Listen Up- Parshat Ha'azinu Sukkos

 Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 7^th 2022 -Volume 11 Issue 52 12^th of Tishrei 5783

 

Parshat Ha’azinu / Sukkos

 

Listen Up

 

It’s a special Sukkos coming up this year. Are you ready for it? See this year on the first day of Chol Ha’Moed Sukkos, being that Mashiach will already be here, we will all be in the newly rebuilt Bais Ha’Mikdash for the Sukkos holiday. It was really amazing to watch that heavenly building made out of fire come down from heaven and land smack on top of that ugly golden pimple that has been defiling the holiest place on earth for over a millenia. There have been Kohanim blowing golden trumpets all week long as described by the Rambam. In fact the Talmud tells us that a kohen without one of those cool trumpets really isn’t the real deal and you should check after him. I mean this is a huge event. Forget about Shwekey, Yishai Ribbo, Shapiro or any of those other lame concerts you were planning this Chol Ha’Moed the big event will be taking place on the Temple Mount.

 

There’s been a big bima-platform constructed there already as the King Mashiach will be standing there and will be reading the Torah from the verses in Devarim for the entire nation. When I say entire nation I don’t only mean men. Ladies, children, religious non-religious (although pretty much everyone is a believer these days). Sefardim, Ashkenazim, Chasidim in Shtreimels standing side by side next to those knitted small yarmulka guys and the black hatters are all gathered together there too. What’s really cool as well is that there is no dais or mizrach vant on the Temple Mount. The great Jewish leaders, Rabbis and sages are all standing right there next everyone else (again as the Rambam describes it). We are all one. We are all equal. We all have one King who has give each of us a mission and there’s no one’s that’s more important than the other. There are lots of little infants and newborns as well all next to their Mommys and Tottys. They don’t understand a word, but who would want them to miss out on this event. It’s a mitzva to bring them as well. Not that there would’ve been any babysitters available anyways. But Hashem just was chucking out free mitzvos on this special day, so He told us to bring them along.

 

Don’t act surprised that this is happening this year. I mean Hashem gave us enough clues that the redemption was right around the corner. It’s been coming a long time, pretty much since the terrible curses were fulfilled during the Holocaust when the Jews returned to Israel. The miraculous wars and the return to Yerushalayim. The slow but steady recognition of the world of Israel’s important prominence and it’s acceptance of our borders and the Golan and Yerushalayim. Corona pretty much made the whole world recognize how powerless we are and how really we are not in control of anything in the world. That great idol called science with all it’s knowledgeable clowns in the Ministry of Health were shown to be bumbling and even in some cases murdering bufoons

 

 Aliyah has been booming as more and more Jews don’t want to be stuck behind in Exile and miss the big show. Forget about the fear of the fate of what’s going to happen to those who dilly dally in Galus. I mean most of them saw the writing on the wall with the recent crazy rise in antisemitism and the liberal governments trying to destroy Jewish education and chase everyone out of New York. Yeah some silly people thought it was a sign from heaven to move to Boca or Miami… we always have some slow ones amongst us…what can you do. But most of them got out before it all crashed down. They didn’t forget their Jewish history lessons of what happens when we overstay our welcome. 

 

The final clue of course is that this year was a shemitta year. There are more people and more lands of Eretz Yisrael that have kept the shemitta then since the times of King David. In the first Temple period we know the Jews weren’t too careful about Shemitta which is why we were exiled and the during the 2^nd Temple most Jews weren’t even in Israel. They stayed in Babylonia and missed out on the whole thing. This year there has been so many miracles that I have heard from farmer after farmer- many of which I have shared with you here. It’s been obvious that Hashem has been revealing Himself more and more and even doing extraordinary things to make sure that Eretz Yisrael this year will have the greatest shemitta year ever. The merit of these farmer’s faith and the unity amongst the Jewish people who contributed like never before to partake in this mitzva by helping, assisting and partnering with them brought us all together in showing how we all believe that there is One King. One owner of the land. We redeemed it and rid ourselves of any false notions that Eretz Yisrael was like anywhere else. The holiness returned to it. The land would be ready for redemption. The Shechina is finally back. And in a few days we’ll be in the Temple rebuilt reaping the rewards that all of our ancestors have dreamed of. Together at last. Welcome to Shnas Ha’khel- the year of the ingathering.

 

The parsha that we read this Shabbos before we enter the holiday of Sukkos in this holy short period in between the High Holiday and the Chag Ha’Asif- the holiday of the gathering is Parshat Ha’Azinu. It is the Parsha of song that we will all sing and that for generations since Moshe taught it to us has stayed with us. It begins with the words

 

 Ha’azinu Ha’shamayim v’adabayra-Listen heavens and I will speak

V’tishma ha’aretz imrei pi- and the land will hear the words of my mouth.

