Cigar Wars- Kit Teitzei 2015/5775

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

August 28^th 2015 -Volume 5, Issue 41 13th Elul 5775

Parshat Ki Teitzei

Cigar Wars

Yankel was a good Chasid. He loved his Rebbe the Imrei Emes of Ger, with all of his heart. When he was younger he studied the pearls of Torah his rebbe taught him so lovingly. As he grew older the Rebbe married him off and was the Sandak (godfather) for all his children’s circumcision. Each year along with 10’s of thousands of Chasidim from around Europe, Yankel would go to his Rebbe’s court for Rosh Hashanah. It was said that on the special train lines that the Polish government added for the high holidays, there were over ten thousand chasidim that came who ate on Yom Kippur and didn’t wear Tefillin…all boys under the age of Bar Mitzvah. Yet even with the thousands that came Yankel looked forward to his precious few private minutes with the Rebbe. He would get the Rebbe’s blessing for his family, his health and business. Yet, most important to Yankel was the blessing he would recieve for his continued spiritual growth.  He was enough of a Gerrer Chasid to know, that more than anything else, his relationship with Hashem and the inspiration to lead a vibrant Jewish life was the greatest gift one can have.

This Rosh Hashana though, the Rebbe surprised Yankel as he began to ask him about his business. Yankel shared with the Rebbe that his business was expanding and in fact in a few weeks he would be traveling for a few days to Paris to purchase more materials and to create new networks of supply. The Rebbe then made a request of Yankel.

“I heard that they sell very good cigars in Paris, would you be able to pick me up a box?”

Yankel was a bit taken aback. Was the Rebbe really thinking about cigars on the holiest of days?

Yet, he knew better then to question the Rebbe. He quickly assured the Rebbe that he would bring him two boxes of the very best he could find and would return within a month with the Rebbe’s cigars.

Sure enough two weeks later Yankel returned from his trip with the two boxes of cigars. The Rebbe after examining them closely though asked him if they were indeed purchased in Paris. Yankel blushed a little and apologized to the Rebbe. He explained that while he was in Paris he was so caught up in business that it totally slipped his mind. On the way home however, when he remembered, he made a stop in Belgium and bought the cigars over there.

“But don’t worry Rebbe” Yankel said “the cigars in Belgium are much better and I made sure to purchase the best of the best for the Rebbe’s pleasure”.

“Oy Yankeleh… Yankeleh”, the Rebbe sighed,

“Did you really think that I needed or had any interest in Cigars from either Paris or Belgium? It wasn’t the cigars I wanted it was the chasid that I wanted. I wanted you to remember that even though you may be in Paris you still have a Rebbe back in Ger that is waiting for you. A chasid in Paris is what I was hoping you would be and feel like. Not a business man without a Rebbe.”

This week’s Torah portion contains a unique mitzvah of war.

Ki Teitzei LiMmachaneh Al Oivecha V’Nishmartem mikol Davar Rah-When you go to camp against your enemy you should guard yourself from all bad things.

The bad things that the Torah is referring to here are in areas of licentiousness, impure thoughts and all matters that will distance oneself from God.

The Slonimer Rebbe notes how it is interesting that this mitzvah as opposed to the two other commandments of war preciously mentioned does not refer to it as a war rather as when one camps against the enemy. In addition both the commandment and the enemy are referred to in the singular form rather than the plural. He therefore suggests a deeper more meaningful understanding of the Parsha. What the Torah is hinting to us a here is not merely the global biblical warfare battles and its commandments, rather it is teaching us about our personal internal battles that we each are challenged by. And the enemy- the greatest enemy we have- is our Yetzer Harah the evil inclination that is there relentlessly to tempt us.

The previous Parshiyot describe and allude to how one must go out and engage that force whether it is in areas of observance, where we must know the places to avoid and the things that bring us down and actively battle those temptations. Or as the latter Parsha suggests there are even battles in matters of a permissible nature such as excesses where one must reign oneself (like the case of the captive women) or in our worship of God where we must offensively strategize how to win those battles. How we can put more energy into our prayers, our studies, our faith and our acts of kindness and even limit our exposure to the baser although permitted physical pleasures that come our way. In “times of war” changes have to be made

 Yet there are times when there is no ‘war” and this is what this final mitzvah is talking about. It is when one goes out in to the world to do his or her regular things. Shopping, Business, Teaching, Learning, Touring. It is here the Torah tells you that we are also vulnerable. Ki teitzei Machaneh- when we go out from our “camp”.  It could be vacation; it could be your workplace. Maybe Paris. You’re not in Shul you’re just doing your everyday thing. Vnishmartem Mikol Davar Rah- watch out. Protect yourself. Why?

Ki Hashem Elokecha Mit’Halech B’Kerev Machanecha - Because Hashem is always found within your camp. L’Hatzilcha- to save you and to place your enemy before you. When you leave home base,  to a place that may seem so innocent and so necessary, however if it is not part of your camp; if you feel that you are chutz la’Macheneh- outside of the camp than the extra protection we so need to inspire us to sanctify Hashem’s name is much harder to achieve. For His presence is found amongst the camp. And to paraphrase a US president who just a little over ten years ago said-You are either with us or against us- you’re either part of His camp or you’re not.

We read these Torah portions as we get closer and closer to Rosh Hashanah; the end of the year and the beginning of the year. There are so many battles, struggles and challenges each of us have gone through and may still yet face and yet the greatest battles are sages teach us are within ourselves. Yet perhaps the strongest weapon we have in our arsenal is knowing that we have a camp that we can always be attached to. We may not all have a Rebbe in Poland, as Yankel did, but we have a loving Father in heaven who is always amongst the Jewish people waiting and watching for us to reattach ourselves to our community. Imagine the nachas and pleasure He has as His children all gather in synagogues around the world as they join together and crown Him annually as our King. But once or twice a year is not enough. Neither is once a week, neither is even each day. We have to feel that we are part of His camp wherever we go and whatever we do. He’s not looking for cigars either or even for Chasidim. He’s looking for his children and for His soldiers to be standing tall at His side

Have an inspirational Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S VIDEO OF THEWEEK

http://www.humansofjudaism.com/humansofjudaism/kimmelvid  – Yeshiva save SpongeBob on Kimmel Late night TV!

https://youtu.be/RVksB8Pqi5Y  - For the Yiddish speakers pretty ummmm interesting video Rebbe Nachman Uman Rosh Hashana..what do you think?

https://youtu.be/fi90dhz4Ou8 - Another pretty wild Yiddish music video…one really has to wonder what Rabbi Nachman must be thinking…? Gevald new …hit ? or not?

