Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
May
15th 2015 -Volume 5, Issue 27 -26th
Iyar 5775
Parshat Bechukosai
Hunger Gains
Uh
Oh. I know I’m in trouble when I begin to wax philosophical about dieting.
Usually that is a sign that my post-Pessach -get rid of all those potatoes and
Matzoh lbs- diet is in serious jeopardy. I know how it works. It starts
with some brilliant insights on the principles of effective weight loss. Very
slowly it then moves to some weak justifications of why a little piece of …….
really won’t impact my firmly committed resolve. After all I have just
intellectualized the significance of why this is so critical to my lifestyle. I
rationalize that one cannot go over board though. I quote Maimonides that one
must choose the middle “golden path” avoiding extremes. Sponge cake is golden.
Yet in the back of my mind I know that one I start quoting Maimonides, I’m in
trouble. Before you know it I have reached the recognized reality that my
justifications were indeed weak and I admit that I am not on my diet any more.
This of course means that I will have to try harder next year post Pessach to
find something else to write about for my weekly email so that it doesn’t
happen again. Yet this week’s Torah portions contains in it two such beautiful
insights into the Torah’s perspective of eating (and life for that matter),
that I feel that it is worth the risk just to share them. Oy, what I don’t do
for you. I will not quote Maimonides though.
The
first insight comes from an interesting blessing that Hashem promises to the
Jewish people if they follow the commandments.
“You
will eat your bread and will be satisfied”.
Now
even for those of us not on Atkins, the blessing may seem quite lame. I imagine
that when many of us think of a blessing or reward for following the sometimes
daunting commandments and restrictions of the Torah, we would hope that the
good Lord might provide us a little something more than the promise of
satisfying bread. Yet Rashi, the great 11th century most basic of
Torah commentaries, quotes the Medrash that takes this blessing even
further.
"One
eats just a bit and it will be blessed within his belly”.
So
the reward is not even a lot of bread. Rather interestingly enough it seems to
be the feeling of satisfaction that we are promised to feel after eating just a
little bit.
Rabbi
Yissochar Frand draws a very powerful insight from this rather humble
blessing. All too often when we think of blessing we think of prosperity.
Someone who has made it on our society is one who has the most and the best and
the latest of everything. Unfortunately, I have encountered too many of these
people and can attest that for a large part, many of them do not live with a
sense of appreciation and feeling of blessing. On the other hand I have been
privileged in my younger Yeshiva years in Israel to spend Shabbos with many
families that feel they live the most blessed lives in the world. Many of them
live in small apartments with families of ten children. Many do not own those
basic western “necessities” microwaves, food processors, and computers. Yet the
joy and feeling of blessing that fills these homes resonates with that special
blessing of Hashem.
In
a very similar vein the Seforno an early 15th Scholar notes another
strange promise by God. We are told in Parshas Behar about the Mitzvah of the
sabbatical year- Shemitta. After being commanded to leave our fields fallow for
the entire year giving them a year of Shabbos, free from producing any fruit.
The Torah then addresses that most primary concern.
“And
if you may say, What will we eat in the 7th year if we do not plant
and gather our crops? I will command my crops for you in the 6th
year and it will produce for three years.”
The
implication, it would seem, is that we only receive this blessing by virtue of
the question "And if you will ask, what shall we eat?" What
would happen, if they would not ask the question? Are we to infer that in that
case, the crops would not double? Precisely, says the Soforno. If they would
not ask the question, there would be no NEED for a quantitative blessing. The
blessing would instead be something even greater. They would be satisfied with
the smaller amount, and not fall into the never ending cycle of the unsatisfying
pursuit for more.
One
of the most difficult parts of dieting I find is eliminating “mindless eating”.
