The End of Democracy- Baruch Hashem!- Parshat Vayeira 2026 5787

 Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 30 2026 -Volume 17 Issue 4 19^th of Cheshvan 5787

 

Parshat Vayeira

 

The End of Democracy- (Baruch Hashem!)

 

Click here below for print edition

(Weekly Newsletter - Parshat Vayeira 2026  )

The elections are over. Or they're not… It seems the next round is on their way. Because as I told the people asking me before the elections, I didn't think anything was going to come out of it. It's pretty obvious here that the nation is split. There's the pro-Bibi crowd- or at least those that feel that even if they don't like him- as I don't, there's no one else even close that could do half the job he's been doing- which again in my opinion, isn't even half the job that needs to be done. Yeah… this should've been over long ago.

 

On the other side you have the anti- Bibi crowd. It doesn't make a difference to them really anything besides getting rid of him. Most of it's personal and not political, by the way. So the facts don't really matter, Israel's security or better interests are irrelevant. They'll stop at nothing to get him out. Even if it means demonizing Chariedim, selling out to Arabs or allying themselves with foreign interests that are out to get us and even kill them. Their sinah/hatred is Kamtza /bar Kamtza level self-destructive. They'll die and sell the country out as long as Bibi comes with them.

 

The middle crowd is of course the Chareidim and Arabs, both really outsiders that have no real interest in the State or even it's betterment. It's about who can give us the most. Who will allow us to further our own personal agendas? Both by the way feel they're doing this in the name of Hashem or Allah. Both are basing themselves on the fact that the State itself is corrupt, is idolatrous, is anti-religious. Is a fraud and a sham and all about personal interests. They're the fastest growing voter bloc and will ultimately dominate the country. Imaginably if Qatar would find the Chareidim and give them free gas fill-up's as they did to the Arab voters in this past "democratic" election, Shas may not have gone down votes, Gimmel would've done better and probably most of these smaller burn-the-vote parties would've backed out. For the right price all of those important issues that they broke-off or didn't vote because of would've become irrelevant. Don't you love democracy…?

 

But, as I said, I think it's over now. I'm going to say something radical, like I always do, but I think it's going to happen. Or to be more accurate not happen. OK guys, ready? Here goes. There will no longer be another elected Prime Minister in Israel. Democracy is officially over. It may take a few more elections without results, but at the end no one is going to come together and form a government. The game is over. We're entering a new era. This is really the end of the end.

 

Before you knock me off and say that it's ridiculous. I'd like to first point out that there's a gemara that actually predicts and describes exactly that.

Sanhedrin 98A Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until the until the  'Malchus Hazalla'- the contemptuous kingdom will cease from the Jewish people.

Rashi on the spot say that refers to any rulership in Israel even a light and weak one.

Most of the commentaries understand that as Israel having a leadership that is under the same auspices as Edom- the western world. Democracy. Mashiach ain't coming until that last Golden Calf and the unfortunate pride we've been taking in the idea that we are "the only democracy in the Middle East" And we are a proud Jewish democracy. Until that idolatrous concept come crashing down. Which is exactly what I believe is happening.

 

See the problem with Democracy is that every citizen has a vote. If Israel would annex the West Bank into a one state solution and the entire Palestine was Israel, the next prime minister would inevitably be Palestinian. They'd have 2 million more voters and wouldn't even need Qatar's gas cards. It's why Israel is married to the two-state solution, even though the Arabs never once said they want it. In fact, quite the opposite, they're very clear they want River to the Sea. Even in this election the whole fallacy of this democratic process is clear. Arabs are controlling what's going on. Secular Israelis will literally follow them to the gas chambers even though they're cheating and not being democratic, because they want to bow down to this notion that this needs to be democratic here. And sadly, many on the right do as well. Mashiach can't come until this idea literally crumbles. Until it crashes and burns, which I believe we're seeing right now.

 

So if not democracy then what? How do we elect leaders? How is this country going to run? And don't tell me Mashiach, because the gemara is quite clear, that this has to happen before "Ben Dovid" comes… For that my friends, let's finally take a look at the parsha. Let's check out what Hashem's "Newspaper" had to tell us on the aliya of the day of the elections. Are you ready to hear a mind-blowing idea, that happened on perhaps one of the most consequential days in the Torah? It's the day that the redemption started. The day before Ben Dovid's spark came down to the world.

 

This week's parsha, which Chazal tell us happens on Pesach, begins right after the Bris of Avraham, the eternal covenant that all of his descendants still have until today. Last week, it was Yishmael that entered into that covenant along with all of Avraham's household. This week though we begin the true line of Avraham with the tiding of the angels that Sarah will finally have a child, Yitzchak. And it will be through him that the covenant will continue. But that's just the beginning of the day.

 

See it turns out that on the third aliya, which was Tuesday, the Torah tells us it was election day in the Torah as well. For the story jumps from Avraham to Sodom and to Lot. Lot, like Yishmael was also a contender for the legacy of Avraham and the covenant with Hashem. After-all he's Avraham's nephew and Sarah's brother. He's been with Avraham the entire time. He's the closest relative to take over that mission of Avraham. In fact he even moved to Sodom, Rashi tells us with the guarantee of Avraham that he would be there for him. He'll be on his right side.