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

While in the states I picked up a great book with yiidsh quotes and wisdom and I have always wanted to teach my kids Yiddish so here we go each week another great proverb in yiddish maybe you guys will learn it too!!

“Gutskeit iz besser fun frumkeit”-  Kindness is better than piety.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE QUOTES  OF THE WEEK

"I have made it a rule never to smoke more than one cigar at a time.” Mark Twain

.“ Smoking is indispensable if one has nothing to kiss.” Sigmund Freud

“The end of a good smoke is a little saddening. In some regard, it's a bit like losing a best friend who had time to sit and listen.” ~ Zen Warrior

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

(New exam this week these questions are from the most recent tour guide exam-let’s see how I do)

answer below at end of Email

Baybars conquered from the Crusaders

A.    Akko and Akziv

B.     Ashkelon and Jerusalem

C.     Ein Jalut and Gaza

D.    Arsuf and Tzefat

.RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK

The weeks Portion tells us about the mitzvah to for one to put a fence around his roof so that no-one will fall off- “And blood not be in ones house”-The Midrash derives from here that it is not specifically the fence but anything that is dangerous shall not be in ones house. The Talmud says this refers specifically to “bad” dogs. It even tells a story about a woman who was pregnant whose baby aborted when she was frightened by a dog. When the owner told her not to worry because the dog has not teeth-“It’s all bark and no bite”. The Talmud tells us that it was to late… Lesson, the Maharsha says, even a dangerous looking dog is something one should not have in one’s house…. I just wish that Midrash would have said bunny rabbits as well…J

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

That Yonah doesn’t think I can come up with each week…

Randomly bump into herds of animals on the roads – I don’t literally mean ‘bump’ into them of course, rather happen on to them. This week alone we had a herd of horses just running along by Mt. Bental in middle of the road, sheep and goats along the Judean wilderness trails and camels as well. The galilee has cows all over the place and in the evening hours on many roads one can see deer, fox and even wild boar. Israel is a country that raises wildlife and cattle and prides itself on its and they have full reign of the roads. Sure there’s other places you can see that. But I challenge you to find me anywhere else in the world that has a such a great variety as they do in Israel. It’s really an awesomely cool experience just driving down the road and just seeing these herds. Just very very cool!

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S LAWYER JOKES OF THE WEEK

 A Russian, a Cuban, an American and a lawyer are riding on a train.
The Russian takes out a bottle of the best vodka out of his pack; pours some into a glass, drinks it, and says:
"In USSR, we have the best vodka of the world, nowhere in the world you can find vodka as good as the one we produce in Ukrainia. And we have so much of it, that we can just throw it away..."
Saying that, he goes to a window and throw the rest of the bottle through it. T he others are quite impressed.
The Cuban then pulls out a pack of Havanas, takes one of them, lights it and begins to smoke it saying: "In Cuba, we have the best cigars of the world: Havanas, nowhere in the world are there such good cigars and we have so many of them, that we can just throw them away..."
Saying that, he throws the pack of cigars through the window as the Conductor approaches. One more time, everybody is quite impressed.
Slowly, the American just stands up, with a superior smile.
He opens the window, and throws the lawyer through it...

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A guy traveling through the prairies of the USA stopped at a small town and went to a bar. He stood at the end of the bar, ordered a drink, and lit up a cigar.
As he sipped his drink, he stood there quietly blowing smoke rings.
After he blew nine or ten smoke rings into the air, an angry American Indian stomped up to him and said, "One more remark like that and I'll smash your face in!"

Yankel was in a lawsuit involving large sums of money and he was talking to his lawyer. "If I lose this case, I'll be ruined."
"It's in the judge's hands now," said the lawyer.
"Would it help if I sent the judge a box of cigars?"
"Oh no! This judge is a stickler or ethical behavior. A stunt like that would prejudice him against you. He might even hold you in contempt of court. In fact, you shouldn't even smile at the judge."
Within the course of time, the judge rendered a decision in favor of Yankel. As the he left the courthouse, he said to his lawyer, "Thanks for the tip about the cigars. It worked!"
His Lawyer responded "I'm sure we would have lost the case if you'd sent them."
"But, I did send them."
"What? You did?" said the lawyer, incredulously.
"Yes. That's how we won the case."
"I don't understand," said the lawyer.
"It's easy. I sent the cigars to the judge, but signed the plaintiff's name.

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Answer is D: OK So this Baibars guy was a former slave in Egypt who rebelled and pretty much cleaned the Crusaders out of Israel. He was a fierce warriaor proving himself first by getting rid of Ghengi Khan and the Mongolians in the battle of Ein Jalut. I knew that so therefore I knew that Ein Jalut was not the right answer as it wasn’t a Crusader Battle. I also tour Akko A lot and know that he didn’t  conquer Akko rather he sieged it and then left it. Knocked out two answers. Jerusalem was already conquered by the arabs before Baibars- that’s kind of the reason why they were based out of Akko. Which of course leaves Tzfat and Arsuf  apoliana as the correct answer. In Arsuf he used tremendous sieges engines and then they surrendered and he raazed it and in Tzfat he fortified the Crusader fortress and because it was so strategic. PS  If you ever have a tour guide that that is busy talking about Baibars in Tzfat for more than thirty seconds or so…you’ve got the wrong guide.

Plagued!- Vaeira 2013

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

January 10^th 2013 -Volume 3, Issue 14 –28^th of Tevet 5772

Parshas Vaeira

Plagued!

