Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January
22nd 2016 -Volume 6, Issue 16 22nd Shvat 5776
Parshat Beshalach
Family Business
My father’s dream was always that I should
join the family business. He was, what he likes to describe himself as, a MD.
That stands for metal dealer in guess you were wondering. He spent most of his
life building up this wonderful business, buying and selling metal of all
types, sheets, bar, tubing, stainless, you name it he sold it. In his words he
did for me and the children. It was a lifetime of work that he hoped would
continue to the next generation of Schwartzes.
One of the fun parts of my childhood was
to go with him to “the shop” and watch as he conducted business. The fun part
was off course going on that Hi-Lo forklift, up and down and up and down,
picking up the heavy bars and sheets of metal and loading it on the truck. I
was in awe of that machine. I even got to ride on top of some sheets of metal
many times and it could lift me. Cool! Another fun part of my visits to his
shop was playing with his dog that he had there. The German shepherd, whose
name was originally and coincidentally named Meco, the same name as his
company, was a Jewish dog. I know this because his basic diet consisted of
left-over chulent from the Schwartz family; a perfectly good waste of quality
Shabbos food, if you ask me. But Meco, who courageously stood on guard in my father’s
yard protecting his shop from all his not-so friendly slummy Detroit “ethnic”
neighbors, who were perhaps going to steal some of that chulent, deserved to be
fed only the best. I liked my Meco, I liked the forklift truck. However the
idea of sitting on a phone and selling metal all day was not so enticing to me.
Math was not my favorite subject growing up, and my father’s assurances
throughout my years at school that I better buckle down and pay attention in
class, because it was essential in his business, didn’t inspire me much.
Neither did the buckle, ouch!
Yeah, my father-god bless him, had an
interesting way of trying to inspire me to take over his business. He would
tell me regularly what a great business and how it was a clean and honest way
to support one’s family. Yet, at the next moment he would tell me that WHEN I
came to work for him, I should realize that I would have to start from the
bottom. No privileges for me, just because I am the Boss’s son. I would have to
spend hours schlepping metal around, I would sweep the floors and clean up the
shop and most significantly I would be charged with cleaning up after Meco, who
was not fully ummm how shall we say it... fire hydrant trained yet. Yeahhh not
really that an inspiring sales pitch, especially to the man who didn’t really
do diapers that much as well. So instead I became a Rabbi, instead of selling
metal, I sold God. My words could lift up the lowest of souls, kind of like the
Hi Lo and I got to feed chulent to Jews that were as hungry as Meco, although I
did have to clean up after them. It wasn’t really the family business but it
worked.
When I moved to Israel and became a tour guide
and my parents had since retired and moved to the “other Jerusalem” in Boca, I
remember having a conversation with my Dad. I was, as I usually do, trying to
convince him to make Aliyah. When he asked me what he would do here in
Israel-it seems that there are not enough Targets to shop at or shuffle board
games going on- I suggested he join me in my business and become a tour guide.
I told him what a wonderful way it would be to support his family. How he could
use his fantastic schmoozing skills and his love for Israel to sell the land
and share it with so many. I couldn’t resist though telling him that if he came
he would have to start from the bottom-up though; cleaning up after the bunny
rabbits and other important tasks. After all he shouldn’t get the idea that
just because he is the Boss’s father that should get him any privileges.
Yeahhh... he’s still in Boca. I guess I’ll have to wait for Yonah or Tully to
come of age and join in their father’s family business.
This week the Parsha and particularly Rashi
shares with us another great Family business that the Jewish people possess.
There we were standing by the Red Sea-the Yam Suf. 600 chariots of Pharaoh
charging after us, swords drawn, they were ready to take us back to the
sweatshops and slave pits of Egypt that we had just left. What to do? Jews,
being the opinionated and innovative bunch that we generally are came up with a
few plans. Of course each camp arguing that their plan was the best and only
way to deal with the crisis. There were some Jews that argued for surrender.
