Something Fishy is Going On- Parshat Chukas 2025 5785

 Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 4^th 2025 -Volume 14 Issue 34 8^th of Tamuz 5785

 

Parshat Chukas

  Something Fishy Going On

"Check out that Island", RbbC said.

It looks really cool. After a few days on a boat, I can relate to his feeling. Man was meant to walk on solid earth. Don't get me wrong. Sailing is fun and cool, but after a while it gets kind of old and you just want to get back to shore. So they parked their boat right off this incredible island. It smelled a little fishy, but that's understandable, after all it was in the middle of the ocean. There was beautiful sand with nice greens growing.

"Looks like a great place for a mangal (BBQ)" he said.

Maybe a little bonfire, a kumzitz, a little Rebbi Shimon action, some smores… What a great place to chill. So, they sat down. Made themselves comfy and then just when things started heating up a bit, it cooled down very quickly. See, they weren't really on an island, they discovered. They were one the back of a very large fish. A whale, perhaps, or one of those Star Wars space creatures. C'mon some of you have to remember that movie. All of a sudden Nemo decided that his back was getting sunburned, or maybe he just didn't like their Bar Yochais. He gave a krechtz, a flip and splash, they all ended up in the water. Thank God, they weren't that far from the boat, Rabbah Bar Bar Channa, tells us in this fascinating gemara in Bava Basra, for otherwise they would've all drowned.

It's a strange cryptic page or two of Talmud, that shares with a bunch of these incredible stories with us.  You should check them out. Yet, the Gaon of Vilna and many other great commentaries look at all these stories and see in them, the secrets of the universe, the different stages of our development and even the pathway toward redemption and Mashiach. This particular story above, tells us that when Mashiach comes, the whole world and everything we thought about it will be turned on its head. The land that we thought was safe, was comfortable, was great to make bbq's pizza shops and even yeshivos, mikvas and really large beautiful shuls is really just a big fish swimming in the sea. It's not dry land. It's not a place of settlement. That's not real grass on it's back. It's just an AI manipulation. Stay close to the boat. Don't lose sight that you're in an ocean. Otherwise you may drown.

Rav Moshe Shapira (who, as faithful readers of mine have probably noticed, I 've been quoting a lot these days), writes something spectacular about this gemara. He notes that on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur there is a psalm that we recite after our Shmona Esrei with much fervor.

Li'dovid mizmor- a psalm for Dovid

La'hashem ha'aretz u'mlo'ah- To Hashem is the land and all that's in it

Tevel v'yoshvei vah- the world and all that dwell in it

Ki hu al yamim yesoda- because He founded it upon waters

V'al neharos yi'chonineha- and He established it upon rivers.

Do you know why the entire land belongs to Hashem? Because He established it upon water. It's not real. We're riding on the back of a fish. See on the third day of Creation, when the entire world was full of water, Hashem did something fantastic and miraculous. He declared that all of the water should gather into one place and dry land should be revealed. The problem though, he notes is that you can't just shtup water into a vessel that can't fit it. If the whole world was water, then where did it all go? It's not like it disappeared, and it's not like he drained out the tub and put it anywhere. So how does it gather and all fit into one place?

See, that's why I like Reb Moshe, he asks simple questions about stuff we learnt about and accepted in kindergarten, that we recite and daven all the time (this is the psalm of the day that we recite each Sunday as well and when we put back the Torah every Monday and Thursday during the week), and that we never pay attention to. He answers that the Talmud tells us that this was of course miraculous. It is the first time where we have a miracle known as

"mu'at machzik es ha'meruba"- where Hashem makes a miracle that a large amount is contained in something very small.

We find that as well, by the way, in this week's Torah portion of Chukas. Perhaps, non-coincidentally enough, it also revolves around the revelation and lesson of water. After the death of Miriam we are told that the well that Moshe had hit 40 years beforehand and that provided the over one million Jews with water for over 40 years had shut down. Before we even get to the miracle that takes place now though, just think about that miracle of the water for 40 years. It's not something we pay much attention to, but its incredible. A wandering well/rock that was the sole water source for our entire nation for 40 years. That's truly mind-blowing. And then we wake up one morning and it's gone. Obviously that is terrifying. Something's broke. What will we do? That would seem to be the obvious reaction, and it was.

Hashem thus tells Moshe that as we enter the land, it's time He reveals the most important lesson of all to our nation. It is a lesson that is critical to our entrance. It was then and it is today as well. The lesson is not that Hashem just performs miracles for our nation. But that the entire world as we perceive it with our eyes is not real. We can only observe the world by what we perceive. That, I believe, is the definition of Science. If it's unobservable, if it can't be studied then it's not scientific and perhaps not real. In the real world we are limited by time and space. Yet here, Hashem wants to show us, that what's not real, in fact, is the phenomena that we believe we are observing. All of that is really just an illusion. "To Hashem is the world and everything in it". Why? Because it's established on water that doesn't fit into any space. The land we are on is miraculous. We're riding on the back of a fish.

Hashem, wants us to see, observe and internalize this idea so He tells Moshe to gather the entire nation of over a million people into the small space of the Ohel Moed. How? It doesn't fit? A miracle happens and guess what, we all fit. That's the real world. There is no time or space restrictions in the real world; in Hashem's revealed world. It's that way as well in Holy of Holies where the Ark doesn't rationally fit, and it will be that way in the Bais Ha'Mikdash when Klal Yisrael will gather there each holiday and when we stand it will be tight, but when we bow down there's plenty of room and an expansion of space. The mu'at, the little and limited will hold the immense.

It is at this juncture He wants Moshe to teach the nation that rocks don't need to be hit anymore. Take your staff with you, but don't use it. Just talk to the rock and watch the water flow out. It can happen. It even makes sense for it to happen. Because the entire earth is Hashem's. The fact that water doesn't come out of rocks is an illusion. But when we are coming into Israel it will be our job to teach that to the world. That this world has a King and His presence is meant to be felt and revealed to the entire world.

