Friday Frenzy- Parshat Balak 2022 /5782

 

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

July 8^th 2022 -Volume 11 Issue 39 9^th of Tamuz 5782

 

Parshat Balak

Friday Frenzy

 Have you ever noticed that it doesn’t make a difference what time Shabbos starts you’re always rushing the last minute?

‘Oh no did you set the Shabbos clocks?

 Who’s in the shower it’s almost candle lighting?

‘Or in Israel it’s ‘Who turned the ‘dood’ off, there’s no hot water.’

(For those who haven’t been here yet and have no clue why a dude would be in charge of your hot water…. I’m not telling you. Come to Israel and find out the pleasures of solar-heated hot water tanks yourself.).

‘Did you put the blech on?

 Did you print up Rabbi Schwartz’s weekly E-Mail for our meal yet?’

Really religious people make sure all their bottles have been opened. Ask them why.

Where’s the cleaners? How come no one set up the candles?’

 If these conversations have not taken place in your home than you are not a shomer shabbos Jew.  Or you’re one of those exemplary people that recently heard a shiur a few weeks ago- it really only lasts a few weeks- where the speaker inspired you to get everything ready by Thursday or even Wednesday night so that you can come into Shabbos all peaceful, relaxed and not rushed and hurried. Soooooo beautiful… So romantic… So holy… yeah, right! As I said it usually only lasts a few weeks or so, about as long as your resolution not to peek at your cellphone as it beeps in your pocket in shul.

 Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against good resolutions and extra preparedness for Shabbos. In fact, my wife has been on a kick for the last few years to have our table set already Thursday night, despite the fact that it’s a pain to lay my laptop on top of my challah board as I write this weekly E-Mail to you from my dining room table. But regardless of the table being set and even many times the chulent even being up Thursday night-there’s nothing like a chulent that has been cooking for 2 days straight by the way., which really can be a distracting smell while I write this- now you know why there are so many chulent allusions in my E-Mails.). But despite all her best efforts, we’re still running against the clock to the last minute. It doesn’t really make a difference. It seems that there is something built into Erev Shabbos that gives it that frenetic feeling.

Now there are some that might suggest that this is the yetzer harah, the satan or Donald Trump’s fault. I prefer to find the spiritual, holier excuse. To be milamed zechus on klal Yisrael that suffers from the erev shabbos frenzy. Just call me Rabbi Ephraim “Berditchever” Schwartz, the Rabbi who can see a Jew on his phone in shul or talking in the back in middle of Torah reading and say “hey, at least he’s coming to shul, right?” That’s what 15 years of Jewish outreach work does to you, what can I say.

So rather, I posit, that the erev Shabbos rush is actually built into Creation. It goes back to the very first Erev Shabbos itself. It goes back to Hashem. What do I mean? There is a famous Mishna in Ethics of our Fathers

Pirkey Avot (5:6) Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir-, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: and also tongs, made with tongs.

Now if Hashem had a wife- which he doesn’t by the way for any of my Christian readers out there, you could imagine the conversation going on up in heaven.

“You had 6 whole days to take care of this stuff… why the last minute...

How many times do I have to tell you to get your stuff together in advance?

 Really…Now??!! Its five minutes to the first candle lighting ever and you forgot to take care of the mouth of the donkey!

The rainbow?

What is a tong of tongs anyways?”

 As I said Hashem does not have a wife or a mother for that matter that would be yelling that at Him. But yet as you see, there seems to be something to be built into Creation from the very beginning that there is a last-minute rush to get things done. The question of course is why?

 Now let’s leave all ten, or ten plus things according to the “some say” opinions, to the side. Let’s just talk about the first three or the three “mouths”, that are mentioned. Why those three? Because this week’s Torah portion in Israel has the story of Bilaams talking donkey mouth, this week’s Torah portion outside of Israel (and our last week’s one) is the mouth of the well that Moshe hit, and the parsha before that told us about the mouth of the earth that swallowed up Korach. Fascinating, isn’t it? Three weeks in a row. Three mouths that were created at the last minutes of Creation and all three of them being pretty much the stories that show up in the Torah right before we are meant to finally enter the land of Israel. Before we are meant to finally achieve the purpose of Creation, of creating a home for Hashem by which his Divine presence can shine out to the rest of the world. By which we can repair the sin of Adam Ha’Rishon, that got thrown out of the garden of Eden, just a few hours before that twilight when Hashem had to create all of these last minute things. To fix that the things that got us thrown out His world in the first place

What are those three things and what are their significance? The Mishna in the previous chapter of Avot gives us a clue.

Pirkey Avos (4:21) Rabbi Elazar Ha-kappar said: kina’h-envy, ta’avah- desire and [the pursuit for] kavod- honor remove a man from the world.