It’s a battle that can’t be one. Let’s just eat some humble matzah and return.
Others of course, the hill-top Jews argued that we should not go down without a
fight. Let’s pick up our swords and at least die taking the “Philistines” with
us. Then of course you had the Masada Jews, that recognize the uselessness of
fighting against the Egyptians and of course the danger of losing and falling
in the Egyptians hands suggested the honorable path of suicide. Better to die
as free men by our own hands then by the hands of our enemies. And then of
course you had the Hareidim, who suggested that we turn our eyes to heaven and
pray to God.
Moshe responds to all four camps in this
incredible verse
“Stand and see the salvation that Hashem will
make for you today”-meaning there’s no
need to jump in the sea.
“For as you see Egypt today, you will not see
them again forever”- So there’s no need
to go back there.
“Hashem will fight for you” -so you could drop your swords, there’s
no need to fight.
“And you can be silent”-There’s no even a need for prayer.
And so it was. Hashem tells Moshe to stop
praying and to tell the Jewish people-Ya’alla into the Sea. The
rest is history.
There’s a fantastic Rashi though, when the
verse tells us that the Jewish people cried out to Hashem. Rashi notes that the
Jewish people grabbed on to the “craft” of their forefathers. By Avraham it
says that ‘he returned to the place where he once stood’ {and
prayed}, Yitzchak- as it says and he went out to ‘converse’ {pray} in
the field’. And by Yaakov it says ‘and he ‘encountered’ the place’ {prayed}.
As those who follow the Rashi of the week section of this weekly E-Mail, or who
sometimes glance at it on their way down to the Joke-of the Week section J, know every word of Rashi is measured and is
there for a reason. Rashi doesn’t needlessly quote sources. His role as he
often says is merely to explain the Pshat-the simple understanding of the
verse. So what is Rashi telling us on seemingly this easy to understand verse
that the Jewish people cried out to Hashem.
The Rebbe of Lubavitch explains, beautifully,
that Rashi was troubled as to why the Jewish people would cry out. They had
just witnessed all of the miracles of Egypt, the ten plagues that destroyed the
country and the incredible fulfillment of the prophecy that they would leave
with great wealth and would go to the Land of Israel. Was there any doubt that
would cause them to fear? One does not have to be a great believer to have
faith after all of the evidence that they had just witnessed that Hashem
controls the entire world and the fate of the Jewish people- as per His promise
would be guaranteed.
So Rashi therefore comes to explain that the
reason why the Jewish people cried out was not out of lack of faith, or even
out of lack of any pressing need-despite the clamor of the troops of Pharaoh.
The reason why the Jews prayed was because “it was the ‘craft’ of their
forefathers”. It was the family business. That’s what Jews do. He
brings proofs and verses from the lives of our forefathers- not from
circumstances when they were praying out of any need. He does not bring the
verses from when Avraham prayed on behalf of Sodom, or Yitzchak for a child or
even Yaakov when he asked to be saved from his brother Esau who was coming to
kill him. Rather he brought verses from the ordinary day-to day prayers that
our sages told us our forefathers established. Morning Shacharit by
Avraham, Mincha,afternoon prayer by Yitzchak and the evening prayer
of Maariv by Yaakov. That’s what the Jews were praying. Their
regular daily prayers-for that is the business of the Jew.
The word in Hebrew-the Torah’s holy language,
for business, livelihood or craft isUmnus. It is no coincidence that
that word has the same root as the word Emuna-faith. It is a word
that repeats itself throughout the Torah portion. After the splitting of the
sea the Jews had Emuna in Hashem and his servant Moshe. The
food that the Jews ate in the wilderness they called Man, which interestingly
enough shares the same root as the word as Emuna and is in
fact referred to as the “bread of faith by the holy Zohar. Finally at the end
of the Torah portion when the Torah describes our first battle as a nation with
the nation of Amalek, the Torah describes Moshe’s hands which were held up in
prayer to Hashem, as the Jews fought down below as being held in faith.