 

Why's he there? Because he wants to bring Mashiach. He tried uplifting the land with his shepherds, although the time wasn't ripe yet. There was still work to do. So he moved out here. He's not necessarily the simple bad guy leaving Hashem and Avraham and going off the derech, as many of us have been given the image through out the years. We see that clearly from the sacrifice that he made on behalf of his guests and perhaps even more so, by the fact that the Torah tells us that the first thing he does is run for elections. On that very day of Pesach, Lot is elected to be the Prime Minister- or shofeit- of Sodom. A guy running away from Avraham and Hashem doesn't run for political office. He has an agenda. He has a platform. He's out there trying to save the world and bring Mashiach that is waiting in his loins to shine forth.

 

There are a few questions though about this narrative that I believe is worth considering. Number one, why is it coincidentally election that day? That seems a little bit strange. As well, why in the world would Sodom choose to elect a guy like Lot, an outsider, the right hand of Avraham and his primary student as their leader? This is the ultimate "insider city". They kill and torture anyone that's not from them, yet here, bizarrely enough they elect Lot as their leader. Finally, and perhaps strangely enough, it seems that right away they're ready to throw him out of office. To kill him. To take his daughters and his guests. Wow, talk about a short-lived campaign victory. What changed? They just enthusiastically elected him that morning. Were they a change government or not?

 

The answer perhaps is that they as well as Lot felt and heard the rumblings in the world of that incredible Pesach redemption day. Avraham, the savior of Sodom had wiped out Nimrod in what could've been an "end of days" war. Hashem has made an eternal covenant with him. Evil is being eradicated from the world. Egypt, Gaza, Avimelech, they're all coming around. The kelipos are being raised. There's a geula energy like never before. Things are happening that have never happened before and much like today, the world knows something big is going to happen. It's that platform that Lot comes to office. That there are snap elections taking place in Sodom. They're a city that wants to preserve itself. Maybe they as well smell in Lot that ruach of Mashiach. They recognize that the same old-same old doesn't work anymore. It's time for something new.

 

And thus Lot comes to office. His mandate, save Sodom. Bring Mashiach. Uplift the world. Conquer the land, that his shepherds tried to elevate, but that the time wasn't ripe yet to the final day where the glory of Hashem, who's miracles he had witnessed time and time again and been raised on will finally herald in. Yet, he fails. He misses the point. He's not Avraham. He's not Yitzchak. He doesn't have the strength to stand on one side of the world while the rest of the world is on the other. He's pragmatic. He wants to work within the system. He still believes in democracy and incremental change. At the end of the day, Lot is a follower and not a leader. And the fate of candidates like that, are is that their leadership is shilton ha'zola- it contemptuous, it's weak, it's not reflective of Malchus Shamayim. It can't reveal it either. Because at the end of the day it's more about you than Him.

 

The truth is there is perhaps no figure besides Avraham that the Torah shares so much information and stories about until now. We're introduced to Lot back in Noach right away with Sarah and he's always there following with Avraham. He's the ultimate chasid. He copies everything his Rebbi does, but he hasn't built up the internal reservoir to be able to lead himself. He's always the one going "ito" with him, he's the one "also walking along Avraham". He's pragmatic. He joins his party. He's part of the coalition. But at the end of the day. He has his own agenda. He's got his own flocks, his own shepherds, his own way of doing things. The only time where we find actually that he gives up his own agenda is when he stays silent in Egypt. After-all there, Pharaoh's giving out big bucks to the "brother of Sarah". And guess what he is? The actual brother of Sarah, while Avraham is really not. Yet, he holds himself back and acts selflessly for Avraham's sake. Probably losing out billions in the deal. It's that merit that ultimately saves him. But it really doesn't change him. He's not a leader. He can birth Mashiach, perhaps, but he can't be one.

 

This all comes to play on that election day morning. Lot is sitting pretty. His mandate to lead Sodom to a new era has begun. He was elected to teach them a new way. Yet, Lot is nervous about losing that shteller. He sees the angels and urges them to sneak in through the backdoor. To leave the dirt on their feet so that people will assume that he just got here. We can't change the laws in one day. It's a process. I'm just getting started. There's a system. There's a democracy. There's a supreme court and laws here. Yes, I'm working to change that and we'll eventually get there. But for today let's just not shake things up yet.

 

Sodom hears about this and comes banging on Lot's door. This is the moment. Can he change them? Will he lead them? Will he put his life on the line and keep his campaign promises? Or is he just another politician that made big promises but ultimately upon reaching office sells out like everyone else. The Torah tells us in what is a very cryptic and seemingly unnecessary verse.

 

Bereishis (19:6) And Lot went out to them to the opening and the door closed behind him…

 

This was his chance. This was the opening. They demanded the men. Was Lot man enough to keep his promises. Was there going to be a new era here? Is he going to be able to stand up to the protests. Will he shine the light of Avraham in the world? Will he bring Mashiach. Will he like Avraham tell them there is no fear of Hashem here? Will he bring those angels and their light out to Sodom? It's Pesach. He's making the Seder. This is his chance to slaughter that idolatry of the society he's living in. To open up that door for Eliyahu Ha'Navi. To tell them that Hashem will pour his wrath on the nations. On Chamas.