 

The commentaries all wonder what is this call to heaven and earth? Rashi explains that they are witnesses and eternal ones at that to our nation and to the promises Hashem made to us and we to Him. As well they are the ones that will carry out our reward and punishment and the blessing and curse as per our adherence to the mitzvos. Yet, I saw an incredible homiletic interpretation from Rav Shach that really hits the nail on the head on this special year and what’s to come. But first one last quick shemitta story- perhaps the last as we conclude this amazing year and embark on the most exciting and historic new one.

 

It was a few months ago that I called Eyal in Moshav Amikam in the Sharon, not far from Caesarea. I told him that I had heard about his farm from Keren Ha’Shvi’is and the grapes that he grows for wine that are all being left fallow and ownerless for all to come and take in this shemitta year. I wanted to bring my tourists there to visit him and learn about the Shemitta and his sacrifice and faith, however I was quite taken aback when he told me that he really didn’t think it would be worth my while. My Chariedi tourists wouldn’t be interested in his story. You see, he explained, he wasn’t really religious. He was a chiloni a Jew that was secular. I was puzzled. I asked him to explain. He was someone that didn’t keep Shabbos, kosher or most other mitzvos, yet when it came to this huge mitzva of giving up hundreds of thousands of shekels of his business he all of a sudden decided to observe the mitzva?! What was going on? I told him that now I definitely have to meet him and understand and being that I’m not someone that really takes no for an answer, particularly when it comes to an amazing experience for my tourists, he relented. And so we came.

 

Sitting there in the dunams and dunams of untended wild overgrown vineyards of Ayal he proceeded to tell us his story. He was raised in this little secular moshav where has family had come fascinatingly enough from China after the civil war there in the 50’s. He was raised without any religion besides for the love and passion for Eretz Yisrael. Yet he was always fascinated by the Torah and he would read and study it on his free moments and his days off. It was last year when he was on vacation in Australia and there was not much to do one Shabbos while he was there that he started to read the Torah portion about Shemitta and somehow it caught his interest. It sounded amazing and bizarre. To leave your field and income for an entire year fallow. How or why could anyone do that? Why should they? Who would demand it? He understood very well when he read that for generations and during the first temple the Jews didn’t really keep this mitzva. It’s an impossible one. It didn’t make any sense.

 

It all changed and clicked for him though a few months later when he was sitting at home again back in Israel. He was sitting out on his porch and looking out at the beautiful green orchards and vineyards that blanket the entire Sharon plains. He remembered as a child how when he was growing up here the entire area was all sand dunes. It was land that the arabs had said was cursed. Nothing had or would grow there. They sold it to the Jews and laughed at them for buying it. And yet today it was all lush and growing. It was a miracle. And that’s when it all clicked. He realized that what he was looking at was a fulfillment of the prophecys of the Torah and our prophets in ancient times 3000 years ago. They told us that when the Jews return to the land after exile the land would bloom once again. It would flourish and be rich with trees, plants and greens. He was literally sitting on his porch and was staring out at the same image the prophets must have seen in his mind when Hashem showed him what would be in the future. He was that future. The time had finally come.

 

Yet, at that moment of truth and awakening, something else happened to Ayal. He had another epiphany. He realized that the same Hashem who promised and kept His word that the Jews would return to Israel also wrote that even we didn’t keep the Shemitta year as holy would just as easily be thrown out again. He did it once or twice before. He’ll do it to us again, until we finally get it. Ayal is not a stupid man. He also was someone that loved living in Israel a lot. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t think America is a great place at all. Maybe because he never tasted Amnon’s pizza or Essen’s corned beef. But he was quite happy and invested a lot to be in Israel. Nothing would take him away from this country and thus he decided that he would keep Shemitta. He may not do (as of yet) many other mitzvos. But this one was a real important one he decided and it has in many ways changed his life. It brought him miracles. It brought him even greataer livelihood than he would’ve thought. Hashem bestowed His gifts and blessing upon him. But the biggest one is that at nighttime he can go to sleep knowing that he is in this special blessed land for good. He’s done his part to bringing the shechina back.

 

Rav Shach thus explains the verse and song of Moshe as a message to us.

 

 Ha’azinu Ha’shamayim- we need to listen to the call from heavens.

V’tishma ha’aretz imrei pi- and look out and listen to the voice and the sounds, and the miracles that I show you that call out to you from the earth, from the land, from Eretz Yisrael. If you listen and see those miracles, then you will be able to sing this song. You will see the return. You will be ready for the great day that is right in front of us. We will finally be redeemed.

