Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
October 9th 2015 -Volume 6, Issue 1 25th Tishrei 5776!
Parshat Bereshis
A Science Lesson
So there I sat by my tour oral guiding exam. It had been a long
haul. Two years of classes 5 hours a week, 85 tours around the country and
submitting 30-40 page reports after each one. I had already passed the three
part written exam, with its 50 multiple choice questions-of really trivial
information-( as readers of this weekly E-Mail who get passed the Dvar Torah
and jokes to the question of the week know) and Part B and C having to on the
spot write a two day itinerary for a random group, e.g. Protestants from
airport to Jerusalem, Senior citizens in Golan, etc. All that remained was
making it through the Oral exam. Only about 35% of our original tour guiding
class had made it to this point. Of them another 15% has yet to successfully
past this final hurdle to becoming a tour guide in Israel. I was nervous. It
was the final stretch.
A Tribunal consisting of three
members of the Ministry of Tourism sat before me, as well as a representative
from the Union of Tourism agents. It is known in Israel that the Ministry of
Tourism might very well have achieved the honorary title of “most arrogant
government agency”. There is much competition for this title and crown here in
this country and is certainly no small accomplishment. They feel, perhaps
rightfully so that they hold the keys to what is certainly one of the most
important industries if not the second most important (after Hi Tech) in
Israel. The Tour guides are the ambassadors to the world for our country. We
can form and influence the impression the world will have of our country,
hopefully and it is for that reason they claim they have to be very selective
of who can have the honor of being that representative. Their job was to shake
and rattle me and try to get under my skin and push my buttons to see how I
would respond. As well as test my knowledge and make sure that I wouldn’t make
up too many things J. My job was to prepare a sample itinerary for
them, speak as if I was speaking in one of my tour sites on that itinerary for
about 5 minutes or so until they cut me off and then to respond to the barrage
of their questions on my site, my itinerary, and then anything they wanted to
ask me about Israel for the next half hour. All the while smiling of course.
The first ten minutes or so went fine. They liked my description
of Tel Dan and the stories I told even letting me speak pretty much until the
end. The first couple of questions also were not too bad. They got me though on
what is the name of the water source in ancient Be’er Sheva. I said I
thought it was a nachal but forgot the name of which one. Duhhh…. I found at after
it was Nachal Be’er Sheva. But then one of them got this wicked gleam in
his eyes. I could tell he was out to get me.
“What type of rock do you find in the Golan?” He asked me. “Bazelet-
Basalt” I responded. “And where does it come from?” he followed
with. “Volcanos” I served right back to him. He then came out with the
curve ball. But I figured it was coming as soon as he started tis line of
questioning. “When would you say was the last volcano in Israel….?” Ba
Dam Dam. Thank you. “ A few hundred thousand years ago” I responded quite
innocently. That’s what he was waiting for. This was his play.
“What do you mean a few hundred thousand years ago?! Don’t you believe
that the world is only 5773 years old (this was 3 years ago). What will you
tell you religious tourists? How will you explain that.!”
All eyes were on me the other ministers awaited my response. This
would be my moment of truth. I smiled sweetly at my Inquisitor.
“Well, first I would tell them that I am an Orthodox Rabbi. Everything
that I say is under Rabbinic Supervision. No one is going to Hell today for
heresy. I guarantee. That’s first of all.” They smiled at that, except for my interrogator that is, who
grumbled.
“Secondly,”
I continued, “I have a question for you. How old was Adam on the day that Hashem
created him. Was he a baby in diapers? Was he a toddler? A teen-ager? I imagine we would agree, that
he was probably none of the above but rather he was a full formed strapping
young man. I used to say late 20’s early 30’s now I think mid 40’s or so. You
know, at the prime of life JJ. Meaning that we can agree that 5773 Hashem
created a man that was already aged and formed. In the same way we believe that
5773 years ago Hashem created a world, and the beautiful Golan with its several
hundred thousand year old volcanos and fascinating Basalt rocks.”
Home Run. And thus I became a tour guide. Don’t mess with a man who’s
been doing outreach for years and who has had to field all these questions many
times before.
The truth is though although I think in almost every portrayal I
can think of, when one thinks about the Garden of Eden and this “perfect Man”
awaking for the first time in this “perfect world, we have an image of …well I
guess Paradise. After all that’s what is was wasn’t it? Lush green trees, streams
flowing, birds chirping, animals grazing, roaming, bunny rabbits hopping
around. Like one of those Disney imaginary worlds. A Kuna Matata. Yet if one
looks in to the actual text of the Torah- which I highly recommend doing- it’s
a new year, a fresh start- how about going through the text each week. If one
goes through it then you see a whole different picture.
