Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend
in Karmiel"
June 18th 2021 -Volume 11 Issue 36 8th
Tamuz 5781
Parshat ChukasWho Are You, again?
I have a confession to make. I don't remember you. I usually recognize your face, particularly after we have just hugged and kissed and slapped each other on the back. But I certainly don't remember your name. Don't feel bad I sometimes get my own children's names mixed up and I only have five of them. I certainly don't remember when or where I toured with you- was it a year ago, two years ago, ten years. And I certainly don't remember what I'm sure are your very adorable children.
Oh…
You weren't tourists of mine? Did we go
to yeshiva together? Were we chavrusas? Neighbors? Shul-mates? I've lived lots
of places. I've been to lots of yeshivas. And frankly I've had lots of fun,
funny, exciting and memorable adventures and anecdotes with almost everyone
that I know. Memorable, for you.
For
me, though? It's just kind of a blur. Sure, if you remind me there is a chance
that you might jog something in this rusty old noggin of mine. If you initiate
that memory recall query with the words "How can you forget when we…"
I will certainly fake it pretty well and give you the satisfaction of knowing
that your time with me was something that is firmly and uniquely emblazoned on
my mind and heart- just as I know that my time with you is certainly in yours.
But, I really don't remember you at all. But thank you for the hugs and kisses
anyways.
Now,
I really don't take the entire credit for the fact that in your mind our
special time together was so unforgettable. (Years of therapy does help
slightly in helping you get over some of the lingering trauma; I'm told). It
wasn't just me and my inspirational guiding skills and good jokes and songs. It
was your vacation time. It was Eretz Yisrael. Of course it would be something
that you never forget. Memories were built and shared with your family that were
meant to last a lifetime and we accomplished that together. But they are your
memories. Your special times. Your family. Your trip to Eretz Yisrael. I was
just the simple shaliach that was privileged to share and join you for
it. And until a year and a half ago I would do that most days of most weeks
with another family almost as special as yours. Although their children were
certainly not as cute.
Now
this is not just the folly of popular tour guides like me. I know many Rebbeim
and teachers that have taught for decades that don't remember most of their
students as well. Not mine of course. They have told me that still wake up in a
cold sweat from nightmares that I am still sitting in their classrooms. It's
hard though to remember most other students. There are hundreds of them over
the years. Yet, each of us remember all of our teachers. They were our focus
for an entire year and they have left indelible memories upon each of us. In my
case I still have the bruises to prove it.
I
still remember the tour guides my parents took on our Israel trips when we were
kids. Not that I can tell you anything they said or showed us. I don't think I
could've even the day after our trip. But I do remember the ice cream that we
had. It's still part of me. But that is the nature of people. We can remember
the person that focuses their attentions on us. But it is hard for us to
remember those that we are meant to be focusing upon and inspiring. They become
a blur. An eternal bond is formed with those that we are inspired from, but
rarely is that same bond shared by those of that are doing the inspiring and
teaching. Our tourists and students all merge together like a good pot of
chulent. They are just that. "Students", "Tourists", people
I have "taken around". They don't really have identities.
I
always feel a little bit guilty when I have these encounters. I'm in the States
now for my nephew's Bar Mitzva and niece's wedding and have had the pleasure of
davening in these "shtiblach" minyan factories where in just the last
three days I've had tens of these "reunions". (If you are one of
those people I met the past few days, don't worry I'm not talking about you…
You- I remembered. Of course… how could I forget. We had so much fun together…
but everyone else-). I wish I did remember you. I wish I was bonded with you
the same way, that you feel connected and bonded to me. I really do. I feel so
much love and affection from you. I wish I could reciprocate and tell you
honestly you were as special and meaningful to me. I really do and I feel
guilty that I don't. Yet, I take comfort that I'm not the first one that failed
in this area. In fact, perhaps this was the only failing of our first tour
guide; no less of a man than the great Moshe Rabbeinu.
This
week's Parsha tells us of the "sin" of Moshe Rabbeinu, that
ultimately caused his Divine tour guiding license to be revoked wherein he
would not be privileged to ever guide in Eretz Yisrael. The Jewish people, as
usual were complaining and fighting. When one reads the Torah it seems that
they really never stopped. Although the truth is over the 40 years in the
wilderness we really only have record of maybe 10 or so fights. That's really
not that bad when you come to think about it. "Ha'levai oif mir ge'zukt"
as we say in Yiddish.
This
time though they have a legitimate complaint. There is no water. It's dangerous
and scary in the wilderness when all of a sudden the rolling drinking fountain
of Miriam dried up after her death. How would they survive?
