Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
November 19th 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 8 19th Kislev 5782
Parshat Vayishlach
They're back. Baruch Hashem after a long year and half tour guide shemitta year, you guys are finally trickling back into the holy land. Welcome home! For the first time in so long this past week I was working every day once again, and boy did I make up for lost time. I was all the way up the borders of Israel in Metulla and Rosh Hanikra a few times, down by the Dead Sea a few times, In Chevron and Gush Etzion and of course the holy city of Yerushalyim. I'm officially back in the saddle and looking forward to the upcoming month as my open slots are getting fewer and fewer.
Now the saddle that I'm sitting in is Baruch Hashem a lot more comfortable these days since my stomach surgery. I fit into it a lot better than I did before. It's been cool running around with my renewed agility that I never really had before in this new thinner improved body. Although I did warn my tourists in advance that if when I'm walking in front of them my pants happen to fall down they shouldn't take it personally. I just haven't gotten around to buying new clothing yet that's not sliding off of me. I know that's not the view of Eretz Yisrael that they were paying me to see… Yeah.. it's time start wearing suspenders at least, I think.
It's been weird and strange getting back into it. I almost feel like a tourist myself, seeing all our old stomping grounds. On the one hand it's been amazing being back and seeing so many of my "people" at all the different sites I used to frequent that I haven't seen for so long. At the same time it's also been very sad to see how many stores, restaraunts and attractions have been shut down and who's windows are shuttered; the one's that weren't able to make it through the long haul. Tzfat's art gallery row is like a ghost town. Other places that had just opened with high hopes in the pre-corona boom have new owners, some even are on the third. It hasn't been easy. The country has changed. And seeing it once again through the eyes of my tourists who were fortunate to make it in here gave me a new perspective as well of how much we should never take the gift of Eretz Yisrael for granted.
This week's parsha, like every parsha, is as well timely one. For this week we read about the return of Yaakov to Eretz Yisrael after his 20-year galus in the diaspora. So don't you complain about being locked out of here for a year and 9 months and 24 days or so (who's counting?). Imagine being locked out for 20 years! As well this parsha is really the first one when the children of Israel first come to home. It's their Aliya parsha. It's fascinating to think about it, that the 11 of the 12 tribes, all of them besides Binyamin, were not sabras. They were all Olim chadashim to Israel. Or as a friend of mine sent me a Meme this week. WELCOME TO ISRAEL-SERVICE NOT INCLUDED.
Now what does Yaakov do after not being here for so long. What do you do when you come back her after this long break. Interestingly one would think that he went to the Kosel to daven, he kissed the ground on the tarmac, or maybe even hit up his old favorite shwarma store. Yet the Torah tells us that the first thing he did, even before building his mizbayc to Hashem, was that he purchased some real estate.
Bereishis (33:19) Vayiken es chelkas ha'sadeh asher nata sham ohalo…b'me'ah kessita- and he purchased the portion of the field where he planted his tent… for 100 kesita.
Rav Zalman Sorotzkin notes how fascinating this is. Here Yaakov is finally home. There is no more Esau, No more Lavan. He is finally back in the holy land that he dreamed of and the first thing he does is buy a field. The truth is he really didn't even need to buy the field. It wasn't like he was even building a house, as the verse tells us. He was just planting his tent. Back then and even today you can plant your tent any where and no one really cares. He wasn't planning on hanging out there for long. He was on his way back home to Chevron. Why bother buying?
The answer is that he couldn't resist. He knew that owning land in Israel is in Rav Sorotzkin's words, "Buying a Piece of the World to Come". He missed and longed for home for so long and nothing would stop him from walking straight from the airport to the first broker he could find making sure that he had a piece of this forever. That his children as well would know and recognize that this land is forever ours and is really the only "real estate" that a Jew can ever own.