 It has been an interesting week. I cut my finger and it began to bleed. BLOOD. My fuses blew and the lights went out. DARKNESS. I looked out my window at the brewing storm and what do you know? HAIL. My wife started screaming as she combed my daughter's hair. LICE. I have decided to stay away from wild animal, frogs, cattle and anything that might burn me and I gave my 1^st born an extra hug this morning. Call me paranoid, but it's Parshas Va'eira and if I wasn't thinking about plagues beforehand, I sure got thinking about them now.

It is perhaps one of the most familiar stories of our nation. We recount it in much detail and embellishment at our Pesach Seders-sometimes with the help of all types of little cutesy demonstrative toys- dead sheep, windup hoppy frogs, hail ping pong balls… We all know the story of the ten plagues  and could  name them probably even faster than we can name the ten commandments (I'll pause so you can try it…J). Yet in truth after all the fun and games and exciting stories the question we have to ask ourselves is what was really the point of it all. Don't get me wrong I'm all for an exciting story, but imagine you were living in Egypt for 210 years under harsh slavery conditions and the time for Exodus is here. Wouldn’t you want to just get out already?

To make this perhaps even more real imagine a concentration camp survivor when the Americans came through the gates of Auschwitz at the end of the war. But rather than chocolate bars and buses to take the people out, they soldiers said "Hold on a second-or a year-as we change their water to blood, hit them with frogs, kill their animals, knock out their lights and so on and so on." For an entire year we remained in Egypt as this process went on. Don't you think our nation would have said "thanks for the show but we'll catch the movie later. We'll grab our matzo's and leave now- thank you". If Hashem wanted to punish the Egyptians than He could've had some type of Nuremberg trial once we were out of there already. Even if the function of the plagues were to serve as a Divine quid pro quo (mida k'neged mida-as our sages refer to it), each plague being retribution for every type of persecution that they enslaved and tortured our people with, why did we have to be there for it all? Wouldn't it have been nice just to sit back, with some hot cocoa and watch it all on TV?

The answer the Torah tells us in the first few verses of this week's Torah portion in Hashem's preamble to the entire story is that it was not about the Egyptians or retribution. It was about us.

Hashem spoke to Moshe, and He said to him, "I am the Hashem.  I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name Hashem, I did not become known to them.  And also, I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings in which they sojourned.  And also, I heard the moans of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians are holding in bondage, and I remembered My covenant. Therefore, say to the children of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.  And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a God to you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord.' "

So there we have it. The ten plagues, the yearlong extended stay in Egypt, were in order that we would know the name of our Father and redeemer. Until we personally witnessed Hashem's hand against the Egyptians, until we realized that all the forces of nature were united by Hashem's word to carry out His will, until we first hand stood back in awe and amazement as their water turned to blood while ours stayed water, the frogs, lice, locusts, wild animals terrorized them but didn't even croak in our direction, until we saw that we had total light while our oppressors were frozen in the dark…we weren't ready to go. The Exodus from Egypt wasn't as much about getting us out of a rotten concentration camp as it was of creating us a nation that would always know at its core that we were different, Chosen, Hashem's people. We were meant to know that Hashem who created all and who consistently manages and directs all aspects of nature is our God. It was a course that we would never and have never forgotten. We may not always remember all the commandments but deep in our souls we will never forget what we witnessed that year in Egypt.

I once saw a testimony from a Holocaust survivor who described his worst day during the Holocaust. He said that it was not the day that he was separated from his loved ones when he first came to the camp. It wasn't the day that he watched his children killed in front of him, nor when he thought he was going to die as he marched 14 miles in the bitter snow. The worst day he said was when the gates opened up and the American tanks with their shiny flags came through throwing chocolate bars to the surviving prisoners. Why was that the worst day? He asked for us. Because throughout all the years and all the suffering, no matter what happened we had one thing that held us through it all; it was the faith, knowledge and belief that there would be an end and it would bring Moshiach. What we were going through were just the birthpangs, the persecution before we were to be redeemed. But, this time forever. We saw those gates opened and we were expecting Moshiach on a white donkey blowing a shofar waiting to bring us finally home. And when we saw that it was just the Americans with chocolate bars there was nothing more devastating than that…

Moshiach did not come after the Holocaust. We were not redeemed after the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Cossacks, Stalin and even after all of the wars and terror we have undergone since the founding of the State of Israel. Yet the Jewish people are still here, still strong and have still maintained faith that we will ultimately be redeemed. That strength to survive and flourish and pick ourselves up from the ashes again and again is only because we have the knowledge that Hashem is our God and that he controls all that happens to us. It's what has still kept us looking at those gates of challenge hardship and tragedy and still wait for the redemption. It was the lesson we have never forgotten from that last year in Egypt.

 At our Pesach Seder we drink four cup of wine to remember the four terminologies of redemption. I will take you out, I will save you, I will take you to me and I will redeem you. While most people drink to forget we drink to recall that sense of euphoria and knowledge we had when we left Egypt. We drink because we truly are free with the knowledge and redemption we experienced. We will never again be enslaved in spirit because of that redemption. No matter what we are put through the horrors that we experience and the challenges that we face we know that Hashem is our God. Yet there is one cup, a fifth cup that we place on our table that we do not drink. That cup is the only one, even here in Israel today that we do not fully have; we cannot yet drink.  And I will bring you to the land. -we have come home or at least begun to, yet we still await for Hashem to join us and bring that final redemption, the culmination that we have been longing for. We know it will happen. We pray it will be soon. We've had enough of the chocolate bars, the hail, the darkness and the lice. It's time for Him to come home.

