Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
June 19th 2020 -Volume 10
Issue 35 27th Sivan 5780
Parshat Korach
(Shelach
outside of Israel for last week's Shelach click below)\
or previous years
Virtual Living
So, it's been 3 months and 10 days since I 've had a tour. Baruch
Hashem, He's sent me some parnasah in some alternate miraculous ways in
the meantime. But I miss touring around Israel. There are other guides that are
using this down time to do some of their own running around checking out new
spots and building up their repertoire. Some are even doing little posts on
Facebook and the more advanced are offering virtual Zoom tours. I've had a few
requests for some of those. I even tried one. Ehh… not for me. I can barely
figure out how to take a selfie. How do you hold and angle the phone and manage
to get all of your face in and smile at the same time...anyways? I think it's
for people that have smaller faces than me. As well, I find touring around the
country all alone without you guys to be kind of depressing. It's not as
exciting. It's like eating a pareve chulent. It's got the beans, barley
and potatoes but its missing the meat and kishka. That would be my
enthusiastic tourists that are oohing and ahhing about
everything. Laughing at my jokes, eating up my inspiration and insights and
even believing all my bubbeh meisehs. The real nice ones even pretend to
enjoy my music that I play for them. Yeah… without you it's just pareve
chulent.
Yet at the same time I feel bad for you guys. See as much as
I want you here, I know you want to be here as well with me. You're the ones
missing out on the inspiration of Israel and that's just not fair. So being not
just a tour guide, but a Rabbi and fellow Jew that appreciates your enthusiasm
and desire, I try to do my best to give you those tastes of our Israel tours.
Baruch Hashem, Mishpacha has been featuring some of my tour write-ups with some
great photographers of the sites I visit for you. Actually last week I just did
my first video tour for them of the Judean Desert and Ein Gedi hike for you. I
even got on a camel, which I never do, just so you can vicariously tour through
me. I don't think the camel appreciated it as much as you will though. I can't
wait to see when that comes out. Don't worry I'll let you know.
Now I know it's still not the real thing. I guess it's a pareve
chulent for you guys too. But there is something to be said about one Jew
living vicariously through another. In fact, it's the essence of the entire
Torah. See how I did that there J… Let's take a look at this week's parsha and figure
out how Rabbi Schwartz, your favorite tour-guide and writer managed to sneak
that one in.
So the parsha is called Korach. Can you guess who the parsha is
about? You got it! Korach. Now that seems strange to name a parsha after a
wicked person. A Jew who rebelled against Moshe; challenging the kehuna
of Aharon as being nepotistic, rather than divinely ordained. Hashem literally
opened up the ground and swallowed the man alive with his wife, kids and all
his belongings. Nobody ever before or after got punished like that. So why go
and name a parsha after him?
The answer, some suggest, is that Korach had divine aspirations. It
wasn't just about honor. His rebellion came from a true desire to serve Hashem
in the way that he felt he could most do that. He wanted to be the Kohen Gadol.
He wanted to get as close to Hashem as a flesh and blood human could. Not just because
it's cool or glorious, but because it was the deepest desire of his holy
neshoma that came from under the Kisey HaKavod, Hashem's holy throne.
It's the desire of every Jewish neshoma in fact. We don't really feel that way,
because frankly we're not as holy or as spiritually in tune as Korach was. He
wasn't small chulent potatoes. He got the heads of the Sanhedrin, the greatest
sages, to back him up and join his team and it wasn't by force of his
incredible charisma either. It was because they knew he was a holy person and
his desires were sincere. He was just wrong.
The Mei Marom, (I told you I really love this sefer of Rav Yakov
Moshe Charlap Z"L) takes this even a step further. He explains with his
penetrating insight, that if Korach had such a desire then it was in fact
something that was realistically achievable. A person doesn't desire something
that he doesn't really believe he ever has a chance of achieving. I never dream
of having Arnold Schwarzenegger's body, despite the similarities in the first
part of our last names. That's about as close as it gets. It ain't ever
happening, so I don't even dream of it. I do wish I could get back down to
where I could see my toes when I step on a scale though…That's achievable. At
least my wife thinks it is for me. If Korach and if in fact all of us have an
innate desire to be the Kohen Gadol and enter into the holy of holies it must
really be something that is achievable. Hashem built us with that drive. How
can we realize it?