Just turning off the brain and eating not for satisfaction purposes rather just
eating for eating’s sake. This is not only true for eating unfortunately I
believe it is true in our pursuit of “stuff” as well. Mindless impulse
buying, things we have to have, places we have to go to, we lose focus on
developing a mindset of satisfaction and instead hope upon hope that more of
whatever, will make us feel better. Yet the Torah shares with us the true path
to happiness. “Who is a wealthy man? He who is satisfied with his lot.”
says the Mishna in Pirkey Avot. The road to true wealth and happiness is not
going to be determined by how much food one has on one’s plate or how much
money one has in the bank. Rather the truest happiness will only be found when
we can feel satisfied and blessed with all that our loving Father in heaven has
given us.
As
we move closer to the holiday of Shavuot and work on building up to that
spiritual peak of that anniversary of our receiving the Torah on Sinai. Let’s
work on stepping back from our mindless pursuits (eating and otherwise) and
begin a process of dieting. For as we focus on those actions that will truly
bring us to a true state of satisfaction, we will be opening our lives up to
the greatest blessing that Hashem has to give.
This
week many celebrate the holiday of Yom Yerushalayim here in Israel. It is the
day that 48 years ago. Hashem returned Jerusalem to our hands. It was not
something we planned on, It wasn’t even a planned military objective. We turned
around the corner as our soldiers entered through the Lion’s Gate in the 6 day
War and wadda boom wadda bing we were there. Har Habayit BiYadeinu- The Temple
Mount was in our hands. A true fulfillment of the verse Omdot Hayu Ragleinu
B’Shaarayich Yerushalayim.- Our feet were standing at the gates of
Jerusalem. We merited Jerusalem because we were never satisfied with the stuff
of the Diaspora. Our Forefathers longed for it. They dreamed of returning and
building once again the Temple of Hashem that will shine out to the world.
Hashem created us with a hunger and a drive that is seeking to be satisfied and
that can never be satisfied until it is fulfilled. Until the day that it will ultimately
be rebuilt, our Jewish souls will always have a sense of void that needs to be
fulfilled. It certainly isn’t meant to be filled with the quick fix noshes,
luxuries and comforts that a few decades of no one trying to wipe us out in our
foreign countries of existence might have provided us. It shouldn’t even be
satisfied with the miraculous establishment of the State of Israel and the
return of millions to our homeland. Even a day like Yom Yerushalayim when we
celebrate the return to our holy city should cause us to look at the Kotel and
see merely a candy wrapper; a retaining wall of the Temple Mount that was meant
to envelop the home of Hashem that still needs to be built. It is what Hashem
craves. Ratza Hashem Dira BaTachtonim.- Hashem desires a dwelling place
here on this world. We can’t stop longing for that desire to be fulfilled. The
Book of Vayikra concludes with the blessings and curses that can be achieved or
that we will suffer if we forget that desire. If we forget that master plan. It’s
time to give up the nosh. It’s time for the final glorious and eternal banquet
that awaits us.
Have
a spectacular Shabbos and festive Yom Yerushalayim.
,
Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz
***********
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
Love song for Jerusalem cute!
Jerusalem Flash Mob Eis Lirkod – at time to dance
Israel police – our pride and joy- doing the lion sleeps
tonight
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
While in the states I picked up a great book with yiidsh quotes and
wisdom and I have always wanted to teach my kids Yiddish so here we go each
week another great proverb in yiddish maybe you guys will learn it too!!
“Fyn
a kargn gvir in fet bok genist men ersht nukhn toyt!- A rich miser and a fat goat are of no use until
they are dead!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I often hear them accuse Israel of
Judaizing Jerusalem. That's like accusing America of Americanizing Washington,
or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we're called 'Jews'? Because
we come from Judea." – Benjamin Netanyahu
““You ought to let the Jews have
Jerusalem; it was they who made it famous.”– Winston Churchill
"Ten measures
of beauty descended to the world, nine were taken by Jerusalem."-Talmud: Kiddushin
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S
TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(New exam this week these questions are from the
most recent tour guide exam-let’s see how I do)
answer below at end of Email
Citrus orchards in
Israel in the modern era began in what region?
A.
The
coast line
B.
Western
Negev
C.
