Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
October 9th 2020 -Volume 10
Issue 50 21st Tishrei 5781
Sukkot- Part II / Shmini Atzeret
Hashem's Tzimmer
We snuck away for Yom Tov.
It wasn't easy. There was a lockdown. There were checkpoints on all of the
roads. I envisioned my grandparents in in the war years smuggling out of Europe
with their fake gentile passports. Will they get caught? Will the police
realize that we aren't really all going to a doctor appointment at 10:00 PM, or
to a pharmacy because our local one doesn't carry the important medicine we
need, or that we were picking up my son from Yeshiva which we had an ishur to
do. Would that catch on that he doesn't learn in Nof Kinneret nor use any
doctor or pharmacy in this small little suburb of city where we had found our tzimmer/
vacation suite for a 90% discounted rate as everyone else had canceled. It
seems there are some benefits to a lockdown, and of being a tour guide who will
be sure to refer clients to whatever tzimmer gives me a 90% discount…. We would
we get hit with a fine or be turned around and sent home.
Every check point we
passed safely was another sigh of relief. Whewww…they didn’t check us.
It was like we had a "Munkatcher passport" (If you don't know what
that is then listen to the classic Carlebach story down below by our 'videos of
the week' section.) It seems that Hashem
arranged that the cops I was passing had better things to do on their phones or
with their lungs. And so we smuggled out again and again. It took 4 shifts.
Back and forth and back and forth. We Schwartzes don't travel light. We take
Yom tov meals seriously. We said tehillim the whole way. And like my
grandparents we ultimately made it to our destination and settled in for a nice
Sukkos.
Now I generally am not a
law-breaker. I'm good citizen. I follow the rules. I know that I'm not (yet)
Prime Minister or a member of Knesset. The rules still apply to me. In fact, they
apply double to me because I'm orthodox and wear a black hat-at least on the
day's that I'm not tour guiding and wearing my Nefesh B'Nefesh baseball cap;
which pretty much means that I have become a black-hatter. We chareidim, as is
known are doubly accountable because somebody has to make up for those
government officials and our arab "cousins" whom the Supreme Court
seems to always rule isn't responsible to abide by the laws and lockdowns that
are made. They're like protestors in America. But anyways I digress. I try to
follow the rules. And the truth is technically if someone is moving their
entire family until the lockdown is over to a house by themselves, then they
are permitted to travel there from what I understand. The fact that we were
returning for the last weekend of the holiday is just because we will then
decide that we want to return to our home and move back until the end of the
lockdown. See a yeshiva education works for you. But as I was nervous whether
the police would appreciate my yeshiva lomdus we had a bunch of other excuses
prepared. But Baruch Hashem we didn't need them… yet.
This year though has
really provided me with an opportunity I have never had before. See, usually
I'm on tours working the entire Chol Hamoed and can't really get away. As well,
I have my shul functioning and I certainly am wont to not experience and share
the holy inspiration with our singing and divrey Torah that one can only get in
the Young Israel of Karmiel. But this Sukkos there is no shul.
As well, generally
speaking the going price for a tzimmer during the peak season of Sukkos when
many families like to get away together is through the schachy roof. This year
with the lockdowns and cancelation I was able to get a place at a huge discount
basically paying for 6 nights what it would've cost for 1 night. Now even with that steep discount it was
still more money than this 8-month unemployed tour guide had in his negative
bank account. But after reading the ruling of Reb Chayim and many other Rabbis
that urged people particularly this year to invest a little more in the simchas
yom tov of their family, I figured how could I say no. I mean this place
had a pool, jacuzzi, sauna and incredible views overlooking the entire
Kinneret, Tiverya, lower Galile and even the Golan heights; places that I would
usually be tired of seeing by this time of year, but after a summer cooped up
in our home was more inspiring than ever to gaze out at. This was listening to
the Gedolim la'mehadrin. Now if only I would listen to everything else
they tell me to do with the same amount of diligence…But you gotta start
somewhere right?
Just in case I was still
in doubt whether this was a good idea or not I didn't have to wait to long..
When my wife and I came home from closing on the villa and we were discussing
how we were going to pay for it…Ring Ring…my phone rang. Hashem was on the
line. I know His ring already. This time he was calling in the form of a family
that I had spoken to a few months ago that had moved to Israel and were
considering to relocate to Karmiel this coming summer. Well it turns out that
after a discussion with their Rabbi about how unhappy they were where they were
living, he recommended that they already see if they could come to Karmiel for
Sukkos to enjoy the holiday and get a feel for our community. Do I know any
place that might be available for them to rent for the holiday? Well, whadaya know?
