Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
February 13th 2026 -Volume 16 Issue 17 26th of Shvat 5786
Tunnel Vision
I've spent a lot of time in tunnels. It's one of the most amazing things about Israel if you think about it. I always point out to my tourists when they come here, how despite the myriad of negative and crazy and often frustrating things that go in this blessed land of Hashem, the one the thing that you have to give Israel credit for is that they are always working on the infrastructure.
Every where you go there are roads being built and being expanded. There are new trains, new light rails, bus lines. There are airports being built and there are tunnels and bridges popping up all over the place. It's always so cool for me to just drive along the Highway and then boom you're in this miles long tunnel that is literally just dug through the mountain, which was made in order to shorten the travel time. To connect one neighborhood to the next and to a large degree to create Jewish "facts on the ground" that we are settling this land. We are expanding our presence here. We are connecting small settlements and even hilltops that have developed to larger established communities. We do all this to show that the land is ours. That they will not be successful in chopping us up or isolating us one from the other. And as they say it here li'at li'at- slowly slowly that message is getting across and our cousins are getting nervous…
What would be nice though, would be if they did it right the first time. Which for some reason they never seem to do. Like, why make only one lane, or only one tunnel, or only one bridge at a time and then in three years have to shut down the road and redo it and add another? Think bigger. Build larger. Maybe it's because each time somebody else is getting some kickbacks. Ich vays…? Who knows? But that's Israel. We think big. We talk big. We start however small and usual stop short of doing the job the right way and more importantly all the way until the end. But at least we're digging, right?
Now, when I say that I spend time in tunnels a lot, though, I don't only mean sitting in traffic. As a tour guide one of the amazing experiences are the various historical tunnels that are around in this country. There are the amazing tunnels that were from the times of the great Bar Kochva revolt 65 years after the destruction of the Bais Ha'Mikdash when the great Rabbi Akiva felt it was time for us to bring Mashiach. It's fascinating, isn't it? He didn't wait for wings of eagles and men with long beards white beards on donkeys blowing a shofar to bring that day. Rather he sent out in "draconian decrees" draft notices to his 24,000 Kollel students and told them that they needed to join his army and that of his appointed student Bar Kochva and to wage war, not against some fledgling little terrorist army of Hamas half-wits. But rather against United States of Rome-ica.
The Yerushalmi Talmud tells us that at 117 years old, he was the "nosei keilim" or general in the army of Bar Kochva, so you can bet your bottom shekels or half-shekels at least that all of his students joined. They fought three years and sadly because of the lack of respect for one another they lost that golden opportunity. Maybe there were some of them that were protesting his draft and making demonstrations and calling each other Nazi's. Who knows?
So how do the tunnels come into play? Because when you're a small fledgling army fighting against a huge world empire, with tanks, Iron domes, and laser targeted missiles, the only way to fight is with tunnels. Sneak in and sneak out, wreak damage and go hide. Maybe take a few hostages along the way. That's what they did then and there are the remains of those tunnels all over the country. It's as well what the early Israelis did back here when we were fighting against the British. There are museums here dedicated to the Asirei Ha'Machtarot- in Akko, in Jerusalem and in Atlit. They were the prisoners of the "underground" or the tunnels that would sneak in and attack and run and hide. Ultimately though this time around, as opposed to Rabbi Akiva's army, we were successful in making our enemies crazy enough to eventually leave and give us our own State. Unfortunately, though, we still haven't seen it to its completion. And our enemies have sadly taken that page out of our playbook and have utilized their own tunnels to terrorize and wreak havoc against us. But Adar is coming, the time to finish up the job of wiping out Amalek is around the bend. God willing, we should soon see that light of Purim herald in the festival our final redemption.
This of course brings us to this week's parsha of Mishpatim which goes through many, almost ten percent of the various laws and mitzvos of the Torah. It begins with the laws of servitude, and from there moves on to civil laws, agricultural laws, petty crimes, felonies, and capital cases as well as holidays and marriage laws. It even has some mystical and sacrificial laws in it as well. Buried deep in those laws… in a tunnel. Is of course a tunnel law. If someone comes to steal from you in a machteres- a tunnel. The law is shoot first ask questions later. Kill the guy. Ein lo damim- there is no responsibility for his death, according to some commentaries. Other's explain that the thief has forfeited his own life by coming there. The reason, Rashi quoting the Talmud tells us is because a guy coming to rob you in a tunnel, understands that you are not going to let him take your stuff without a fight, and thus he is coming with the intent to kill you if you catch him. He's a rodef. He's prepared to take you out. And thus we learn from here, one of the most important principles of the Torah. Ha'ba la'horgoacha, hashkem la'horgo- Someone is coming to kill you, kill him first. Don't wait for October 7th to happen. Pay attention to the tunnel builders. They're coming for you…
This is such an important concept, that the great Tanna Rabbi Yishmael, derives from this the law that one may even violate the Shabbos to save a life. Actually. one is obligated to violate the Shabbos to do so. For if in this situation where one is in doubt if he actually wants to kill him, and to kill him needlessly and commit murder removes the shechina and contaminates the land of Israel and still the Torah says that we may kill the tunnel thief, than certainly when it comes to saving a life one may violate the Shabbos to do so.