What were the temptations of Adam that got us thrown out of the garden? The snake tempted Chava by telling her that she could be like Hashem. They could have honor; they could have knowledge. He made them jealous, He showed them a desirous tasty fruit. It implanted in them what our sages call zuhama- this spiritual poison and hunger for the things that ultimately make co-existing together with Hashem in the garden unfeasible.

And so out of the garden we were sent. Two angels guarded the tree of life, but instead we were given another tree of life to attach ourselves to that would help us overcome this poison. It’s called the Torah. It is our way back to the garden.

Well we got that Torah a few thousand years later, and we were finally ready to return. We had a few stumbles along the way; the golden calf, the spies and lots of random kvetching, but the time was ripe. It was finally time for Hashem to give us our mouths back. The mouths that we had defiled way back when we sinned in Eden.

The first mouth Hashem revealed to us was the mouth of the earth that swallowed up Korach. Korach represented that poison called jealousy. He wanted, as did Adam and Chava to be as close to Hashem as possible. “Why is Aharon the chosen one?” Why not me. The mouth of the earth swallowed him up. That’s what jealousy will do to you. You come and were formed from the land and earth; Mother earth. It’s where you will ultimately return. When you are jealous of another, despite the fact that you may think it is for spiritual reasons, ultimately you will be consumed by it. That’s what mouths of earth do. They remind you that nafshi ki’afar tihiyeh- your soul should be humble like the earth from where you came.

The next lesson was the mouth of the well. It was the rock that Moshe originally hit to bring out water, but that now, before we enter the land, he was meant to speak to. The well and the water represents desire. We have this insatiable thirst that needs to be quenched. Initially the way to deal with those desires outside of the land of Israel when we first came out of Egypt is to hit that rock. Knock down your desires. In doing that you will be satisfied. The water you need will come out and will be holy; will be purified.

Coming to the land of Israel there was a different message that was meant to be heard from the mouth of the be’er. The lesson was, Rashi tell us, that just as a rock obeys Hashem and can produce water, so to the Jewish people should recognize that their desires were given to them by Hashem. They just have to channel them. We are not a religion or a people that are meant to be hidden away in clouds of glory and thrown out of yeshiva the second that we realize some desire burning inside of us. We are coming to the land of Israel where we are meant to plant, grow, make falafels, invent waze and mobileye and find the cure to cancer. We are meant to live in this world and eat delicious, grapes, pomegranates, olives and watermelons as we watch milk and honey flow and appreciate Hashem in all of it. Our desires are holy. They just need to be talked to and directed in the service of Hashem as the mouth of the well was meant to tell us,.

Finally we come to good ol’ Bilam; the man who could just not get enough honor in life. He is the prophet of the non-jews, our sages tell us, that is on the caliber of Moshe. But he needs Balak to honor him. It’s not about ‘all of the money in Balak’s house’ as he claims. It’s about the honor and glory of taking down the Jews. It’s about, even if Hashem says I shouldn’t go and curse the Jews, but maybe I’ll change His mind. Then I really will be the greatest prophet. The answer to that desire came from the donkey. The limo that he rode in on, that he thought was transporting him to glory, opened up its mouth as well. It showed him that he was heading down the wrong highway. He was smashing into a wall with an angel of death ready to chop off his head.

Do you know people like that? The pursuit of fame, glory, tweets, like and honor is what drives them? Are they your president? Prime Minister? Or are they me and you that post silly things and waiting to get a smiley emoji back that tells me

“Wow! They think I’m funny. Look how many thumbs up I got, how many “hits” I have.

That’s not what coming to the land of Israel was meant to be about. It wasn’t about bringing out our honor and pride to the rest of the world because we are the best, smartest, strongest and coolest people in the world. That’s just the donkey talking. We’re coming into the land to create that home for Hashem.

 Hashem created these things bein hashemashos-right before Shabbos not only because after the sin of Adam and Chava, Hashem needed to make some quick last-minute changes to the world. Rather it was because that time of twilight is border between the holiness of Shabbos and the physical, material work of the six days of work when we are out there in the “real world”. These mouths are the bridge to bring us into Shabbos. They allow us to enter that world where we have returned to Hashem. On Shabbos we will dress with honor and give kavod to Shabbos. It’s the day Hashem gives us to express that holy desire for honor and experience it, but for His sake. We will make hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz on our challas again and again, recognizing that the bread that comes from the ground is there to elevate our Shabbos table and not bury us in the petty jealousies that took down Korach. We will fill our mouths with songs of praise that will pour like the water from the well as we eat the delicacies we desire in honor of Shabbos. As we eat our chulent.

We are told that Mashiach and the redemption of Hashem will come with the blink of an eye. On Erev Shabbos as we approach that moment when we enter back into the garden of Hashem, it is no wonder that we are rushed and hurried. The redemption is around the corner. We have been waiting 5782 years for that return. Hashem has been waiting as well. Perhaps it is that excitement that the waiting is almost over that causes that last minute hurry. I don’t know. It could be. Or not. Either way, it’s almost Shabbos and I have to get into the shower. Shabbos is coming! May it be the final yom shekulo Shabbos- the day and time when it will only be shabbos that we have been waiting for.