What's even more fascinating is that our sages tell us that there were three places where the Torah goes out of its way to tells us were purchased for "full price" even telling us how much they cost. They are the cave of the Machpela buy Avraham in Chevron, the tomb of Yosef in this field in Shechem that Yaakov purchased and the Temple Mount which was the granary of Arvana that King David purchased. This was done, our sages tell us, in order that the gentiles will never be able to claim that this was stolen from them; that we are occupiers. Ironically enough of course, there are no three places in the world more so than these three places that the gentiles in the form of the United Nations and historically all of the world as well has thrown that claim against us. This of course has taught us the most important lesson of our Jewish lives. Never pay full price for anything again.
Yet of course the commentaries explain this idea, that of course the fact that the Torah tells us that we bought the land would never be a convincing argument for the Goyim that just want to destroy us and are jealous and can't fargin our few hundred Kilometers of holy place in this world. Waving a chumash at them was never going to work. It was about us having this knowledge. It's we that sadly enough need convincing sometimes, that we are not occupiers. That we are the original owners of this land. That in fact it is they that stole our biblical honestly full priced purchased land. If we believe it. If we have the confidence that to be able to declare that to the world, than they will accept it and appreciate it as well. On the other hand if we believe that America, England, Spain, Portugal, Babylonia, Persia and Greece are our home and we are just tourists in Israel, then how can we expect them to believe it.
But on an even deeper level we have to appreciate the significance of these three particular locations that are meant to be the source for this faith. What are they meant to symbolize? Now I can understand the Temple Mount, obviously as being essential. That is our connection to Hashem. It's what Eretz Yisrael is all about. It's the place that we are meant to build into a Bais tefilla l'kol ha'amim- a place of prayer for the entire world. Chevron, as well I understand as it is the burial places of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. It is where we come from; our roots and our traditions. It is in their merit that we turn to Hashem and that he forgives us and hears our prayers. But what is so important about Shechem. What is the secret of the tomb of Yosef? What role does that play in our eternal perspective.
The answer is that Yosef is the Jew that is in exile and thrown out of his holy land. He is the Jew that lives in the pits, prisons and death camps of Egypt. As well he is the Jew that lives and flourishes in the palaces of the kings and achieves unprecedented success financially and politically in a land that is not his own. He is the Jew that left Israel at a very young age and will never see it again for the rest of his life. But perhaps most importantly he is the Jew that knows that he has a field in Shechem that is waiting there for him that his father purchased when he first came to the land. It is calling to him every day. It reminds him that as far as he is been, as impossible as it seems and was to ever get back home. It's still his home. It's the only real one that he has.
Before Yosef dies he commands his brothers that they will take him back to that land of his. They will return him to that field. It may seem like Egypt is his country. He's the 2nd to Pharaoh. He's a king. But that's not his country. It's not ours. It's not where he wants his eternal resting place to be. For 210 years the Jewish people were locked into exile in Egypt. Yet for that entire time they never forgot that lesson of Yosef and the Shechem that was waiting for him. That was calling to them. That field reminded them of the promise Hashem made of Pakod Yifkod Elokim eschem that Yosef told them about. That Hashem will take us out and bring us back home once again. It is that field that is still calling to us today.
One of the tourists that I was with was looing at some real estate here when they were here. It was time, he said. It's not just because America is shutting down for us Jews-which quite a few people have called and told me. Rather it's because the past year and a half that I realized I couldn't be here and I couldn't come, made me realize that I need to have a place here that I know will always be my home. He's not the only one that has spoken to me this way. Corona and the shutdowns have changed the way we view our connection to Eretz Yisrael. My tourists are growing up. Up to heaven, that is of course. Up to Israel. Whereas in the past many longed to visit Eretz Yisrael, Klal Yisrael is more and more coming to the point where we are realizing that's not enough. We need to own it. We need it to be part of us. We have to have a place in it with our name on the door.
I know that this is not realistic for everybody. Whether financially, emotionally, or for other familial considerations. But just because it's not realistic, doesn't mean you shouldn't say it. It wasn't realistic for Yosef in Egypt either. Probably a lot more unrealistic than it is for you. But that didn't stop him from saying it. From longing for it. His father purchased it for him when we first came to the land. And he purchased it for us too. May we soon see you here back again. But let's not just tour this time. Let's go buy you at least a little one of those door name tags that has your families name on it. Let's check out some communities. There's a field somewhere here that's destined for you. It's time to at least pitch that tent.