Our sages tell us that the Jewish people are Maaminim
Bnai maaminim- believers the children of believers. Throughout our history
through countless of persecutions and attempts to remove the world of its
conscience, our faith has held us strong, has seen us through. We have kept
that 3000 year old Family business going on. Our daily prayers are opportunity
to rise above this world and to connect with our Creator gives us the eternal
perspective of our family. Three times a day we begin our silent Amida prayer
by noting that we are speaking with the God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. We
have stayed true to their legacy. We don’t pray only when there is a
crisis-which tragically enough is more often than not. Rather we pray because
that’s what a child of Abraham does. He checks in with his boss. He reviews
everything going on in his division. He notes the global opportunities that are
yet to be realized and fulfilled and he itemizes the different faculties he
will require to achieve those goals. Finally he thanks his boss for all that he
gives him and requests his blessing for success, parting with a nice
traditional Jewish good-bye and blessing of Shalom-Peace. That is our business.
It’s been in our family for a long time. Sure at times we our prayers start
from the bottom. But there is never any doubt that they reach the tippy top.
Right to the CEO, The boss of us all. It’s a pretty good business. The returns
are awesome. And the Boss is truly the King of us all.
Have a sensational Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
***************************
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S VIDEO OF THEWEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFhv5L3t2ZQ Siyum Hashas-Daf Yomi through the ages on the week
of the anniversary of its first one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOPpeGhek1o -Inspiring video from Project Inspire The Shabbos Queens
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF
THE WEEK
“Got helft dem oreman: er farhit im fun
tei’ereh avaires.”- God helps the poor man: He protects him from expensive sins.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S JEWISH PERSONALITY AND HIS
QUOTES IN HONOR OF THE YARTZEIT OF THE WEEK
“The Jubilee year{when slaves are biblically mandated to be set free by their
owners} brings freedom not only to the slaves but also to the slave owners,
freeing them from the dehumanizing situation of having such power over other
human beings.” -Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua Falk-The Pnei
Yehoshua Yartzeit this Sunday the 14th of Shvat
Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua Falk -Pnei Yehoshua
(1681-1756) -From the time of the
Rashba {the 13th century Spanish famed commentator on the
Talmud Rabbi Shlomo Ben Aderet } was printed no work was a great as that as the
Pnei Yehoshua." Thus stated the great Chasam Sofer Jewry’s leader in the
19thcentury in Frankfort, whose every word was measured and precise
without exaggeration.
Revered in the Yeshiva world, the Sefer Pnei
Yehoshua has earned itself a special place on the Yeshiva Shtender lectern
as a symbol of excellence.
This great work came to be when there was a
terrible catastrophe in the town of Rav Yaakov Yehoshua Falk who was then 22
years old. A fire ignited a barrel of gun fire which caused a tremendous
explosion killing 36 people including the Pnei Yehoshua's wife and daughter.
The Pnei Yehoshua himself was caught in the wreckage and made a promise to
learn the depths of Torah day and night if he managed to survive. Miraculously,
as he writes in his introduction a path opened up from between the rubble that
he was trapped under and survive he did. Shortly thereafter he began writing
his famed work. Rav Menachem Mendel MiKotzk testified that the Pnei Yehoshua
finished The entire Talmud 36 times before he began writing his sefer; one time
for each Jew that died in the tragedy.
His learning was so intense that he would sit
in the cold without noticing. His students write how one bitter cold day the
students could not leave their homes until the sun came out in the afternoon.
There they found the Pnei Yehoshua still wrapped in Talis and Tefilin learning
with icicles hanging from his beard.
The Pnei Yehoshua was born in 5441/1681 the
town of Reisha. He was named after his illustrious grandfather who authored the
classic work Maginei Shlomo which defended Rashi from the attacks of Tosfos,
both of whom he was descended from. The Pnei Yehoshua served as Rav in a number
of cities including Lvov, Berlin, Metz, and Frankfurt. He lived in the same era
as the Vilna Gaon, Noda BiYehuda, The Chacham Tzvi, Rav Yaakov Emden, and the
Pri Megadim and was respected by all. Along with Rav Yaakov Emden he was a
great antagonist of Rav Yonosan Eibushitz, in that tragic dispute over Reb
Yonosan’s alleged Sabbatean influences that tore apart the Jewish people.
