New Season- Parshat Noach 2026 5787

                                                              Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 17^th 2026 -Volume 17 Issue 2 6^th of Cheshvan 5787

 

Parshat Noach

New Season

 

Click here below for print edition

(Weekly Newsletter - Parshat Noach 2026  )

Do you have a favorite season? Are you a winter cold, snow, rain here in Israel person? I never really got those people. There's a whole market of snowbirds, like my parents, that go every winter to what he likes to call the "other Jerusalem" in Boca, Century village. Or as I like to call it Cemetery Village. When I visited them a few years ago, I asked someone what the median age there is. He told me deceased. But I get it… Winter is not fun. And I don't get those people that loovve the snow and the rain. Maybe because I was raised in Michigan and had to shovel too much. Or even in Seattle where it's just miserable rainy (like London, I'm told) all winter long. Gloomy, dark, wet. Not Geshmak.

 

Summer as well, can be hot. Sure, we have swimming pools, nachals, and rafting down the Jordan. But the days are really long. I'm really busy. And it's hot. Hot and tiring. No… I wouldn't say I'm a summer person either.

 

Spring and Fall though, are nice. I actually like the fall better. Cause Spring is already too hot and it's just busy, it's Pesach, it's Omer. It's busy time. Don't get me wrong, the weather is nice. I'm not complaining about the work either. Definitely not. But I like this post Sukkos Autumn thing. It's good. Weather not too hot, not too cold. It's comfortable. There's plenty of off-days to recuperate. A little tinge of rain here and there. It's just nice. I don't know why they call it Mar-Cheshvan; the bitter one. For me it's my favorite time of year.

 

Now can you imagine a one-season year? A year that's summer all the time, or even spring and definitely not winter… There are some places that are kind of like that. But even in Miami, Alaska or Africa, it does change from the winter to summer although not nearly as dramatically as New York or even Israel does. But imagine all year spring or your favorite climate. How would you feel about that? Is that something you would want if you could choose it?

 

Now this isn't just a frivolous, bored yeshiva guy inconsequential question or conversation or E-mail starter. The truth is it seems from this week's Torah portion it is the essence of all Creation. Of what mankind is all about. It's how we get to where we need to get to. It's the structure that Hashem seemingly left out when He first created the world, and finally got right the second time. Let's crack open that Ark (excuse the pun) and take out the Torah and look at the parshat ha'shavua of Noach.

 

We have a flood. Hashem destroys the world. Noach is saved with his family and representatives from the entire animal kingdom. The dove goes out and doesn't come back. The land has dried. It's a year and ten days from when this all started. It's the month of Cheshvan. It's great that we always read this in this month. The month that we start asking for rain… hmmmm… There's just one problem. Noach doesn't want to leave. The animals don't want to leave. As Rashi tells us they don't want to reproduce. Why have kids if Hashem is just gonna blow the whole thing up again?

 

Noach's reaction makes sense. They're holocaust survivors. They walked out of the Kibbutz alive. They're having severe trauma. They've been cooped up in a Ark for a year. It's hard to wrap our brains around the concept, but it's worth thinking about. It's important to understand. The world is a terrifying place, after witnessing its destruction and to a large degree it's failure. What's the point of starting this vicious cycle again? It is no wonder that the first mitzvos that are given right here are against suicide and abortion- shofech dam ha'adam ba'adam. That's where we're at. I think sadly many of us can see and understand that phenomena today, by many soldiers and survivors, who have undergone that loss, witnessed that death. And just don't see any point in this life and its continuation.

 

But they're ordered to leave. And they know that- it's not a good thing to ignore commandments. They're quick learners… Annihilation and Holocaust of the entire world can kind of give you a little inspiration. Noach brings his sacrifice, the smell goes up to heaven and then Hashem has a huge Divine lightbulb moment.

 

Bereishis (8:21) "And Hashem spoke to His heart. I will not continue to curse further the land because of Man for the inclination of the heart of man is wicked from his youth. And I will not continue to strike all of the living that I made.

