Amazing Guests- Parshat Haazinu- Sukkot Edition- 2018 /5779

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

September 21^st 2018 -Volume 8 Issue 49 12^th  Tishrei 5779

Parshat Haazinu/ Sukkot

Amazing Guests

What an amazing people we are, I thought to myself. Is there another nation in the world that could do what we just did. Who else can sit in shul for 10-15 of the last 24 hours pretty much straight through? Add to that, not eating, not drinking, and pretty much not talking either. Yeah there might be some Buddhists up in some mountain in Tibet with a few Jews spiritual seeking Israelis or hippies that might try the whole meditating thing. But it ain’t Yom Kippur. Not only do we do that, I thought to myself, but I actually feel uplifted as a result of it. I looked around my shul, I thought about my yeshiva days, I think about the different communities and strains of Jewish life I have been exposed to and the truth is I find that most of the people in most of the shuls and services I have attended on Yom Kippur actually feel the same way. It’s a real high. The ultimate one perhaps.Neila, when those gates of heavens are closing at the end of the day, there is an indescribable holy energy that is in the synagogue. It’s truly amazing and we are amazing that we can pull through until that point when the holiness explodes, when our bodies are truly recognized as secondary; as mere hosts for the soul and the spark of God that is our truest essence.

 Now, there are of course people in every shul that don’t feel that way. There are people that are checking their watches, critiquing the cantor- wishing they can’t- hear. There are shuls where you just don’t feel that spark. I certainly was one of those guys in shul- many times. I’ve certainly been in shuls and minyanim that didn’t touch me or inspire me at all. I’m sure you have as well. Interestingly at least for me I’ve found that the shuls that have a bit of chasidish spirit, a more alteh heim-feel, speak more to my soul. That hasn’t happened to me though since I started my own shuls and led services. I like the chazan there 😊.  For others I’m sure they can’t imagine not being in their more formal shuls, maybe with a choir. Maybe with the old chazan. Maybe there are certain songs, tunes, liturgical pieces that you need to hear, and if you don’t then your day just isn’t the same. It doesn’t make a difference. You’re there. You’re trying. And ultimately you’re aware that there is a part of you that is trying to move beyond this world. And when it gets there. Its mind-blowing.

 Now there are other Jews that tragically have never had what I believe is the true Yom Kippur experience. Some that are or were at least raised Orthodox, who just were miserable and never moved beyond the minyan their parents sent them to, or the one they had in yeshiva which may have never worked for them. Others who were raised in non-orthodox homes who may have been from the “twice-a-year” Jews and resented the hypocrisy of coming to synagogue and asking forgiveness for sins they had no intention of feeling bad for, or praying to a God they weren’t even sure existed. I’ve met a lot of those types in my wanderings. Tragically I would say they are part of the rapidly disappearing majority of our people; our brothers and sisters who have not found anything meaningful in our 3000 year old heritage, tradition, wisdom and Torah. It’s not a new phenomena in our people. We’ve lost way more to assimilation then to persecution and annihilation. It’s not their fault. I really believe that. They were brought into the wrong Judaism. Their soul never found its path. Perhaps that wasn’t their mission this time around for their soul. If you believe in reincarnation and that our souls can come back multiple times to fulfill and repair different aspects of it purpose, then life or lives might have different objectives, they might be easier, they might not include my Yom Kippur experience. But yet those Jews as well are part of me. They are still part of my family, my nation and ultimately I believe that they will experience it. Every Jewish soul will. Our souls are too amazing not to.

 But what is even more amazing to me then our High Holiday fortitude is our post Yom Kippur activities. See, we have just spent the entire day in prayer. In fact we pretty much have spent the entire past 10 days in prayer and supplications. Sefardim who get up early and say selichos weeks before the Ashkenazim do and guys in yeshiva with regular Elul speeches from their mashgiachhave been in prayer and teshuva mode for a whole month. We just went through Rosh Hashana pretty much spending 20 out of 48 hours in shul davening. We are on major holy Highs. We have been repeatedly asking Hashem non-stop to “Shine His Kingdom and glory to the whole world”. We are on the top of the world.

 So where do you go from there? What do we do the next morning, or even that night? We are not on the top of the world but outside in the backyard on the top of a roof banging nails together and figuring out how to make a Sukkah. We are walking around the market place and looking at palm branches, citrons and counting leaves on myrtle branches. Is there anyone else out there in the world like us? We have gone from the Holy of Holies to the agriculture and construction business and we don’t even blink an eye. We have been doing this for 3000 years and we don’t even think twice about how bizarre it is.. We are like little kids decorating our Sukkah. Hauling branches and making sure its shady enough. Bringing in our fine china, our silverware and our little squeezy honey bear for our challah (I miss those guys by the way here in Israel, if anyone has one send me it). That’s awesome. But what is it all about?