Yet, that being said, the Torah clarifies, this law is only applies when it is not "zarcha alav es ha'shemesh"- when the sun doesn't rise upon him, and it is not clear if he is coming to kill you or not. However if you know, as clear as day that this man doesn't pose a threat. The example being, it's a father breaking into his child's house. And we know parents just won't kill their own children. Jewish parents that is… In that case the child is not allowed to shoot. The tunnel guy isn't a real tunnel guy. He's just you're Dad, raiding your fridge in the middle of the night eating those Brownies your wife made, or hitting the chulent pot. That's not a death penalty offense. Although my wife might think otherwise…
There is another law as well, that is unique and exception to this shoot first ask questions later ruling. That is if one can save and protect themselves without killing the other person. Although the verse tells us that the intruder/trespasser/ potential murder has forfeited his life, that is only as long as he poses a threat to you. If you can "neutralize" him by shooting him in the leg or the arm and then he no longer can harm you. Then you're obligated to do so. However, all agree, when in doubt, don't waste time. Don't endanger your own life, trying to be more moral, frum or politically correct. Save yourself. Save your family. Save the Jewish people. Save your country. Assume the worst that he's coming to kill you. It needs to be clear as day, that he's not for you to have to hesitate. It's not Ephraim Schwartz talking here, it's the Lord on Sinai. It's his message sandwiched in between His two narratives of the giving of the Torah.
As I read this parsha and the commentaries this week, it struck me after the past two years of war here, where we still finding ourselves clearing out terror tunnels, how timely the message the Torah uses in its example of this fundamental law of self-defense when facing a possible threat and the permitted precautions and remedies one has to address this type of danger. It's a story about tunnels. It's a story about people coming to rob you. Not just rob us of our money. But of our country. Of the fulfillment of our mission. Of us settling the land and bringing down the Shechina. They come from under us. They pop up like rats. The Torah tells us they know that we will not go down without a fight. That we will stand up and fight for who we are. For what belongs to us. And thus they will give their lives for that cause, and we shouldn't think otherwise. If they're coming through the tunnel, they're out to get us. If they're digging tunnels, their intent is clear. And even if it's not clear- the rule is, assume the worst unless it's clear as day otherwise. Unless they're your father or mother. Unless you know for sure, then we're permitted to assume "they're 2 million terrorists down there" as Agam Berger who came out of Gaza and met quite a few of them tell us. As did all the other hostages. They're not coming for the money. They're coming for our lives. And thus. ein lahem damim- they're lives are forfeited.
But there is a more spiritual message than that for us as well, our Chasidic masters tell us. There are spiritual threats that are out there, that are coming into our houses through tunnels. They're in our community. They're in our schools. They may be people that we perceive don't see the world the same Torah we see it. They may be on a different journey, a different path. One thing is clear, that not on the regular highway. They're in the dark tunnel. Our tendency when faced with kids like that, with Jews like that, with people like that who we feel may be trying to steal our holiness, our house, our kedusha. That may be trying to bring us down to that dark deep tunnel with them. Our tendency is to kill them. To throw them out. To not let them in. To shoot to kill. Because to us, it's clear as day and even if its not so clear, at least it's a doubt. That these people will endanger us.
Yet the halacha is that we're not allowed to do that. We're not allowed to shoot to kill. If we can save our house and our family, by merely hitting them in their legs. By talking to them. By understanding them. By seeing them as our father or son or brother and sister then we can't kill them. We can't throw them out. If we shine the light and the sun upon them. If we reveal the inner light that they possess, then perhaps we'll discover that all they want is to eat a bit of our chulent. They want a Shabbos invitation. That they're really not the Hamas terrorists that we're making them out to be. That in fact we're also a bit in the tunnel without them. That none of us are really home yet.
