Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
May 12th 2017 -Volume 7 Issue 29 16th
Iyar 5777
Parshat Emor / Lag Ba’omer
Kabbalistically Beautiful
I am not a Kabbalist. I don’t even wear
a red string. I hang out a lot in Tzfat, the city of Kabbalists. But mostly I
tell stories and show people lots of cool art. Now don’t get me wrong. I
respect Kabala, I certainly am a huge fan of the Ari”Zl the one who really
promulgated the widespread of Kabbala teachings to the masses in the 1500’s. It’s
good for business. After-all almost all of the graves in Israel that lots of
tourists come to visit, are identified pretty much by him. He’d walk around and
divine the different spirits and tell us where they were buried. Most of our
customs throughout the year actually are based on kabbalistic teachings.
Certainly a lot of the ones; Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat, Simchat Torah
dancing, Hoshana Rabba braches klopping, kreplach eating, chicken
swinging kaporas, regular Mikva going…Ok maybe I’m getting a bit carried away
with the last few. Certainly the one kabbalistic day of the year. The day that really
didn’t start until the ARI”Zl in the 1500’s is the day that will be celebrated
all over the Jewish world this week, none other than Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd
day of the counting of the Omer.
Until the Ari”zl no one even knew that
the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the one who revealed the primary work of
Kabbala known as the Zohar to the world and whose anniversary of his passing is
commemorated on Lag Ba’Omer, was in Meron. There was in fact an ancient
tradition that there was a cave on this mountain and in the cave was a spring
and both Jews and Arabs would come and pray by the graves there. It was known
to be the grave of none other than the great Hillel. In the 1500’s the ARI
arrived there one fine Lag Ba’Omer morning with his 3 year old son in hand. He
gave him the first three year old ‘first haircut’ or chalaka or upsherin
(depending on where you’re from on what you call it-another fun custom in any
event) and revealed to the world that this was in fact the grave of Rebbi
Shimon. The mountain top hasn’t been the same since. The day hasn’t been the
same since. Every year more and more Jews join the bonfire parties here up in
Meron and all around the world. This is good for tourism J,
as I said I’m a fan of Kabbala.
The truth is though it is certainly a
strange phenomenon. There is no other sage in the history of Judaism that has
all of the Jewish people celebrating on the day that passed away. Not Moshe
Rabbeinu (although Chevra Kadishas (Jewish burial societies) generally have a
special day on the 7th of Adar), not Avraham Avinu, not Aharon
HaKohen, Yehoshua, King David, or Eliyahu Hanavi. None of them. Now don’t get
me wrong, Rebbi Shimon is certainly a tremendous figure in Jewish life, in fact
there is not a perek in the entire Talmud that doesn’t mention his name, making
him the most quoted rabbi in the Talmud. Yet he was certainly not on the levels
of our Patriarchs or Matriarchs or any of the prophets mentioned in the Tanach.
So why him?
As I said I am not a kabbalist, but in
the 49 day period of the counting of the Omer from Pesach to Shavuot it seems
that all of us become a bit of a Kabbalist. There is a prayer that has become a
custom to recite andis printed in most siddurim. It asks Hashem to purify us in
the merit that we have counted the Omer of this particular day that corresponds
to one of the 7 heavenly emanations that corresponds to the 7 weeks of Omer.
Now Kabbala warning alert. Whenever you see the word emanation you have to say
uh oh, this is about to get spooky. Well sorry to disappoint you, as I said I’m
no Kabbalist. If I were I would probably be selling you some red strings with
every sponsorship of this weekly E-Mail. I can however share with you some
basic words that I have heard that describe this concept, more than that I’m
scared that you might turn into a toad. Besides the fact I don’t know how many
of you are reading this in the bathroom.. where you can certainly not study
Kabbala or any Torah for that matter. So just skip down the bottom jokes if you
are. Any way from what I understand the world was created and organized with 10
different ordered emanations from Hashem. They correspond to different attributes
by which way we can elevate and connect the universe to Him. The truth is there
are really 10 sefirot-(the Kabbalistic word for these emanations). Yet the
upper three chochma-wisdom bina-understanding daas-knowledge
(or Chabad) are the methods of perceiving them. The seven other ones are chesed-kindness,
gevura- strength tiferet-beauty, hod- splendor, netzach-
eternity, yesod-foundation and malchus- kingship. Now if you’re
eyes are starting to glaze over don’t worry I’m not going to explain any of
this. Just keep saying it like every good Jew after you count the Omer without paying
much attention to its meaning, it will score you points, trust me. I will
however focus on one of the 7. It is after all Lag Ba’Omer time, and Reb Shimon
did reveal the Kabbala to the world so we can dabble a little bit on his
special day.
