from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
June 19th 2026 -Volume 16 Issue 34 4th of Tamuz 5786
Who will Lead?
Where are the leaders? Who are the Leaders? It's the question the nation and Korach ask in last week's parsha for those of us blessed enough to be living here and this week's parsha for those still languishing in the godless countries, across the ocean. It's as well the question of this week's parsha of Chukas here in Israel. The parsha where Aharon dies, where Miriam dies and where Moshe himself is decreed to die. It's the question the Haftorah of Korach with the people requesting a "King, so we can be like all nations" from Shmuel, who isn't so happy with their request. And it's the question of this week in the haftorah when Bnai Yisrael comes to the unlikely and seemingly uneducated Yeshiva dropout- or rather chucked out judge Yiftach and his band of merry boors to become their leader and King, because there's no one else that can get the job done. And our sages tell us the powerful and perplexing eternal message-that Yiftach in his generation is like Shmuel. Or perhaps in today's terminology. Bibi is like Dovid Ha'Melech?! Or not?
Those questions are not just parsha questions. It's the daily News. It's what people in America are asking. Is Trump another Obama or worse? Are gas prices and midterms more important than the moral battle against evil that he raised and claimed to be battling. There's always been the other- Korach side and claim- do we really need strong leadership, or are we all holy? We all are equal. Socialism. Humanism. Or do we need a strong leader, who we thought Trump and respected- until it came back to bite us, that doesn't care what the people have to say or want. He's leading as he sits fit. And every one else needs to get in line. King Trump.
Are the really even in fact leaders here? Or are they just patsies of Qatar and their billions. Is Trump a pawn of Bibi, they asked? And pretty much have their answer. Or is Bibi Trump's pawn, as Trump seems to think he is. I guess, time will tell us that.
It's questions that have always been going on Israel but that now it's screaming in our streets. Literally in the streets here in Israel. It's many chareidim, who for a long time knew that the government and certainly the judicial system isn't there for them, but now are asking the same questions of their official chareidi party representatives? Where are the laws and protections you promised us? Why are we getting treated as criminals, worse than arabs, worse then left-wing protestors, worse than the military echelons that let October 7th happen, that leak information to our enemies, that betray the Jewish people?
It's a question that most sane and therefore mortified Torah observant Jew who knows that a Torah lifestyle is meant to be pleasant and a kiddush Hashem is asking when they're seeing the disgusting and evil rabble rousing sefer toting Rabbis, Avreichim and yeshiva kids with tzitzis, payos, black hats and white shirts (although some of them seemed to have lost their pants), stopping traffic, sitting like mad angry drunk shvartza's after a Knicks victory, calling their fellow brothers "Nazi's". Spitting on them. Cursing them. Preventing good plain regular people who have no part in this from getting to the airport, from picking up their kids from kindergarten, from going to the hospital to have a baby or making it to their own wedding. (all which have happened). Where are their Rabbis? Where are their leaders? Why is no one standing up and decrying this?
What is even the rationale? Does anyone really think that the other side will say, oh, I see they're upset that we're jailing them, maybe we should change the law, so they won't stop traffic anymore? We just didn't chap that this would make them angry. Why is there silence when it comes to what is one of the largest chilulei Hashem, or even an explanation of why it for some reason beyond my grasp that it isn't? When it seems that there's no problem putting out kol korehs about smart phones, sheitels, and fancy weddings.
To be clear here- and I'm not putting in this disclaimer to be politically correct- those of you that know me, know that's not my style. Neither is it because Elka is starting Shidduchim soon either… Yeah, start flooding me with suggestions. Rather it's truly for clarity's sake. I'm not saying the Rabbanim or Gedolim are wrong, by not saying anything. That's above my pay grade, and I truly believe everything they do or don't do is Daas Torah, that's far greater than my tamey, movie filled head. Rather, what I'm saying is that it's the question and discussion on the street, here in Israel, in America and perhaps the entire world which is trying to figure out whether to put their chips on Team Trump or Team China.
One thing is clear though, no one is looking at Team Israel to be the leader of the world. Although we've got more than the brains to do so, and even have the fiercest army (if they'd only be allowed to fight like we need to), as well as the best intelligence in the world. No one is saying we should be the head of the United Nations. We should be the world leader. We should even be more than a sometimes-convenient strategy partner, or not. No one that is but Hashem. No one but the Torah. No one, not even us… and perhaps that's where the problem starts and ends.
