Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend
in Karmiel"
February 5th 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 17 23rd
Shvat 5781
Parshat Yisro
Blame Game
There is evil under the sun. A sickness, as King Solomon writes in Kohelet-
Ecclesiastes. I write about it a lot but it just keeps getting worse and worse.
I understand, this has been an unbearable year. Although compared to all the
other epochs and era of "bad years" this is child's play. There is no
holocaust, there are no Cossacks, no Inquisition and not even Jews killing and
murdering each other in the civil wars that we have had against one another in
Biblical and Temple times. But we are a bunch of pathetic coddled sensitive
"advanced" nation and world now that really can't handle anything. I
shudder to think about how we would be handling ourselves or what our survival
rate would have been had we lived back then. I mean we can't even deal with the
fact that we have to wear an annoying mask on our faces and can't go to shul or
to restaurants that we once frequented. How would we have been able to survive
having to scrounge through the garbage for some scraps to eat, under fear of
being killed or hunted by our gentile neighbors that we lived under, as we were
forced to do in so many countries so many times throughout our exile. But I
guess Hashem only gives us what we can take. Which means that as depressing and
challenging as this year has been, He feels we are up to the task.
The evil under the sun that I'm referring to is not Covid. It's not the
lockdowns. It's not the loss of income. It's not even the sickness, the death
and the rampant fear that we have experienced. That's all from Hashem and He
only does things for the good. What I'm talking about is what this has done to our
people and the world. It's made us angry. It's made us look for targets for our
angst. Our lives have changed so much over this year in so many ways and that
frustration, desperation and despondency has driven all of us to anger and
resentment towards those that we falsely perceive have exacerbated our matzav-
our situation.
I speak to myself here- as I usually do with these E-Mails- besides of
course the ones trying to convince you make Aliya. (Although even on those I am
speaking to myself as well as it inspires me again and again to appreciate the
gift Eretz Yisrael is in my own life). So yes, I've been speaking to myself
over the past month and been truly working on trying to get over this evil that
I know has just been growing and growing within me and with most of the world.
The evil of the blame game. The sickness that is driving us mad and filling us
with hate and bitterness of looking, finding, targeting, and resenting those
that we view are at fault or are not doing what we feel they should be doing.
There were three major funerals of great Rabbis this week. Thousands
attended. People were furious. They are furious. They are angry at these
"chareidim" that don't follow the rules. That don't seem to get it.
That are clearly endangering their lives and everyone they come into contact
with. The hospitals are over-flooded with "them". We are all
suffering because of "them". Because of their ignorance.
Because of their lack of consideration for others. They are so self-righteous.
They won't eat fish and meat together on the same plate because it is
dangerous, but they will sing and dance with thousands of people pressed
against one another without any thought that their actions and
"simchas" will end in funerals and in mourning. They think they are
smarter than science. Their Rabbis are not taking stands. They think the Torah
will protect them. And on and on and on ad nauseum…. Mamash…
On the other hand, if you really think about it, it's the fault of the
government and their supposed "Science". This is science?! Is it the
same science that told me at first I didn't have to wear masks, and then changed
its mind and said that I do need to wear it and that they will help. That same
educated science that is now telling me that I need to wear two masks. Is it
the same science that keeps thinking that they have a handle on everything and yet
the numbers keep rising. The science that seems to ignore the devastating
effects of depression, suicide, unemployment and kids and parent going out of
their mind with repeated lockdowns that are not working and are causing more
damage than this pandemic is. C'mon man, do you really believe that no one has
died for any other reason besides Covid and that these numbers are not being
pumped a bit or more to further whatever nefarious goals they have.
If all of this is really about public health, why are pools and beaches open
but shuls can't be? Is Corona so smart that it knows that public demonstrations
against governments, or for civil rights issues are not places the Ministry of
Health declared it should show up and infect at. Or is all of this just an insidious
plot because religion, Hashem, prayer and Torah study have no real value.
Certainly not as important and essential as standing and screaming "Bibi
go home", "Black lives matter" "Stop the steal".
