Counting to the Siren-ity Prayer- Parshat Shemini 2025 5785

 nsights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

April 25^th 2025 -Volume 14 Issue 24 27^th of Nissan 5785

 

Parshat Shemini

 Counting to The Siren-ity Prayer

 

“So how was your Yom Tov? Really? Mitzi knew all of the four questions? She stayed up the entire Seder! What did she get for Afikoman? You went where Chol Hamoed? Cool… So anyways as I was telling you it was really nice over here in Netanya. Yeah… my tourists came up here to tour with me. Well one day I took them to

 

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!! WHOOOO!!!

 

My heart fell through my stomach. Yonah, who was on the phone with me, sounded like his did as well. Sorry. Gotta run. It’s a siren. Woah. He’s also having a siren in Beit Shemesh. What’s going on? Is this it? Is Mashiach here? Did Iran finally shoot some really cool huge missiles at us. Why didn’t my alert on my phone go off?  I hope Aliza’s alright. Where are Elka and Tully? I hope Shani makes it down to the shelter with the twins. It’s been months since we’ve had a siren. What’s going on? Is this the stinkin Houtim again? I thought Trump was taking care of them. I thought this was over already. That the only ones left to get their due justice are the ones in the Israeli government, intelligence (a real oxymoron) and army echelons that let all this happen in the first place. Poor hostages. Why is this siren still going? How come I’m the only one running out to my shelter?

 

Those were my wild thoughts yesterday morning at 10:00 AM as I ran frantically to our shelter. It was only when I sent Tully back in the house to get our cleaning lady and call her in to join us, after-all we will need here to clean up after this is all over. It took Aliza a long time to find good help in this country. It was only then that I chapped that it wasn’t a missile siren. It was Yom Ha’Shoah. It was a call for a moment of silence for the martyrs of the Holocaust. A moment of silence heralded in by a sky piercing terrifying siren. A siren that for the past two years has meant death, destruction, terror and trauma, as well as miracles and salvations. As I shamefully crawled out of my shul. I tried to look cool and pretended that I was just there to get some stuff out of our freezer. Of course, I knew it was Yom Ha’Shoah. How could I forget? I wasn’t nervous at all. I waved at my neighbor who also seemed to be carrying a frozen chicken in his hand for no reason. We smiled and nodded. We were both very cool and not nervous. Just two chilled neighbors getting chicken from our freezers…

 

I don’t know how many other chicken freezer guys there were out there yesterday. I also don’t know how many people ended up in the hospital with trauma from those Yom Ha’Shoah sirens that brought them back to those terrifying days of sirens, missiles and bomb shelters. How many tripped over their feet and fell downstairs running there. I believe that they say that more people have been injured getting to shelters than from actual missiles falling in this crazy war. But I can certainly tell you that everyone as the sirens went off thought the same thought. When is this going to be over already. Why are we remembering the Holocaust when we still seem to be in middle of one? When there are so many families that have had their loved ones killed, murdered and butchered. When our brothers and sisters, fathers and children are still being in tunnels by animals worse than the Nazis. When is Mashiach coming already? When will the great “day after” finally be here?

 

This week’s parsha of Shemini, is the parsha of the day after. But it’s not. The parsha, named after that great Eli Marcus singer group “The Eighth Day”, is really as well the first day. After-all it’s the first day of Nissan. It’s the first day after the 7 days of the dedication of the Mishkan. It’s the first day the Shechina came down to the Mikdash. Rashi brings ten different things that it is the first day for. According to one opinion in the Talmud, it’s even the first day of Creation (unlike the more commonly accepted opinion that its Rosh Hashana). Yet the parsha is called the 8^th day. It’s the day after the 7^th… October 7^th? Shemini Atzeret? Yup… It’s that day…is what everyone is thinking and has been living for the past year and a half. It’s the Shabbos after we left Mitzryaim, this past Pesach, and Mashiach is still not here. The Holocaust siren is still ringing.

 

Now one would think on this great 8^th or 1^st day, it would be a happy one. A joyous one. We’ve finally arrived. The Tabernacle/ Mishkan has been built and erected. Our sin of the golden calf has been forgiven. We’re on our way to the HolyLand; the land promised to our ancestors so long ago. We’re just a few days journey away. The month of redemption is here and ready to come to its conclusion. Yet the parsha begins with what our sages tell us is a bad ominous word.

