Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
June 21st 2024 -Volume
13 Issue 35 15th of Sivan 5784
Parshat Behaloscha
The Redemption
Bus
“So, when is it going to happen?”
“Do you think it will be safe to come in July?”
“How bad do you think it’s going to get?”
“I mean you live up there in the North, don’t
you? When is the “next phase” or what you like to call the “real war” with
Hezbolla, Iran and all our other “friendly” neighbors really going to start?”
So those are the phone calls I’ve been fielding
the past two weeks… two months… half a year. But they’re increasing daily as
more and more people recognize that Hashem has appointed me to be His prophet
in this frightening Messianic era that we are living through. It’s not an easy
job sitting regularly on the Divine war cabinet up above. It’s a shlep to get
up there all the time. Yeah, I know it’s not like I have tours or anything
these days to otherwise fill my time, but tickets to shamayim are
expensive. And you thought El Al was pricey. I have to fast frequently, separate
from my wife and regularly go to the Mikva. It’s not the Israeli Knesset war
cabinet where shorts and T-shirt with greasy falafel stains is acceptable.
Yet what’s most upsetting about this new gig
that I have been chosen for, is that every time I come off that mountain, it
seems the nation is dancing around another golden calf. You’d figure after
October 7th all of those concepts and false idols would’ve been
shattered like those tablets, Moshe the other prophet, broke. Yet every time
there’s another new one that seems to pop up and we can’t resist. It’s the
army, Biden’s fierce, “Don’t!”s, Trump, the Iron Dome, Bibi, our
incredible intelligence, our prayers, our achdus, our Torah, our teshuva
and our prayers, all those important things that we know we can count into to
get the result we’re waiting for. The one commonality is that it’s in our
control. It’s up to us. We just need to do___________. Fill in the
blank. I know that I’ve personally played that game out already in quite a few
of these E-Mails probably. And guess what? I’ve been wrong every time.
I saw a great quote the other day something to
the effect of
“Stress comes when we feel and fear that
things are “out of our control”. It goes away when we accept that assumption is
correct.”
{Actually, I tried searching for it and couldn’t
find it, so from now on when you quote it, you can just say it was from the
books or writings of the “prophet”}
One of my favorite Rabbis and colleagues here
in Israel told me that he’s been telling all those that ask him, “what is
going to be?”, that Hashem pretty much has stopped listening to his advice for
a while now. Otherwise, this would’ve been over long ago. Yeah… So, I hate to
tell all of you that have been calling me lately the same thing. Although I’ve
been talking to Hashem more often than I ever have been before, it’s pretty
much been a one-way conversation. It seems He’s just been sending me to
voicemail. I’m being holy ghosted. (is that where the term comes from?) As Queen Esther told Mordechai
“V’ani lo nikreisi lavo el Ha’Melech zeh
shloshim yom- And I have not been called to come before the King for thirty
days”.
Cept it’s more like 258 days to be precise
since He and I last sat together alone, on Shemini Atzeret.
Yet the truth is it’s always been this way. As
I started to review this week’s parsha-that is inexplicably, yet after some
thought aptly- titled Be’ha’aloscha, I realized that Hashem had already told us
that this is the way that it will be. It’s never going to be the way we think
it is. And for the redemption and to enter the land of Israel, we it is
essential that we internalize this principle.
Now I said, that the name of our parsha seems
to be problematic, and I’ll explain. See in general our Rabbis have a rule that
the names of the parsha are more than just the first or second word of the
parsha that are randomly chosen. Rather we have a tradition that Hashem
divinely orchestrated that the first or second word in fact contain the essence
of what the entire parsha is all about. That’s what titles are for. So a fun exercise
for you Torah readers, is to each week take that title and try to see how it
relates to all of the different aspects of the parsha.