Although he was less successful as community
Rabbi due to his unwillingness to bow to the whims of the local wealthy lay
leaders that sought to control and censor his sermons and rhetoric, among the
Torah giants he was an icon. His word was regarded as law by his peers. He was
made famous by the Chacham Tzvi who eventually suggested him as his replacement
in Lvov. He was visited by the great Chida-the illustrious chief Rabbi of
Jerusalem when the latter traveled through Europe. The Chida writes about his
visit, "I merited to beMikabel Pnei Hashechina- Perceive the
countenance of Divine Presence for a number of days. His appearance is like
that of an angel of God".
He passed away in 1756 but his legacy will
last forever as the world that studies his Torah daily we will continue to
aspire to achieve the great merit of intuiting and asking his great questions
and insightful answers.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF
THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
The city of Akko can be found in the portion
of the Tribe of
- A. Zevulun
- B. Asher
- C. Naftali
- D. Yissachar
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL RASHI OF THE WEEK
This week once again a brief comment by Rashi
has the power to highlight and send a powerful ethical message and charge for
those of us that take the time to examine his holy words. In the battle at the
end of the Parsha with Amalek. The Torah tells us that Moshe sat on the
mountain top up above, after charging Yehoshua his faithful student to gather
the army and to fight the battle against this enemy that came from the North
specifically to wage war against us. The verse tells us that, although we had
the clouds of glory that protected us, yet Amalek attacked those that were
outside of the clouds. {Rashi, in Ki Teitzei where this mitzva to wipe out
Amalek is repeated, notes that they attacked those that were thrown out of the
clouds for their sins.}.
Yet in the heat of the battle the Torah tells
us that as Moshe had his hands raised up in prayer the Jews were winning and
when they fell down the Jews would lose. Rashi notes on the verse that Moshe’s
hands became heavy a startling condemnation on our greatest leader. He notes
that Because Moshe was lax in fulfilling the Mitzvas and appointed another
(Joshua) in his stead his hands became heavy. Seemingly Rashi is coming to explain
why it is that the Torah is telling us that Moshe’s hands became heavy. Yet to
call Moshe lazy or lax, seems very harsh.
Many commentaries explain Moshe’s behavior as
he knew that only Joshuah who came from the tribe of Yosef had the power to
destroy Amalek. One beautiful insight that I saw was. That since this was the
sinners of Israel that were at risk, some might think that it was below Moshe’s
dignity to go out and physically fight and save them and he therefore delegated
the job out. Incidentally, the job he delegated out was to his 2nd in
command and the future leader of the Jewish people Yehoshua, who Moshe told to
take with him the most god-fearing whose merits will protect them. Moshe
perhaps rightfully felt that he could better serve the people by standing in
fast and prayer on their behalf. Yet Hashem felt that the message was more
important to be sent that even for the greatest sinner of Israel, no Jew should
ever feel that he should not take up a weapon and fight for them. Even Moshe, was
considered lax because he stayed in prayer-although that ultimately saved and
inspired the people, rather then to lead the troops personally in battle.
What a message that is to us in how far we
must go to help and protect a fellow Jew efrom any physical danger and
certainly as well from any spiritual danger.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL HISTORICAL EVENT THAT
HAPPENED ON THIS DATE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-
The First Siyum HaShas of the
Daf Yomi 1931 - If you ask me this was one of the most pivotal moments in
the last century in regards to Torah proliferation in the Jewish world. There
are hundreds of thousands of Jews that have completed the entire 2711 pages of
the Talmud. A page a day for 7½ years and one has completed this incredible
feat. Today there are Daf Yomi classes in hundreds of countries, on the
internet on phone apps. There are classes on the internet, trains and buses for
commuters, and even on the music system of El Al flights. It all started with a
dream in 1923 of one person, Rav Meir Shapiro who realized that the majority of
Jews were ignorant of so many areas of Jewish scholarship, so many tractates of
our sages that were written almost 1500 years before that made up the basis of
all of our Oral tradition and law, that were not being studied even by the
students in Yeshiva. This was a tragedy that he could not bear. That he felt
that he needed to rectify.