 

But he doesn't the door closes behind him. He instead negotiates. He compromises. Take my daughters. It's not the chareidim, but it's a good scapegoat. Leave the angels alone. They're part of my coalition. They're one of us. They're under my protection. I'm with you guys too… But slow down. Let's find a middle ground.

 

And that's where he fails. The people of Sodom see through the bluff and politics.

 

Gesh Halah- come close- go away. It's a fascinating term.

 

 Make up your mind Lot. Either your with us or against us. You can't be both. You came with this Echad- this One-ness to judge us, to lead us, and yet your judgement is just like ours. Just lite. They realize that Hashem isn't a halfway deal. They see that you can't claim to be the nation of Hashem and a Jewish state with desecration of Shabbos, with "Pride Parades", with churches and with mosques. That you can't claim to have a right to your biblical heritage land promised to Avraham Avinu from where we're meant to shine out the light of Hashem to the world and then hand it over to the Arabs. To give them voting rights. To bring them into your coalition. To allow them to desecrate His holy Mountain top where Yitzchak was offered as a sacrifice.

 

You're a phony Lot. You're not Mashiach. You can't inspire us or save us. The most you might be able to do is save a little hamlet city of Tzoar. But ultimately, we will perish with your leadership. So we may as well have a good time going down. We may as well try to take these angels down with us. The revolution- the mahapecha you promised is not going to be a spiritual one. Rather we're going to perish and be turned over, because you don't have the power of Avraham and his light to stand up and tell us what we need to hear. Because you don't believe we can handle the truth. And you're too scared of losing your power, your money, your new government job and car to stand up to us.

 

That's the folly of Lot. When the angels take him out, he delays. He looks back as Rashi tells us at all his money. At his big house in Tom's River. His Tesla. His dreams of growing and shteiging and serving Hashem and even being mekarev the people around him in his chesed house he built there. And he can't leave that all behind. He has to be shlepped out, by his payos. His merit? The one time he did give up on that money, back in Egypt. Then he could do that. There he had Avraham by his side. Yet, without Avraham, on his own, he didn't have the strength. At the end of the day, as Chareidi as he was… He was still a politician that wasn't ready to bring Mashiach and preferred to work within the system.

 

Judaism was never meant to be a democracy. It's a monarchy. It's a King that is faithful and brings the nation to Hashem. It's a leader that leads and that doesn't follow the will of the people. The fallacy of a democracy is that evil people have a vote. Silly people have a vote. Your enemy has a vote. It's a system that works and makes sense if the objective is creating a society that will carry out and represent the will of the people. It's why there are elections in Sodom. Yet, Eretz Yisrael is never meant to be a place where the will of the people is objective. It's about building a house of Hashem. It's about creating a resting place from where that light can shine out to the rest of the world. A democracy that is founded on the will of the people, rather than the will of Hashem is the opposite of that world.

 

Mashiach can't come until we get that shilton hazola- will crumble. Until we see that at the end of the day, it doesn't work. Sodom sees through it. So does Iran and Qatar. The world won't buy it. Just like they don't buy or claim to Eretz Yisrael in it's entirety, because we're too scared to say it. Just like they don't buy our right to even fight a war to eradicate our enemies sworn to kill us as a just cause, because they see that we're ready to hand over our own daughters and holy soldier sons to bring those same enemies humanitarian aid, to protect their children, to feed our murderers and house them in our prisons. It's a shilton ha'zola- it's a government that sells it's self cheap. And they're not buying it and frankly have never bought it. And slowly I think we're beginning to understand as well, that it doesn't work.

 

The light of Mashiach is burning higher and higher. Sodom and Amora were destroyed and hopefully Iran will be soon too. Ben Dovid is on his way. Let's open the door for Eliyahu. That's the only vote we should be casting. May the era of politics finally conclude.

 

Have an electively delicious Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz 

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“Fun yener zeit planken hot men andereh gedanken.". - On the other side of the fence, you have a change of heart.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

21. A Mediterranean woodland tree with a smooth red trunk is called _______ 

 

What is Shrubland (“Bata” ( ?

a. A vegetation landscape characterized primarily by tall trees

b. A vegetation landscape characterized primarily by herbaceous plants

c. A vegetation landscape characterized primarily by annual plants

d. A vegetation landscape characterized primarily by bushes 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwaFpVljVgo  – Meir Kahana's top 7 moments.., Check it out… A true prophet… HY"D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWCOVpohg-s&list=RDqWCOVpohg-s&start_radio=1- - Long but great Shlomo Katz and Hanan Ben Ari Shlomo Carlebach Yartzeit KumZitz

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jskn5yhLZrs&list=RDJskn5yhLZrs&start_radio=1  – Baruch Shalom Hineini… in honor of his grandfather…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R46BwaCn-2A&list=RDR46BwaCn-2A&start_radio=1  – MBD 30 years ago singing Hineini… Ohel concert