 

It seems that Hashem (big ka'viyachol here…) is as well having trauma here. He's talking to Himself. Something we don't find too often, if at all. He just lost His entire world. All His children, wayward or not. All His creation. His whole zoo world of life. His plants His trees. His Switzerland. His magnificent once pristine creation. It's all gone. Things have to change. For man is evil from his youth. That's our inclination. So as a result, Hashem has to change something up. The land won't be cursed and neither will the animal world be struck.

 

Now seemingly, Hashem knew this from the start. In fact, it’s those same identical words at the end of Bereishis, as to the reason why Hashem brought the flood in the first place.

 

Ibid (6:8) And Hashem said to His heart

Od ki rabba ra'as ha'adam ba'aretz- The wickedness of man is great in the land and all the inclinations of his heart are only evil all of the day.

 

So the repetition here is not a new Divine epiphany. Rather it is the reason for Hashem changing the world from what it was and moving it to a new place. The world must now move to a place where it will never need to be destroyed, annihilated, flooded and wiped away anymore.

 

V'lo Od osif l'hakos kol chai k'asher asisi- I will no longer continue to strike all the living as I did.

 

There's going to be have to be something different, that despite our wicked evil inborn nature will prevent it from ever falling to where it did. That will allow Him and us to move past our trauma. To pick ourselves up from this newly revealed and quite literal rock-bottom and start again. But this time bringing us to the place where we were meant to arrive. To the ultimate fulfillment of the purpose of Creation.

 

What would you guess that would be? I bet you would never say the answer Hashem gives in the next verse. It's not a treaty. It's not even a rainbow. Or a do-not press when angry button and reminder. Rather it's what the Torah tells us in a verse that really needs to be understood; changing weather and seasons. That's right Fall, spring, hot, cold, night, day. That's what will change. That's how we won't ever get back again.  

 

OD kol yemei ha'aretz zera v'katzir, v'kor v'chom, v'kayitz v'choref, v'yom v'layla lo yishbosu- forever the days on the land will have planting and reaping (or spring and fall) cold and hot, winter and summe, and night and day will not rest (or cease).

 

If you noticed the magic word that is repeated is Od-we are wicked from youth. Od- He will not strike again. Od- there will be seasons. Od is again and it is Ad- it is forever. It is a new world. It's a new plan and this world is going to have different seasons. In fact, the Sforno says something fantastic. He writes that before the flood, it was perpetually spring. It was always a beautiful sunny comfortable day. Perhaps, I was wondering, if that's true it may not have even rained before. After-all it doesn't rain in the spring time.

 

Now sure it does say it rained on the first day that Adam was born after he davened for it and saw a barren world. But as the Sforno notes there, back then the vegetation and all the tree life were irrigated from this mist that came up from the ground. What is certain though is that it would seem that they didn't have changing seasons. That's the new od- in the world that will make sure it never gets destroyed again. That mankind won't hit rock bottom again. That will ultimately fulfill our function in Creation of revealing Hashem in Creation and being one with Him again. Weather, hot, cold, spring, summer. And the question is how does this work and how does this differ from the pre-flood world.

 

Here in Israel and I believe in the entire world we are also to a much smaller degree seeing two different worlds. The Pre-Simchas Torah world of three years ago and the post October 7^th one. The Cheshvan that followed it. In the previous world, to a large degree we had it all. We lived under an illusion. We're strong. We're powerful. We're protected. We can sit back and rely. We have time to fight. To live our day to day and not worry about anything or anyone else. We can wait for Hashem to bring the geula. We can learn Torah in America and keep mitzvos. We can vote in elections here in Israel and fight amongst ourselves about who's frummer and who's a goy. That changed with the

"Al Aqsa Flood War- as the Muslims call it.

 

Since then, we realize that we have a job to do. We have to be partners in the redemption with Hashem. We can't just daven for it and the rain will come, as Adam did on the first day of Creation. Rather we will have to plant, sow, seed, harvest reap. The world is not going to be spring all year around. Rather there will be dark cold scary days. There will be hot, amazing beautiful days. There will be winter. There will be fall. We will not rest day or night. We have a job to do in Creation. We need to be part of bringing redemption. Thus we will serve in the army and fight our enemies to sanctify Hashem's name. We will increase our learning. We will move to Eretz Yisrael. We will unite as one. We will constantly have to recalibrate in an ever-changing world. Because unlike before October 7^th, we realize that we can't just sit back anymore. The world is changing fast and we must as well.