Have a warm, light filled, scratch free J Shabbos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

 RABBI SCHWARTZ "TEN PLAGUES" VIDEO OF THE WEEK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx8TE1v6RtM&playnext=1&list=PLE1F134C3BA685D5A&feature=results_video

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL ISRAELI ELECTION COMMERCIAL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=151657

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RABBI SCHWARTZES TOUR GUIDE COURSE QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 (answer below)

What is a casemate wall

(a) A wall composed of two parallel with partitions between them

(b) a wall with projections and recesses

(c) a wall with an attached moat

(d) a thick wall with towers

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

Holon/Blind, Deaf and children's Museum – the city of Holon founded in 1935 on the sand dunes (Hol being sand) outside of Tel Aviv has the 2^nd largest industrial area (after Haifa) in israel. In addition to that in 1954 President Yitzchak Ben Tzvi established the 2^nd only city for Shomronim/Samaritans here. This ancient people who believe they are the real jewish people after the destruction of the 2^nd Temple have lived in Israel since then historically being a thorn in the Jewish peoples side today they are a small population supportive of the state of Israel with many jewish/like customs and distortion of our traditional Judaism. The best reason to visit Holon though, is the incredible blind and deaf museum where you can take an hour tour led by blind and deaf people through total darkness or soundless environments. It is absolutely amazing and gives you a real appreciation of the gifts of eyesight and hearing that we have and a true sense of awe and empathy for the lives of the blind and deaf and their strength to achieve and succeed despite their handicaps. There is also a wonderful hands on children's museum as well with five different tours and programs to inspire and excite your youngsters with the world we live in.

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RABBI SCHWARTZ FAVORITE LICE JOKE OF THE WEEK OYYYY…

What did the head lice say to the other head lice? You wait here – I’ll go on a head!

What do you call a lice on a bald person? Homeless

Where do mountain – climbing head lice go? The Widow’s Peak

What does a louse need to drive? A License

What did the head lice say when their host went to the barber? “There goes the neighborhood.”

What is the favorite San Francisco treat of a louse? Lice-a-roni.

What is the favorite hobby of head lice? Nitting

What is a louse’s favorite frozen confection? Lice cream

What is the favorite lice nursery rhyme? Three Blind Lice

What did the mother louse say to her misbehaving little nits? “Don’t make me get the comb!”

 

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Answer

Answer is A- I actually skipped this one on my exam (you're allowed to skip 5 out of 50 questions). The reason was because I learned the material in hebrew and was not familiar with the English word for this. In Hebrew the casemate wall is known as a Chomat Sograyim which is two parallel walls with space in between. We find them in the great cities that shlomo built Chatzor, Meggido and Gezer as well as in Masada. The function of this type of wall was that it was cheaper to make as one didn’t need to fill up a whole solid broad wall and the space between the two walls could be used for storage, guard space or other purposes. In case of attack the space in between the two walls could be filled up to add extra fortification for the city.

 

 

 

 

Broken Glasses/ Holy Eyesight- Toldos 5773/2012

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

 November 15^th 2012 -Volume 3, Issue 6 –1^st of Kislev 5773

Parshat Toldos

Broken Glasses-Holy Eyesight

 He got new glasses the other week. He lost the lens the first day. Yes, he's definitely my son. My mother's curse/blessing has come true. I have been blessed with a child that assuredly will give as much nachas (pride and joy all mixed together, but really just an untranslatable Yiddish word) and frustration as I did to my parents.

I couldn't even really get angry. I knew it would happen. I remember being in those little shoes myself. D.O.C.-Detroit Optical Center (my least favorite glasses store growing up in Detroit) , canceled their warranty policy because of me, or at least because of my numerous bi- weekly and once even bi-daily visits. So instead I shlepped with my little tatteleh back to the glasses store, picked up another pair with a big sigh, and resignedly asked them if they made any that could be stapled to the head or were made of unbreakable steel (yes I know what is coming next after they get lost…) I then looked at my sons somber guilty face, and passed the traditional blessing down to my son. With a strong sense that there were generations of Schwartzes up above smiling down upon me as I create another link in our broken- glasses- nachas filled heritage I said. "May Hashem one day give you a son just like you!"

This week’s Torah portion, as always non-coincidentally, shares with us a story of blessings and curses as well. It all begins it seems with our forefather Yitzchok who it seems was in need of glasses himself. The Torah tells us that as he aged his eyes became weak and he could no longer see. Yet the Zohar tells us a slightly different story. We are told that source of Yitzchak’s failing eye sight was not just a symptom of his age. Nor was it because he read too many books under his cover late at night either, or for not eating his carrots, Mom! Rather it was a result of when he was bound on the altar by his father Abraham (at age 37 incidentally) and the gates of heaven opened in mercy as he witnessed a Divine Revelation, and the tears of the angels at this heartbreaking act of sacrifice and dedication, as father stood over his son to offer him up to God as commanded, pierced his eyes and they began to fail.

The great Chasidic master of Radomsk, the Tifferes Shlomo, suggests a very powerful idea behind Yitzchak’s blindness. He asks can it be that a Divine revelation or the tears of angels would have such a debilitating effect that would blind someone. And why would God not cure or heal Yitzchak from such an affliction? Rather he explains that the weakening of the eyes of Yitzchak were not a physical symptom in as much as they were a spiritual elevation.

What are the tears of the angels? The tears of the angels are the incredible power of having mercy in the face of what seems to be the harsh judgment of Hashem. It is the capacity to recognize and even hope beyond hope that there will be goodness and salvation in what seems to be a desperate situation. Yitzchak is saved from the moment of death yet those tears penetrated his eyes and his capacity to see. There would be an Eisav, a murderer, a liar, an idolater; an individual who's only aspiration in life is to get another bowl of red red stew (chulent??). Yitzchak, however can only see the good, only the potential for mercy. Yitzchak, who kabbalistically represents judgment –Din- could no longer see the wickedness even when judgment and inspiration were meant to be utilized. For his eyes had been elevated to appoint of Godly mercy and holiness by which un-rectifiable evil in another could not be seen. But his eyes were weak at that moment. Yackov deserved the blessing. It is his descendants that were chosen to be nation of God that would require the blessings to fulfill their Divine mandate. One can hope and one should pray for the rectification of the evil murderous ways and blood lust of our enemies but that weakened eye of mercy can never come at the cost of depriving Yackov of his heritage. It can’t blind us of the threats to our existence.