See Lag Ba’Omer falls out on the sefira
of hod sheb’hod splendor of splendor. [Each day we mention a sefira
and each sefira is composed of all the other 6 sefirot so each
one is really two-if this doesn’t make sense, you’re just as much of a
Kabbalist as I am]. The word hod is an interesting word. It is in fact
the same root as the word hodu-which doesn’t only mean turkey in Modern Hebrew,
but in fact means praise or thanksgiving. There is another word as well for
beauty it is called hadar. In this week’s Torah portion in describing
the mitzva of Etrog, the citron that we take on Sukkot is referred to a pri
eitz hadar a fruit of a beautiful tree. The Malbim explains the difference
between the two that hod refers to inner beauty and hadar is
external beauty. The Etrog is meant to be beautiful on the outside. It’s why
every examines its color, it’s shape, they make sure there are no blemishes and
pay a lot of money for a really nice one. We are told as well not to be (Vayikra
19:16) mehader the face of a great man in judgement-meaning don’t
externally show favoritism. Hod
on the other hand is the internal beauty. Hodu thanksgiving is an
internal appreciation of the beauty and greatness of something. It is an
internalization that leads to praise.
The secret of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
is that he was an individual that was always able to see the pnimiut ; the deep hidden greatness of Hashem’s creation and his people.
He personified hod she’bhod- the beauty within the beauty. In fact Rav
Zevin has an incredible piece that he wrote on Rav Shimon where he follows this
theme through all of Rabbi Shimon’s’ halachic positions in the Talmud. Rav
Shimon is the one that suggests that one who does a forbidden act on Shabbat
without any intent is exempt biblically, if he does the act even with intent
but not for specific purpose of the act he is also exempt. (Melacha She’ein
Tzorich Lgufo and Davar She’eino miskaven for my more learned
readers who are certainly not in the bathroom). Wherever the internal does not
connect to the external according to Reb Shimon it’s not the real deal. It is the
hod, the internal that always defines something. It is why he is the one that
can reveal the Zohar, the secrets of the world. It is why, our sages tell us that
when it looks like he has departed an even greater beauty and appreciation of
him can be achieved. For he becomes entirely hidden, he becomes hidden in each
of us. Reb Shimon is the one sage who saw in each Jew that despite their
externalities and their observance level even on the soul level we are all bnai
melachim-children of the King. Forever, never to be tainted by anything that
may happen in the external world.
It is no wonder than that we are told
that mourning period for the students of Rabbi Akiva who died during this
period ended on Lag Ba’Omer. For they were punished for not treating one
another with the proper honor. Yet when Lag Ba’Omer the day of Rebbe Shimon,
the day of beauty within beauty arrives. Then the true glory of each Jew comes
out. It is impossible to not be an awe of every single Jew, It is the day when
our inner shine shows the most. We all break out in song, we all break out in
thanksgiving. You don’t have to be a Kabbalist to appreciate this for the light
is shining as bright as the bonfires that light up the otherwise dark night. It
is our huge yartzeit candle for this great tzadik who gave us the
power that is so critical to receiving the Torah on the upcoming holiday of
Shavuot. The power to unite as one people and to stand before Hashem and all
accept together responsibility and an appreciation of the Divine part that each
Jews has to play here in this world. So fire up flames, lets’ sing and dance. It’s
Bar Yochai time once again.
Have a bright and mystically uplifting Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
This week's Insight and Inspiration is sponsored
anonymously by a dear friend in honor and appreciation of the really great Joke
about the wasps and the bees last week. It is really nice to know that there
are those of you that actually make it all the way down to the end. I mean I
can’t imagine that anyone would just open up this weekly E-Mail just for the
jokes right?!
Thanks so much- we’ll take it for whatever it
comes for, if we bring a smile on your face, I’m happy tooo.. And I think
Hashem is as well…
Toda Rabba
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Thank You!
