mistake.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I heard the sirens and
ran into the shelter and locked the door. All of a sudden I hear loud booms on
the door… It seems my wife wanted to come in as well.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Prime Minister and
members of his staff from the Knesset went for a tour to see the situation of
various State institutions. Their first stop was at the local school. They see
that the walls were falling apart, the books were old and outdated and the roof
was leaking. The principal cried to the PM that they needed money for the basic
renovations. Yet, the PM sadly told him that right now it was a difficult
situation for the country and there was no money in the budget for this.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Their next stop was to
the local university. There as well the President of the University showed how
lack the security was and outdated, how the computers were old and failing and
how the yards and landscaping was all over run. Again the Prime Minister sadly told
him that there was no extra funds to allocate to them as the budget for the country
was very tight.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally their last stop
was to the local prison. There the warden gave them a tour and showed them the
shabby matresses and smelly bed sheets, the leaky broken <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>air conditioning system and how the Television
and entertainment center was always on the blink. Immediately the Prime
Minister said that he would take care of the problem and within a few minutes
he informed them that repair men were on the way and new beds, sheets and even
hi screen TVs were coming as well. When asked by his staff member who was
shocked how this could happen. Bibi eloquently explained </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>School we finished
already, College I don’t think we’ll ever be going to, but prison on the other
hand….”</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Got this one
right! The first part was pretty easy. It’s not like I’ve guided at Sataf a
lot. In fact I think I’ve only been to this national park maybe once with
tourists. It’s right near Yerushalyim and it’s specialness is the recreated
ancient agricultural irrigation fields from thousands of years ago. So the
answer is an irrigation field as opposed to a rain field. This has terraces and
little cisterns. The second part of the question I got correct. As you know
agriculture isn’t my strong point. But I knew that the rotem which is actually
called a Retama in English is in the midbar. We find that Eliyahu Hanavi took
shade in it’s small bush when he ran away. That being the case then by process
of elimination I went with C which is the Mediterranean coastline which is more
similar to the desert as opposed to a forest. So got it right and the new score
being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>9.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 3.5 point</b>
on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-35975883196549206122023-11-02T15:49:00.004-07:002023-11-03T04:22:16.380-07:00A Mother's Tears- A Father's Crown- Parshat Vayeira 2023 5783<p> </p><p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">November 3<sup>rd</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 4</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">19<sup>th</sup> of Cheshvan 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Vayeira</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><i><u>A Mother’s
Tears- A Father’s Crown</u></i></strong></p><p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">I visited Kever Rachel last week. It was the
day before her Yahrtzeit and I had heard that because of the army’s concern of
large gatherings in any specific place, her tomb would be closed the next day. Almost
every year since her tomb was returned to us in 1967 more and more come from
all over the country and even the world to pray at our Mama’s tomb. Back in 67’
it was hundreds or thousands. Today there are tens of thousands that come.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">But this year she would be all alone. This
year her children, who seemed to need her prayers most during these horrific
times, would not be by her side to beg her to continue crying before Hashem. To
ask her to not stop pleading that Hashem bring that promise that he made to her
3000 years ago that all her children would return to their borders. Mama Rachel
would be alone, and we would be mother-less once again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Yet I thought to myself at the time, that it
is no wonder that Kever Rachel is closed to us on her yahrtzeit this year. This
is a year that started off with nothing the way that it’s supposed to be. On
Rosh Hashana which fell out on Shabbos this year, we didn’t blow shofar. On
Sukkos as well we didn’t shake Lulav and Etrog on the only day that we are
biblically mandated to- which is the first day, which also fell out on Shabbos.
Finally, our Simchas Torah had its joy taken from us in the terrible attack and
outbreak of war that we find ourselves in. Mama Rachel’s yartzeit without her,
is the cherry on top of the cupcake or the straw on the camel’s breaking back
perhaps, in a year that has been like no other in the history of our people. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Yet it was not merely Mama Rachel’s Yartzeit
last week. It was also the birthday of the son that she gave birth to as she
died; Binyamin or the son that she called Ben Oni- the son of my grief. It’s a
strange name to give your child. I know that when I was a kid one of the things
my mother- a good Jewish mother like many- would say to me was… <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">“<i>You’re killing me with all of your mishigas
already</i>…”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"> When I
was really bad and she had to up the ante it would be <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">“<i>Why don’t you just stick a knife in my
heart already…</i>” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">(I think she said that when she found out that
I was smoking…). I brushed it off, although I felt guilty. But this is a new
level, Binyamin actually did kill his mother. She died while giving birth to
him. So how do you think he would feel walking around with a name “<i>Son of my
grief</i>” or the “<i>Son who killed his mother</i>”. What’s <i>pshat</i> in
this name?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Now to be fair, as we see, Yaakov quickly changes
his name to Binyamin- the son of my right hand or my strength. In fact many of
the commentaries suggest that was really Rachel’s intent as well. As we find that
in Yaakov’s final blessing of his son Reuvein he tells him that he is <i>Reishis
Oni</i>- the first of his strength. Besides grief the word <i>oni</i> also
translates as ‘strength’, which in itself needs explanation. But Yaakov was
merely explaining Rachel’s words, that her intent was to call her son the son
of her strength. Thus he called him Binyamin- the more positive translation of
the word Ben Oni. The question though is why didn’t Rachel just call him that
herself? Why leave her son with a name that recalls the grief and the period of
<i>Aninu</i>t- the period of grief and mourning with in which he came into the
world?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The answer I heard from my Rebbi, Reb
Mordechai Alon, is so powerful and so relevant. It screams out at us today and
it is everything that we ever knew to be true. It’s an idea that we can
appreciate now more than ever. There are so many children of grief today in
Eretz Yisrael. So many orphans. So many that are still in the stage of <i>aninut</i>
where they haven’t even brought their loved ones to burial. They don’t know if
they are alive or dead. Or perhaps even worse, what is a better fate to hope
for- considering the alternative is that they are being held by sub-human
monsters in Gaza. There are so many <i>bnai oni</i> today that are grieving.
That are Binyamin. That are the children of Rachel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Do you know what Rachel was telling her son in
giving him his name? She was telling him, <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">“<i>Binyamin, I’m not going to be there for
you in your lifetime to take you to Gan. I won’t be there to kiss you Layla tov
at night and say shema with you. I won’t be at your Bar Mitzva… your chasuna..
your simchas… I won’t be in any of your family albums. You are my son that was
born in grief. <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i>But Binyamin, I want you to know that </i>Oni <i>will be your strength. It will be your right hand.
It will be your light in that darkness because you will know that I will always
be with you. Even more than if I was here with you. I will be your </i>meilitz
yosher<i>- your divine advocate in </i>shamayim<i> and I will never stop
crying, davening and beseeching our Father in heaven for you and all of your
descendants. You are my </i>Ben Oni<i> but that will always be your greatest
strength in the darkest of times</i>.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">This weeks parsha is a supernatural one. There
are more angels in it than any other parsha. It starts with Avraham’s guests that
are angels. Lot sees angels that come to save him. Hagar does as well when
Yishmael is chased out. Finally, at the end of the parsha, we have once again
by the binding of Yitzchak an angel that comes to Avraham to tell him to stop. There
are things not from this world going on. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"> It’s a
parsha of supernatural occurrences and revelations. Hashem wipes out 5 cities
overnight. We have Sarah giving birth at age 90 and nursing babies. We have
Avraham being told he must throw out his son Yishmael, whom he loves. Yishmael
who attempted to kill Yitzchak and destroy our nation- but yet ultimately, we
find will do teshuva and is saved because Hashem only judges him as he is now. Hashem
reveals himself to Avimelech the king of Gerar- which is Gaza by the way. The
Philistines. He tells him get his hands off of Sarah whom he had taken as his
prisoner. His captive. His hostage. And finally, Hashem tells Avraham to shecht
his son Yitzchak. Things that are not normal, happen in the Parsha. It’s like
the world went crazy all of a sudden. And Avraham is caught right in the middle
of it all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The Midrash notes that these tests of Avraham
and the dramatic transformation comes from the Bris that he just entered at the
end of last week’s parsha. Yishmael also had a bris. He had a merit. This
parsha is about separating him from Avraham. It’s about showing Avraham that the
world of Yishmael will be different than his world. For Yishmael lives in a
world that is here and now and what he defines to be his, he will take. Avraham
though is living in a world that will never be what it seems.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Our Parsha is aptly called <i>Va’yeira</i>- And
Hashem appeared to Avraham, because in this parsha Hashem will reveal to
Avraham, the man of kindness, that there is a world of evil, a world where it
needs to be destroyed, chased out, and even plagued. There is a world where his
children will be asked to give their lives for their faith and where our wives
might be kidnapped, and where our children’s lives will be threatened and
tempted. It’s a world where he will feel alone. Where the other nations that
might even seem more powerful might seem like they are prospering and
flourishing while he is on the run. As well it is a world of miracles and
salvation and where Mashiach can be born out of the most unlikely of
circumstances and where the mountain of that sacrifice will become the place
where Hashem will always be seen and will rest His <i>shechina</i>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Avraham will learn in this world that through
out it all Hashem will be there for him. His descendants will, for 3000 years,
long for that mountain and for that <i>shechina,</i> after all of the
sacrifices that we indeed bring and who were martyred on Kiddush Hashem- in the
sanctification of Hashem’s name. Because we are the children of Avraham.
Because we want the <i>shechina</i>. Because we understand that we don’t live
in Yishmael’s world. Because we are the children of Rachel who can find our
strength in our grief and because we know that the world that we see is not the
real one. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">There’s an incredible idea I saw from the Sefer
Perach Shoshana written by one of the great Moroccan mystics in the early 1900’s.
He notes that the verse tells us when the angels appeared to Avraham<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i>“And he lifted his eyes <b><u>and saw</u></b>,
and behold, three men were standing upon him, <b><u>and he saw,</u></b> and he
ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the
ground.”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">There seems to be an extra word there. It
tells us that he first lifted his eyes and saw and then right after that again
it tells us that he saw again. What did he see the second time that he didn’t
see the first time? Rashi gives his own interpretation, yet the Perach Shoshana
quotes the mystics of Tzfat who tell us that what Avraham saw was not only the
three angels, but he saw all of the martyrs of all of the generations coming
with them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">“<i>For Avraham is the father of all those who
give up their lives for Kiddush Hashem- As he was the first to do so in the furnace
of Nimrod. And his soul is in the Heichal of Ahava- the divine hall of love
above. And whoever gives up their life in sanctification of Hashem’s name,
Avraham runs from the pesach ha’ohel- from the entrance of the tent to greet
them and says to them</i> ‘Baruch Hashem you are from mine” <i>and he places a
crown upon their head. And he bows before them and gives thanks and praise to
Hashem that he merited such descendants like them</i>.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">When he saw the three men upon him, the Perach
Shoshana explains, it means he saw Chananya Mishael and Azarya who were
standing up from the merit of Avraham. They were <i>Nitzavim Aluv</i>-Standing
on his spiritual shoulders. From the world that he came from. From the sacrifice
that he implanted in us to be able to make to honor Hashem. And he ran to them
to welcome them from his tent to bring them in, to embrace them with love, and
to place that crown upon their head.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">This was the welcome over 1400 of Avraham’s
children got these past few weeks. The young children, the orphans, the Holocaust
survivors of atrocities they thought they would never see again and yet they
did and even worse. The holy soldiers who gave their lives to defend the land Avraham
was promised and to defend the children that he prayed for that would inherit
the land. Avraham himself came out to greet them. He crowned each of them. They
are in the tent of love with him. They are there waiting in the real world- the
<i>olam ha’emes</i> for us to bring enough light that will bring Mashiach and
wash away all of the darkness. Enough faith that perhaps comes out in its greatest
and brightest form from our grief to bring the end of days. The one day we long
for that is around the corner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Do you know what the difference is between a
year that we blow the shofar and a year that we don’t? On a year that we blow
the shofar, the <i>sefarim</i> tell us, that it only lasts as long as the sound
goes. It’s only for those few hours. When we don’t blow the shofar though then
it continues to go on and on and on. It doesn’t stop. On a year that we shake
the Lulav and do our <i>na’anuim</i>- then we can only throw away all the evil
spirits as far as we can stretch our arms. It only can last as long as we are
still shaking it them. It’s finite. Yet on a year that we don’t. When we give
it all up for Shabbos, for our Torah, for our faith? Then it goes on and on as far
as it can go and forever. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Simchas Torah celebration in a regular year
has a <i>simcha</i> that has to come to an end. The winter must start. We can
shlep out it out with <i>hakafot sheniyot</i> a little bit longer…but it ends.
A year when we had that <i>simcha</i> taken away doesn’t need <i>hakafot sheniyot</i>.
The joy will last and keep going, exploding and expanding. And the year without
Mama Rachel will as well be the one when her tears which never stopped falling
may finally reach the mark. They may finally bring that last prophecy and promise
Hashem made of <i>V’shavu banim l’gvulam</i>- her children will return from the
land of their enemies. They will return from Gaza. They will return from all
the countries that are hating and persecuting us more and more, that have never
really been our home. They were always the enemy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">
</p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">And then it will be the year of the <i>V’shavu
banim l’gvulam</i>- her children… Avraham’s children, all our children…all of
those that are in the tent of love up above… the 6 million’s children, Hashem’s
children… all of them will return to our borders… Not just the 48’ borders, not
the 67’ borders, but the borders that are from the sea to the sea- Israel will
be free. <i>Ne’um Hashem</i>- thus is
the word of Hashem.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">`<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have restful Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Vi
zaif faren guf iz a trer far di neshomeh. -</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Like soap for the body, so are tears for the
soul.</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">12.The
"New Gate" in the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem was breached in
the ________ century.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">To
what archeological style belongs the Al Jazzar Mosque in Acre?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Fatimid architecture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Umayyad architecture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Ottoman architecture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D. Abassid architecture</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>My latest moving composition-
the prayer of all of us in this horrific war- Shomer Yisrael- Dovid Lowy did an
amazing jobs on the vocals and arrangements <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w8WSTpKp9w"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w8WSTpKp9w</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> I have always been an Eli Dachs
fan (Shloimie’s son) and glad to see him back with this beautiful rendition of
Shwekey’s Mi She’beirach Chayalim</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6rxyVVWKs"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6rxyVVWKs</span></a></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Fascinating Gaza War of
King David (Hebrew) what he did when they took our hostages…</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HgKB4-kQdA"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HgKB4-kQdA</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- Iyal Golan AM Yisrael Chai great song
that says it all…</i></b></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmYmCJbA5U"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmYmCJbA5U</span></a></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Love this song going Viral Katan Aleinu…</span></i></b><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3oXuVBZ0Cs"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3oXuVBZ0Cs</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>And the War Song at all bases Kovshim
et Azza!</i></b></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The First Shacharis </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s a strange verse in this week’s
Parsha yet it contains the entire world of what our prayer is all about and the
eternal message it carries for us right here and right now. It was the day after
Avraham had argued unsuccessfully (Thank God) with Hashem on behalf of Sodom.