The answer, he reveals, is through a virtual tour. Boom! And there
you have it. See, every Jew is connected to one another. Kol Yisrael areivim
zeh la'zeh. We are all obligated in 613 commandments. Yet, there are some
mitzvos that only a man can do and not a woman. There are some that only first-borns
can do. There are some that only those that live in Israel are lucky enough to
have and there are some that only Kohanim and Levi'im can fulfill. So how can
we do all 613?
The answer is that if we feel and appreciate that we are all
connected. We are all one body and we all have one shared national soul. Then
when someone else does that mitzva it is as if I am doing it. When I make a
blessing and you recite Amen, it's as if you have recited the blessing. We are
bonded. When the men fulfill their mitzvos, the women are fulfilling that
mitzva as well by being connected to that man and vice versa. And when the
Kohen Gadol goes into the Holy of Holies, it's like all of us are entering
there together with him. We are virtually fulfilling our mitzvos and literally
standing there even though are bodies are far far away, perhaps even in a
different country. But our souls are connected with his. In the words of Rav
Charlap, he is our right hand and we are the left hand of the same body.
Korach couldn't accept this. He wanted to be the right hand. He
separated himself from the rest of the body in doing so. And he was a dead limb
that just got swallowed up and buried in the earth.
I saw an amazing story this week. About the person that perhaps
best represented this idea of love and connection to every Jew. There are those
Jews –me not being one of them- that have a thing for going to Eastern Europe
to visit the graves and tombs of the great Rabbis- or perhaps more commonly
Rebbes, that are still buried there. This is not my thing, I've got enough holy
graves here in the Holy land to daven by, and don't feel the need to give those
farshtunkeneh Europeans goyim and peasants a nickel more of my
limited tourist money. But if there was one grave I wouldn't mind visiting it
would be the great Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. (I know you guys thought I
would say Rebbi Nachman in Uman- he would be second-but that's mostly for the
party there not the prayers. No one does it like the Breslavers). Reb Levi
Yitzchak was known as the advocate of the Jewish people. His love for any Jew
and his way of always finding the positive outlook for them fill hundreds of
books that I've read and that have been my inspiration. I would daven there.
Well it seems that recently- like this past week recently, they
were doing renovations on his tomb, which is generally like most Rebbe's within
a small little building to protect it from the elements called an Ohel.
It turns out that as they were digging, they discovered the original graves of
the great Rabbi and his children. The problem was it wasn't where the
tombstones were placed, rather they were right underneath the floor of where
everyone would be standing when they would come pray. Now as you may be
familiar and can imagine, it's not nice to step on people graves. Certainly not
to dance on them, which I'm sure plenty of people that came to pray there have
done when they finished their prayers. You know the Breslavers did for sure.
Can you imagine the horror of knowing that you have been walking and stepping
on top of the grave of the buried sage?
Well, it seems that there has been another discovery simultaneously
to this first revelation. For there is this Rabbi who is a direct descendant of
Reb Levi Yitzchak that came about 7 years ago to visit his tomb. Yet, when he
arrived there was something inside of him that prevented him from going in the
actual Ohel to pray. So he stayed outside. For reasons not given it seems that
this Rabbi decided to spend the entire night there praying…Again not something
I would recommend. Yet at some point he fell asleep and he said that in his
dream Reb Levi Yitzchak visited him and asked him why he was not coming in. (I
quote from Matzav.com where I saw this story).
“My child,” the tzaddik called out, “Why don’t you come
into the Ohel?”
“Zeide, I can’t bring myself to come in! I feel that you are not
buried where they say you are!”