Hashem
recognizing the legitimacy of their fears thus told Moshe to gather the people,
speak to a rock and water would sprout forth once again. According to the
Midrash a miracle took place and every single Jew stood before "the
rock"; which is kind of hard when you think about the fact that there was
a few million of us there. Each Jew pointed to the rock and told Moshe to bring
forth water. And that's when Moshe pretty much lost it. He yells at them. He
calls them rebels. He doesn't go to the rock that they want, rather he goes to
another rock and strikes it twice and water comes out. Mission accomplished.
Miraculous water tour concluded. Yet at the same time Hashem announces to Moshe
and Aharon
Ya'an
lo he'amantem bi- l'hakdisheini b'einei Bnai Yisrael- because you didn't
believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of Bnai Yisrael. Therefore, you will not bring
this gathering to the land I have given to them.
Now
that seems very intense and dramatic. The commentaries all grapple with what
exactly the sin was. Some suggest that it was that he hit the rock instead of
speaking to the rock. Others that he hit it twice rather than once. Some in
that he didn't hit the rock that they wanted and the Rambam writes it was that
he got angry at them and referred to them as rebels. Although most of the above
commentaries vociferously disagree with the other suggested opinions- the irony
of Jews arguing about what they were arguing about in this particular case is
in itself so "Jewish". It is understandable as no one likes to
attribute a sin to Moshe, and as Rashi notes this is the only sin that he is
guilty of. Yet, my general approach is that all of the peshatim are
correct. There is one theme that I think joins them all together. It is this
sin that we find that Moshe requests that Hashem's makes sure that his
successor, Yehoshua be granted the protection not to fall in.
In
two weeks from now we read Parshas Pinchas, where Hashem once again informs
Moshe that he will not go into the Land of Israel for the sin of not
sanctifying His name amongst the Jewish people. There Moshe asks Hashem
Bamidbar
(27:16-17) "Hashem Elokey Ha'Ruchos - Let Hashem, the God of
spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who
will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring
them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep without a
shepherd."
Hashem's
response to Moshe that Yehoshua is the perfect man for Moshe's request.
Ibid
(18) Hashem said to Moshe, "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun,
Asher
Ruach bo- a man of spirit, and you shall lay your hand upon him.
Moshe
refers to Hashem here as the God of Ruach and Hashem tells him that
Yehoshua is the man of Ruach for the job. Rashi notes that the
particular request of Moshe and the qualification that he was most concerned
with after the debacle of his sin was that the next leader should be one with a
unique talent. He be blessed with ruach.
Rashi
(ibid) God of the spirits: Why is this said? He said to
Him, “Master of the universe, the character of each person is revealed to you,
and no two are alike. Appoint over them a leader who will tolerate each person
according to his individual character.”
A man of spirit: As you
requested; someone able to deal with the character of each one
Moshe
wanted someone that would remember their tourists. Somebody that would connect
with each one individually. Someone that wouldn't lob them all together under
one stereotype "complainers", "rebels", "ingrates".
They need a shepherd that understands that each sheep is unique. Each one has
their own issues. Each one needs to feel that they are special and most
importantly that their guide cares for them. That their Father in heaven is
sanctified in each of them. That they each have His Ruach that is unique
residing inside of them.
When
we examine the grievances the nation had more closely we can see that there
were in fact numerous different complaints
The
people quarreled with Moshe, and they said, "If only we had died with the
death of our brothers before the Lord.
There
were those that had lost their relatives. Some because of the sin the
punishment of the sin of the spies, other in the other plagues and tragedies in
the 40 years struggle. The water crisis brought up fears of their own deaths.
As
well there were others that said.
Why
have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our
livestock should die there?
The
toil of the travel was getting to them. It was too long. They were promised a
place where their cattle can run wild. The wilderness was not part of their
itinerary.
And
then there were those that were just miserable because they just saw
negativity. They saw evil. They feared enemies. Where was the holiness. Where
was the Temple of Hashem they had envisioned? They said
Why
have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place;
The
farmers who dreamed of the holy fruits that they would plant. The fields they
would inherit. The wineries they would build were frustrated because all they
have seen so far is that
it
is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees,
And
finally there were the ones that were just thirsty and said - and there is
no water to drink.
Each
Jew pointed to their own rock that they wanted their issues addressed from.
They wanted the proverbial water to pour forth and realize that Hashem was
listening to their pain and saw their individual spirit. If that would happen
then Hashem's name would be sanctified in each of them. And Hashem was prepared
to do just that. He made a miracle that each Jew would feel like they were the
only one standing in front of the rock. It didn't make a difference which one.
It should be the one that they picked. It was their issues that needed to be
spoken to not hit, not grouped together, certainly not hit twice.
Moshe
failed them. Perhaps it was precisely his closeness to Hashem and his viewing
of the entire nation as a whole, 'as one man with one heart' that didn't as
well give him the ability to see the individuality that each one possesses.