I just happen to know of a family that just decided to go away for the chag and
they definitely have a suite that they rent out that would be excited to have
them rent it from them… as they themselves weren't sure until your phone call
how they were going to pay for the tzimmer they were going to. Welcome to Casa
De Schwartz. And there you have it. Hashem wished me a good Yom Tov. We thanked
Him for his always generous contribution to our Sukkos Villa extravaganza, we
snagged our lulav Etrog, BBQ grill and bathing suits and were off. Happy Sukkos
Schwartz family! And baruch Hashem it
has been.
It's a fascinating mitzva
and holiday this sukkos of ours. Just as on Pesach which is described as the
holiday of our freedom-zman cheiruseinu, and Shavuos is the day of our
receiving our Torah-zman matan toraseynu, Sukkos is the zman
simchaseinu; It's the day of our happiness. Which means that just as on
Pesach our every discussion, prayer and mitzva are about experiencing and
tapping into the memory and energy of being free to serve Hashem and breaking
out of the shackles that hold us back, and just as Shavuos it's all about
appreciating the gift of Torah, it's spiritual light, its wisdom and its
holiness. Sukkos is all about tapping into this thing called happiness. Sukka
and our lulav and esrog is about being happy just like Matzah, our seder and our all night learning sessions are about
leaving Egypt and reliving our Sinai experience. But how?
See, freedom and Torah I
get. One can feel free even if they are in Auschwitz, even if they have
challenges and feel constrained. One can focus and grow in Torah. One can learn
it and taste its sweetness. But happiness seems like an emotion that comes when
one experiences something joyful, just as sadness is when I experience
something tragic, fear when I go through something scary, worried is when
there's something uncertain that frightens me and hungry is when I haven't
eaten in a while and sometimes even if I have. How does one just tap into that
emotion? How do you make yourself happy? The answer it seems is with Sukkah and
Lulav. The sefarim even write that merely gazing and shaking the four
species brings happiness. And it's true. Although the price tag sometimes
minimizes that… but what's the science behind it?
Reb Gershon Edelstien
Shlita in an incredible sicha that I read this Yom Tov explains this phenomenon
with another "emotional" mitzva- or a mitzva sh'bi'lev as he
refers to it; a mitzva of the heart; the mitzva of loving your fellow Jew- V'ahavta
l'rayacha kamocha. The same question we had by happiness applies here as
well. How do I love someone? What if they are really annoying? What if they are
voting for the wrong person? What if they are vegetarians and make a pareve
chulent? What if I just don't like them? So he answers with a classic yeshivish
insight that is so profound. He tells us that if the Torah commands us then it
must be possible. Not only is it possible, it is in fact the natural state of a
person. We were born and created with an incredible innocent and beautiful love
for every fellow Jew. kamocha- just as we are born and our natural
instinct is to love ourselves. That same love we naturally have for others as
well. It's there in our DNA, otherwise Hashem wouldn't have commanded us to
have that love.
In the same vein, Reb Gerson
writes, the natural state of man is to be happy. Not just smile or laugh at a
good joke here and there happy, but really really filled up with a fountain of
overflowing happiness all the time. It's not just a state of mind it's our
natural state of being. It is the core of our hard drive. And if you want to
even take it a little deeper it is that natural core that fuels that same love
drive that we have been programmed to have as well. Miserable people can't
love. Happy people can't stop loving. It's the joy that one wants and needs to
share. It is our basest instinct.
The problem though in life
is that we have covered up this natural state. As babies we cried a lot when we
didn’t get changed right away. Nobody likes sitting in a dirty diaper and it's
alright to cry. But two minutes later after that bath they revert back to their
natural happiness. As we got older we cried when we fell and hurt ourselves,
when we lost our toys, when we didn't get fed…some of us still cry when that
happens. When we were younger we could still revert back to that natural state.
We still knew we could tap into that love, that inner happiness and
appreciation of blessing that we have. But we got more and more distracted. We
got more and more stuff and less and less joy. We had more "friends"
more "likes" but less peace and less love. More beans and potatos and
less meat. . Less Hashem. Less real me.
A big part of all of that
rust that has grown over our happiness state are the sins and distance that we
got rid of this past Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We did tashlich, we did
teshuva. We realigned ourselves with our King. Our purpose. The reality of our
existence and our privileged mandate. Our happiness is mode is now ripe to make
its grand re-entrance into our lives.