Doesn't science tell us that the vast majority of the people that get Corona
do not have serious symptoms or effects that are worse than the flu. Be honest,
how many people do you know personally or that have heard about that caught the
virus despite the fact that they followed all of the rules. Every death is
terrible and tragic particularly those that could be avoided by adhering to
simple rules, but with so many people getting it despite being compliant and
the so many that are not at risk because they have either had it or because
they are not in the groups that are high risk does it really warrant and do the
benefits really outweigh the devastating consequences of these lockdowns for
everybody. Or is politics playing a large hand here?
The hatred and blaming is only about what's causing the pandemic It's about
the solutions for it as well. There are those that see in the very quick
vaccine release with no long term-studies done upon it a significant danger and
threat. Certainly one that doesn't outweigh what they view to be the very low
risk of the danger if they would be infected. They're scared of it. Many of
them don't like all vaccines. Many of them in general don't like modern
medicine and are skeptical of it and prefer alternate forms that are
"healthier". These people are evil. They care only about themselves.
They are cavemen. They are delusional. They present a threat to the rest of us
normal people. Their children should not be in schools, they probably shouldn't
get married and they shouldn't be allowed in our synagogues.
And what about the other side who look at those people that do vaccinate as
being naïve, gullible, endangering their children. They are sheep to the
slaughter. They are subjecting themselves to experimental treatments where the
government and big pharma are getting big kickbacks. It's ridiculous these
people that are running to get a vaccine that at best is only good for 7
months. (That's what it said on my certificate). How dare they force people and
shame people for not being as blind as they are. For not being willing to
subject their children, whose level of risk is so low, to these shots. What is
this Nazi Germany?
And on and on and on…It's Trump's fault. It's Bibi's, it's Biden, It's the right,
It's the left, It's the Rabbis. It's the chareidim. It's Big Pharma, It's the
protestors. It's everyone else in the world besides me. I'm the only one that
has any sechel. I'm the only one that knows what the right thing to do
is. If everyone would just listen to me, this would all be over. So in order to
achieve that goal. I'm going to shame, yell, post, fight, hate, condemn
everyone that disagrees with me. That does things that are wrong in my perfect
enlightened world-view. That's really the only way to solve the problem If they
just listen to me. Right?
Admit it, you were enraged after reading some of the voices above. How dare
I equivocate the two sides of the debates. It's obvious that this side is
dangerous and a chilul Hashem and is harming people and the other side isn't.
But the not so funny thing is that two of you will read those previous
sentences and think I'm referring to opposite sides. I have a headache from
just writing them. (or maybe it's from the vaccine I just took…hmm). I'm sick
of reading them. I'm sick of discussing them. They are all evil. All-as in both
sides. Because they all present an arrogance that they are the only ones that
know what is right. They know what should be done and what needs to be done. It
is that arrogance that Hashem says "I and the Baal Gaava- the
pompous one, can't live in the world together," and frankly I don't
blame Him. As I said in the beginning it's all evil under the sun. All we are
seeing in the world is other people doing evil and we hate them for it.
It's a good time to read Parshas Yisro and remember a different world. Remember
back on Sinai, when we accepted the Torah as one nation with one heart. Do you
know why we were able to do that? The reason is because we all shared one
common understanding. That was that we didn't know what it said. Unlike all of
the other nations in the world that wanted to go over the fine print before
signing on the dotted line. Klal Yisrael said "we will do and then we
will hear". We don't know a thing. We don't need to know a thing. We
don't need to know why You want us to do this, why we shouldn't do this. We
don't care if what You command us is a pain in the neck- or another part of the
body. It doesn't make a difference if the laws will limit our ability to work, to
eat, the way we need to dress. It's even irrelevant if You are commanding us to
not speak evil about someone else, if it means we have to love people that we
really don't even want to be seen with. You command. You know what's best. And
most importantly we understand that we don't know anything. That's how we could
come together like one man and one heart.
