Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 22nd 2015 -Volume 5, Issue 14 -2nd of Shvat 5775
Parshat Bo
The Facebuker Rebbe
It was at an
AJOP (Association of Jewish Outreach Professionals) convention that I met him a
many years ago. The convention was a great place for all of us outreach guys
from around the world to get together and commiserate each year of what life
out in the boondocks was like. We'd kvetch about fundraising, exchange
"war" stories about what life on the "front lines" of the
battlefield for Jewish souls was like, and of course share different ideas
programs and strategies that we had utilized in order to reconnect Jewish souls
to their heritage. My highlight each year was our "Rosh Kollels at
Risk" late night sessions, when we would break out the scotch and cigars,
chuck off our black hats for a few hours and have a good old fashioned bull
session, just like back in the dorms in our old yeshiva days before we became
heads of institutions of higher learning. We were going to change the
world one Jew at a time. It was our life's work. We were entitled to one night
once a year of letting our Payot down.
I'll never forget Dovid though. He was
the guy with a constant smile. He wasn't really a Kiruv professional. Just a
regular baalabos (Yiddish for working guy- although I always tell people
that in Hebrew it translates as the husband of the boss:)), who worked for a payment processing company, that for some reason
couldn't stay away from this convention. Every year he had different ideas,
different strategies, all types of money making schemes for our organizations
so that we could make more money, reach more Jews, connect more souls. He had
business cards, TV shows, radio programs, websites, he was unstoppable a
"Kiruv hurricane of ideas and enthusiasm. I don't think there was anyone
there that didn't get a hug from Reb Dovid. His love for every Jew was
palpable. His commitment to sharing the beauty of our heritage with every one of
Hashems children was contagious. It wasn't only with non-observant or
un-affilaited Jews either. He was connected with so many community
organizations, for the sick for the needy, for helping people find their
bashert. Even non-Jews were on Dovid's
"hit list". He would hand out cards to people that would make
them smile, start random conversations with people he bumped into on line, on
the train at work and share with them the enthusiasm he had about living in a God-filled
world and some inspiring Jewish Torah thought. He even numerous times helped
raise money in times of crisis or tragedies, hurricanes, terrorist attacks for the
victims and perhaps even more significantly requested prayers for them. He was
a true child of Avraham and he was out to shine Hashems light to the world.
I remember when he excitedly told me
about his newest project. He decided to become a "Rebbe" of the
largest Jewish population in the world. In fact he told me he was becoming the "Rebbe"
of the country with the largest amount of inhabitants on the planet. It seems
that this country had been Rebbe-less for a long time and he intended to become
it's Rebbe. The name of country- some of you may have heard of it- Facebook.
And Dovid Winiarz became the "Facebuker Rebbe". I don't know how many followers the Chasidim
of Ger, Satmar or Lubavitch have. But the Facebuker had over 13,000. And that
does not include the 10's of thousands that read his posts, his jokes, his
stories that were shared by his followers all across the globe. As I read some
of the recent posts and the condolences that were sent to the family after his untimely
passing in a car accident this past week on the way to the convention, it was
mind blowing to read the stories people shared.
"He just sent me my first pair
of tzitit and a mezuzah" commented Mark, "He introduced me to
my husband" Stephanie said. "My first Shabbat was only because
of our conversations and I haven't missed one since"- remarked David."
I was out of job and he helped me find one and he didn’t' even know who I was, I
was just a Jew in need coming to the only Rebbe that I felt comfortable
communicating with" Allan kvelled. "I just sent him a Shabbat
Shalom and he sent me back a "ditto" Sarah tearfully posted
"I can't believe, I'll never hear him say it again". I can't
believe it either…
There are some that were hesitant about
becoming a Rebbe on facebook, social media can be dangerous. The internet is
perhaps appropriately called a web, a place and trap which you can fly into and
get stuck and die in. But for Dovid it was a no-brainer, As he told me he
explained to his Rabbi in order to get his blessing, "There are Jews,
that are out there, that are hungry, that won't come to classes and prgrams,
but just need a Rabbi, a friend a hug, how can I not be there for them".
The Facbuker Rebbe died this week. The world has lost a tremendous light.
Hashem took him on the Torah portion that discusses our redemption from Egypt
and our last minutes in Exile. I believe in this weeks portion we can find as
well the message and legacy that the Rebbe has left us.
This weeks Torah Portion of Bo shares
with us the end of the story of the plagues of Egypt. We have reached the final
countdown. Hashem tells Moshe to tell the Jewish people to put blood on their
doorposts in order that when Hashem comes to smite the first-borns of Egypt, he
will see the blood
"And the blood will be for you
for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood
and spare you, and there will be no destructive plague in you when I
smite the land of Egypt."