Rav Levi Yitzchak drew close and said: “I want you to know that it
is true. I am not buried where they say I am. I am buried directly underneath
the center of the Ohel. My child, all the yidden walk over me. I love it, my
child! I love it more than anything in the world! Yidden are coming to visit
me, precious Yidden! And I have the opportunity to hold them up! Look how many
Yidden I am holding up! Please bring more! Bring more and more and more…!”
The words “more and more” echoed louder and louder and the tzaddik
danced away. The Rav awoke from his dream in the darkness of the Berditchover
Beis HaChayim, shaken. For the past seven years, he wondered about that
dream. Until this week…
There are some people that are living up here on this world, that
feel that they need to have it all. They need to have what others have. They,
need to be "The" ones. They can't appreciate that they can rejoice
and experience through their connections with others. They can become even more
spiritual and greater as they do that. For they are removing the exterior that
divides us and connecting with the souls that unite us; The one soul that is
from Hashem. That inability removes them from this world. Our sages tell us
there are three things that remove a person from this world. Kina'ah-
jealousy, ta'ava- the pursuit of physical pleasures, v'kavod- honor.
All three of these drives make the focus of life all about oneself. It views
others as mere tools to further one's personal ambitions. And if that's what
life is all about, you've already been swallowed by the ground.
At the same time there are others like the great Reb Levi Yitzchak
who even from the grave is focused on the connection he has with all Jews. How
he can help them. How he is indeed even living through them. Dancing with them.
Revealing the glory of Hashem as part of them. Virtually.
Tzadikim, we are told even in their deaths are considered
living. And reshaim- the wicked in their lives are considered dead. Our
souls are eternal. And if that's what defines us we are truly immortal. We can
live even if we're not here. We can tour even if we're in America.
I miss you guys. I hope to see you here soon. But until that time.
As we continue to think. To pray. To hope and to long as one, God willing
Hashem will answer those prayers and bring us all physically together here as
one… forever.
Have an effervescent Shabbos and a marvelous Rosh Chodesh Tamuz,
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Azoy lang der mentsh lebt iz im di gantse velt tsu kleyn; nokhn toyt iz im
der keyver genug."- As long as a man lives, the entire world is too small for him; after death,
the grave is big enough.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
32) The
assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was in the year:
A. 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://mishpacha.com/the-stars-join-the-fun/ – Mishpacha magazines Corona
song spoofs with the stars Simcha Leiner, Benny Friedman and more...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJzEqTD2X7Y&list=RDNJzEqTD2X7Y&start_radio=1-
- Nissim
Black – Mothaland bounce… I am not a rap fan… But I just love watching Nissim…
We're friends nowJ
https://youtu.be/6yVCZ65aXaE?list=TLPQMTgwNjIwMjCOEDhILnlSHA -Shlomo Carlebach on Parshat Shelach- for
all you guys reading it this week- great story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5pfmzg_nNw – The Berditchever Niggun known
to bring Segulos with great footage of his tomb..oh and of course sung by
Shlomo Carlebach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hUSjpFz5e4- Just stumbled on this awesome Yackov Shwekey song
Elokai Oz the words composed by the Ari"Zl absolutely magnificent and appropriate
for a refuah Shlaima… worth the listen … a few times
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/MITZVA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Parshat Korach-Pidyon Ha'Ben- redeeming the
First-born son –We have many
mitzvos that are meant to recall our Exodus from Egypt. Last week we talked
about Tzitzis, we have tefillin, every Shabbos and of course all of the Pesach
mitzvos and all the biblical holidays for that matter. There is one mitzva
though that seems to be the basis of them all and that most people don't even
connect it with naturally. It's not a common mitzva at all. Let's learn a
little bit about Pidyon Ha'ben.
In the
beginning of the whole Exodus story Hashem tells Moshe that the point of it all
is that the Jewish people are His "first borns" and he reveal that to
the world when he kills Pharaoh's first-born if he doesn't let His people he
was keeping as slaves free. Now Hashem doesn't really have physical first-borns
in our religion. All of the world are His children and descended from Adam.
First-Born is a conceptual thing. The first-born is the oldest of the children.