The angels go in save Lot. Do what they need to do, and Sodom looks like Gaza.
The story is over and yet there is an epilogue. The morning after. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Vayashkem Avraham Ba’Boker asher amad sham es pnai
Elokim</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- And
Avraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Hashem.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We find a few places that Avraham was an early
riser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gets up early to send out
Hagar as per Hashem’s command to listen to his wife. He gets up early to take
his son Yitzchak to the Akeida as per the command of Hashem. What’s the early
ride over here? What’s even the purpose of this rising? What does he do on this
early morning after?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“And he looked over the face of Sodom and Gomorrah
and over the entire face of the land of the plain, and he saw, and behold, the
smoke of the earth had risen like the smoke of a furnace</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">That’s it. Story over. He gets up early to take a
look at what’s going on in Sodom. Very very strange. He knows what’s going to
happen. He knows that his prayers weren’t answered. So what is getting up for
to check out. Is he like those guys that slow up traffic on the highway to see
what happened in the accident up ahead? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What’s even more fascinating is that the previous
verse tells us how the angels had told Lot that they shouldn’t turn back and
see what’s going on. In fact Lot’s wife is turned into a pillar of salt just
for violating that command. So what’s the point of Avraham’s looking out. And what
does it mean that he went to pray specifically in the same place where Hashem
had spoken to him. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Radak quotes the Talmud that derives that what
was taking place here with Avraham was in fact the establishment of the morning
prayer. That word that he came to the place where he had “stood” before Hashem
is the word Amida- like our shemona Esrei. As well the Talmud derives that this
is the source that a person should have a set regular place to daven. It’s the
source and reason why we have shuls. What is this first prayer of Shacharis all
about? What inspires it and what should inspire us?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The answer perhaps can best be understood in what
Avraham saw. He sees a furnace and smoke rising up. For someone who himself was
thrown in a fiery furnace and who’s brother was killed in one by the wicked
King Nimrod this had to have special meaning. This must have brought all of
that back. He had davened, he had prayed, his nephew was in this wicked city.
He thought that the world had perhaps moved on since Nimrods barbaric days after
he had wiped him out. Never again was happening again. Evil was still there in
the world. All his prayers hadn’t helped. The media and press are sitting there
next to Avraham in that same place and laughing at him. What are you doing
here? Who are you talking to? Hashem is not listening. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yet, Avraham gets up early because he believes that
it is a new morning. That every day is a new morning. That everyday we have to
take on the challenge of the morning and wake up the morning with our prayer to
Hashem. His faith is unshakeable. He will stand and keep standing between dark
and night and morning and light and daven to Hashem and welcome that new light
and day. That’s the kindness of the morning. That’s the faith of Avraham of
every morning. That’s where and why we permanently establish our prayer. Because
prayer needs to be permanent as our faith. We don’t need to move around, we don’t
need to travel from here to there. Bilaam and Balak are running from place to
place to curse us. We stand our ground and daven every day in the same place
and with the same faith. That’s Shacharis and that’s our prayer.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What happened with that prayer? The next verse tells
us that Hashem remembers Lot and saves him. That salvation is the birth of
Mashiach, who descends from Lot and his daughters with the nations of Moav and
Ammon. It’s Ruth, It’s King David, it’s the lineage of Shlomo through his wife
Naama of Ammon. It’s our redemption today. Not bad for a new morning and that
first Shacharis… May Hashem also answer our prayers and herald in a brand new
morning as we look towards the destruction of Sodom and remember the furnaces
of Aushwitz and recall our captives. 6633</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The War that led to
division- 620 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Our screen flashes back to the <b>southern
kingdom</b> of <b>Yehuda</b> for this week. <b>Yoash</b> is king up North and
with the death of <b>Yoash</b> the righteous who was ultimately murdered by his
servants in Jerusalem his son <b>Amatzia</b> takes the reigns. He starts off
avenging his father’s death by killing all the murderers of his father. Yet,
unlike in past incidents he doesn’t take revenge against their children and families.
He quotes the Torah that children shouldn’t be killed for their father’s sin.
In doing so he shows he is righteous. As well the Navi tells us he follows in
the ways of his righteous father and keeps out the idolatry yet, sadly he was
not successful in getting rid of peoples personal altars that were forbidden to
worship on as the service should be was only permitted in the <b>Mikdash </b>in
<b>Yerushalayim</b>. That would cost him ultimately.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I want to just share
some relevant thoughts about the Bama/private altar sin. The essence of the sin
really is not idolatry. The nation believed and worshipped Hashem on them. The
sin is that they couldn’t get together and give up their personal worship and
come to the one place in <b>Yerushalayim</b> where we all need to come together
to. They didn’t do this because of a distorted sense of religious self-righteousness.
What do I need a Kohen for? I like my nusach, my own devotion, my own rebbe.
What do I have to go to the kohen who is perhaps less educated or yeshivish
than me… That’s called a <i>bama</i>. That’s what Hashem wanted us to wipe out.
That’s the opposite of the purpose of the redemption. That’s perhaps what we’re
suffering still from today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With that division
between us still standing, our enemy rose up. <b>Amatzia</b> is faced with the
enemy in the <b>South of Edom</b>. <b>Amatzia</b> raises an army of 300,000
from <b>Yehuda and Binyamin</b>. By the way that’s about how many Miluimnikim-
reserves that have been called up for the ongoing battle here. Yet, he feels
that’s not enough. So he goes to the <b>Northern Kingdoms</b> and he hires
100,000 men from the tribe of <b>Ephraim</b> to join them. The fact that you
have to pay Jews to come fight for one another is mind-blowing today. Baruch
Hashem. Yet, that was the rift between the two kingdoms. Yet, in the end the
prophet comes and tells <b>Amatzia</b> that this is a mistake. <b>Ephraim</b>
are sinners. They won’t help us. Our wars are won from Hashem. We can do it
without them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amatzia</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is hesitant, for he has already paid them. Yet,
in the end he listens to the prophet. Writes out off the 100,000 talents of
silver he had paid and he goes to war without them. And he wins! He chucks 10,000
<b>Edomites</b> that he took captive off the rock from their fortress in South
by <b>Gai Melach.</b> I’m going to end on that note. We took 10,000 captives
and we threw them off a rock and killed them. What do you think about that? Stay
tuned next week. </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We switched the clock
this week in Israel so anyone that thinks that we can have peace here with our
neighbors has another hour to dream<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">25% of Liberals are on
medication for mental illness. That’s scary because that means that 75% are
walking around untreated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What happens when a
fly falls into a coffee cup?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Italian - throws
the cup and walks away in a fit of rage<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Frenchman - takes
out the fly, and drinks the coffee<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Chinese - eats the
fly and throws away the coffee<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Israeli - sells
the coffee to the Frenchman, the fly to the Chinese, buys himself a new cup of
coffee and uses the extra money to invent a Device that prevents flies from
falling into coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Palestinian -
blames the Israeli for the fly falling into his coffee, protests the act of
aggression to the UN, takes a loan from the European Union for a new cup of
coffee, uses the money to purchase explosives and then blows up the coffee
house where the Italian, the Frenchman, and the Chinese, are trying to explain
to the Israeli why he should give away his cup of coffee to the Palestinian in
exchange for peace<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A drone that was sent
in from Yemen to Eilat was just blew itself up when it realized how much a room
costs for a night there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t know what’s
wrong with Israeli intelligence these days. Any child could’ve told you that if
the Teimanim- Yemenites were going to try to come into Israel they would come
to Eilat first because of it’s tax’ duty free status</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You could tell a lot
about a woman by her hand motions. For example if she’s holding a gun at you,
it means she’s angry.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Muhammed calls the
Israeli Electric company: “Hello, this is Muhammed I live in the Riamel neighborhood
in Gaza and it seems that we don’t have any electricity”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Electric company ; “You
still have a neighborhood?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Good idea for Nasralla’s
speech tomorrow. Israeli hijacks the feed and plays Manny Matara instead the
whole time…</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Wizard of Oz is 84
years old this week. If Dorothy were to meet creatures with no brains, no
courage and no heart she wouldn’t be in Oz. She would be in Harvard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mother to Child in
2023- “If you don’t stop lying all the time the only thing you will grow up to
be is a BBC reporter. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Iranian foreign
minister has announced that Hamas is open to releasing all of the hostages and
transfer them to Iran. Please tell him that we will as well release all of the
Hamas prisoners and release them to the hill-top youth in Yitzhar. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the last eight
days the media has been reporting that there is only enough gas in Gaza to last
for one more day. It’s a modern Chanuka miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In World War I when
the men returned from battle they discovered that the women had taken their
places in the factories and companies and the world changed never to go back. A
similar phenomena will occur after this war when the men will return and
discover that women know how to set the Shabbos clock by themselves!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OK so Bolivia has announced
that they are cutting off all Diplomatic ties with Israel as a result of the war
in Gaza. I’m happy to know if anyone has any recommendations where I can get salmonella,
herpes, cholerea, and chlamydia from drinking water from? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">C</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Got this one totally
wrong. I probably would’ve skipped it as there are 5 questions you’re allowed
to skip on the exam. Architecture is not my strong point, Muslim architecture
even less so, and all of the different Muslim dynasties and their names and
years is perhaps the least interesting to me and I don’t know if I ever got it
straight. So the New Gate in Jerusalem I has no clue. I guessed 12<sup>th</sup>
century and the answer is 19<sup>th</sup> century. I probably should’ve gone
with that in the first place, as all of the old city walls really date back to
the Turks which only started after the 16<sup>th</sup> century. So that part
wasa wrong. The second part the truth is had I read the question correctly I
probably would’ve got it right. I got thrown off talking about Jerusalem and
thought it was asking about Al Aktza mosque on the Temple Mount and went with
Ayubbid. Only when I saw the answer did I realize they were talking about El
Jazzar in Akko, which in fact I did know as I guide a lot in Akko and El Jazzar
was there in the Turkish period. So anyways this one is totally wrong yet I’m
still ahead of the game with the new score being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>8.5
point</b> <b>and the MOT having 3.5 point</b> on this latest Ministry of
Tourism exam. </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-24297500763771985992023-10-26T13:41:00.004-07:002023-10-27T00:44:21.559-07:00Our "Cousins" - Parshat Lech Lecha 2023 -5783<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">October 27<sup>th</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 3</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">14<sup>th</sup> of Cheshvan 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Lech Lecha</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><i><u>Our
“Cousins”</u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">You may not like this E-Mail. I’m not even
sure I will like it. It’s not something I’ve fully digested yet. These days
though things are moving so fast that it’s hard to digest anything. And since
this is the post-stomach-surgery-Rabbi-Schwartz, bichlal I need a lot more time
to digest things. But yet Hashem is the one that is presenting us with this
meal. We’re meant to be eating it and taking it all in. All of it, with all it’s
flavors and tastes. With all it’s nuances. The bitter and the sweet. The tears
and the songs. The spirit and the sadness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Let’s start off with what I’ve already
digested. The sweet part. Klal Yisrael is united like never before. I saw
videos of Chasidim in Square town dancing with an Israeli flag by a wedding and
secular Tel Aviv soldiers holding Belzer Chasidim on their shoulders- and they’re
not light- singing <i>Avinu She’bashamayim</i>- Our Father in heaven we love
you. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">There are chareidim running to join the army,
and others running around comforting the bereaved, making and delivering food
and supplies to soldiers and families that have been evacuated from the South
and even picking fruits and vegetables in these farms- that may not have even
kept in Shemitta in the Gaza border, because they don’t have any workers to do
it for them. At the same time the number of soldiers that are wearing tefillin
and tzitzis daily, the amount of secular Jews that have started lighting
Shabbos candles, observing mitzvos and are davening regularly is unprecedented.
We are one. Just like that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">At least in this regard the salvation of
Hashem has come <i>k’heref ayin</i>- like the blink of an eye and wiped out all
<i>sinat chinam </i>from amongst us. That prayer of Avinu Malkeinu has been
answered. Hashem has given us the first taste of what Mashiach’s time will feel
like, as the Rambam describes, when there will be no hatred or jealousy or
fights between us. And it tastes really good. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">As well He gave us the next course of what it
can feel like when the world is turning to us and supporting our mission. When
it sees us as the light Hashem has chosen to chase away and obliterate the
darkness. At least some of the world. OK well… at least some of the world
leaders are saying so for now. Although as we can see there are certainly too
many that have joined TEAM Nazi-Hamas and evil and the Dark Side as well. We always
knew there were antisemites out there, but the fact that 51% of 18–24-year-olds
in the United States and 25% of the general population, according to the polls
I saw, feel that Hamas was justified in chopping off Jewish babies’ heads, raping
its daughters and burning families alive while dancing and desecrating in their
blood is definitely a serious wake-up call. Statistically one out of four of
your neighbors on your block feel that you and your children’s death is
justified because you support Israel, because your Jewish. Because your part of
the Tribe. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Your children that might be on college
campuses around the country may have felt somewhat nervous or in danger until
now. But, that ain’t nothing compared to what we’re talking about now. Guess
what? Every other kid there on their campus thinks they should die. 51% is a
big number. That’s still indigestible. Is it as indigestible as the Holocaust
and the false sense of security of “<i>this will also pass</i>” that our grandparents
felt in Hungary, Poland and Germany in the 1930’s? I don’t know. As I said, I’ve got a small
stomach these days. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">That the U.nited N.othings hate us was always a
given. That the hate-filled squad of AOC and all those NY’ers that vote for her
and that there would be tens of thousands around the world protesting on behalf
of these sub-human animals, is also not a <i>chiddush</i>- not something that
was unexpected. Yet, that there are major companies like Microsoft, Amazon,
Deloitte, Mastercard and McKinsey that have come out on the side of the poor
Gazan refugee victims. That business-is-business is something Jews more than
anyone else understand, certainly when it comes at the cheap price of the blood
of our children and attempted Genocide of our nation. Yet, to see it up close when
not even 80 years after the Holocaust have past is hard to swallow. But as we Torah-studied
Jews know from long ago from our sages- ‘<i>Esau soney es Yaakov’</i>- that Esau
hates Yaakov, is not a trend. It’s a halacha; one of the basic laws of the universe
like gravity, like one plus one equals two. It just is.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Yet, the hard part that I wanted to write
about this week isn’t about Esau. It isn’t about our “errant” brother of Yaakov.