 

We’ve all heard the heaven and earth the past few years. The time has finally come for the big concert of Hakhel. The heavens are me’saprim kavod E-l- the heavens are telling us of the glory of Hashem, the earth sings the song of Hashem and redemption. The choir is all ready. It’s been a long wait until we finally rid ourselves of all of the ear wax that’s been clogging our hearing, but I believe that this Yom Kippur we finally cleared it out when we shouted together Hashem hu Elokim 7 times. When we said Shema Yisrael so loud that it went up to the heavens and brought the shechina back down. Mashiach is here. The time is now. I can’t wait to see you all there. And those of you that booked me for tours… We’ll take a raincheck. Once you all get settled in to your new country and home. There’s a lot of amazing new things to show you. First stop will be the Temple tours. It’s something you really don’t want to miss. Just bring a sheep or two along for the tour, we’re gonna have a divine bbq afterwards with our holiday sacrifices. And I know the best places to get them…

 

Have an amazing Shabbos and fantastic Sukkos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“Az meshiach vet kumen, vellen alleh krankeh oisgehailt verren; nor a nar vet bleiben a nar..”- When the messiah comes, all the sick will be healed; only a fool will stay a fool.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ushpizin - You know your Sukkos is not complete without my most beautiful Ushpizin composition!

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lmaan-yeydu-vsamachta – And after you’ve sung the old V’samachta a million times and you want something new and fresh.. Sing my V’Samachta and you get a mitzva d’oraysa by singing it in your sukkah- the only song that gives you that!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uArBJB4bdbI – and if you haven’t yet seen the Miami Boys viral Tik Tok video watch in awe and wonder how the music I grew up with is turning the world on its head!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyxAQ8RpzPI – Mordechai Shapiro, Benny Friedman and Matt Dubb in this latest release L’Chai Olamim sure to be simchas Torah hit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJpphCG1SwE – The latest Bardak commercial pure genius!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOIr9nyrfYA – The latest Degel Hatorah Jingle that we will be hearing non-stop until the elections are over… Oy Mashiach should come just so we don’t need to go through that again..

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

14) The animal that is a symbol for the Parks and Nature Reserve authority   _________

It was chosen because

A) It likes being with people and frequents near residential areas

B) It is an animal that is indigenous to Israel as a desert animal that is mentioned in Tanach

C) It was facing extinction until actions were taken to repopulate it

D)  It accentuates the significance of wildlife for educational tours

 

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

Achav and Eliyahu Part II - 724 BC – After the murder/execution of Navos Ha’Izraeli as a result of the false witnesses that Achav’s wife Jezebel hired to testify that he blasphemed against Hashem and Achav, Achav moves down and takes his coveted vineyard. One can imagine him sitting there chilling and satisfied perhaps sipping a glass of wine when all of a sudden Eliyahu Ha’Navi appears and ruins the party. In a harsh rebuke Eliyahu utters the famous condemnation heratzachta v’gam yarashta- did you murder and also inherit?!! What do you think is gonna happen to you?

 

Achav though isn’t ready to do teshuva and confess right away so he turns to Eliyahu and snaps at him how his nemesis isn’t giving him any peace and even bothering him here in his new vineyard. That’s when Eliyahu really leashes it out on Achav and he doesn’t pull any punches. The dogs will lick his and wife’s bones. Any male progeny of his will be killed. His fate will be just like the evil kings before him Yeravam and Basha who were wiped out without descendants. The dogs will eat the flesh of those that are killed in the house, the birds those in the fields. You’ve done evil and you will pay the price. Yeah… that’s about as brutal as it gets. And whadaya know? It works

 

Achav hears the words of the prophet and he rends his garments, he puts on sackcloth. He cries, he mourns, he does teshuva. And you know what? Believe it or not? It works! Hashem turns to Eliyahu and says that he has heard and accepted the teshuva of Achav. He has forgiven the decree upon him. He will push it off to his children and his descendants. (If they follow in his formerly evil ways-which they do as we will see). How incredible is that? How hopeful is that for us? I wished I had gotten this out before Yom Kippur but it is still before Hoshana Rabba when our teshuva can still impact the judgement. May Achav’s repentance and Hashem’s forgiveness inspire us all to go even a step further in our teshuva!

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE END OF THE WORLD JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

I heard llamas are going to bring about the end of the world. It's going to be Alpaca-lyptic.

 

What do you call it when pigs cause the end of the world? The aporkalypse

When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky. They're always 20 years behind everything. (Mark Twain!!)