Have an honored, restful Shabbos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

““Shabbes hot der rosheh in gehenem oich ru...”- On the Sabbath, even the wicked in hell have rest.

 

 

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yedid-nefesh -  BRAND NEW RABBI SCHWARTZ COMPOSITION THIS WEEK- listen to my newest song arranged and sung by Dovid Lowy! Use it this Shalosh Seudos and every one from now on and get extra Rabbi Schwartz points…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kau1dpulVbM – Have you ever heard Shlomo Carlebach’s Ma Tovu niggun… A hidden classic from this week’s parsha

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5xn06LxDYo     -Gad Elbaz new video a present for Shabbos with Meir Kay… Interesting… ?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBQ0ddt_0mk  -Only listen to this if you like Cantorial choir music. It’s Lewndowsky- whoever that is Ma Tovu composition sung in Basel from 1929!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlR38_dx38  -And check of course Shwekey’s ma ma ma ma…

 

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

2)  Kurkar rock can be found in Israel in the  ____________ region.

 

The way it is formed is from

A)  Fossilized sand that after a lengthy process becomes hardened solid rock

B)  Rocks from streams that over time mold together and form hardened rock

C)  minerals that join together to rock particles and become one solid rock

D)  formerly sand dunes it is sand stone that is formed through sediment.

 

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

 

The day of Blessing- Parshat Balak – We all know and feel the blessing of Shabbos. Hashem blessed the day and made it holy, we say when we make Kiddush each week. It is a day that is above all other days. The Nesivos Sholom notes that the day is so holy and blessed that curse cannot fall on this day. It’s why, he suggests, that although Bilaam tries to curse the Jews and mentions so many things such as the three holidays and all of the sins that we did, yet he doesn’t mention Shabbos at all. Because Shabbos can’t be cursed.

 

Interestingly enough, in that way the Jewish people Hashem tells him also can’t be cursed. Ki Baruch hu- for we are blessed. The function of the Jewish people is to reveal Hashem down here in this world. To raise up the ground and land from the lowest point and make it a dwelling place for the Shechina. The Magid  of Mezeritch explains the verse malah ha’aretz kinyanecha- the land is full of the acquisitions of Hashem, that our job is to reveal that. We are here to take all the physical in the land and uplift it in the service of Hashem.

 

Bilaam and Balak wanted to “drive us out of the land”. They wanted to prevent us from accomplishing that goal. But Hashem told them that they couldn’t do that. There is Shabbos in the world, that tells the world that Hashem’s presence is here each week. We uplift Hashem with all of the delicacies in honor of His kingship on Shabbos. And it is for that reason that it is a day when no curse can fall. It’s one big blessing of Shabbos.

 

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

 

Ovadia 724 BC –This week we introduce a new prophet, that was a student of Eliyahu Ha’Navi the prophet Ovadia-or as I tell my tourists the prophet with my favorite English name- Obadaya. I just love saying it Ohhh Badai  yaahh… Sounds cool right? Well he was pretty cool. He is in fact the Navi with the shortest prophecy that is part of Tanach. Just one chapter and 21 verses. In fact we read his entire book for the haftorah of Parshat Va’Yishlach. We read it that week because that is the story of Esau and Yaakov’s meeting and Ovadiah is a descendant of Esau or an Edomite convert as chazal say it.

 

Our sages point out that was said about Ovadiah was even greater than about Avraham. For where it says that Avraham was god-fearing it says Ovadia was very god-fearing. He lived in the house of Achav and Izevel and yet with all that he withstood the test and even went out of his way to rescue and hide 100 prophets that Achav and Izevel had tried to kill. Sometimes when I go to Yad Vashem or the Musuem of the Friends of Zion in Yerushalayim where you learn about the gentiles that hid Jews. Well here we have this Edomite convert that did the same at great risk to himself. And that makes him even greater than Avraham Avinu!

 

There are some that suggest that he rather lived in a later period as much of his prophecy is similar to Yirmiyahu’s and more related to that era. But we only have our sages to rely upon. His burial place has quite a few sources. Some place him in Kfar Chittin near Tiverya, others in the Shomron. However the most verified grave interestingly enough is in the upper Galil near the ancient synagogue of Baram. In fact right near that grave there is caves where tradition has it he actually his those prophets. Cool!

 

Well in our story Ovadiah is sent by Achav to help find water for the animals. Lo and behold he bumps into Eliyahu Ha’Navi and bows down to him in shock. Eliyahu then tells him to go tell Achav that he’s here and Ovadiah gets nervous by this order. Eliyahu is after all the most wanted terrorist in Israel. Three years there is no rain because of this man. The country is starving. There’s not a post office that doesn’t have his picture. He’s Osama Bin Laden. How can I tell Achav “Hey, y’know who I bumped into today..?” He’ll kill me.