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Moria+Mona  –Moriah MBD singing that Mona hit.. back in the Kumzitz day…

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

Aliya Challenges- 3427 from Creation-333 BC – A fascinating unknown aspect of this period of time immediately after the building of the Basi Ha'Mikdash, the Navi tells us is that 2^nd Aliya movement began. This time around it was Jews that were not so frum. They came to Israel to get away from the perhaps the intensity of the communities in Bavel. They came to Eretz Yisrael as an escape. They heard that it's more open here. That there were intermarried Jews here. That perhaps they can live in Israel and not be as religious as their communities back in Bavel Park were…

 

And they came in large amounts. Eretz Yisrael though, by the time they arrived had already undergone its spiritual revolution led by Ezra and Nechemia. They had divorced their non-Jewish wives and had rededicated themselves to the Temple and the service of Hashem. And yet here they were seeing these newcomers with their foreign wives and even worse than that, they were encouraging their children to marry out as well. This became a big problem. We were barely back in the land after our long exile and destruction and we were already messing it up.

 

It is into this world that Nechemia came down hard. Unlike the first round of Jews that he and Ezra were lovingly me'karev and brought close slowly. These new guys, coming to destroy the land were not going to get that treatment. Nechemia came down hard upon them. He castigated them publicly. He had them hauled into court. They were given lashes. They were forced to conform. Their wives were sent away and their children were not accepted into schools. Welkam to Eezrael. This is not a place to come to for an easier religious life and to feel good about coming to. We have a mission from here to accomplish. It's light to the world. It's holiness. It's about the chosen-ness of our nation. And Nechemia wasn't going to allow them to mess it up.

 

Seemingly it worked. The nation was cleansed and established. It was at this point in history and at this juncture that the final era of prophecy comes to an end. There will be a new system. It will be called the Men of the Great Assembly. Stay tuned next week for this transition.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE ELECTION JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

I really wanted to vote for Gimmel. I even went down to the ballots. I took their voter slip and then when it came time to put it in the voter box. I found that it was -as you said to me when I tried to get my daughter in your school… Too full and not enough room…

 

Israeli elections are kind of like Ikea. You choose what you like, but then realize you don't know how to put it together. So you then call the Arab to help you put it up.

 

The Arabs are claiming that they didn't steal the elections. They paid every Shekel for each vote they had promised.

 

The Arabs are demanding new elections immediately. They're claiming they used up all their free gas coupons they received.

 

If you told a Jew a few hundred years ago that a Jew would be able to vote for their own candidate in an election to establish a government in our country, they would find it very hard to believe. If however you told them that we had those elections every few months because the candidates couldn’t’ get along with one another and would constantly topple the government they would then find it much easier to swallow it.

 

We really have to do something about the relationship between the government and it’s criminals and prisoners. It just doesn’t seem fair that there are only 120 seats in the Knesset for them to receive an office and position.

We ask you please don’t reveal the results of the election to the Meretz party. Their families have not yet been informed…

 

So an Ashkenazi man dies and comes up to heaven and as he enters Gan Eden he sees that the entire garden is filled with smells of Matbucha and kibbeh and he realizes that he is entirely surrounded by Sefardim. When he asks the angel why there are only Sefardim here, the angel explained that they were all Shas voters and Maran had promised them Olam Habah if they vote for his party.

 

“But then why are there some Ashkenazim, sitting there in the corner” he asked. “Oh those” the angel said “They were part of the heskem odafim (the extra votes agreement”) that Shas had with Gimmel.

 

 

The way things work after the elections. The new mayor of the city decided that it was time to fulfill his election promise to build a new bridge for the city. He went to the local Arab contractor, Achmed, and asked for a quote and was told it would cost 120 million shekel. When asked what the breakdown Achmed explained-“40 million for material, 40 million for workers and 40 million profit”

 

He then went to the Boris the Russian contractor and asked him how much it would cost and he was told it would be 240 million shekel. When asked to explain Boris said that it was “80 million for material, 80 million for workers and 80 million profit”

 

Finally, to make it fair he went over to the Jewish contractor and was quite shocked when they guy told him that it would be 400 million shekel. By far this was the most expensive quote. When asked to explain Dudu said “It’s very simple. 140 million for you, 140 million for me and 120 million to the Achmed the Arab that will do the work for us.” Needless to say he got the contract…

 

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

The answer to this week”s question is B – This is one of those questions, I would've skipped, as I had no clue as to either of them. But on this I have to answer, so I got this actually half right with a guess. The first part I got wrong. I guessed Eucalyptus because I had nothing else and it's kinda smooth and sorta red. But knew it wasn't right as it's not really indigenous to here. The answer though was katlav or strawberry tree or arbutus. Not that I or any of my tourists would care. The second they care even less about. I guessed B and it turns out the answer was Ba nd D. So half right.    So half right/half wrong makes the new score Rabbi Schwartz having 14.5 points and the MOT having 4.5 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.