I had another memory when we picked up my son's new glasses and that was the blessing my father would give me when I would come home and put them on for the first time. He would say in Yiddish to me in what perhaps was also an ancient Schwartz tradition of glasses-wearing sons.

 "Du zolst nor zein gutteh zachin-You should only see good things with them."

 We all have a tremendous gift of eyesight (glasses, contact wearers and lasik patients included). Yet, unfortunately we live in world where there are so many things that perhaps we shouldn't see. Images, Movies, Magazines and the list goes on, of things that have become acceptable in our "advanced" civilization and culture that perhaps wouldn't hurt us if our eyes could do without. There is also so much negativity that we can have a tendency to find in other people. Rather than looking and appreciating the good in others, we turn a critical (if not a hypocritical) eye to them and assume the worst. It is in this world and with these challenges that we need that blessing of our fathers for holy eyes even more than ever. It is in this world that the glasses of Yitzchak and of Divine mercy and goodness would serve us well as we look at our fellow man. May Hashem bless all of us that we only see gutte zachin both from ourselves, our children and in one another.

 

Have a Shabbos that brings rest, peace and protection to our entire nation,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

Yad Mordechai- Just a few kilometers from Gaza sout of Ashkelon this small Kibbutz has withstood the dangers and times of being close to the worst of Israels enemies. Founded in 1943 by a group of kibbutznikim from Netanya, the kibbutz was named after Mordechai Anielewicz the leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising who died while fighting the Nazi’s. There is a an incredible statue of him holding a grenade that was sculpted by Natan Rappaport right next to the Kibbutz’s shrapnel torn, bullet ridden,  water tower that became the symbol of their perserverance as the Egyptians tried many times to destroy it during the independence war. One can visit the Kibbutz’s powerful Holocaust museum that is unique in its linking the story of the Warsaw Ghettto uprising to the history of the establishment of Israel and the particular story of life in the South and Yad Mordechai. The museum has been recently updated with laser yellow stars that remain upon you as you tour the museum, the largest scale model of the Ghetto in the world, a film of the story of the uprising and a light sound experience in a reconstructed cattle car. One can visit as well the reconstructed battle ground of the kibbutz, as well as the monument  to the “gingi” who evacuated the children 7 and under at the site where they parted from their parents who remained to protect the kibbutz and Israel’s border (somethings sadly never change).

On the fun side the kibuutz has a wonderful bee and honey factory, cow where you can watch the cows milk and the museum of life in a kibbutz with activities for children.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZES ISRAEL LATE NIGHT JOKE/QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Unbelievable: In Haifa they’re eating hummus while missiles are falling in Tel Aviv” -Dan Cooper making fun of how in the past tel avivnikim were out of touch with what has been going on in the rest of the country

“Freiying” My Patience- Parshat Chayei Sarah 5773/2013

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

November 9^th  2012 -Volume 3, Issue 3 –24^th of Cheshvan 5773

Parshat Chayei Sara

“Freiying” My Patience

I used to be a very “chilled” guy. I remember when I was dating my wife and after a few dates she asked me if anything bothers me, as I am seemed so relaxed and easy-going. Which in truth I was. In the heavenly yeshiva world, I was my own boss, to do what I wanted when I wanted. Sure there were rules in Yeshiva, but I was the one who decided to be there and follow them (when I did J). So I thought before I answered my then hopefully bride-to- be, and I answered her with what I think was a pretty deep insight that not I even I appreciated at the time. What I told her was that I thought that the only thing that really got on my nerves was when I saw someone making a really bad mistake, just heading down the wrong path, and if they would only listen to me than everything would be fine. Yet, no matter how much I tried they just won’t listen…That upsets me. Now to my mind that sounded like a pretty caring and sensitive answer. After all I care deeply about people and I really hate to see them get in trouble or make mistakes. Seemingly, my wife bought it too because just a few months later we were standing under a chupah in Lakewood New Jersey. Little did she or I know at the time how often this seemingly until then once-in-a-while issue would surface and foster itself to the frustration of the both of us.

 See in Yeshiva there are not too many major mistakes that I would really care about. But all of a sudden everything was happening differently. The laundry was not right, dinner was milchigs, and we were no longer on time for weddings and functions. Then came the children.Boy did they make mistakes and were heading in directions, doing things differently and of course all wrong from how I expected them to be done. My way being of course was the right easier and of course more logical way. Before I knew it, this once cool, calm, collected, rational and of course chilled husband was (and is still) struggling with this major issue in his personality. Feelings of anger, bursts of temper,  and  continuous frustration which of course made me critical and not fun to be around. Why isn’t everyone just listening to me? Because I’m yelling of course! What happened to the chilled yeshiva guy ? I remember talking to one of my Rabbi’s earlier in my marriage and sharing with him this different person that I felt I was becoming after a frustrating day. He than shared with some ancient words of wisdom that truly has the power to be transformative-

“Aha, now I know you married the right person! Life is about growing and developing yourself. If you’re feeling challenged and your skin feels likes it’s crawling on you than you know that those comfortable single “bochur’she” layers are being rubbed off and now you can really start to work on developing your soul. Ezer-Knegdo the Torah teaches us she is your helper working opposite you.”

18 years and five children later I’m still working on it, and she’s still helping and the kids even more so in teaching me perhaps that being right is not always right. My job is to learn how to swallow accept and perhaps inspire by my own behavior and actions rather than “motivating” by commanding, directing or orchestrating the rest of the worlds Rabbi Schwartz view of perfection.