It is then that we are
commanded to leave our homes that have all that last year baggage still hanging
around and lurking in the walls and go away to a tzimmer for a week; Hashem's
tzimmer. Eat, drink, swim, sing, grill, love and even sleep and schmooze. All
of the things that should make you happy. But look up through that schach that
fragile roof that separates this physical world from the heavens and see how
close we really are. Remember what it was like when we were first born so
happy… How we possess that most natural of states that is just below that schach
waiting to be released.
What are the Lulav and
esrog that we wave? They are the most natural growths of creation. The fruits,
the branches, the bushes the reeds. They rise up from the earth and the
proclaim Hashem. They exude joy because of the simplicity of their being. They
fill their beholders with happiness because there is nothing more joyous than
Hashem's creations being brought together and held in His honor. When we take
that Lulav and esrog and wave them around ourselves the kabbalists tell us we
are removing the evil spirits. Do you know what those spirits are? They are all
of the impediments to simcha that surround us and try to remove us from
our natural state. We wave the Lulav east, west, to the right to the left and
even up and down saying that the joy that these species possess are the only
things that should always surround us. They should fortify us and solidify that
simcha. They are our lips, our eyes, our spines and our heart. They are our
deeds and our Torah. We wave them to and fro and push our own joy back out to
the world.
We do that for 6 days and
then Hoshana Rabba comes. On this last day of Sukkos we untie the lulav from
its restraints. We march around again and again and again. Hosha na. save us.
Make this simcha last. The lulav is shaking wilder. We then up it a notch more
and take just the aravos and we wave them again and again. We bring them down
to the ground and remove all of the spirits and we are left with just simcha.
Pure happiness.
On a regular year we would
then take that joy to Simchas Torah and grab one Jew to another and hold our
Torah's tight to our chest and make circles of joy around and around our shuls.
But Sukkos 2020/ 5781 is not like any other year. There's no shul. There's no
dancing- at least not the sweaty-guy-against-sweaty-guy-up-and-down-jumping
kind of dancing. The MOH and our rabbis have even said we can't pass the
Torah's around or kiss them. I'm reminded of that Abie Rottenberg song and
story of the survivors that didn’t have a Torah but lifted up some Jewish
children and danced with them. We danced round and round in circles… as if
the world had done no wrong… though we have no Sefer Torah to gather in our
arms… in their place we held those children- the Jewish people will be strong…This
year it is only us and our children. And for some it might only be just us
alone. But we are never alone. We have filled up with that joy. The Torahs and
our fellow Jews are the people that we are accustomed to sharing that joy with
on Simchas Torah/ Shmini Atzeret day. But this year perhaps for the first time
we will really feel that it is just us alone with Hashem as the midrash tells
us the day is meant to be spent. No more teshuva, no more shofar, no more
lulav, esrog or sukka. Just our happiness together with our Creator's. We have
returned to the garden of Eden. When it was just the two of us together. Hashem
and Adam. We have returned to our original natural happy state. And Hashem saw and
it was tov me'od-very good.
On that first day that we
were born Hashem brought rain unto the world when we prayed for it. As well we
will pray that Hashem shower us this winter with blessing and not with curse,
with life and not with death, with plenty and not with famine… May this winter
bring all of those blessings and may the world be blessed with the simchas olam
it has been waiting for as we return to the tzimmer of Hashem.
Have a ecstatically joyous Shmini Atzeret, Simchat
Torah and a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Ven
di kats shloft, tantsen di meiz."."- When the cat sleeps the mice dance"
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
A. Haifa
B. Eilat
C. Jerusalem
D. Tel-Aviv
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/lmaan-yeydu-vsamachta – Add a little Simcha to your Sukkos
with my Sukkos pop song composition L'Maan Yeidu-V'Samachta! Arranged and sung
by the one and only Dovid Lowy this song will keep you and your kids up and
hopping around you Sukkah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foYZEE5WLlI&lc=UgyNncJAONhKhD5TC-p4AaABAg – Munkatcher Passport, by Reb Shlomo Carlbebach a classic story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI5ZwzYH7Ag –Berri Webber and Ari Hill Hoshana just
released…
https://mishpacha.com/club-jr-ep-5-tour-israel
- for those following my Places and eras in Israel column above here once
again is my Midbar Yehuda amazing tour of Dovid and Shaul by the waterfalls of
Nachal Dovid
magid devorov la'yaakov- He spoke His words to Yaakov,
Chukov u'mishpatav l'yisrael- His laws and judgements to Israel-
Lo asa ken l'kol goy- He did not do this for the nations
u'mishpatim ba' yi'daum- and
He did not make known to them the judgements.