Lot and Found- Parshat Lech Lecha 2025 5786

 Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 31^st 6 2025 -Volume 15 Issue 9^th of Cheshvan 5786

Parshat Lech Lecha

 Lot and Found

 

Disclaimer: Any similarities between the children of any biblical figures mentioned in this E-Mail and members of my family is purely a figment of the imagination- except I've got a bit of Avraham and Aliza's kind of like Sarah Immeinu.

 

Avram was getting nervous. What was going to be? He had a good life. Certainly not an easy one, but a meaningful one, that's for sure. It wasn't easy taking on the entire world. His Dad would've loved for him to join him in the successful family business. Meco Idols, but it just wasn't for him. He couldn't see himself sitting farshtunkeheh metal idols his father had just made to a bunch of goyim all day. He wanted something more meaningful. So he found Hashem, and built a lifetime out of teaching His Torah to the world.

 

 Sure it meant a lot of traveling. That's what happened when you enter the Jewish non-prophet world. Because he really wasn't a prophet yet. Hashem never even appeared to him. But he knew it was right and the world was finally coming along. His He was making it. Hashem was on the page for millions. His "God Find Me" campaign was taking off. His Godsapp status was hot. He had tons of followers. Sure he wished that some would sponsor his weekly E-Mails, besides just reading them and jumping to the jokes on the bottom. But it was never about the money for him. Hashem would provide and had not only taken care of him, but he made him fabulously successful as well.

 

His shul was packed each Shabbos. His community was growing. His wife has plenty of friends, help, and cleaning ladies. Yeah, they still lived in that tent that everyone and their brother and camel could just pop into. But that's why they built it with doors on all sides. It's why they didn't live in a fancy house that people would be intimidated by. Yeah sure Sarah, still made them take off their shoes when they came in, but that was more because of the sand on their feet that they worshiped rather than the new rugs and carpets. At least that's what she said…So things were good for the most part. The only question that kept him up at nights though, was what would be after he was gone.

 

Who would carry on the family business? Who would make sure the world knew about Hashem? Who would bring his politically incorrect messages to the next generation and teach them that all of the other religions in the world are baloney, stupidity and smell like camel poop. That there was One God. That He loved them. That He was always there for them. And that the greatest thing in the world was to be close to Him. Sure, he made up lots of great songs that he hoped would have some staying power in the next generation. Od yoter tov was really hot, Thank You Hashem was getting a bit old, but his Mimkomcha was timeless and that neeii neeii neiii trend of wordless songs that just go on and on was something that would have lasting power. It was like that chulent thing his wife came up with. That was never going out. People were even eating it Thursday night and leftovers on Sunday. But without someone to keep up the legacy, Avraham was scared that the movement would die. Hashem would be forgotten.

 

All that would be left would be a bunch of godless people sitting around a bonfire in a place called Uman eating chulent, smoking weed, stuttering na na nam names of dead Rabbis and dancing euphorically in drug induced circles. Even worse they might be sitting in yeshiva miserably reading all those scrolls and laws He divined about oxen goring, lost talises and levirate marriages (whatever that meant) and just waiting to get out to the streets and protest something, forgetting that they have a Father in heaven that loves them, and life is about being close and having a relationship with Him rather than just reading His "Most Enjoyable Book" series, as entertaining and inspiring as it is. That wasn't a bright future. That wouldn't bring Mashiach. Avraham needed someone to take over, and Hashem hadn't blessed him or Sarah with any kids.

 

Now the truth is although he didn't have any biological kids, yet… He always added on that "yet", because he knew that miracles happen, and he knew there was no yiush ba'olam klal- a yid never breaks or gives up hope. He even made up a song about that. So yes, despite his age he knew it was still possible, but in the meantime just in case that wasn't in the cards, he did start to consider his options and he had two not so bad ones in front of him. First of all he had his nephew Lot. I mean he was a good kid. He was his adopted child. The son he never had.

 

He had taken him in when he was an orphan and his father was killed. Terrible story, he was chopped up and burnt in an oven, by a real wicked enemy that still was around, called Nimrod. Avram miraculously was saved, but his brother was killed. And this was his kid. And he was a good kid. He had potential. Avraham taught him everything he knew and he pretty much was holding his own already. He heard that people even needed protekzia to get into his shiur. He had lots of shepherds. He was grazing the land and teaching them about Eretz Yisrael. Perhaps even a bit more passionately then Avram himself. He remembers when they had to leave Israel to go to shmutz la'aretz to raise some money to put food on their table because of that whole famine thing, back in the old days, before he made it big. They went from inn to inn and owed money wherever they went. But Lot just came along. He kept quiet. Even though he could've sold them out. Even there by Pharaoh's house. Lot kept his mouth shut. He stayed by Avram's side. He was loyal. He would give his life for chesed, just like his uncle. He was good people. Maybe he could take over the business. He could be the next Avraham.