Korach gives us one answer, Chukas gives us another. The answer of Korach is that yes, the entire nation is holy. Yes, Hashem is in each and every yid. Even the Attorney General of Israel. Even Ben Gurion. Even protestors on the Highways of Israel, from the right and left, with kippas and without, even Jews in the opposite of "pride" but rather abhorrent parades take place. Even Neturei Karta. Maybe even George Soros…
The fact that we know that is probably one of the most important and essential aspects of our yiddishkeit and the truth that we're meant to be bring out to the world. That every single yid has a neshoma, stood at Sinai, said "we will hear and do" for at least about a minute or two… And we're all on a journey to getting back to that mountain and moment and climbing the ladder rung by rung from the place Hashem placed us in this earth and the challenges we need to surmount to grow. And no matter how far and distant and tainted we may make ourselves or find ourselves, that spark still remains pure. We're still holy. We're a diamond that has a lot of shmutz on it.
That being said, we need a Levi that will bring us back to Hashem. That has no self-interest. No portion in the land. Is not trying to take himself, as "Vayikach Korach" starts off, but rather like Moshe who tells the nation that he hasn't taken one thing for himself not a cow, not an ox. Those same words are recited by Shmuel in our haftorah as well. He is that Levi that goes around to the entire nation all day and rebukes and is mekarev them. He is like Moshe and Aharon who are willing to stand down on their own honor and go to the tent of Dasan and Aviram. Because they have no self. They have no honor. They understand that they are merely servants and messengers of Hashem there to bring His kids, Totty's kids back to the Shabbos table, after they've been misbehaving and disturbing too much while Daddy is trying to read Rabbi Schwartz's very long E-Mail out loud to everyone. An obviously very sever criminal offense.
It's Shmuel who can then be the one who can anoint the King. He can bring Mashiach. Because a King comes when there is a nation. And for there to be a nation there has to be someone that will bring them all together and reveal that spark of kedusha in each of them. When that shines, then they can have a real king. The people don't get that. They get together, but just like the goyim. They want someone that will fight for them. That will make good laws for them. That will not bother them too much. They're not interested in really being united and bringing those sparks together. In finding the spark in the yid without a yarmulka next to me, or in the opposing political party. So if that's the case, we can only get a King that's not Dovid, but rather that's Shaul. That's cool, handsome, warrior and that has a great face for politics and a nice resume, but that's not King David. That's still trying to figure out how not to upset the nation too much and stay in power.
Parshat Chukas though, is the opposite story. It's the story of death. Death is the one thing that unites all of us. Just as we said that every yid is holy, every Jew as well will die. Even Moshe, even Aharon, even Bibi, even Reb Chayim Kanievsky and Reb Moshe Feinstien and the Chaftetz Chaim. Some say the Lubavitcher Rebbe too… especially on his yartzeit. (Like I said, not the politically correct E-Mail 😊 ). We all die and that death reminds us that we become tamey. We only become tamey, though if we understand that we have taharah naturally. And since every Jew can become tamey, we understand that it is a law, a chok, that is almost unexplainable that we are all inherently tahor. Even more then that, it is also a chok, and inherent Divine law, that we can all become tahor again as well. That the Mother can clean up the poop of her baby cow. That even the incomprehensible sin of the Eigel can be atoned for. That in fact it only happened so Hashem could teach us that we all can fall and we can all return. That the tamey can become tahor. He just has to know that he can. And if he does, that's already the start of the revelation of that spark.
With that understanding the entire parsha continues with an amazing flow. Even Miriam dies. Even Moshe and Aharon even sin by the rock. One Jewish maid servant gets kidnapped and we all realize she's part of our spark. We need to save her. She's just as holy as we are. Because as Korach taught us and that he wasn't wrong about is that the entire nation is holy. We sin, our leaders sin. We become tamey and then tahor and so can they. The Kohen who purifies us from tumah in fact even has to be tamey partially himself to sprinkle and purify us. (They would even make him impure and then purify him until the last stage where he has to wait for sun to come up to eat teruma) and in that quasi tumah state he can affect purity on all of us. Because we learn that we can become pure just like he can.
And when that happens, then something fantastic happens at the end of this parsha. We actually conquer Israel. Yes, you don't have to wait until the book of Yehoshua for that to happen. You don't even have to wait for Moshe Rabbeinu to die for that to happen. This week's parsha 1/3 of Israel is conquered and even settled. The entire portion on the other side of Jordan is ours. 2.5 tribes will live there and they're obligated in all the laws of the land (except Bikkurim). In fact, its even arguable that it's the only part of the land that we truly and unequivocally conquered. Because there was no one left to question our sovereignty. Moshe killed every man, women and child of the Emori and of Og. Just like Hashem told him to. He did this because he was one with the people and the people were one with him. That's what a leader is supposed to look like. That's what the nation that he rules over and represents should look like. That's how we get the land.