 

Eliyahu tells Ovadiah not to fear. All will be well. Tell Achav I’ll be waiting right here for him. And he waits. Next week we continue with the faceoff.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE HURRIED JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

Rabbi What do you call a South American girl who's always in a hurry? Urgent Tina

 

There’s a special type of people who are always in a hurry. They are called Rushians.

 

Why was Batman in a hurry? He had to go to the Batroom.

 

What did the doctor say to the short guy in a hurry? You're going to have to be a little patient

 

Berel and his wife walked into a dentist's office. Berel quickly says to the dentist, "Doctor, I'm in one heck of a big hurry! I have two buddies sitting out in my car waiting for us to go play golf. So forget about the anesthetic and just pull the tooth and be done with it. I don't have time to wait for the anesthetic to work!"

The dentist thought to himself, "My goodness, this sure is a very brave man, asking me to pull his tooth without using anything to kill the pain."

So the dentist asked him, "Which tooth is it, sir?"

Berel turned to his wife and said, "Open your mouth, Honey, and show the doctor which tooth hurts.

 

Yankel calls the doctor and said, “Hurry! My wife’s going into labour! What must I do?”

 The doctor said, “is this her first child?”

“No” says the very overwhelmed Yankel says,“this is her husband!”

 

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. ‘Careful,’ he said, ‘CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You’re cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They’re going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you’re cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don’t forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!’

The wife stared at him. “What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don’t know how to fry a couple of eggs?”

The husband calmly replied, “I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I’m driving.”

 

A young lawyer, starting up his private practice, was very anxious to impress potential clients. When he saw the first visitor to his office come through the door, he immediately picked up his phone and spoke into it, making belief he was actually talking to someone. "I'm sorry, but my caseload is so tremendous that I'm not going to be able to look into your problem for at least a month. I'll have to get back to you then." He then turned to the man who had just walked in, and said, "Now, what can I do for you? Make sure to do this fast, as I am in a mad rush, as you can see from the endless telephone calls of clients."

"Nothing," replied the man. "I'm here to hook up your phone.”

 

Three hijacked passengers, an American, A Frenchman and an Israeli were captured by ISIS and were about to face a firing squad. Before their execution they were asked what they would like to eat for their last meal. The American prisoner asked for a juicy steak. He was served the steak and then taken away to be shot.

The French prisoner requested roast duck. He was served the duck and then taken away to be shot.

The Israeli prisoner asked for strawberries. “Strawberries?” asked the terrorists. “But they’re out of season!”

It’s okay,” said the Israeli. “I’ll wait….

 ********************************

Oops messed up again last weeks question I forgot to give the answer to… if you remember the question was which gate is on the Western side of the old city of Jerusalem. I got it right of course. The answer was the Jaffa gate. Part 2 of the question is what the significance of it’s location was and of course once you know which gate is was the answer is quite easy. It’s of course the crossroads of a major intersection. The road leading West to Jaffa and down south to Chevron all come towards Jerusalem that way. So the first answer on this 2020 exam was right.

 

This week’s answer is

 

Answer is D – Really all you have to know for this answer is that Kurkar is soft and then the answer is obviously D. Because all of the other ones are hard stone. Yet, I happened to have known that without that. I don’t know why I remember that Kurkar is along the Northern coastline, like the Chadeira area. It’s that nice beach stone, and of course it all used to be swamp land of there. So the first 2 questions right and I’m off to a good start making the score Schwartz 2 and 0 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.

One State Solution- Parshat Vayishlach 5778 / 2017

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

December 1^st 2017 -Volume 8 Issue 7 13^th Kislev 5778

Parshat Vayishlach

One State Solution

 

Yaakov was wrong. He shouldn’t have been afraid. Why is he bending the knee? He send Esau presents, he tries to pacify him, bribe him, he humbles himself before him. He calls him “My Master”. Sure he prepares a little secret underground army, just in case it doesn’t work. But there was no need for it. Where was his Jewish pride? Sure he’s been living in a ghetto in a Diaspora for a few decades now. Sure it was anti-Semitism that caused him to originally flee his homeland, the land of his ancestors. But “higiya zman geulaschem- the time for his redemption has come”. Throw the infidel out. Gifts? Bribes? Diplomacy?! That’s not the way he should have announced his homecoming.

Or not. Perhaps the way of the Jew should be to always be wary. To try to win over the nations to agree to let us come home. To try to convince them, that we do not pose a threat to their way of life. That Yaakov, or Yisrael’s , return to Eretz Yisrael, will always respect “our best friend” and brother in shared democratic “values”. We shouldn’t go up against them. We should wait until they allow us to return.