 It struck me today that perhaps what we are doing is beginning construction on that world that we have been asking Hashem for. That world where He will shine out from. Yeah, He has a heavenly palace, a Temple even that will come down and rest on the Temple Mount. First, however He wants to see us build Him a little one in our backyard. Sukkos is the ultimate culmination of all that we have been davening for. We’re building a home where our soul doesn’t have to hide in the basement of our body, right under the bills, the traffic, the noise, the blogs, the news, the carpool and yes even our Torah learning and prayers that may be more mechanical, cultural, social and intellectual rather than something and someplace that It would achieve its proper expression. It’s a place where it, where the real “I” was talking and exploding about during the Neila service. So now we build our soul, we build our truest self that home. It’s made out of wood. Out of branches. Its not too fancy but it glows like my soul does. I put down my smartphone, my car keys, my wallet and I pick up my Lulav and Esrog; a little palm ,a little myrtle, some willows and a citron and I shake them around. This is what surrounds me. This is what I need to be enveloped with. My body is the home of the shechina. My sukka is the House and shade of Hashem. That is where I want to dwell. That is the life I’m looking for.

 There is an interesting custom we have on Sukkos. Every night we invite into our Sukka the 7 heavenly shepherds; Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef and Dovid. We don’t do this by any other holiday. We don’t invite them to our Pesach Seder when we have our finest china and Pesach goblets. We don’t invite them to join us for some latkas on Chanukah even though we’ve got plenty of nights for them to come. They’re not there for blintzes on Shavuot when we celebrate the giving of the Torah and not even for hamantashen on Purim and you know we try to find anyone to give those leftover poppy seed ones to. What is about Sukkos that enjoins us to invite them and have them grace us with their presence?

 The Shemen Hatov suggests a profound answer, he says it’s precisely because it’s not our house that we are inviting them to that we know that they will come. We are inviting them to Hashem’s house. To our Sukka, the tzeila dmiheminusa- to those heavenly clouds of glory and faith. To the house that we built for Hashem and our neshomas after finally finding our true selves on Yom Kippur. That is where they are invited to join us. Pesach Shavuot all the other holidays we are in homes that don’t and can’t radiate that holiness. The ushpizin probably won’t feel too comfortable there. They are built for our bodies, our tastes, our neighbours tastes and they house all that is physical about us. After Yom Kippur though our souls are beyond this world and our Sukkah is beyond this world as well. It is our taste of Gan Eden and if we are in Gan Eden then our Patriarchs and the holy ushpizin can certainly feel comfortable to join us. For our souls are joined with them as they our joined with our Creator, our King, our Heavenly Father who we have been so close to.

 It is not only the ushpizin that recall our connection to our shepherds. Each of our 4 species as well connects to them. The three myrtle branches are the Patriarchs, the two willows are Moshe and Aharon, the Lulav is Yosef and the Esrog is Dovid. Just as the we shake those species around ourselves, and many have the custom to do that in the Sukkah, we surround our soul with the souls of our forefathers. We connect with the spheres of holiness and gifts that they gave to us. We move beyond this world and even more fascinating we move beyond the differences that are between each other. He notes that the Torah tells us in the mitzva of Sukka

 Vayikra (23:42)“You shall dwell in Sukkos for 7 days every native/citizen of Israel shall dwell in a Sukkos”

 Seemingly it is a repetitive verse. As well the term every ‘citizen’ or ‘native’ of Israel is meant to dwell in the Sukka. Since when do we refer to Jews by their citizenship? The answer our sages suggest is that we are referring to the ushpizin. They represent the 7 days of Sukkos and they come because in our Sukka we have all become united. We are all one soul. There are Lulavs amongst us, Esrogs, myrtles and willows. Each one of our shepherds are there to make sure that anyone with Jewish citizenship will be connected in that house we built for Hashem. They may not have made it to Yom Kippur. They may not have even found their place in Yiddishkeit. They may just be Jews by citizenship only, but the 7 days Holy ushpizin that come to dwell in our Sukkos are coming with them as well in our Sukkos. For they are also part of our collective Jewish soul. They are also part of revealing Hashem’s Kingdom in this world. They are there as much as Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are there.

  Fascinatingly he notes, that Moshe and Aharon represent the willow branches that have no taste, no flavour. The power of Moshe’s Torah, the unconditional love of Aharon’s clouds of glory gather in those souls as well. We may have never invited those Jews that are not as holy as us into our homes. But you know what? The Sukkah is not our house. It’s Hashems. The ushpizin are there. We are all one. And aren’t we all amazing together in that Sukkah.