Maybe we’ll get to him on that parsha. This week it’s about our cousin
Yishmael- the Arab world. The Arab world about whom-I often pointed out to my
tourists, it never says hates Yaakov. There is no such Halacha. In fact
historically we Jews until the last century have always faired better under
Muslim rule than Christian, Pagan, or Atheist countries. Always. Arabs in the
past always merely wanted money out of us. They weren’t blood-thirsty animals
that the Cossacks, Crusaders, or inquisition was. They weren’t Nazis or even
Stalin. We’d pay off Achmed a few shekels and we’d be fine. It wasn’t always
fun. There definitely were Jewish deaths and murders. But they weren’t
genocidal. They weren’t Esau. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Things changed when we returned to Israel.
When Hashem began to bring us home. When as Rav Moshe Shapiro brilliantly
writes on this week’s parsha, we entered the final era of this exile, as
described by the Gaon of Vilna, The Maharal, the Zohar, the Midrash and Rambam
amongst many other sources, the era of the Galus Yishmael. When we will suffer
under our cousins’ hands. This is it boys and girls.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The Midrash of the Pirkey D’Rebbi Eliezer
writes over 2000 years ago <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">(Chapter 32) “<i>There are 6 whose name was
given before they were born. Yitzchak, Yishmael… as it says </i>‘and you shall
call his name Yishmael. <i>And why is his name called Yishmael? For in the
future Hashem will listen to the cry of our nation because of what the children
of Yishmael will do to us in the land at the end of days… As it says</i> ‘Yishma
El V’ya’aneim- God will hear and answer us.’<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">His name is Yishma-el because it is through
the atrocities he will commit against us- that seemingly will be worse than
anything Esau ever did to us, that will cause to cry out like never before to
Hashem and be answered. As I said, we’re there. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Who is this Yishmael? What is he about? What
is his power? And how are we meant to defeat him? Rav Shapiro, quotes the
Maharal of Prague that explains that the vision of Daniel in which he sees four
beasts rising up from the sea to destroy us correspond to the 4 exiles that we
must endure until our redemption. The first is a lion is Babylonia, the second
is a bear which is Persia/ Media the third is a leopard which is Greece and the
fourth which is a combination of the previous animals is Rome and is the
longest fiercest of all of them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Yet, the Maharal continues there is a fifth
exile; Yishmael. He is not part of this prophecy because he is not compared to
an animal. He is what Hashem described as what is wrongly translated as a <i>Pereh
Adam</i>- a wild man. I say wrongly translated, because in Hebrew the adjective
follows the word it describes. So an <i>Ish Tov </i>is a good-man.<i> Tov</i>
describes the word,<i> ish-</i>man. A <i>talmid chacham</i>- is a student of a
sage. Student is the noun and <i>chacham</i> is the adjective that describes
who he is a student of. Thus it follows that in the case of the word <i>pereh
adam,</i> it’s accurate translation would be a man-like wildness. His essence
is wild, yet it appears like a man. But he’s not human. He’s a wild being at
his core. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">A wild beast- a <i>chaya</i>, human beings
have rule over. We can conquer and rule over and even subjugate them. It’s what
Hashem told Adam in the Garden of Eden our job is. The other four nations that
will exile us, Daniel sees as wild animals that we can and did ultimately overcome.
Yet, Yishmael, is not a wild beast. He’s the only nation, besides Israel that
is described somewhat as an <i>adam</i>- a man. He’s fascinatingly and terrifyingly
even more powerful and frightening than the animals that terrorized and
murdered us in the past. Because he has a certain power just as we do. And is
even our equal in many ways. It is for that reason our sages were terrified of
the era when Yishmael takes the reigns and teams up with Esau. It’s at the
point that we are at a loss.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Who is this man/beast? How is he born? What is
his origin? His DNA? This week’s parsha tells us that Yishmael is a product of
Avraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maid-servant who happens to be the daughter
of Pharaoh. He is the combination of both worlds. He’s got Avraham’s faith in
Hashem like no other nation. Unlike Rome, the pagan worlds of Greece, Persia
and Babylonia or even the Atheists and Communists of Russia and the Christian
worlds, they are not idolators. They don’t believe that God has children with
women and kills them for the world’s sins. Yishmael believes in the same God
that we do. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">In fact Reb Moshe writes that he had heard
that Reb Yehoshua Leib Diskin would not walk in front of an Arab that was
praying in the same way that Halacha prohibits walking in front of a Jew that
was praying! They’re davening to Hashem, and in some ways their dedication and willingness
to sacrifice everything in His name comes from Avraham’s faith and willingness
to sacrifice himself and be thrown into the fiery furnace of Nimrod because of
that faith. That’s scary. That’s not a <i>chaya</i>. That’s an<i> adam</i>-
like Avraham, that has power that other nations don’t.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Egypt on the other hand threw something else
into this DNA. The Torah tells us that the difference between Egypt and Israel
is that Israel is a country that is not like Egypt where…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">“<i>Where you sowed your seed and which you
watered by foot, like a vegetable garden</i>” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Egypt has plenty of water for its fields. They
just kick a bit with their feet and they’ve got the Nile River that flows all
over and they’re good to go. They don’t need heaven. They don’t need prayer.
They have it all right there under their feet. In fact, that’s why he suggests
that we find that Yishmaelim worship the sand under the feet. Wherever they
walk they define as being holy. The holiness is right on the ground they walk
on. It’s wherever they decide it should be.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"> Eretz Yisrael
stands in stark contrast to that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i>But the land, to which you pass to possess,
is a land of mountains and valleys and absorbs water from the rains of heaven,<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">For things to grow in Israel. To survive in
this hilly mountainous range, we need rain. We need to turn to heaven. And thus
Hashem tell us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i>And it will be, if you hearken to My
commandments that I command you this day to love the Lord, your God, and to
serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give the rain of your
land at its time, the early rain and the latter rain, and you will gather in
your grain, your wine, and your oil. And I will give grass in your field for
your livestock, and you will eat and be sated</i>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Our existence is dependent on our connection
to Hashem. Fearing Him. Following His ways. Doing what we’re supposed to be
doing on this world. We have that connection. The snake in the garden of Eden’s
curse, as the Kotzker Rebbi famously said, was that his food would be the dust
of the earth. He never needs to turn to Hashem to get His next meal. He thinks
he has it all. That is the danger that the snake Satan lives with and threatens
the world with. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The danger and DNA of Yishmael, which is
different than any other nation is that they believe in God with total faith,
yet they define that whatever they do here in this world as Allah’s work. It
could be the worst atrocities, but it’s what Allah wants them to do. They don’t
look to heaven. They bow to the ground under them. Hitler, the Nazi’s, the
Vatican and even Stalin tried to cover up what they did. Not these guys. They’re
Facetiming live and claiming that it’s Allah, as they burn families alive and
decapitate babies. It’s distorted faith on steroids. And that makes them more
dangerous than anyone else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The Mahral, notes that they are in fact the
only exile that is not considered a <i>malchus</i>; a kingdom or empire, unlike
Persia, Rome, Babylonia and Greece. Because they don’t have an independent
kingdom. They live in tents. They are all over the world. They believe that the
whole world is Gods or Allahs just as we do. They are the only other nation
that Hashem’s name “E-l” in their name. Because they are also about the kingdom
of Hashem. But rather than looking to Hashem for what His will on this world
should be, they define it by what they’re animalistic tendencies and the dust of
their feet determines it should be. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">The antidote to them as we see at the end of
this weeks parsha is Yitzchak. Yitzchak who as we will see next week is willing
to be sacrificed and give up everything because Hashem told him to. Because he
doesn’t have a will other than Hashem’s will. That act of the binding of Isaac-
where he literally was tied up so that he has no personal natural physical
inclination that would prevent him from giving himself up and which is the
ultimate submission to Hashem-is the epitome of the opposite of Yishmael. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">That act takes place on Har Ha’Moriah; our
Temple Mount. And it is for that reason, Reb Moshe writes, that the Arabs have
always tried to disconnect us from that and ban us from going and worshipping
there. This is despite the fact that Jerusalem has no mention or place in their
Koran. It’s because fundamentally they understand on a spiritual level that it
is the place that stands in stark contrast to all they do and want, and claim. And
we do as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">How do we beat them? There’s only one way. It
is total submission to Hashem. It’s the declaration that we have no power
besides Hashem. In gematria the difference between Yishmael and Yisrael is 90
which is the letter Tzadik. The difference between us and them is knowing what
a<i> tzadik</i> is. <i>Tzadik Hashem bechol derachav</i>- Hashem is righteous in
all His ways. We look to Hashem and nullify ourselves to His will. That’s our
power against them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">What does that mean? Its declaring that loudly
to the world and to ourselves. It’s not the army, the iron dome, or our tanks that
will win us this war. It’s certainly not Biden. It’s not about politics. It’s
about revealing the oneness that comes from us when we say <i>Shema Yisrael
Hashem Echad</i> together. All of us. It’s when we not only bite the bullet
about all the petty divisions, the “religious” disagreements and disputes. The “<i>my</i>”
form of Judaism that defines our religion by the way “I” think it should be. By
the type of Kippah that “<i>I</i>” wear, the <i>nusach</i> “<i>I</i>” daven,
the mitzvos “<i>I</i>” think are more important, that “<i>my</i>” Rabbi tells
me I should put all my focus on- because that’s what’s really important. It’s
about understanding that Hashem wants us all together to say it’s Him. All of
us. And if you don’t get that, then there’s still too much “<i>you</i>” in
equation. There’s too much “<i>me</i>…” There’s too much Yishmael. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">One of the reasons why I started off saying
that this is hard for me to digest, is not only because it’s hard to believe
that we really are at the doorstep of Mashiach, and that we’re really facing
off with the last major challenge and birth pangs of a new and final day, although
that is pretty wild. Rather it’s because perhaps because I’m an American, and
perhaps maybe even because I was raised with an out-of-town mentality. I find
it almost abhorrent to myself to stereotype and suggest that there is a concept
of DNA and spiritual tendencies and genes yada yada…Particularly as a Jew who
knows his history and whose nation has been the target of all the worlds worst
stereotypes and racial slurs, I’m even more sensitive to that. As I think
probably we all should be, naturally.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">We all bristle when we hear someone say “<i>You
Jews…</i>” and we should when we hear someone say the same about “<i>Blacks</i>”
“<i>Puerto Ricans</i>”, “<i>Mexicans</i>”, “<i>Germans</i>” and yes as well
even Arabs. There were good Poles that saved Jews, there are many productive
and successful Blacks, Mexicans and all minorities. And yes, there are many
Arabs as well that serve in the Army, that are not animals. That want peace.
There have been many Druze soldiers that given their lives to save Jewish
lives. There were Arabs even in the 1929 Massacre of Chevron that hid and saved
Jews. Here in the North we have relatively good and even friendly relationships
with many Arabs. I certainly do, with many that express scorn on the
Palestinians and expressed real horror and even empathy about what took place.
Maybe they all aren’t Yishmaelites. We find that Yishmael himself (as you can
see in my new Tefilla-Prayer of the week column below) does <i>teshuva.</i> So
it’s hard to read and learn something that paints with a giant stroke an entire
nation. I’m digesting it still, as I said,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">Yet, at the same time I see the truth of it as
well as it regards to us. What this Yishmael has done to us is make us realize
that we are really one nation. We are all the same. We all have the same heart,
spirit, same God. See, until now we may have looked at our own brothers and
sisters as being totally different than us. We may have even felt more
comfortable with some of our goyim “friends” who shared our “value” system more
than those in our “family”. The frum might have felt more comfortable with
republican American Trump loving goyim or Christianvangelicals than their liberal
left-wing (what they described as) “self-hating” Jews. Those left-wing non-Orthodox
Jews may have felt more comfortable identifying with their liberal pundits than
their Chasidic or religious Chareidi brothers and sisters. Yishmael came and
reminded us that it was all stupid. It was all wrong. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;">We are and always will be one and will be
closer to those of our blood, our history and destiny because we come from
Avraham and Sarah- not Hagar. We are descendants of Yitzchak and will give our
lives for one another. We are a nation of unbreakable faith. We went through
the smelting pit of Egypt together, we sang at the splitting of the sea together,
and we all stood on Mt. Sinai and heard Hashem tell us that we are His chosen
nation. All of us. It is in our DNA. Because there <i>is</i> such a thing as a
spiritual DNA. This last bit of exile is to fight against Yishmael and remind
ourselves of that. It’s no wonder this parsha and promise of the end of days is
called Lech Lecha. For we are going toward ourselves. Our truest shared
essence. That’s the way we get to the land we have been promised. It’s the final
thing we have to digest.<o:p></o:p></p><p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
</p><p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have peaceful Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Ah hundert hayzer zol er hobn, in yeder hoyz a
hundert tsimern, in yeder tsimer tsvonsik betn un kadukhes zol im varfn fin eyn
bet in der tsveyter - </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">A
hundred houses shall he have, in every house a hundred rooms and in every room
twenty beds, and a delirious fever should drive him from bed to bed.</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">11.The first
Crusade left Europe in the year ___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Where can
remains of the sugar industry from the Crusader period be found?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. On the
Galilean coastal plains<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. In the
mountains of Jerusalem<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. On the
slopes of mount Hermon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. In the
Jordan Valley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/shomer-yisroel</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>My latest moving composition-
the prayer of all of us in this horrific war- Shomer Yisrael- Dovid Lowy did an
amazing jobs on the vocals and arrangements <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/kum"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/kum</span></a>
–<b><i> This week’s Parsha my Kum song! Amazing!<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6W8GxuBYNM-"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6W8GxuBYNM<b>-</b></span></a><b>
<i>and this is the original with translation of that song…Elokai Neshama… it
should be a merit for him…</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6dIEQMz3s"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6dIEQMz3s</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
On her 3754<sup>th</sup> yahrtzeit Benny Friedman and Baruch Levines V’Shavu
Vanim new Mama Rochel song. Chayala Newhaus incredible lyrics..</i></b></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJD4j4mdc10"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJD4j4mdc10</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Mama Rochel new song by Ari Zoldan great
war footage<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3oXuVBZ0Cs"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3oXuVBZ0Cs</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>A Dedi Tribute from Yanky Briskman and
Yedidim</i></b></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOYgHCihIU"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOYgHCihIU</span></a>
– <b><i>Maccabeats Song For Chayalim</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(</span><i><span style="color: red;">NEW COLUMN)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Prayer for Children </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This week’s parsha of Lech Lecha contains
perhaps the one prayer that we wish now more than ever was never prayed. It is
the prayer of our Patriarch Avraham when being told that he would have a child.