Va’yehi- and it was on the 8^th day.

 

It’s like that tense chilling background music and tempo in a bad horror movie. We just think that we’re about to get out of the house with the axe murderer in it, but badda dumm badda dumm badda dumm… Vayehi… something scary is coming. It’s a lashon of tzar- of troubles yet to come on this Shemini day…

 

Sure enough, the music doesn’t disappoint. It never does. On this day and pinnacle of joy the two sons of Aharon are killed. A fire comes out on Shemini and burns them up. Moshe tells Aharon that he knew something like this was going to happen. He heard the background music. The great day only comes after a Holocaust. The Shechina descends when there are burnt houses. When there are dead children. The 8^th day comes when we think we’re already there, and it’s time, and we’ve done all we can, and we’re ready, and then Hashem shows us that…surprise…it’s not yet… there’s still one more thing that you haven’t done yet. I need to be sanctified with martyrs. I need one last tragedy. One great huge unexpected devastating blow. One more siren. B’krovai eh’kodeish- I will be sanctified with those close to Me.

 

Non-incidentally the haftorah that is chosen for this week’s parsha as well is along the same theme. Fast forward a few hundred years from that 8^th day of the Mishkan in the 2^nd year when we left Mitzrayim to Dovid Ha’Melech’s greatest day and moment when he is finally bringing the Ark of Hashem to the Tent in Yerushalayim where the Beit Ha’Mikdash will be built. Dancing, singing, shofars, parades, all the way from Kiryat Ye’arim (Telshe Stone) to Yerushalyim. 30,0000 buchrim join him for this amazing event and day. This is the moment. The “Yom Ha’Shemini” has finally arrived. It’s Simchas Torah (at least conceptually). And then the music comes on in the background. Uh Oh… siren…

 

The Aron starts to fall of the wagon. Uzza reaches out to grab and catch it and BOOM! He dies. According to one interpretation in fact a fire came out and burnt him up. (It’s derived by the wording that here also it says that the dancing was “lifnei Hashem”, just as it does by Nadav and Avihu). Dovid is devastated. The party is called off. The Aron is placed in the house of Oved Edom Ha’Gitti and it sits there for three months until Dovid sees the blessing that takes place and brings it home to Yerushalayim. Yet, this second time that Dovid brings it the simcha gets taken to a whole new level of crazy. Dovid gets up and starts dancing and shaking and singing like a crazy drunken breslaver lunatic. He can’t be stopped. He’s going wild. He looks like that guy at the wedding in the middle that has no clue how to dance and is just jumping up and down and shaking and twisting… Obviously his wife Michal is a bit embarrassed by all of this and tells him to grow up already. He is the King of Israel and its time he started acting his age. But Dovid persists. He tells her this is why Hashem chose him, over her father. Ouch! It’s the tikkun we need. It’s the only way the Shechina comes down.  He learned his lesson and we need to learn it and ours as well.

 

There’s a fascinating alternate translation of Unkelos that seems to be brought in old volumes. The Rambam brings this interpretation as well as the Torahs Shlomo and other Midrashim. We are all familiar with Rashi and most commentary’s translation of Aharon’s response to his children’s death as being on of silent acceptance- va’yidom Aharon. He was like a domeim- like an inanimate rock that doesn’t speak or respond. Yet those other translations translate the word va’yidom has praise. “V’shibeich Aharon”. And Aharon sang songs of praise to Hashem. He thanked Hashem. It wasn’t sad holding back emotions and silent acceptance. It was much greater and higher than that. It was a recognition that Hashem has done something extraordinary here just now, that is beyond my comprehension. That is beyond and rationalization in this world. That when the Shechina comes down to this planet, it’s going to be a process of me throwing out of my existence anything that I thought I could comprehend about His ways. Only then can the 8^th day come. Only then can we be redeemed.

 

The sin of Uzza, the Abarbanel writes is that he lacked faith that the Aron wouldn’t fall. That Hashem still needs us to catch it for Him. That we still have some control and part to play in the redemption. In the Shechina coming down. That the 8^th day is the natural conclusion of the 7 previous days. That mind-set is why the 8^th day is described as a lashon tza’ar of tzoris- trouble, pain and tribulation. Va’yehi- “and it was”. is built on the past. The word V’haya though “and it will be” though is the terminology of  the future. It’s transcendent. The letters of V’haya are actually the same as the name the of Hashem yud-hei-vav and hei. Past present and future all come together. Moving beyond this world. Understanding that Hashem doesn’t need us to descend. We just need to remove ourselves entirely and allow His Shechina to come down. And the only thing stopping it from happening, is perhaps our reaching out and grabbing the Aron. By thinking we still have some control. By thinking that it’s our efforts that make it happen. By seeing the day that the Shechina will come down and the redemption will come as being just day number 8 rather then the first of a brand, new existence. The first, as the day of Creation was, when Hashem didn’t need our help to make it happen. When He made a world and just wanted to be with us basking in it together.