Now on the other hand there is the opinion of Reb Meir that a non-Jew that
studies Torah is like a Kohen Gadol, however the talmud explains that is only
when he studies the 7 Noachide laws that they are obligated in observing. If
that would be the case it would seem that it would be permitted to teach them
those Halachos as well. As well a gentile that would be looking to sincerely
convert and observe the commandments according to most opinions it would be
permitted to learn Torah with them as well. We have the story of Hillel that
taught the converts Torah and most opinions understand that gemara to be
permitting if not obligating to teach them the proper way and ideas of Torah. Questions
of religious doctrine as well is certainly something that is permitted
particularly if the function of that is that they will appreciate and pass laws
that take into consideration the Jewish needs. {I don't think rioting in the
streets of Boro Park maybe the best way to teach them the significance of the
holiday of Simchat Torah- but what do I know. I also don't think we should be
living in Boro ParkJ)
It seems as well there is a large debate as to what Torah is particularly
forbidden to teach them. The Netziv writes that the prohibition is only on
Torah She'baal peh- Mishna and Talmud and the like and to study the written
Torah and books of the prophets with them would be fine. He even proves this
point by the fact that we were obligated when we crossed the Jordan River into
Israel to write the Torah on these big rocks in 70 languages in order for them
to learn. There are other opinions such as the Sefat Emet that learn just the
opposite that only the Torah that Moshe commanded of the written law is
prohibited however the oral law and certainly halachic questions should be
fine. And there are even other opinions that seem to ony prohibit the teaching
of the secrets of the Torah.Chacham Ovadia and Reb Moshe Feinstien though seem
to prohibit all forms of Torah study that is not for the purpose of conversion.
However it would seem that if one is teaching a class with Jews and non Jews in
attendance then you do not have to stop teaching the class because of them.
Finally the Me'iri notes that the reason for this prohibition is because
the gentiles studying of the Torah and non-observance of it sets a bad example
for the Jewish people. The Torah is not meant to be a philosophical or
theological book. It is a way of life that is sacred for the Jewish people. It
is classified information and inspiration of the word of Hashem to our people.
If the Torah would become just another religious book it minimizes its
significance. It would put it on the shelf with all the other fake books of the
fake religions out there the Bible (new testament), Koran, Buddha, Hindu, and
the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. We are mandated to protect our betrothed.
It is our inheritance and our betrothed and hopefully this column this past
year gave us an appreciation of the mitzvos each week that we can fulfill.
Stay tuned next week for the new _____________ of the week
Parsha column!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN
ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Shaul vs Dovid-Ein Gedi
Part III- 878 BC-
This is one of my most told tour guide stories as Ein Gedi's
Nachal Dovid hike is one of the most visited in Israel and certainly ranks up
there as one of my top 5 places to visit in Israel. To make it on my list it
needs all of my factors. It has incredible nature with the beauty of Israel's
Judean desert and the Dead Sea. It's an easy hike for the whole family. It's
got animals, waterfalls, and of course most important a great Tanach story. If
you haven't been there yet, don't fret. Thanks to Mishpacha Jr. you can check
out my video tour below of this incredible site. And even see Mishpacha's first
swimsuit model all in my Nefesh B'Nefesh hat, colourful bathing suit bearded
tour guiding glory.
Well
let's get to the story. So Dovid runs away from Zif where he was hiding making
a narrow escape as Shaul miraculously gets called away to deal with a
Philistine incursion once again. He makes his way to the glorious Ein Gedi springs
and fortress that was built there. It's a great place to hide. There's water
aplenty all year round. There's plenty of caves to hide in and it's not an easy
place to get to. It's very likely that here he composes his psalm of Barchi
Nafshi as he says the hills for the ya'elim/ ibex's that are here and
the rocks are shady places for the shafanim/ hyraxes that frolic in this
area.