Chapter 2-“These are the products of the heaven and earth when
they were created on the day that Hashem made the earth and heaven- Now any
tree of the field was not yet on Earth nor any herb of the field had yet
sprouted, for G-D had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to work
the soil.”
The Torah than continues with the description of the Creation of
Man and placing him into the Garden and then it tells us “And Hashem caused
to grow from the ground every tree…”
If you follow the verses as do our sages and as Rashi notes as
well. Adam was not born into that imaginary world. Adam was born and placed in
a world that was not so perfect. It was in fact desolate. Probably looked a bit
like Mars or a world after a nuclear bomb. Nothing was growing. “for there was
no man to work the ground”. Now if you ask me this seems a bit strange. Wouldn’t
it have been nice to be born in Paradise? I know Israeli restaurants that have
a policy that they never have food ready before you order things. It needs to
come fresh hot out of the oven. It can be the busiest season and the peak of
the lunch hour but they will not make a pizza or even French fries until you
get order it. I don’t get it. But here this is Hashem. He knows that He will be
creating a Man in a few minutes. Why not give him the perfect world?
Rashi quotes our sages and says
“And why had He not yet sent rain? Because there was no man to “work
the earth” and there was none to who could recognize the goodness of rains. And
when Man came and realized that there was a necessity for them for the world,
he prayed for them and and they came down and the trees and vegetation
sprouted.”
Cool. Imagine that. Born into a world of desolation. Adam awakens.
Being the bright young man that he is he realizes that this is not the way it
is supposed to be. The world is not perfect. The world needs Tikun. The world
needs Prayer. Hashem put me here for a purpose. To work the earth. But not necessarily
to start digging and find some underground aquifers or invent drip irrigations
to “make the desert flourish. Rather just to open up my lips and ask Hashem for
the rain. For the blessing, for my salvation. The world was waiting for me to
connect with my Creator. To raise it up to the heavens with my prayers and to
bring heaven down to earth. These are the products of heaven and earth on the
day that Hashem made them. He made a world that was waiting for man to be the
bridge and bring it to its fulfillment.
I have tremendous respect for science. The Torah tell us that we
are meant to delve into the secrets of the world and understand through them
Hashem’s ways. Through our understanding of the universe, Hashem has directed
us into uncovering incredible things, cures for diseases, technology, space
travel, and all types of improvements to make life better for the world’s
inhabitants. It’s why we were put here. Yet the prerequisite to all of it is to
recognize that it all starts with Prayer. It all starts with our initial
connection to Hashem. It has to start that way because there is a purpose to
all of that Creation and that is not just to improve the world but to bring it
closer to its Creator. To connect it to heaven. If it doesn’t start with prayer
it will never end where it is meant to. It will stay down here on earth.
There is another idea as well that is so important and fundamental
to us in this first lesson of Adam particularly in these trying times. Adam
prayed and it rained. Prayer works. Hashem is listening. He may put us in a
world that looks desolate and bare, that looks war-struck, god-less and empty.
But life is right beneath the surface. It’s all ready to sprout forward. We
just need to turn our eyes and hearts up to heaven. We know this. We’ve known
this for 2000 years. We know this through out all the tragedies and suffering.
It was the first science lesson we got. We, the Jewish people are meant to be
the tour guides of the world in the Paradise that we are meant to create here.
We were chosen to be the people to teach this lesson to the world. Our prayers
are what is needed now for the salvation to sprout forward. May Hashem answer those
prayers soon and bring an end to all the suffering and death with the
redemption we are waiting for.
Have a magnificent Shabbos and a Chodesh Tov
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S VIDEO OF THEWEEK
https://youtu.be/KHinSH8W9jc –This year is the year of Hakhel
check out this really adorable video and play.
https://youtu.be/Y18lS_ATRYQ – interesting short
interview with State Department on why the US can bomb a hospital and kill
innocent civilians and Israel cannot
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!!
“Hob
nit kain moirch ven du host nit kain ander braireh..”- Don’t be
scared when you have no other choice
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S JEWISH PERSONALITY AND HIS QUOTES IN HONOR OF THE
YARTZEIT OF THE WEEK
Another new feature of the week. Decided to feature not just a
quote but a important Jewish personality whose yartzeit falls out each week
.“Love turns one person
into two and two people into one.” Don Yitzchak Abarbanel
Yartzeit-29th of Tishrei
this Monday
Don Isaac Abarabanel (1437-1508)- Don Isaac Abravanel was
one of the greatest Jewish statesmen who played an important part in European
history. At the same time he was not merely a loyal and strictly religious Jew,
but a great scholar, Bible commentator and philosopher. He was the last of the
long line of great Jewish leaders and heroes of the Spanish Golden Age.