 For seven days we will be in those incredible clouds of glory. We will bask in that holiness that we brought down to this world by our little man made huts. We will shake our Lulav branches, we will sing songs with our family and we will remember we came from and where we are meant to bring this world to. May it be the will of Hashem that He brings every Jew into His Sukkah as well. And may His light then finally shine out to the entire world from what will becoming His permanent dwelling place in Yerushalayim

 Have an amazing Shabbos and a otherworldly Sukkos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

  

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The Young Israel of Karmiel would like to invite you to join us this Shabbos for our warm and friendly services. Our Shul is located at 24 HaChavatzelet Street in the Dromi in the Beit Meli building/home.

SHABBOS SCHEDULE

SHABBOS PARSHAT HAAZINU

CANDLELIGHTING- 6:10 PM 

MINCHA & KABBALAT SHABBAT- 6:20 PM

SHACHARIS- 8:30 AM

MINCHA 5:50 PM

MARIV- 7:22 PM (10 minutes after tzeis)

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SUKKOT SCHEDULE 5779

SUNDAY EVENING

CANDLE LIGHTING 6:07  PM

MINCHA-6:20 PM

FOLOWED BY MARIV

MONDAY

SHACHARIS- 8:30 AM

MINCHA 6:00 PM

MAARIV- 7:20  PM

TUESDAY-FRIDAY

SHACHARIS-8:15 PM

SHABBOS CHOL HA'MOED

CANDLELIGHTING- 6:00 PM

MINCHA/KABBALAT SHABBAT- 6:15 PM

SHACHARIS- 8:30 AM-

MINCHA 5:45 PM

MAARIV- 7:13 PM

HOSHANA RABBA/SIMCHAT TORAH -

SUNDAY

SHACHARIS -8:15 PM

CANDLELIGHTING-5:57 PM

MINCHA- 6:10 PM

FOLLOWED BY MARIV AND HAKAFOT

MONDAY SIMCHAT TORAH

SHACHARIS-8:30 AM

MINCHA AFTER HAKAFOT AND MUSAF

MAARIV- 7:10 PM

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Mit a guten gast frait men zikh ven er kumt arein; mit a shlechten gast, ven er gait avek...”– With a good guest, you are happy when he arrives; with a bad one, when he leaves.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q A kibbutz in the region of Judea and Samaria:

A. Ofra

B. Kfar Etzion

C. Tirzah

D. Tapuach

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/NPIPrQAtIz4- Greatest scene from Ushpizin movie The power of prayer. Must watch (really should rent and watch entire movie but if you don’t have time at least this scene)

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ushpizin-2- My Ushpizin song composition- the nicest song you’ll hear this Yom Tov. If I had one song I composed that I would want out there- this would be it… After all how many times can you sing vsamachta

https://youtu.be/FNAG8nhF7vo- A movinng Tribute to the Lion Ari Fuld who was cut down to early by an arab terrorist this past week. May Hashem avenge His blood.

https://youtu.be/B2W-8Ea835s  - Sukkas Falling? I don’t know what I just watched hmmmmm

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HAFTORA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Haazinu – I believe that not only is the haftorah connected to each parsha but the prophet that is chosen for that haftora as well has a connection to the Parsha. So certainly Yeshaya and Yirmiyahu have connections to many parshiyot. Yet when we have a prophet that doesn’t show up to often is when we can really note that. This week our haftora to the portion of Haazinu, the “song of the Torah” is only appropriate to be connected to the prophecy of the Noam Zemirot of Klal Yisrael- the great singer and composer Dovid Hamelech.

The song of Haazinu is not 99 bottles of beer, or row row row your boat or even twinkle little star. It is complex. It discusses Hashems’ kindness to us. It describes us forgetting him and the wrath Hashem pours upon us and ultimately it describes His mercy and revelation to the world. Dovid is a microcosm of the Jewish people. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Haazinu is chapter 32 gematria lev- heart. .Dovid  is our heart. He is our Esrog. In the prophecy which is mostly repeated in his psalms.. he traces those themes as well.

He is purused by Shaul, he is chased by enemies from within and without, Yet in it all he realizes

Shmuel (22:2) God is my rock, my shelter, my refuge

Just as in our parsha Hashem tells us that He is

Devarim (32:4) Hatzur Tamim Pa’aalo- Our Rock, perfect in his actions

The song of Haazinu describes all of the tribulations as ultimately coming to that great revelation of Hashem telling us

Devarim (32:40) “For I raise up My hand to heaven, and say, 'As I live forever..

Ibid (22:47-50) “Chai Hashem UVaruch Tzuri-The Eternal lives! Praised be my Rock! God is exalted…so I thank You, Eternal One, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name”

The Haftorah concludes with the words that we conclude our bentching with

Ibid (22:51) Migdol Yeshuos malko voseh chesed lmeshicho LDovid U’Lzaro ad olam- Hashem gives great salvation to His king, and He performs kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed, forevermore.