 

Dovid learns that lesson after Uzza’s mistake. He dances and sings and jumps and parties, because he understands that there is no “zich”. There’s no ego. V’naklosi od mi’zos. I could get even smaller and smaller and lighter and lighter. There’s only Hashem. The Shechina is coming down. The smaller I get, the more I dance, the more I’m not thinking about what other people will think of me, the more I realize that what Hashem is doing for us is beyond any comprehension. The greater the revelation will be. The better the song will be.

 

Hafacta mispeidi l’mchol li- You have turned my mourning into a dance; into a circle

Pitachta saki va’ta’azreini simcha- you’ve opened my sackcloth and girded me with joy

L’maan yizamercha kavod- in order that I will sing in Your honor.

V’lo yidom- I will not be silent. I will praise You. I will be nothing. And You will be all.

 

Fascinatingly enough, our sages tell us that the house that the Aron sat in of Oved Ha’Gitti. He himself was a descendant of someone special. He was from the descendants of the children of Korach. He was from the Levi singers in the Temple. Gat is in fact in Gaza. It’s a Pelishti city. The children of Korach were saved and swallowed up in the ground. There in that tunnel hanging over a high place in Gehenom they call out Moshe is true and His Torah is true. There they realize that there is nothing besides Hashem. Tunnels in Gaza do that to the biggest atheists. Holocausts, October 7^ths, Sirens, wars and tragedies at the times of our greatest simcha are there to bring us to the point where we recognize that the day ahead of us, around the corner is not an 8^th day, but the first of a new world. That Yom Ha’atzmaut is coming after Yom Ha’Zikaron. Atzma’ut not as in Independence Day, but rather as a day that we reveal our essence. That it is all Hashem.

 

We are in the days of Sefirat Ha’Omer. Each day is a count. It’s a build-up. We bless the month of Iyar which at first glance seems to be a month without any holidays in it (Lag Ba’Omer doesn’t count), but it’s in fact the month where every single day has a biblical mitzva to count. It’s a month with Yom Ha’Atzamaut and Yom Ha’Zikaron. A month of sirens and revealing our essence by remembering. zikaron la’yom rishon. Remembering that first day of Creation that we are climbing to. Remembering that the tzoris are beyond our comprehension and are all from Hashem. They’re good. They’re there to minimize us.

 

We count 49 days, but then the Torah tells us that we have counted 50 days. The 50^th day is Hashem’s day. It’s the day we don’t count. It’s the day that He tells us He never needed our counting. It’s the day that he comes down because we have gotten smaller and smaller and revealed more and more of Him. When that happens, there won’t be sirens anymore. There will be the sound of the shofar. Va’yehi will be vi’haya ba’yom ha’hu- it will be that day when we hear that great Shofar. When the only shelter we need will be the shade and shadow of Hashem.

Have an blaringly amazing Shabbos and a Chodesh Iyar Tov!

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz 

 ************************

YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

 

"Fun leydike feser iz der lyarem greser” - Empty barrels make the most noise.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

 

15. Israel’s memorial to victims of the "Twin Towers” disaster is located near the entrance to the city

of ______

What is the “N Settlement”?

A. The early 20th century Zionist plan for settling empty Negev regions, thus the use of the letter

N

B. The physical deployment pattern of Zionist settlement in the Land of Israel from the end of

the 19th century and into the20th century, which is shaped like the letter N on the ground

C. The response by Zionist institutions to the 1939 White Paper which included constructing a

series of settlements in the Jezreel Valley shaped like the letter N on the ground

D. Post-1967 Jewish settlement on the back of the mountain in Judea and Samaria which forms

the letter N on the ground

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/achainu  -   My acapella Acheinu… Wow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXQsMtzKWLg&list=OLAK5uy_melh80nXaghaaiEhQpcWWC7fHkexPBXxs&index=6 – - Naftali Kempeh’s latest Acapella I spend a lot of time at Shilo and this is Chana’s song..