There's an amazing pasuk and Rashi this week. We find twice in this parsha messages and messengers that are sent out to the world. The first one is sent by Moshe to the King of Edom. To Trump, the red-head. He calls him our brother. He tells him that it's time for the redemption. It's time to remember what happened in Egypt to us. What happened on October 7th. What happened for 2000 years in galus. Moshe tells him we need to get to Israel to conquer the land. To reveal Hashem. Trump- I mean Edom says not on my dime. Read my Lips. Don't. Moshe then asks pretty please with a cherry on top. We don't need your dime. We'll pay the bill. But they threaten us. They show up on or border. They're in Ben Gurion hogging half of our airport. And we turn around from the "border"- the gevul- the limitations of Edom. And we continue wandering.
We weren't a light enough for him to come around to our way of thinking. Of Hashem's plan. The reason Rashi tells us is, because Moshe hit the rock. Oh yeah… Trump said. If you have the power of prayer and Hashem, and it's the time of the redemption, then why are you still hitting rocks. I'm the hitting guy. Why are you calling your people rebels? You don't see that spark of holiness in them that can come out by just talking to them. By inspiring them and putting down that staff. You're not a true leader. You're not making a kiddush Hashem. You don't hold of them. Well then I don't see it either. And thus Edom tells us, I'm not buying in to that narrative.
The end of the parsha though, something changes. Rather than Moshe sending messengers to the Giant Sichon and Og and their huge armies, the pasuk tells us Vayishlach Yisrael- and Israel sent messengers. It wasn't Moshe that sent rather it was Israel that did the sending. What's strange about that is that in Devarim, Moshe seems to claim credit for this sending as it says Va'Eshlach- singular. What makes this all even stranger is that in the haftorah, Yiftach, who sends messengers to the King of Ammon himself, relates that in both of these stories, even in the case of Edom, it was Yisrael that sent the messengers. So, who really did the sending? Or in the question that we started off with is there a leader here?
The answer Rashi tells us is that the Torah switches these around, to teach us
"that Moshe is Israel and Israel is Moshe To teach us that the leader of the generation is like the entire generation. For the leader is ha'kol- he is everything."
Do you know what a leader is? A leader is someone that is one person that can stand up and when he stands up and speaks or sends a message, one can see the entire nation united behind that message. The two prerequisites for that happening, is that the leader has to see that one united in spark in every single member of the nation. And the nation themselves have to feel that from him and see in him the person that represents not just their own personal agenda, but rather the agenda of the one united nation.
When we came to Edom, Perhaps in Yiftach's view it seemed as if the entire nation was sending a message to the King of Edom, but the Torah tells us it really wasn't that way. Although it does tell us that Moshe sent the messengers, and that could be interpreted as the entire Israel sent them. But, Moshe himself tells us it was only him. He didn't have the people behind him. They were still struggling over his knocking them and hitting with the staff and calling them rebels. They wouldn't have voted for him in the next elections.
What changed in between those stories, is that we lost Aharon. We lost another leader that united us and that we felt that did save us and purify us. We lost the leader, that himself brought the Eigel, but was able to pick up from that state of tumah and become purified and thus purify us. That drew us to believe we were always able to become holy. That didn't hit us, but rather sprinkled holy water of life upon us. That sense of loss, reminded us and brought us together on the same page, because we all mourned him together. Like we all mourn together every fallen soldier today.
The next thing that happened was we were attacked. Canaan came. Amalek came. They kidnapped one of ours or more. And we all felt that pain, that horror, that recognition that our enemy doesn't differentiate on whether we have a kippa or what size or material it is made out of or who we voted for in the last elections. They see our spark and thus we saw it as well and wiped them out. And brought her home.
The next story is how our spirit felt constricted as we didn't hear the shofar the next morning and Mashiach wasn't here. We were heading the wrong way. We're still eating that same manna that might have been delicious cause it tasted like those meat boards we remembered until now, but with the smell and anticipation of coming into the land so close where we wouldn't have it anymore and we would grow our own food and crops and have real milk and honey, just seemed like a bad substitute. We thought if we wiped out these Hamas Amalekites it would be over already, and now we're back heading into the wilderness.