The truth is if we take a step back and look at most of our parsha which is the contains the last lessons and narratives before we enter Eretz Yisrael, we'll see that is the message Hashem wants us to understand. That the world is one of tikkun, of the revelation of Hashem and that it is "Chukas" a concept beyond our limited logic and understanding. In fact, in most cases it is the opposite of what we may think.

The parsha begins with Parah Aduma, the red heifer that is burned and that purifies us from the impurity of death. Reb Tzadok Ha'Kohen mentions the Zohar that there is a connection between the red heifer and the fixing of the sin of Adam Ha'Rishon that brought death to the world. The Baal Haturim even notes that the Red Heifer was burnt on branches of a fig tree, because the fig tree, according to one opinion, was the Tree of Life. It was from her branches that Adam took leaves to cover himself after the sin. The source of the sin thus became the beginning of it fixing it.

That idea continues with the Red Heifer atoning for that sin of Adam (aduma…) and as well the sin of the Golden calf, prior to which returned to the state of Adam by Matan Torah and then fell right back again. It is for that reason the Parah Aduma's law is that the pure become impure and the impure becomes pure. We even are metamei the Kohen that burns the ashes and then purify him again. Everything is returning to Eden. The world of purity and impurity are getting dipped in water that is living, mayim chayim and the world becomes born anew.

On an even deeper level, we find that there is personal Jewish ancestral tikkun that takes place with the parah aduma temima- the purely red heifer. We find that red or Edom, doesn't just spell Adam, but as well is the name given to Esau. Yaakov, on the other hand is referred to as an Ish "tam"- a pure person. He is described as a "yoshev ohel- one who sits in the tent". The red heifer's job is to purify someone who become tamei "in the tent". It is Yaakov and Esau. It is the two of them coming together. It is fixing the mistakes of their past. It is the impure Esau becoming pure and Yakov who was pure however he became impure in his process of trying to co-opt the blessings; in how he took the birthright. Back then Yaakov felt the need to put on the clothing of Esau to receive the blessings. He had to present himself as "democratic country, where all religions and faiths can be worship freely" to explain to the world why he deserved to inherit.. If you didn't get where I was going with this… However what we learned from that is  that is that is the best case we can make then Esau will want to kill us. The world ultimately won't buy it. We will have to go into galus.

Yaakov has to go to Lavan. Isn't it interesting that the red heifer is pasul and can't be purified as long as it has lavan- white hairs on it? When he's done with that galus though and is approaching his return to Eretz Yisrael, he sends messengers to Esau. He's trying to bribe him. He's ready to go to war with him. Yet ulitimatly and perhaps most tragically he bends the knee to him. He's still going about this wrong. Chazal take him to task for hiding his daughter Dina from him. I don't think they're recommending intermarriage here, but what they are saying is that Yaakov, you've got this all wrong. Our job is to uplift Esau. To burn up that red heifer by bringing him under the shade of Hashem. To tell Esau straight out what his role is and ours and not be afraid. It's to be Yisrael and not Yaakov when we return. It's to struggle with angel of Esau and tame him and have him bless us. It's to make the impure pure.

Our job, as our parsha continues to tell us after the mitzva of parah aduma, is to speak to the rock. To speak to the domeim- the inanimate object. To speak to Edom and watch the mayim chayim, the holy water pour out of him as well. Watch him not only say, as a certain red-headed Edomite leader recently did, "I love you God", but this time to say "I love Hashem, the God of Israel; the King of the world." That Esau recognizes that the world is different than he perceived.

We no longer have to hit the rock to bring out the water. When we come into the land of Israel, if we come in with the right mindset and understanding of the point of us being brought there, then the entire world will come to us. Our enemies will fall without as having to do anything. They will be destroyed, as they are in the end of our parsha, as the hostage-taking-Amaleki king of Arad's entire army did, when we didn't lose one soldier and all we had to do was make a neder to Hashem. We had to speak and declare the purpose of why we are coming. To bring offerings to Hashem, to create a House of prayer for all nations. We had to declare their cities to be Chorrma; Divinely Jewish annexed properties as cities of Hashem, rather than occupied territories to be returned in any future peace negotiations.

It's what happens at the end of the parsha, when the Emorites who wanted to October 7^th us hid in the mountains to ambush us and Hashem "beepered" them all. He smashed the mountains into one another. He fought our battle… as He's fighting them today. We didn't have to do anything but sing the song of the well. We realized that we're just riding on the back of a fish. That the entire world is Hashem's. That His glory fills the entire world. That we can all fit in between the two poles of the Aron as we crossed the Jordan river into the Holy Land (another place where that miracle of the large fitting into the impossibly small takes place).

We understand that our job coming to the land of Israel is to reveal that reality to the world. To create a Messianic world, as the prophet Yeshaya tells us, where the knowledge of Hashem will be like water covering the seas. The River to the Sea, is what the world is screaming for. It's our job to reveal that.   

Moshe sends messengers to Edom after that water lesson. Just as Yaakov once sent messengers to Esau. But this time perhaps to fix that mistake. He sends them from Kadesh. He sends them from this holy place where he saw the miracle of the many being held by the few. He tells them we should enter derech ha'melech- with the path of the King. We'll go together, it's time for Mashiach. We don't need to drink the water of a well. Hashem is providing all the water and its time to reveal that to the world. Esau, though, isn't ready. He comes back with a sword, with a threat. Rav Charlap, understands Esau's response happens because he had heard that Moshe hit the rock. He didn't talk to it. He heard that we Jews are still trying to bring out the water with sthicks and tricks. We're still making July 4^th BBQ's on the back of a fish and don't realize that we needs to get back to the boat.

The verse then tells us that rather than Moshe responding to the Edom, it says

Va'yomru Bnai Yisrael- the Jewish people responded to Edom.

They told him that we would buy food, it would be profitable for him, this is good for the US as well. We will stand up for your interests. We put on the clothes of Esau. We fell back. We thought it would work. It didn't. Rashi tells us that Aharon dies after this because of this mistake. We tried being friends with Esau. That's not our job. Our job is to lead him. Our job is to continue to tell him, as Moshe did, that we are here to go in the path of our King. We are coming to Israel to knock down that mosque. To destroy all idolatry. To be the first born and to create a home and place, where you Esau will connect to Hashem.