He would have Yitzchak, who would inherit the land of Israel. Avraham’s
response was to pray that his son Yishmael should live before Hashem</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Lu Yishmael Yichyeh lifnanecha</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- It would be enough if Yishmael should live before
you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This prayer Reb Elimelech Biderman suggests and even proves is the
secret why this cursed nation that we suffer from is still around. Yet in this
prayer there is a powerful message, he finds in what the power of prayer can
accomplish.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In Parshat Chayei Sarah we are told that when Avraham dies Yitzchak
and Yishmael come to bury him. Our sages note that although Yishmael is the
older brother by 13 years he allowed Yitzchak to go before him. From here they
derive that Yishmael did teshuva. He repented. In fact we even have great Jewish
sages throughout history that had the name Yishmael. Most notably the Kohen
Gadol that went into the Holy of Holies and even gave Hashem a blessing. So
Yishmael ultimately did teshuva.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">On the other hand we note that Esau, the wicked son of Yitzchak and
the brother of our Patriarch Yaakov, never did teshuva. He remained wicked
until his head was chopped off in his attempt to prevent Yaakov’s children from
burying our Father in the Machpela cave. Why is it that Yishmael did teshuva
and Esau didn’t?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rav Biderman answers and derives from here that it is because
Avraham had davened for Yishmael while Yitzchak didn’t. Now it is not because Yitzchak
didn’t love Esau that he didn’t daven for him, rather it was quite the
opposite. The verse tells us that Yitzchak loves Esau because he “hunted him
with his mouth”. He tricked Yitzchak. He would ask him questions in halacha
regularly. He pretended to be righteous. Yitzchak had no clue that he needed to
daven for him. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Avraham on the other hand realized and knew what Yishmael was. So
davened that he should “live before Hashem” That he should get the fear of God
upon him. That he should reform and that he should return. And his tefilla worked.
Because prayer always does, particularly prayer for one’s children. For we are
like Hashem in that prayer- we are a Father asking for his children and we turn
to Hashem as a Father as well. The tefilla for Yishmael worked despite the fact
as we said that he was really by his nature almost beyond hope. He was a <i>pereh-
adam</i> a wild man. Yet, the heartfelt prayer can work. And that is the last
for us as well. Never stop praying for our children. Our Father in heaven is
always listening. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Life after Death- a Prophets last message- 633
BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Elisha</b> had led the nation for 66 years
after his Rebbi, <b>Eliyahu</b>’s death during the kingdom of <b>Yehoshafat</b>
and his children <b>Yehyochaz</b> and <b>Yoash</b>. While he was alive there
was a degree of protection for the nation. When he died the native <b>Moabites</b>
across from<b> Jordan </b>started to maraud the people of Israel. And here’s
where an amazing story takes place; the final miracle of <b>Elisha</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Navi tells us that there was a funeral that
was going on and when they came to bury the person, they heard<b> Moabites</b>
coming and so they put down the body and fled. The body touched the bones of <b>Elisha</b>
and came back to life again. Pretty cool!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now who was this person and what was the point
of the miracle. There are two opinions amongst the Midrashim. The first is that
this was a wicked person. And it was unbefitting for <b>Elisha</b> to have him
buried next to him. So Hashem brought him back to life again and had him walk
away and then die again somewhere else for the honor of the grave of<b> Elisha</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another more fascinating opinion is that this
was in fact a righteous person. It was none other than the husband of the
prophetess<b> Chulda</b> whose name was <b>Shalom Ben Tikva</b> (what a great
Zionistic name!). He would sit by the city gate and hand out water to all of
the pilgrims to <b>Jerusalem</b>. It’s interesting that one of the gates on the
<b>southern wall of the Temple Mount</b> is called the <b>Chulda gates.</b>
Despite the fact that the entire <b>Temple Mount</b> outer complex is only from
the 2<sup>nd</sup> Temple period, but according to some it got that name
because the Talmud tells us that <b>Chulda the prophetess</b> would sit by city
gates. Maybe with her husband, <b>Shalom</b>, giving out water to pilgrims.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even more fascinating is that <b>Chulda</b> and <b>Shalom</b>
after he was resurrected, we are told went home and had a baby. That baby’s
name was <b>Chanamel Ben Shalom</b>, who also plays an important part in the
history of our nation. For he was the uncle or cousin of <b>Yirmiyahu</b> whom
Hashem commanded to redeem his field before the destruction of the Temple. He
did so and they had it signed and sealed for all times by his servant <b>Baruch
Ben Neriah</b>. The message being that one day, there will be houses bought and
sold in <b>Jerusalem</b> once again. Fascinatingly enough in the <b>City of
David</b> we have found remnants of <b>Bullas</b>- clay seal that actually has
the name of <b>Baruch </b>on it. Could it be from that document. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the cool thing is that what the message to
Yirmiyahu and to us was that Jerusalem may look dead but it will come back to
life. Who better to get that message from then <b>Chanamel</b>, the child that
was born from the resurrected father <b>Shalom.</b> Amazing! Perhaps as well
one day soon we will see <b>Gaza</b> and maybe even <b>Lebanon</b> returned to its
Jewish hands where it belongs as well…See, always a timely message in this
column as well…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every day the News reports of another Hamas
commander killed in an air strike in Gaza? How many commanders are there? I’m
starting to suspet that just like every guy in Lakewood calls himself a Rabbi,
every Muhammed and Ahmed in Gaza calls themselves a Commander<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The difference between us and them <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hamas terrorist- Mommy, look at me! I killed
10 Israelis! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israeli Soldier- Mommy look at me I saved 10
people!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Jew for Palestine protestor is like a
chicken demonstrating for Colonel Sanders<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In times of tragedy we send humanitarian aid
and doctors to the world and they send us their world leaders- every one gets
what they’re lacking…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A reminder for those in Gaza on October 29<sup>th</sup>
we turn the clock back to the Stone Age<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israeli soldier to Hamas terrorist “How old
are you”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Terrorist- “Next month I’ll be 24”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soldier- “Wow, you’re optimistic”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This war has it’s benefits. When ever my
children start fighting I put on my ringtone that sounds like a war siren…
Works great!<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Achmed- “Fatima! Did you finish cleaning the
house?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fatima- “All I have left are the steps”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s God’s job to judge the terrorists. It’s
ours to arrange the meeting…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And just like that I haven’t seen any Black
Hebrew Israelites proclaiming themselves to be the “Real Jews” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over the past three weeks. Weird…<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neturei Karta- “We were Pro-Hamas before it
was trendy”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Proven Conversation winner with
Pro-Palestinian activist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) Ask him if he feels Israel has a right to
respond to terror against it’s citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) When he tells you “No!” then ask him “Why”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3) Wait until he tells you something stupid
about “how violence only leads to more violence and makes the situation worse
and will hurt innocent civilians”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4) Punch him in the face<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5) when he tries to punch you back explain to
him how violence only leads to more violence…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6) If he agrees with you. Punch him again in
the face.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7) and again and again and again until he
understands that sometimes you have to punch back…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why do we need to report that there were 500
people killed in Gaza. Why not just say that theire unemployment level is down
by 10% percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">A</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Got this one
right too. The first part was easy. I go over Jewish history dates with all my
tourists all the time. I can do this in my sleep. So 1099 was an easy year to
remember. As far as part two I wasn’t sure. But I took a good guess, Akko was
the Crusader capital so it made sense that would be where they grew sugar. I
was right, Baruch Hashem! So doing not bad on this exam so far with the score
being <b>Rabbi Schwartz at</b> <b>8.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 2.5 point</b>
on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-33512474408088729392023-10-20T06:41:00.004-07:002023-10-21T23:38:06.372-07:00God's Soldiers- Parshat Noach 2023 5784<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Insights
and Inspiration</span></b></a></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">October 21<sup>st</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue 2</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">6<sup>th</sup> of Cheshvan 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk148082785"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Parshat Noach</span></u></b></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">God’s Soldiers</span></u></i></strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">We called them the i-phone generation. They’re soft. They
don’t have what the soldiers of old, that we read and learned about and
memorialized and perhaps even made into super-heroes, once had. Once there were
<i>giborim</i>. Once there was an army that knew and understood what it meant
to fight. To put their lives on the line. To roar like a lion and jump into
battle and do everything that it takes to achieve victory and wipe out our
enemy. This generation… these kids… They’re Tik Tok. They were raised in the
Corona years. They’ve got therapists. They’re woke. They know Facebook. They
don’t know war. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">I was wrong. We all were wrong. I’m in awe. I truly feel
unworthy to be living in the generation of these heroes. Story after story.
Sacrifice after sacrifice. Without fear. Without hesitation. For me. For my
family. For my country. For us. I heard once from Rabbi Berel Wein and I’ve
shared with many of my tourists what he had told me he had heard from the
Ponivezher Rav back in 1947. He gave them a speech in Chicago while he was
raising money to rebuild his yeshiva. He said to them prophetically that was
confident that the handful of soldiers in Israel would ultimately win the
British and the Arabs and establish a Jewish state in Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>But if I only had students- talmidim, that had that
same sense of sacrifice, of responsibility for Am Yisrael, that same fire and
determination that these soldiers have, we could have a Torah state in Israel
as well… But I don’t have them… We’re not even close…”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">“<i>Learn up from these boys, what it means to burn with
holy fire for the Jewish people.”</i> He told those students. “<i>Because
that’s what Klal Yisrael ultimately needs.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">I shared that story and would tell my tourists, that we
once had soldiers like that but today I’m not sure if we have them anymore. I
was wrong. We have them. They’re out there now. They’re poised, they’re ready.
Too many have already given their lives, but in their deaths like Shimshon took
down so many Philistines with them. There is a strength. There is a fury. There
is fire that his so holy that is emanating from them, that as I distributed
meals, and supplies to them I was almost scared that I would get burnt by it. I
felt like I was the Levi that was privileged to stand in the Temple and hand the
Kohanim their vessels or sing songs to inspire them in their service of Hashem.