 

The original Garden of Eden like world Hashem had created, didn't really have us partnering with Hashem in creation. Our job was merely not to mess up His beautiful home for us. L'avda U'lishamra. To maintain it. To labor and pray and connect with Hashem in it. Not to dirty His beautiful kitchen. Not to leave our smelly socks on the floor. Not to global warm it or bust His spiritual ozone layer. It wasn't a world of changing seasons. It was just a beautiful magnificent existence that we allowed the evil inclination we internalized after that first sin to deteriorate us and trash His joint. And thus, it ultimately became a condemned property. It had to be knocked down.

 

The new world of Noach though had a new element to it. It was going to be a world where we cannot just avoid breaking things. But rather that we are charged with fixing each day. It's not perfect anymore. It's a burnt kibbutz that's being rebuilt. Its foundation is the trauma of the sins and destruction of the previous world. It's a world where things will not just merely grow and where the weather is always sunny. Rather, it's one with days that are hot and cold. Light and dark. Where each morning and day we will wake up and it is a new one with a new job. It's a new zman in yeshiva. Yesterday was summer and that had its job. Today it's winter zman-season. We have a new mesechta-tractate to learn. To work. To fix and to uplift.  

 

Do you know what the secret of getting out of trauma is? It's the realization that you have reached rock bottom, and that you are powerless without Hashem to do anything, yet at the same time you feel His hand around you reaching out and telling you to grab His hand and that together you can change, grow, fix and make the world a better place and yourself a healed redeemed person. It's looking up to sky that perhaps until then didn't seem to ever change. That was always constant and somehow in that perfection was unconnected to you, and then seeing that there is a rainstorm and a rainbow shining through. It's the multi-colors of the light penetrating through the clouds. Through the dark and rain, telling us that we each have a part to play to refract that light. That the evil that lies within us can be channeled for good. The world is changing every minute and every season, and we can as well. Because it's October 8^th today and we're no longer living in the pre-flood world anymore.

 

The new world is one where we walk out of that Ark we may have been hiding in. Out of that closed bomb shelter. Out of our comfortable white picketed Tom's River, Monsey, Five Towns fenced houses in what we thought was a "medina shel chesed" of "Never Again" and we will stay here until eagles come and pick us up, because America is the last stop and "it-will-never-happen-here". We leave a world where we thought we could just sit and study Torah and not worry about our non-educated secular neighbors, our brothers and sisters. Where an army that believes that "Yisrael b'tach Ba'Tzahal" is trayf and I just won't join, rather than take responsibility and do something to make it better. To change it.

 

The new world is one where we understand that it's enough feeling satisfied with just living in ghettoes in Israel while our Arab cousins take more and more of our land and we just sit back and say there's nothing we can do.  It's enough davening by the burnt remains of retaining wall of the Temple Mount called the Kotel while they desecrate the holiest place where Hashem's palace and laugh at us and Him from the top. It's enough going to graves and davening for the geula, rather than realizing that the winter is over. The spring is here. The time to reap has come. The heat is on. That the time of the night to rest is over and that a new dawn has arrived. The rain is starting to fall and we have a job to do.

 

This Saturday night we begin to daven for rain. It's a strange prayer. Usually our prayers are for results. It's for being take care of from Hashem. We don't daven for medicine; we daven to be healed. We daven we for children we don't daven for fertility treatments or potent seed or eggs or ovulation. We daven for parnassa, not for the opportunity for good deals to make. For a house not for bricks and mortar. Yet, when it comes to crop to planting and creating a new world we ask Hashem for rain. We ask for Him to give us the blessing and ingredient that we need to partner with Him in creation. To change the world. To bring it back to the garden. To build him a Home. We do that because we sense that season is changing. That it’s not spring or summer all the time. That the month when the flood began is upon us. That we have left the Ark and we are here to work with Hashem to create the world and fix it and make His home for all mankind a place where He is revealed.