The nice thing about this weekly E-Mail and our reading audience is that there is going to be people that will unsubscribe on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve got Satmar Chasidim that are reading right now, liberal unaffiliated democrat Jewish Hillary voters-of which whom both might be appalled at the association with one another but interestingly enough share similar views on this topic. As well I have my Trumpies, my Kahanists, my settler friends and my bored right-wing yeshiva guys from Lakewood that are sure if they were president of the United State or Prime Minister of Israel, they would solve all of the world’s problems. I am an equal opportunity offender. I try to offend and challenge everyone. Lesser people will unsubscribe, but the stalwarts amongst you that don’t, are either masochists that appreciate my unique style of inspiration or just skip to the jokes and the Youtube clips on the bottom. That’s alright. I love you both.  

It is not easy to challenge everyone. But thank God our sages throughout the generations have given us enough material for each side to justify their position and base it on Torah sources. Some might say Eilu V’Eilu Divrei Elokim Chayim- these are both the word of God. Hashem’s word, like a prism, can be understood and viewed in the many different, yet true, lights that it diffracts. Other’s might say that one side is heresy and only they possess the absolute truth. I generally have a different approach and like to think that all sides are wrong. Even my side. That world view makes it easier for me to offend people regularly and change my previously held strong position instantaneously depending on who I’m arguing with.

 So I sell my Zionists on the fallacies of and heresies of their platforms; their strongly held view that the return to our Promised Land is the realization of the sprouting of the redemption. It’s not hard to do. The current government of Israel returns land whenever it can if for some feeble assurances of peace. They are demolishing Jewish houses, while our cousins build freely without even thinking about permits and paying property taxes. That’s from a Right wing government! The religious status quo is getting thrown out daily by the Supreme Court; Shabbos, Kosher, traditional marriage.  Corruption is all over the place. This is not the State that Hashem envisioned. This is not the miraculous return that the entire world will see the Hashem has chosen us. There is more anti-Semitism than ever before. More people were killed in Israel as a result of the establishment of the State in Israel than all the years prior, not only in wars but as a result of terror attacks as well. Hashem made us take oaths that we would not go up against the nations, not go up against the world to return to Israel with an army. Hashem would bring us back. Most of the great Rabbis- not only Satmar were opposed to the War of Independence, although after the War certainly many felt that every war in which we were fighting for our lives and our existence was a mitzva. So maybe it wasn’t the right play. Maybe we still need to long and pray for a miraculous return, and stop investing so much of our belief in the fact that we have already arrived. Shouldn’t we learn from Yaakov who didn’t come back to Israel with a huge army, but waited for Esau to allow him to come?

Click. I just lost some subscribers.

On the other hand when I am with my anti-Zionists or my two-state solution, poor oppressed Palestinian loving, Jewish occupiers, wait for the geula-Redemption, mashiach type Jews…

Click.

They actually just unsubscribed as soon as they read that sentence. They get offended, experience has taught me much quicker. Usually as soon as any confrontation begins.

But for those of you that are still with me. To those Jews, I generally point out how so many of the prophecies are being fulfilled. The land is flourishing despite it being barren for thousands of years. There are more Jews from all over the world that have returned here and that are living here than the entire second Temple people. If this isn’t the ingathering of Exiles what is? There is more Torah being studied here than in the history of the Jewish people over the last few centuries at least. More Jews returning to their heritage than ever before. At the same time look at the decline of Judaism everywhere else. Intermarriage is at about 75 percent. The majority of the “denominations” that are non-orthodox are struggling to engage their youth. Birthright, I just read, has canceled the Reform movement as a provider for their trips because they can’t even seem to sign up enough kids for  free 10 day trip to the Mediterranean- to a country called Israel.

Now I know my frum friends are smiling still and saying, but yeah, Orthodoxy and Torah Judaism is flourishing. But is it? How many kids are connected to Eretz Yisrael? Every single Jewish Rav, Rebbe, leader from the Chafetz Chaim, the Gaon of Vilna and the Chasidic masters dreamed of living here, spoke about its holiness would have in a heartbeat jumped on a plane if Hashem had given them an opportunity, let alone a sal klita- absorption package to move here. How many of the religious children actually know Tanach. Dare I even say Chumash? Is there more than 5% who may have finished a few tractates of Talmud that even have a goal for themselves to learn through all of the books of the prophets? Something that I believe is as unarguably and undeniably essential if not more so. Can’t you see that in Eretz Yisrael you not only learn this but live, visit, see and appreciate Torah as it is meant to be lived. That our sages say that he who doesn’t live here is as if he has no God. That even the most secular Israeli is more likely than not according to all opinions fulfilling a mitzva every second that he lives here, while you are not. Do you still think that you’ve got it right?

Click there they went too.

So now it’s just me and you left. Hi Mom J.