Rav Shapiro approached the
two great Jewish leaders of his time, the Chafetz Chaim and the Rebbe of Ger
and they both enthusiastically gave their approval. The idea was made public at
the first World congress of Agudath Israel in Vienna and the first cycle began
on Rosh Hashana of that year and tens of thousands attended in Europe and even
in the slowly growing pre-war community in America.
One of the most amazing
accomplshments of the Daf Yomi movements is that each Jew commits to learning
every single day. Come rain, hail, vacations, or holiday. On Yom Kippur there
is a Daf Yomi class as there is on Purim. There are those that will get up
extra early each day and some that despite how long and how difficult their day
was will not put their head down to sleep without learning their daily Daf.
For Rav Shapiro, though, the
greatest part about the Daf Yomi is that it would connect Jews all across the
globe with the same page of Gemara that they would be learning each day. In his
words
“What a great thing! A Jew
travels by boat and takes gemara Berachot under his arm. He travels
for 15 days from Eretz Yisrael to America, and each day he learns
the daf. When he arrives in America, he enters a beis medrash in
New York and finds Jews learning the very same daf that he studied on
that day, and he gladly joins them. Another Jew leaves the States and travels
to Brazil or Japan, and he first goes to the beis medrash, where he finds
everyone learning the same daf that he himself learned that day.
Could there be greater unity of hearts than this?”
80 years later and in middle
of the 12th cycle this is truly an amazing accomplishment.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAMILY BUSINESS JOKES OF THE
WEEK
This old guy named Joe
invested in Microsoft stock in the early eighties and just died a wealthy man.
He had no family, so his business associates were at the reading of his will,
where it was learned that the old man wanted to be buried with most of his
money.
His banker, doctor,
and Rabbi were each given envelopes with $500,000 cash with the
instructions to deposit the money in the casket at the funeral. Three days
later at the service, the envelopes were put in the casket.
The next day, the three met
for lunch. The pastor said that was an odd request, to be buried with all of
that money. The others agreed.
The lawyer asked the banker,
“Did you put all of that money in the casket?”
The banker said, “Of course I
did. It was my legal responsibility to do so!”
The banker then asked the
doctor, “Did you put all of that money in the casket?”
The doctor said that he was
going to, but he thought of all the good causes in the community and gave most
of the money to them. He said that he hoped the Lord would forgive him, but
that it made more sense to support the research of medicine and its cures as well
as hospitals and medical centers use that money wisely rather than simply
having it buried.
The pastor then turned to the
lawyer and asked if she put the money in the casket.
She said “If that casket is
ever opened, rest assured that they will find my personal check for the full
$500,000 made out to old Joe.”
Moishe a very successful
businessman had a meeting with his new son in-law Yankel. “I love my daughter,
and now I welcome you into the family,” said Moishe. “To show you how much we
care for you, I’m making you a 50-50 partner in my business. All you have to do
is go to the factory every day and learn the operations.”
Yankel interrupted, “I hate
factories. I can’t stand the noise.”
“I see,” replied the father-in-law. “Well,
then you’ll work in the office and take charge of some of the
operations.”
“I hate office work,” said the son-on-law. “I
can’t stand being stuck behind a desk all day.”
“Wait a minute,” said Yankel. “I just
made you half-owner of a moneymaking organization, but you don’t like factories
and won’t work in an office. What am I going to do with you?”
“Easy,” said the young man. “Buy me out.”