 

Yet, Avraham had his concerns as well. See there was that drinking thing, that Lot's been hitting the bottle a bit lately. Which is kind of strange. Sure a few l'chaims here and there never hurt anyone. How does that thing go again about an "Arak a day keeps the bloodletter away". But still too often he's been finding him out cold and not even knowing who he's sleeping with. As well Avraham was pretty concerned about the new crowd he's been hanging with. His shepherds have been moving on to those Cannani hilltops and grazing there, despite the fact that they didn't belong to Avram yet. He's been hanging out with some of those non friendly types out in the kibbutzim by Sodom. Sure he probably went there to be "mikarev" them, to bring them close to Hashem. But Avram wasn't sure Lot was up for the task. He was a bit too young and susceptible for that smartphone he was walking around with and posting on social media. Yeah, Sodom needed a Chabad house, but did Lot have what it takes to not get sucked into their sick, depraved tzadik-less world?

 

Perhaps even more concerning to Avram was Lot's kids. His two oldest daughters certainly were problematic. Avram was pretty sure that they would get sucked into that world over there. Nobody had kosher phones in Sodom. Most of the people there were pretty self-absorbed. Many of them even thought they could create their own deep state and country that would be separate from everyone else. They'd live with their Sodomite kings and friends, sure they would be under the domination of that Nimrod guy, who had killed their grandfather, but the people in Sodom were already rebelling against him. There was a movement for an independent Sodomite state there in the Jordan Valley. Who needed Avram and his old fashioned ways about a God that created the world once upon a time. The kidmo shel Olam- the one that came before the world started and created it with a purpose. They wanted to move forward. Progress. Not kedem- not before.

 

Yeah, those two older daughters and their boyfriends were a problem. Even more concerning were those two other daughters of his. Avram saw something special in them. Like a pearl that was hiding in the dust, like a walnut buried in some camel poop. And Avram was scared that there in Sodom they would lose it all. That Lot wasn't ready to make it on his own. That Avram's legacy and the future of mankind would be lost if Lot left yeshiva and tried to strike it on his own. But what could he do? We can raise our children. We can provide them with everything they need. But at the end of the day, they have to spread their own wings. They have their own journey. They have to find their own paths. Avram and Sarah's job is just to continue to always be there for them. To never give up hope and to keep davening that one day they'll get it and come home.

 

The commentaries tell us that perhaps what drew Lot to "leave the derech" or at least the path of Avram, was that he was perhaps too spoiled. There is really only one verse that gives us any insight into Lot's change. Into what made him leave his yeshiva education, the Torah and beauty and closeness of life with Avram and decide to find his own path.



And also Lot who walked with Avram had sheep, cattle and tents. And the land couldn’t sustain them to dwell together.

 

 What changed for Lot is that he won the Lott-to. He made lots of money really quick and he thought he was a big boy now and could do what he wants.

 

 How did he make his money? It was back in that Corona plague Hashem brought in Egypt when they ran away broke and penniless over there. Miraculously Hashem protected Sarah who was kidnapped there. And Pharaoh paid them all off to leave quietly. And Lot saw blessing. Lots and lots of blessing. His wealth exploded. He was taking out fancy penthouse apartments in Jerusalem over Sukkos and paying exorbitant amounts of money for a tour guide there. Sure he gave lots of charity. But with that came a sense of entitlement. A desire to do something bigger with that new found wealth. To strike it off on his own away from Avram. To build his own little empire that might even be bigger than Avram's. To move out to the city that was rebelling against Nimrod, rather than just passively live in a tent, like Avram did without ever taking revenge against the man who threw his father into a furnace.

 

The Torah and kindness and schnitzel and Shabbos meals that Avram provided for everyone was all fine and good. But it was old school. It was time to move out to the kibbutzim, settle the land, rebel against the enemies, even if it meant sacrificing some of the spiritual benefits of living in the proximity of Avram and his Torah. Hey, Hashem gave him money for a reason. There was no room for Avram's way of life and Lot's worldview in the small grazing hills around Chevron, Bnai Brak, Jerusalem, Lakewood or Boro Park. The shetachim were calling him. It was time to move out to the Five Towns of Sodom and Amora. To Jackson. To Teaneck. And thus he became a Teaneck shenishba. And Avraham was childless once again.

 

"Avram dwelled in Canaan, and Lot was far away in "with his tent until Canaan". It's a fascinating verse. A verse that tells us something about Lot and about hope. He had left… yet he still had tents and breadcrumbs back to Avram. There was still a lifeline left.

 

It is at that moment when things looked so bleak for Avram, that Hashem appears to him. It's the first time that He tells him that he will have Eretz Yisrael. That he will have children. That there is a bright future awaiting. He has to do just two things. Lift up his eyes and walk. Don't look down. Look up. Don't look at what you think you lost, but rather at the future you can and will have. A future that you couldn't even dream would happen awaits you. Your job is to just keep walking. Step by step. Day by day. Take a look at the world and watch. A glorious future you couldn't even imagine is about to unfold.