 

The world is one of Ein Od Mi'lvado. It's a world that we start out with the knowledge that we were created od-flawed from our beginning. It's a world that od- Hashem will not destroy again. It's a world that when we connect with His od- His eternality, then we are not alone. We are with Him. We are the rainbow that will shine through the clouds and bring forth His differing changing glorious light in the so many different colors we have to refract that Glory. The new season finale is here, this Cheshvan. The rain is already falling. It's time to get to work.

 

Have rejuvenating Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz 

 

This week's Insights and Inspiration is dedicated by my dear friends Ephraim and Naomi Halpert in loving memory and as a zechus for the neshoma of Rebbetizin Judy Taub- Yita Rachel bas Yackov Leib, Naomi's mother who's yartzeit is this week on the tenth of Cheshvan. Her light still shines brightly and her inspiration to all those who loved her and continue her legacy and the values she shared and lived by will always live on. May her memory be blessed.

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YOUNG ISRAEL OF KARMIEL

SHABBOS DAVENING SCHEDULE

SHABBOS NOACH

CANDLELIGHTING 5:37 PM

MINCHA KABBALAS SHABBOS- 5:55 PM

SHACHARIS- 8:30 AM

MINCHA- 5:45 PM

MARIV-6:50 PM 10 minutes after tzeitz

DON'T FORGET- REMINDER- MOTZAI SHABBOS WE START SAYING HERE IN THE COUNTRY HASHEM WANTS ALL JEWS TO LIVE IN AND DAVEN TOWARDS!

V'SEIN TAL U'MATAR

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“Naronim on kropeveh vaksen on regen. - Fools and weeds grow without rain

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

19. The leading pilgrimage site for the Druze religion in Israel is ________ 

What is the principal place of worship in the town of Kfar Kama?

A. Mosque

B. Church

C. Synagogue

D. Maqam

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yonah-motza-shabbos – In honor of this week's parsha my amazing and fun Yona Matza composition arranged and vocals by Dovd lowy

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/hachaya-yehalilu - And of course all the animals in this week's parsha singing Halilu- my other fun Africa compostion…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orFQA3fCyA&list=RD-orFQA3fCyA&start_radio=1 – Shulem doing Halleluya… cool…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FbiM9pM-cc&list=RD9FbiM9pM-cc&start_radio=1 – Gad Elbaz New heartfelt Higaleh Alai song… heartfelt

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0K2MbioXfQ    –The Original Big Tzadik song…!

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

The Second Temple- 3427 from Creation-333 BC – We start our new season with the era of the Second Temple. We pick up where we left off with the post Sukkos inauguration and Teshuva movement and acceptance of the Torah that took place when the Jews finally completed their first High Holiday season in the Bais Ha'Mikdash. Things were looking bright and exciting. Our second chance was given. Yes, there were none of the miracles of the first Temple. Yes it wasn't a fancy elaborate building. But it was something and the main thing is that the spirit of teshuva and return to Hashem and His service and sacrifices had been restarted.

 

The next big step was to resettle the city of Yerushalayim with Jews. The capital needed its children. Yerushalayim needed to be filled. It took Nechemia 12 years to complete this task. Real Estate values went up. Buildings sprung from the ground. Prophecies were being fulfilled. It was kind of like today. Once it was all in place though Nechemia went back to Iran/Persia to serve under Darius. To the city of Shushan and where he served the King as his wine-bearer. We were still not an independent sovereign country. We were under Persia. We had to keep "Trump" happy.

 

 All the while Ezra remained and governed the people and served as their gadol in Yerushalayim. Yet even with Ezra's leadership things ultimately went South as they always do. The first thing was that the Jews stopped supporting the Levi'im. Yup the Torah scholars dedicated to Hashem's Service full time, were having their Maaser susbidies cut. People weren't supporting them. It was hard and many of them left. It reached a point where the Temple service was short workers.