 Now if being married and having children are the relationships for me to work on this, I am living in the country most suitable to work on it as well. Here in Israel we live in a country  where more than anywhere where else in the world where so many people are doing things so wrong, so backwards, so illogically that someone who is not as aware as my years of marriage and parenting have trained me to be would just throw up their hands and yell. And they do. Constantly.  Why do banks charge an arm and a leg to deposit money or withdraw my money?” Why do government offices only open two or three days a week and even than close in the afternoon for a few hours? Why can’t supermarkets help you bag your groceries? Why do many businesses that you frequent here make you feel like they’re doing you the biggest favor by selling to you? Why would a post-office leave me a note in my mailbox, yesterday, telling me that I have mail and after waiting a half hour in line (because for some reason everything comes registered in this country and of course has to be picked up in the post office) than tell me that it has not yet arrived and I should come back tomorrow? Aarrrghhhh…Yet, I smile and bear it. It’s Israel. I love it. I feel blessed that I am lucky enough to live here. Unlike my close relative-you know who you are- that told me that he would move to Israel tomorrow if not for the fact that he would have to deal with Israelis, I feel that there is no better place to work on oneself and to develop oneself than in our special country. Remember if your skin feels like it’s crawling than it just means that the “comfortable layers” are being rubbed off to develop your soul.

 Now this Israel business mentality is not a new one. Take for example this week’s Torah portion. Our parsha begins with what the great 12^th century commentary Rabbeinu Yonah of Girondi describes as the final of the ten tests that our forefather Avraham had to undergo; purchasing a burial place for his wife of close to a century, Sarah Immeinu. Now as opposed to other commentaries that see last week’s test of the binding of his son Yitzchak on an altar and almost bringing him up as a sacrifice to God as being the final one, Rabbeinu Yonah suggests that this test is even more challenging being the culmination of all of his tests. This is would seem to be a pretty deep idea. After-all can there be anything more challenging to the man who has been preaching kindness and a loving God , who has waited until the age of 100 to have this promised child after years of prayer, to have to kill this child in what would seem like the common practice of idolatry. How would he face his son…his wife… his students…the world? How would he be able to get up and pray the next morning to God? How could a shopping trip to the fields of the cave of Machpela in Hebron afterwards even compare to this challenge? Yes, its true Efron the owner of the cave gave him a hard time. O.K. so he ripped him off and charged him 8X the going price. But still it’s not like having to shecht your son?

The answer Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler the great 20^th  century Jewish ethicist and thinker suggests is that it is not necessarily the big challenges that develop and make our soul complete, as much as the small nitty gritty frustrating day-to day dealings that have the ability to truly push us to the great heights. Many people can “rise to the occasion” when called upon to do an act of great sacrifice and heroism. Much fewer can smile when someone is rude or brazenly taking advantage of you. Avraham, was able to pass the Akeida test without any problem. Hashem commanded him to do something, and as incomprehensible of an act and sacrifice it might entail, at the end of the day it’s what Hashem told him to do. Efron on the other hand was this slimy Israeli business man (Hittite to be precise) pretending like he was doing Avraham the greatest favor in the world. Avraham who was in his most vulnerable place after the loss of his wife seeking the most simple basic need, a small little cave to bury her in. Can you fathom being able to hold it together at this point. There’s no command from God. There’s just me and him and Avraham is clearly right and being taken advantage of. This is the final test. Can you be a hero even here? Can you hold it together and behave with dignity and even respect for the loathsome situation and the way you are being treated. Avraham passed. The tests were over. I guess he proved he really has what it takes to inherit the land that will always challenge you in this way.  And we his descendants have the privilege to undergo that same challenge daily here and become the hero that he modeled for us to become.

 Why is it so difficult for us? Perhaps it’s because we feel threatened. The word in Israel is Freiyer or sucker. Nobody ones to be one and no one wants to be treated like one. Its’ perhaps the worst thing you can call your fellow Israeli. But the truth is by overcoming this challenge the Torah is telling us we become the opposite of that. We become the children of Avraham who have faith in Hashem and all that he makes us undergo-even if it comes at the hands of the Efrons at the local Makolet or government offices. Especially if it is coming from our spouse and our children. Things don’t have to work the way we want them to. The only thing that has to work is our ability to compose ourselves and to develop our patience, understanding and our acceptance. We’re in the right place we just have to become the right people.

Have relaxing peaceful Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

Tel Chatzor- This largest archeological site in Northern Israel covering over 840 dunams with both an upper and lower city is an incredible place where one can feel the stories of tanach first hand. The city of Chatzor is mentioned as a Canaani city that attacked the Jews in the wilderness and was eventually conquered and burned to the ground by Yehoshua when he conquered the land the only city that this was done to. Ashes from a great fire can be seen on the burned rock of the beautiful palace remains from that period and the later periods. Seemingly the city rebuilt itself as a Canani capital as in the book of judges Yavin the king sends out his mighty general Sisera to battle against the Jews by Mt. Tabor from here. The prophetess Devorah and her general Barak (see it’s a jewish name J) miraculously were able to defeat him. In the upper city excavations today one can see the unique 6 chambered gate that is identical to the ones found in Megiddo and Gezer all three being cities that king Solomon built to fortify his kingdom and collect taxes on this important crossroads from Damascus to the coast. One can also see the incredible water system that was dug perhaps by king Ahav that is 40 meters deep actually hitting underground aquafiers to supply the city with. An Ancient Israelite period classic four room houses and tower, as well as an oil press have been found. The lower city which has just barely been excavated has revealed a temple from the canani period as well as idols from that time. The city was conquered in the 8^th century BC by the invasion of Tilgeth Ilessar form Assyria with the exile of the ten tribes.

 

RABBI SCHWARTZES  FUNNY ISRAELI COMMERCIAL  VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA_wcjjHyCg

 

RABBI SCHWARTZES ISRAEL (WOULD BE FUNNY IF IT WEREN’T SO TRUE) JOKE OF THE WEEK

Max, a Vaadnik (union head) is addressing a union meeting at a certain unnamed Israeli government-owned company.
"Comrades - Haverim. We have agreed on a new deal with the management. We will no longer work five days a week."
"Hooray!", goes the crowd.
"We will finish work at 3 PM, not 4 PM."
"Hooray!", goes the crowd, again.
"We will start work at 9 AM, not 7 AM."
"Hooray!"
"We have a 150% pay rise."
"Hooray!"
"We will only work on Wednesdays."
Silence...then a voice from the back asks, "Every Wednesday?"

 

 

Yom Kippur’s Mystery Man Tour-Vayeilech 2012

Insights and Inspiration

from the 

Holy Land

from 

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

September 23^rd 2012 -Volume 2, Issue 45 –5^th of Tishrei 5773!!