We will be reciting those words as we bentch the entire week in our sukka. As we sit in the shade of Hashem. Let them inspire us of the kindness that Hashem has given us the descendants of Dovid and may we merit to see His Mashiach soon, god willing this year!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Clouds of Glory and Sukkos- 960 BC  40 years is a long time to be wandering around the wilderness. My tourists have generally had enough after an hour or two. Yet the Jewish people, the Torah tells us had a different experience. They had clouds of glory we are told that surrounded and protected them. They provided protection from the arrow and spears of our enemies. They knocked out and cleared the road of all the obstacles that stood before them. They provided the perfect climate control AC conditions. As well it also served as the dry cleaner, as their clothing never wore out. I have had a bunch of tourists that would have loved to travel under those conditions. Each year we go out in our Sukkos and we remember and commemorate the miracle and that feeling that we were driving for forty years in that heavenly limo of the clouds of glory.

I try to connect my tourists to those clouds of glory whenever we go hiking through the Judean Desert, or in the Negev by Mibdar Tzin where the Jews actually wandered and I point out to them how much nicer it would be if we had those heavenly clouds right then. As well and perhaps even more poignantly when I drive near the borders in the North of Israel in Galil or the Golan or even more so in the South near Gaza, by Sderot, I talk about the miraculous clouds of glory that surround our country. How our enemies throw missile after missile at us and they seem for the most part to fall in empty fields. To land on arab villages and this is even without the iron dome. Our war in Gaza in 2012 was called amud anan- the pillar of cloud or in English Pillar of defence. Missiles in that war hit as far as Tel Aviv for the first time from Gaza, but once again of the almost 1500 rockets that were shot at us only one direct hit caused loss of life in Kiryat Malachi and over 1100 fell in either Gaza or open areas. Yes, the clouds of glory are still here today.

In regards to how we celebrate those clouds, so there are a few places where one can really appreciate the incredible Sukkos that we erect this holiday in commemoration of those miracles. In Neot Kedumim they have tens of sukkos that are there that are all mentioned in the Mishna, on  a camel, a boat, double decker on a tree. It’s very cool. In Jerusalem you have the Safra square Sukka the largest one in Israel that has over 100,000 visitors over sukkot and is over 1000 square meters. The Waldorf Astoria one in the lobby is also exquisite as it seats over 250 people in the middle of the hotel dining room. Belz has all kinds of incredible displays  in their sukkah as well from what I understand. The President of Israel even invites children from all over the country to decorate his Sukka and thousands visit them. It is amazing to live in this country and to walk around neighbourhood to neighbourhood and to see each house, each shul, each nature reserve, restaurants historical sites, each block remembers that miracle that Hashem did for us then as he did to us today as He envelops us in His Sukkah of peace.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S GUEST JOKES  OF THE WEEK

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 shull. 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. 
Rabbi Bloom calls over the Shammas. "Moishe, please get three chairs for our guests in the back." 
Moishe is a bit deaf so he leans closer and says, "I beg your pardon, Rabbi?" 
Rabbi Bloom again says, "Get three chairs for our guests in the back." 
Moishe was puzzled but as there was a lull in the service, he goes to the front of the shull and loudly announces, "The Rabbi says, 'Give three cheers for our pests in the back!'" 
A Gabbai approaches a guest in the shul and says,"I want to give you an Aliyah. What is your name?" The man answers, "Esther ben Moshe." 
The Gabbai says, "No, I need your name." 
"It's Esther ben Moshe," the man says. 
"How can that be your name?" 
The man answers,"I've been having financial problems,so everything is in my wife's name."
Rabbi Cohen was invited as one of the religious leaders of the community to be a guest at the community civic dinner. The main course much to his chagrin was baked ham with glazed sweet potatoes. Rabbi Cohen regretfully shook his head when the platter was passed to him. 
 "When," scolded Father Kelly, the local catholic priest playfully, "are you going to forget that silly rule of yours and eat ham like the rest of us guests here?" 
 Without skipping a beat, Rabbi Cohen replied "At your wedding reception, Father Kelly." 
It was at a typical Jerusalem party and the hosts Moishie and Shaindy was getting worried because there were too many people and not enough refreshments. She was sure that not all of these people had been invited but didn’t know how to tell which ones were the crashers. Then Moishie got an idea….
He turned to the crowd of guests and said “Will those who are from the brides side of the family stand up please?” About twenty people stood.Then he asked ” Will those who are from the groom side of the family stand up as well?” about twenty five people stood up. Then He smiled and said
“Will all those who stood please leave, this is a birthday party”.
 Berel was down on his luck, went into a the local synagogue which catered to the "bessereh mentchen- the elite of the community". Spotting the man's dirty clothes the president worried about the synagogues image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help. The man said, "I was davening and Hashem told me to come to this Shul."
The president suggested that he go pray some more and possibly he might get a different answer. The next Shabbos Berel returned. The president asked, "Did you get a different answer?"
Berel replied, "Yes I did. I told Hashem that they don't want me in that shul and Hashem said,'Don't worry about it son; I've been trying to get into that synagogue for years and haven't made it yet."