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rVcWJF-Xl14  - Bardak Learning Makkos in honor of this great Makkos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rMZd_Gi3hc  – Yonatan Stern Akiva medley Acapella

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Tzidkiyah- who?- 598 BC – With the exile of Yehoyachin, we have finally arrived at the final king of Israel before the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash; Tzidkiyahu Ha’Melech. Now although we know him as Tzidkiyahu, it seems that name was given to him by none other than Nevuchadnezzar who appointed him to be king after taking Yehoyachin into exile and locking him up in jail for his rebellion.

 

Who was Tzidkiyahu in fact? Well it’s not clear from the verses and there might even be contradictions. The simple pshat accepted by Rashi and most is that he certainly was the uncle of Yehoyachin’s and brother of his father Yehoyachaz’s son of  Yoshiyahu. Which brother though seems not be clear. The Gemara brings opinion that he was an older brother named as Shalum. Other suggest based on the verse that Shalum was younger brother. To make it even more confusing there are others that suggest that Shalum was really Yehoyachaz- the father of Yehoyachin, and Tzedkayahu was another brother named as Matanya. Maybe that’s why they called him Tzidkiya-who??? (sorry couldn’t resist…) Are you confused yet? I am… But welcome to the times before the end of the first Temple. They were confusing…

 

Now what makes this time even more confusing is that Yehoyachin was still alive and in Bavel and Tzikiyahu who was appointed king by Nevuchadnezzar was really never appointed by the people, many of who supported Yehoyachin. Tzidkiyahu was only 21 upon becoming King and thus there were those that felt that he was merely being a puppet king of Bavel. Can you imagine the accusations that went of Bavel-Gate and undo influences of foreign governments in the leadership of Israel. The truth is those accusations were correct, though. Nevuchadnezzar made Tzidkiyahu swear on a sefer Torah by Hashem that he would never rebel against him. Nevuchadnezzar recognized that any other oath would be meaningless.

 

The Gemara tells us that unlike Yehoyachin, Tzidkiyahu as his name insinuates was a righteous king; a tzadik. Yet his generation had fallen too far. This is the counter opposite of Yehoyachin’s generation before the exile of all of the sages and Torah scholars together with him, where the generation was righteous still but the king was wicked. Our sages derive from this that the power fo the Torah scholars can prevent the destruction despite their sinful leaders- and Yehoyachin as we discussed was really really bad. While at the same time, the righteousness of the leaders, like Tzidkiyahu does not have the power to protect it’s generation. This is one of the sources that is certainly utilized and become engrained in our nation’s psyche of the power of Torah to protect.

 

Yet despite Tzidkiyahu’s initial righteousness, as we will see his failure to heed the prophecies and warnings of Yirmiyahu and Yechezkel and listen to their political and spiritual guidance ultimately brought about his downfall…

 

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE SIREN JOKES OF THE WEEK

 

In the city, you ignore sirens and listen for gunshots. In the country, you ignore gunshots and listen for sirens.

In Detroit, you ignore both.

 

What do you call a pig with lights and sirens on it’s back? A ham-bulance

 

The police car, its siren blaring, raced in front of a speeding car and forced it to stop. A heavily built policeman got out and walked over.

"You name, please?" asked the policeman, taking out his notebook and pen.

"Certainly, officer," replied the driver. "It's Chaim Yerachmiel Shmerel Antschel Zelig Baruch Goldenfarbenstein."

The policeman thought for a moment, then looked at his notebook, shook his head and said: "I'll just give you a warning this time don't break the speed limit again."

 

A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead decide to rob a bank. Everything goes well-they have their masks on, the bank hands over the money-awesome. Exiting the bank, they hear sirens and see several cop cars round the corner, so they dash into a small alleyway. The cops are quick though, and are just about to reach the entrance. There are three empty potato sacks lying against the wall.

"Quick! Hide!" The brunette says, and the three women each crawl into a bag.

A police man comes down the alleyway, looking around for any signs of the women. The potato sacks stick out to him-so he gives the one with the redhead a kick.

"Meow!" goes the redhead, doing her best imitation of a cat.

"Just an alley cat..." The police officer mumbles, moving onto the next bag and delivering a quick nudge with his foot.

"Woof!" Goes the brunette, imitating a dog.