 

As well people stopped giving charity. The poor were having a harder time to make it. They would on the other hand watch their non-Jewish neighbors working on Shabbos and selling their products in Yerushalayim and they started to as well. Shabbos was going down. The Service in the Temple was having a rough time. Things were getting bad. It was time for Nechemia to come back for his second time and fix it as he does…

 

How? Next week!!

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE SEASONS JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

The four seasons were arguing about which of them was the best…

Winter boasts, "Well, you can build snowmen and the snow is so beautiful. And Chanuka!! Everyone loves Chanuka!"

Spring laughs, "Well sure, but come springtime, everything is so fresh and new! All the new flowers, it can't get much better than that!"

Summer rays, "Yes, but I am undoubtably the overall best season! Swimming Pools, ice cream, nice weather. You can't top that. What about you autumn, what do you have to offer?"

Autumn ~ *-leaves-* 

 

There’s 5 seasons that exists. Winter, Summer, Autumn, Spring, and Tax Season (in Israel there's election season as well…)

 

What is similar about Xmas and tornado season? You have a tree in your living room.

 

What kind of car runs on leaves? An autumn-mobile!

 

My wife just left me. She says life revolves around football and she's sick of it. I'm quite upset. We were together for 7 seasons.

 

There were 4 henchmen: Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn. The boss stood before them.

"Winter," he began. "I need you to stay cool in the face of pressure. Ice in your veins," he said, patting his shoulder.

"Then there's you, Summer," he continued. "If the heat becomes too much for Winter, use that hot temper of yours to make sure the cops remember who they're working for.

"As for you, Spring," he chuckled, "this operation is gonna bring in a lotta *green.* Make sure that it keeps growing."

He turned for the door as Autumn stood up.

"Boss!" he sputtered. "What about me?"

The boss turned back, shaking his head.

"Sorry, son. You're just the Fall guy."

 

Who changes the season when Summer is over? No one, it happens Autumnatically.

 

Some seasons are cold. And summer hot

 

Why does Humpty Dumpty love autumn? Because Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

 

In what season did Isaac Newton discover gravity? Fall

 

Fabritzi, Jacques, and Abe are about to be executed and they are asked what they wish to have for their last meal.

Fabritzi asks for a Pepperoni Pizza which he is served. He is then executed.

Jacques asks for a Filet Mignon which he is served. He too is then promptly executed.

Abe requests a plate of strawberries.

"Strawberries?"

"Yes," replies Abe, "strawberries."

"But they are out of season."

"So, nu, I'll wait.

 

Stalin approaches a farmer and asks: "Comrade, how many potatoes have we grown this season?"

"Enough to reach God, Comrade Stalin!" replied the farmer.

"But there is no God" said Stalin

"Ah," said the farmer, "as there are no potatoes." 

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 The answer to this week”s question is A – So another 50/50 this week. The first one was easy. It's Druze 101 Neb Shuwaeb is their guy- which of course is Yisro, who in the Druze faith is the hidden secret prophet behind Moshe. The second one I was on the fence about. I knew Kfar Kana was a whole Christian story about water to wine. So I thought the answer was church, but then at the same time I knew it was mostly a muslim place and so I was going to go with mosque. But in the end I went with first instinct which was church. Yet, my mistake was that the question wasn't about kfar Kana, rather it was Kfar KaMa, which is a whole different story. Kfar Kama is a Circassian city. They're Muslims, but more educated and what' interesting is that their "Mosques" are in fact built like Churches. So the correct answer was Mosque. I wrote Church. So oh well… I don't care that much. Because Arab villages are just not my thing.    So half right/half wrong makes the new score Rabbi Schwartz having 14.5 points and the MOT having 4.5 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.

 

Alone with Creation - Parshat Bereishit 2026 5787! New Season!

 Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 9^th 2023 -Volume 17 Issue 1 28^th of Tishrei 5787

 

Parshat Bereishit

Alone with Creation

Click here below for print edition

(Weekly Newsletter - Parshat Bereishis 2026  )

I wish you were sitting next to me right now. Not talking, of course, just sitting. Just appreciating. Just being awe-inspired. I'm not going to say anything either. It's kind of why I'm here right now. Me and Tully, although he's still sleeping.