Scientists predict the end of the world, they say that there will be a huge tsunami on earth in 2 weeks. So presidents of all nations are now on tv to speak about it.

It starts with Joe Biden: " My fellow americans, you have now 15 days to spend all of your dollars, so just buy some stuff and enjoy while you can".

Vladimir Putin: "Mother Russia will be devastated in 2 weeks, and there will be nowhere else to live so i decided that you are now all free to speak and express yourself, enjoy it ".

Then in Israël, the prime minister starts: "We have 15 days to figure out how we're gonna live under water..." 

Apparently, I have catastrophically misunderstood what "apocalypse" means all this time. Oh well.

It's not the end of the world.

 

Zelda turned to her shlimazel husband Yankel and told him one day.

“Every day I see you I think that half of Mashiach is here”

Taken aback by her sudden endearment he asked her what she meant?

“the donkey” she answered wryly

Two people waiting at a bus stop, and the bus is taking a long time to come. One person turns to the other and says “We have been waiting so long for this bus! It is like waiting for the Moshiach!”

The other responds, “Not at all! The Messiah will definitely come eventually; as for the bus...”

A man visits a zoo and is taken to the lion’s cage. He witnesses there the literal fulfillment of 1saiah prophecy — a lion and a calf in a cage together.

Amazed, he calls over an attendant. “How long have you had a lion an a calf in a cage together?” “Over a year already.”

“How do you do it?”

“It’s easy. Every morning we put in a new calf.”

According to one medieval folktale, two men arrived in a Yemenite town and told the inhabitants that the Messiah was arriving that night and would transport them all to Israel. The people were instructed to remain on their roofs the entire night, but Moshiach did not come. In the morning, when they went down from the roofs, the strangers were gone -- as well as the townspeople's possessions.

A Rabbi once told his congregants:When Moshiach comes there will be a long line, with everybody rushing to greet him”.

I, however will not rush. To the contrary, I’ll try to be last on line.

“When my turn comes Moshiach will ask me: “R. Mendel! Where were you until now?!” I will reply: “Moshiach, Where were you until now?!

********************************

OOPS… forgot to give the answer for last weeks really dumb question about where the Molech sacrifice of children took place. The correct answer for that was Gei Ben Hinnom right between Mt. of Olives and the Tayelet and the old city. The second part of the question though was too bizarre which is why this is important to Christians. I ask you do you really care? They had all types of ideological answers I chose the one that says its about the cost of sin at end of days. Gei Ben hinom of course being connected to Gehnnom where we are punished. I’m not sure if its right or not. But I’m gonna say it is and it count it as a point. So there.

Answer is C  The answer is of course the Ibex or that Ya’el as it is called in Hebrew. It is mentioned in Tanach and anyone that has toured Ein Gedi or the Judean Desert area can see them there, usually they come out in the evening time. They were selected though as the symbol or mascot of the Parks authrouty because they were in fact facing extinction. Today there are about 1500 of them and they are still considered a protected species. So it’s as a result of this that it was chosen. Another one right And thus the score now is Schwartz 11 and 3 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.

The Second Coming of Schwartz- Nitzavim- Vayelech/ Rosh Hashana 2017/ 5777-5778

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

September 15^h 2017 -Volume 7 Issue 45 24^th of Elul 5777

Parshat Nitzavim/Vayelech/ Rosh Hashana

The Second Coming of Schwartz

It was déjà vu. I was standing in the airport once again. But unlike the other two times this past year when it was just me alone or with one of my children, and it was simple. Two suitcases per person on Aeroflot, you the Schwartzes only fly the airlines that still lets us take two suitcases, despite the fact that we may have to layover in Mosco, Ukraine or some other Eastern Bloc country that killed my ancestors. This time it was different it was all of us. All except Yonah, my yeshiva bachur who won’t leave Israel in middle of Elul, despite the fact that it was his aunts wedding. As well the army probably wouldn’t have been too happy with him leaving again and might reconsider his yeshiva deferment if he had left after just coming back from the States from Summer Camp. But this is not my family update that’s the next E-Mail you are eagerly awaiting, I know. Don’t worry its coming….