Rashi notes that the seemingly
repetitive phrase of sparing you and no plague in you, will come to include
even the Jew that is in the house of the Egyptian at the time of the plague.
It's a simple Rashi that one could read through quickly and move onward;
however the Lubavitcher Rebbe sees in it the deepest of ideas. Think about it
for a second. The Jews were told by Moshe do not leave your houses on this
night. The plague will hit, the first borns will die and the blood on your doorposts
will serve as your sign before Hashem. You're on his team. And yet there still
seems to be some Jews that will decide to go and sit with their Mitzri/Egyptian
"brothers" in their Egyptian homes. Perhaps in solidarity. Perhaps because
of their assimilated state. Perhaps because they refused to identify themselves
religiously in any visible way. There are and were always Jews like that. Yet
Hashem tells Moshe. That those Jews as well in the house of the Egyptians will
also not be subject to the plague. They are also still my children. They are
also My First-Borns, whether they know it or appreciate it or not.
The plague of the First-Borns is
different than all the other plagues. It is this plague that Hashem first tells
Moshe to tell Pharaoh about.
"Speak to Pharaoh and tell him,
My First Born is Israel, and I tell you- send out my children and they shall
serve me and if you refuse to send them out I will kill your First Born son."
Whereas the other plagues were meant to
teach Pharaoh and the world about Hashem and His power and constant managing of
the world. This plague was his punishment for not listening. The plague takes
place precisely at midnight, Hashem says. Midnight is the time when the
Darkness and the night gets as dark as it can and when it starts to begin to
get lighter. Our Kabbalists tell us that midnight is the point when Din and
Rachamim, judgement and mercy meet. The Jewish people very likely were just as
assimilated and certainly our sages tell us were idol worshippers as the
Egyptians were. Yet the difference Hashem tells Moshe from the beginning is
that we are his children. We are His First Borns. No matter how much a child
sins, disappoints and is disconnected. He is always his father's child. The father
will always have mercy.
It's interesting that our Pesach Seder there is a custom that the children steal the Afikoman. It is returned however before midnight to the father who than rewards his cute little crook and continues the singing and the praise until the end of the seder with.his son by his side. At midnight even the little "gonif" who just stole from his father an hour ago, finds the mercy and grace. That is the love of a father to a child. That is the love of Hashem to His children.
It's interesting that our Pesach Seder there is a custom that the children steal the Afikoman. It is returned however before midnight to the father who than rewards his cute little crook and continues the singing and the praise until the end of the seder with.his son by his side. At midnight even the little "gonif" who just stole from his father an hour ago, finds the mercy and grace. That is the love of a father to a child. That is the love of Hashem to His children.
The Talmud tells us that we are meant to
emulate the ways of Hashem. If Hashem can go down to the house of the Egyptian
to rescue and pull out one of his children in order to tell him how loved he
is, then we must as well. Facebook may not be Egypt, but it is a place where so
many are looking for "friends". We need to not only "friend"
people but "brother" them, "sister" them connect each Jew
no matter where they are to us to our Father. Last Shabbos, the day before Reb
Dovid Winiarz, was taken from us he was in shul most certainly as all Jews were
when we recited the blessing for the new month of Shvat. The blessing we said
concludes
"He who had done miracles for
our Forefathers and has redeemed them from slavery to freedom, He will redeem
us soon and will gather in all who have been pushed to the four corners of the
earths. Chaverim Kol Yisrael-All Jews will then be "friends" and we
shall say Amen."
Hashem has taken back the Facebuker friend who is certainly praying before our father for that day to come soon.
Hashem has taken back the Facebuker friend who is certainly praying before our father for that day to come soon.
Have a friendly Shabbos,
Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz
PLEASE HELP THE FAMILY OF MY FRIEND THE FACEBUKKER
REBBE
REB DOVID WINIARZ ZT"L
Dovid Winiarz was a
special individual who lived to make the world a brighter place. Never content
to just enjoy his own little corner of the world, Dovid was a people person who
wasn't happy unless he was doing something for others. Constantly widening his
circle of friends with his trademark humor, his genuine smile and his perpetual
good mood, Dovid literally lived his life for others.
Dovid died in a tragic
car accident on his way to a kiruv (Jewish outreach) convention in Baltimore,
leaving behind a wife and ten beautiful children, seven of whom are still
single. Dovid spent his life helping others and now it is our turn to
perpetuate his legacy by helping his family face the future.