The Ohr Ha'Chayim Ha'Kadosh though, ends on a prophetic note on this last story of Esau. He tells us that this is a foretelling of the end of days. Edom, Esau, is the last exile. We will be "captives" to him. We will be hostages. In the end of day Aharon will be gathered into our nation. We will have the spirit of Aharon within us. We will love one another. We will be priests to the world. It is with that power that we can win the battle against Amalek that comes right after this story. That we can see miraculous victories. That we can sing the song of the well. That we can finally bring the geula that we are so thirstily waiting for. To walk together once again with Hashem in Gan Eden. To herald in an era when we the small nation, will hold and carry the many nations of the world in the House of Hashem. The month of Tamuz is the one month that is named after an ancient form of idolatry, it is this month that we are told when the fast of 17^th of Tamuz will be turned upside down to a holiday. May this be the year when we see that prophecy fulfilled.

 

Have a safe and miraculous Shabbos and a redemptive Chodesh Tamuz!

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz 

 

 

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

" In a groyseh taiych chapt men groyse fish.- In a big river you catch big fish "

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

24. The "prophet" Muhammad's collected sayings, which have become a source of religious ruling in Islam,

are called ______

What is the set of ceremonies performed during the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) linked to?

A. God's revelation to the Prophet

B. Stories about Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael

C. Events in places the prophet passed through on his way between Mecca and Madinah

D. Traditions instituted by the first Caliphs

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJcRKU2bNl0&list=RDdJcRKU2bNl0&start_radio=1   – Yishai Ribbos latest song with Shmuel… If you like Yishai this is a classic – Kol Paam Meichadash- Each time anew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0SHSTDrOOU&list=RDl0SHSTDrOOU&start_radio=1    -  This Shai Viner wunderkid has a beautiful song "Child of God" although his accent could use some work…😊

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7IirtGPWbU&list=RDh7IirtGPWbU&start_radio=1  – Gorgeous Baruch Levine Chuppa Medleys…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aki-Ji9BjNk&list=RDAki-Ji9BjNk&start_radio=1 – a beautiful heartful Im Ishkocheich medley by Mendy Goldberg!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

 

586/422? BC -The missing years- As we have arrived at the 9^th of Av of the year of the destruction, I want to pause and share with you perhaps one of the confusing details of the chronology of Jewish history. It's not something that I have a personal opinion on. It's way above my pay grade. But I've never been much of a dates guy anyways. It's the stories that I find much more meaningful. I think most people are that way. But anyways here's the conundrum.

According to the Seder Olam and Chazal the year of the destruction of the Temple was in the year 3338 from creation which would make it 422 BCE. The way to remember that by the way, I shared with my shul two weeks ago is that 338 is gematria Shelach, the parsha of sending spies into the land and the parsha that declares that there will be an eternal day of mourning of Tisha B'av. Cool! As well since we know and it is historically agreed upon that the destruction of the second Temple took place in the year 70 CE and our tradition based on the prophecy of Daniel was that there would be 70 years of Exile and the second temple would be for 420 year which all together equals 490 years (70 shemitta years) then the year 420 BC would be about right for the destruction of the first Temple. That view is the opinion of the Saadia Gaon, The Maharal, Reb Yakov Emden and the Chazon Ish. We got with tradition everything else is bubbeh maysehs.

The secular approach which dates the destruction at the year 586 BC which is about 165 years earlier is based on many factors as well. And it has supporters that stand no less than the Baal Ha'Meor and Rav Moredchai Breuer that suggest that Chazal weren't meant to be taken literally and there was more philosophy behind their dating then historical accuracy. The problem that gets raised and that is the crux of the secular dating system is that there is a counting of at least ten Persian Kings that supposedly reigned during the short period of time that would Chazal give. As well there seems to be much historical evidence that the Persian empire was more in the range of 206 years rather than the 52 that the shorter Chazal timeline would give them.

Rav Shimon Schwab, who was probably the most recent and final word on this debate has two articles on the subject. In the first he seems to go with the secular view and expressed reasons why Chazal obscured the historical view in order to hide the date of the coming of Mashiach. If you think about what's going on now this is pretty relevant. For according to our counting from creation we are in the year 5785 which is 215 years away from the year 6000, which tradition has it is the end of time as we know it. According to the secular counting of a longer bayis sheni period then we subtract 165 years to that then boys and girls we have now entered the final yovel 50-year jubilee before the "End". Later on he recanted on that position and felt that Chazal wouldn't do that, yet who knows…

For the purposes of this column we'll maintain the secular counting until Bayis Sheni, but who looks at years anyways… right… Hopefully, by next week Mashiach will already be here and he'll clear it all up for us.!

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S BEST ISLAND JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

Berel, Yankel, and Ephraim were stranded on a deserted island. One day Al found an old jar in the sand. When the jar was opened, a genie came out and said to them, "You have freed me from my jar. For the rest of your time on this island, I am obligated to grant each of you one wish per year. But no wishing anyone, including yourself, off the island."

 

"In that case," said Berel, "I wish for 365 sefarim, so that I can learn one per day for a year." Instantly, 365 books appeared.

 

"I wish for 365 cans of beer," said Yankel, "so that I can drink one per day for a year." Instantly, 365 cans of beer appeared.

 

"I wish for 365 cigarettes," said Ephraim, "so that I can smoke one per day for a year." Instantly, 365 cigarettes appeared, and the genie disappeared back into the jar.

A year later, the genie came back out of the jar to grant Berel, Yankel, and Ephraim another wish.

"I wish for 365 more books," said Berel. Instantly, 365 more books appeared.

"I wish for 365 more cans of beer," said Yankel. Instantly, 365 more cans of beer appeared.

Ephraim looked sternly at the genie and said, "I wish for a lighter."