Anyways we were all there. Us and 12 pieces of large luggage. Duffle bags of course each packed to between 52.4- 53.7 pounds. We figure that’s the limit that they won’t make us too crazy to repack if we are over, and of course we have to be over. That of course was in addition to the 15 carry-ons that we had. Well of course not 15, because you see a purse isn’t really a carry on, even though it’s the size of a small suitcase, either is a talis bag even though every pocket is full of purchases and stuff that didn’t fit into our suitcases. Then of course there was the four cooler bags of food that Tanta Ricky packed that could feed a small army, just in case we got stuck in some country where there was an army that was in desperate need of some bagels, lox spread, danishes, lots and lots of nachos, chips, cookies and that was just the milchigs cooler. Forget about the pastrami, corn beef, chicken nuggets, salami, turkey, club sandwiches with American Sour pickles in the flayshigs bag. That’s also not carry on of course, as we kept that hidden under my children’s clothing and coats. In short it was crazy. And it was right then that I had my déjà vu moment. I had done this before. I was standing right here in JFK over packed with luggage trying to shlep it all through the airport with four bags slung around my neck wheeling another two and watching my 7 year old and 10 year old do the same. I was even wearing the same baseball hat. It was the first time I actually wore this baseball hat. It was my famous and always present on my tours Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliya hat. Yes it was just over 7 years ago. It was the last time we were all together here in “Amereeka”. The last time we were so overloaded with luggage. I was now experiencing the Second Coming of the Schwartz Family. Coming home once again.

It was different this time. There was this exuberance the first time around, this elation. I had to pinch myself to believe it was true. Were we really making Aliya? Were we really going to move and be able to live in the country that my ancestors dreamed of? There was also these twinges of nervousness. Would it work? Would my kids survive it? Adapt? Integrate? Would I find parnassa? Would I be worthy of living in this land that the Torah tells us Hashem watches all the time and that has a tendency to spit out whoever isn’t living the way we’re supposed to? The one thing I wasn’t really scared about, and I think most Olim will tell you the same is about our security and safety. We knew Hashem watches over this country. It was our home. And home always feels safe and right.

This time though, it was a different experience. I was anxious to return already. I wasn’t elated, I wasn’t nervous. Ok maybe a bit nervous that customs would stop us and find all of the clothing and purchases that my wife had made for her store. But I relied on the fact that it was for a good cause. There was lots of people around Israel who were looking forward to these American clothes for the holidays. I kind of looked at myself as one of these great Rabbis about whose stories I grew up with that would smuggle in Tefilin. Mezuzos, Matzas, Shofars and Lulavs and Etrog into the former Soviet Union under the Iron Curtain. OK maybe it’s not exactly the same thing… And maybe this is not the season to perpetuate our own false justifications. But it worked for me at the time. So leave me alone guilty conscience I have another few days before I have to deal with you.

Yes this time it was certainly different. Whereas the first time it was the magical dream come true. Now it was really our home. My house was waiting. My congregation had lots of work I needed to get back to before the High Holidays. My kids schools were waiting and my tours were going to start up again. In short. We were coming back to a life, not an imagined and longed for dream anymore. I had 10 hours to Moscow and a 4 hour layover and then another 4 hours to Israel to ponder this change in feeling and experience. In between Kosher airline food that I ate, despite the fact that we had four cooler bags and that they tasted horrible, and that came out odd hours in middle of dozing off with no appetite whatsoever. Because I had paid for these tickets and they came with flight. And if you paid for something you eat it. There are starving people in Ethiopia. I think. I even made my kids eat it. Or tried to at least. They tasted it a bit and twirled it around. And I just finished it for them. Why? See above. It’s also chinuch, I guess. {By the way if this E-Mail sounds like I have ADD, I don’t I’m just still very jet-lagged. And did I mention I lost my wisdom tooth last week… There I go again….} Soooo I pondered. What am I to make of this second coming? Is it a good thing? Is it sad that I had lost that excited feeling?

Well, as usual the Torah portion is there for me to find the meaning and message for my daily life ponderings. There’s a reason why we call it toras chayim- the instructions for life. In this week’s double portion of Netzavim and Vayelech, the last day of the life of Moshe Rabbeinu, we are given the last two mitzvos in the Torah. These are the last commands of Hashem that we receive from our shepherd, our teacher the man who has seen us through it all. And these are the last two things that Hashem feels we have to know before we- whadaya know? Get on the plane and start heading home into the Promised Land.

The two mitzvas that we are commanded is the mitzva of Hakhel- gathering together the entire nation, men women children and even infants coming to Jerusalem for a ceremony in which the King reads from the Torah for us. The final mitzva is the command for each of us to write a Torah. To have a personal copy of those instructions that we received on Sinai for ourselves. These last two mitzvos if you think about it share a common denominator. They are both there in order that we should never forget and always have with us that experience that we shared decades before at Har Sinai. It was there on that mountain in middle of the wilderness that we all stood. Shemot (19:17) vayityazvu b’tachtit hahar-we were nitzavim-standing at the foot of the mountain. There we heard the word of Hashem, the lightning the thunder, the elation. It was the moment the entire world had been waiting for since creation. We were all there together and we heard and felt the King. The Mitzva of Hakhel is the second coming. It’s trying to redo and live that again. But this time in the real world.