On the one hand he is not a parent, and on the other hand all the other
children look up to him as he is the most "parent" figure of them
all. He is the intermediary between the children and parents. That is the role
of the first-born and that is Bnai Yisrael's role in this world.
In the Bais
Hamikdash the original plan was that the first-borns would be the ones that did
the service. They were meant to be the Kohanim The intermediaries between each
family and Hashem. They lost it when they sinned at the golden calf. According
to some opinions in the Talmud we (yes, I'm a bechor) might get that back again
when Mashiach comes. But in the meantime, the Torah gives us a mitzva to
remember this sanctity of the first born and redeem each first-born son from
the Kohen. For the Kohen is doing his job and filling his place.
The laws of
Pidyon Haben is that the first-born son a woman by natural birth obligates the
father of that child to redeem him for 5 shekels. Not the modern day shekel of
course, but rather the ancient shekel which is valued at 100 grams of silver
(according to today's rate that is about $56). If the father is a Kohen or a
Levi then there is no need to redeem him. The redemption ceremony should be
done after the 30th day of the child's being born. We wait the 30
days to make sure the child has made it through the viable period since his birth.
If the 31st falls out on Shabbos or other days when it is prohibited
to handle money, then it is pushed off to the next possible day.
I mentioned
that this is not a common mitzva. There are a few reasons for this. The first
child has to be a boy that rules out 50% of the first births. The reason why
girls do not have to be redeemed is because they were never part of the decree
to get killed in Egypt as the first-born males were. They were righteous and it
was in fact in their merit that we were redeemed. As well, the redemption is
for the Kohanim filling in their jobs at the Bei Hamikdash for them, which
women do not have. As well the mother
couldn't have had a prior miscarriage after 40 days, the child has to have been
born with a natural, rather than a caesarean section. And as well the father or
even the mother's father of the boy are only obligated if neither of them come
from families of Kohanim or Levi'im. That rules out a bunch more. AS I said
it's not a common mitzva. So it's exciting to attend one.
The ceremony is
a fascinating one. There's a good meal with meat and wine traditionally. Our
sages tell us that whoever eats at a meal of a pidyon haben has the merit like
ha fasted 84 fasts. In fact as a result of that statement people give out little
bags of sugar and garlic, which last a long time and can be put into other
foods giving anyone that eats from them the same merit. Others suggest that
garlic in Hebrew is Shum and sugar is Sukar, the first letter of each in
abbreviation is Sh"aS which is the Mishna and Talmud and we are
symbolizing that the child should merit to learn the entire torah with that.
The baby is
then brought out on a silver platter- literally! He is bedecked with jewelry to
show how precious the mitzva. The Kohen then asks the father if he wants his
child or his money. The father hopefully says he prefers the child. A bracha on
the mitzva is then made as is the shehechiyanu blessing. The money changes
hands and the child is redeemed. Mazel Tov! I don't remember my pidyon Haben
and my first born was a girl, but Baruch Hashem my first grandson had this
mitzva preformed and it was really cool. God willing I and all of us should
merit to fulfill this mitzva many times.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN
ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Shaul Hamelech-879 BC – We
have finally arrived at the era of Kings. The Jews are in Israel, we have
settled the land. Shmuel was the final judge and his sons were not up to par to
fill his great shoes. So the people demanded a King and Hashem told Shmuel that
he should follow their will. And so we get introduced to the first King of
Israel; Shaul Hamelech.
We
are introduced to Shaul the son of Kish as a handsome, strong and righteous
person that stood head over shoulder above everyone else. People came to see
him, particularly the women. He was someone that our sages tell us in the
battle against the Philistines where the Ark was captured Shaul went up against
Goliath, who led that battle and took the luchos-tablets out of the Ark. (and
you though Dovid was the only one that went up against Goliath. Don't feel bad
so did I) Yes, Shaul it seems was the perfect candidate to be king.