It's fascinating if you think about it. The introduction to the Torah
portion of the giving of the Torah is Yisro discussing with Moshe the
inadequacies of the court system. He sees Moshe sitting from morning to night
and the people standing around all day waiting to be given his guidance in all
of their matters. It seems the current
Israeli practice of waiting on lines all day to get your matter taken care of
has ancient roots. Yisro saw a balagan, Incidentally the Ramban notes
that they weren't there just to litigate their disputes. Moshe said the people
had come 'li'drosh Elokim-to seek out Hashem" and the Ramban
elaborates
"Moshe answered him that they
come to me for many matters; to pray for their sick, to tell them what has been
lost from them; as we find by other prophets that this was the practice… as
well it was to judge for them and to teach them Torah"
They came to Moshe because they were in
situations that they didn't know what to do. They were sick, they didn't know
why they had lost things, they had disagreements about what was the right thing
to do. What Hashem wanted from them. They needed Torah. They all knew that they
didn't know. They sought Hashem. And they knew that arguing, blogging and all
of the other experts in the world on Facebook or in the government really
didn't know either what Hashem wants from us. That is the introduction to the
giving of the Torah, despite the fact that according to many of the
commentaries this story with Yisro took place after the Torah was given. It was
placed here as the preamble to what the Torah giving was all about. What our prerequisites
to receiving the Torah needed to be. We all had to know that we don't know
anything. And we need to seek out Hashem.
This is not something that comes easily
or naturally to people. Particularly to us opinionated Jews. We had to go to
school to learn this trait. That school was Egypt. We all got A's in slavery
101. We got degrees in it in the Harvard of slavery schools with Professor
Pharaoh and his incredible faculty. Hashem told Moshe this all the way back by
the burning bush. This was sign that we were ready. Moshe had told Hashem back
there by those leadership negotiations
"Who am I to go to Pharaoh and
can I take out the Children of Israel?"
The Midrash explains that Moshe was
asking Hashem what merit the Jewish people could possibly have. We fought
amongst one another. We snitched and spoke Lashon Hara. We were too
opinionated. We each thought we knew it all. Hashem answers Moshe cryptically
And I will be with you. And this will
be the sign it was I who sent you. When you take out the nation from Mitzrayim ta'avdun osi- they will serve me on this
mountain.
Don't worry Moshe, when the Jewish people
will leave Egypt they will have a PHD in slavery. They will be humbled. Perhaps
the most glaring attribute of a slave is that he doesn't ask questions. His job
is to work and follow orders. He submits his will and his objections and his
bright ideas and does what his master tells him to do. The doctor slave, the
Rabbi slave, the baalabos, the blogger, the chasid, the modern one, the
educated and the ignorant they're all the same. All of those Jews fighting and
arguing, Moshe, that you think could never be redeemed. That you think will
never submit. Don't worry about it. They will come to this mountain and they
will all say na'aseh v'nishma. We don't need to hear up front. We were avadim
to Pharaoh in Mitzrayim and now we accept your will. We saw the miracles,
we saw the sea split, we experienced victory against Amalek and we have been
eating Your Manna from heaven for long enough to know that we don't know
anything. Whatever You say. Whatever You do. Whatever situation You put us in
we are one man with one heart because we all know that You are running the show
and nothing else matters.
We need to stop the blame game. We need
to stop thinking that we know everything. We need to stop looking at what
everyone else is doing wrong- I don't care how dangerous, stupid, irresponsible
or offensive it is. And remember I am speaking to myself in all of this- I just
include you in the "royal we" so I don't feel that guilty. Remember
how amazing it was by Har Sinai. Remember how good it felt knowing that we
didn't know but we knew that Hashem was there for us. He would guide us. His
Torah would. Shlomo Hamelech at the end of Kohelet concludes after an entire book pretty much bashing all the "wise men"
and all of their theories of what's good, what's bad, what we should do, what
we shouldn't do labeling it all hevel havalim- it's all a bunch of hot
air. His conclusion is one that is worthwhile for all of us to take to heart.
Sof davar hakol nishma- The end of it all when all is said and done:
Es elokim yira v'es mitzvosuv tishmor -Revere God and observe His
commandments!
Ki zeh kol ha'adam-For this applies to all mankind:
Ki es kol maaseh halokoim yavi ba'mishpat- that Hashem will call
every creature to account
Al kol ne'elam im tov im ra -for everything unknown, be it good or bad.