And finally we are commanded

Devarim (31:19) So now write this song, and teach the children of Israel; Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel.

Throughout generations, we do not find that every Jew or even masses of Jews have undertaken this mitzva, to write a scroll. It’s an expensive mitzva that not everyone can fulfill. Yet according to some authorities when we receive an Aliya to the Torah, the congregation that owns the communal Torah grants it in entirely to the person who makes the blessing and reads from it and it is as if he owns this Torah that he is reading from and is an a way fulfilling his obligation. Interesting then that through aliya to the Torah, we fulfill this last mitzva. Emphasis as can be expected from me on the word aliya.

The Torah though interestingly describes this final mitzva as a song. Not as a book, not as a scroll, not as instructions or a handbook for life. It is a song that must be put in our mouth. Music changes over the years, throughout generations. Different countries have their own tunes and rhythms. There is Middle Eastern, African, Western, Russian, Polish. I’m not sure if there is Chinese but I imagine there is as well. There’s music from the fifties, the 60’s the 70’s. There’s rap, there’s reggae, there’s klezmer. It’s all different. Each one is a representation and an outpouring of the soul, the times and the eras. The beauty of viewing the Torah as a song is that Hashem is telling us that the words and teachings of the Torah are meant to be the eternal and relevant, new and fresh, emotional and uplifting vehicle for us to realize and express the yearnings and experiences of our soul. The words that we heard on Sinai- our first coming of age, are meant to be transformed on a personal level and individual level as we refresh it each year, each day, each lifecycle event and most significantly as we come into the Land of Israel to live in the world and life that everything that has come before this moment has been a preparation for.

The titles of the two parshiyot Nitzavim and Vayelech are in fact opposite terms. Nitzvaim means standing upright. Vayelech means walking or going forward. Perhaps those are the two last messages we are meant to have in these final mitzvos and commands from Moshe. On one hand we are upright. We are meant to look at where we came from. We stand together as a nation and remember that moment on Sinai. We relive it. We were born. We were commanded. We were on the top of the world. We were chosen and beloved. All of us, the wood choppers, the Kohanim, the Rabbis, the women, the children the water carriers and the tour guides. Yet that moment that standing that we recall is not end of the story. We are meant to walk forward, to sing, to build and transform those words and teachings into a symphony that testifies to Hashem’s presence on earth. There are planting songs, marching songs, prayerful devotional songs and festive celebratory songs. But they’re our songs. They are not new. They are not the songs of the first time, fresh, elation type. They’re different than the first time around. They’re more mature. They’re real. They are what it is really all about.

This week and these parshiyot are the last of the year; the Shabbos before Rosh Hashana. The word shana which in Hebrew means year also has the same root as the word shoneh- different. Even more interesting is that it also means to repeat something, like the word sheni, a second time. Each year has its Rosh. It’s head. It is a time when we start again differently. It is a second coming. It is a year that we may perhaps hope to repeat the same basic terms and structure that we have the year before. We will read the same entire Torah once again. We may have the same job, the same family, the same expectations and same basic life structure. But at the same time we need to find and sing the new song and tune that will define and give new music to our lives. The tune of the year. Perhaps hopefully even the tune of Mashiach our final redemption. May Hashem bless all of this coming year that we each find the melody that uplifts us. May it be one that is sweet, that sings of health, of joy, of love, of holiness and parnassa tova and may it be one that rings out to the rest of the world as we sing together in the glory of our King.

Have a perfect last Shabbosof the year and a Shana Tova Umetuka,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Tsu itlechen neiem lid ken men tsupassen an alten nigen.”. To every new song one can find an old tune.

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/nJa2KAzTOhk - The story of PickAls by Arthur Cohen of blessed Memory

https://youtu.be/srbqz96Dzao  – beautiful Avinu Malkeinu by Reb Pinchas Wolf OB”M of my hometown Detroit sung by Shlomo Simcha

https://youtu.be/yC_OlvUU7_A     – How To Make a Shofar

https://youtu.be/v6bhPzT4mjs – Cool Technion Robot Rosh Hashana

https://mostlymusic.com/collections/featured-music/products/mona-7-uteshuva-utelfia-utzedaka-ft-yaakov-shwekey - Yackov Shwekey brand new single B’Rosh Hashana from Mona 7 disc at mostlymusic.com

https://youtu.be/LC-MEfJW1LU  - my favorite Rosh Hashana song Ochila LaKel…

  

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q A site where a locomotive is stationed as an exhibit for visitors:
a. Oron
b. Nitsana
c. Dimona
d. Beersheba

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ILLUMINATING RASHI OF THE WEEK

Vayeilech- In all of my different congregations I have always been a big fan of kids in shul. Maybe it was to get back at all of those shuls that were not kid friendly and shushed me a lot. I don’t know I’ll let my therapist figure it out. So I always gave out candy, after all who doesn’t like the candy man? As well I encouraged families to bring their children, Yeah, I don’t like them running through shul and disturbing but at the same time, I was never a fan of decorum either. So what’s the right thing to do?  It’s the High Holiday season to bring the kids or not? That is the question.