They became a blur to him. One big beautiful nation that would all be fed from
the same well. From the one source that speaks the same to everyone. The
individual uniqueness, the personal experience that each one had could no
longer be revealed from him. And so his last request was that his replacement
and student Yehoshua would be one that will be better prepared than he was with that quality of
knowing and connecting with each person.
Whether
each of us need a tour guide that can remember each of us and that can be
connected to us as much as we are forever connected to them is arguable. But we
all need a teacher that can be connected to us in that way. As well we all need
to be the teachers and inspirers that are not merely teaching material, subject
matter and even Torah, but that are teaching people, that are connecting to
them. That are part of their lives. Our Rebbeim are our shepherds. Our students
are our sheep. When the shepherd doesn't feel each sheep's particular needs
they wander, the leave the flock, they get taken by the wolves. But Rebbeim
like that don't grow on trees. The greatest gift we can have is when Hashem
sends us the right people that we can fulfill the dictum of Pirkey Avot of
Asei Lecha Rav- to make for ourselves teachers, Rebbeim, spiritual mentors,
connectors to Hashem. To pursue them, to connect with them and to make them
part of our lives. For it is their hugs and true acknowledgement that will
guide us on the most important tours of life.
Have a special Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Altz ken a der mentsh fargesn nor nit esn."– " A person can forget everything but
eating
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
33)
The settlement of Be’erotayim is located in the area of:
A)
Arava
B)
Pitchat Shalom
C)
Pitchat Nizana
D)
Beer Sheba
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://youtu.be/Fe7vfKo1uCU – Rabbi "K"s latest video
Ko Amar with some awesome footage of Israel and it's rebirth. I just love those
old black and white videos and it's a beautiful song.
https://youtu.be/LpUOwuL79_I – A moving and beautiful song about the
knot of the Teffilin by an orphaned Bar Mitzva boy (with a stunning voice) who
is going to be wearing the teffilin of his father A'h
https://youtu.be/laKsCf_XuvE
- Doni Grosses latest
release with Shaleshes Jr.s newest song Shiru lahashem
https://youtu.be/2WnTIr8vBJE - A thousand voices- Baruch Levine, Rivi
Shwebel Ari Shonfeld. And boys of Waterbury in honor of Night Seder America
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/ ERETZ YISRAEL CONNECTION OF THE
WEEK
Impure Liberation
– Parshat Chukas-
This week's Torah portion tells us of the conquest and battle that the Jewish
people had against Sichon the King of the Emori in conquering the Trans-Jordan
area. Rashi tells us that this land had originally been owned by Ammon and Moav.
In doing so he was "metaher" it- he purified the land. See, the Jews
were prohibited to attack those nations which were descendants of Lot. Yet once
Sichon conquered them, it was fine to wage war against him and take them.
Rav Kook sees
something fascinating about this process. How is it possible, he asks, to use a
terminology such as "purification" when talking about a wicked person
like Sichon? His answer is that the process of purification happens because there
are sparks of holiness that are locked up and trapped in the impurity and they
are released when it is purified. There are two ways that things can be
purified or in the words of Kabbala the process of Birurim- separating and
uplifting the holy sparks. One is by elevating the holy sparks through holy
actions that draw them out. In the laws of Shabbos that is called taking the
ochel out of the pesoles; The good from the bad. That is the standard process
and it is the work of the righteous. Finding those hidden sparks that are hidden
in everything and everyone and helping to uplift them.
The other
process is the opposite. It is when the level of ra- evil is raised to
such a harsh degree that the holy sparks themselves flee. That is what happened
with Sichon. While the children of Lot and Moav were there the world did see
them as evil. They saw a civilized nation, that may have not been so nice or accommodating,
they may have had some bad character traits. But, c'mon they can't be bad. Don’t
stereotype. Don't call them evil. It was like that way with Germany before the Holocaust.
It was that way with Europe that many Jews felt were civilized. They were
cultured and would no longer commit the horrific atrocities that the Cossaks
and barbarians and peasants of the past had. It's kind of the way many feel the
United States and many cultured advanced nations are today.
The Nazi's blew
that myth out of the water. The evil was raised to a degree that the whole
world recognized that it was evil and the sparks of holiness were entirely
released as the game was up. That's what Sichon did. That was how things became
purified.
When it comes
to the modern return to Eretz Yisrael both of those processes take place as
they did when we originally came here 3000 years before. There were righteous
people that came here with the mission of living and experiencing and restoring
the holiness to the land that had been bereft of its children for so long. At
the same time the world saw so much evil. So much murder. So many Jihad's and
atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people both in and outside of Israel
that it recognized how important it was us for to return. For us to have a
place of holiness. A place where we can uplift the entire world from. The days
of redemption are like the days when we first came here. We can come with holy
intentions or we can come because we are fleeing with the holy sparks the evil
that is growing and rising in the world at large. Which is the reason you want
to come for?