 

 It's been a long season. I haven't had a break until now. Summer, even Elul this year, Then High Holidays preparations. Yom Kippur services, Sukkos, Simchas Torah, all the time running back and forth from my home and shul in Karmiel to my tourists all over the country every day in between. I've been talking non-stop. Singing, dancing, hiking, climbing, teaching, praying and in between trying to squeeze in all my crazy learning schedule. My tourists always tell me at the end of the day, how I mamash wiped them out. I turn back to them and tell them that if they think they're wiped out they should try spending 7 days a week with me. That's what I have to do…

 

But my time has come. I can finally breath. I'm sitting on a porch of a gorgeous tizmmer in Mitzpe Yericho. I got up at sunrise, like I usually do. But this morning, rather than the view of my street or the alley way in Jerusalem where I stay, I got to see Creation unfold, before my eyes. It's glorious. As I said I wish you were here next to me. We wouldn't talk. Because I'm all talked out. I just come to a place for next few days and sit in a jacuzzi and look out at nature, bond with Hashem and chill…

 

But since I'm still a tour guide and I have to write this weekly E-Mail, I'll share with you what's in front of me. There are these glorious hills of the Judean Midbar-wilderness (not desert, come on a tour and find out why not and what the difference is) in front of me I see the Jordan River and the Dead Sea and across are the hills of Moav, which is today, Jordan or as I like to call it; Occupied territory. It's the biblical portion of the tribes of Reuvein and Gad, that Jordan is currently occupying, until we get rid of them, and reconquer it as did Moshe originally. When he killed Sichon the King and didn't leave one man, woman or child alive in the entire area. Nice. River to the Sea is our motto that they stole. Although The river really is the Euphrates until the Nile according to Hashem's promise to Avraham. (I even noted that Rashi mentions that the Euphrates is called the Nahar Ha'gadol- big river because it is the border of Israel. God willing soon!).

 

Yeah so this view is spectacular. There's nothing in front of me but Hashem's world and land. It's me and Him- and Tully who is still sleeping. And for the first time in a few months, I truly feel at peace. Serene. Quiet. One. I'm back in the Garden of Hashem. I'm home.

 

There's something amazing about solitude. It's what great Chasidic Rebbe's call Histobodedut. It's one of the highest forms of avoda- or service of Hashem. It's not Yoga. It's not meditation. It's not even clearing out all of the noise of the world and of life. It's the sense of being one with one's self. It's looking out at the whole world, in all it's magnificence and truly achieving a sense that this was all created for me. It's just me and Hashem. It's His world and I can sit next to Him silently on the bench and the porch. As well it's what makes me unique as a Creation. It returns me to understand why and what am I doing here.

 

This week we start the Torah again. We start with the Creation of the world. Rashi asks right away, who cares? What's the point of this whole story of Creation. Of the entire Book. Isn't the Torah a book of laws of directions of morals, of the story of the Jewish people. It should start with our Exodus from Egypt. It should maybe start with Avraham's story. Who needs to know about the entire lengthy portion of the Creation, of the science behind how and what days each thing was created? There's nothing more annoying that can destroy a good view than the Tour guide that starts explaining about the geological formations. The Syrian African Rift. There's nothing that can ruin a good beautiful garden and orchard than someone that starts telling you about the entire agricultural process. There's nothing that can ruin a good special effects movie than the guy that stops the movie to explain how they're doing all the stunts.

 

What's even more interesting is that after the entire story of Creation, the Torah kind of gives us the short-hand version of the story. It tells us once again about the more specific creation of Adam. Yet as opposed to the first story where it only tells us about the creation of Adam and Chava in the image of Hashem, and as Rashi notes they were perhaps created as one. There Hashem sees them and all He created as being "Tov Me'od"- very good. In story number 2 in the second chapter it tells us that Hashem actually saw as being the only Creation that was"lo tov". We weren't created good. It doesn't say, as it's commonly mistranslated that it's "not good for man to be alone"  for the man's sake. Rather it says it's not good for creation. It's not a good creation to have man that is alone. The world is not a good place when one is alone. When there's only one man.