It's interesting there are two words for tunnels in Hebrew. The new tunnels that we see being built all over Israel are called minharot. That word comes from the root word nahar which means river. A minhara is a tunnel that is built as part of an infrastructure to transport things, to make things flow, as it does down a river. The word nahar- in Aramaic and in kabbalistic thought also means light. The light flows. It's about moving into the light. It's way to get to where we're supposed to go. That's what we're building today.
The machteres though is in which this country was built and dug with is comes from the word- la'chtor- to dig, to undermine, to come in a clandestine way. It's not something that's stepping into the light. It's digging deeper and deeper in the hole. It's coming to a place where we don't feel we belong, it's sneaking into a house that we don't believe is really ours. When we do that. Ein lanu damim- we forfeit our own lives. We're the Hamas terrorists trying to steal the land from the "poor" Palestinians. The world looks at us when we have that tunnel vision and calls us on it. They call for our blood. We're stealing their land. We're scared to tell them that it's our home. It's our father's home, our mother's home. They look at us, at the Jews who live comfortably in other countries today, and who they see came to the land of Israel in these machtarot, and call us occupiers. But that's because we haven't stood up and declared it all as ours. We haven't said this is our only home, and unless you're our father or brother have no right to be here. That if you're coming into our tunnels, then we will kill you. Because if we don't then what we are inherently saying is, that this is not really our house.
As long as the Jewish people and the State of Israel, still have that machteret/tunnel vision and allow half of Mearat Ha'Machpela to be in the hands of these tunnel people that don't have any right to be there, then we are saying this is not really our house. As long as we allow a golden pimple and mosque on top of where the house of Hashem is supposed to resting, then we truly belong in a mere Kotel tunnel underneath the retaining wall outside of the Temple mount keeping us out. Isn't it sad and so appropriate, that the tunnel tour by that Kotel is the most popular site for Jews to visit. To climb down into a machteres, and then wonder why they're still trying to kill us? Why they or the world for that matter should for one second really believe that this is our house. "A man will give his own life to protect his house and his money", this law tells us. If we allow them to build, to live, to worship their idolatry, to have churches, mosques and their own police forces then are we really saying that this is our house? Or are we the ones in the tunnel? That's what we still need to do. That's what this war of tunnels that Hashem has us fighting is possibly trying to get us to recognize.
We bless and welcome in the month of Adar this week. It is the month when we go from darkness to light. When we come out of the tunnel. The introduction to that month is shekalim. It's money. It's recognizing that the shekels that we have are holy. They were given to us to build a Temple. To bring sacrifices with. We have the money for our house. We give those shekels first and then we can move forward to wiping out Amalek. To kill those that are trying to take our house from us. To kill the ones that are coming through the tunnels. We then reach the miraculous holiday of Purim which is the day of orah- when we come into the light. When the machteres, that tunnel that we've been in for 2000 years finally is zarcha alav Ha'shemesh- when the light of Hashem will finally shine down upon it. The traffic at the end of that tunnel is finally easing up. That brilliant light is shining at the end. Our hostages have come out of their tunnels and we all sat there with them. It's time to finally come home.
Have a spectacular Shabbos and a joyous month of Adar
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Ganovim un farlibte hobn lib fintsternish- Thieves and lovers both like the darkness
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG4FJojcpMs - Benny Friedman's latest release- here's to the Heroes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5eh6MKING8 - Donald Trump doing the Beketche song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbZqadKH7RA – Zusha Ein Od milvado- rocking…
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/torah-hakedosha – I composed this special song upon my father's Sefer Torah dedication to our Shul. The words recall to us the giving of the Torah on Sinai and our prayer "to" the Torah to beseech Hashem on our behalf. Beautiful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36kZes8TCsM – Every Lipa Hit in 7 minutes cool! Ari Samet and Avrumi Spielman
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
20. The Báb, the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, is buried in the city of _______
Which of the following is a distinct water plant?
A. Narrow Leaf Cattail ("Souf Matzui")
B. Eeastern Strawberry tree ("Ktalav Matzui")
C. Three Lobed Sage ("Marva Meshuleshet")
D. Desert Tamarisk ("Eshel Meruba")
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
The Returnees - 370 BC- As we mentioned last week, the redemption has begun. The return to Israel with the declaration of Cyrus was led by the grandson of Yehoyachin, the last king named Zerubavel. Who was this Zerubavel? According to Chazal his father Shaltiel was conceived in while Yehoyachin was being held in prison in Bavel. It would then make him a native born Babylonian, with Jewish roots. Not just Jewish roots, but Davidic roots. He's the last remaining Tanach figure discussed at length from that line of King David and Mashiach. He's the bridge between the era of exile and redemption. And it is from him that the future line of Dovid Ha'Melech continues and gets passed down.
