from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
April 2nd 2026 -Volume 16 Issue 24 14th of Nissan 5786
Big Mouth, Big Brother, Big Questions
I have a big mouth. I talk a lot. I don't really have much of a filter. I say what's on my mind, or even more accurately what's in my heart. As I tell my tourists (those were people that I used to take around this country that seems to be extinct at the moment), at the onset of my tours, that I apologize in advance if they thought they would be getting the politically correct tour guide today. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it. They got me instead. Today they get to hear the real story.
It's not just tour guiding though. It's me in my shul during my sermons. It's when I did Jewish out reach all over the States. It was me back when I was a kid and yeshiva bochur, which is why I moved around a lot. Or was moved around to be more honest and accurate. It's me as a husband and father and certainly as a sibling. I say it like I see it. I call it the way it is. I'm bad at puling punches. I lay it all out there. And let the chips fall where they may. More often than not, it's usually on my own head. Yet, at the same time, a lot of what I say penetrates. It impacts people. It gives them pause or a new and different way of thinking. It perhaps even gives them a license to say or express out loud some of the things that they've thought about or even believe. It generates discussion. It opens up the world. I believe it's what we're all meant to do. Someone just needs to tell you it's alright. So here you go. It's alright.
Now I'm not saying that you should utilize this license at all times and with all people. I've only given you a driver's permit. You need to still have real licensed experienced driver like myself sitting next to you. To learn how to navigate the backlash. To know how to do it with love, with humor and with a self-deprecating confidence that doesn't come off as looking down at those with differing- although misguided and wrong views. To do it in a way that not only people still love you afterwards but will take you on another tour, will not unsubscribe, at least right away from your E-Mail and may even donate and sponsor it. To do it in a way, that they understand that you love them. That it's really not about you being right, it's about them being right. Doing right. Not making fatal errors in judgement, in politics, in Torah and in life. When they feel that love and you become good at that, then you can do it and start driving on your own.
There is one night a year, when you can drive without me. One night, when the mitzva is to talk and talk and talk.
V'chol ha'marbeh li'sapeir – and the more that you talk
harei zeh meshubach- the more praiseworthy you are.
It's tonight. It's Pesach. Our sages tell us that the word Pesach, homiletically of course, is Peh Sach- the mouth speaks. Tonight, is the night to let that tongue all hang out. To put it all right out there on that Pesach Seder Table. No holds barred. No political correctness necessary. It's time to tell it like it is. Like it really was. Like it's always been. And like how god-willing it will never be again. We'll be redeemed. We'll be home. We'll get to that last stage of Dayeinu, That we build the Bais Ha'Mikdash to atone for all of our sins. So tonight, we've all got the mike. No more fake news. Let's get real.
I'm going to ask you a question, that I think wouldn't be a bad question to start your seder off with. But before we get to that ask question, I want to ask you another one first. Are you reclining? Are you comfortable? Do you have your four cups of salvation all poured and ready to go? Ok here's the preliminary question. Are you free tonight? Are you planning on be free? Are you ready to leave Egypt? See, the obligation tonight is to be able to feel as if we left Egypt. That's the end game. If you didn't get there, then I hate to tell you, no matter how much matza you cram in your mouth, I'm not sure if you fulfill your primary obligation. So, I ask you again, the preliminary question. Are you ready to be free and leave Egypt tonight, or not?
Good. That's the right answer. See, I knew that's what you would say. You didn't do all that Pesach cleaning and cooking for nothing. You're ready. You're feeling free enough to give it all up and come home, right. To be in the Bais Ha'Mikdash. To hit that v'haivaisi- that fifth cup, we've been saving for so long. So let's get to the real question now, that I want you to start off your Seder with, because to a large degree, I think this is the key to us finally getting there. It's the question, we've never really asked before. Think of it as the fifth question. The question Eliyahu Ha'Navi is asking us, to know if he can drink that cup with us or not. Here goes. Are you ready?