 

I was stranded on an island with nothing but dark red grass, dark red sand, dark red trees everything was dark red.

"AHHH!" I yelled "I've been marooned!"

 

A Dutch, English and Chinese man survive a boat accident and wash up on an island. They need food, water and supplies to survive the night. The Dutch guys says that he will gather the food, the English man will get water and the Chinese man is send for supplies.

When the Dutch and the English man come back with food and water the Chinese man is nowhere to be found. They wait a bit till they can't wait longer and start preparing the food.The Dutch and English guy start eating and out of nowhere the Chinese guy jumps out the bushes and shouts: " SUPPLIES!! ".

 

Did you hear that Elon Musk is planning to buy the entire island of Madagascar?

He’s planning to rename it Madaelectriccar

 

Abe and Esther are flying to Australia for a two-week vacation to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Suddenly, over the public address system, the Captain announces,

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid I have some very bad news. Our engines have ceased functioning and we will attempt an emergency landing. Luckily, I see an uncharted island below us and we should be able to land on the beach. However, the odds are that we may never be rescued and will have to live on the island for the rest of our lives!”

 

Thanks to the skill of the flight crew, the plane lands safely on the island. An hour later Abe turns to his wife and asks,

“Esther, did we pay our $5,000 Shul pledge check yet?”

“No, sweetheart,” she responds.

Abe, still shaken from the crash landing, then asks,

“Esther, did we pay our School tuition dues yet?”

"Oh, no! I’m sorry. I forgot to send the check,” she says.

“One last thing, Esther. Did you remember to send checks for the Vaad Ha'Bayit house dues in Israel this month?” he asks.

“Oh, forgive me, Abie,” begged Esther. “I didn’t send that one, either.”

Abe grabs her and gives her the biggest kiss in 40 years. Esther pulls away and asks him,

“What was that for?”

Abe answers, “They’ll find us!”

 

If I was stranded on a desert island I would take along a deck of cards. Because everyone knows after about 20 minutes of playing solitaire someone will come up behind you and tell you you're doing something wrong.

 

(OK not everyone will get this one…) The cast of Friends got shipwrecked on an deserted island...

Monica, Joey and Chandler were left behind because in real life David is a Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow.

 

What happens when you claim an island by pishing on it? Urination (did I really just include that… oyyy…)

 

A shipwrecked mariner has spent several years on a deserted island, completely alone.

Then one morning he was thrilled to see a ship offshore and a smaller vessel pulling out towards him. When the boat grounded on the beach, the officer in charge handed the marooned sailor a bundle of newspapers and told him: “The captain said to read through these and let us know if you still want to be rescued.”

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The answer to this week”s question is B-  I got a 50/50 on this one and frankly I'm even surprised I got that right. I knew the first part surprisingly enough is called Hadith… I remember that because it's similar to the word das- in hebRew which is law or religion. The second part though, I actually originally was thinking that it was a Avraham Yishmael akeida bubbeh mayseh that they distorted. But I remembered that was what their holiday or id al tabcha- sacrifice holiday was all about, so I thought it was a trick and I went with Muhammeds stops along the way, after-all it said pilgramege so I thought it wasa referring to stuff they did along the way. But I guess I was wrong. So the correct answer was the akeida story. So the score is now Rabbi Schwartz 15.5 Ministry of Tourism 8.5 on this exam so far, which should me back in passing range.

Prison, Puzzles and Peace- Parshat Chukat 2020/ 5780

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

June 19^th 2020 -Volume 10 Issue 35 27^th Sivan 5780

Parshat Chukas

Prisons, Puzzles and Peace

He was called the "Father of the Prisoners". It doesn't seem to be such an illustrious title. Nobody is running to the prison chaplain to have their pictures taken with their Bar Mitzva boys and no one would pay any extra money to sneak them into the back door to get a bracha from someone who hung out all day with criminals. And that wasn't even his paid job. Neither was his weekly visits to the hospitals or to the leper quarantined barracks in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In Bethlehem, by the way, the majority of those patients were Arabs. Replace the disease leprosy with corona and you can begin to imagine how crazy it would seem to be visiting a patient with a disease that similarly was assumed to be extremely contagious and transmittable via air droplets from the mouth and nose. There are some people that might feel bad they couldn't visit those sick people, but certainly they wouldn't feel guilty about it. After-all our own life comes first. Yet, Rabbi Aryeh Levine didn't visit them out of guilt or even for the mitzva. He couldn't not go. They were his brother, his sister, Hashem's children and creations and he had to be there for them. Not visiting wasn't an option.

Most of the prisoners that he visited in the British Prisons were of the "politically incorrect" kind in the Charedi Old Yishuv Israel circles where he lived. They were soldiers of the Hagana, Irgun and Etzel the illegal underground armies that attacked and terrorized the British in the hopes of liberating the country and making life too miserable for them to remain here. The Old Yishuv had a more "galus" mentality. Let's be quiet and count our blessings that we are allowed to live here. It is not our place to start up in a hopeless battle with the world empire like the British. We shouldn't be instigating them. "Shvayg shtil"l and daven for Mashiach and to Hashem to keep the "Cossacks far far away from us" in the words of Tevyeh. Reb Aryeh was of that mindset as well. Yet, it didn't matter to him what mess these young boys had gotten themselves into. They were like his children. They meant well. They were sacrificing their lives for the Jewish people. They needed someone to give them strength. He was their man.

In the words of Michael Ashbel, an Irgun soldier sentenced to death by the British describing Reb Aryeh's weekly visits.

"Today is the Shabbos; we await the visit of our Rabbi. Although our spirit is strong as iron, we want to hear what this wise man who regards every prisoner as his son will say. We always speak with him through the bars of the door. His face adorned with a silvery beard is pale. Tears always appear in his eyes and he has to wipe his spectacles many time.

He asks for us to hope for Hashem's mercy and to pray. In addition, he begs us to ask for a pardon from the British military commander and not refuse obstinately. He tells us of the fast he is personally observing on our behalf and how ill he is in his concern for us…. He has brought us tefillin and a siddur to pray with. We promise him we will use them. It is amazing how he thinks og every detail. He brought and Ashkenazic prayer book for me and a sefardic one for my friend so we could each daven according to our own customs.