Vayeileich/Shuva/ Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur’s Mystery Man Tour

One  of the rewarding skills that you develop when training to become a tour guide, is the ability to see things along the road that you might pass daily and learn to appreciate the hidden secrets and history that might lie behind their simple appearance.

“Look out from this vantage point over here. Here’s where Avraham stood and looked out with his son to the mountain of Hashem before the binding of Yitzchak”

“This valley we are standing in is the same valley where David fought Goliath”

“This stream we are kneeling before is the one that Gideon had his troops kneel before to drink before the battle against the Midianites”

“See those white ripples in the middle of the kinneret that is where our sages tell us the well of Miriam is still rolling under the great lake-or maybe it’s those ripples…or those…”

Our Tanach, our history, and our tradition all come alive when you are standing at various places and you uncover the history that took place there. The connection we have and feeling for our heritage is awe inspiring. One of the greatest treats of being a tour guide here in Israel is to be able to reveal those hidden connections to your tourists, as you show them that the stories and inspiring figures that they are familiar with are not just fairy tales of the past that they read about in books, or even study about in Yeshiva, rather they can reach out, touch and connect with those same figures as they traverse the Holyland where they once dwelled.

The truth of the matter is, that it is not only a tour guides job to do this.  Every Rabbi, parent and teacher as well is meant to pass down our tradition in that same way. Our Pessach Seder is based on this concept of a hands-on experiential telling of the story; from the Matzah, Bitter herbs and four cups of wine. Our Purim feast gives a taste of the joy of the holiday, our Chanuka candles connect us to the light of the miracle of the Menorah and our sitting on the floor, fasting and mourning customs connect us to the destruction of the Temple on Tisha B’Av. Our religious experiences are not only meant to be days of commemoration but experiences that have many layers, insights and nuances that are all there waiting to be uncovered and most powerfully to give us a sense of appreciation and connection to the thousands of years that our ancestors have been doing the same things at the same time.

Which brings us to Yom Kippur; the day that should be the most inspirational of the year. For many though, the 15 out of 25 waking hour fast day, stuck in synagogue with a prayer book that never seems to end, recounting your long litany of sins, fasting, looking at your watch and wondering how much longer do we have go, does not necessarily seem like the most exciting way to spend your Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, afternoon and evening. Chazanut and singing is nice for a bit. But wouldn’t it be great to have a tour guide through the Yom Kippur davening? Someone who can make the prayers a little more alive for us?  A guide to connect me and my prayers on a deeper level to thousands of years my ancestors have been saying these same words? Back in the old country J Our West Seattle TLC Yom Kippur services were kind of like that as I would intersperse our davening regularly with different insights.(For those of you still in Seattle you can experience that still with the TLC’s newest Rabbi in West Seattle my colleague Rabbi Yehudah Greer-contact the Seattle Kollel for more details) Here in Israel though it is my understanding that if the Rabbi tries to speak more than once during a service and for more than 10 minutes he is liable to be left without a Minyan by the time he is done in the best case scenario and he may himself be given a tour by the few remaining members. So instead we have this weekly E-Mail to give you, my beloved readers and for that Rabbi/Tour Guide in me the outlet to share with you a little bit of inspiration for your Yom Kippur Tour this year as you prepare for our upcoming day of Judgment.

Today’s tour, which of course has to start with a connection to the weekly Parsha as we come closer to the end our annual Torah reading and the end of the Moshe our great leaders life, starts with Moshe’s statement that he is 120 years old, his birthday and day of passing and he is preparing for death. The Talmud tells us that when Moshe went up to receive the Torah Hashem instead shows him the future generations. In this vision he sees another great figure over a thousand years later, the great Rabbi Akiva who is teaching Torah in the Beit Midrash. Moshe is overwhelmed at how Rabbi Akiva would explain even the small shapes and crowns of each letter in the Torah, to the degree that he says “You have Rabbi Akiva what do you need me for?” When Rabbi Akiva than says that we have learned this all from Moshe on Sinai though Moshe is consoled.

Rabbi Akiva, who like Moshe according to the Medrash also lived 120 years (Hillel and Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai are the other two mentioned), is the hidden figure that if one looks carefully can be found all over the Yom Kippur davening. In fact the Chi”da notes that Rabbi Akiva, who was martyred on Yom Kippur, is in fact the essence of Yom Kippur and all of our prayers should be in his merit. So let’s start from the beginning (a very good place to start) and your homework this Yom Kippur is to find various places in the service where our sages, who formulated our prayers, placed references to Rabbi Akiva and his ideas.

Our introduction to the Yom Kippur service before Kol Nidrei is the recital of the verse

“Ohr ZaruAH La’TzadiK U’LiyishreI LeV SimchA- A light shall shine for the righteous and joy for those of a stalwart heart”. If you noticed the last letters of each one of the words actually spell out Rabbi Akiva’s name. Cool! Well that’s pretty neat (we tour guides like it when you say that). So our prayers start off with a hint of Rabbi Akiva. Even more inspiring though is that as this is said we take that Sefer Torah, that he explained every nuance of (even the word Es), around the Beit Knesset and lovingly kiss it as we think of the love he had for the Torah. We then recite verses and a statement of how we are permitted to pray together with sinners for in truth

“Kol H’Am Bi’Shgagah- we are all unintentional sinners (at least)”

 That concept of all of us being connected and responsible for one another falls under what Rabbi Akiva coined as the Torah’s golden rule- “Amar Rabbi Akiva- Va’Ahavta Li’rayacha Kamocha- Zeh Klal Gadol Ba’Torah- And you shall love your fellow as your self is a primary principle of the Torah.”

Next before we recite our Shmona Esrei for the evening service, we recite the verse

“On this day you shall atone for all your sins to cleanse you; from all your sins; before Hashem you shall be cleansed.” Once again we can hear the voice of Rabbi Akiva as he exclaimed upon reading this verse

“How fortunate are you Israel! Before whom are you purified and who purifies you? Our Father who is in heaven. Just as a Mikva purifies the un-pure so too Hashem purifies Israel.”