Yet,
that being said he was also the last person to be elected as a king or a leader
in any other society in the world. Think about it for a second Shaul is from
the tribe of Binyamin. If you remember not too long ago we had a civil war in
Klal Yisrael a few chapters back at the end of sefer Shoftim-Judges. You know
the whole Pilegsh/concubine of Givah story. Tens of thousands of Jews were
wiped out by the tribe of Binyamin, Shaul fought in those battles. He was the
enemy. Ultimately he was the defeated enemy when almost all of his tribe was
wiped out and the only way that he could even get marry was when the vow was
taken back and a work around with the daughters of Yavesh Gilead was
worked out. Can you imagine that this man then becomes the first King of the
entire nation not long after that? It's almost incomprehensible. And yet it
testifies to the greatness of Shaul and to the Jewish people in being able to
move forward.
Now
Shaul himself is introduced to us in a fascinating story. It seems that the
donkeys of his father went missing and Shaul takes a tour around looking for
them. He travels all the way up to the Mountain of Ephraim from Rama where
Shmuel and he both seemed to live. He stopped at a place called the land of Shalisha
which some suggest is near the springs of Wadi Uja and Samiya not far
from the Monument for the fallen soldiers of the helicopters on Highway
90 from the Dead Sea, by the Jordan River or alternatively
near Ofra in the Shomron. He stopped off at Shual which
some suggest is close to Shalavim and ultimately he returned to the land
of Tzuf which is where Shmuel and his family lived as Ramatayim
Tzofim is from the same root word as Tzuf. (And there is our geography
lesson for today.)
Upon
returning donkey-less he sees that there are crowds gathering and decides it’s
a good idea to ask the prophet Shmuel where the missing donkeys are. He of
course needs to come bearing gifts for the prophet. From here comes the custom
of bringing a "pidyon" when one visits a Rebbe. Little did he know
that it was that meeting that would change the face of the Jewish people
forever.
Next
week the coronation of Shaul..
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S REALLY TERRIBLE VIRTUAL JOKES OF
THE WEEK
I had this
crazy dream where I was virtually weightless...I was like 0mg
What do you
call a virtual assistant that can't spell? Dislexa
I experienced a
virtual rollercoaster while eating an apple.Shook me to the core.
I have a friend who got severe burns on his hands, to the point that he is virtually senseless. I feel for him.
A mathematician
is afraid of flying due to the small risk of a terrorist attack. So, on every flight
he takes a bomb with his hand luggage. "The probability of having a
bomb on a plane is very low", he reasons, "and the probability
of having two bombs on the same plane is virtually zero.
Morris and
Miriam, both a bit stubborn, were involved in a petty argument, both of them
unwilling to admit they might be in error.
"I'll
admit I'm wrong," Miriam told her husband in a conciliatory attempt, "if you'll
admit I'm right."
Morris agreed
and, like a gentleman, insisted she go first.
"I'm
wrong," Miriam said.
With a twinkle
in his eye, Morris responded, "You're right!"
A man wanted a
boat more than anything. His wife kept refusing, but he bought one anyway. "I'll
tell you what," he told her, "In the spirit of compromise, why
don't you name the boat?"
Being a good
sport, she accepted. When her husband went to the dock for his maiden voyage,
this is the name he saw painted on the side: "For Sale.
So there once
was this wasp that lived in a jungle. This was not your ordinary wasp though-he
was smart, philosophical even. One day he finally got fed up with his
repetitive, insignificant life and decided that he would leave his hive, his
family, his entire close-knit wasp community and he would go out into the world
and make something of himself, just like the humans do. So the wasp
enrolls in school, and passes with flying colours. Remember, this is a very
smart wasp. He gets his high school diploma in a little under 3 years, with a
4.0 GPA and all that snazz. After high school, believe it or not, the wasp gets
accepted to Harvard. Harvard! This too proves to be no challenge for our hero,
as he graduates in just two years, again a 4.0, on the Dean’s list, and all
that snazz. Not to mention all the clubs and sports he was in-the newspaper,
rowing, student government-and the fact that he was by far the most popular
student on campus. Even his professors looked up to him.