The rabbi leaves with the prison warden. After his visit we are quiet. Each of us feels the suffering of this precious Jew and we share in his grief. We didn't voice any complaints to him. He doesn’t' have to know how bad our situation is for us here. He is already suffering enough."

It is Reb Aryeh's image that I draw to my mind when I read and study about Aharon HaKohen whose passing is described in this week's parsha. Our sages tell us that Aharon lived by the dictum of Ohev Shalom V'Rodef Shalom- He loved peace and pursued peace. Ohev es ha'briyos- he loved people, u'mikarvon la'torah and he would draw them near to Torah. I think most of us appreciate peace. Most people don't like to fight. Which is what I think most of us would assume peace is- not fighting. We even say it all the time. "I just wish I could have some peace and …."? That's right, "quiet". That's usually followed by "will you guys just stop fighting already." But that's not peace. That's a cease fire. Which is also pretty good for us, particularly when it is our kids or when it's Hamas terrorists. I'm not saying there is a connection there or anything.

Do you know how I know that's not peace, certainly not the peace that I think we want? I have a son in shidduchim now. Can you imagine if a shadchan called me up with a girl recommendation, and told me how she is someone that he will not yell at or that will not fight with him. They will live quietly together for the rest of their lives. Neither one ever getting on each other's nerves. They will be at peace with one another. Each one living their own separate lives. This is guaranteed shalom bayis, right? Wrong.

Shalom Bayis means that two people, a husband and wife work together to become shalem, to become complete. Each one understands they are lacking something that only the other one can make whole. Shalom Bayis is that they each have certain parts of the building materials to build that house. They need to each contribute and bond together those individual traits, strengths and wisdom and overcome each other's weakness to build that incredible bayis ne'eman- house of faith. If they stay out of each other's hair for the next 25 or 50 years, they really haven't done anything. There is no greater tragedy than that.

Being an Ohev Shalom, someone who loves peace, is the idea of being someone who loves this concept. They love the idea of bonding and connecting and seeing a greater whole when two different and perhaps even opposing forces come together. We understand and see that by marriage, but in truth it is something that is true for every aspect of creation. The purpose of all existence is to unite the entire planet in "one-ness".  A forest is not a bunch of individual trees. It is something much greater. A flower garden is not just a bunch of flowers it's so much more beautiful than that. A nation isn't just a group of individuals; a beach isn't just grains of sand.  A chulent isn't just little beans, potatoes, meat and barley. The whole always reveals much more beauty because it reflects more and more the unity of it's Creator. When one sees how those varying differing puzzle pieces of creation fits together, we unveil the incredible wondrous majesty of it's Maker. 

Loving peace, though, is just the start. Pursuing peace is where the really difference is. It's the sign of whether we just like something conceptually or if we really love it. I like forests, I like gardens, I might even drive to spend time in some. But frankly I'm not going to go through the work to plant one. Loving something deeply and feeling passionate about it means that you work to achieve it. But it's not even work at that point. It's a labor of love. Pursuing peace means that it is your passion to bring oneness between creations. A cease fire or an elimination of strife, abuse, racism is not peace. In fact, it’s a failure of that goal. It's pretty much guaranteeing that everything remains alone and independent.  Pursuing peace means bringing everyone to appreciate how incredible and right it is for us all to be connected and dependent upon one another. How only through that happening can we finally reveal Hashem in all of us. The more different and the harder that piece is to fit into that puzzle, the more he who pursues peace will try to figure out how that piece can be incorporated into the rest of the picture. Hashem put that piece in the box. There are no extra pieces. If there were than it would be a flaw in creation. And our Creator doesn't have flaws. The Peace Pursuer is one that sees that big picture and doesn't stop trying to bring it all together.

How does he do that? By loving the created. Loving each piece, each person, and seeing in them the hand of Hashem. Loving them to the degree that one understands that I will never be fully complete unless he or she are connected to me and I to them. Hashem will not be complete until all of us are together. And if they are so far, so out of whack, such sinners, such misfits that it seems incomprehensible that they are part of Creation, the flaw is not from them. It is from me. I haven't opened myself up enough to incorporate them. I haven't brought them close enough to the Torah which is the glue that we all share that will bind and meld us seamlessly together. It's not their problem. It's mine. I need them to make His puzzle complete. I need them to make His chulent complete. It needs beans. If your store doesn't have any then you go to another store. You borrow from a neighbor. You pursue it. If you hear there is some in the prison or leper hospital you go there to get them because you understand they are essential. That is what the Mishna means when it tells us what the traits of Aharon HaKohein were. That is the reason why in this week's Torah portion when Aharon dies the entire Jewish people mourned. Everyone felt they had lost their glue. Everyone understood that they all had a deep seated desire to bond and unite, but it was only Aharon Hakohen that could reveal that to each of us.

It is with this appreciation that we can understand the incredible response of the Jewish people in the immediate aftermath of the death of Aharon. The Torah is so beautiful when it is read with this light. As soon as Aharon dies the Torah tell us in three short pesukim one of the most inspiring stories of the entire Torah. Most people miss it so pay attention.

Bamidbar (21:1-3) The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Israel had come by the route of the spies, and he waged war against Israel and took from them a captive.

Israel made a vow to Hashem and said, "If You deliver this people into my hand, I shall consecrate their cities. Hashem heard Israel's voice and delivered the Canaanite. He destroyed them and [consecrated] their cities, and he called the place Hormah.

There are a few things that stand out about this story. The first is why this battle happened. The Torah tells us that the Canaani King heard that we came the way of the spies. So what? Rashi who usually comes to explain the simple explanation here notes an even more perplexing midrashic story, that in fact this was the Amalekites disguised as Canaanim that came to fight. Where does he get this from and why does Rashi veer from the simple understanding?