Well good old Rashi is there to help us out. YHou just have to read him carefully, something I’m sure readers of this part of the E-mail are doing anyways. So the Parsha this week’s teaches us the mitza of Hakhel, gathering all of the Jewish people to hear the king read from the Torah on the Sukkot after the Sabbatical year. The commandment is

Devarim (31:12) Gather the nation; the men, the women and the infants.

Rashi explains what everyones there for

The men- to study. The women to listen. And the infants, for what purpose are they coming? In order to give reward to those that bring them.

This is a very nice oft-quoted Rashi. The importance of training children and infants is essential. Yet Rashi is clearly not coming to teach us mere lessons. Rav Dushinsky notes that the truth is that if the parents and all of the people were commanded to come then who was going to watch the children anyways? There were no Moabite baby sitters hanging around that you could just give a few shekel to watch the kids. So why is Rashi asking why are the children coming? He answers that is precisely what Rashi is coming to explain why did Hashem command the children to come, either way they had to come. His answer? In order to give reward to the ones that brought them. Meaning, yes the children had to come anwyays, but Hashem who loves to increase mitzvos made this into a mitzva in order to give the parents extra reward that they were not merely bringing them out of convenience but rather as a mitzva.

The Sefat Emet adds to this notion that we see from here that despite the fact that children may disturb their parents prayers and the decorum, it is still worthwhile and the will of Hashem that they be brought to Shul. It is important for parent to appreciate that they should give up a little of their own spirituality for their childrens benefit of hearing and learning and experiencing the word of Hashem. I think it is needless to say therefore that the shul-going should be a pleasant experience for these children as well. So maybe offer one a candy next time, rather than shushing him.

 Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky- the Dushinsky Rebbe (1867-1948) –  also known as the Maharitz, was the first Rebbe of Dushinsky and Chief Rabbi (Gavad) of the Edah HaChareidis of Jerusalem. Born in Paks, Hungary, he was a disciple of the author of Shevet Sofer, one of the grandchildren of the Chassam Sofer.

After his marriage to Sheindel the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Winkler, author of Levushei Mordechai, Dushinsky became the Chief Rabbi in Galanta, Slovakia. In an epidemic during World War I, his wife died, leaving no children. He subsequently remarried Esther Neuhaus, daughter of Rabbi Yoel Tzvi Neuhaus. He relocated to the town of Chust to assume the position of Chief Rabbi. In 1921, his only child, Yisroel Moshe, was born.

In 1930, the Dushinsky family moved to the British Mandate of Palestine, settling in Jerusalem. Shortly after in 1932 came the death of the Chief Rabbi and founder of the Edah HaChareidis, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. The Maharitz was appointed as his successor. He founded a community of Hungarian Jews in Jerusalem, affiliated with the Perushim section of the Edah HaChareidis. This community gradually developed into a Hasidic dynasty, which is today headed by his grandson, who was named after him.

Rav Dushinsky was known for his strong opposition to Zionism, and spoke to the newly formed United Nations against the creation of the Zionist State.

In fall 1948 the Rav was hospitalized in the Shaarei Zedek Hospital on Jaffa Road under the care of Dr. Moshe Wallach, director-general of the hospital. He died on the eve of Sukkot1948 and was buried in the small cemetery adjacent to the hospital, which was used as a temporary burial ground during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War when the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives was inaccessibleHe was succeeded by Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis as Chief Rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis, and by his son, Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky, as leader of the Dushinsky Hasidim, which would under the latter's leadership turn into one of the newest Hasidic dynasties.