 

The question though is if that's the case, why did Hashem create Man alone. Why unlike every other created being that has a male and a female even including that plant and tree botanical world. Why by man did Hashem switch things up. Why did he create man alone? Why did He create man and woman together as one? Tell us that it's very good. And then switch and realize that it's not good and then separate them? Seemingly He had a plan. It was necessary for Creation and the function of the world to go through this process. And perhaps even deeper than we may have heard or interpreted in the past- that it's just so man will search out his spouse/missing rib. There's a deeper idea that relates to the essence of Creation. To the sense of being alone.

 

There's a fascinating Rashi that I noted reviewing the parsha this week that never struck me before. In the second story of the Creation of the world, Rashi notes that the word Va'Yiitzer Hashem Elokim es ha'adam- and Hashem formed Man- is written with two yud's. What are they meant to represent? Don't cheat. I'm sure you'll think as did I from memory that it is for two world. And what are the two worlds? This one and the next. But that's not what Rashi says. He says it's this world and the world of the resurrection of the Dead. Isn't that fascinating. The world was created it seems with a plan for death and rebirth. Our job in this world in this second story of Creation is two begin the story and trajectory of bringing the world to its final resurrection. Where there is no more death. Where body and soul are one. Where the entire world is fixed. Where we are all back as one in that garden.

 

The process of getting to that creation therefore as to start with that original memory. That sense of there is only me and Hashem. He is floating above the water. He is walking with us in the garden. It's just me and Him and we are alone and we are One. It is that memory that is at the core of mankind. It's why we were created as One different than any other created being. It's about getting back to that. Creation of world number two is the world that needs to start with a surgery. It needs to start with a sin. It needs to start with Lo tov. With the not good. It needs to start with October 7^th.

 

It is then in this new world that the woman is brought to man. Where he is told he needs to learn dveikus- to cleave and cling and bond with his wife. It is in this world that even before he is brought his wife he is brough every animal and created being and is "davak" to them. He cleaves to them. He needs to raise the entire world. For to get to the resurrection of the dead-end game of the world, of being davek-connecting and becoming one with Hashem and being His partner in Creation, we need to bring the entire world with us. For man is the only Creation that can know between good and not good. Man who was one and who was divided and separated can appreciate the incompleteness of a world that is not-connected to Hashem. That is not connected to itself. That isn't at one. That's always in tension and fighting and ultimately destroying itself. That doesn't see the spark of Hashem in all of Creation. That doesn't return to that view by Mitzpe Yericho and look out and feel that memory and sense of one-ness that Hashem completes us with.

 

So, I'm done writing for now. You can get off my porch. It's getting crowded here with you, even though we're not talking. My computer needs to turn off. My phone too. Except for my Spotify and SoundCloud Rabbi Schwartz playlist. I have a date. It's with myself. It's with Hashem. I feel His wind and spirit blowing over me from the midbar. It's passing over the face of the water of my jacuzzi. He want's me to join Him there. Tourists are coming back soon. The Final War is brewing in the distance. The world is getting closer and closer to bringing back that so many dead we have lost and living forever. May this winter not only be a gezunteh vinter, as we say in yiddish. But may it be a redemptive one. And may the upcoming month of Mar-Cheshvan- the month that has been waiting for it's holidays finally become the most festive one as we begin the world with the world as one.

 

Have safe peaceful Shabbos and a Chodesh Tov,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz 

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“Aleyn iz di neshome reyn..- Alone the Soul is pure…

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

18. The Islamic calendar began in the year ________ in the Christian era.

 Which of the following texts do the Samaritans recognize?