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SHABBOS SCHEDULE
SHABBOS PARSHAT EMOR
CANDLELIGHTING- 7:01 PM
MINCHA & KABBALAT SHABBAT- 7:15 PM
SHACHARIS- 8:30 AM
MINCHA 6:45 PM
MAARIV 8:20 PM (10 MINUTES AFTER END OF SHABBOS)
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Mit fremdeh hent iz gut feier tsu sharren.”- It’s good to poke the
fire with somebody else’s hands.
RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
https://youtu.be/rQnTodvonmk - Lag BaOmer 1935 In Meron…hasn’t changed much…NOT
https://youtu.be/7ZgkZKN1rtY – Beautiful Acapella song by my good
friend Gershon Veroba BaYom Hahu
https://youtu.be/7l498XL3ChU - The Living Wells- Flicker-Lag Baomer rap
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
Q A Nobel Prize Laureate:
A. Dr. Chaim Weizmann
B. Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz
C. Prof. Ada Yonath
D. Prof. Yuval Ne’eman
A. Dr. Chaim Weizmann
B. Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz
C. Prof. Ada Yonath
D. Prof. Yuval Ne’eman
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ILLUMINATING RASHI OF THE
WEEK
At the end of this week’s Torah portion the
Torah tells us the story of the person blasphemed using the name of Hashem.
Hashem tells Moshe the way to carry out the death penalty.
Vayikra
(24:14) Remove the Blasphemer to the outside of the camp, and all those who
heard shall lean their hands upon his head: the entire congregation shall stone
him.
On the words “their hands” Rashi notes an
interesting halacha
“They
say to him, ‘Your blood in on your own head and we will not be punished through
your death, for you caused it to yourself.’
As we know there are tons of laws and nuances
that realte to every mitzva the Torah mentions. Rashi though did not write his
commentary to teach us the laws and mitzvos. He is there merely to give us
insight into the pshat-the simple understanding of the verse. So why does he
bring this law down?
Rav
Isaac Cher suggest an interesting idea based on the above law. With that
seemingly he seems to be answering the question that Rashi seems to be troubled
with. Why are the witnesses and judges placing their hands on the mans head.
That type of ritual seems to be an act of contrition similar to when one brings
a sin offering. What sin did they commit? Or what sin would it seem like they
are atoning for?
He
answers that the Talmud tells us that when a man is being sentenced for
blaspheming Hashem’s name the witnesses must repeat for the testimony before he
is taken out to be killed the actual name of Hashem and the words that the
condemned man recited in order that the court is certain what he said before he
is executed. It is for that reason that they do semicha-the laying of their
hands upon his head. They tell him as Rashi notes- that we will not be punished
‘through your death’-meaning that we who had to utter Hashem’s sacred
name in order to give you the death penalty will not be punished for doing so. See,
there is always an insight in Rashi in the reading of the text. Some times you
need to go back to the sources and check out the laws he is pointing out. But
if you do, you are sure to learn something new.
Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik Sher
(1875-1952) – In Lithuania perhaps one of the most prominent yeshivot was
in Slobodka. The ideology of the Slobodka Yeshiva was premised on the ideas of
its founder Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel, better known as the Alter of Slobodka. It
posited the idea of the greatness of man, created in the image of God, with a
supreme mandate to repair and uplift the entire world. The students of Slobodka
were taught to behave and act with aristocracy, for as being the ones privileged
to study Torah all day, they were chosen to be the elite of the world. This was
not a form of arrogance which obviously would be a negative trait, but rather a
sense of obligation and responsibility and of esteem building. Rav Isaac Sher
the son-in law of the Alter was the one that transmitted that legacy to the
post World Wars Torah world. He served as a teacher in his Slobodka Yeshiva in
Europe and when the yeshiva moved to Israel he was a co-Rosh Yeshiva until ultimately
he founded the yeshiva in Bnai Brak. He is most known perhaps for really
beginning the concept of the Rosh Yeshiva not merely being the one that would
give the Talmud discourses but would as well give the Mussar and ethical
lectures in Yeshiva. One of his primary ideas that took hold in the modern
yeshiva study of Torah is that the great men in the Torah and even the wicked
ones were all acting on levels way above what we can comprehend and their flaws
and sins should not be understood in the way that we would relate to them in
our small 21st century outlooks
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TYPES OF JEWS IN ISRAEL OF THE
WEEK
Reb Arehlech- Toldos Aharon – Anyone who has ever been to Meah Shearim has seen them.