"Just a stray..." The officer mumbles again, heading to the last bag, and giving it a light kick.

"POOOOE-TAYYY-TOOOEE" grunts the blonde.

 

Two blonde robbers were robbing a hotel. The first one said, "I hear sirens. Jump!"

The second one said, "But we're on the 13th floor!"

The first one screamed back, "This is no time to be superstitious."

 

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway... Glancing at the car he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting...

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn,and yelled,"PULL OVER"

"No!"the blond yelled back, “its a scarf.”

 

So I got pulled over...I was driving home from the bar and of course Sirens were wailing and showing red and blue. I pulled over and the officer showed up to my window and shined a light in my eyes.

“Sir you have been swerving and your eyes are red have you been drinking”

“Well, your eyes are glazed have you been eating donuts?!”

We laughed and laughed!!! Yeah, I need bail money....

 

A blonde was driving down the highway. Soon she heard sirens and saw lights behind her, and was pulled over. A cop, also a blonde woman, approached her door.

"You were speeding, miss," she said. "May I see your license?"

The blonde driver rummaged through her purse for a minute before looking up in confusion. "Well, what's it look like?" she asked.

"It's a small square thing with your picture on it," said the cop.

The driver looked again and finally pulled out a small mirror and handed it to the cop. The blonde cop looked at it and handed it back.

"Okay, you can go," she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a police officer."

***************************************

The answer to this week”s question is B-  So I’m back to 50/50 on this one. The first part was easy. The 9/11 memorial – the only in the world by the way that has all of the names of the murdered outside of the US is in the valley opposite Har Menuchos across the Highway, where no one really knows or gets to visit. The idea was that it’s memorial is a monument of a an unfruled flag made out of actual metal grids from the Twin Towers and when looking at it from the side it looks like a ner tamid memorial light that is up against our memorial mountain of Har Menuchos at entrance to Jerusalem.

The second part though I had no clue. I don’t even remember hearing about the “N” settlements. When I looked up the answer though, I understood why. See in my Hebrew course and they are more commonly known as the Choma and Migdal tower and wall settlements. But even then I don’t know why they wrote the 19^th century. As the Tower Stockade settlements were in the 1930’s and 40’s… So I dunno. I guessed C, but they said the correct answer is B… Not sure why.. Wo anyways… I’ll take the hit. Get half credit on this one and the new score is Rabbi Schwartz 10 Ministry of Tourism 5 on this exam so far. Oy….

 

Bible Rules- Kedoshim/Yom HaShoah 2016/5776

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

May 6^th 2016 -Volume 6, Issue 31 28^th Nisan 5776

Parshat Kedoshim

Bible Rules

It seems like one of those biblical things. You know, like the thou shalleth notteth doeth sacramentous, Levitucusally Dueteronemistien. I always hated all those words in those old fashioned Hertz-rent a chumash- they used to have in my synagogue; pre-Artscroll days of course. The words in there just made my eyes glaze over as I began to doze off after the first few verses. The stories and laws as well never felt that they had any possible meaning or relevance to my millennia let alone my century or decade. It’s one of the benefits a child growing up in Israel has. The language for the most post part in the original is pretty much similar to the one they hear in the street-minus the peetza, pelephone and autobooz. But that’s not what Torah’s about. Each word each lesson, each mitzva all are eternal, all are meant to have meaning and a lesson for me today. Here in 2016. Wherever you may be living. Whatever you maybe going through. The answer is in the words of the holy Torah. It’s Hashem’s lesson to us. His constant daily instructions and road map for our lives.

So this week’s Torah portion, perhaps the most packed with Mitzvot in the book of Vayikra (I will not call it the “L” word), contains a whole plethora of Mitzvot that cover the entire spectrum. Idolatry, Sacrifices, loving your fellow man, kosher laws, agricultural laws, tattoos, beards, charity, honesty. Amazing each mitzva, each principle gets its own little note a verse here a verse there and a whole world opens up. The first Rashi on the Parsha tells us that this portion was recited in front of the entire Jewish people, men women and children together. It’s no wonder, as Rashi notes, for most of the principles of the Torah can be found here. Yet there’s one mitzva that gets’ the most footage. One mitzva that if you asks me seems like the strangest and least relevant of all of the other ones. Perhaps the most “biblical” of all. Yet the Torah goes out of its way to make sure that everyone is commanded and understands it. It is the introduction to all of the laws of the forbidden relationships and it is alluded to it again at the conclusion of those laws. You tell me if this has meaning to you today or not? (Vayikra 20:1-5)