Have a incredible Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Besser bay zikh krupnik, eyder bay yenem gebrotns." -Better barley soup at home than a roast at someone else’s home
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
3) The name of the prayer written on ceramic tablets in the Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem, Jerusalem: ________
Its prefiguration:
A) Hannah’s prayer
B)) Elizabeth’s prayer
C)) The prayer of Moses on Mount Sinai
D)) The Priestly Blessing (Priestly Benediction) (birkat hakohanim),
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://youtu.be/JgWQNFpKYrs - Sight of Sunrise- what a beautiful story song/ very Journeys like by Chananya Hoschander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RhMdFSslbs – My tourist introduced me to this great song hilarious Yiddishe Taiovs- a Goy will never understand- Motty Illowitz…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vWjQTD_r1M - What's Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach without this song from Reb Shlomo….V'Nisgav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZYivKwVmJc – Or of course this one from Yonatan Razel "Katonti"
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Beyond Borders- Parshat Vayishlach- I have been learning the tractate of Eruvin the past few months in my Amud Yomi program. It is a complicated mesechta that deals with the laws of the different methods that one can construct in order to permit "carrying" on Shabbos. See the Torah prohibits someone from carrying anything from a private to domain to a public one, or carrying more than a few feet in a public domain. As well the Torah prohibits one from even walking a far distance of about 3/4 of a mile outside of the city limits of one's house called a techum- a boundary.
The Rabbis extended this prohibition of carrying from the purely public domain- which is really only a huge thouroufare where there are hundreds of thousands of people traveling to an even quasi-public one like our regular city streets for fear that people would forget the original prohibition. They however permitted it if one enclosed the area with semi door like "reminders" like string over two poles. As well the prohibition to carry past one's techum can be extended if you place food at the edge of your boundary thereby establishing your place there on Shabbos. That buys you an extra 2000 amos from where you can travel.
It's a complicated tractate and a fascinating series of laws with much details. Little did I know that in this week's parsha Rashi tells us that our great ancestor Yaakov was busy with this law as well and it is in fact one of the few sources that we have that our forefathers observed the Torah- by intuiting it- even before it was given.
The Parsha tells us how when Yaakov first entered the land of Israel after 20 years in exile by his uncle Lavan, he arrived Erev Shabbos right before sundown.
Bereishis (33:18) And Yaakov came complete to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan when he came from Padan Aram and he encamped before the city.
The Midrash picks up on the strange terminology of encamping before the city and states-
"He arrived Erev Shabbos with last rays of the sun and he established techumin- "border extenders" while it was still day. From here we see that Yaakov observed the Shabbos before it was given. "
In that merit the Midrash continues that Yaakov unlike Avraham where it does not say he observed the Shabbos only inherited the land as far as he could walk. Yaakov was promised that his children would inherit it "without borders" as it says
U'faratzta yama vkedma tzfona v'negba- and they will burst forth west, east, north and south.
What is the symbolism and the quid pro quo of this mitzva which seems just a minor technicality, asks the Nesivos Shalom. As well, why is this the one mitzva where it chose to reveal to us that Yaakov observed the Shabbos. If you ask me, it could've told us he ate a good chulent, he rested or even lit Shabbos candles. What makes techumin so significant?
He answers brilliantly, and it's really such a powerful idea and thought to think about. The Torah tells us that Yaakov came complete to the land of Israel. What does it mean complete? There are three levels of existence in Jewish thought. They are known as Olam, Shana and Nefesh or A'sha'n. Acronym form. Olam is the physical material world. Shana is time, and nefesh is the human soul. The source of the entire physical world is Eretz Yisrael, where it all started from and where the world receives it's bracha from. In time the holiest source is of course Shabbos where once again we find it is the Mekor ha'bracha. And lastly for nefesh the Jewish people the 12 tribes of Israel, and descendants of Yaakov are the source for all blessing to the world. All three of those came together that Friday. Yaakov and for the first time the children of Israel arrive in Israel and of course what other day than right before Shabbos. Think about that if you arrive here with a plane delay right before Shabbos and don't feel bad. It's the way we first came here ever!