Every penny contributed
to this campaign will go directly to the Winiarz family.
(This site charges no
fees.) Please give what you can in honor of a man who made the world a better
place, each and every day he was in it.
Tizku L'Mitzvos!
Tizku L'Mitzvos!
The audio recording of
the Levaya (funeral) is available here:https://app.box.com/winiarz
**For recurring
donations, please use this page:https://www.fidelipay.com/winiarzfamily**
All online donations are going through Bikur Cholim of Staten Island, and are tax deductable.
Checks can be made out to Bikur Cholim of Staten Island and sent to:
Bikur Cholim of Staten Island
23 Niles Place
Staten Island, NY 10314
Please write "Winiarz Family" in the check memo.
**********************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
The Rebbe for Shabbat.com
Dovid's birthday video speech two weeks ago..
*****************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES OF THE WEEK
" Count your joys instead
of your woes.
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your courage instead of your fears,
Count your laughs instead of your tears.
Count your full years instead of your lean.
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth,
Count on G-d instead of yourself – The Facebuker Rebbe
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below at end of Email)
Q. The term Jizyah denotes:
A.
The commandment of charity
B.
The northern Arabian Peninsula
C.
The protected religions
D.
The per-capita tax levied on
non-Muslims
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK
The Midrash shares
with us the symbolism of the lintels and the doorpost of where the Jewish
people were meant to put the blood as representing our forefathers. The lintel
represent Avrahams the two doorposts represent Yitzchak and the Yaakov in the
merit of our forefathers the children are redeemed although our merits may be insufficient.
Additionally the foods consumed Seder night the Midrash tells us are reminiscent
of our patriarchs and Matriarchs. The lamb roasting over the fire remind Hashem
of Avraham who was thrown into a fiery furnace and saved. The matzos allude to
Sarah who baked Matzos for her guests, the three angels, The maror represents
Yaakov who was persecuted by his brother Esau and whose life consisted of a succession
of tribulations.
It is interesting
that we are a nation that is called in tanach by the moniker of Bnai Yisrael, All
other nations are called by the country they live in Moabites, Amonites,
Egyptians, Americans and Russians. The Jewish people are called the Bnai
Yisrael, the children of Israel. Our national identification and title is as
children of our Forefathers. Children of our Father,
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Explore unique Geological sites – Eretz
Yisrael is truly the place that has everything in it. The Midrash tells us that
this was the starting point of the world, so it would make sense that we have
every type of geological formation here. Being at the center of the Syrian
African Rift has afforded Israel the prestige of having the lowest place on the
planet earth. And one can experience
that at the Dead Sea, We have hot springs in Tivera, and Hammat Gader, We have
volcanoes, and we have beautiful Craters known as Makteshim down in the Negev -our
mini Grand Canyons, but nicer with all types of colored sands and unique
formations and rocks as well.
******************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FACEBUKKER REBBE FUNNY QUOTES AND JOKES OF THE WEEK
"Whiskey probably won't help your problems, but it's worth a
shot."
"What kind of
job is a rabbi for a good jewish kid anyway"
CHECK OUT THE NAME OF THE HASHGACHA IN HEBREW ON THE CHIPS J
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Answer is D: Although today the world suffers most from the terrorism
of muslim radicalism, for millennia the Jews suffered much more from our Christian
neigbors who killed us massacred us and pillaged us. Under Islam though
non-musilims were permitted to live in relative peace. They did have to pay the
Jizya though, which was an extra tax on non-muslims. This would show the
subordination to Islam and Jews and Christians had to pay it. Until the late
1800's this was common in the muslim world and it remained that way in Persia
until the 1900's. Today ISIS is the only ones that would like to see that be
reinstated, which if Jews could or non Christians would be able to keep their
heads on their shoulders might not have a problem paying. The rationale for the
Jizya as described by the 12th century muslim philosopher is
"The intention of taking the jizya is not to
approve the disbelief of non-Muslims in Islam, but rather to
spare their lives and to give them some time; in hope that during it; they
might stop to reflect on the virtues of Islam and its compelling arguments, and
consequently converting from disbelief to belief. That's why it's important to
pay the jizya with humiliation and servility, because
naturally, any sensible person cannot stand humiliation and servility. So if
the disbeliever is given some time watching the pride of Islam and hearing
evidences of its authenticity, and see the humiliation of the disbelief, then apparently
this might carry him to convert to Islam, and that's the main rationale behind
the enactment of the jizya".
It would be nice if this was the way they went about things today.