And Hashem spoke to Moshe to say. And to the children of Israel say every man from the children of Israel and from the convert who dwells in Israel who shall give from his seed to Molech he shall surely die the Am Ha’Aretz shall stone him with rocks. And I will set my face on that man and I will cut him off from his nation for his seed he has given to Molech in order to defile my Temple and to desecrate my holy name. And if the Am Ha’Aretz shall hide their eyes from that man when he gives his seed to Molech and refrain from putting to him to death. I shall palce my face on that man and his family and I shall cut him off and all those that stray after him or after the Molech from amongst their nations.

Wow, this seems pretty serious. Rashi notes that Hashem says I will turn away from everything else that I am doing and deal with only this person. What is this Molech. It must be significant if the Torah is going to such lengths to deal with it and warn us about it.

Our sages tell us that the idolatry of Molech was one of child sacrifice. Right outside of Temple Mount there is a valley that was called Gei- Ben Hinom- or Gehennom as we know it. There a father would bring his child to the Molech priest and while the entire nation was gathered he would be forced to walk across a bridge in between two rows of torches that would ultimately burn down and kill the child. This would be done amongst much music dancing and fanfare. If the child survived it was his lucky day. But more often than not of course the child would die and the sacrifice would be complete. That’s it. That’s the Molech. I know it’s probably a rough commandment for you to keep. But hey, Hashem seems to be pretty strong about this one. No cheating. He will get you. And your family. No Molech.

What’s going on? Is there anyone in their right mind that would ever consider doing anything like this? If Hashem wanted to warn us about the future problems or danger zones for the Jewish people He should have spent more time on the laws of Lashon Hara- gossip, the laws of Shabbos, financial dealings, hatred and fighting amongst each other, but child sacrifice?! Even idolatry I can get as we see that it was a major problem and it seems that Jewish people are always searching and looking for false alternate ‘gods’. But what Jewish father would ever consider doing that to a child. Even non-Jewish people. This seems to be the most inhuman thing possible. What are we missing? Why is this not just merely biblical? What is it meant to mean to me.

Today was Yom Ha’Shoah in Israel. The day when the holocaust is commemorated in the State of Israel. I spent much of the day listening on the radio to story after story to horror after horror to atrocity after atrocity. Seemingly sane, civilized, ‘normal’ people murdered, killed, tortured, molested, and terrorized our nation. They shot babies, they gassed us, and they burned us. And then they went home to their houses and had a nice dinner, played some beautiful Wagner on their record players and petted their dogs. They raised their kids to this lifestyle. They praised it. It was all done in the name of the Reich. The Molech. And what of the rest of the world? They hid their eyes from this. They pretended not to see. The good old civilized US of A couldn’t even spare one bomb to blow up the trains that were shuttling us like cattle to our deaths. You tell me is the message of Molech an ancient biblical one? If it is then you have a very short memory.

If it is then you haven’t read the daily newspapers about a nation that is sending their kids up in bombs and shooting missiles from kindergartens. And that are raising a generation that only knows a life of fire and hatred that relishes death and washes in its blood. It’s not biblical. It has always been the world’s response to the Jewish people’s presence wherever we go. The word Molech means rule. It’s not about who rules. It’s that there is no melech-no King. Just the world being ruled by a world without that conscience; without that Divine presence. It is Hashem’s people and Name that is found amongst us that they are trying to wipe out. And Hashem tells us that the Jewish people have to know that the most important lesson that we need to know about all of our history is that we should never be drawn in and underestimate and certainly not hide our eyes or try to explain away this Molech. We should wipe it out. Even if there is no court the simplest Am Ha-Aretz the simplest layman, the simple Jewish farmer or falafel maker should appreciate this. This is evil. Don’t ever ever sympathize and don’t ever think you have moved away or ‘advanced’ so much that this cannot and will not come back.