Now the title-word ‘Be’ha’aloscha’- and
when you shall raise up, refers to a mitzva that has been previously discussed
back in Shemos of the Kohen’s service to light the Menora. This word
incidentally is the 11th word of the parsha- which is comparatively
a pretty long way into the parsha to find the title word by which to name the
parsha. Rashi right away notices the
strange placement of what seems to be a repetition of this mitzva already given,
in that it doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of the parsha- which
discusses the process of our traveling in the wilderness and the start of our
journey to Israel. He answers though that it connects it to the gifts of the
princes at the conclusion of last week’s parsha of Naso. He quotes the Midrash,
that Aharon was disappointed that his tribe of Levi didn’t bring any gifts on the
inauguration of the Mishkan. He felt left out. So Hashem reassured him that his
service would be greater than theirs, as he would light the menora. Yet, the
question remains though, why didn’t Hashem just throw this parsha then together
with last week’s? I know Naso is already a pretty long parsha. But four more pesukim
isn’t going to make the chulent waiting at home any colder.
The answer though would be because, we needed
the word Be’haloscha to be the title of this week’s parsha. Because that’s what
this week’s parsha is all about. Lifting up or perhaps more accurately “being
uplifted”. Rashi explains that the word ‘Be’ha’aloscha’ doesn’t mean
that the Kohen lights the Menora, rather it’s more precise translation is “at
the uplifting of the lights”. The Kohen’s job, is to merely hold the light
to the wick, but the flame ignites by itself. He does his part here and Hashem
does the rest and makes it happen. It’s a strange mitzva and process. We don’t
find this by anything else. Usually Hashem tells us to do something and then we
do it. Here by the Menorah, the mitzva is to precisely not do the action. Just prepare
it and wait, then Hashem does the rest.
That theme by the way continues throughout the
parsha. The next mitzva is of the sanctification of the Levi’im. Do you know
what their job is? How the process is done? Shave them, purify them, and then
Moshe stands them up, Aharon lifts them up, and the entire nation lays their
hands on them. They literally do nothing. They get uplifted. Beh’a’aloscha.
Their job? Just let yourself be picked up. Be dipped. Be shaved. Turn yourself
over to a “higher power”. Then you can be My Levi. Then you can be the one that
will be the intermediary and role model between Me and the rest of the nation.
Now lest you think this just a Kohen and Levi
thing, the parsha continues remarkably with the same theme as it applies to the
rest of the nation as well. Because just as our parsha began with Aharon’s disappointment
and stress that his tribe was left out and didn’t have a piece of the service
action. His lesson was that he shouldn’t worry, Hashem’s plan for him is
greater and eternal and his role is merely to stand and allow the light and
fire to come down. The Jewish people go through the same process but on a much
more monumental level. For the next chapter tells us how a group of Jews approached
Moshe because they as well were unable to take part of an important service. The
service being the first Pesach offering to be brought- and incidentally the
only other one to be brought while they were in the wilderness, after having
left Egypt. “Why should we be any less?” they cried out. We want a piece of the
action as well. Hashem responds through Moshe that they need not worry. There
is a make-up Pesach offering that they can bring, and the truth is, many of the
commentaries point out, that this offering may even be greater than the
original one.
Their entire claim and desire though seems inconceivable.
Until this point there was no such mitzva. You can’t make up a Sukkos- a month
after sukkos, a Shabbos you slept through on Sunday or Monday, and you
can’t observe the shemitta year on the 8th year. It doesn’t
work. Yet, here it does for one reason. Because as Moshe tells them. Imdu v’esham’ah
ma yetzaveh Hashem- just stand there and wait and see what Hashem commands
you. Negate your will to His and all will be alright. It will be even better.
But
then comes the most remarkable kicker of the entire parsha, with a mitzva that
to be honest I never noticed before. It’s mindboggling. Moshe continues in the
next aliya which seemingly is the next verse in the chapter and part of this
discussion of Pesach Sheini, with the totally- at first glance- unrelated discussion
of how and when they will be traveling in the wilderness. The Torah repeats that
this will be “al pi Hashem- by the word of Hashem” 7 times. Again and
again.