Maybe we can find the answer is in what the results of Amalekites attack accomplished. One captive was taken. According to our sages it was a maid servant, perhaps not even Jewish. Who wages a war to take one captive? As well it is interesting to note that the Jewish nation's response to this attack is to make a vow to consecrate their cities. We were going to war big-time for this maid servant. This wasn't a rescue mission. This was a full out destroy them and their cities to the ground and all of the booty would be consecrated. Talk about a disproportionate response.  What's going on?

The answer is in the title given to our nation in this entire story. The Cannani heard that Yisrael had come. Not the Bnai Yisrael, not a nation, not a people, but an individual Yisrael. As well Yisrael, is the one that makes the vow. Hashem heard Yisrael's voice. Singular. We were one. We were one body. The maid servant was part of our body. We understood that she was just as important as anyone else. She was part of Hashem's puzzle. Hashem would not be complete without her.

The nation that always is there to prevent us from achieving this oneness of Hashem is Amalek. They are not interested in destroying Klal Yisrael. They know they don't have to. They just have to get the weak ones. They just have to take one piece of us and the whole picture is ruined. Hashem will not be revealed. If Bnai Yisrael doesn't respond and pursue that piece, they have already destroyed us. We are already not one. There will never be the ultimate shalom. The throne of Hashem will not be shaleim. They came when they heard we came the way of the spies, those same spies who didn't want to lose their jobs and titles to come into the land that would unite us all. They came after Aharon died because they realized that we had lost our clouds of glory. The clouds that came in the merit of Aharon because he united us all. They thought that this was chance to remove that shalom that Aharon had achieved. After-all who would go to wage a war for one measly little maid servant.

But Yisrael did. We prayed as one. We vowed as one, because we knew that this wasn't about the enemy as much as it was about revealing Hashem in its entirety from our nation. The cities we destroyed would also become part of that puzzle. They would be called Chorma because they would be consecrated to Hashem. They would be the crown of the puzzle that testifies that His presence can be found in all of the world. The students of Aharon live on. We can bring the ultimate Shalom.

Reb Aryeh's influence and love inspired his students as well to love him as well. The story is told of the time he arrived one Shabbos for davening in the Jerusalem prison where he would come each Shabbos. As he was in the middle of the Torah reading, one of the Arab guards approached and asked him to come outside, as there were people waiting for him. Rav Aryeh, however, had no wish to interrupt the reading and motioned to the guard to be so kind as to wait until he was finished.

A few minutes passed by and once again the guard and the guard was quite persistent he was needed outside immediately. Rav Aryeh asked one of the inmates to continue the reading, and he left the cell with the captain of the guard.

Once outside, he saw his son-in-law waiting for him at the prison entrance. In his heart he knew at once that some accident had occurred. They set off by foot to the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood, where his married daughter lived. As they reached his daughter’s home, Rav Aryeh saw members of the family and medical doctors gathered there, where he was told that his daughter had been stricken by paralysis. The doctors told him that her total incapacitation if they were lucky would perhaps only lead to partial paralysis over the course of time, and perhaps in a number of years she would recover completely. After an emotional meeting with his daughter, he reminded members of the family that “the rescuing help of the Lord can come in the twinkling of an eye.”

The next Shabbos the prisoners flocked around him and asked how his daughter was. They had paid money to the Arab guard to go to Reb Aryeh's home to find out what had happened. “As well as can be expected,” he said emotionally.

During the Torah reading, an unusual thing occurred during the mi-sheberach prayer recited after each of the seven aliyos, in which one asks Hashem to bless and protect the man just called to the Torah. It is customary that the man called to the Torah pledges a sum to charity.

As Rav Aryeh duly recited the mi-sheberach for the first prisoner called to the Torah, he was taken by surprise to hear the man announce that he was pledging a day of his life for the recovery of the good rabbi’s daughter. When the time came for the mi-sheberach of the second called, he announced that he forfeited a week of his life for the sake of the sick woman. The third man called pledged a month of his lifespan; and so it went. At last it was the turn of the seventh man, Dov Tamari, who later became a professor at the Technion in Haifa.

“What is our life in prison worth,” he cried, “compared to our rabbi’s anguish? I pledge all the remaining days of my life to the complete recovery of our rabbi’s daughter!”

Rav Aryeh looked at the young man and burst into tears. He was moved beyond words to see how devoted these men were to him and how much affection they bore him. Unable to continue with the prayer service, he shook hands warmly with every single one of the inmates and went straight home. That evening, after Shabbos, members of his family came to tell him that his daughter was beginning to show signs of recovery: she had started to move some limbs. A few days went by, and her health returned completely. She was shalem. The power of unity was revealed from the prison. The Healer of all flesh had made her whole as He became whole through them.

Hashem has united the world like never before. We are all suffering from this epidemic. We are all connected with social media, with face masks, with prayers and with hope for a better tomorrow. At the same time there are forces of Amalek that seek to divide to find hate, to create divisions. To hit those that are weak. The answer is to love peace. To pursue peace. To love all Hashem's creations. Left, Right, Jewish, Arab, White, Black, Sinners and Saints. Be mikarev them to Hashem. Bring a world of peace.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

" Az men darf dem ganef, nemt men em arop fun der t’liye."- When you need the thief, you take him down from the gallows.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

33) Shtula and Zar’it were established as:

A.    Tower and Stockade (homa u’migdal) settlements

B.     “Mitzpeh” settlements in the North

C.     “Moshavim” in Galilee

D.    IDF military outposts

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6bWnoGfdD8 – Most beautiful song ever by Ari Goldwag then and now Meheira!

https://youtu.be/uyzvohk5L3k     - Avraham Fried and Eli Marcus. Ba'eis Hahi new Yossi Green song

https://youtu.be/GiZVkKPTgE4   -"Just love them"- Joey Newcomb's newest sng in honor of the one and only Sruli Besser's newest book about Rabbi Trenk

https://youtu.be/CoTBfb1HG6M  – Rabbi Majeski- a Corona conversation with myself inspiring!

 https://youtu.be/V-pj3SXPWP8 - The Rebbe on Rocket Science in honor of Gimmel Tamuz

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/MITZVA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Chukas-Pidyon Shvuyim- redeeming a captured prisoner–There are not too many mitzvos I'm aware of where we tell someone that has raised money for a shul campaign and already has purchased all the building material that the halacha is he must sell everything they bought and use the money instead to fulfil the mitzva. It seems pretty crazy. But yet, that is the case when it comes to the mitzva of rescuing and redeeming someone who has been captured or imprisoned. In fact we find in this week's Torah portion that in our first battle as a nation in the wilderness before entering Israel with Amalek the entire Jewish nation went to war to rescue one captured imprisoned maid servant. Go Jews! We learned this lesson from Avraham Avinu who raced across Israel to fight against four Kings to rescue his nephew Lot. So if we are willing to sacrifice life and limb to save a fellow Jew certainly a shul building doesn't stand a chance.