But the lesson, the eternal message from Hashem, is much more than that. The world needs to know that there is a Melech- A King. It is not a world of Molech- a world that just runs that is ruled without any ruler. A world like that will ultimately fall to the lowest depths that are almost humanly unimaginable. Anyone that thinks that a system that is developed that can function and raise up this world without a recognition and appreciation of its Creator are on the track of the Molech. It is the Jewish people’s role to share that knowledge and light with the world. We can’t hide from that. The Molech will never give up its battle and the world can be counted upon to complacently turn its blind eye it if we do not do our part. Hashem will turn aside from all his other things to focus on seeing that we never forget that. 
The portion of Molech is not only the introduction to the commandments about the sacredness of a Jewish home and marriage, but it is also the conclusion of last week’s Torah portion about the prohibitions and illicit relationships. It seems to be intrinsically connected not as much with idolatry rather to the Jewish relationship. The family. Molech is the destruction of the family unit. In our Torah portion the commandment following Molech is that of a child that curses his parents and then the laws of the various descriptions of inappropriate incestuous relationships that are an affront to the sacred home of the Jewish family where that Shechina is meant to shine forth. The Jewish home is the place where the name of Hashem is meant to reign supreme. It is why the Molech has always been focused on destroying it. Murdering our children. Separating our women and men in their independent death camps. Hashem promises he will destroy that Molech and interestingly enough the families as well of those that are connected or hide their eyes from eradicating it. It is a battle for the Jewish family. It is the eternal war of our Nation.

From Yom HaShoah this week we move to Yom HaZikaron Israel’s Memorial Day for our fallen soldiers this week and then immediately following to Yom Ha’Atzamaut the day the State of was declared. The redemption and the true ultimate fulfillment of that return of not only the Jewish people to our land but rather as well to Hashem returning to His home can only come after we remember what we are meant to do here. How we must build our family here. How we must share with the world the emptiness of a world bereft of its King, without Hashem. We should never restrain ourselves from decrying the false godlessness of an existence without Him. Vhitkadishtem Vhiyitem Kedoshim- Sanctify yourself and your will be Holy Hashem concludes the command with. We can do it. It’s not biblical. It’s us.

Have an awesomely holy Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ’S VIDEO OF THEWEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2CIUtt97hU   – My Rosh Yeshiva Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro singing seuda Shel Mashiach

https://youtu.be/ezZm0RXG1ss   –Ari Goldwag great new Acapella Me’ein Olam Haba I’ve been listening to all week

http://www.gruntig.net/2016/05/rabbi-lau-song-of-hope.html   –Incredible story and song Rabbi Lau

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

                                                                                  

“Oyb di bobe volt gehat reder, volt zi geven a vogn.” “If grandma had wheels, she would be a wagon.”

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S JEWISH PERSONALITY AND HIS QUOTES IN HONOR OF THE YARTZEIT  OF THE WEEK

“Rebbetzin your Ziburis is like the Idiyis of the rest of the world..”- to his Rebbetzin on the week that chulent burnt- the terms being Talmudic references of a field that is Ziburis the wrost quality and Idiyis being the best quality- Rebbetizin your worst is like everyone elses best

“‘What is the difference between a Chasid and a Litvak Mitnagid today? They drink a L’Chaim and make a Tish Friday night and the Litvaks don’t. So far a little Tish and L’Chaim is it worth making a big deal”- In explaining to his students why they should not turn down a Shidduch from one another and why he started to institute a weekly Tish in Yeshiva

"The Torah was not given to the Rabbis as a possession with ownership over it rather it is a Pikadon a security object thata we are meant to watch and preserve. We therefore cannot make compromises or god forbid use it for our personal advancement”

Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, zt”l, – 1^st of Iyar this Monday (1914 -2006), Rosh Yeshiva Be’er Yaakov. 
It has been ten years since my Rosh Yeshiva left this world. I miss him still. I was privileged to learn by Rav moshe Shmuel for two years when I was a yeshiva Bachur in Israel. He changed my life. He was myconnection to a world that I had only read about. His way of life, his warmth, his caring for every Jew, his love and passion for Torah study and the joy that he exuded from its study inspire me forever. He was truly the embodiment of the verses Ki Heim Chayeinu Vorech Yamelnu, that Torah is our life and the length of our days. He taught us how its ways are that of pleasentness. He brought the intellectual joy of studying each word of our sages, our commentaries of the greatest Lithuanian worlds and Yeshivot of Brish and intertwind it with the warmth, songs and soul of the chasidic world. I miss him.