OK. Here it is. If tomorrow, the Jewish people decided to elect you to be the Prime Minister of Israel. You're the boss. You get to make the decisions. You get to determine what happens tomorrow. Sure, there's still a Supreme Court and an Attorney General. But you don't care. You can make quick decisions before they chap. You can push a few buttons. You can declare a war. You can send out the police, the army. You're the Commander in Chief. The chips can fall where they might fall afterwards. But you can take the job tonight and it's yours. Would you take it?
Now, I think I might have lost some of you, by now after this first question. But, I want to stay with those few of you that responded yes to that question. You know, the ones that said that they want to be free tonight. The ones that aren't just faking it and lying awkwardly on the side of their chair leaning on a pillow pretending to be free. So, you guys that are still with me, here's the follow up question. Now that you're Prime Minister, what are you planning on doing with that power tomorrow. What are you going to do to express that freedom and show that you're not a slave to Pharaoh, the world opinion, or what anyone else has to say? What are you going to do fulfill that mandate Hashem gave us and what He expects from us? Because after all that's the only thing we need to be scared of. We're not slaves of anyone else. Right?
OK, so here's a bit of a checklist. Are you ready, One we know that Hashem wants us to build or at least prepare the ground for his Bais Ha'Mikdash. Whether we actually have to start the construction project ourselves or He's gonna just ship one down from above, is not the immediate agenda. What's clear is that He's not planning on having any roommates when He get's here. He doesn't swing that way. He's the Jealous God type, He tells us. So therefore, job number one. Clean out the idolatry from the land. It's a job He gave us a long time ago when we first came into the land. Wipe out, burn, destroy and eradicate all false religions from the land. Their altars, their churches, their mosques. Clean em all out. Get em off the Temple Mount. Out of His Holy city. Out of His land.
So, job number one. Tomorrow. As the new prime Minister are you ready to do that? Are you ready to clean out the land? To give the order to the police to stand down as the Hill Top boys do what they want. If not, then you can join the other guys that even copped out of the job in the first place. You're still a slave to the "what-will-the-world-say". If not even worse, to your own sense of Western Idolatrous political correctness that seems to be uncomfortable with a world where not every religion has the right to practice freely.
Now, I know some of you might say. Yeah… but Christianity isn't really idolatry. Islam for sure isn't. It's not like they're pagans. They do believe in the one true God. They just distorted him a bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah… That may have been true in a world that's not on the way to being free and having the Bais HaMikdash in it. That may even be true in Chutz La'Aretz. But for Jews that's idolatry. For Hashem it is too. I know that. You know that. It's not what a world redeemed, that we're meant to bring to redemption, should look like. Should stand for. Here in the land, there's no question, that if we have the power, which I, in the name of the Jewish people, have just given you. And which you yourself claim you have, as you're wearing a Kittel and claiming to be truly free tonight. There's no question that we should destroy it. That Hashem doesn't want them or it there.
OK, good with that? Let's continue. Next rule. Are you ready to give an ultimatum, which is really a follow up to the above action, that anyone who is not willing to accept Judaism as the only real religion and true faith of Hashem has to leave or be killed? Anyone that doesn't accept that the land of Israel is our inheritance. It belongs to us and that non-Jews are only permitted to live here as gerei toshav- as second class non-citizens that can enjoy whatever benefits we choose to give them, but they certainly can't vote. They certainly can't practice any other religions. And they're subject to our Torah laws, although they don't have to convert, and we don't even accept conversions at this point in the game, when we're on top. We know it's only for their blue and white card.
Now just to clarify as well, this law is in effect in the new/old biblical borders of Israel. There's no Area A, B, or C, anymore. There's no Palestinian Authority. They can't own guns. This is the West Bank or the biblical land of Yehuda, Binyamin, Ephraim, and Menashe. It's Gaza. It's Lebanon up to the Litani. It's basically everywhere that Hashem gave us 60 years ago in 1967, but that we didn't feel free enough to actually claim as ours. We wore kittels, blew a shofar or two, reclined and said "har ha'bayis bi'yadeinu" but we were just pretending. Because despite all the miracles, Hashem showed us. How we literally saw 5 armies that were ten times our size run away from us, in the biblical style. How he/ we quadrupled the size of our country in six days. But we couldn't believe that He was strong enough to back us up to actually claim the land He had handed us. Just like the 4/5ths that stayed in Egypt after witnessing nine of the plagues couldn't believe that it was for real either.