What Yaakov does at that moment of total completion, hen all of the pieces of the existence are all lined up for the first time since the creation of the world, is that he establishes techumin. He says that we move beyond the established boundaries of this world. We can connect heaven to earth and bring Shabbos even further than what at first seems to be like its boundary. On Shabbos the physical world becomes holy. Your stew becomes a chulent, your physical pleasure it basking in the goodness of our Creator. And the Jewish people can move and bring their light beyond all borders. That is the quid pro quo that Hashem establishes on that first Shabbos we have in Eretz Yisrael as a nation. There will never be any limits to what we as a Jewish nation can do if we have the Shabbos. It may seem like a mere 24 hour day, it may seem like we have restrictions all around us, it may seem like we are merely mortal. But Shabbos tells us that all of that is not true. We are divine. We are holy. We are eternal and we can transcend all borders and techum when we bask and tap into this holy day. It is that same light that we can experience each Shabbos, It still calls out to us today.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Adoniyahu's demise- 837 BC- With Dovid deceased, Shlomo his son take rule at the young age of 12. His brother Adoniyahu's attempted coup before he took the reigns was put down in the one of the final acts of Dovid. Yet Dovid had warned Shlomo to watch out for his enemies and to avenge their betrayals. Particularly his father told him to keep his eyes on Yoav, Dovid's former general. Well sure enough Shlomo didn't have to wait too long. For Adoniyahu, it seems at the behest of Yoav headed over to Shlomo's mother Batsheva's house, in what was a devious attempt to slowly wrest the kingdom back. He told her that he accepted Shlomo as the king, yet he was wondering if she could do him a small a favor.
What did he want? He wanted to marry Avishag the Shunamite, who was the young maidservant that was brought to Dovid at the end of his life to "keep him warm" at night when he was sick. Now although Dovid never married or consummated anything with her, you know how the rumours go… And thus Adoniyahu figured that if he would marry her than people would assume it was as if he was inheriting Dovid's throne and kingship. For the law is that no one is allowed to marry any of the wives or even consorts of the king. Batsheva didn't realize this was his plan and she innocently asked Shlomo to agree. He of course being the smartest guy in the history of the world recognized it for what it was. In addition the saw Yoav's hands all over this. He immediately ordered the death of Adoniyahu, who had been warned by Shlomo when he was anointed not to pull any shtick.
Who will carry out the punishment for Shlomo? So we are introduced to a new figure who will play an important role in Shlomo's kingship. Benyahu ben Yehoyahda. I actually passed his tomb yesterday as you leave Tzfat on the way to Biriya. We'll talk more about him god willing next week.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE REAL ESTATE JOKES OF THE WEEK
A landlord in Brooklyn has three shops in a row, all for rent. The first prospective tenant shows up, and says he wants to rent the shop on the left.
The landlord says, "Fine, what kind of shop do you have?" The guy says, "A men's wear shop." The owner tells him he gets free signage and asks what he wants on the sign. "Men's Wear," says the man.
A second guy comes along and wants to rent the right hand shop. When asked he says he wants "Men's Wear" on his sign. The landlord tells him that the left hand shop will be the same. "No problem," says the man.
Finally a little Jewish fellow named Moishe Applebaum comes along to rent the middle shop. The landlord is most concerned because this guy also has a men's wear shop. The landlord asks him what he wants on his sign. Moishe replies: "MAIN ENTRANCE."
Feivel was an Ehriliche Kollel Rabbi who had a wife and 12 children and needed to move into a new home as his rental agreement was coming to an end but was having difficulty in finding a new home. When he said he had 12 children, no one would rent a home to him because they knew that the children would destroy the home.
He could not say that he had no children, he could not lie, after all he was an ehrliche yid..