Why am I writing about this this week? Well there’s a few reasons. I was talking to my father-in-law this week, the great Meged Yosef and he related to me that he had heard from his father Reb Leizer Sorotzkin that the reason why Hashem warned Lavan and told him not to start up with Yaakov, as opposed to Esau whom Hashem never appeared to warn him to leave Yaakov alone, was because the battle with Lavan was an inconsequential one for Yaakov and the Jewish people. Whereas our fight with Esau is an epic battle. It is eternal and we are meant to learn from there how the Jewish people should engage with the world of Edom- the Western civilization until today. Does that mean we should be passive, that we should just pray to be saved that we should try diplomacy as Yaakov did? Our sages definitely frowned on Yaakov’s approach. The Midrash Tanchuma says

And he sent to Esau- The Ruach Hakodesh said- Oyyy, Yaakov for sending to Esau.

The Midrash Rabba says-

So shall you say to my master Esau- Hashem said- You lowered yourself and called Esau your master 8 times, by your life I will establish from his children 8 kings (that are mentioned at the conclusion of the Parsha) before your children.

Yaakov had been told by Hashem that he need not fear Esau. To return to his land. That Hashem will be with him. There was no reason for him to fear. To try to play politics. To lower himself out of fear of creating conflict. Rav Mordechai Gifter Z”TL the former Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe noted that even if Yaakov was fearful perhaps of the sin that he may have had, or perhaps the merit that Esau had of honoring his Father Yitzchak that Yaakov didn’t. Or perhaps the merit of living in Eretz Yisrael that Esau possessed that Yaakov didn’t {By the way that statement of our sages and merit alone is worthwhile pondering- Yaakov was nervous because Esau HaRasha had more merit than him, because he lived in Israel- Discuss…} He shouldn’t have trembled. He should have had faith that Hashem was with him.

On the other hand we certainly find that throughout the generations our sages have derived inspiration and direction from Yaakov’s approach. Rebbi Yehuda the prince, the Talmud in Sota tells us, would flatter Antoninus in order to achieve his goals. Rabbeinu Bachaya suggests we should never go up against our enemies with war. Our way is only with prayer, with diplomacy. While others including Rashi suggest that war is the correct approach, as well, The Ksav V’Kabala goes as far as saying that Yaakov split up his family so that one could come to the assistance of the other as they smite Esau’s army. Hmmmm… Where does that leave us? Do we fight? Do we stand? Do we wait? Do we negotiate or even relent and make concessions?

You all have opinions. You wouldn’t be Jewish if you didn’t. Far be it from me to tell you what you should think. I just tell you what you shouldn’t think. There is one view however that I believe I can share with you. It is a story about Reb Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld., he was the leader of the Anti-Zionist movement in the pre-State Israel. He saw in their secular approach and even more dangerously in the approach of the religious that sought to align themselves with them for the sake of the “greater good”, a threat to the Jewish people and the holiness of our land and our people. One day, some of his antagonists who were more aggressive broke into his house and began to threaten him physically if he did not recant his positions and stop his “traitorous” rhetoric against the leaders of the movement. Reb Yosef Chaim didn’t flinch. The aged Rav looked at them and filled his heart with love for them, he told his students afterwards. He opened up his shirt and told them that they were free to kill him right there. But his love for them would not allow him to be quiet. To allow them to go down this path which would lead to the assimilation of so many. He would put his life on the line for them, as all he did was out of caring for them. They looked at the Rav and turned around and left. He hadn’t won them over to his side. But they knew that the fight between them would never divide them. He was fighting for them.

Rabbi Avraham Sheinbaum suggests that the Torah tells us

Bereshits (32:8) And Yaakov became frightened and it distressed him and he divided the nation with him

Yaakov was frightened because he saw that fear divided the nation. We were not one. We hated the other side. We thought only we know what’s right and the others are wicked. Are a danger. Are a threat. Are Nazi’s. And the rhetoric and principled approaches for the ‘sake of heaven’ become our worst enemy. Esau can never conquer Yaakov. There will always be a camp that will survive. We are only in any danger, when we are alone, when we are not one. That is when the angel of Esau attacks Yaakov. When he is separated from his family. Hashem shines his oneness upon us when we are one. Divided we fall.

I said there other reasons why I write about this topic this week. It’s not the demonstrations in the streets in Jerusalem and Manhattan against the State and the Army. It’s not the rhetoric on the other side as well that decries these people as well- despite the fact that misguided, in my opinion, is a polite term that I personally would use for them. It’s also not because I’ve just had enough of the constant fighting and hatred that continuously comes out of our strongly opinioned nation.