Read that last sentence, again. Please. Now again… Yes. That 4/5th is me and you that see miracles and still don't believe it's for real. As I said, we're being real today. We're saying it all. I'll get back to that in a question. But I just want to finish up with those of you that are still sitting at the Prime Minister table. Because I've got a few more tasks, I want to ask you if your ready for tomorrow. It's a big day and we've got lots to do. Thank God you're still wearing your kittel and reclining and enjoying this liberating freedom of not needing to worry about anyone else besides being the eved Hashem.
OK, we've got the Temple Mount. We've got rid of the churches and mosques. We've got all the land we've conquered already with everyone that wasn't ready to play our Jewish Divine shuffleboard game. And we've shuffled a lot of those that didn't want to play off the board if not out of this world. Now for the next step. The parts of Israel that are ours that we haven't conquered yet.
So are you, Mr. or Mrs. Prime Minister ready to head on into Jordan to reclaim our land on the other side of the Jordan. 1/4th of Klal Yisrael almost, the tribes of Reuvein and Gad and Menashe (most of them) are counting on you. See, in Mitzrayim we could afford to leave 4/5th behind. But not this time. Everyone's going to come. And they're all going to want their tribal heritage land. Which means Jordan. It means Egypt down to the river. It means a nice chunk of Syria past the Chermon up into parts of Turkey and to the Euphrates. Are we ready to start launching rockets and conquering it?
The last time we did, I know we had Moshe Rabbeinu doing it for us. He killed every man, woman and child over there. The Torah tells us he didn't leave anything breathing. Lo hish'ir bahem serid. He set the precedent. Hashem told us to the same thing, he did when He brought us into the land. Yehoshua, even stopped us, the Talmud in Sota tells us, in the middle of the crossing of the Jordan river, while the river stood up in the air. There he gave us that first Shabbos Ha'Gadol Drasha ever. He made us take an oath, right there and then, that we would conquer the entire land. We would inherit it. He warned us, that if we didn't then we would actually die there right now. That the water would come crashing down on our heads. It seems he needed to give us that speech then, because if he didn't then we wouldn't feel strong enough once we came in. We'd attribute the miracles that took place to "cool amazing things that Hashem does for us". Thank You Hashem. Mizmor L'Toda. But that still doesn't give us enough backbone to be free and actually go in and take the entire country and tell them where to go. To clear it out of all the abominations that are foreign to Hashem. That He doesn't want there. So are you ready Mr. Prime Minister for that as well?
OK, there's only one last thing that's necessary as well. See, I know that some of you Prime Ministers are not yet here in Israel. So, imaginably all of you are obviously free enough to come home and live here. You're not scared of serving in the Army and making you not frum. Because you're obviously going to change that. You're not scared of the Supreme Court or Attorney General. Because you'll get rid of them. Fired first 30 seconds of your job. You certainly aren't scared of giving up your house, your job, your yeshiva, your chavrusa. Because ultimately, you're free enough to know that all of that is baloney compared to the one real role Hashem Chose us and set us free to accomplish. The goal of building Him a house. Of serving Him on this Mountain. That's there. It's in the Hagadda, you read while reclining like a free man. That's all a given that you're comfortable doing.
The question though is Mr. PrimeMinister-free-Seder man still-in-Chutz-La'aretz, at least until you pack up your stuff. Are you comfortable telling your non- Jewish neighbors that you're leaving? Are you comfortable telling them "thank you for the great time here" but I need to go home? But here's the most important part. Are you comfortable or better yet feel free enough to tell them that you're leaving because tomorrow Hashem is going to blow up the Vatican? He's going to destroy all their churches. He's going to reveal Himself as the God whose only child is our Nation, and frankly He's quite offended by the concept that He has another kid that someone made up that He slaughtered and crucified on a cross that they've been promulgating.