Yankel was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner. The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead of dinner?"
"No, I had to stop drinking years ago," the homeless man replied.
"Will you use it to go fishing instead of buying food?" the man asked.
"No, I don't waste time fishing," the homeless man said. "I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive."
"Will you spend this on greens fees at a golf course instead of food?" the man asked.
"Are you NUTS!" replied the homeless man. "I haven't played golf in 20 years!"
"Well," said the man, "I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you home for a terrific dinner cooked by my wife."
The homeless man was astounded. "Won't your wife be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting."
The man replied, "That's okay. It's important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up beer, fishing and golf,.
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Answer is B–  Easy. Kfar Etzion is a kibbutz, a famous one perhaps most tragically for the massacre of its Jewish kibbutznik settlers the Friday morning the State of Israel was declared. Once I knew that it didn’t matter that I never heard of Tirtza, which is just an ancient city or Ofra or Kfar Tapuach which are both West Bank Settlements but not Kibbutzim. Although I wasn’t sure about that. Once you know the right answer no need to search for alternatives. A good and profound lesson for life.

Complete Authority- Mishpatim 2017/5777

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

February 24^th 2017 -Volume 7 Issue 18 28^th Shevat 5777

Parshat Mishpatim / Shekalim

Complete Authority

The great of Rav of Minsk, Reb Aizke Charif was sick. Although his last name was Shapiro, Everyone called him by his moniker Charif, because of his sharp tongue and wit that he would use to
“tell it like it is”.  Yet now the Rav was sick. He had been bedridden for days and the family called the doctor fearing the worst. Rab Aizik himself had never been a big fan of doctors. One of his lines was “Why are they called rofi’im- doctors in Hebrew. Because it is the same letters as the word refai’m- ghosts. Just like dead people don’t know anything, neither do doctors.” He told his family that the reason that doctors use Latin a lot is because since they are partners with the Angel of Death, they use a dead language. Ouch and double ouch! But now he was laid up and there seemed to be no choice. The doctor arrived and after his examination, sadly informed the family that the sword of the angel of death hung over the Rabbi’s head and according to his best diagnosis that Rabbi will if he’s lucky not even make it through the week. They should begin to get their affairs in order. Nobody makes it up from this time of illness, he told them.

The doctor left and whadaya know? The Rabbi made it through the week. And the next. And slowly but surely he returned to his former self. It was a miracle.

Sure enough a few months later Reb Aizik is walking up the block and he sees the doctor walking on the other side. He runs over to the doctor who seems shocked to see him. The doctor rather shamefacedly tells Reb Aizik how happy he is to see him. “Wow how incredible a miracle happened and you were cured, he exclaimed. Reb Aizk corrected him though.

“You are wrong on both accounts”, He said. “First of all I didn’t get better. I actually died. Second of all a miracle didn’t happen to me- in fact it happened to you. You see after I died I came up to heaven and I saw a very small line in front of one gate and a large line on the other gate. I asked the angel there what the two gates were for and he told me. The first gate was for the souls that were destined and decreed that were meant to go to heaven and the second gate was for Gehenom; the other direction. When I asked him why there was such a long line going downstairs. He told me that this was line of doctors. As the Mishna (Kidushin 4:14) tells us ‘the best of the doctors are destined for Gehenom’. Yet low and behold I saw you standing there in that line. And I quickly went over to the angel of Death and told him to take your name off his list. As I explained you were not really a doctor. For a doctor cures people, you merely pass out death sentences.”

Bada boom Bada Bing!

I’m not that big of a fan of doctors myself. I like to avoid them. Nothing personal, of course. I have lots of friends that are doctors. Heck, I’ve got a brother and brother-in law that are great doctors. I just prefer to stay away from them. The truth is many of the greatest of Jewish leaders and Rabbis were doctors; Maimonides, Nachmanides, Reb Yehudah Halevy and the Sforno just to name a few. The Maharsha notes that when the Mishna states that the best of the doctors are to Gehenom, it means that doctors that think that they are the best. That the power of healing and life and death is in their hands. That is a dangerous place to be in. That can lead to denying God. He notes that it doesn’t say the most righteous of the doctors. It says the ones that believe that the power comes from their personal expertise. The one’s that feel that it is their power of healing, those are the ones that are destined to go downstairs.

This week’s Torah portion  in discussing the lwas of someone who injures someone describes the damages he must pay. He pays for the damage he caused, any humiliation, hs unemployment, his pain and the Torah tells us as well

Shemos (21:19) V’Rapo Yirapeh- And heal him he must heal him

Rashi noting the double terminology quotes that Talmud that says

“From here we derive that the doctor is given reshut- permission to heal.”