How will they know that word of Hashem? Lefi
hei’alos ha’anan- by the word of the uplifting of the cloud. Did you catch
the word there? Beha’alos- uplifting… sounds familiar? Rashi once again
tells us the same idea. The Torah doesn’t say when cloud rises- bi’alos-
for that would insinuate that we are making it rise and coming and sprouting up
from our actions. Rather be’ha’alos- it becomes uplifted. It is
departing. It’s working from a divine orchestration. It’s His plan.
But then comes the craziest part. For then the
Torah tells us sometimes the cloud will rest for days, months, and even years
in some places, while at other times it will only be at rest for one day. Bottom
line al pi Hashem- we only move when we see that cloud. We’re on
His plan. His itinerary. His minibus. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
What makes this verse so incomprehensible to
me, and that I never noticed before, is that this mitzva is given before
the sin of the spies. Before it was decreed that we would be spending time in
the wilderness. The parsha tells us later that in fact we are only three-day
journey from Egypt. Rashi even tells us that Hashem miraculously brought us
there in one day. So we are really only one day away. What then is all this
talk about journeys of months and years? Hello…?!! We’re only a day away.
Can you imagine that you have a drive with
your family for an outing to Yerushalayim from Karmiel, which is usually less
than two hours and you tell your children to prepare for about a 15 hour trip? Or
a week-long journey… A month… a year ?!! Now I know Jewish mothers always
prepare enough food on those trips for a day or two…but that’s only because of
the trauma we suffered after being stuck in the wilderness for forty years
eating manna. But this is before we knew that would happen. What’s going on?
The answer though is that Hashem is telling us
that we have to understand, that for us to come into the land of Israel, we have
to stop looking at Waze. We have to stop reading the newspapers and listening
to all of the media and war experts and commentaries. We’re not riding on their
bus. We’re on Hashem’s. And although Waze may tell you that it is a three-day
journey. Guess what? If Hashem wants, we can get there in a day. If He doesn’t
want, it can take years. There is no colorful brochure with nice pictures and a
daily schedule of the things that will we experience and the times when
everything will happen. Imdu V’eshma’ah- stand and listen what Hashem
commands.
Those words remind me and us of that moment
when we stood at the Red Sea with the Egyptian army and Pharaoh breathing down
our necks. Hityazvu u’reu es yeshuas Hashem- forget about all of your
plans to fight, to retreat, to pray, to give up. Just stand and witness the
salvation of Hashem. It’s His game plan, and you know what? He’s not telling
you what’s coming next. But I’ll give you a little hint… Be’ha’aloscha-
you’re about to be uplifted when you do that.
The parsha then continues with that theme with
the trumpets of salvation that Moshe makes that are meant to be blown when we
move. They remind us of Sinai. Of that call. Of Moshe who goes up to the
Mountain, but Hashem Himself is the One that speaks to us. We toot on that horn
of our national 3000 year long bus ride, for it is only on that bus that we
move and drive. The one that is fueled by the submission and appreciation of
the pi Hashem- the word of Hashem that uplifts us. It is that horn that
we need to blow particularly our parsha tells us when “an enemy wages war on
our land and oppresses us”. Don’t try to figure out how we will win. It won’t
happen that way anyways. Rather
“V’nizakrtem lifnei Hashem- and you
will be remembered before Hashem”
“V’noshatam mei’oivechem- and you will
be redeemed from your enemies.”
Are you ready to get on this bus? Do you want
to see it already? Well fear not, our parsha actually shows you a picture of it
with some upside down biblical emojis. See, bet you weren’t expecting that
either… I told you Hashem works different always then we would think. Right in
the heart of our parsha, we have what our sages tell us is a whole book within
itself. It’s two verses with 57 words and it’s surrounded by two upside letter “nuns”
. Two upside-down nuns kind of look like parenthesis. Like clouds of glory
surrounding us. Like doors of a bus that we are traveling in that are cut off
from the rest of the world. That are traveling on an entirely different highway
and sphere of existence. That like much of Israel here in the North these days,
can’t be detected on Waze which is scrambled.