 

And whadaya know? It does. All of a sudden there is a war. Nimrod that old enemy who Avram never got revenge from. That old nemesis who had built the tower of Bavel. Who had killed his brother. Who had waged war against Hashem and thrown Avram in the furnace and forced Avram to flee and establish a new home raised his ugly murderous kaffiyeh wearing head again. He always does. He launched an attack burns, destroys, pillages. He doesn't differentiate between Jew or non-jew either. They're all his enemy. The entire West Bankian world too. But then he gets his prize. He takes a hostage. He takes Lot "v'eis rechusho ben achi Avram"- and his possessions, then son of the brother of Avram. It's a strange pasuk we'll talk about it in a second…

 

This is the break Avram was waiting for. The ceasefire with Nimrod that held until now was over. Avram leaps to action. He takes with him 318 men, which is a strange number, yet Rashi quotes the Midrash that it was in fact Eliezer his servant whose name in gematria equals 318. According the the Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel Eliezer in fact was the son of Nimrod. Cool! It was like one of those Luke kills Darth Vader moments.  Lot is home. Nimrod is dead. Hashem rules forever the entire world announces.

 

We are even introduced to Yerushalayim for the first time in the Torah. As the Gaon of Vilna teaches us the first time something is mentioned in the Torah is the secret of its essence. Yerushalayim appears when the hostages come home after the war. When we don't give up on our children that may have moved to Sodom. That we give our lives and fight the world for them. When we unabashedly tell that same Sodomite world afterwards that we don't need a penny from them. Not their guns, their missiles, their planes, their tanks, their votes in the United Nations, or their rallies support or Universities. We don't want or need you saying that you made Avram great again. That's a desecration of Hashem's name. We raise our hands to the Master of the Universe, of heaven and earth. That's when Jerusalem brings out the wine and the sacrifices. That's when we the prophecy begins to be fulfilled.

 

Lot was not that son of Avram, Hashem tells us in this parsha later on, that will inherit him. Next week, we'll talk about option B. Yishmael and option C. Yitzchak. Yet before we get to them, we need to go through Lot first. Because Lot has the spirit of Mashiach inside of him. His union with his daughters will produce Amon and Moav. Buried in Amon and Moav's DNA will be the spark of Rus and Dovid Ha'Melech and Naama Ha'Amonit the wife of Shlomo Ha'Melech.  Before we get to Yerushalyim we need to rescue the soul of Mashiach.

 

Even more fascinating is the AriZ"l tells us that "Rechusho Ben Achi avram" is an acronym for Rava, the great Talmudic scholar, that is in fact the one that teaches us a scholar is compared to a walnut, that even it falls in the dirt, the nut inside always stays pure (Chagiga 15: for those Oraysa learners). The Shvilei Pinchas notes that Rava is the one as well that teaches us that there is a mitzva to drink on Purim. To use that wine that Lot drank to reveal the spark of redemption and elevate it. He's the one that teaches us that sometimes we have to violate the Torah to uphold it. That the sparks of holiness can come out of the darkest and seemingly unlikely and least spiritual looking places. He is the one that teaches us that when Dovid Hamelech sings to Hashem "pitachta i'mosaroi- that Hashem has opened up my bonds. That he is referring to the DNA strands that were hidden in Lot of Amon and Moav that Hashem rescued and released.

 

Disclaimer number 2: Any similarities between the ancient stories of the Torah and what's happening in our world today are not figments of your imagination. Binu shnos dor v'dor- know what happens in all generations. Ma'asei avos siman la'banim- the stories of our ancestors are the sign and omen for us, their children today. The period of Mashiach, of Yerushalayim, is the return of the children to their fathers and the fathers to their children. It's of sparks of holiness coming out of released hostages. It's from children who may seem the most unlikely. It's from students of Avraham picking up swords and wiping out our enemies; the enemies of Hashem. It's not a story of then. It's ba'yamim ha'heim ba'zman ha'zeh. It's us today.

 Have a magnificent marvelous Shabbos,

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

“Oib di velt vet verren oisgelaizt, iz es nor in zechus fun kinder."- If the world will ever be redeemed, it will be only through the merit of children.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

Antiochus IV Epiphanes belonged to the ________ dynasty

Who was the Roman general who put an end to the independence of the Hasmonean

kingdom in the Land of Israel?

 

A. Julius Caesar

B. Pompeius (Pompey)

C. Augustus

D. Antonius

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://on.soundcloud.com/cEeqiAvnM3Ine5wZOf    – In honor of the parsha My Latest Composition and the best most fun song you will sing this Shabbos and every parshat Noach at least with your kids at your meal. Yona Motza! Great arrangements and vocals by Dovid Lowy and you MUSt Listen until the very shticky ending!

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/kum    – Hashem promises and commands Avraham to walk and inherit the land. Our sages tell us that whoever walks four steps in Israel is guaranteed a portion in the world to come. This became the words and song for all my hikes.

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yl1NoOE994  - Yonatan Razel and Shulem Lemmer- what a combination beautiful song One more Dance…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbD-lM6tfc8  – Hanan Ben Ari's latest "Lo Hameshuga Ha'yechidi- not the only crazy one

…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2gBJ58drtg –In honor of Mashiv Haruach October Rain with Shulem

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

The Firey Furnace- 582 BC – The stage is set. Nevuchadnezzar has called all of his vassal kings and leaders to the big event revealing his glorious statue to himself. Chananya, Mishael and Azarya (CMA) refuse to bow while every one else does. They remain standing upright. They did this even though they knew from the prophet Yechezkel that Hashem wouldn't perform a miracle for them. Yet, they would not be part of a Chilul Hashem, they wouldn't even flee and hide. They wanted the world to know that there was one God in Israel, and they would stand up and even sacrifice their lives for his honor and rather than allow a desecration of His name to take place without anyone protesting.