He goes on to get two PhDs, and when he finishes his education, the wasp faces a bit of a dilemma. How does he apply his knowledge now? Where does he go from here? He decides to try out politics. After all, he was popular throughout school, did well in Harvard government. So he runs for mayor, and wins in a landslide. He greatly reforms the city, fixing virtually all its major problems. He runs for governor and again wins in a landslide. Two years later, the presidential election was coming up, and the wasp decides he might as well go for it.
Of course, he wins in the largest landslide in US presidential history. His presidency goes exceedingly well-he is loved by all parties, and has the highest approval ratings in history. He also finds the cures for cancer, AIDS, and broken hearts while in the White House. After 8 years (yes, of course he was reelected) the time has come for him to leave his office. Even his successor his saddened by the wasp’s departure, but they all know it’s what must be done. Back at his vacation home in California his first day after leaving office, the wasp looks back on his long and fruitful life. He realizes that he hasn’t been back to his hive at all since that first day he left. He suddenly feels a twang of guilt as he realizes how much he misses his parents and his little brother. So he heads back to the hive, looking more worn out than he remembers. He goes inside and greets his family, who are overjoyed at the sight of him. He talks about how his life has gone as his family listens in wonderment. Eventually he decides he is thirsty, so he decides to visit the old watering hole he remembered. Once he gets there though, there’s an extremely long line. He decides it’s worth the wait, so gets in line. One hour. Two hours. This is the slowest moving line he’s ever seen! Eventually he calculates that it could be a few days before he gets to the front of the line, so decides it’s not worth it. He decides to go get some cider to drink instead, but waddya know, another huge line of people waiting for cider! He remembers one other drinking area that never had a long line-fruit punch! So he decides to go get punch. He arrives, and lo and behold, there’s no punch line.-Sorry I really couldn't resist that one….:)JJ
He goes on to get two PhDs, and when he finishes his education, the wasp faces a bit of a dilemma. How does he apply his knowledge now? Where does he go from here? He decides to try out politics. After all, he was popular throughout school, did well in Harvard government. So he runs for mayor, and wins in a landslide. He greatly reforms the city, fixing virtually all its major problems. He runs for governor and again wins in a landslide. Two years later, the presidential election was coming up, and the wasp decides he might as well go for it.
Of course, he wins in the largest landslide in US presidential history. His presidency goes exceedingly well-he is loved by all parties, and has the highest approval ratings in history. He also finds the cures for cancer, AIDS, and broken hearts while in the White House. After 8 years (yes, of course he was reelected) the time has come for him to leave his office. Even his successor his saddened by the wasp’s departure, but they all know it’s what must be done. Back at his vacation home in California his first day after leaving office, the wasp looks back on his long and fruitful life. He realizes that he hasn’t been back to his hive at all since that first day he left. He suddenly feels a twang of guilt as he realizes how much he misses his parents and his little brother. So he heads back to the hive, looking more worn out than he remembers. He goes inside and greets his family, who are overjoyed at the sight of him. He talks about how his life has gone as his family listens in wonderment. Eventually he decides he is thirsty, so he decides to visit the old watering hole he remembered. Once he gets there though, there’s an extremely long line. He decides it’s worth the wait, so gets in line. One hour. Two hours. This is the slowest moving line he’s ever seen! Eventually he calculates that it could be a few days before he gets to the front of the line, so decides it’s not worth it. He decides to go get some cider to drink instead, but waddya know, another huge line of people waiting for cider! He remembers one other drinking area that never had a long line-fruit punch! So he decides to go get punch. He arrives, and lo and behold, there’s no punch line.-Sorry I really couldn't resist that one….:)JJ
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Answer is C– I'm not so great with years. I
remember important things that people care about (except my wife's shopping
lists…). But I don't believe most people really care about the years or dates,
it’s the story that counts. That being said Rabin's assassination was certainly
an important date and year in the history of Israel. But I wasn't sure if it
was 1995 or 1996- I knew it was after I got married. I guessed and went with
1995- for some reason that was there in
my memory. Whadaya know I was right!. So another right one for Schwartz making
the score 23 and 9 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam. My grade is
moving up on this exam, lets see if I can actually get a good score still…