And what does it say in those two verses? The
secret of our redemption. We say it every time we open the Ark to take out a
Torah and when we put it back again. You can sing it if you like.
“Va’yehi bi’nsoah aron, va’yomer Moshe- and when the Ark travels, Moshe said ‘Arise
Hashem and let Your enemies be scattered and let Your haters flee before You.
U’vanucho yomar- and when it rested he would say. Reside
tranquilly, Hashem, among the myriads and thousands of Israel.”
That’s what it says on the side of our bus. It
won’t be our army that gets rid of our enemies. It won’t be our prayers and it
won’t be our Torah or our merits. It will be the revelation of Hashem, Himself
that makes them all scatter. It will happen because we are tranquil on His bus.
We are confident and comfortable with His driving skills. It’s when we have no
stress, because we know that we are not in control. We’re just waiting to be
uplifted.
The parsha of Be’haloscha concludes on the
other side of the emoji ‘nun’s, with the story of what happens when we
don’t get on that bus. We are stressed. We complain. We need food. We want Prime
Grill. We have even Moshe trying to figure out how things are going to work. He
can’t do it on his own. We have Miriam not getting it. We have the cloud rising
from her tent. She’s thrown off the bus. Hashem doesn’t deal well with
back seat drivers, even if she is the sister of Moshe and even Moshe himself
when he questions.
There’s something inside of us that wants to
have some control. That wants to know. And that my friends, is the work that we
need to do and what we need to overcome in order to be uplifted. In order to
come into the land of Israel and have our enemies flee. We can’t have any of
our dead weight, ego, or need to take the wheel, pulling us down. We need to
rise all the way to the top. The letter “nun”, our sefarim teach us, is the 50th
level in Gematria. It’s a level that even Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t achieve. Its
where we need to head to. It’s the road that we are on. So you can stop calling
me. Make your tickets. Plan your trips, but just know at the end of the day-
and that’s where we are right now- It’s His plan that will carry the day, so
just get ready to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Have a stupendously uplifting Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
************************
YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE
WEEK
" Der
hartz iz a halbeh novi..”.- The heart is a half a
prophet
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer
below at end of Email
10. The country the Carmelite Monastery was under the
auspices of, during the
Ottoman period was________
What is the direction of prayer for the Bahai
religion?
A. Haifa
B. Akko
C. Karbala
D. Shiraz
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF
THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/kad-yasvun
– Still basking in post-Shavuos
glow with my song Kad Yasvun composition sunf and arranged by Dovid Lowy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmWdjUIvPBI
- Beautiful Carlebach Kaballas
Shabbos with Avrumy Strauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m2_8WoOcIM
– Joey Newcomb’s latest Banim La’Makom by
Reb Meir Baal Ha’Nes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vohubVz4xc4
- what a moving video and song of
Avraham Fried and Hershy Weinberger Tuni D’rabbanan- about Torah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuXieA8RBqo
– Yackov Shwekey’s latest song for his daughters wedding after losing both
his parents.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
PARSHA PRAYER INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK
It’s Not Fair- Don’t you hate when your children
say those words to you? “why does she get to… why does he go first…”. My
standard answer that I give (that I heard too many times from my parents) is
that who ever said life is fair? Yet fascinatingly enough in the parsha this
week we actually see that not only is this a legitimate claim, but according to
Reb Yechezkel Shinover’s insight into Rashi’s commentary it may in fact be the
way to make sure that all our prayers are answered right away.
This week, if you haven’t figured it out yet, the
Torah tells us of how a group of Jews who had missed out on the first Pesach
offering because they were tamey-impure and complained.
Lama ni’garah- why should be worse then everyone else, just
because we’re impure.
Rashi on that verse tells us the conversation that
took place between Moshe and the people. He told them that they were tamey.
They responded that it wasn’t their fault. He should figure it out for them. They
only knew one thing. They needed to bring a sacrifice. They didn’t want to be
left out of this incredible service, the first to commemorate their exodus.