Chasidim read the last verse
homiletically. All the actions of Hashem will be brought to account. Hashem
will explain all that is hidden. All that is unknown. All that we might think
is bad or all that we might think is good. It's all ma'aseh elokim- it's
above our pay grade. It's hidden. It's not knowable. We just need to fear
Hashem. We need to see Him. We need to be His good slave-alach. At the sof
davar- at the end of the days-may it be in our times-when all is said and
done, It's what He wants us to do.
Have a quiet and peaceful
Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
This week's
Insights and Inspiration has been sponsored by Mrs. Aviva Cohen of my hometown Detroit
in with gratitude to Hashem of her newest grandson born yesterday "tinok"
ben Zehava Golda. Who it seems couldn't wait to come down to this world. May
the newest addition bring much mazal, bracha and nachas to his parents and Bubby
with good health and may they be zocheh to be m'gadel him to Torah, Mitzvos and
his Bris should be b'ito u'bzmano!
Mazel Tov
***************
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Az men chazert tsu fil iber vi gerecht men iz, vert men
umgerecht-" If you repeat often
enough that you’re right, you will be shown that you’re wrong."
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
15)
The earliest of the following periods is that of:
A)
Alexander the Great
B)
Alexander Jannaeus (Alexander Yanai)
C)
Ptolemy II
D)
Archelaus
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://youtu.be/-HrQgUDX4is
–
The
final Zoom class for this seadon in the Holy Land- Holy Rabbis Series on Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/FZaDmIfqToc
- Shlom
Yehuda Rechnitzes latest hit Im Eshkochaych sung by Dovid Dachs… This is sure
to be the next chuppa hit… watch out Shwekey
https://youtu.be/NfznCv7WWDw - Really beautiful
Hatei in the snow by Rabbi K
https://youtu.be/XXHiXuPw7zM - How Dovid conquered Yerushalayim for those
that make it to the Era and places portion of this E-mail you can see the story
and discovery right here!
https://youtu.be/BCh-yxlcEY8 – My kids just love this Gad Elbaz
L;Chayim video
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/ ERETZ YISRAEL CONNECTION OF THE
WEEK
Status of Sinai
- Parshat Yisro– When I was in yeshiva I remember hearing a vort that went
something like this. We have two important mountains in our history; Mt. Moria-
our temple mount and Har Sinai where the Torah was given. Seemingly of the two
Has Sinai where Hashem revealed Himself to the world and spoke to us as a
nation would certainly seem to be the more important of the two mountains. Yet,
today we barely now where it is and it certainly doesn't have any Jewish
significance to it. On the other hand, Mt. Moriah where Avraham brought his son
up as an offering to Hashem became the holiest place in Judaism and is the
gateway to heaven where the entire world comes to pray. Why is that?
The answer given is that on Mt. Sinai we didn't do anything Hashem came
down and revealed Himself. Hashem is present all over the world. Malei kol
ha'olam kvodo- Hashem's glory fills the world. It's just hidden. So Hashem
pulled away the curtain a bit and then closed it again. That doesn't create
everlasting holiness. Holiness in this world only comes when Man finds and
reveals Hashem, as Avraham did. That creates the holiness that lasts until this
time.
I was once sharing this idea with someone and I remember they told me a
different answer. They said that Har Hamoria is in the land of Israel. Eternal
holiness can only happen here. In Chutz La'aretz any holiness that is
revealed there are just sparks that are gathered in and then it is desolate. It
is empty. It is not holy. I liked the idea a lot however this past year I saw a
fascinating quote from Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in his great classic work the Kuzari
that seems to disagree a little about one point. He writes.
Kuzari (Maamar Sheni) Anyone that prophesized only did so in Israel or
for the land of Israel…Yirmiyahu prophesized in Egypt and it was all about the
land of Israel. As well the prophecies of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam for Sinai
and Parah are within the borders of Israel, the borders they are by the Red Sea
and we ae told that the borders go until the Yam Suf.