But it's not just a historical incident engrained in our DNA from Avraham. The Rambam counts no less than 8 mitzvos involved in the mitzva of pidyon shvuyim.

 1) Devarim 15:7 Lo saametz es Levavcha – Do not tighten your heart

2) Devarim 15:7 veLo sikpotz es yadcha – Nor shall you tighten your hand  

3) VaYikra 19:16 Lo saamod al dam rayacha – Do not stand idly by your brother’s blood

4) Vayikra 25:53 Lo yirdeno beferech leainecha – Do not let him go down in excessive labor in front of your eyes

5) Dvarim 15:8 Pasoach tiftach es yadcha lo You shall surely open your hand for him

6) Vayikra 25:36 Vechai achicha imach – And your brother shall live with you

7) Vayikra 19:18 Veahavta lerayacha kamocha –love your friend as yourself

8) Mishlei 24:11 Hatzel lakuchim lemavais – Save those taken toward their death

That's quite a laundry list. The Rambam writes that there is no greater mitzva and it even surpasses all other charitable donations. Yet the Rambam qualifies this by suggesting that this is because the prisoner is in danger and is like someone who is starving, impoverished, and naked. As well the Aruch Hashulchan, by Reb Yechiel Michel Epstien (1829-19080 that this was "in ancient times or in faraway places like Africa where these things take place. Seemingly it would seem that our modern day prisons where there is no danger of death or conditions of starvation and torture would seemingly not qualify for this mitzvas precedence over other mitzvos.

On the other hand unfortunately the Aruch Hashulchan's "ancient times" would be found today tragically in the Middle East when Israeli soldiers and even civilians are kidnapped by terrorists. As well even in the 70's there were incidents of hijackings and the like where ransom demands were sent. It would seem in these cases the mitzva of pidyon shvuyim would apply. However there is a major halachic caveat to this mitzva. One that leaves us in a bit of a quandary.

The Talmud tells us that one may not redeem someone for an exorbitant amount of money "more than his value". There is a debate as to why this is. One reason is because we cannot put such a burden on a community. They need only redeem him for his value. The other reason is that because in doing this one may encourage the kidnappers to continue to do this to others. Don't negotiate with terrorists. The difference between the two reasons would be if someone is rich and permitted to pay the ransom. If it's so as not to burden the community one would be permitted to personally us their own money. On the other hand, if this act of redemption will encourage the terrorists and put others at risk one would be prohibited to do so.

The great Maraham Of Rottenberg in the 13^th century was kidnapped and prohibited the communities that raised money to liberate him from paying the exorbitant sum that was being demanded. His wishes were respected and he in fact remained and died in prison. As well when Reb Hutner Z"L was on a hijacked plane and money was raised to free him, Reb Yakov Kaminetzky prohibited paying it for similar reasons. (ultimately he was released not longer after). Seemingly this halacha would apply to not only if there were a demand of money but if there was a demand for other terrorist prisoners to be released which would endanger other Jews it would seem to be prohibited. Until 1983 the policy of the state of Israel was in fact not to engage in negotiations and certainly not exchanges with terrorists. But that has changed and arguably has led to more deaths as a large percentage of the released terrorists come back to kill Jews.

One last aspect of this mitzva that is interesting is a story of Reb Moshe Feinstien who when a man came into Yeshiva asking him to write a letter of support for his son who was being sentenced to prison for selling drugs and other crimes. Reb Moshe ruled that it is better for him to be in jail than to be on the streets and endanger people. As well one who is imprisoned for his own crimes it would seem that the mitzva of Pidyom Shvuyim in its ultimate form may not apply. Although there is still certainly an aspect of chesed to try to help prisoners particularly those that have repented and certainly those that have been injustly punished. We must love our friends as we would ourselves. It's the Jewish golden rule. Before we judge others we must ask how we would wish to be judged. Avraham's rescue of Lot who was certainly no tzadik, was in fact the forebearer of Mashiach. You never know….

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Signs of a King-879 BC – The Kings of the Jewish people are not elected. Hashem knows we can't agree on anyone, as well we usually don't have the best track record of finding the proper people to lead us. Our Kings have to be divinely selected. They require a prophet, a Sanhedrin of 70 and than ultimately coronated in front of the nation that need to accept him. We have the final say, but by that point in time seemingly it should be a done deal. After-all it's been proven that this is the man Hashem wants and all the sages and leaders agree, one would think that should be enough. Well it wasn't. There are always trouble makers. Always people that will say "Not my President". This is the way it has been since the get-go. Let's learn about Shaul Hamelech and his coronation.

So we left off last week, with Shaul looking for his donkeys and meeting up with Shmuel-"the Ro'eh" or Seer as the verse refers to him. Now Hashem had told Shmuel the previous day that he would be introducing him to the future king. Sure enough when Shaul innocently shows up at the sacrifice ceremony that Shmuel was bringing. Shmuel upon seeing Shaul immediately discerns that this is his man. Before Shaul can even ask him anything Shmuel tells him not to worry about the lost donkeys, he assures him that they already have been found and are back home. Ahh… but what about the Jewish people, he asks him? They have requested a leader and frankly they can't have a "donkey" lead them. You will be their Nagid- leader. He invites him in has the cook bring him a special portion of the choicest meat and introduces him to the chevra over there.