We’re in good shape <i>Am Yisrael</i>, and I’ve never been prouder of my
nation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">But there’s something that is even more powerful that I’m
seeing that to me is the ultimate game changer. Something that I believe
differentiates the current army of Israel than any other army since the
founding of the State and perhaps even since the time of the Maccabees army led
by the High Priest Matisyahu. That is the identification that our strength and
power is all from Hashem. That there is no atheists in a foxhole the world
knows, but that the national songs of the soldiers in every base that is on our
lips is <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Od Avinu Chai</span></i><span style="color: black;">- our
Father in heaven is alive,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Anachnu Ma’aminim
Bnai Ma’aminim</i>- we are believers the children of believers, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokai</span></i><span style="color: black;">- Hear Israel, Hashem is our God, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">is amazing and inspiring. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">Soldiers are davening, they are wearing tzitzis, putting on
tefillin, taking on mitzvos and those are the soldiers who until now may have
identified themselves as Chilonim-non-religious secular Jews. That’s not even
to mention the tens of thousands of Batei Midrash on the front lines that are
learning Daf Yomi, that are reciting Tehillim, many who have left their Batei
Midrash or more accurately relocated them to their army bases on the border of
Gaza until they enter. This is biblical. There’s no <i>kochi v’otzem yadi</i>-
I don’t believe there has been a war that this country has fought since our
founding that has Hashem’s name plastered all over it like an Army banner as
does ours today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Eileh b’Rechev v’eileh ba’susim-</span></i><span style="color: black;"> they have tanks, they have terror-<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">V’anachnu b’sheim Hashem Elokeinu nazkir</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and we come armed with the name of Hashem that our
soldiers have repeatedly been invoking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">And this is from the I-Phone generation…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">Yet it is not just our young men and women that I fear I
have underestimated in the past. And that perhaps we all have. It is ourselves
as well. In this week’s parsha I saw such an amazing and powerful idea from the
holy Reb Shloimeh of Radomsk that has the power to be a game-changer for all of
us. He notes a perplexing Rashi on our parsha. The verse tells us that Noach
and his family only entered the Ark when they were forced to by the water that
was coming down. Rashi comments that this because <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Af Noach m’katnei amana haya</span></i><span style="color: black;">- Also Noach was small in faith<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Ma’amin v’eino maa’min</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
he believed and he didn’t believe that the flood would actually come. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">Reb Shloimeh asks, how this was possible? For over one
hundred years Noach had been not only building this Ark, but he had been
warning the world and Hashem Himself had told him that it was coming more than
once. How could Rashi and our sages tell us that he was someone who was short
on faith; this most righteous man of his generation? The answer he gives opens
up entire new worlds, which is really as I said in my E-Mail last week what we
are here to do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">He says that Noach’s failing was not in any lack of faith
in Hashem. He knew it was real. He had dedicated his life to the idea. Hashem
had told him personally it was happening. Rather, Noach’s lack of faith was in
his own power to change the fate of the world. That through his prayers Hashem
not only would spare the world but was in fact waiting for him to do so. As opposed
to Avraham who in fact prayed for the people of Sodom and who understood that
was what Hashem wanted him to do, Noach didn’t. He assumed that Hashem’s decree
was a Divine fait accompli. He didn’t understand that the <i>tefillos</i> of
the righteous could change that decree. That we are partners with Hashem in
Creation and the world. That is the <i>middas ha’Rachamim</i> the attribute of
mercy, that Hashem combined with the pure <i>middas ha’din</i> that he put into
the fabric of the world. It was in that area that Noach was lacking in faith.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">He notes that Moshe Rabbeinu got that message though and
passed it on to us. After the sin of Golden Calf, Hashem as well wanted to wipe
us off the face of the world. Yet, he consulted with Moshe and Moshe understood
that he has a say. He told Hashem to forgive us and turn over His decree. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">V’Im ayin</span></i><span style="color: black;">- and if not…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><i><span style="color: black;">Mecheini na mi’sifricha</span></i><span style="color: black;">-
erase me from your book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">Our sages tell us that the word erase- “<i>micheini</i>-
erase me” has the same letters as the words <i>mei noach</i>- the waters of
Noach. Moshe was telling Hashem that I learned from Noach’s flood what I need
to different. I understand that if you present me with an apocalyptical
situation- a decree from Heaven, that what you are telling me is that it is
within my power to do something about it. That You are listening and waiting
for my prayers, my merits, my share of our Partnership to do something. That we
can do something as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">If Hashem has blessed us with such an army in our
generation, that we didn’t think we would ever merit to realize. Then these
Kohanim are the representatives of the nation. Their power comes from us. They
are our <i>shluchim</i>- our agents to do the work of Hashem. And the rule in
the Talmud is that the messenger or agent only has as much power as those he
represents. That means that we have power that we never thought we had as well
at this time. In this generation of Mashiach. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">We can unite like we never did before. And we are. We can
connect to our soldiers like never before. And we are. Our prayers, our
charity, our mitzvos, our <i>kabbalos</i>- resolutions and the merits that we
accumulate at this time can change everything, just as much as we understand
that our soldier bullets do. Even more so perhaps. Every word of Torah learned
is a game changer. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t be Noach of little faith. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">There is something else that is different about this war
than any other war that our country ever fought before. Unlike the War of
Independence, The 6-Day-War or the Yom Kippur we are not fighting this time for
our existence. There is no one out there that believes that the State of Israel
is at risk of being wiped out. This is not even a war of deterrent our security
as our previous numerous Gaza or Lebanon incursions, or “operations” were. This
is a war against evil. Against darkness. It’s a war of the vengeance of Hashem
and eradicating evil and those that distort and wish to eradicate His name as
it shines from each of us here from His Holy Land on this earth. To win a war
against darkness the weapon with the most power is light. And each of us have
that light. We each have a nuclear weapon in the arsenal that is our soul that
is waiting for us to explode on our enemies. Ignite it. Set it off. Rain it
down on them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"><span style="color: black;">I like many I have talked to feel frustrated that Israel
hasn’t just opened up it’s nuclear arsenal in our “textiles factory” in Dimona
and set it off already and created a much needed parking lot in Gaza and in
Lebanon already. Its frustrating to know that we have the power to do so and
instead we might be sending Jewish boots on the ground putting our children,
our brothers and sisters and family at risk with a land invasion. Yet,
understandably perhaps we don’t want to cause any “innocent civilian”
casualties or deaths, or maybe more cynically we wouldn’t be able to handle the
world outrage if we did go nuclear. Yet the truth is there is an even more
powerful weapon and light that is in our hands. And that spiritual nuclear
weapon won’t have one casualty that Hashem doesn’t want to wipe out. Its our
light, our prayers, our unity. Hashem sent us a decree this year and He’s
waiting for us to unleash that force. He wants us to go spiritually nuclear.
Our soldiers on the front line are girded and ready to do what they have to do.
Are we as well? This a war that Hashem has drafted every single Jew on the
planet to fight. Your “<i>tzav shmona</i>”- your draft notice, is that hole in
your heart that you felt and feel when you turned on your radio, tv, internet,
opened up your newspaper that morning after Simchas Torah. We’ve been called to
serve. To serve Hashem-just as He told us when we left the exile of Egypt- on
the Mountain of Hashem. Are you ready to fight?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk148082785;"></span>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have safe, quiet and restful
Shabbos,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“A
hunt hot moyre far a shtekn un a ruech funr tzitzes.” .- </span></i><span style="color: black;">A dog is afraid of a stick, and a devil is afraid of
tzitzit.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">10.The
type of rock which the "Mushroom" in the Timna park is made from is
___________.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What
is the average precipitation in the Arava?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A.
Around 20 millimeters per year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B.
Around 80 millimeters per year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C.
Around 150 millimeters per year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D.
Around 200 millimeters per year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yizkeraim">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yizkeraim</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>A memorial prayer for the brutal
murder of the kedoshim demanding their blood be avenged by Hashem and the Rosh
Hashana prayer. I composed this after the kidnapping of the three young man by
Gaza and it’s first war. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjrh7LHlrw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjrh7LHlrw</a></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> I</i></b></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" style="color: black;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: black;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>can’t stop watching and feeling the holiness
of this holy soldier Yehudah Bacher singing this song two days before being
killed in the Simchas Torah Massacre…and crying<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6W8GxuBYNM-"><span style="font-weight: normal;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6W8GxuBYNM</span>-</a> <i>and this is the
original with translation of that song…Elokai Neshama… it should be a merit for
him…</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6dIEQMz3s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6dIEQMz3s</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
I’ve been playing this new Doni Gross Benny Freidman album all week to all my
soldiers</i></b></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQn90-LkuQA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQn90-LkuQA</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Shlomo Carlebach Tzitzis saves a soldier life awesome<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaj9WVkPe2s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaj9WVkPe2s</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>Amazing
say Shema Yisrael clip (Hebrew)</i></b></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LPnwSW9deYI">https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LPnwSW9deYI</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–
<b><i>You can’t not get emotional watching this soldier sing to his daughter
before going out to battle</i></b></span><b><i><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(</span><i><span style="color: red;">NEW COLUMN)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Tehillim </span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">– </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We’re at war. It’s a war that the Torah and the Rambam rules that halachically
is a mitzva. When an enemy rises up to destroy it is the obligation of
everyone- even a groom from his <i>chuppa</i>, even a Kohen or Levi to go out
and fight and destroy the enemy. Yet, not all of us are soldiers. Not all of us
even know which way to hold a gun or are even in places where we can join the
actual fight. Yet, the halacha tells us that there are two mitzvos in war. The
first is to fight and the second as the Rambam brings it is to daven. </span><b><i><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rambam Laws of Taanis (1:1) <i>It is a positive Torah
commandment to cry out and to sound trumpets in the event of any difficulty
that arises which affects the community, as it states:</i> "When you go
out to war... against an enemy who attacks you and you sound the trumpets...."</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This practice is one of the paths of repentance, for
when a trouble arises, and the people cry out to Hashem and sound the trumpets,
everyone will realize that the trouble occurred because of their evil conduct</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">… <b><i><u>This realization will
cause the removal of this difficulty.</u></i></b></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It is not the soldiers or the fighting that will
remove the evil, it is our prayers. Fascinatingly enough the Rambam describes
those that don’t pray. That rely on the soldiers along. That believe that what
is happening has nothing to do with their prayers is in fact the cause of an
even furthering of the troubles.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Conversely, should the people fail to cry out Hashem and
sound the trumpets, and instead say, "</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
has happened to us is merely a natural phenomenon and this difficulty is merely
a chance occurrence<i>," this is a cruel conception of things, which
causes them to remain attached to their wicked deeds. Thus, this time of
distress will lead to further distresses.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps even more frightening is that the Rambam quotes a
verse to support this idea and you’ll never believe what word it uses to describe
an intensification of the trouble<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is implied by the Torah's statement </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"If you remain indifferent to Me, I will be indifferent
to you with a <b><i><u>Chamas</u></i></b>- vengeance." <i>The implication
of the verse is: When I bring difficulties upon you so that you shall repent
and you say it is a chance occurrence, I will add to your [punishment] an
expression of – <b><u>Chamas</u></b> -vengeance for that indifference to Divine
Providence…<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So we’re soldiers as I said above and our weapons are our
prayers. The most powerful of all our prayer weapons is the book of Tehillim-
Psalms by King David. In my shul I try to shake things up by reciting psalms
that are not the traditional ones selected that everyone knows by heart. And it’s
amazing if you go through the book how many of them mention the word Chamas in
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this week’s Torah portion we are told that Hashem decided
to destroy the world because it was full of<i> Chamas</i>- which Rashi explains
means robbery. Fascinatingly Unkelos translates it as <i>chatufim</i> which
means kidnapping in modern Hebrew. The ten commandments prohibition on stealing
as well understood by our sages to be the kidnapping of people. Hamas steals
souls. Our job is to restore and fight him by bringing the spirit of life in
the world. We do that with our prayers with our Tehillim. When someone steals
something they take it from its proper place. Our Tehillim puts it right back
where it belongs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I once heard an incredible idea about Tehillim. The singular
word for Tehillim- Psalms would be Tehilla- a psalm or prayer. That word is a
feminine word. The plural of it should be <i>Tehillot</i>- which is in fact a word
that is used in our daily prayers numerous times. So why when we refer to our
Psalms do emasculate it and make it Tehillim? The answer is because through our
prayers we have the power to transform the world from the feminine receptacle natural
aspect of Creation, from when we are merely receivers of Hashem’s benevolence,
to a world where we are the masculine. We are the ones that are breathing the
life and transforming and creating new realities. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rashi tells us this week that the wicked move Hashem from
the chair of mercy to the throne of Judgement. The Righteous though, through
their prayers do the opposite. We move Hashem to the throne of mercy. We can
change the decrees. That’s what Noach did ultimately when he left the Ark and
Hashem remembered him. That’s what we do whenever we pick up that Tehillim- not
<i>Tehillot</i>. We become players. We become soldiers. We become Creators. And
we’re on the path this year to making a whole new world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES
AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" dir="LTR" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keep on Hitting- 633 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> With the death of <b>Yehoyachaz</b> and amidst the terror being rained
down on the <b>kingdom of Israel</b> in the North by <b>Chazael</b> the <b>King
of Aram</b> today’s <b>modern Syria</b>, we are introduced to his son <b>Yehoash</b>
of the North. He took over in the 37<sup>th</sup> year of <b>Yoash </b>of the
kingdom of <b>Yehuda</b> and he ruled for 16 years in the North. I know it’s
confusing two kings with the same name, but hey it is what it is…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yoash</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, we are told, much like his father did evil in
the eyes of Hashem. He kept the idolatry and worship of <b>Yeravam</b>, and his
golden calves in <b>Tel Dan</b> and <b>Beit El</b>- both where there are still
remains of those Temples today- although in <b>Tel Dan</b> you can really see
it. His father had done some teshuva and Hashem promised that he would bring salvation,
but it would come in his sons reign. And Hashem kept his word. Yet that
prophecy that they would ultimately conquer <b>Aram</b> came with the death of
the prophet <b>Elisha,</b> who even <b>Yehoash</b> despite being a sinner
revered. I mean how can you not, the man was literally a miracle maker like his
teacher <b>Eliyahu</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As <b>Elisha</b> get
sick, <b>Yoash</b> comes to visit him and he echoes <b>Elisha</b>’s own call
and plea to his Rebbi, <b>Eliyahu</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i>Avi Avi Rechev
Yisrael</i>- My father, my father Chariot of Israel its horsemen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elisha</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> mysteriously tells <b>Yehoash</b> to take a bow
and arrow and to open the window and to start shooting towards the East. <b>Yehoash</b>
obeyed and <b>Elisha</b> told him that it was a sign that he will smite <b>Aram</b>
in the battle that will take place in <b>Aphek</b>- which fascinatingly enough
is the portion of <b>Yehuda</b>. Today that’s not far from <b>Rosh Ha’Ayin</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He then told him to
shoot the arrows at the ground. <b>Yehoash</b> did so as well three times. But then
he stopped. That’s the problem with us Jews we cop out before the job is done. <b>Elisha</b>
got angry and told him that had he continued 5 or 6 times then we would’ve been
successful in wiping out <b>Aram </b>entirely. Now it was just as going to be a
temporary victory. Those were the last words of <b>Elisha</b> and with that he
died. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There’s a fascinatingly
eternal lesson- that is so timely about what we have to do when we go to war.