Seemingly this is a very strange interpretation. For isn’t it obvious that a qualified doctor should not only have permission to heal. He is in fact obligated to heal. Saving lives is an obligation, if not the greatest obligation for a Jew. We violate the majority of the laws of the Torah in order to save a life and heal someone. And even if the verse is not referring to life an death matters. We are obligated to return a mans lost object, his sheep, his, caw, his car, his wallet to him, shouldn’t his health be even more-so of an obligation, if one has the ability to do so?

Rav Benny Alon (who should have a refuah shlaima), the former dean of Beit El yeshiva Beit Orot, suggests an interesting explanation. He said the word reshut – does not only meant permission, it can mean authority as well. For example the naure parks authority in Israel is called the Reshut Haganim, or the antiquities authority is called the Reshut Ha’atikot. There are two authorities or bodies that are “authorized” to deal with sick people. There is the doctor. His job, and his privilege is to he heal. He was given that authority by Hashem. Yet there is another authority. That is Hashem himself. In the blessings we say when we leave the bathroom we refer to Hashem as the rofeh kol basar- the healer of all flesh. In our daily Shemone Esrei Amida We ask Hashem to heal us for He is the Healer of the sick of Israel. Hashem’s authority works with prayer. His ability to heal is separate from the authority of the doctor. It’s the rank above. A doctor has the authority to heal. But he is not the only authority. And he should never confuse his reshut- with Hashem’s reshut.

This revolutionary outlook can transform the way that we view doctors and that doctors should view themselves. Their job and their place is really only one thing. To heal. They are not authorized to tell you how long you will live, what the chances for recovery are, how permanent the damage may or not be. They don’t get to decide that. It’s not part of their job, or even their training in a real way. Sure they may be trained to tell people that, but ultimately Hashem is the one that will make that determination and it has nothing to do with medical prognoses.

If you appreciate that concept and integrate it then it can help explain something that we are fond of saying to someone who is sick. We wish them a refuah shlaima- a complete healing. Now if someone is merely ill or has something that seems like he can recover from it. That would make sense. But how about when one is facing a “terminal” illness. How about when someone is in a situation when the doctors best hope is that he the person will be able to “function” at best if anything from a terrible accident., from a horrible disease. Can we really expect and wish a refuah shlaima- a complete healing? Meaning that they should be just as good as they were beforehand!

There is a vort- an idea that I once heard that says that there are four things that we wish someone with the blessing or prayer of shlaima- complete. They way to remember them is the acrostic. ETRoG- Like a complete perfect Etrog-citron that we take on Sukkot. We pray and we say that we believe “B’Emuna Shlaima” with complete faith. We ask Hashem to return us to him and accept our repentance as “Teshuva Shlaima”. There is as we said “Refuah Shlaima and finally we want to be redeemed “B’Geula Shlaima” a complete redemption.

What are these four things? I think that each one of them we all are challenged and doubt whether they can full happen. We’re willing to settle for ‘mostly’. For even 70-80%. Can I really have total and complete faith? No doubts? No questions? Always and forever? Aren’t lapses something that are inevitable? The answer is no. It is Emuna Shlaima- that we pray for and claim to be able to achieve. Total, complete, absolute.

What about Teshuva? I mean do you know how many bad things I have done. How far I have fallen from Hashem. How difficult it is for me to truly even experience the regret. Can I really come back all the way and totally wipe the slate as clean as snow. Become like a Bar Mitzva boy who has never sinned? The answer is again, Yes. Yes We Can. Teshuva Shlaima is in our hands. Hashem can and wants us to return. Not just half-way. But shlaima. All the way back home. All the way to Him.

If we start thinking like that then it is not doubt when it comes to illness that we know that we can have a truly refuah shlaima as well. No just ‘regain 80% of our functioning again”, not just “be happy if he is able to do what he or she could do before. But fully and entirely healed. Emuna Shlaima and Teshuva shlaima are the steps to achieving the necessary faith that we can have a refuah shlaima. If we do that we can achieve as well and really start to integrate the concept that a redemption to the land of our forefathers alone is not merely enough. Having the right to live in Israel, to visit, to practice our religion and to do mitzvos and even study here is not enough. Even an ingathering of all of the exiles and even if Hashem will wipe out all of our enemies, that’s still not enough. We want and pray for a Geula Shlaima- a complete redemption. Hashem, the Beit Hamikdash, Mashiach, World peace. We want it all. It can happen. It’s what we daven more. And I really really believe that it’s right around the corner. Don’t you?

Have unifying and Torahdike Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/J2dGSptIweU  -Mishenichnas Adar Pey Daled

https://youtu.be/kgJInVvJSZg   – Maccabeats Purim song

https://youtu.be/XBqY6cJD3CE   - One of my favorite  funny childhood bits Bill Cosbyon Dentists! Hilarious!

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Mit a groissen roifeh gait a groisser malech.-A great doctor is accompanied by a great angel.”