That night Shmuel studies with him all night and then he sends him off. He gives Shaul three signs to show that he is the man. The first is that on his way home from Rama Shmuel's home he would stop of at Kever Rachel and meet two men by Tzaltzlach. The literal translation of the city would be "White Shade"- a strange name but one that in fact our sages suggest is Yerushalayim where the Jewish people see the shade Hashem's presence which is like white There the two men will tell him that the donkeys had been found. Now Kever Rachel does not seem to be on the way to where he was going from Rama- Nebi Samuel to Giv'ah where Shaul lived. But it seems Shmuel was hinting to him that he should stop there to assure him that despite he was from the tribe of Binyamin and as everyone knows the Kings are meant to come from the tribe of Yehudah, the first King would come in the merit of Rachel, from her child Binyamin, in the merit of her giving the signs to her sister Leah.

The next sign would be at a place called Alon Tavor.  Alon Tavor may be the same place as Tomer Devora which would place it at Tel Al Ful near Pisgat Zeev and Shuafat, or alternatively it would be a just a plain where there are Oak-alon- trees as the Targum translates it. There he would meet three men heading up to Beit El with three goats, three loaves of bread and a flask of wine. They will give you a big Shalom Aleychem and give you two loaves of bread. The symbolism of this sign is that the three goats or "kids" will be the three children that Shaul will lose in this battle against the Plishtim who will be "brought up to Hashem". The wine flask symbolizes the wine jug that his daughter Michal will place on Dovid's pillow to warn him that Shaul was coming for him. The two loaves they would give him represent the two tablets or luchos her rescued when the Ark was captured.

The final sign was that when he arrived in Kiryat Yearim where the Ark was being kept he would upon arriving see a group of prophets that hung out there coming to him singing with cymbals, drums, lyres and harps and he would stand amongst them and receive prophecy himself. Sure enough all the signs came true and when Shaul started prophecising the other prophets asked rhetorically "Hagam Shaul Ba'nevi'im-Is Shaul also from the prophets?" This it seems became a slang for someone achieving and thinking he's something that he's not. Ah… you think you're also a doctor… a lawyer… and engineer… a tour guide… That kind of thing.

Shaul hangs out there for a week until Shmuel calles everyone to Mitzpeh and then presents Shaul to the people. He does a public lottery upon consultation of the Urim V'Tumim and the tribe of Binyamin is chosen from the t12 tribes. Then The family of Shaul' is chosen and finally Shaul's name comes out of the proverbial hat. Shaul meantime it seems was hiding in the coat room as he was pretty sure he wasn't worthy of being chosen. The people schlepped him out. Shmuel announced that he would be the King and the nation for the most part cheered Yechi Ha'melech. But there were those- as there always are… that refused to accept Shaul: Bnai Bliya'al. Bad guys that just can't take someone on top of them. They refused to recognize Shaul or bring him the gifts that were traditional to bestow upon them. How do you deal with people like this? Stay tuned next week.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S REALLY TERRIBLE PRISON JOKES  OF THE WEEK

Why did the picture go to jail? Because it was framed.

 Why was the parrot in prison? Because it was a jail-bird.

Why did the belt get arrested? Because he held up a pair of pants.

What do prisoners use to call each other? Cell phones.

What's an inmates favorite food? Cellery

Why did the credit card go to jail? It was guilty as charged.

What's an inmates favorite place to hangout? At the bars

What do you call it when a prisoner takes his own mug shot? A cellfie.

What do you call a famous inmate? A cellebrity \

Did you hear? The Energizer Bunny was arrested. He was charged with battery.

Did you see the recent story in the Jewish Chronicle about the theft of egg-enriched dough from a north London warehouse? Unfortunately, the theft happened just before shabbes and it forced many local bakeries to bake their challas with plain, white flour. A leading rabbi was quoted as saying, "I’m appalled by the rise in white challa crimes."

An anti-semitic Pennsylvania state trooper policeman spots two youngsters riding a motorcycle. They are unmistakably hassidic: yarmulke, payoth, tsittsits, the works. He is unmistakably a bigot, so he follows them intending to catch them doing some kind of wrong.
After a long ride during which they exited the highway and then onto many side roads, he could find nothing wrong with their driving. Frustrated, he stops them anyway.
"I have been following you two for a long time now, watching every move you made and hoping to catch you breaking the law, but you two seem to be perfect. How do you do it?"
They replied "HaShem is with us."
"That's it!" exclaimed the policeman, "Three people on a motorcycle!"

An Italian a Frenchmen and a Jew were sentenced to death for crimes committed. They were entitled to a last meal of choice before death.The Italian requested his last meal be Pasta Primervera. The executioners take him outside after his last meal and they shoot him. The Frenchmen requested a Filet Mignon. The executioners take him outside after his last meal and shoot him. The Jew requests Strawberries as his last meal and the executioner said, "are you crazy, they're out of season!"
The Jew says, "I'll Wait!!"

Two Jewish women were speaking about their sons, each of whom unfortunately incarcerated in the state prison. The first says, "Oy, my son has it so hard. He is locked away in maximum security. He never even speaks to anyone or sees the light of day. He has no exercise and he lives a horrible life."

The second says, "Well, my son is in minimum security. He exercises every day, he spends time in the prison library, takes some classes, and writes home each week.

"Oy," says the first woman, "You must get such naches from your son."

Why can't you keep a Jew in jail? Apparently they eat all the Lox.
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Answer is C–  Ok no Ayin Hara's here, but Baruch Hashem my game has picked up her on this exam. I know Shetula and Zarit they are up in the Upper Galile not far from. I wasn't sure of the right hanswer though although I was pretty sure they weren't choma umigdal or military outposts. I went with the simple moshav in Galil and I was again correct  So another right one for Schwartz making the score 24 and 9 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam. My grade is moving up on this exam, lets see if I can actually get a good score still…