Are you free enough to slaughter all those politically correct western democratic values of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, of prayer and to put its blood on your doorpost? To hang that only one True God and all other religions are baloney and will be destroyed flag outside your house. That's what free people that are not slaves need to do. It's the one and only thing Hashem told us we needed to do before He took us out. We had to make the real statement at least to ourselves. That if He freed us and killed our enemies from us. Then we would be able to actualize that freedom. That we could truly act free and that the only one would ever worry about, is our One Master in heaven. Our Father who is waiting for us to bring home.
On the night that we brought that korban Pesach. 3300 years, today, Hashem killed the first-born of the Egyptians. The entire story of our Exodus to a large degree is about this moment. At the beginning of this entire story Moshe, in the name of Hashem tells Pharaoh. That if he doesn't let us out Hashem will kill his first-born. Because we are the First-Borns of Hashem. The process of the plagues and the miracles weren't so much about punishing Egypt as it was in creating us as His First Born. It was about giving us enough of a sense of confidence, to be more than all the other children of the world are to Hashem. The First- Born has to be different. The job of the First-Born is to teach the rest of the children of the family about their Father. Because He's a bit of a Father himself. He's the oldest. He's been there the longest. He's the chain between heaven and earth. Between the parent and the rest of the world. And to do that, he has to have a mouth. He has to be free to express himself. To express who his Father is.
Hashem wasn't just looking to liberate a persecuted nation. He's the one that put us there in the first place. He told Avraham 220 years before we went down to Egypt, by the Bris bein Ha'besarim that we would be going down there. It's the deal he cut with him to teach him how we would be able to inherit the land. He would enslave us. He'd give us a taste of what happens to a nation that's worried about what the world will say, rather than their Father. It would hopefully teach us the hard lesson of what happens when we come down to a place and feel too comfortable there. Where the path of trying to ingratiate ourselves to them and building up their economies and pyramids will lead. And then He will take us out. He will make us free. He will preform miracles for us.
And then, the day will come, when He will have a First-Born nation, who just like Avraham our Patriarch, will fear no one. Even if it means being ostracized, thrown out lambasted in the press, be called an ivri- on the opposite side of the politically correct immoral world and western mindset. Even if it means being thrown into the fiery furnaces they might roast us with. We won't be scared. Ein od Milvado- won't just be something we say when we have a court case we want to win or when a building inspector is coming to check out our properties or Nursing Homes. It will be the flag that we hang outside of our doors in galus and the destroyed churches and places of alternate false worship in Israel. Because we know that we were chosen for this job. That we really are His only First-born. And that we can feel free enough, if not obligated to say it. To take the job that He's given us. To be His Prime Ministers- His nation of Mamleches Kohanim that we agreed to come on that Mountain that He brought us to.
It's not fun to think about ourselves as possibly the 4/5th that may not have felt strong enough to see all the great miracles and still feel too weak to take that freedom being handed to us. It's so much easier to talk about them as being the ones that weren't as frum as us. The ones that were also idolators. That aren't shomer Shabbos. That spoke lashon harah and had sinas chinam. That had smartphones and internet. That certainly didn't have as much emuna and bitachon and Torah and mitzvos as we do. To think that we're the wise son, while everyone else that's not as frum as me are the wicked sons whose teeth need to be knocked out. But, tonight's not the night we're here to make you feel good about yourself. Certainly not on the head of those that aren't as what we perceive as not being as frum as us. You didn't get that tour guide. And we're not reading that Hagadda tonight.
Tonight's about asking ourselves, today, if we're ready to be truly free. If we feel we have what it takes as the 1/5th did back then did. The 1/5th were still living in Egypt. Pharaoh was still a strong king with a big army. Pharoah also believed in Hashem as did many Egyptians who brought in their animals and even fought with Pharaoh to let us go. It didn't make sense to upset and cause more anti-Semitism by slaughtering their distorted sense of Hashem plus a sheep. Or whatever deity they added on to Him. We were still in galus. We need to just bow our head and wait for the shofar. That's what the 4/5th said. 210 years of exile can do that to you. 2000 years can make it even harder. To be honest, I don't know if I would take the job as Prime Minister myself. It's hard. It's a leap. It's scary to stand up to the world. Am I free enough to be free?