Mr. Greenberg was an illiterate immigrant, but
he worked hard, saved his pennies, and started a small business. It did well,
and soon he had enough money to send for the wife and children. The work kept
him very busy, so he never had time to learn to write, but the bank was happy
to do business with him, even though his signature consisted of two X’s.
He prospered, he opened more stores, the
kids were transferred to private schools, the family moved into a fancy house
(with one staircase going nowhere just for show)...you get the idea.
One day his banker, Mr. Smith, asked him to
drop by. “So vat’s the problem?” Greenberg asked, a bit anxiously. Smith waved
a bunch of checks at him. “Perhaps nothing,” he said, “but I wanted to be on
the safe side. These recent checks of yours are all signed with 3 X’s, but your
signature of record has just 2.”
Greenberg looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry about
making trouble,” he said, “but my vife said that since I’m now such a high
class rich guy, I should have a middle name!”
Once there was an Accountant. The business had
been in the family for generations and generations. Over time, with the
countless clients that had gone in and out of the office, the marble step in
front of the building had developed a big, deep dip in it from all the wear and
tear.
His friends kept telling the accountant that he had better get it replaced, otherwise he`d be sued for everything he had if anyone ever slipped and fell.
Reluctantly, the accountant called a stonemason to get a quote for the repairs.
When the stonemason got there the accountant demanded a price for a new step.
`Hmmmm, big job that` said the stonemason, `But I suppose I could give you a new step for a ten thousand dollars.`
The accountant was stunned. `Are you mad, man? I can`t pay you that much!`
Thinking about it for a second he turned to the stonemason and asked: `What would you charge me to dig up the step and turn it over so that the worn part is in the ground and I`d get a new step?
The stonemason hesitated and said, two thousand`.
`Do it!` demanded the accountant, `and call me when you`re done.`
The accountant went back inside to his books, but after only 15 minutes the stonemason rang the bell.
As the accountant opened the door he saw the stonemason standing in a hole with the step, laughing as he said. `Your great-great-great granddaddy thought of that a hundred and fifty years ago!!`
His friends kept telling the accountant that he had better get it replaced, otherwise he`d be sued for everything he had if anyone ever slipped and fell.
Reluctantly, the accountant called a stonemason to get a quote for the repairs.
When the stonemason got there the accountant demanded a price for a new step.
`Hmmmm, big job that` said the stonemason, `But I suppose I could give you a new step for a ten thousand dollars.`
The accountant was stunned. `Are you mad, man? I can`t pay you that much!`
Thinking about it for a second he turned to the stonemason and asked: `What would you charge me to dig up the step and turn it over so that the worn part is in the ground and I`d get a new step?
The stonemason hesitated and said, two thousand`.
`Do it!` demanded the accountant, `and call me when you`re done.`
The accountant went back inside to his books, but after only 15 minutes the stonemason rang the bell.
As the accountant opened the door he saw the stonemason standing in a hole with the step, laughing as he said. `Your great-great-great granddaddy thought of that a hundred and fifty years ago!!`
**************
Answer is B - This is I think is a great question, although a difficult
one for many that are not familiar with the Biblical division of the land of
Israel according to the tribes. But it’s important to know. After-all if our
job as Tour guides is to show the historical connection to the land, then what
better way than to show the various portions as it was divided up by the 12 tribes
of Israel when we first entered and conquered it. All four of those tribes
incidentally are in the North of Israel. I live in Karmiel which lies in the
portion of Naftali and Yisachar and Zevulun or South of me in the Lower Galile.
Asher, the correct answer, is the northern coast line which of course includes
the city of Akko. Although the Talmud does discuss whether Asher was included
in the borders of Israel or the line cut inland or not. Incidentally the leader
of the tribe of Asher was Achihud Ben Shlomi two villages that are located in
the portion Shlomi and Achihud are both named after them today. Which is
usually a good way to tell what tribe your in, as many of the villages were
named and have a connection with the tribe, whose portion they are located in.
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