Moshe then tells them that if that is the case
Imdu
v’eshma’ah- stand and listen to what Hashem will answer you.
And Hashem then comes and gives them the mitzva of
Pesach Sheini the “make-up” offering, that they merited because of their “it’s
not fair” claim.
Reb Chezkel notes though that seemingly this Rashi’s
comment is out of place. Why doesn’t he wait until the verse where it says imdu-
vi’eshma’ah to tell us that they merited their prayers to be answered? It’s
just the next verse over. He seems to be jumping the gun. As well how could
Moshe be sure that Hashem would answer them directly right away. He should’ve
told them I’ll talk it over with Hashem and get right back to you. It seems
that there was something that happened that made him realize that an answer was
immediately forthcoming.
And thus in the traditional Jewish method of study,
he answers one question with the next. When Moshe saw how determined they were
to do this mitzva, when he realized that they didn’t care about the facts, they
had a true burning holy desire to the extent where they said “lama ni’garah”
it’s not enough that we have an exemption. We need to do it. He knew that
Hashem would answer them directly on the spot. Because a prayer that comes with
that burning desire is always answered right away.
Perhaps he learned this lesson from our forefather
Avraham who after being told by the angel that he did not need to offer his son
Yitzchak as a sacrifice, felt that he still needed to do something. It wasn’t
fair! He had such enthusiasm that he needed to express it, and thus Hashem made
the ram get stuck in the bush and that he found and offered in his son’s place.
His prayers were answered right away, because one that is offered with a true
deep unstoppable desire to fulfill a mitzva is always answered immediately.
The lesson for us to have our prayers for whatever we
want answered is for them all to be sincere and deep expressions that we need
to serve Hashem and fulfill His mitzvos. If they are just rituals that we do
then Hashem puts them on His waiting list. But if we declared that we need them
now. We don’t want to be left out. Then Hashem will answer right away.
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
701 BC-Shevna the scribe- the original Jewish Opposition – There is nothing new under the sun and certainly not in Jewish history. The one constant amongst our nation is that we can never agree. That is particularly true when it comes to politics and questions of war and peace, surrender or fight. As Golda Meir said once, we are a nation of a million presidents. Well that goes a long way back, so don’t be too impressed or disgusted by the Kaplan protests today amongst the pro or anti-war factions of our nation. We had it back then too.
In the times of Chizkiya,
with the army of Sancherev’s 185,000 strong standing outside our gates
and after the terrifying speech in Hebrew from Chizkiya’s renegade son, Ravsheka,
with the city taking sides about what the proper path to take was. Chizkiya
rent his garments and mourned and prayed but understood that a surrender of the
city was not just a material defeat but a spiritual one. The temple
would be destroyed and taken over by idolators, the Jews would be unable to
preform the service there. The Torah itself would be at risk and lost as it is
only from Tzion where it can shine forth. Yet, at the same time, in Chizkiya’s
speech to the prophet Yeshaya, he tells him that the nation is like a woman
in childbirth that has no more strength to push. They are outnumbered and
divided and did not feel they even had the merits with which any prayer or
miracle could take place.
On the other side of the
coin stood Shevna the scribe, he felt that we needed to surrender. It
was better to live another day then die and fight and get exiled in a brutal
war as the other 10 tribes that Sancherev conquered were. With him were
130,000 followers, far more than Chizkiya’s 110,000. Chizkiya
himself was frightened because of that majority that perhaps Hashem as well ahd
given up on His nation and wanted him to surrender as well. So he sent a
message to Yeshaya asking him how to proceed.
The answer Hashem gave
to Yeshaya is so relevant and timely today-as this column always
surprisingly turns out to be. Hashem, said that a faction of the wicked is not
a real faction to be concerned with. For they are not united. Each one has
their own agenda. And as each one’s agenda falls away they will fall as well.