Back then, 1/5th of our nation was able to do that. The 1/5th were a lot less frum then us today. They were much more assimilated. They were on 49th level of tumah. They didn't have our Torah. Our Mitzvos. Our Achdus. They didn't have our October 7th, our Holocaust, our Inquisition, our Crusades. Of the millions of martyrs. They as well didn't have the benefit of seeing the great miracles of the return to the land already happening. The land flourishing after being desolate for 2000 years. The return of so many children to Hashem. The destruction of enemies and even the tzitzis and payos and tefillin and Torah being studied in our army that's only songs are about Hashem. About Shema Yisrael.
We have that today. We're standing in the Yarden once again, with Hashem holding that Divine Iron Dome and clouds of Glory protecting us from falling Fire Truck size ballistic missiles falling over our head and He's asking us if we can do it. If we're finally ready. Can He have that fifth cup with us? Can L'Shana Ha'bah finally we all be together in Yerushalayim.
Have a liberating and redemptive Pesach,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
************************
YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Az men vil nit alt vern, zol men zich yungerheyt oyfhengen" – If you don't want to grow old, hang yourself when you're young.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/hinei-lo-yanum-israel – My beautiful composition Hinei Lo Yanum- we need not fear. Hashem's not sleeping Dovid Lowy amazing arangements
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/vehi-shemada - The most powerful Vehi She'amda since Shwekeys. Listen closely and hear the generations of Vehi She'amda songs in the second harmony low part. Whadda an arrangement Dovid Lowy- always taking my songs and making them gold!
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/melech-rachamon - And here's my only song with me giving an introduction. The longing for the Bais Hamikdash Melech Rachaman… Its much better than SY's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwv8kuYhFn8&t=383s – If you've got time and want to listen something truly glorious. The Yigal Calek family did an amazing concert here with all the greats!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV-WaeC93cY – Miami's latest release Hashiveynu… they're back!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZEpGrrYrRU – It's not Pesach without a new Maccabeats acapella release- Break Free
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
27. The main site for the disposal of toxic waste in Israel is called _______________
In which of the following areas is olive cultivation a major industry?
A. Jezreel Valley
B. Zevulun Valley
C. Beit Netofa Valley
D. Sakhnin Valley
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Why is this King Different?- 353 BC- As we know, at that party of Achashveirosh that we said started this month of Nissan utilizing the vessels of the Bais Ha'Mikdash, Achashveirosh was not punished. Rather his wife Vashti as killed. In fact, Achashveirosh ends up reigning for 14 years, 11 years after the Purim story. The commentaries ask why was he different then Belshatzar? Why wasn't he as well punished for desecrating the Bais Ha'Mikdash's vessels and even more so for causing all the Jews to sin?
The answer given by the Sefas Emes is a powerful one. He suggests because Achashveirosh didn't fully deny the prophecy of Yirmiyahu that we would be in exile only for 70 years. He saw that we had already returned to Eretz Yisrael. The Temple had even started being built. It was just halted. Incidentally this was at the behest of the 10 sons of Haman, the book of Nechemia and Rashi tells us in the Megilla. That's why they're hung. It's a hidden part of the story in the Hidden scroll of the Megilla. What Achashveirosh doubted though was whether there would be Geula Shlaima. Whether we all would return. When there would just be a State of Israel where Jew lived, but certainly not a place where all Jews would fulfill their mandate of living and bringing the light of Hashem by building Him home where his Glory could rest. That was his heresy. That was his "White House" Chanuka Party.