Judean
Lowlands (Shefela)
D.
Jezre’el
valley
.RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK
This weeks Parsha tell us of that if we follow
the mitzvos/ commandments Hashem will bless us with his “our rain in its time”.
The Midrash explains what this means. One interpretation is that it will rain
at the time of year when it si neede in Spring/The month of Nissan and in
Cheshvan the fall month for they will not make the fruits soggy or flood the
ground and will not harm houses our tress. Interestingly enough this year
Israel has had the past month or two very unlikely rain in the month of April
even and May. Someone pointed out to me that since this year is meant to be A
Shemitta year and we are not meant to be working the fileds the only ones
getting harmed by this are the farmers that are not keeping the Shemitta. Ouch!
Another interepertation in the Midrash is that it
will rain when people are not outdoors like night time particularly on
Wednesday night when there are evil spirits running around and Friday nights
when all are home with their families. I added to that list when tour guide are
not touring J
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Celebrating “New” “Jewish” “Holidays” – Three sets of Quotation marks
depending on your orientation. Yeah in America you have July 4th,
but here we have Yom Ha’atzmaut. How meaningful is Memorial day compared to Yom
HaZikaron or Yom HaShoah? And only Israel has Yom Yerushalayim. Israeli
holidays are not just days off to go shopping, the beach or catch up on work.
These days are meaningful as we reflect on the miracle of the State of Israel
and the return to Jerusalem. One literally feels they are part of the process
of the unfolding of History and our destiny here. The last time new days were
added that were celebrated by Jews was Chanukah over 2000 years ago. If you
want to push it maybe Lag Ba’Omer 500 years ago. But here since the establishment
of the State we’ve been getting these wholesale. Not everyone considers these
Jewish there are some that see them as nationalistic, some that see them as
holy days to thank Hashem. We Jews can never agree of course. But regardless
here in the Land of Israel these days are celebrated as we await the return of
the Biblical holidays with the coming of Mashiach to be experienced in our
Temple hopefully very soon rebuilt.
******************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S BARBER
JOKES OF THE WEEK
A Jewish man
was walking around Jerusalem when a bill board caught his eye. It
read, "We would rather do business with 1000 Arabs than one single
Jew!"
The Jewish man stopped and asked himself what place would advertise such a racist proclamation. Then he got it... The Funeral Directors.
********
The Jewish man stopped and asked himself what place would advertise such a racist proclamation. Then he got it... The Funeral Directors.
********
A
good, old American Jew felt the death is close and asked his sons to take him
to the Holy Land, to die there and be buried in Jerusalem.
The loving sons did as he asked, brought him to Jerusalem, put him in a hospital and waited for death to come. However, once in Jerusalem the old man felt better and better and in some weeks was again strong, healthy and full of life. He called upon his sons and told them: " Take me quickly back to the United States."
The sons were somehow disappointed and asked: "Father how come? You said you want to die in the Holy Land and be buried in Jerusalem!'
"Yes," answered the father, to die it's OK but to live here....!?"
The loving sons did as he asked, brought him to Jerusalem, put him in a hospital and waited for death to come. However, once in Jerusalem the old man felt better and better and in some weeks was again strong, healthy and full of life. He called upon his sons and told them: " Take me quickly back to the United States."
The sons were somehow disappointed and asked: "Father how come? You said you want to die in the Holy Land and be buried in Jerusalem!'
"Yes," answered the father, to die it's OK but to live here....!?"
****************
Answer is A: If
you got this wrong you should be ashamed. What you’ve never had a Jaffa orange
before. The coastline which is called the Sharon area is where all of the Jewish
orchards started, which was quite a feat being that the salt water isn’t great
for them and fresh water wasn’t plentiful. The industry originally started with
the Arabs in the late 1800’s but the Jews took it to whole new level with
exports and drip and motorized pumped irrigation. Today Jaffa Oranges are grown
mostly in South Africa and South America and Spain so as to maximize the world
wide demand and to cover us in seasons when there is no rain.
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