A. The Torah and the Book of Joshua

B. The entire Hebrew Bible and parts of the Mishnah

C. The Community Rule

D. The Jewish Apocrypha

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f03XF0rSG0&list=RD9f03XF0rSG0&start_radio=1  – Dovd lowy unplugged doing one of my favorte all time songs. Berieshis olam…

 

https://youtu.be/dw3ftETU7Mk - Bereishit- A Moshav Band classic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbsK8-kptnw&list=RDzbsK8-kptnw&start_radio=1  - Berieshis

Olam original with Shlomy shabbat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=659TIEt3Ylk&list=RD659TIEt3Ylk&start_radio=1   –A new Start Acoustic Bitaon…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6P23PFBLAM&list=RDC6P23PFBLAM&start_radio=1  – Interesting song Bereishis Zindy?

 

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

We'll be back again next week.., I really promise Bl"n…, just no energy for it this week here…

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S CREATION JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

Adam was moping around in the Garden of Eden. Suddenly a light flashed and there was the Lord.

"What's the matter, Adam?"

Adam replied: "I'm lonely. There is nobody to talk to around here except that slimy serpent who keeps on wanting me to get into trouble. And since you won't let me go near the Tree of Knowledge, I don't know how to cook, and meals of raw berries and nuts are not very good.."

The Lord thought about this for a few minutes and then said: "I have it! I will create WOMAN for you!"

Adam was intrigued, and asked "What is WOMAN?"

The Lord explained: "She will bear and raise your children with no complaint. She will cook you delicious meals that satisfy you and will never ask you to help with the preparation or with the cleaning up afterwards. Should there ever be any cause for misunderstanding or dispute between you and her, she will address the issue directly and work with you towards resolving it, never resorting to sulking or artificial silence, hinting or any other form of subterfuge. She will be the perfect helpmate for you."

Adam reflected on this. "Sounds great! But...what is all this going to cost me?"

The Lord responded: "An arm and a leg."

Adam thought about this for a while. Then he said: "Err...what can I get for a rib?"

 

A little girl asked her mother, "How did the human race appear?"

The mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children, and so was all mankind made.."

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question..

The father answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved."

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, "Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?"

The mother answered, "Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.

 

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on a camping trip. After a hearty meal and a good bottle of wine, they lay down to sleep. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Holmes wakes his trusted companion and asks "Watson, what do you see?"

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Watson answers: "I see millions and millions of stars."

"Correct, Watson, and what do you conclude from that?"

Watson thinks for a moment and then answers: "Well, temporally I conclude it is about 03:30 AM, astrologically I conclude that Venus is showing in the sign of Aquarius, astronomically I conclude that we are on a planet, orbiting the sun in a spiral arm of our galaxy, and religiously I conclude that God wants to show us with this splendour that we are but a small, insignificant speck of dust in the infinite grace of His creation. Why, Holmes? What do you mean?"

"Watson... somebody stole our tent."

 

When God created the world, he also created the dog, the monkey, and the cow. Told through the eyes of the dog, the monkey, and the cow, and their conversations with God during creation, life is explained simply.

 

God Created the Dog.On the first day, God created the dog and said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed with the dog.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, Do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed with the monkey.

On the third day, God created the cow and said: "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves, and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said: "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But man said: "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

 

"Okay," said God, "You asked for it."

So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone

 

Gabriel ask god have about his latest creation what is this?

"its human"

"what is that 2 round thing?

"it's called eyes, so they can see my other creations"

and this thing?

"it's called hands, so they can create things just like i did"

and this?

"it's toe, for the furniture"

what furniture?

"trust me, it will be hilarious"

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The answer to this week”s question is A – A new year and a new season and volume and I start off with a 50/50. So years are not my thing.  There are a few important ones that I repeat all the time that I know. I don't talk about Islam much besides that we need to get rid of this crazy violent cult from the world and eradicate all it's adherents. But I knew they conquered Yerushalayim in 638 and so I went with that. I was wrong. The correct answer was 622 when Muhamed yemach Shemo haj'd from Mecca to Medina. Who cares? Part 2 though I got correct. Shomronim are interesting and I do speak about them. They only believe in the Tanach until Yehoshua and even there they mess around a bit. But afterwards when the Navi curses out and describes them as fake Jews they kind of write off.  So half right/half wrong makes the new score Rabbi Schwartz having 14 points and the MOT having 4 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.