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK                                      

answer below at end of Email

Q.  It is possible to view remains of Eudocia’s Wall in Jerusalem:
A. At Ketef Hinnom
B. At the Ophel
C. Next to the Mamilla Pool
D. On Mt. of Olives

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ILLUMINATING RASHI OF THE WEEK

Ponder Rashi’s words. The lessons that he brings down. Sometimes if we just think a bit about the lessons that he has chosen to mention when explaining the text of the Torah we an glean incredible life lessons that can and should impact our daily lives. This is particularly true if you are a giant in Mussar like Reb Eliyahu Lopian.

In this week’s Torah portion when the Torah teaches us the penalty for stealing a cow or a sheep and slaughtering them the Torah gives us two separate fines. For a sheep one pays 4 times the price of the sheep and for the ox five times. Rashi explains

Shemos (21:37) Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai said Hashem had pity on the dignity of his creations.  An oxe that walks on his feet and the thief was not humiliated having to carry it on his shoulders-pays 5 times. A sheep that the thief carried on his shoulders the thief pays 4 times as he was humiliated.

Now being that you and I are not cattle russlers, I can’t imagine that this would have too much relevance for us. Yet Rav Eliyahu Lopian notes that think about this for a moment. Really how much embarrassment does this thief really have? He’s running away. He’s just trying to get away. Is he really thinking about how people think he looks with a sheep on his shoulders. Yet Hashem understands the hearts of men, and he realizes that despite his crime which he will have to pay for yet there was a slight aspect of shame as well. That negates part of his punishment. He only pays four. What does this have to do with us?

Rav Eliyahu Lopian notes that if this is the way Hashem deals with criminals, how much more so for someone who endures some shame or humiliation in preforming the mitzvos of Hashem. Imagine the reward one achieves! If we see something on the floor and although it may seem embarrassing to return it. Hashem will give you extra reward. If one prays in a place that he is scared people might humiliate him. He will be rewarded. If people are doing something inappropriate, or speaking Lashon Hara and you are embarrassed to leae or say something. Think about this thief that Hashem pays accordingly for the humiliation one suffers for one who is violating the law how much more-so it must be for one who is fulfilling His will. Pretty deep. Pretty relevant. Never though you could learn a life lesson from a cattle russler huh? That’s what Rashi is for.

Rav Elya Lopian (1876 -1970) Reb Elya Lopian was born in Grajewo, Poland in 1876. In his youth he studied at the yeshiva in Łomża and at the Kelm Talmud Torah of Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv. He emigrated to England in 1928, where he served as the rosh yeshiva of the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in the East End of London, working for many years alongside his distinguished colleague Rabbi Nachman Shlomo Greenspan. His wife Soroh Leah Rotman died in 1934, shortly after the engagement of their daughter Leiba to Rabbi Leib Gurwicz.

For many years, Rabbi Lopian had wanted to make his home in the Land of Israel, and spoke a great deal about the Vilna Gaon's intense yet unfulfilled desire to live there. In 1950 he left the Etz Chaim Yeshiva and moved to Israel] At first he stayed in the home of his wife's brother, Yisrael Luria, in Jerusalem. That Sukkot, he visited the Brisker Rov, Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik.

He initially refused to lead mussar seminars in Israel and sought to occupy himself with teaching and private moral work. Yet with the blessing of Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), he finally reconciled himself with leading mussar courses. Despite his old age, he agreed in the end to act as Mashgiach Ruchani at the Knesses Chizkiyahu yeshiva located originally in Zikhron Ya'akov and later in Kfar Hasidim), headed by Rabbi Noah Shimonowitz.

From the moment of his arrival, Reb Elya became a magnet for the young men. The yeshiva became firmly established and even drew many young people from neighboring yeshiva high schools such as the Bnei Akiva Kfar HaRo'eh yeshivah and Midrashiat Noam in Pardes Hannah.

Reb Elya died in Israel on 21 September 1970 and was buried in the Har Hazaisim cemetery