Now the verse and border that the Kuzari is quoting are the borders that
were not given to the Jewish people when we entered the land of Israel. These
are the borders Hashem told Moshe we will ultimately have as the Malbim
suggests when we serve Hashem with love in Messianic times. So according to
this idea even Sinai is part of Israel and thus the question reverts why is it
not significant to us and why did Hashem only give us the Torah on a mountain
that will not right away be in our borders.
The answer, as most good Jewish answers is, that one question answers the
other- that's why we ask so many questions. The Torah was given on a mountain
that will only be ours in the future to teach us the eternal lesson and role of
the Torah is to bring us to that day when Sinai will be in our territory. As
long as the mountain is in Chutz la'aretz and the Torah is in Chutz la'aretz we
have not yet fulfilled its role. It's calling to us to come back home and to
bring it home as well. There is a known adage that if the Mountain will not
come to Muhammed than Muhammed will have to go to the mountain. Well here it's
quite the opposite. If the Yankel and Yisrael will not bring the mountain back
home to them then the mountain will never truly be revealed the way it was
meant to Yankel and Yisrael.
In 1967 that Har Sinai was part of Israel once again after the miraculous 6-
Day War. But not all the Yankels and Yisraels came home with her. We didn't
return and serve Hashem with love where we were meant to. And so we lost it. Sinai
went back into Galus. It's time to bring her home again.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S
AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
The
conquest of Jerusalem Part II - 872 BC- Back in the good old days when I was
a tour guide one of my favorite and basic places to visit is the Ir Dovid- City
of David. Besides being a great place to talk about Dovid Ha'melech and the
exicitng stories that took place in his palace that are full of scandal and
intrigue. The finds over there really are amazing as many of them shed light on
biblical stories and affirm the authenticity of the Torah. Not that we need
that. But it's cool.
The highlight
of the Ir Dovid, particularly in the warmer months is the walk through the
ancient water tunnels dug by Chizkiyahu. You'll have to wait until the Book
of Yehshayahu when we get up to that. Now on the way down those stairs we pass
by the famous Warren's shaft. Discovered by Charles Warren in 1867
they were climbing through the water tunnel and saw the shaft from the bottom. They
scaled up the shaft and realized that it led to the underground tunnel that led
into the city. This was the secret shaft that King Dovid was reffering to. All Yoav
needed to do was to sneak in to the city through the Tzinor- pipe,
rather than charge the impassable huge gates and wall. How awesome is that to
show to tourists when Tanach mysteries and archeology go hand in hand.
Now there are
archeologists that have theories that debunk this shaft being the tzinor theory
of Warren. Upon later discovery of a fortress around the Gihon spring
where the water came from they believe it doesn't make sense that they drew
water from here. As well they believe that the shaft was in fact floor level
and the floor wasn't dug out until later. But there are still those that argue
and go with the first theory. It's a better story and why let a few questions
dislodge an awesome tourist experience. Regardless I sure hope to bring y'all
there soon. Yerushalayim is waiting and calling for her children. Now we
just need the skies to open unless you guys know of any water tunnels to crawl
in here from…
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE OPINION JOKES OF THE
WEEK
Just be careful because people are going
crazy from being in lock down!
Actually I've just been talking about this
with the microwave and toaster while drinking coffee and we all agreed that
things are getting bad.
I didn't mention anything to the washing machine as she puts a different spin
on everything.
Certainly not to the fridge as he is acting cold and distant.
In the end the iron straightened me out as she said everything will be fine, no
situation is too pressing.
The vacuum was very unsympathetic... told me to just suck it up, but the fan
was more optimistic and hoped it would all soon blow over!
The toilet looked a bit flushed when I asked its opinion and didn’t say
anything but the door knob told me to get a grip.
The front door said I was unhinged and so the curtains told me to ........yes,
you guessed it .....pull myself together
You know what they say about opinions? Take
away the 3.14159265359 and you have onions
What sort of dice has its opinions formed
by preconceived notions? A prejudice
Unpopular opinion: frisbees aren’t heavy
enough. Discus.