Isaac was born into a wealthy and
learned family in Portugal. His father Judahwas state treasurer of
Portugal, and a great favorite of Alfonso V, king of Portugal. Isaac received a
thorough Jewish education, and took a keen interest in languages and
philosophy. Later he succeeded his father in the service of the king.
In his greatness, Isaac never forgot his
humble brethren. He used his vast wealth to support the needy. Thus, when
Alfonso captured the town of Arzilla in Morocco, and there were two hundred and
fifty Jews among the prisoners, Isaac Abravanel appointed twelve
representatives to gather funds to redeem them, and he himself was the greatest
donor. When they were redeemed, he supported them from his own means for about
two years, until they learnt the language and could earn their own livelihood.
Abravanel also used his great influence to better the position of his brethren
in other lands.
Abravanel quietly obtained a position
with a Jewish banking firm, and was glad to have time to pursue his studies and
literary work. He continued his commentaries on the Bible which he had been
forced to interrupt because of the pressure of state affairs. He wrote his
commentaries on Joshua, Judges and Samuel, but when he began his
commentaries on the book of Kings, the king of Spain summoned him to take over
the state treasury. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain knew that they could find
no greater financial genius, and in the very same year when the notorious
Torquemada became head of the Inquisition in Spain, Abarvanel officially
became treasurer to the king and queen (two years before the expulsion of the
Jews from Spain).
When that terrible decree of the
expulsion of all Jews from Spain except those who would give up their faith,
became known, Abravanel tried hard to avert the catastrophe. He begged of the
king and queen to reconsider their cruel decree, and he offered a huge sum to
the king's treasury. The king and queen turned considered his offer until
Torqumeada the chief inquisitor came in and through his crucifix on the floor.
Asking if they would abandon their “savior” once again like Judas for money. After
which they quickly issued the decree of expulsion.
On the 9th of Av, 5252 (July 30,
1492), Abravanel and his family were on the march with the rest of their
co-religionists. He describes the scene in the introduction to his works on the
books of the prophets. The unfortunate refugees finally reached Naples in
Italy. When Ferdinand learned that the Jews found a haven in Naples, he
requested the king of Naples (also called Ferdinand) that he should not permit
the refugees to. remain in his land. The young king of Naples, however, ignored
the protest and demands of the cruel rulers of Spain. Moreover, he invited
Abravanel to the royal house and appointed him as his adviser. Abravanel served
both him and his son Alfonso II who succeeded to the throne in 1494.
Unfortunately Naples was captured by King Charles of France in the following
year, and King Alfonso II fled to Sicily. Abravanel accompanied his Majesty in
exile, and continued to serve him with a fatherly devotion, until the exiled
king died. Then Abravanel left for the island of Corfu in the Mediterranean.
Having lost all his wealth to the French
conquerors, Abravanel suffered poverty and hardship. He moved to Monopoli, a
town in the Kingdom of Naples, finally settling in Venice. Here it was not long
before the rulers of Venice invited him to the council of state, and Abravanel
became one of the leading statesmen of that Venetian Republic. Here in Venice
Abravanel died in the year 5269, at the age of 71, deeply mourned by the Jewish
and non-Jewish citizens of Venice. The leading rulers of Venice attended his
funeral, and he was laid to rest in Padua.
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
“Altalena” is
connected with
A.
Detention
camp is Cyprus
B.
Illegal
refugee boat that was sent away by the British
C.
A
book written by Theodore Herzl
D.
Smuggling
in of weapons by the Irgun (Etzel)
(Each year we’ve focused on
a different aspect of torah two years ago we did the gematria/remez of the
week, the past year midrash. This year i decided to focus on the simple pshat/understanding-which
of course is best understood with rashi who defines his classic commentary as “only
coming to explain the simple understanding.-pshuto shel mikra- so this year, i
hope to bring you each week a fascinating ….
.
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S COOL RASHI OF THE WEEK
First Rashi of the Torah interesting enough
doesn’t seem like a simple understanding of the Pshat. RAshi quotes a Midrash.
Rabbi Yitzchak says the Torah did not need to
start seemingly from the commandment of the New Month (in the book of Shemos/Exodus)
the first mitzva (before the phascal lamb) the Jewish people were commanded
with and why did it start from “The beginning” ? Rashi explains that this is to
be able to have a response in the nations of the world accuse of stealing/occupying
their land. We can tell them that the entire world belongs to Hashem and he
gave it to them and then took it from them and gave it to us.