This week is in fact 70 years since the 29^th of November 1947, when the Nations of the World voted on a two state solution. The State of Israel was created. The majority of the Jewish people saw that as a good sign. The majority of the Jewish people also recognized the perilous situation that we were in as the War of Independence and all our neighbors five armies attacked us and threatened to wipe us off the map and push us into the sea. We were all united in that fight although we may have been divided in ideology. Our lives were on the line. We won. We were spared. It was a miracle. It wasn’t a miracle. I don’t think it makes a difference. Jews put their lives on the line for their fellow Jews. For Eretz Yisrael. We had one shared hope that our history should finally come to its glorious conclusion.  That the dreams of 2000 years should finally be fulfilled. It’s been a long time since we shared a common dream… We are so obsessed with trying to micromanage Hashem’s plan for us, that we have forgotten that His primary objective is that we should remember that we are a family that is meant to be united. Too many of us have unsubscribed already. None of us have it entirely right if we don’t see it that way. Our first exile after the first Temple was destroyed was for 70 year. It’s been 70 years since the world saw fit for us to come home and establish Eretz Yisrael as our homeland. The time has come for us make it Hashem’s homeland as well. We can start by becoming one.

Have a fantastic earliest Shabbos of the year!!

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Hint beissen zikh iber a bain un availim iber a yerusheh.” Dogs fight over a bone and mourners over an inheritance..

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q. The year in which Tel Aviv was established:

A. 1906

B. 1907

C. 1908

D. 1909

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/tEZwYHT8HVk  - Nigun Baal Shem Tov- the Holiest in the world…

https://youtu.be/Sbb0L8_f2KM  - The most moving songs of my childhood Yizkereim and Kol Brama by Ohad upon reading of Rachel Imeinu’s death this week.

https://youtu.be/QrIjzUK0FKg -Fascinating about UN vote 70 years ago 1947 for Israel

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S HAFTORA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

The Haftora for this week’s parsha was an easy choice for our sages, as our parsha deals with the epic battles between Yaakov and Esau and his guardian angel. What better Haftorah then the prophecy of Esau’s own grandchild, the prophet, Ovadia, who converted to Judaism that would foretell of the ultimate destruction of Esau. Historically Easu is Rome who destroyed our Temple and whose exile we are still in. The prophet tells us that Esau suffers from arrogance.

Who will bring me down to earth?

Hashem responds even if you raise yourself like an eagle…I will bring you down.

Rome’s symbol was the Eagle as was the Germans….Yeah they’re gone.

Hashem says he will eradicate wise men from Edom and understanding from the Mountain of Esau. And once thought to be the elite and the educated the Church, the Crusaders all they represented is certainly viewed as being backwards. The Haftorah issues a warning to Esau that their silence while Jerusalem is being plundered (in the times of Ovadia he was foretelling of the first exile that was to take place by Babylonia- or the Arab nations) will be considered as if they themselves were culpable

On the day that you stood afar, on the day that strangers captured his wealth and foreigners came to his gates and cast a lottery on Jerusalem you too were like on of them.

There’s a reason why the West should stand with Israel. There will be a day of reckoning. Even though it may seem the Jewish people will be wiped out. Just as Yaakov in our parsha who was injured, survived. Just as Yaakov separated a camp that will always live. So too does the prophet tell us

The Mount of Zion will be a refugee

They may throw us out of Spain, England, France, Rome, Germany, Russia…The US? But Israel will ultimately be the final place of refuge. The prophet actually lists, France (Tzorfat) Spain (Sefard) as those places. Yet he concludes with that famous vision that

V’Alu Moshi’im B’har Tzion Lishpot Es Har Esav Vhaysa La’Hashem HaMelucha- The Saviors will ascend to Mount Tzion to judge the mountain of Esau and to Hashem will be the Kingdom.

The time is now. Are you coming home?

Ovadia (850 BC)-  His name means "worshipper" or "Servant of G-d". He wasn't Jewish by birth. He was a ger or convert from Edom, a descendant of Esau. Ovadia wrote his own book, which is the shortest book in the Tanach. It's only one chapter long, consisting of just 21 sentences. Ovadia lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was a very G-d fearing man. Ovadia belonged to the court of the evil King Achav and Queen Jezebel who ruled over Israel or the ten northern tribes called Samaria. King Achav and Queen Jezebel brought in Phoenician Idols in order to worship Paganism. They wanted to destroy the prophets of Israel. Ovadia risked his life to save the prophets. Ovadia took 50 prophets and placed them in one cave and then he placed 50 more prophets and placed them into another cave to protect them. Therefore, he merited the ability to experience prophecy. Ovadia preserved the hidden prophets by paying for their food and oil (for light) with his own money. When he started to do this he was very rich. However, he eventually went into debt by borrowing money from the Royal family. Ovadia died young. He left a widow with debts to pay and two children. Elisha the prophet helped her when he made a miracle happen. He asked her to pour the single drop of oil she had left into many empty barrels. Miraculously they got filled up and she was able to pay her debts off and lived off of the remaining oil.