So, he had an idea: he sent his wife for a walk to the Bais Ha'Chayim cemetery to daven at the grave of his Rebbe with 11 children. He took the remaining one with him to see homes with the Real Estate Agent. He liked one of the homes and the agent asked, "How many children do you have?”
He answered : "12 children.”
The agent asked "Where are the others?'
Feivel answered, with a sad look, "They are in the cemetery with their mother.”
And that's the way he was able to rent a home for his family without lying.
Chaim Yankel decided to try his hand at being a real estate agent and he was thrilled when he got his first listing. He wrote an ad for the house which had a beautiful second-floor in-law suite that could be accessed using a lift chair that slid along the staircase.
The homeowners were upset that Chaim Yankel didn't get them any showings and Chaim Yankel himself was confused so he showed them his advertisement. Trying to make the in-law suite sound enticing he wrote: "Mother-in-law suite comes with an electric chair."
I tried bidding on a shopping center in a real estate auction, but I was outbid at the last minute. I guess the old saying is true: You can't win a mall.
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" I want you to know something,” Chaim Cohen, a New York real estate agent said to some potential clients. “I’ve been studying with my Rabbi and he’s given me some guidelines about what I can and can’t say when I am showing a house. He said that I have to be completely honest so I have to disclose a home’s negatives, but I can also highlight the positives.”
“OK…” said the prospective buyer.
"So in this home”, continued Chaim, “the disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north."
"What are the advantages!?" inquired the prospective buyer.
"The advantage is that you can always tell which way the wind is blowing."
What does a british real estate agent care most about? His proper tea
What do you call a detective in the real estate business? Sherlock Homes
A frog goes into a bank. “What can I help you with?” asks the Teller.
“I’d like to apply for a loan” says the frog.
“Oh” says the Teller “you need to speak with our Loan Officer, Miss Whack”.
The Teller leads the frog to Miss Whacks office and, informs her that the frog wants to apply for a loan. “What kind of loan are you in the market for?” asks the Loan Officer.
“Any loan will do” says the frog “I want to buy a Lilly pad.”
“I see.” says the Loan Officer “Well, in order to apply for a loan, I first need to know your name. What is your name?”
“My first name is Kermit” answers the frog.
“Your first name is Kermit?” asks the Loan Officer.
“Correct,” answers the frog “and my last name is Jagger”.
“Your name is Kermit Jagger?” The Loan Officer asks incredulously.
“Correct,” says the frog “my mother was a frog and my father is Mick Jagger.”
“I see” says the Loan Officer “Well, in order to secure a loan, the bank needs some type of collateral. Do you have any real estate, bonds, precious metals, etc?”
“No,” answers the frog “all I have is this.” The frog produces a miniature, pink elephant and holds it up to her face.
Flustered, the Loan Officer (whose first name is Patty) snatches it from the frog and storms off to the Bank Managers office.
“Sir!” she says as she barrages into his office “there’s a frog out there who wants a loan for a Lilly pad, and he says his name is Kermit Jagger.”
“Kermit Jagger?” Asks the Bank Manager.
“Yes,” she says “his mother was a frog and his father is Mick Jagger. Anyway, all he has for collateral is this tiny, pink elephant thing. I don’t even know what this is!”
The Bank Manager exclaims:
“That’s a Knick-Knack, Patty Whack, give that frog a loan. His old man’s a Rolling Stone!”
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Answer is A – I'm really amazed that I got this one right as well. Chrisitianity and all it's bubbeh maysehs are my week point- obviously. But I guess you can't get somethings out of your mind. And somehow the word Magnficat remained in my brain. This church in Ein Karem is where the Christians believe that Yoshka's mother met her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant and they have this prayer or song on the wall in a bunch of different languages. What shocked me was that is a total steal off of the tefilla of Chana who was barren in sefer Shmuel. Steals and unoriginal plagurism in the Christian faith of older sources that they try to pass off as their own is called prefiguration. But it was shocking to see those Hebrew words from Tanach being misused and translated in their idolatrous beliefs. So maybe that's why I remembered it. So another one right with the score being Schwartz 3 and 0 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam. .