Yet,
Shaul is consumed with his pursuit and right after he takes care of the
Plishtim he comes back to his mission of tracking down Dovid with 3000 men. One
can picture this huge army clamouring through these hills while Dovid and his
men take refuge in one of the caves. But then Shaul, like many of my tourists
who don't listen to their tour guide before they head out on their hike,
decides that he needs the "facilities". Of all the many caves in the
area wouldn't you know it? He picks the cave that Dovid and his men are hiding
in. so picture the scene. Shaul has his back to Dovid, 3000 men are waiting
outside to kill him and Dovid's men urge that the opportunity he has been
waiting for-no 'that Hashem has told him that he will give his enemy in his
hands' has finally arrived. So Dovid takes his trusty
sword stealthily he sneaks up on Shaul and CHOP! He cuts off a piece of the
corner of Shaul's cloak of his Tzitzis. His heart is pounding as he makes his
way back to his men telling them that he will not do Hashem's 'dirty work"
for him. If Hashem wants to take out Shaul that's His divine business. He is
after all the one that anointed him in the first place. But Dovid will not lay
a hand upon him. And thus Shaul exits the cave.
When he is safely on the other side of the ravine Dovid calls out to him
"My father Shaul" and Shaul and his men flip around and see Dovid.
Dovid then gives an impassioned speech how he means Shaul no harm. Why does
Shaul listen to evil-doers and gossip mongers that are only out there to make
fights and trouble. He waves the corner of the cloak to show Shaul that he had
the opportunity to kill him and he didn't. He humbly refers to himself as a
'dead dog" and a 'little flea' after who it doesn't poss for the
King of Israel to be chasing. He then swears he will never do him any harm.
At the end of Dovid's speech Shaul becomes overwhelmed by emotion and breaks
down crying. He is in awe of Dovid's generosity and benevolence not to avenge
himself for all the troubles Shaul has caused him. He recognizes publicly for
the first time that Dovid will indeed succeed him and he asks Dovid that he
never take revenge on any of his descendants. They part ways. Dovid goes back
to the fortress on the top of the mountain and Shaul returns to his home. Will
this peace last? Unfortunately it doesn't but for now on Sukkos every one is
alright and lived another day.
This simchas
Torah the rabbis have banned mixed dancing for fear that it might lead to
regular dancing.
"What
don't you understand," he said, "with the Esrog I walk
together on the street…"
What do ghosts
dance to? Soul music
What do cars do at the disco? Brake dance
What kind of dance do mothers like best? The Mom-bo
Why didn't the
skeleton dance at the disco? He had no body to dance with!
How do you make
a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it… UCHHH! Did I really put that in…
Where did the hamburger go to dance? At the Meat ball
How do they
dance in Saudi Arabia? Sheik-to-sheik
How do hens
dance? Chick to chick
What do you call a dancing lamb? A baa-lerina!
How many dance
teachers does it take to change a light bulb? Five!...Six!...Seven!...Eight!
A mushroom walked into a dance club and asked this girl to dance. She replied,
"Are you kidding? You are a mushroom!" And the mushroom replied,
"Oh come on. I am a FUN GUY!"
In order to fulfill Ministry of Health guidelines this Simchat Torah one should
insult the person next to them while dancing. That way you are practicing
social-Diss- dancing.
Soon after the
show starts, Davidka walks onto the stage and starts doing the most beautiful,
energetic and exciting dancing they've seen for a long time. His dances include
some Gadi Biton and Rafi Ziv Israeli dances; some moon walking; some break
dancing; some acrobatic dancing; and even some modern dance. Suddenly, Rivkah
turns to Moshe and pointing to Davidka on the stage says, "I didn’t tell
you this before, but I know this man from my ‘previous life.’ In fact, he
proposed to me nearly 20 years ago - before I met you of course. But I quickly
rejected him as he just wasn't my type."
With a big grin
on his face, Moshe says, "Well it certainly looks like he's still
celebrating!"
Answer is C – And I got this one wrong… See and
just when I thought I was on a hot streak and patting myself on the back. To be
honest I never heard of the aquarium. I knew it wasn't the famous one in Eilat
which is called the Underwater observatory not aquarium and it was too easy of
a give-away. Tel Aviv didn't make much sense and I know that Chaifa has lots of
museums, the Navy one, Science one so I guessed maybe there was an aquarium
there as well. Turns out that the correct answer is Jerusalem. Built right next
to the Biblical Zoo… another place I haven't been to since I moved here…and it
was finished three years ago. I guess as a tour guide I should know about this
aquarium, not that I would take anyone there, as its not something you need a
tour guide for. But it's still a good place to recommend to people that have
done lots of stuff in Israel and are looking for something different, maybe on
a rainy day or a day too hot to be outside. What makes it unique to Israel? It
features aquatic life from our four "seas" The Mediteranean, Red Sea,
Dead Sea and Kinneret. So this one goes to the MOT and the score is Schwartz
36 and 12 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam. Only 2 more questions
left…