Because he believed in the return of the Jews to Israel. He believed in the "atchalta di'geula" although not the entire thing, that merit was enough to save him. Only his wife Vashti was killed. That's a pretty hefty message. What does that mean for us today? Is there a value of seeing the geula even though it's not complete. To see the return to Eretz Yisrael of Jews even though the Temple is not yet built yet as being a significant fulfillment of prophecy. That the end is around the corner? The Sefat Emet certainly saw that as a value. Something to ponder as we sit down to our seder and think about what that redemption means for us.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE IRAN WAR JOKES OF THE WEEK
Latest bill in front of the Knesset to prohibit the asking of the Ma Nishtana. Becasue during war is not a time to ask questions...
These days one doesn't know if the smoke coming up in Bnai Brak is from a missile falling or Burning of Chametz
Mazel Tov on the new establishment of 10,000 Sefirat Ha'Omer reminder groups that were opened this morning on the heels of the Eiruv Tavhsilin ones...
T-Shirt I bought last week. I survived Missiles in Israel Osher Ad Pesach shopping.
Siren songs-
Things that sound like sirens. Ambulances. Motorcycles. Pigeons, gusts of wind, creaky doors, Everything sounds like sirens…
Israelite Home Front Command in Egypt
Biological threat of the Ten Plagues
A widespread biological event is affecting the land of Egypt. Manifesting itself as multiple hazardous events (plagues)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOUSEHOLDS
All guidelines remain in force until further notice.
Blood- Water Pollution
Avoid Nile water- store clean water for use
Frogs- amphibian invasion
Seal doorways and remain vigilant at night
Lice- Parasitic infestation
Wash thoroughly and wear clean garments
Flies-Insect Swarm
Avoid all exposed areas cover well all food and drinks
Livestock Disease
Keep livestock sheltered and healthy
Boils- Contagious Sores
Burn contaminated rags, treat sores properly
Hail-Destructive Storm
Seek shelter indoors until storm passes
Locusts- Consuming Swarm
Seal your home, collect and burn all leftover locust.
Darkness- Foul Darkness
Keep lamps lit, stay indoors during darkness
Death of Firstborns- LETHAL EVENT
Immediate life-threatening risk,
Occurs during designated night period
Requires full compliance with protective instructions
REMEMBER FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS SAVES LIVES…
If the Iranians really wanted to mess with us they wouldn't use explosives. They would fill their missiles with bread crumbs. Weaponized Chametz
The War Time Shower prayer
With this warm shower, may no rocket pay a call
And during a siren may no siren sound at all
With soap on our hands, may we make no frantic dash
Nor run to the shelter mid-suds and mid-splash
And while we are dripping and mid-towel drying
Maye we not be sent running and frantically flying
Mae we safely emerge from this swift hygiene run,
Completely rinsed off and not merely half-done
May a miracle help us catch a lucky break
And let us wash our hair for heaven's sake!
There have been ten rocket attacks today. If we hit 13 we'll have to wish each other Mazel Tov on our bomb-mitzva
Anyone mind taking a small package for me from our textiles factory in Dimona to Tehran.
I got the feeling this morning that the mother of some Iranian is cleaning up her machsan/storage unit and found it full of chametz missiles and she's just throwing them away in panic.
You know we're at war, when I got more messages on my phone today from Homefront Command then from Kupat Ha'ir.
Today at 2:00 AM switch your clocks to whatever time you want. It's really not relevant to most of us anymore anyways.
*******************************
The answer to this week's question is D– This was a tricky one on the second part at least and I got it wrong. The first part though, I knew even before I watched the News yesterday and saw that Neot Chovav Israel's main recycling plant located in the South was hit by missiles. We visited it in our tour guide course, I have no idea why… Yet the second part was hard. I don't even know why they're answer is correct even after checking Google and ChatGPT. The truth is there are Olives in all of those regions. Jezree'el though is much more wheat and Netufa valley is even mentioned in the Talmud Yerushalmi, I believe as the last place where the wheat remains. That left Sachnin and Zevulun. I went with Zevulun, the answer was Sachnin. Not sure why… but I'll take the hit. So another week of only half right and the new score of Rabbi Schwartz having a 19 points and the MOT having 8 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.