So Hashem brought the snakes. He was teaching us that it wasn't about what we as a united nation even wants. It's about subjugating ourselves to His will. Snakes, tell Adam and Chava that Hashem created you to be Lords down here and Him up there. Your will here and His will there. It's not what we want that's important, though Hashem is telling us. That just brings the snakes out. Rather, we need to look above the snake. We need to see the neis. Who we are representing? Whom we are striving and our only agenda is to bring down to this world. We need to, as Rashi, tell us expand our hearts, and not bottle up our personal tzar. And then our spirt will become wide. Then Hashem can come down. Then his agenda is ours. Then our king and leader, will be reflective of not our agenda but His agenda, which is now all of ours.
It is then, the Torah then tells us the tune changed. Then Yisrael, who is Moshe, and Moshe who is Yisrael, sends messages out to the Emori. You let us come in because we are going in the way of the Melech. We will overcome all of your gevulecha-all of your borders and limitations you think you can put upon us. Because we're coming from Hashem. He is borderless. And now so are we. That's how Israel is conquered. That's how we come home. We kill all those that don't want that agenda and can't get behind us from the nations that oppose us. Because we realize, that it's not us they're opposing. It's Him.
We're at that final stage, raboysai! The nations of the world and the entire world is leader-less. We can't be like them. We need to be their leaders. We need to put aside all our own issues and agendas and find the one uniting spark in all of us. We need to look above all the snakes. We have to stop being a nation of Korach's each trying to take out of the pot and become a nation Kohanim that understand that even if we're tamey, we can rise up and bring purity to the world. And then we need to send that message out on all our statuses, from the Temple Mount that we've cleared away without any fear of what those leaderless nations have to say. And tell them that we're beyond your borders and limitations. We're on the Derech Ha'Melech- the King's path. And we will lead the whole world to Him in prayer in His new home here, that is for all of you.
Have a marvelous Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" A nayer meylech mit naye gzeyres, a nay yor mit naye aveyres.– A new king with new decrees a new year with new sins…
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
4. The arch whose remnants are found in the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount is called ___________
Which of the following statements regarding the city of Gamla is correct?
A. The city contains remains of a synagogue from the Second Temple period.
B. Hiding complexes from the Bar Kokhba revolt period were discovered in the city.
C. The city's defenders surrendered without a fight, and it fell to Vespasian.
D. The city's location was forgotten and rediscovered in the mid-19th century.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEcwu6VjNI – Latest Bardak- Soda Battle Parat three
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpGdrSnWR5s&list=OLAK5uy_kMBP3_YuM_t5c8_6ewcn3-sB41OEv24Y4 - Sruly Green's Latest- Ma Rabu Masecha- almost as nice as mine!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls9wIkZ57Ik - In honor of the Rebbe's yartzeit Eli Marcus's 12 pesukim. Nice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHXsnwdSNkU – Aharon Razel in honor of his brother Yonasan coming from his illness- Simcha Amitit
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Aliyah!- -345 BC- Ok it's the second Aliya time for the second Bais Hamikdash. The ones that came with Zerubavel 24 years previously were the ones that were dedicated and merited to build the Bais Ha'Mikdash. The rest of the losers stayed behind. They missed out on the fun. Sure it was paused in the middle. Koresh, whom some thought was like Mashiach and even acted like it for a bit, backed off and changed his mind. The presidents- I mean Kings- that followed him weren't so keen and stopped Israel from rebuilding. The guys back there in comfortable Bavel Park said… see it's not yet the time…
But then it happened. We built it while they were snoozing. And they couldn't even get out for a while as well. But finally, we here in Israel completed it and brought sacrifices for them. And finally finally Ezra decides it's time for a second Aliyah campaign. He opens up Nefesh B'Nefesh offices and starts advertising. Who's coming. It's time! And the replies as we discussed wasn't heartwarming. The oilam wasn't interested.
Now the interesting thing our sages note, was why Ezra himself didn't move earlier. Why didn't he go there for the building. There's something extremely powerful and revealing about that.. The answer they say is because his Rebbi Baruch Ben Neriya who was a student of Yirmiyahu HaNavi was still alive. He was his link in the chain. He couldn't leave him. He still had Torah to receive from him. It was only when the gadol hador died, his Rebbi, could he leave. This is one of the sources that is brought down, that for one to study Torah it is permitted to live outside of Israel. It's the excuse that many use today. Well it has it's basis here. But L'ma'aseh he missed out on the Temple Building And the truth is it set the tone and message that moving isn't so important. If the leaders aren't moved or haven't moved then the people don't want to come either.
We're told the second Temple didn't last because the nation didn't come. Let's make this one happen eternally. But to do that we all have to come. Leaders and Laymen. It's time to come back.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE LEADERSHIP JOKES OF THE WEEK
Trump and Bibi are discussing leadership and decision making...Donald Trump asks Bibi how he's able to make such great decisions all the time.