*Interesting factoid-The Jerusalem Municipality sought to honor Rav Dushinsky after his death with the naming of a street, but his son refused for fear that any Shabbat desecration that occurred on the street (e.g. the driving of cars on the Shabbat) would cause pain to his father's soul. After many requests, his son agreed to the naming of a passageway of stairs in the Pagi (Sanhedria) neighborhood after his father, since cars could not access this path

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TYPES OF JEWS IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Breslavers – I’ve never heard the term before but according to Wikipedia there are some who refer to this chasidic group as the “toyteh Chasidim” – the dead chasidim as they follow a Rebbe who is no longer with the living; none other than of course Rabbi Nachman. Yet, I don’t think there are chasisdim that are more alive and more present than the Breslavers as they number 10’s of thousands worldwide and have certainly seen the greatest resurgence in the last two decades. Now like many chasidim there are breakoffs and different opinions on how it should be run, this is particularly true where there is no one accepted Rebbe. One of Reb Nachman’s last statements was that his fire will burn until Mashiach comes and therefore from his student Rebbe Nasan and on, no one has taken the mantle of being the Rebbe of the Chasidut. So there are different groups of Breslavers. There are the more mainstream ones based in Jerusalem “the shul” in Meah Shearim and in Tzfat. These are certainly the largest groups although not necessarily the most visible. They study in “regular” Yeshivos and uphold the customs of Breslav and as well also study the teachings of Rebbe Nachman.

The most visible though and perhaps the most fun and largest growing sect are the Na Nachs. They are the Breslavers that one can see dancing in the streets during traffic, standing on street corners handing out books and in generally just having fun, bringing ‘joy to the world’. The name Na Nach comes from a letter that they believe was sent from the other world to Reb Yisrael Oddesa their leader who passed away in 1994, reassuring him about t*he fast that be broke on the 17^th of Tamuz because he was sick and it contains the words Na Nach Nachman Mei Uman. In Reb Nachman’s writing he mentions a sung that will be sung to herald in Mashiach with stanzas of 1,2,3, and 4 letter words and thus it became the song. These Na Nachs consist of many Israeli Baalei Teshuva who have returned to an observant lifestyle and were drawn to the hopeful statements of Reb Nachman, that there is no such thing as giving up hope, that each person should focus on their nekuda tova, that one point of spirituality and goodness that could never be tainted and that the primary mitzva is to be happy and to rejoice. The holiday for Breslavers is of course Rosh Hashana where tens of thousands of Chasidim descend upon the small Ukrainian town of Uman, where Rebbe Nachman is buried, for the holiday. Rebbe Nachman declared Rosh Hashana as his day and promised he will beseech on behalf of those that visit his grave. I love Breslavers. To a large degree they are the happy people of Klal Yisrael. So next time you are stuck in traffic look around for some dancing chasidim, get out and join them. Your day will be much better.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S REALLY TERRIBLE LUGGAGE JOKES OF THE WEEK

Had my luggage torn to pieces, so I asked my lawyer if I could sue the airline. He said, “you don’t have much of a case”.

A vulture turns up at the airport with two dead animals. The staff member at check in says, “Sorry, only one carrion per passenger”.

A photon turns up at check in for a flight with no baggage. The check in agent says “traveling light?” He says “Yes, I am”.

Someone told me they thought I was in denial about baggage, but that’s definitely not the case.

There was an incident at the airport when a large collection of suitcases fell over in the luggage area. Experts suspect it was pile it error.

At an airport, one of my friends suggested we disguise ourselves as luggage. I said, “let’s not get carried away”.

Took legal action once against someone who tried to copy my innovative self-packing luggage. It was an open and shut case.

Friend of mine works as a baggage handler at the airport, but used to be a lawyer. He kept losing his cases.

Unpacking my bag after a flight, and I have a suitcase full of gloves. Apparently I bought a hand luggage only fare.

I know an elephant who refused to travel by air because he didn’t want to leave his trunk in the hold.

Worried that the airline might lose my bag with all the sausages I’ve bought during my trip to Germany. That would be the wurst case scenario.

A friend was seeing someone who worked for a left luggage company but it didn’t work out. It seems he had too much baggage

Sal, a pilot for a major airline, carries his running clothes in a backpack, freeing his hands for his luggage. On one trip, he told me, he noticed passers-by grinning at him in the terminal. Sal smiled back. Maybe some of them were on my last flight, he thought.

His ego was brimming until he got to the cockpit and stowed his bags. That's when he saw the "Parachute" sign his co-workers had stuck to his backpack.

A passenger piled his luggage on the scale at an airline counter in New York and said to the ticket agent: I'm flying to Los Angeles.  I want the large bag sent to Denver and the two small ones to Cincinnati."  "I'm sorry sir, but we can't do that," said the ticket agent. "That's good to hear because that's where they ended up the last time I flew this route."

  

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Answer is D– Although I have never visited the train station and museum in Beer Sheva of the last steam engine in Israel that was built by Turks during WWI in preparation for the war and attack by the British in order to move troops, I knew the answer. Who knows I may even visit it one day.