 

There's a march yesterday in Jerusalem. One of the songs they sing is that we will go in the path of the Torah even in fire and water. Ba'eish u'ba'mayim. It's a nice song… but would they do what these guys did?

 

They were brought before Nevuchadnezzar. He threated them with a fiery furnace if they don't bow. They refused and he had it heated up. Perhaps the nicest remains of a furnace that I know of is in Tel Shilo, ancient Shilo. There you can see a furnace which is basically a big large pit that is in the ground. On the bottom it has all the wood. And on the top there are walls and holes for the smoke to go out, and a floor and shelves where they would make earthenware pots in it. This is a small furnace certainly compared to the one Nevuchadnezzar had prepared for them. But you get the basic idea.

 

The Midrash tells us many miracles that happened to them. The first is that Nevuchadnezzar had it heated up to 7 times the usual amount. It was so hot that soldiers were killed from the sparks that came out of it when they threw them bound together in. The next miracle was that Hashem wanted this to be seen by everyone. So he worked it out that the furnace floated up from the ground. The walls on the side fell off so that everyone could witness it. The plaster that was around the furnace burnt up and the heat killed the soldiers that surrounded it. The statue itself turned its face from them and four kings and their jolly men that snitched to Nevuchadnezzar on them were killed as well.

 

Inside however they seemed to be doing fine. In fact, the verses tell us that Nevuchadnezzar.  looked inside and saw them walking around with a fourth person, an angel sent to untie them and save them. His brain exploded from this great miracle. He immediately began to praise Hashem. He praised them. He elevated them in his government and he issued decrees that no one was ever allowed to speak bad about the God of Israel again. If they did then they would be chopped up into little pieces and their houses would become trash heaps. That's pretty radical, from the guy that destroyed the Temple not so long before…

 

Yet that wasn't enough for Nevuchadnezzar. He continues his mission to praise Hashem. He has dreams interpretations. It's a fascinating relationship this king and murderer has with Hashem and the Jewish people. It's almost reminiscent of Pharaoh. It seems part of this whole story of ours is that the evil doers need to recognize Hashem. For that to happen we need heroes that will be willing to do everything for His honor. If we don't walk through fire and water, why should they believe us?

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE LOTTO JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

At breakfast, Yankel asked his wife “What would you do I if won the lottery?”

She replied, “I’d take half, and then leave you.”

“Great,” he said “I won $12 yesterday. Here’s $6. Stay in touch.” 

 

I won $1M in the lottery. And as I promised to Hashem before hand if I won. I gave a quarter of it to charity, and put the other $999,999.75 in the bank.

 

My friend Berel won a million dollars the other day so I asked him what will he do with his winnings?

Berel  said "Probably pay off my credit card debt".

I said "what about the rest of it?"

Berel said "well I suppose it'll get paid off eventually".

 

I use to do the lottery but then I heard the chances of getting hit by a car on the way to buy it are higher than the chances of winning. I don't know if that's true or not but it was enough for me to stop.

Now i send my mother in law to buy it for me.

 

If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to share it with everyone. Not the money, just going to let you know that I've won.

 

I always wanted to won the lottery, like my father.

Your father won the lottery?

No, but he wanted too.

 

What's the difference between a man arguing with his wife and a man with a lottery ticket? The man with a lottery ticket actually has a chance to win.

 

If you find $60-80 to be too expensive for ancestry DNA kits, I have a cheap alternative...

Announce that you won the lottery and you'll quickly find relatives you never knew you had!.

 

A reporter asked a man how he felt when he found out that he won the lottery.

"As soon I saw the numbers line up, I knew it was going to be a wife changing experience.

 

Moishie and Shaindy a cute little Meah Shearim family win the lottery...

Shaindy turns to Moishie and  asks “Moishie - what are going to do about all those shnorr letters?

Moishie says “We keep sending them!”

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The answer to this week”s question is B – Another week another 50/50 I got the first part right. It was fairly easy. Antiochus the "mad man " which was a roman play on the word epiphanes instead of epimanes. Which meant great one. Was the wicked king who made all decrees against Jews that led to the Chanuka story. By the way fun Chanuka fact as we get close to the holiday and the mood. Antiochus's fate was according to book of the Macabees that Hashem punished him with serious bowel problems and worms in his body that pretty much ate him up. He didn’t' give up though and continued to chase and persecute the Jews until he was thrown off a chariot and broken all over dying with a stench that even his guards and servants couldn't get near. That's what should happen to all of our enemies. Part II I got wrong. I didn't have a clue. I mean I knew that it wasn't Anotnius who was after the Temple destroyed as well as Caesar. Wasn't sure about the rest. I went with Augustus, but the right answer was Pompey. Oh well.. So half and half and thus the new score is Rabbi Schwartz having a 4 point and the MOT having 1 point on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.