We need the prophet and his prayers, but we as well need our soldiers and our
leaders and kings to know that sometimes they have to keep going and not be
satisfied with a half a victory. Is this a timely column or what?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Next we still have one
more post-mortem miracle of <b>Elisha</b>. Stay tuned…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY GAZA MEMES/ JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If a siren goes off
while Biden is here you don’t have to worry about him hitting the ground to
take cover. He’s usually falling down there anyways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The UN is calling on
the Israeli government to allow technicians into Gaza to ensure that rockets don’t
misfire again onto innocent civilians taking shelter in hospitals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A generation has grown
up in Israel thinking that elections are something that you go take part in
every half year while school is only one year on and one year off…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The US Secretary of
Defense was here last week, the Chancelor of Germany today, tomorrow the
President of the US is coming and next week the Prime Minister of England will
be here. At least the Ministry of Tourism is doing their job…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s better that we
don’t get shlepped in right now to a war with Hezbolla. We don’t have the
ability to provide Humanitarian help on two fronts…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Weather forecast for
Gaza- it will be raining missiles all day<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For all of the Gaza
refugees that have fled to Sinai. From experience you can survive there for at
least 40 years and if you get thirsty for water just hit a rock twice… It
worked for us.</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you want this war
to end right not- get vaccinated- The Ministry of Health<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why are you blaming
the government for this? They haven’t done anything…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two Arabs are sitting
in the Gaza Strip, enjoying a quiet pint of goat milk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One takes out his
wallet and starts flipping through his family pictures, "<i>This is my
oldest son. He's a martyr. This here is my second son. He's also a martyr!"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The second Arab nods,
“<i>They blow up so fast, don't they?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Say what you will
about Hamas......but their education system is top notch. Over 90% of the
children in Gaza become "Rocket Scientists"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why does Gaza keep
firing rockets at Israel? It keeps them occupied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where is the Hamas
headquarters? Depends on where the Israeli missile hits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Hamas
wheelchair-bound commander, a one-eyed, triple-amputee terror boss, Mohammed,
ordered the Israel massacre.After turning down <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>serious job offers from the BBC., New York
Times and CNN<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel Army Spokesman-
Despite the restrictions and limitations of flights to Israel, all planes to
Gaza will function as normal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The UN is demanding we
have a proportional response. So in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange we
established that one Jew, Gilead was worth 1027 Arab terrorists. So for 1350
Jews that they killed multiplied by 1027 would come to a proportionate response
of 1386450 dead terrorists in Gaza. We will be happy to oblige.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Woke- (adjective)
pronounced Wok (woker, wokest)- chiefly US slang aler to and concerned about
social injustice and discrimination unless it’s about slaughtering Jews. (see
also hypocrite). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Jewish mother-in-law-
“<i>quickly help me clean up the house right now. God forbid a missile will hit
here and then the photographers will come to take pictures and it will be a
mess.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God willing as of next
week Pango will be active in Gaza as it will be one big parking lot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We ask that the
Israelis please stop publicizing the names of all of the Hamas terrorist
leaders that have been killed. Their families have not yet been informed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So there I was sitting
there in my bomb shelter after the siren went off and after 5 minutes my
neighbor told me that we could leave. I told him that I wait 6 full minutes. My
other neighbor waits just into the 5<sup>th</sup> minute, while that guy from
Holland left three minutes ago…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One wife at home with
6 children wrote that she understood why the call-up for reservation miluim
rate was for so high and why this war might go on forever. The soldiers have a
concert everynight with Hanan Ben Ari and Ayal Golan, they get free hot meals, cigarettes,
haircuts and pedicures and massages from therapists. Barbeques every other
night, truckloads of food and all types of treats. This war is going to go on
forever… It’s amazing that they didn’t have a 150% sign up<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="LTR" style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to
this week”s question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">A</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– So I definitely would’ve
skipped this question on the exam. You’re allowed to skip 5 questions. Geology
is not my thing and neither are numbers. I’m a word person in case you haven’t
figured that one out. But I guessed anyways and got it right! So there!! So the
type of earth is sandstone, the mushroom in Arava rocks and Solomons pillars
that are magnificent there are formed by the erosion of this soft rock. The precipitation
I knew was low so I went with 20 Mm and what do you know? I was right! So that
makes the new score <b>Rabbi Schwartz having a</b> <b>7.5 point</b> <b>and the
MOT having 2.5 point</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.</span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-47753521784897452372023-10-12T22:29:00.005-07:002023-10-12T22:32:59.288-07:00A New Morning- Parshat Bereishit 5784 2023 War Edition<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from the</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Holy Land</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">from</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">"Your friend in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">October 13<sup>th</sup> 2023<i> </i>-Volume
13 </span></b><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt;">Issue 1</span></u></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">28<sup>th</sup> of Tishrei 5784<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.5pt;">(New column Rabbi Schwartz Parsha/ Prayer of
the Week!)</span></i></b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">Parshat Bereishit<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><strong><i><u><span style="color: black;">A
New Morning</span></u></i></strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">We asked on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur that
Hashem should reveal Himself in all His awe and fear to the entire world and He
did. It just wasn’t anything that we thought it would be. It generally isn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">Lo machshavosai machshavoseichem</span></i><span style="color: black;">-My thoughts aren’t your thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">lo darcheichem derachi</span></i><span style="color: black;">- your ways aren’t Mine-is the speech of Hashem that we
heard loud and clear this past week; the week in which there is no one in this
country that doesn’t agree, everything has changed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">It’s a different world. A different country.
We’re a different people. And it’s a world and people that I believe everyone
agrees will never be the one that it was before. The world before Simchas Torah
5784 is not coming back. It’s exactly what we asked for- just not what we
thought we would get there or how we imagined it would look like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">Nishbar ha’contzeptzia</span></i><span style="color: black;">- The previous conceptions have all been thrown out, is the
term I’ve learned this week. “<i>Ha’paradigmot hishtanu</i>”- the previous
paradigms are all gone. We thought we knew what the worst that evil could look
like in our 21<sup>st</sup> century post-Holocaust civilized world. Yet we had
no clue how much more horrific it could be. Graphic depictions and stories
don’t stop coming over the media. Children, old people, couples, soldiers,
families, babies with just a few months of breath in their short lives were
slaughtered in what some have called Israel’s Babi Yaar; our Kishinev pogrom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">It was the 1929 Chevron massacre but much much
worse, with those killed and wounded numbering more than 10 times as much making
it the worst in the history of the world and the most Jews killed in a day
since the Holocaust. An it is perhaps the most Jews murdered without the
benefit of a gas chamber since the Crusades or the Chiemlinizki Cossack
pogroms. This year Tisha B’av there will be new Kinnot that will need to be
recited. It will be the stories that I’ve been hearing every 30 minutes on different
broadcasts. And they keep coming… “Never again”- happened again…again. It
happened again worse than it ever did before. We understood what evil looks
like, as we never did before. It’s a new world...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">We thought we could rely on the army to be
there for us. It’s the best army in the world. We thought we had the most
incredible intelligence agency, the best information. We knew what they were
doing and planning before even they did. We knew where they went, when they
ate, where they hung out, what they were planning. We will never be caught
unaware. We have a fence. We have cameras, drones, we have phones we can trace
to anywhere. And we now realize that we couldn’t even use all that intelligence
and those phones to get to our own terrorized victims until hours, if not days
after it was too late. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The <i>contzeptziot</i> are all gone. All of them.
That there is no one to rely on besides Hashem has never been clearer. The <i>al
tivtichu b’nedivim</i>- that <i>bnai adam</i> that have no power to save anyone
is something we will never trust or have any faith in again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Yet something else changed in this new world; from
the pre-Simcha Torah 5784 world. There’s no longer me-and-them when it comes to
our fellow Jews. The fighting between us miraculously disappeared. We realized
that we’re all on the same team. The team that was losing. The team that
hurting. That was on the same boat. We realized we’re all parents. We’re all
children. We all were the targets of our enemies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A week ago we were fighting about whether
there should be a mechitza- a “<i>hafrada</i>” in services in Tel Aviv. Hashem
ripped down that <i>geder hafrada-</i> that separation fence graphically before
our very eyes and we came together as a country and nation. A week ago some of
us didn’t daven for the army or its soldiers or for peace in the land of Israel.
They would never daven for the government and its leaders to have light and
wisdom. In this new world there isn’t anyone that isn’t praying harder that our
soldiers should wipe out Amalek and that our leaders should wake up and do what
we need to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">I spent much of this week at various army
bases bringing food and supplies to soldiers. It was unreal. A new world.
Religious, non-religious, sefardi, Ashkenazi, black, white, Chasidim,
Chareidim, small kippas, no kippas, long skirts, pants-wearing <i>chayalot</i>,
we were an <i>am echad</i>. 300,000 of our nation’s finest all came to serve,
to put their lives on the line for the Jewish people; for Eretz Yisrael. There
was no left or right. There was no frummer or less frum. It was just holy souls
united, shining brightly, coming in jeeps, cars, bus and planes from all over
the world like a shofar was calling them to become one- an <i>agudah echas</i>-
one band and group- <i>la’asos retzoncha</i>- to do that will and mission
Hashem has given us to wipe out our enemies in this <i>milchemes mitzva.</i> <i>B’leivav
shaleim-</i>with a strong united heart. It was what we davened for- we just
never thought it would look like this. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">It wasn’t only the soldiers, by the way. It
was everyone else that kept coming. It was the cars and cars of Israelis from
all over the country that brought food and supplies to the soldiers. So so so
much food… and supplies. It was those that hosted families from the South for
as long as they need. It was the tons of calls and phone calls and money… so so
so much money that poured in from our brothers and sisters from around the
world. It was the thousands that attended funerals and paid shiva calls to
families of the fallen that they never knew but that understood that part of
ourselves died with the martyred victims and heroes that gave their lives for
our nation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">It is the thousands of yeshiva students that are
giving up their vacation time to return early and that hit the bais midrash to
learn and daven for our future, for our existence, for peace. It is the heroes
of Zaaka that will never sleep again after the horrors that they witnessed retrieving
the bodies that they spent days bringing to their proper Jewish burial. The
Hatzala members, the doctors, the nurses, the police, the so many volunteers.
We realized that we really are a family in this new world. That despite how
different we are we all share something special that no other nation in the
world has between one another. It supersedes money, politics, observance,
kippas, where we came from, or how we lead our lives. The Chasid in Meah
Shearim who danced on Simchas Torah 5784 realized that was his sister that was
dancing in the “Mesibat Teva- the nature dance” in the border of Gaza. The
secular leftist in Rishon L’Tziyon or Hertzelia who may have never stepped in a
shul and wouldn’t even spit on a religious Jew on Simchas Torah 5784,
recognized that his neighbor in Bnai Brak who was sitting in a bomb shelter
hiding from missiles holding his children tightly and praying just as he was, is
his brother. We are one in this new world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">But it’s not just about us. Or is it? For in yesterday’s
world we weren’t on the world’s most favorite country list. We were condemned
regularly. We were being lectured about moral equivalency. We were occupiers. “<i>Nebach
the poor Palestinians</i>…”. Restraint, they told us. They’re “lone wolfs”. They’re
“militants”. Don’t call them animals. Jewish blood was cheap. It was irrelevant.
It was ignored and an acceptable currency in the worlds moral bank. Tragically
even in many of our owns as well. It was a price we could, and some felt even
should pay for being aggressors. For being Jewish. For having a state and
laying a biblical claim to it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new
world for this week though-at least as we see it, is a different one. It is a
surreal one. It’s one that I don’t even think the strongest of faith believe can
be more than a short-term post-tragedy reality. It is a world turning to Israel,
to the Jewish people and saying “<i>You were right</i>”. You’re our representative
to eradicate evil. You represent justice. You carry the banner of light, of
truth, of values that represent the God that we believe in. Fight for us. We
will shine your flag on our White house; on our capitals around the world. In
Germany. On the Vatican. On the Arch of Titus that reignites that light we
nations of the world tried to extinguish 2000 years ago when we destroyed the
temple. We realize and understand that you are the priests of the world. That you
are our front lines. And we all want to get in step behind you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Can you believe that this is the world that we
prayed for? Or do you still feel that Hashem hasn’t answered our prayers, and
this is just a small blip or commercial on the never-ending cycle of our 2000-year
persecution that says “oh, we’re sorry… never again.”. Are you from those that
feel we had better act fast before the tide turns, and that the pictures of the
poor, wild-animal spawn in Gaza will revert the pre-Simchas-Torah-world we
lived in to its natural state of apathy, if not latent antisemitism towards our
people? Or can you believe that Hashem has begun the final birth pangs of our 2000-year-long
exile and we are sitting in the birthing room of a new world where the entire world
has its eyes to us to herald in the final redemption- that not only we, but
they as well- at least spiritually subconsciously- has been waiting for.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">If there was any doubt, then the timeliness of
this week’s Parsha and the beginning of the cycle of Torah reading that starts
with the Creation of the world should perhaps give that doubt pause. It should
give you the appreciation that we have in fact entered a new world and
creation. The world that echoes the first original world. The world we have
been davening for 5784 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">And the land was empty and bare and
darkness over the face of the depths</span></i><span style="color: black;">. The
world was dark Sunday morning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">And the spirit of Hashem hovered over the
face of the waters</span></i><span style="color: black;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">I look at the rubble of our kibbutzim, the
carnage, the houses, the fields, the death, and I see Hashem’s spirit hovering
above it all. Hashem separated the heavens and earth. There was light and
darkness. It was clear. Until then, Rashi tells us, light and darkness were
intermingled. The creation was blurry. There was no light shining that was separate
from the darkness. Good looked bad and bad looked good. But on Day One there
was that separation. It was either-or. It was light or darkness. It was Hashem
or Hamas. It was Torah and truth or lies, distortions, woke and death. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Hashem saw that it was good. And it was
Day One.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The first word of our Torah is Bereishis. In
the beginning of what, our sages ask? It doesn’t translate well. Our sages thus
explain that the word is a reference to the Jewish people who are called <i>reishis</i>-
we are the first. <i>B’shvil Yisrael Ha’Nikraim reishis</i>- because of Israel who
are called <i>reishis</i>- the beginning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rav Charlap explains in his work Mei Marom
this powerful idea- that the function of a beginning is to come to an end. The
world was created to bring and reveal the heavens down below. That heaven and
earth shall kiss. That darkness will be eradicated and that through our exercise
of our free choice we reveal Hashem as the King. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">It is a world that was created with kindness. And
when Hashem created that world it was the intent that Yisrael, our nation would
reveal and bring that light to the world. All the antisemitism, the hatred, the
evil that befalls us is because we have not succeeded in doing that. They are
jealous of our role. The Satan is created in order to prevent us from achieving
that goal. He thwarts us by dividing us. By not allowing us to see the light in
one another. And if we can’t see Hashem in each of us then we can’t possibly
shine His light out to the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The redemption will come, he writes, when the
world will see that we are united. In the final song of the Torah of Haazinu we
are told this will happen when everyone is dancing in our blood and the world will
ask how it can be this nation? What is different about them? Where is their
God? And then we will unite and the light will shine. And they will come forth.