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE
WEEK
Team Dovid- 840 BC – With Avshalom's declaration of Kingship, Dovid was forced to flee. He took
two of his wives with him leaving behind his concubines and with his procession
of men fled Yerushalayim mourning along Nachal Kidron. The is Nachal
which today is leads down to the Dead Sea area from the Temple Mount
is one that was used in recent time to carry much of the sewage and pollution
from Yerushalyim. In recent years there has been much efforts to
cleaning it up. When he arrived on Harr Ha'zeisim Tzadok Hakoehn and Evyasar
and Achimatz the Levi'im came out to greet him carrying the Aron of Hashem with
them. Yet Dovid insisted that they return to Yerushalayim and serve under
Avshalom, They could serve as his eyes and ears in what was happening in the
Kingdom.
The next group
of visitors Dovid had fascinatingly and perhaps even ironically enough was Itai
Hagiti a Philistine from Gat whom it seems that Dovid had developed close
relationships and who brought with him 600 men to support Dovid. Dovid insisted
that they need not join in his fight, but much like Rus, Dovid's grandmother he
bound himself to Dovid and refused to leave.
Finally the
last member of Dovid's team is the
figure of Chushai Ha'archi one of Dovid's older advisers. He is the counter to
Achitofel who had joined agains Dovid. Chushai saw the folly of Avshalom and
swore his loyalty to Dovid. Dovid appreciates Chushai's loyalty, however he
feels that Chushai would better serve him being a Avshalom's side as a voice
and balance to Achitofel's nefarious plots against Dovid. Chushai indeed goes
back to Avshalom who is at first suspicious of him, however Chushai assures him
that just as he was loyal to Dovid so he will be loyal to Avshalom his son. His
job is to support the people and it seems that the nation had selected Avshalom
to be the king. With Dovid's men in place his future return is now in place.
However before
that happens, Dovid will still suffer some more indignities, trials, and
suffering. More about that next week.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FORGETFUL JOKES OF THE WEEK
Moishe
was invited to his old friends' home for dinner one evening. He was
impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his with endearing
terms-Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.
The
couple had been married almost 70 years, and clearly they were still very much
in love. While the wife was in the kitchen, Moishe leaned over and said to his
host, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still
call your wife those loving pet names."
The
old man hung his head. "I have to tell you the truth," he
said, "I forgot her name about 10 years ago."
Not
only is my short term memory horrible, but so is my short term memory
I
swear if my memory is any worse, I could plan my own surprise party.
I'm
not getting old. I just can't remember things because my brain is too full.
I
tried writing things down to help me remember things. The problem is I can't
remember where I wrote it down.
Three
old ladies are sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. Zelda says, “You
know, I’m getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of
the stairs, and I couldn’t remember whether I had just come up or was about to
go down.”
Sadie
then said, “You think that’s bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge
of my bed and I couldn’t remember whether I was going to sleep or had just
woken up!
Lily
however smiles smugly, “Well, my memory is just as good as it’s always been,
knock on wood,” she says as she raps on the table. Then with a startled
look on her face, she asks, “Who’s there?”
An
elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the
wives left thetable and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen
were talking, and one said,
"Last
night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I
would recommend it very highly." The other man said, "What
is the name of the restaurant?"
The
first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name
of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... the one that's
red and has thorns."
"Do
you mean a rose?"
"Yes,
that's the one,"
replied the man.
He
then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name
of that restaurant we went to last night?"
Psychiatrist:
"How long have you had short-term memory loss?"
Patient:
"As long as I can remember."
Right
now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time — I think I’ve forgotten
this before.- Steven Wright
Once
upon a time in their marriage, Saul Rosenberg did something really stupid.
Ethel Rosenberg chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up.However,
from time to time, Ethel would mention what he had done.
"Honey,"
Saul finally said one day, "why do you keep bringing that up? I thought
your policy was 'forgive and forget.'"
"It
is," Ethel
said. "I just don't want you to forget that I've forgiven and
forgotten."
*********************************
Answer is C- Incredibly I got this one right but for
no reason besides a little bit of deduction. I remember Be'erotayim in the
Negev, which knocked out the Arava. I thought that Be'er Sheva was too obvious
as it had the Be'er in it already. I had no clue what this pitchat Shalom place
was so I went with Nitzana which I knew was in Negev and one of the Nabatean
cities there. The truth is I looked afterwards on Wiki and it turns out that
Be'erotayim wasn't even in the South, it's in the Sharon valley not far from
Netanya. So now I was really confused because it turns out that Pitchat Shalom
is also in the South so none of the answers seemed right. I posted the question
on my tour group and David Bratspis got it right. He explained that Be'erotayim
is the old name of a settlement currently called Azuz which is in Nitzana. So
there you go. I got it right but really the question is not a fair one and is
probably a recycled old one. So the
score now is 24 for Rabbi Schwartz and 8 for the Ministry of Tourism on this
exam.