And so it in fact happens. The Talmud in Sanhedrin tells us that Shevna
decided to go forward with his surrender and to open up the gates to the army
of Sancherev. Yet, when he approached the gate, and exited the angel Gabriel
closed it behind him and he was left alone. When the Assyrians asked
where his surrendering city and followers were he had no answer besides to say
that they backed out. And thus they pierced his feet and tied him to horses
tails and dragged him over thorns until he died. The prophet Yeshaya mentions and scorns
Shevna in his prophecy asking his soul what he is doing here in Jerusalem.
Is he hoping to be buried here? That is the fate of the wicked and the
faithless.
Fascinatingly enough
there have been inscriptions on seals that were discovered with what is
presumed to be Shevna’s name on it. The wicked live on infamy it seems.
Yet there plots and divisiveness unfortunately carry on until today, as we see
from the protests and the politics that surround our current war and situation,
where everyone is prescribing what needs to be done, not yet fully grasping
that this Hashem’s show.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE CONTROL JOKES OF THE WEEK
People in North Korea
are so brainwashed by the government and the state controlled national news
thinking their country is great. Outsiders know better.
That is why I am glad
to live in the greatest country in the world, The United States of America.
If a sheep is in
control of a country, it will be called A dictatorsheep
A German Shepherd and
a Sheep are out on a date...
German Shepherd:
"What do you mean I'm too controlling?!"
Sheep: "You herd
me."
Man does not control
his own fate- The women in his life do that for him- Groucho Marx
I remember the first
time I saw a universal remote control. I thought to myself, "Well, this
changes everything"
Needed: people with a
lot of self control for working at a bubble wrap factory.
My wife tells me my
conspiracy theory obsession is getting out of control.. I wonder how much the
government paid her to say that.
My daughter thinks I’m
nosy and controlling. At least that’s what she wrote in her diary.
Putin is going through
passport control.
He’s asked:
- “Final
destination?”
- “Kiev”
- “Occupation?”
- “yes”
The driver of a huge
trailer lost control of his rig and ploughed into an empty toll booth, smashing
it to pieces. Some time after the driver had reported the damage, he watched as
a repair truck pulled up and discharged a crew of workers. They picked up each
broken piece of the wreckage and spread a creamy substance on it. Then they
began fitting the pieces together. In less than a half hour, they had the
entire tollbooth reconstructed and looking good as new.
Astonishing! said the truck driver to the crew chief. “What
was the white stuff you used to stick all the pieces together?”
“Oh, that was
tollgate booth paste.”
I called Animal
control Welfare today and said, "I've just found a suitcase in the
woods with a fox and four cubs."
"That's
terrible," the woman on the
phone replied. "Are they moving?"
"I'm not sure,
to be honest," I said, "But that would explain the
suitcase."
My Grandad asked me
how to print. I said "Control P"
He said: "I
haven't been able to do that for years!"
(sorry couldn’t resist…
too many terrible jokes until now..)
The man who invented
the remote control has died age 96. He was found down the back of the sofa.
**********************************
The
answer to this week”s question is B– So I
got another 50/50 for this question as well. The Bahai Akko thing was easy for
me. I’m there all the time. I speak about their strange fringe break-off
religion from Islam, and how there the 2nd fastest growing religion
POPRPTIONATLY- that’s the key word in the world- right after Ultra-Orthodox
Judaism. Pretty cool right? So their head was kept in Akko prison and died
there, so he’s buried in Akko and they pray in that direction. Although I’m
sure most people gueesed Haifa where the headquarters and gardens are based.
The first question though I got wrong, despite the fat that I’m by Muchraka all
the time, where Eliyahu hanavi had his cookoff against the prophets of Baal. Yet
for some reason, I answered that it was originally a German monastery. I guess
I wasn’t thinking and got confuse with most of he Crusader period Templer
stuff. But who cares. The right answer though is France and so ig et that part
wrong. So anyways half half on this one making my score Rabbi Schwartz 6.5 and Ministry of
Tourism 3.5 on this exam so far.