And they will join us. And the nations will praise Hashem. And the world will
come to its completion. And we will be back in the garden. It will be Shabbos
forever. The <i>reishis </i>will have reached the<i> acharis ha’yamim</i>- the
end of the days. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">That first world and our parsha concludes with
its deterioration. It ends with what next week’s parsha tells us is a world
that is filled with Hamas- No, I’m not making this up. Hamas is the word the Torah
uses to describe a world that is full of robbery. A world, Rashi tells us, in
which the nations will claim that we are robbers. We stole the land of Israel. We
are Hamas. It is why the first word in the Torah is <i>Reishis</i>. That we are
in fact the beginning. That Hashem created the world and gave the land of
Israel to us. That it is from there and when we recognize and claim it
rightfully as such- and yes Gaza as well is part of that land- then they will
agree. They will sing Hashem’s praise. They will see His oneness. Our oneness. The
evil, the Hamas, the robbers that claim that its not our inheritance will be
eradicated. <i>K’ashan tichleh</i>- they will go up like smoke, as we said in
our prayers this Rosh Hashana. Like the smoke rising over Gaza right now. Like
the smoke that the entire world has been waiting 5784 years for us to eradicate
them with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then and only then will we see
the completion of our prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black;">U’vchein tzadikim yiru v’yismachu</span></i><span style="color: black;">- then the righteous will see and will rejoice, the
straight will sing, and the pious with song will celebrate. There will be <i>simcha
b’artzecha</i>- happiness in the land and in our city. And the son of Dovid
Mashiach will finally be here. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Welcome to our new world. It’s the one we
davened for. The baby is almost born. The <i>mazel tovs</i> are about to come
as well. We are in a war that is between light and darkness. Between not just
Hamas and Israel. It is the nations that see the light and darkness and are
fighting with us over it. It is the western countries, America, Europe,
Australia and it is Iran, it is Russia, it is China. It’s new world. Hashem is
separating light and darkness. His spirit is floating above all. And Hashem
will see that light and darkness and it will be good. <i>Vayehi Erev Vayehi Boker
Yom Echad-</i> It will be evening and it will be morning and it will be Day
one. The Day of Oneness will have arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="yiv374537735msonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Have safe peaceful Shabbos and a Chodesh Tov,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt;">************************<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“Vifil
yor er iz gegangn oyf di fis zol er geyn af di hent un di iberike zol er zikh
sharn oyf di hintn.- </span></i><span style="color: black;">As many years as he’s
walked on his feet, let him walk on his hands, and for the rest of the time he
should crawl along on his backside.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">9. Hisham
Palace was built during the Muslim ___________ dynasty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">What was the
capital of the Mamluk Sultanate?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. Cairo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Baghdad<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Jerusalem<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. Acre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yizkeraim"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yizkeraim</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>A memorial prayer for the brutal
murder of the kedoshim demanding their blood be avenged by Hashem and the Rosh
Hashana prayer. I composed this after the kidnapping of the three young man by
Gaza and it’s first war. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/avinu-malkeinu"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/avinu-malkeinu</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i> Composed this
after the Har Nof massacre for those kedoshim- sadly it’s still relevant and
its wishes for Hashem to avenge our martyrs remains with us.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLDUu1NEiQ0"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLDUu1NEiQ0</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>- The world shows Solidarity with
Israel!</i></b></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbdoCyC9r4E&list=PL7kw44li4gT_OFxduGnd2yfUVq910ilrP&index=4"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbdoCyC9r4E&list=PL7kw44li4gT_OFxduGnd2yfUVq910ilrP&index=4</span></a>
</span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">–</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Avraham Fried prayer for Chayalim<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuItxC0fb2c&list=PL7kw44li4gT_OFxduGnd2yfUVq910ilrP&index=2"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuItxC0fb2c&list=PL7kw44li4gT_OFxduGnd2yfUVq910ilrP&index=2</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<b><i>Ari Goldwag Ana Hashem Hoshia Na</i></b></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFjLQkNp4as"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFjLQkNp4as</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <b><i>Shlomo Carlebach Od Avinu Chai
to soldiers going out by Yom Kippur War</i></b></span><b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PARSHA PRAYER
INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(</span><i><span style="color: red;">NEW COLUMN)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">LAST YEAR I LEFT OUT THIS COLUMN OF THE WEEK. IT’S TIME TO DO
TESHUVA IN THIS SPECIAL YEAR WE WILL CONNECT AND FIND INSPIRATION EACH WEEK WITH
A LESSON ON PRAYER<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The 40 day prayer</span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Although I plan to dedicate this column towards a connection
between each parsha and the prayers that we say and what davening is all about,
this week I want to start off with the prayer we recited each day for the
entire last month and that we concluded the day when the “New World” and the
Simchat Torah war began. The idea and its relevance and its message to us right
now are too powerful and mind-blowing to not share with you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prayer of L’Dovid Hashem
Ori which is psalm 27. We began it at the beginning of Elul and we read it through
the holidays. The reasons why we read it is because it contains secrets and
messages for the season we are in. It contains the name of Hashem 13 times in
that correspond to the 13 attributes of mercy which we recite in selichos in
this month. As well it contains in the first word of verse 13 a hint for the name
of the month Elul.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Lulay He’amanti li’ros b’tuv Hashem B’Eretz Hachayim</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Had I not believed in seeing the
good of Hashem in the land of the living. The word <i>Lulay </i>contains the
letters of Elul.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The first sentence represents the high holidays or days of awe that
we enter.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Hashem Ori V’yishi mi’mi erah</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Hashem is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Our light</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">,”
our sages, tell us is a reference to Rosh Hashana. “<i>Our salvation”</i> is
Yom Kippur. It continues with verse 5 which references not only Sukkos but even
Shmini Atzeret.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ki Yitzpineini B’Sukkah</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- That He will hide me in His Sukkah on the day of
calamity; </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Yastireini B’seser ohalo</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- He will conceal me in the secrecy of His tent. On Shemini
Atzeres we are alone with Hashem. It is just us and him. We are <i>be’setirah.</i>
And that’s the last day that we recite this prayer. And now what comes after.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This year on that day we began the new world with the terrible war
and the massacre that took place in “Peace dance” on Simchat Torah in a place
called Re’im. Would you believe that those words and many more messages for us
right now are in this psalm as well…</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">B’karov alai me’<b><u>reim</u></b> le’echol</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> es basari- When evildoers draw
near to me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies against me- they
stumble and fall. The word me’reim means friends but in this context it is evil
doers that are friends. And they came to eat our flesh. To kill and murder.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It continues in the next verse speaks of war</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Im takum alai <b><u>Milchama</u></b> b’zos ani bote’ach-</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> If a war comes up against me in
this I have faith.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When does this happen as it says <i>Ki Yitzpineini B’Sukkah</i> -
when you will hide me in your Sukka and then right after is <i>Ba’Yom ra</i>-
the day after we left the Sukka became that day of <i>Ra</i>- of evil. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Who will do this evil? Verse 12 tells us</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ki kamu bi eidei sheker v’nefayach <b><u>Chamas</u></b></span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- Do not deliver me to the desires
of my adversaries, for false witnesses and speakers of evil have risen against
me. It is those that have spread lies about us those that are Chamas!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What will they do to us. <i>Avi v’Imi Ya’azvuni</i>- we will lose
fathers mothers,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we will suffer hiddenness
but Hashem will gather us in. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What will be of that war?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Kavey el Hashem</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">- we shall hope again and again for Hashem. And as it says earlier
in the psalm Hashem will uplift us over our enemies and we will dwell in the
House of Hashem in the <i>Eretz Ha’Chayim</i> in the Bait Ha’Mikdash.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For forty days we recited this prayer. 40 days are the days of birth.
Its Moshe bringing us the Torah. It’s 40 years before coming into the land. It’s
the 40 day prayer that we recited that will hopefully herald in that house of
Hashem so we may sing this psalm there very soon.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The War from the North- 650 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Learning Navi in the Book of Melachim is like watching news
broadcasts here in Israel these days. We keep flipping back and forth between
Kings and Kingdoms. Between the North and the South. That’s what I’ve been
doing here as well this past week. But with the conclusion of the story of <b>Yoash</b>
the <b>King of Yehuda </b>and his assassination we flip back to the <b>Kingdom
of Israel</b> this week. The king there after the death of <b>Yehu</b> was his
son <b>Yehoyachaz</b> who took over during the 23<sup>rd</sup> year of <b>Yoash</b>
in <b>Yerushalayim</b>’s <b>Judean Kingdom</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yehoyachaz </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">took us back a step by as his father Yehu in not only allowing the
<b>Mikdash of Yeravam </b>in <b>Beit El</b> and <b>Tel Dan</b> and his worship
of Hashem via the golden calves he established. As well the Ashera worship of
Achav and Izevel started to sprout back up. Hashem wanted this stopped so he
brought in our friend from <b>Aram/ Syria</b> to wake us up. This was already
prophesized by <b>Elisha</b> it would happen. And it did for 17 years. They
wiped us mostly out. <b>Yehoyachaz</b> was left with an army of 10,000, 50
cavalry soldiers and only ten chariots- the ancient equivalent of tanks. It was
bad. It was really bad. It was like <b>Gaza</b> today. Yet <b>Yehoyachaz </b>did
teshuva. Hashem had mercy and with his death in the era of his son <b>Yoash</b>
of the North- not to be confused with <b>Yoash</b> of <b>Yehuda</b> Hashem saved
us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It seems war is our fate. As we know this column
has a tendency to be connected to our daily news. And this war cycle seems to
have gone way back. It’s a matter of listening to our prophets before the fact,
rather than paying the consequences afterwards. Next week we conclude with the
death of our prophet <b>Elisha</b> and the amazing story of his final miracles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY
GAZA JOKES OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The good thing about Biden is that after he
gives us artillery he forgets a few minutes later
and sends us again. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For sale in Gaza a 4 room apartment<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3 room<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 room<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not relevant. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coming soon Beit Chabad of Gaza<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I ask all those that “Stand with Gaza” to
stand in Gaza… and the world will be better a place<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because of the serious parking crisis
(chaniya) in Israel we are happy to announce the establishment of a new parking
area Chani-younis<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m worried about the entire system falling
apart tomorrow when tons of the Chariedim bring pots of chulent to families of
the south… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yesterday the Pikud Ha’Oref sent us to the
supermarkets to buy all of the food, today they’re sending us to the shelters
to eat it all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m starving does anyone know where I can go
to get drafted. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sefardic soldiers in the South are asking
the Ashkenazim to stop sending food, they’re having a hard enough time as it is.
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Army has decided to disconnect Gaza from electricity
and water. I think it would be better if they connected them to Electricity in
water.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be careful Hamas is infiltrating the Tehillim
whatsapp signup groups and are taking all of the short perakim.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The city of Tel Aviv has finally decided to
open up the public bomb shelters. 40 Shekel for the first hour and 15 shekel every
hour after.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">A</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– Another half
right half wrong one. Muslim history and the various meshugeneh Arabs that
lived and their “dynasties” don’t interest me or any of my tourists or frankly
really anyone in general. I guessed it was the Abassisds the answer was the
Ayummites- who cares? The second part I got right as I do know that the
Mamaluks were like these Asian arab slaves that rose up from Egypt and rebelled
against Egypt and took over the Middle East. That being the case Cairo the only
choice from Egypt was the right answer. So half right/half wrong makes the new
score <b>Rabbi Schwartz having a</b> <b>6.5 point</b> <b>and the MOT having 2.5
point</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3941920049268885451.post-50308537266738926052023-09-29T03:49:00.005-07:002023-09-29T03:49:46.518-07:00It Fits- Sukkos 5784 - 2023<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Insights and Inspiration</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from the</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Holy Land</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">from</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">"Your friend
in Karmiel"</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">September 29<sup>th</sup>
2023 -Volume 12 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Issue
51 14<sup>th</sup> </span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">of Tishrei </span></b><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 14.0pt;">578</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 16.0pt;">4!</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a name="_Hlk141002034"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></a></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk141002034;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Sukkot</span></b></span><a name="_Hlk142203901"></a><a name="_Hlk145065111"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk145065111;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk142203901;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk145065111;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk142203901;"><b><i><u>It Fits!</u><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk142203901;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk145065111;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s been a little over
two years and I’m still not used to it. I look in the mirror and I ask myself
if that’s really me looking back at me. When I go to a restaurant or more often
when I pick up some takeout food, I still have a fat man’s eyes. I still order
way too much. I know intellectually and from experience that I only will be
able to get down a few bites before my tiny post-gastric bypass stomach tells
me that’s it, game over, we’re all full over here, “<i>ein makom</i>”… but I
just can’t help ordering a little fries, onion rings, some deli, and I can’t
leave the menu without a taste of some wings… So, the food I order lasts me a
week… <i>Nisht geferlach</i>… I don’t mind leftovers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now I know that my
mother is getting upset already once she started reading this. Enough already,
with your surgery and weight loss, she tells me. But it’s been a while, you
have to admit, since I brought it up. And the truth is I really saw such an
incredible idea about the upcoming holiday of Sukkos and this really is the
perfect segue into it. So, I’m sorry Mom…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You know it really hit
me and continues to hit me the first time and really throughout the summer whenever
I went rafting down the Jordan River. See in the past before getting on the
rafts one of the most annoying parts of being “large” Ephraim Schwartz was trying
to find a lifejacket that would fit. They made them all too small for me. It’s
really discrimination against those of us that are shall we call it “horizontally
challenged”. You know it’s like when you get on an airplane and they have those
“extender” seat belts… Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You couldn’t
throw in an extra inch or two for us with a little extra <i>basar</i> on our
bellies? I always wondered why pregnant ladies never made an uproar about this.
So every time I would just go and pretend like I was clipping those life-vest
clips and would just leave them open or inhale deeply for a minute or two. I
mean nobody drowns in the Yarden river anyways. It’s really not that deep.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yet after my weight loss
I remember the first time I went and went for the big XXXL life jacket and I
realized that I was swimming in it. So I switched to a Large which I always
assumed was for adults and whadaya know? That was too big as well. I was like
Goldilocks and the three bears. The next was the small… I was shocked. It fit!
And I even had room to breathe. My 13 year old son wears a small. This was
insane. The truth is since then, I actually even borrow some of my Tully’s
clothing. I’m wearing his tzitzis right now… You have to realize, two years ago
I think Tully could fit into one leg of my pants. And now I’m him. As I said
its very very weird, strange and it’s still doesn’t feel like its me. Not that
I’m complaining. I don’t miss those 120 pounds that I hauled around for 40
years. Not one bit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now what does all of
this have to do with Sukkos, you want to know? It’s really quite amazing. See,
this past Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur my <i>drashos</i> in shul really revolved
around one idea that was percolating in my brain. They usually do by the way… I
just don’t have too much time these days to think of various ideas, they just
grow and grow and expand after each <i>drasha</i>- kind of like my belly used
to after every meal-and I add on and continue with them. The idea was based on
a story that I heard about an older gentleman that lived in Yerushalayim that
was a former student of the Chafetz Chaim back in Radin. He told his children
that one of the things that he regrets most in his life and the opportunity
that he allowed to slip through his hands was that at the end of the Chafetz
Chaim’s life they were trying to recruit different students to stay over the
night and sleep together in the room with the Chafetz Chaim to make sure that
he was alright. He remembers how when they approached him, he was very excited
about the opportunity. This was cool! A night with the Chafetz Chaim, I mean how
it can it get better than that. Yet, then he was told that the truth is this
wasn’t meant to be a one-night gig. Actually, the person that would be given
this job would have to agree to do this every night for a month and really to
stay with the Chafetz Chaim throughout the entire month. It was then that he
started to get nervous. It was then that he backed out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What would you do? See,
for him it was too overwhelming. A one-night gig, a quick picture and meeting,
a photo-op, even a nice hour or two schmooze with the holiest man of our
generation would be an amazing thing, that I think most of us would jump at.