Now we have two interesting opinions about alternate names for Zerubavel. According to one opinon in Chazal he is the same Nechemia who will later be mentioned as coming back with Ezra. This view seems a bit stretched many of the commentaries note, as Nechemia only comes down decades later, and thus many see this as a mere spiritual connection. The other opinion is that Zerubavel is named as a Babylonian name Sheshbatzar. He is the one that the book of Ezra tells us was given the vessels of the Temple by Koresh to bring them back to Jerusalem. Other opinions however suggest that Sheshbatzar was in fact Daniel. He was called Sheshbetzar because he went through 6 hardships or sheish tzaros.
Accompanying him is Yehoshuah ben Yehotzadak who became the Kohen Gadol. He was a descendant of Pinchas, the great Kohen Gadol, the son Aharon. His father was according to some a Kohen Gadol in the first Temple and he is known and referred to as the quintessential ud mutzal mi'eish- the brand plucked from the fire. That term is used for all survivors of the Holocaust. It comes from the vision of Yechezkel that we read on the haftora of Vayechi. The prophet sees Yehoshua, wearing dirty clothing, lighting a menora. There an angel tells him that we don't fight with armies or strength- lo bachayil v'lo bakoach. Only with the spirit of Hashem. His clothing are dirty because as we shall see his children marry foreign wives. It happens to the greatest people.
Yet these two leaders, become the symbol of Israel. The modern state of Israel's symbol is the Menora with two olive branches. One is Zerubavel and one is Yehoshua. They are the spiritual and the material working hand in hand together to bring down the light of Hashem. The pasuk tells us that there was no jealousy or fighting between the two. They were perfectly blended and that is the way the Temple can be built.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE TUNNEL JOKES OF THE WEEK
2021 wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel. It was a train.
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a freight train
The train driver sees 3 idiots standing on the tracks
A Prisoner is digging a tunnel out of prison. He is slowly making progress day by day, but with just a spoon for a shovel it seems like an impossible task. After numerous years of blood and sweat, he finally manages to reach the surface outside of the prison grounds. He is overwhelmed with happiness and the thought of finally being free and can't hold in his excitement any longer. He starts shouting at the top of his lungs, "I am free, I am free, I am finally free".
A passing little boy walks up to him and says "Big whoop! I just turned four!"
What did the wind tunnel say to the aerospace engineer? I'm a big fan!
People often see a light at the end of a tunnel in many near-death experiences/ They should really get off of the road.
Why is building a bridge better than building a tunnel? One is riveting, the other is boring.
I always said that I would never ever go walking dark scary tunnels in the earth. But eventually I caved.
Achmed's blonde European wife that he married while he was in an Israeli husband prison came to visit him. Before leaving, she tells the prion officer: “You shouldn’t make my husband work like that. He’s exhausted!”
The officer laughs and says, “Are you kidding? He just eats and sleeps and stays in his cell all day!!"
The wife replies: “Liar! He just told me he’s been digging a tunnel for months!”
When a mine shaft collapses it’s known to make a specific musical tone when the air rushes through the tunnels. What note is it? A flat miner.
I'm fine driving through tunnels when I'm on my own. But the minute I have multiple passengers and I drive through a tunnel, it hurts to hold the steering wheel. I think I have carpool tunnel syndrome.
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The answer to this week's question is A–It's been a while since I got an answer entirely wrong, which isn't too bad. The first part of this question I got wrong. I know that the main burial ground and holiest place for Bahai is in Akko, despite the fact that their beautiful gardens and center is in Hiafa. And I assumed that their question was a a trick question, so I of course answered Akko, feeling all proud of myself. Yet, I was wrong it was a double trick question. Because the burial in Akko is not for the Bab, who was like their Eliyahu H'anavi equivelant and founder of the religion in the 1800's when it broke off in Iran from Islam. But rather the burial in Akko is for the Baluha, their actual real spiritual leader and prophet, like they're Mashiach guy, who came after him and realy took the religion to the next level. The Bab guy is actually buried in in Haifa. So I got that wrong.
The second part, I really have no clue I went with the desert answer that real answer was A I had no interest in even looking that stuff up. So there you go this one was entirely wrong and the new score is Rabbi Schwartz having a 13.5 points and the MOT having 6.5 points on this latest Ministry of Tourism exam.