They are the chasidim with the “zebra colored frocks. On Shabbos they wear
beautiful gold ones. The story goes that when the Old Yishuv of Jerusalem was
first founded in the late 1800’s the arabs did not want to let them back in the
city until the repaid the debts that were owed to them, when the ashkenazic
Jews borrowed a lot of money for the building of the Churva shul of Reb Yehudah
Hachasid. They therefore put on the more colorful caftans of the sefardic Jews
and denied being ashkenazic in order to move back in. Whether the story is true
or not, I can’t tell you. I heard it from a tour-guide and you know us tour
guides. But the Toldos Aharon chasidim certainly are the core and history of
the ultra-chareidi neighborhood of Meah Shearim. Walking amongst them one feels
as if he has stepped back in time to the old ghetto in Europe. Although the
current leader, Reb Dovid Cohen, was actually a Rav in Monsey New York until he
moved back to replace his father who had passed away in 1996.
The original chasidus was
established and named for Reb Aharon Roth a student of the Satmar Rebbe who
moved to Israel- or Palestine as it was called then and that they most probably
prefer for it to be called today, in the 1920’s. He was very connected to the
mitzva of reciting Amen, loudly and with fervor and his chasidus was
called the Shomer Emunim. The chasidus has split a few times with
different internal fights and sibling groups opening up. The customs of the
community, which number about 1000 families (and they ain’t small families)
consist primarily of maintaining the old modest and certainly highly
spiritually oriented way of living. Their dress, their lifestyle their homes,
the language they speak and the way that they celebrate and live their yiddishkeit
is truly old country. They also staunchly oppose the State of Israel, as the
Satmar Rebbe and their chasidim which they come from do. They will not
take money from the government and they see the establishment of a secular
State in Israel or any state for that matter before the coming of Mashiach to
be an act of the Satan and obviously not a good thing. The two times a year
when they are most visible and it is truly amazing to see them are on Sukkot
when they have Simchat Beit Hashoeiva parties each night and this
Saturday night on Lag Ba’Omer in Meron where they traditionally have the major
central bonfire and festivities.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE ISRAEL JOKES
OF THE WEEK
At the local Talmud Torah School they brought
in a fireman to talk about safety before Lag Ba’Omer. He brought some visual
aids with him including a smoke detector. The fireman pressed the button to
demonstrate and asked the children if anyone knew what it meant when an alarm
sounded from the smoke detector.
Little Moishie Mehlman immediately raised his
hand and said, "It means my Abba is cooking dinner."
Top Ten Signs Your Rabbi lost count of the
Omer
10. Claims “It's too early
to count.” It's 10pm.
9. Wishes the
entire congregation a “Happy Lag Baomer!” on day 23
8. When you ask
him “what night did we count last night?” He asks you for multiple choice
7. Keeps
wondering when Tishabav will be so he can shave already
6. You're pretty
sure you just heard him count the 84th day of the omer
5. You just
realized, he's counting down
4. Apparently
Day 13 now has “9 weeks and 3 days” to it
3. First time in
the history of man: rabbi actually passes an honor off to cantor
2. As he's
reciting the blessing, you notice his son in the back of the synagogue who is
trying desperately to sign 17 with his hands
1. Proudly
recites blessing and day off of his handy dandy Omer-Count calendar, dated 2006
**************
Answer is C – Since 1966, there have been twelve Israelis who
were awarded Nobel Prize, the most honorable award in various fields
including chemistry, economics, literature and peace. To be honest I did not
know the answer to this one and to be more honest it was the only guy that I
never heard of on this list. Chaim Weizman the first president and I believe it
is certainly an important name to know. As well Leibowitz the brother of
Nechoma lebowitz the religious author was a controversial religious figure and
scholar that was associated with the Left wing of Israel and was an Israel
prize winner. Neeman was also a Israel prize winner for laying the foundation
for the discovery of the quark and founded the Israel space program. The
correct answer was this lady Ada Yonath who was the first woman in Middle East
to win and the first woman in 45 years to win for chemistry. She discovered
something to do with the ribosome. Why I would possibly know that or should any
tour guide know that I have no clue.
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