There are probably a lot of people who would pay a lot of money for that
opportunity. Actually there are a lot of people that do pay a lot of money for
those photo-ops and meetings. I’m a tour guide. I know people that make a
living off of the Gedolim-get-you-into-the-backdoor-visits. But would you be
willing to spend a week straight with Reb Chayim Kanievsky- 24/7? How about a
month? Yeah… It’s kind of scary. It doesn’t feel right. How long can I talk in
Torah for? How long can I watch what I say? How long can I be holy for? What if
I need to pull out my smartphone? Yeah… I’m not sure about that. I’m not sure
about me…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well Rosh Hashana and
Yom Kippur are really about that self-realization and actualization. The great
Chasidic master the Toldos Yackov Yosef explains that the Book of Life and
Death, the Books of the Righteous and the Wicked. Those are all open before Hashem
on these days and Hashem hands us the pen and tells us to inscribe ourselves in
the one that we want to be in. Life, though of course means a life connected to
Hashem, it’s the book of the Righteous. Are we ready to sign up for that Book?
It’s easy to ask Hashem to just allow us to live, but that’s not on the table. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jews…we…, weren’t just
meant to live, to deal with the mundane and do mitzvos here and there. We’re
coming to anoint the King. It’s living with Hashem all the time. All the time…
24/7/365.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s not just when
things are going bad, please help me Hashem. He’s not just a Hatzala guy or
phone-call. It’s not just “make sure my business deal works out”. He’s not a
magical financial adviser. It’s not even” <i>help me feel holy…sometimes…”</i> “<i>Help
me feel inspired and connected to You…sometimes…</i>” On Shabbos… On holidays…
when I daven…That’s not what it’s about. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s about having Hashem
in us, with us, part of us… always. Always, means when I go to work, when I
space out, when I chill. There are no breaks. It’s being alone with the Chafetz
Chaim for more than just a week or even a month. It’s having him with you
everywhere. That’s the book Hashem asks us if we want to and are ready to
inscribe ourselves in. The job of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is to get to that
point at least once during those days when we can bring ourselves to even consider
that we might be up for that job. That it really might be who we could be. That
the clothing might fit. The Book of Life- Jacket that Hashem is handing us the
clips to and telling us that it really is our size.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And now for the
expansion of that idea on Sukkos. Because Sukkos is the culmination of all of
those requests that we had on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It’s the actualization
and realization of it all. It’s when we actually try on the new life suit we
just got. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let’s go slowly. On Rosh
Hashana we blow the shofar or at least listen to it. It is our inner spirit rising
up. It’s our breath, our spirit of life, our neshoma going up to Hashem and
telling Him that we want to be with You. We want to be better. We want Your
Kingship upon us. We feel that. Our minds and souls soar back to Sinai when we
first heard that revelation. We want to go higher. We want Hashem down here
with us. Well on Sukkos that actually happens. The <i>sefarim</i> point out
that the essence of our Sukka is that there is <i>sechach</i> on top. There is
no roof. We can see the stars and the heavens. On Rosh Hashana we have three
types of blasts that we hear. There are 60 <i>Tekiot</i>- long blasts, 20
shevraim midi-blasts and 20 more broken cry teruah blasts. 60-20-20. Do you
know what those numbers are 60 is <i>samach</i> in gematria and 20 and 20 is <i>kaf</i>
and <i>kaf</i> or <i>chaf</i> and <i>chaf</i> which of course spell <i>sechach</i>.
Isn’t that cool. We asked Hashem and now He’s come down in our <i>Sechach</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After Rosh Hashana we
have 7 days until Yom Kippur that make up the middle of the 10 day of
Repentance- the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. During those 7 days we are meant to fix
up everything we need to so that we can have Hashem close to us. It’s work. It’s
awesome. It’s beyond ourselves. It’s a lot and a lot of prayers, <i>selichot,
teshuva</i>… Each day of the week is fixing up a day of the year. One Sunday
fixes up a year of Sundays, and Monday does the Mondays etc… Well Sukkos
whadaya know again also has 7 days. Each one of those days begins our year
after that teshuva with a day of Simcha. Of joy of being with Hashem Of Hashem
eating, drinking, sleeping and just hanging with us together. It’s the new us. It’s
the us that we davened and did tshuva for. Each day is now instilling in us
that experience for the rest of the Sundays, Mondays Tuesdays etc… for the whole
upcoming year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The pinnacle of our High
Holydays though of course is Yom Kippur. The centerpiece of all of Yom Kippur
is the Kohen Gadol going into the Holy of Holies, beyond space and time. He
becomes one with Hashem. He does the service, which at its center consists of
the bringing the incense offering on the golden altar within that spaceless,
timeless, heavenly room. Those spices that correspond and represent all of us
go up in heavenly cloud to Hashem. It’s the cloud we bring up to him. On Sukkos
the clouds of Glory of Hashem come down to us. That’s our Sukkahs. On this
holiday we are actualizing that moment of the Kohen Gadol who represents all of
us, as in our hearts and minds we went in there with him. And now we are living
that reality in our Sukkah. The moment of awe has become 7 days of joy. The
clothing fits. We said yes. We inscribed ourselves. We’re in the room with
Hashem. And we didn’t even have to go under the knife to make it happen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The last day of Sukkos
is Shemini Atzeres. It’s the day that Hashem tells us that He doesn’t want to
leave us. He enjoyed our time together too much. We spent an incredible week together.
We’re leaving those clouds of glory and we’re going back into our regular
houses. But the surgery is done. We’re different people. We look in the mirror
and we recognize within ourselves that our old clothing are too big on us. They’re
shlumpy. They’re not me anymore. When we come back into our homes and our
lives, we’re no longer the people that we were before. We spent a week straight
not with Reb Chayim Kanievsky, not with the Chafetz Chaim, but with Hashem. We sat
down every night for dinner with Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, King David and all
the Ushpizin. We did that right here in our homes. We didn’t have to go to
shul, or the Bais Ha’Mikdash to experience that. We just went into our backyards.
We just tried on a new life. We lived like that book that we inscribed
ourselves in of the tzadikim. And Hashem doesn’t want to leave us. And we don’t
want to leave Him. And we won’t. So are you all ready for a new pair of pants?
For the new life? For Simcha. For endless happiness, fulfillment, for the new
souls that we davened for. It may feel funny at first. Take if from me. But you
know what? It’s who and what we were always meant to be. This Sukkos try on the
new me and you will be surprised to see how well it fits and how good happiness
looks on you. Take it from your favorite skinny tour guide. There’s nothing
like it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 12.95pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have Chag Kosher V’samayach-
a Happy Sukkos,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz</span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;">************************</span></i></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">“Oib der
shuch past, kenst im trogen.”- </span></i><span style="color: black;">If the shoe
fits, wear it.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #002060;">answer below at end of Email<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">8. The
Byzantine period in Israel started in the <u>___________ </u>century.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">In which of
the following places did Queen Helena build a church?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A. Sebastia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">B. Elonei
Mamre<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">C. Nazereth<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">D. Mount Tabor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK</span></u></b><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e;"> </span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ushpizin">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ushpizin</a>
– <b><i>In honor of Sukkos one of my most beautiful Sukkos songs.. and you know
theres a need for a good hartzig one “Ushpizin”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lmaan-yeydu-vsamachta">https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lmaan-yeydu-vsamachta</a>
–<b><i> And of course the only song you get a mitzva d’oraysa for singing in
your sukka- dance away- v’samachta my composition<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG3QSC4DuMc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG3QSC4DuMc</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>-
Motty Shteimetz’s caught on to my idea and here’s his latest l’maan yedu doreseichem</i></b></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZMC2Yyy85g&list=PLZrH989f6tQIzAdEVfR596JOVoDBgOMyb">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZMC2Yyy85g&list=PLZrH989f6tQIzAdEVfR596JOVoDBgOMyb</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><i><span style="color: #3e3e3e;">-</span></i></b><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Check out a whole album with original Lipa Sukkos hits awesome- im not a
lipa fan but this is really a different Lipa and am enjoying…</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIZK42Y54pE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIZK42Y54pE</a>
–<b><i>Nissim Black’s latest with this new guy Oryahh <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Love Me”</i></b></span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VgOkrC_L-Q">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VgOkrC_L-Q</a>
– <b><i>Shlomo Carlebach on Sukkos… Awesome..</i></b></span><b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An Assasinated King - 650 BC </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> With the assasination of <b>Zecharia the Kohen Gadol</b> and son
of <b>Yehoyada</b> who was <b>Yoash'</b>s savior and Rebbi on Yom Kippur in the<b>
Temple,</b> his fate was sealed. Hashem once again sent<b> Hazael</b> from <b>Aram/
Syria </b>against <b>Yehuda</b> and he smote them. Yoash fell sick and he was
recovering in his palace in <b>Beit Milo</b> in Jerusalem when two of his
servants conspired to assasinate him. The Jewish people realized that it was <b>Yoash</b>'s
fault that they were in the situation they were in. Sure, they sinned but
ultimately the buck ends with the King. If <b>Yoash</b> didn't stop them from
their deification of him, then he has to take responisbility. And thus he was
killed there in his bed and buried in the<b> City of David,</b> but not even
with the rest of the Kings. Rather he was laid to rest in disgrace.</span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There's an interesting discussion amongst
archeologists where exactly this <b>house of Milo</b> where he was killed was.
Originally it was thought it was the steeped structure in the City of David
where <b>Dovid's Palace</b> was assumed to be. Yet, others place it further
down by the spring house and the <b>Gichon spring</b> flows there. It was
fortified and it was where Kingds were annointed. The debate revolves around
whether the word<b> Milo</b> which means fulling place is filled with rocks or
water. Regardless this is the tragic end to the hopeful era of salvation. Much
like our <b>Palestinian </b>neighbors today, we seemed to never miss an
opportunity to miss an opportunity.</span><span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE FAT
FITTING JOKES<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OF THE WEEK</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">You can go from fat to fit…With one good vowel movement…. Oy…</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">After years of dieting, I found there was only one way to look
thin: Hang out with fat people.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Why do obese Romans prefer loose clothes? Because in Roman Numerals
L is bigger than XL.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What French word have all fat Americans learned at an early age?
Buffet.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What is the name for an overeating bee? Chub-bee.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What do you call a bee that can’t control their eating? O-bees.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What do you call a fat person who can tell the future? A four-chin
teller</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Congratulations on deciding on your weight loss surgery. You have a
lot of guts.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Chana tells her doctor she can’t help being overweight. Her
parents, siblings and children are all overweight because it runs in the
family. The doctor responds by saying “I seriously doubt anyone is running in
your family.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s not food that fat shames me, it’s the voice activated scale!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Don’t tease fat people, they already have too much on their plate.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s called the One Month diet. In the end you are sure to lose 30
days.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Why did the obese man give up on his diet? He was thick and tired
of it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Where do they take fat people who try to escape from exercising?
The Fitness Protection Program.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It’s better to never tell jokes about fat people. They never work
out.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Why aren’t fat jokes socially acceptable? It’s never nice to make
fun at anyone’s expanse.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I went to the doctor’s today and when I walked in, she said, “<i>I’m
sorry about your wait</i>.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I said, “<i>So am I but it’s okay, I’ve been fat all my life</i>.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Every time someone calls me fat I get so depressed I cut myself…A
piece of cake.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I’m not saying I was fat but if I had to name the 5 fattest people
I know, I would’ve been 3 of them.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">That awkward moment when a fat kid says, “That’s how I roll.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My boyfriend hates it when I make jokes about his weight. He needs
to lighten up.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My wife told me nothing shocks her any more. So I switched her
digital scale from pounds to kilograms.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A guy is standing on the bathroom scales desperately sucking in his
stomach. “<i>That’s not going to help,” </i>says his wife.</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“<i>Yes ,it will,”</i> replies the man. “<i>It’s the only way I can
see the numbers!”</i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My New Years resolution was to lose 20 pounds this year. Only 26 to
go.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I love you loads, honeypie</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.” My wife said to me earlier.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I replied, “<i>And I love you tons</i>.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“<i>What, no nickname for me?”</i> She asked, disappointed.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Sometimes I swear she’s going deaf.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What's the difference between a compulsive person and a fat person?
One has OCD and the other has OBCD</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I wish I could see what it was like to be fat for just one day. I'm
tired of being fat every day.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.*<b>*******************************</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">The answer to this week”s
question is </span><span style="color: #eb4c39;">B</span></u><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: black;">– So I got this
one half right. Obviously when the Byzantine period starts is with the advent
of Christianity and Constantine and his mother Helena who finally kicked the Roman
pagan ways and found Hashem-sort of… with of course Yoshka too…which is still a
step up from before as the Rambam notes, but its still missing the boat. That
was in the the year 320 which is the 4<sup>th</sup> century. Where her
farkakteh church was built, that I wasn’t sure about. I don’t do or like
churchs much and hope and pray that they are all destroyed and go up in a cloud
of smoke as we davened for on Rosh Hashana and YK. So I guessed Nazareth, but
in fact the correct answer is Alonei Mamrei right near Chevron where they believe
the “Tree of Avraham” is located. Now it’s cool that of course tonight is the
Ushpizin of Avraham, hopefully it will be a tikkun on the sin of the church
that thank god no longer stands there. So I got this one half right and thus
the new score is <b>Rabbi Schwartz having a</b> <b>6 point</b> <b>and the MOT
having 2 point</b> on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Rabbi Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595147646063573932noreply@blogger.com0