Bibi says "I make sure to communicate with intelligent people and ask their advice."
Trump: "Well how do you know they're smart?"
Bibi says"I ask them riddles. Observe."
He calls up Deri. "Shalom, Aryeh. If your parents have a child and it's not your brother or your sister, who is it?"
Deri: "It's me, of course."
Bibi: "You see?"
Trump is really impressed and goes home to the White House. He calls up his VP Vesgeth and says "Hey JD, if your parents have a kid, and it's not your brother or your sister, who is it?"
JD: "Mr. President, let me get back to you on that."
He opens an investigation, spends millions of dollars of taxpayer money to no avail. A week passes and he happens to mention this to Marco Rubio during a briefing, who rolls his eyes. "It's me of course."
JD calls the president immediately. "Mr. President, I have your answer. It's Marco Rubio."
Trump: "Haw haw, no, you idiot, it's Aryeh Deri!"
The Confederacy had some top-tier military leadership. General Lee speaking. .
I was in a job interview. The man asked me to show him an example of leadership skills.
"OK," I replied. "I'm hired."
Why doesn't Donald Trump compare his leadership to Steve Jobs? Even he knows not to compare Apples and oranges.
One day Vladimir Putin arrived at an elementary school, where he gave a lecture on all the reasons why Russia, under his leadership, is the best country in the world. After the lecture, he invited the children to ask him questions, and almost everyone raised their hand enthusiastically - after all, not every day they get to raise a question before the President of Russia.
"Yes, cute girl," Putin said, pointing to a girl with braids, who began to speak, saying, "Hello, Mr. President. My name is Sasha and I wanted to know: Do you think one day Russia will return to itself as the Soviet Union, In the past? "
"Of course," Putin replied. "It is only a matter of time before all the countries of Eastern Europe, and even the countries of the world, understand that it is in their favor."
"Yes cute boy, next question please," Putin said, pointing to a boy with freckles, who said, "Hello Mr. President. My name is Arkady and I wanted to know: what is the secret of your success? Because you are the most powerful and important man in all of Russia."
"The truth is," Putin said, "I am the most powerful and important man in the whole world, and the secret of my success is that I just know what is good for everyone, so everyone trusts me to run the country for the best."
"Do you have any more questions?" Putin wondered, then pointed to a blond boy raising his hand.
The boy spoke and said: "Hello Mr. President. My name is Boris and I wanted to know why Russia is sending troops to Ukraine and why we have annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine to us?".
A moment after Boris finished asking his question the break bell suddenly rang, and everyone went out for lunch. When the break was over, Putin and all the children returned to the lecture hall.
"Yes sweet girl," Putin said, pointing to a girl with short hair who stood up. "Hello Mr. President. My name is Katya and I wanted to know where Boris is?
The new Ayatolla has just taken power. The former leaders says to him ‘I have left you two letters. When you get into problems open the first letter. If you still have problems open the second letter”.
About 1 year into his leadership things are going badly for the new guy. He then remembers the words of the former leader and opens the first letter, which reads ‘blame all your problems on me’. The new guy does this and everything is fine for a little while.
But sadly things go from bad to worse, so he opens the second letter, which reads ‘sit down and write two letters’.
A manager comes back from a Leadership Seminar, full of bright ideas and cheerfulness. He calls a meeting of all of his employees and announces that his office door will be open, and he will be easily accessible for the rest of the week, and if there is ANYTHING an employee needs, now is the time to come talk to him.
Less than an hour later, the manager is sitting in his office, and Joe comes in sheepishly.
"Boss," says Joe, "I've got a problem."
"No, Joe!" says the manager. "In this company, we do not have problems. We have opportunities!"
"Ok boss," says Joe, "I've got a drinking opportunity"
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The answer to this week's question is A– So the second part of this question was easy and I got that part right. Gamla is the last stand- the "Masada"- so to speak of the North in the Great Revolt in the year 67 CE before Vespasian headed down with his son Ttitus to destroy the 2nd Temple. They had a huge fight but in the ended lime Masada according to Josephus they died jumping off the cliff or getting chased off by the Romans. There is one of the oldest shuls in the world from end of second temple period. The fist part I got wrong, which is a busha. The correct answer was Robinson's Arch which I knew was there in the Southern part of the Kotel Western Wall. But I got stuck on the Southern part and went with the arch of Chulda which is really a gate or the three arches that remain there. But the truth is its not really western as much as its southern. So I got a 50/50 on this on and the test continues with Rabbi Schwartz having 2.5 points and the MOT having 1.5 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.