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

Biblical World War I 1730 BC – So the first World War is the four kings against the five Kings by the battle of Sodom and its cities. As in most World Wars it ultimately comes down to the Jews, and this war is no different. The Torah tells us that after capturing Sodom, Amrafel or Nimord as Rashi tells us captures Lot Avrahams nephew and Avraham is pulled into the war. He wins, with his army of 318 men or with just Eliezer whose name in Gematria adds up to 318. Where did this battle take place and where can we talk about it in Israel. Well the first part of the battle we can certainly talk about in Sodom. The city of Sodom however is under water in the lower part of the Dead Sea. On the way down to the Dead Sea we even pass places that are named after the biblical cities that are mentioned in the Parsha. Chatzazon Tamar- which Rashi tells us is Ein Gedi, Paran. The pits that were mentioned as well where the king of Sodom fell in, can also be envisioned by looking at all of the sinkholes that are there in the area today by the Dead Sea and the numerous accidents of people that just fall into them. We can look up from the Dead Sea and see the huge mountains of Sodom and picture the enemy fleeing there and how great of a place of refuge it is. Finally we can discuss this great biblical story when Avraham chases the enemy to their city of Dan- a city that is obviously not thus called during Avraham’s time as it is named after his great grandson. However the Torah uses that name to teach you that when you go all the way up to the Golan area, a place incidentally that was called Bashan in the times of Avraham; A country who’s king was a giant named Og, who told Avraham that they were hiding there, there you will find a Canaanite city where this story took place. And in fact we do. Right underneath the Israelite city of Dan archeologists have uncovered one of the oldest archways and Canaanite city gates in the world. It is here that Avraham chased them all the way up from Chevron and here is where his victory took place. An interesting aside is that right across this “Gate of Avraham” in Tel Dan is a Mamaluk Fortress called Nimord’s fortress. It has nothing to do with Nimrod, but its nice to know that these two nemeses are still juxtaposed from one another for eternity.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S JEWISH  JOKES OF THE WEEK

Sidney Cohen was thinking about how good his wife had been to him, and how fortunate he was to have her.
He asked God, "Why did you make her so kind hearted?"
The Lord responded, "So you could love her, my son." "Why did you make her so good looking?"
"So you could love her, my son."
"Why did you make her such a good cook?"
"So you could love her, my son."
Sidney thought about this. Then he said, "I don't mean to seem ungrateful or anything, but why did you make her so stupid?"
"So she could love you, my son."

Max, a Vaadnik (union head) is addressing a union meeting at a certain unnamed Israeli government- owned company.
"Comrades - Haverim. We have agreed on a new deal with the management. We will no longer work five days a week."
"Hooray!", goes the crowd.
"We will finish work at 3 PM, not 4 PM."
"Hooray!", goes the crowd, again.
"We will start work at 9 AM, not 7 AM."
"Hooray!"
"We have a 150% pay rise."
"Hooray!"
"We will only work on Wednesdays."
Silence...then a voice from the back asks, "Every Wednesday?"

An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy, a rather rare occurrence in Israel, to say the least. After examining it, he called Abe, the curator of the Israel museum in Jerusalem.
"I've just discovered a 3,000 year old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!" the excited scientist exclaimed.
Abe replied, "Bring him in. We'll check it out."
A week later, the amazed Abe called the archaeologist. "You were right about both the mummy's age and cause of death. How in the world did you know?"
"Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, '10,000 Shekels on Goliath'."

A Swiss tourist in Tel Aviv is looking for directions and pulls up at a bus stop where two Israelis are waiting. Entschuldigung Sie Bitte, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?” he says.
The two Israelis just stare at him.
“Excusey-moi, parlez vous Francais?”
The two continue to stare.
“Parlare Italiano?”
No response.
“Hablan ustedes Espanol?”
Still nothing.
The Swiss tourist drives off, extremely disgusted and frustrated. The first Israeli turns to his friend and says, “You know, maybe we should learn a foreign language”
“Why?” says his friend, “that guy knew four languages and that didn’t do him any good!”

Berel is telling a new joke to Yankel.
"Yitzhak and Hymie were talking one day..."
Right away, Yankel interrupts him. "Always with the Jewish jokes! Give it a rest! Why do your jokes always have to be about Jews? Just change the names to another ethnic group for once will you Berel!"
Berel starts again, "Hashimoto and Suzuki were talking one day at their nephew's Bar Mitzvah...."

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S SHABBAT CARTOON OF THE WEEK

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Answer is D – One can argue with this question as when Tel Aviv was first established in 1909 it was first called AChuzat Bayit and only got its name Tel Aviv in 1910. It was named after the book of Theodore Herzl Alte Neuland- Alte being old as in a Tel which is an old ruin and Aviv spring being new. The mandate to build Tel Aviv was in the worders of Akiva Weiss it’s founder “ to create a Hebrew urban centre in a healthy environment, planned according to the rules of aesthetics and modern hygiene” Ummmm What do you think? Did it accomplish that? The 66 families that started it went out to the beach and divided up the land by lottery of seashells and thus the second largest city in Israel today was born.