One can feel the awe of the day that Rabbi Akiva must’ve had.. All we have to do is jump into that mikva that is the love of our forgiving Father and and Hashem himself will clean off all the shmutz our soul has accumulated over the year.

The truth is, there is perhaps no greater figure in our history who symbolizes new starts and the concept of Teshuva. Rabbi Akiva who only started off himself learning to read Hebrew at age 40 (when he would go to cheder with his little son) writes about himself that when he was a simple shepherd and saw a Torah scholar he would say- “give me a Talmid Chacham and I will bite him like a donkey!”When asked, “Why not like a dog?” he answered: “A dog’s bites tears the flesh, but a donkey’s bites breaks the bones. Can you hear in these words sadly many of our typical secular and anti-religious brothers and sisters? Yet, with all the challenges of a secular background and inspired by the potential he saw in the power of water to penetrate a rock, he decided that his heart which is so open to the love of Hashem, and the Torah which is so powerful should certainly be able to return, grow and develop.

Our tour continues with another prayer that we have recited repeatedly since Rosh Hashana and will recite multiple times on Yom Kippur; The prayer of Avinu Malkeinu- our Father our King (see my email last week). The Talmud tells us that the author of this prayer was none other than our Rabbi Akiva. The story being, that it was a time of famine without any rain falling in Israel and many of the sages tried praying for rain to no avail. Until Rabbi Akiva was got up and recited this prayer which was accepted. Why Rabbi Akiva? The Talmud says that although his teacher Rabbi Elazar was greater than him but Rabbi Akiva was one who was able to transcend his natural instincts and have mercy even in places and times when he was justified to act harshly. How appropriate it is that the quote mentioned from Rabbi Akiva in Ethics of our Fathers is

“Beloved is the man that he was created in the image of God; an extra love is made known to him that he was created in God's image, as it says (Genesis 9:6) "for in His own image God made humankind." Beloved are the Jews that they are called sons to God; an extra love is made known to them that they are called sons to God, as it says (Deuteronomy 14:1) "You are children of the Lord your God." Beloved are the Jews that there has been given to them the precious instrument; an extra love is made known to them that they were given the precious instrument of the world's creation, as it says (Proverbs 4:2) "For I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching."

Rabbi Akiva was able to transcend because he knew he was created in the image of Hashem who does so as well. He felt beloved by our Father and inspired by the Torah and he taught us how fortunate we are to have the power of that knowledge embedded in our souls. And when we behave in that fashion Hashem as well reflects that and grants us renewed life.

Finally for the conclusion of today’s tour we recite during our Musaf prayer the story of the death of Rabbi Akiva. His martyrdom  was on this holiest of days in the theater of Casarea, before the mocking Roman masses as his skin was flailed off his body with burning iron combs for the crime of teaching our tradition to his people. His students cried out

“Is this Torah and is this its reward?’ and Rabbi Akiva responded

“My whole life I have recited the Shema and have been unable to fulfill the verse to serve Hashem with all of my soul and now I have been given the opportunity to fulfill that as well”

Rabbi Akiva died in an act of martyrdom. Ironically enough it was Rabbi Akiva himself who taught that one is not obligated to give up one’s life for another commandment besides the three cardinal sins (even to save a fellow Jew). For the Torah teaches us that one is meant to “Live by the commandments”- not die by them. Yet for him a life without the study of Torah without closeness to God was not a life worth living or as he described like a fish without water. That was life. It is that life that we are praying to be written and sealed in this Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Akiva died with the words Shema Yisrael on his lips as he sanctified Hashem’s name one final time before his death. We, as well, conclude our Yom Kippur Neila service with that cry of Kiddush Hashem, Shema Yisrael, echoing that call of Rabbi Akiva that has held us together as a God’s chosen nation for millennia. May Hashem bless all of us this year, in the merit of the teachings and inspiration of the great Rabbi Akiva whose ways and deeds still serve as a light for us, that we be signed and sealed in the book of good life, redemption and salvation, sustenance and support, merits, forgiveness and pardon.

May your first Shabbos of the year 5773 be an incredible start to a fantastic year

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

GRAVE OF RABBI AKIVA,TIVERYA- High up on the mountain top overlooking the kinneret and the city of tiverya, th Golan (and on a good day even the Hermon) is the grave of the great sage Rabbi Akiva. Although Rabbi Akiva was killed in Casera seemingly his body was brought here the final resting place of the Sanhedrin of which he was a part of for burial. Interestingly enough Rabbi Akiva’s great wife Rachel who attributed all his greatness (Rabbi Akiva says Who is a rich man?- he who has a wife who has beautiful deeds) to is not buried near him rather she is lower in the city of Tiverya. The reason being that Rabbi Akiva was married three times his last wife the former wife and convert of the Roman governor Turnus Rufus is buried here with him. Also a much later tradition places the burial of Rav Moshe Chaim Luzatto (Ramchal) the 18^th century Italian Jewish writer, kabbalist, philosopher and Ethicsist who wrote the great Mussar works Mesilat Yesharim and Derech Hashem, who was persecuted and eventually died in Akko. There are those that suggest that the RaMChaL only lived for 40 years and as Rabbi Akiva did not study for the first 40 years of his life he shared the soul of RaMChaL who rectified and completed the soul of Rabbi Akiva. One rarely will come to visit this grave and not find a group of sefardic Jews that are Barbequing and picnicking at this incredible spot for prayer and gorgeous views. Who knows maybe they”ll let you join them.

RABBI SCHWARTZES FAVORITE RABBI AKIVA VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KWi0sFlcgo

RABBI SCHWARTZES YOM KIPPUR JOKE OF THE WEEK
Mrs. Epstein, A Hebrew School teacher at Beth Israel Congregation had just concluded her lesson in preparation of Yom Kippur and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She asked her class, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness for transgressing one of the commandments?”
There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up and said, "Transgress one of the commandments.”
AHHHH THE WISDOM OF CHILDREN