Seemingly for a commentary like Rashi that suggests
his entire commentary is only for the simple understanding his start with a
Midrash seems like a deviation.
The Be’er Mayim Chayim relates that Rashi
wanted to give honor to his father, whose name was Yitzchak (Rashi- is an
acronym of Reb Shlomo Ben Yitzchak”) and he therefore began with this Midrash
of a question his father had asked him. The Maharal in Gur Aryeh suggests an
even deeper concept that Rashi in his first commentary is coming to explain the
simple understanding of what this Book called Torah- which seemingly means
instructions is all about. Ostensibly it should just list and begin with
commandments. Therefore Rashi feels the need to explain that the narratives of the
Book of Bereishis are there to let us understand that the majority of mitzvos
are meant to be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael. It’s not merely a book of
commandments and life instructions, it is a Divine mandate to conquer the land,
dwell in it and fulfill the mitzvos here. Therefore Rashi explains it is necessary
to start from “The Beginning” in order to understand Hashem created the world
for this purpose to give us the land and fulfill his commandments
Additionally, it would seem that our job is to
tell that to the “nations of the world”. Next Bibi UN speech. Hashem created
the world and took the land from you and gave it to us”- I can hear it right
now. Can’t you?
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S COOL HISTORICAL EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE IN ISRAEL OF THE
WEEK-
Two years ago we did cool places in Israel, last year we did
cool things to do in Israel, this year we will try to cover cool things that
happened on this date in Israel.
Escape from Atlit – This Shabbos marks 60 years
for the Palmach breakout of the “illegal refugees from the detention camp the British
had set up in pre-State of Israel Palestine. The background and incredible
story of the breakout is as follows. Following the various arab pogroms against
the Jews in the late 20’s and early 30’s the British response was to limit
Jewish immigration to Palestine. After World War II thousands of immigrants
began to smuggle into Israel in operations led by the Hagana- the predecessor
to the IDF. The British captured and detained many of these Holocaust survivors
and kept them in a camp on the northern Coast of Israel, from where many of
them were sent back to Cyprus and other countries. On October 9th
1945 (Jewish date of 2nd of Cheshvan)
a group of Palmach units that had smuggled into the camp disguised as Hebrew
teachers led by Nachum Sarig and Yitzchak Rabin. Overpowered the guards on the
watchtowers and smuggled 208 refugees out and up to the Carmel Mountain range
to Beit Oren. Unfortunatly the refugees had many children and suitcases with
their memorabilia from Europe that slowed them down and that they would not
agree to part with. As the sun rose the British converged upon them. All seemed
lost until…. They were greeted by thousands of members of the various Jewish
settlements who quickly exchanged clothing with them and mingled up amongst
them so that the British could not identify who was who. Eventually after 2
hours the British gave up and the refugees were able to remain in Israel.
******************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S OVERHEARD IN ISRAEL MORBID
TERRORIST JOKES OF THE WEEK
“I heard that tomato prices went down this week.
But the prices for knives went up…whatever you do , you can’t make a salad in
this country…”
After receiving terrorist updates every five minutes on my
whatsapp group –someone posted- I think we should add Bibi to the group so that
he knows what’s going on in the country.
4 terrorists in a car and it falls of a cliff, why is this sad?
Because there was room for one more.
What is one terrorist in the sea? Pollution What is all the
terrorists in the sea? Solution
**********************************
Answer is D-This is a
pretty easy question I thought as the story of the Alatalena is one of the most
tragic in out early States history. The story is about the forming of the Israeli
Army from the forces of the Irgun and the Hagana led respectively by Menachem
Begin and Ben Gurion. Ben Gurion being the accepted world leader of the
fledgeling Zionist State to be felt strongly that there could only be one army
and on leader and that the more radical Irgun had to get on board and join the
Hagana. Begin agreed fundamentally however as there were separate fighting
units and years of strong ideological and operational differences he wanted “his
guys” who were fighting ont heir own to be able to have their own weapons. As
these discussions were going on a cargo ship called Altalena that had been
smuggling in our arms for Begin was stopped by BG. At the Kfar Vitkin coast,
they were ordered to disembark and hand over the weapons by BG under threat
that if they did not do so in 10 minutes he would give the order to open fire.
Begin refused and sure enough the order was given. Many of the soldiers refused
to shoot their fellow Jews. Yitzchak Rabin led the forces that did.and at the
end 19 soldiers died. 16 from the Irgun.
This pretty much brought to an end their fighting and the Irgun joined the
Hagana, forming the IDF today.
******
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