My friend asked me for my opinion on his
new bed...I told him I'll sleep on it
I once got stuck on a deserted island. It
got very lonely very fast, and I wanted some company. I decided to state my
opinion on the upcoming election.The island went from deserted to crowded very
quickly
An activist ask about my opinion on
immigration reform. Apparently I'm on the fence about it' is the wrong answer
A king had 10 wild ferocious dogs. He used
them to torture and kill any minister that misguided him. A minister once gave
an opinion which was wrong and which the king didn't like at all. So he ordered
that the minister to be thrown to the dogs.
The minister said, "I have served you loyally for 10 years and you do
this?”
The king was unrelenting.
Minister pleaded, "Please give me 10 days before you throw me to the
dogs."
The king agreed. In those 10 days the minister went to the keeper of the dogs
and told him he wanted to serve the dogs for the next 10 days.
The guard was baffled, but he agreed. So the minister started feeding the dogs,
caring for them, washing them, providing all sorts of comfort for them. So when
the 10 days were up. The king ordered that the minister be thrown to the dogs
as sentenced.
When he was thrown in, everyone was amazed at what they saw. The dogs were
wagging their tails playing with the condemned minister, licking his feet.
The king was baffled at what he saw. "What happened to the dogs?
!!!" He growled.
The minister then said, "I served the dogs for only 10 days and they
didn't forget my service. I served you for 10 years and you forgot all at the
first mistake!"
The King realized his mistake and replaced the dogs with crocodiles!
Never ask a skunk for their opinion. You
might get their 2 scents.
People keep telling me I wouldn't value
other opinions enough. Little do they know.
A guy walks into the vet`s office with a
hamster.
He lays the hamster on the table and the
doctor says, "I`m sorry, sir, but your hamster is dead."
"I want a second opinion!" the man demands.
So the doctor brings in a cat. The cat walks around the hamster, sniffs him and
shakes its head. "Well the cat says your hamster is dead,"
says the doctor.
"Well I want a third opinion." So the doctor brings in a
Labrador retriever. The lab walks around the hamster, sniffs him and shakes its
head. "The lab says your hamster is dead."
"OK, fine. What do I owe you?"
"$650" the doctor said.
"What?!? What for?"
"Well, you owe me $50, but the other $600 is for the cat scan and the lab
test."
An
artist takes his work to a gallery for the first time.
A
well-known art critic happens to be there and spots the painting. He walks over
to the young artist.
"Excuse me, would you like my opinion of your painting?"
"Sure," replied the artist.
"Frankly, it's completely worthless."
"I know, but tell it to me anyway.
A
congregant asks his rabbi, "Rabbi, you're a man of God. So why is it
that you are always talking about business, when I, a businessman, am always
talking about spiritual matters?"
"You
have discovered one of the principles of human nature," the rabbi replies.
"And
what's that Rabbi?"
"People
like to discuss things they know nothing about."
Isaac,
through hard work, became wealthy. As he lay dying, he talked to his wife,
Sophie.
“Sophie
... here are my last wishes.”
“Whatever
you want, I’ll do.”
“First,
the business I leave to Morty, our eldest.”
“Morty!”
Sophie
protested. “Morty’s always with the girls. Better to leave it to Jeffrey.”
“OK,
Jeffrey,”
he sighed. “Now, the bonds I leave to Thelma.”
“Better
me,”
argued Sophie. “In two days, she’ll spend at Bloomingdale’s.”
“Alright.
The summer house I leave to our Ava.”
“She’s
not spoiled enough? Leave it to Morty.”
Finally,
summoning his last ounce of strength, Isaac sighed, “Sophie ... who’s dying
here – me or you?”
*********************************
Answer is A –You don't really have to know that much
about Jewish history to get this one correct. All you have to know is that
Alexander the Great is the one that brought Greek culture and ultimately what
led to Roman culture into Israel. Therefore everything else is going to be
after him. The Ptolemys were the generals in the Egypt in the South who took
over after Alexander died. Yannai one of the post Chanuka Chasmonaim kings and
Archaleus was a son of Herod int eh Roman period. So that was easy and the
score is now 13 for Rabbi Schwartz and 2 for the Ministry of Tourism on this
exam.