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TYPES OF JEWS IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Archaeologists -As the center for the world’s three major religions Israel and for pretty much all of Biblical history Israel is the place for someone who wants to really get a feel for the history of the world and its religions to come to. Any visit to any most of Israel’s historical sites will bring you in touch with that fascinating breed of scientist called archaeologists. Archaeology has been going on in Israel in a scientific way since the Turks were here in the late 1800’s. Back then though, the Ottomans only allowed you to dig and excavate on the condition that you put it all back the way you found it. In the process of doing so though tons of stuff and sites were obviously destroyed. Under the British it got a little better. But really Archaeology in Israel takes off with the founding of the State. As Jews wanted to prove our historical connection to the Land by uncovering sites and showing the consistent Jewish life here throughout the millennia. Today in Israel Archaeologists primarily work through the Israel Antiquities Society, which really gets most of its jobs when new roads are being built and ultimately they have to be cleared archaeologically first or when construction leads to discoveries. Israel has been built and destroyed thousands of times over the millennia and there is not too many places where you can dig and not find some ancient finds. Things that date back form the pre-historic periods through all of the periods of the Biblical era, the periods of the Mishna the Talmud, the Temples and everything afterwards. There are religious archaeologists who see their study as complementing and proving the authenticity of the Torah and the accounts of our sages of their various periods. There are of course non- religious ones as well that deny the Divine nature of the Torah, but ultimately even they use the Tanach and the Mishna as historic tools to identify what they uncover. The enemies of Archaeology are generally the nationalist Arabs that are trying to hide, bury and destroy much of the evidence of our history particularly in Jerusalem and the West Bank. As well there are antiquities thieves that loot sites for profit. The field of archaeology is not necessarily the most lucrative and easy to get a job in. The only places that hire are either universities that are licensed to do digs for scientific purposes or the Antiquities authority. Neither pay too much, and most utilize a lot of volunteers. However if that’s your passion there’s no better place to work at it. There is nothing like the thrill of finding something that is incredible ancient and that can open up a whole new appreciation of our ancestor’s lives that dwelled here in the land.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE DOCTOR JOKES OF THE WEEK

The poor Jewish tailor is beside himself with worry. His wife is very ill and he wants the best doctor in town to treat her. But the doctor is somewhat reluctant because the tailor is so poor and, it being unlikely that his wife could be saved, the tailor might not pay him should his wife die. However, the tailor promises he will pay anything, no matter whether the doctor cures his wife or kills her !

This is sufficient for the doctor and he agrees.

Unfortunately, the doctor cannot save her and the tailors wife dies.

However, when the doctors bill arrives the tailor refuses to pay it despite his promise. After much argument, the doctor and the tailor agree to let the Rabbi decide the case since they both are, after all, Jewish.

The doctor puts his case to the Rabbi that the tailor promised to pay “no matter whether the doctor cured his wife or killed her”.

After much thought the Rabbi asks the doctor, “Did you cure her?” “No” admitted the doctor.

“And did you kill her?” “I certainly did not,” expostulated the doctor.

“In that case,” said the Rabbi, “the tailor has no case to answer because you fulfilled neither of the conditions on which you agreed that the fee should be paid.”

It’s a few days after the end of the “6-Day War” between the Arabs and the Israelis, and the victorious Israeli Prime Minister, Mrs. Golda Meir, is giving a press conference.

Asked how such a small country as Israel could beat such large neighbors, she replies,

“Well, boys, it’s like this. We called up all the doctors, and we called up all the dentists, and we called up all the lawyers, and we gave them all a gun each and put them in the front line.

“And when we yelled “CHARGE”….BOY ! ! Do they know how to Charge.”

Abe came home one day and found his wife Esther in tears. "Darling, what's the matter?" "Oh Abe," cried Esther, "Doctor Cohen says I have tuberculosis." "What! A big healthy woman like you has tuberculosis? Ridiculous," said Abe, "I'll call Doctor Cohen and get this sorted out right now." So Abe called his doctor. "Doctor, Esther says you told her she has tuberculosis." The doctor said something to Abe and with that, Abe began laughing. "So what's so funny about my having such a dreadful disease?" asked Esther. "Esther, Doctor Cohen didn't say 'tuberculosis', he said 'too big a tuchus'

A man goes to the doctor complaining about his eyesight. "Doctor, there's something wrong with my eyes," he says. "Everywhere I look I see blue and gold dots." "Hmmmmm," says the doctor, chin in hand. "Have you seen an ophthalmologist” No," says the patient, "just blue and gold dots."

"You're in great shape," says the doctor. "You're going to live to be 70." "But I am 70," the patient replies. "Nu," says the doctor, "did I lie?"

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Answer is B – I am willing to bet that besides tour guides on this list nobody here has ever heard of Eudocia. Why would you? Who cares? So she was a queen in the mid fifth century Byzantine Empire. Theodsus was her husband. She was Greek and then converted to Christianity.  To prover her religiosity she came to the HolyLand and ultimately she was kind of banished here-never a good thing to leave your husband for too long when there are all types of people trying to gain the powere you wield by bad-mouthing you in your absence. She actually was quite good to the Jews here in Jerusalem and alleviated a lot of the persecutions we had been suffering since the Destruction in the year 70 AD. She rebuilt the first walls around the old city which had been opened since they were breached by the Romans. The name Eudocia means goodness and she read the verse Tehillim  (51:20) Haitiva Birtzoncha Et Tzion Tivne Chomot Yerushalayim- Do goodness with Your Will and build the walls of Jerusalem. And she did. Remains of the wall can be seen by the Davidson Center Southern Wall excavations above the City of David in the area called the Ophel which is the plateau between the Temple mount and the City of David.