From a illustrious family of great Rabbis Reb Moshe Shmuel was born  to Rav Aryeh, the dayan of Bialystok and grandson of Rav Refael (the Torat Refael) of Volozhin, who himself was a grandson of the Netziv the father of the Yeshiva world. As he was born during WW I, his family had fled from Bialystok to Minsk, where his uncle, Rav Chaim of Brisk, lived at the time. In 5693/1932 Rav Moshe Shmuel left home and set out for Yeshivat Ohel Torah of Baranovitch headed by Rav Elchonon Wasserman, Hy"d, and was considered the most outstanding in his breadth of knowledge, diligence in study, and exemplary behavior. In the summer 1936, he became a dedicated student of Rav Baruch Ber Lebowitz of Kaminetz. In 1938 he fled to Eretz Yisrael. His father eventually joined him. His mother and two brothers remained behind and perished in the Holocaust. His cousin, the Brisker Rav, arrived in Eretz Yisrael around the same time. Rav Moshe Shmuel became one of his closest students. In 1946, he married the daughter of Harav Aharon Weinstein, author of Darkei Aharon and Rosh Yeshivat Beit Yosef (in Mezeritch and later in Tel Aviv).He then learned in Kollel Chazon Ish for a year and then served as a maggid shiur in Yeshivat Kol Torah in Yerushalayim for three years. During this period, he was given semichah by Harav Isser Zalman Meltzer, zt”l.
The Chazon Ish, to whom he became very close,  requested him to open a yeshiva in Beer Yaakov together with the renowned mashgiach, Rav Shlomo Wolbe. In 1963 Rav Moshe Shmuel published the first volume of his sefer "Kuntrus HaBiurim". It included his shiurim on Gittin, Kiddushin and Nedarim. He printed ten additional volumes over the years. He also wrote the seforim, Shaarei Shemu'ot and Zahav Misheva. Most of his voluminous writings are, however, still unpublished. I remember when I came to the yeshiva fro my interview with him and he asked me why I wanted to come to his yeshiva rather than Brisk or the Mir, I told him that I wanted to understand his sefarim. That was all he needed to hear. “Oib Azey Muz min Kummin”-he told me. If so you must come here. The yeshiva during my years was located in Har Nof Jerusalem yet the Rosh Yeshivas heart was always back on the farm in Be’er Yackov where he had started and ultimtly returned to. His personal connection with each student was legendary. His weekly Tish and Shalosh Seudos were full of his beautiful musical compositions, his stories of the leaders of the last generation and his insights into how we can grow, how we should learn, how the Torah is the embodiment and most worthwhile of all pursuits in life.

 Rav Moshe Shmuel was a member of the Vaad HaYeshivot for fifty years. And in his later years he was seen as one of the last links to the previous generation that carried out the transmission of Daas Torah, a world that could and only be seen through the glasses of one whohas been immersed in the study of Torah.

The Rosh Yeshiva is buried in Bnei Brak, near the kever of Rav Shach,, yet his words and his soul will live on eternally in all of his students.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q. Names of “Azarot” (sections/courts) in the Second Temple were:

A.     Ezrat Nashim and Ezrat Gvarim (women’s court and men’s court)

2. Ezrat Nashim and Ezrat Yisrael
3. Ezrat Cohanim and Ezrat Leviyim (the priestly court and the Levites court)
4. Ezrat Hagazit and Ezrat Haetsim

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL RASHI OF THE WEEK

It’s a simple mitzva and one of the famous ones- thou shall not place a stumbling block before a blind person. With all our experience learning Rashi how would you think that Rashi would explain the simple understanding of this text? Literally not put something in front of a blind man? No. Of course not. Why wouldn’t that be the simple understanding? Perhaps because the Torah already warns us about putting pits in public, the significance of watching out so we don’t damage someone. How about the way our sages explain it, perhaps Rashi takes their approach which is that one should not try to trip someone up in a spiritual way that one should not place some wine in front of someone that took a vow not to drink any or some forbidden food in front od someone who is not aware of it. Interestingly enough also not. The Maharal of Prague explains because Rashi is concerned that pshat does not really explain the conclusion of the commandment that one should fear God and as Rashi explains this is talking about something that nobody else could know or see besides Hashem. For otherwise one would fear man as well as Hashem. This commandment in its simplest understanding must be referring to something “that is only in his heart” that he could tell people that he meant for good. Only Hashem knows his ill intent. So then what is it talking about? Rashi suggests that it is talking about an interesting scenario when one convinces his friend to sell his field in order to buy a donkey and in turn he twists the situation in order that he may take the field from him. In this case although it seems like he may be giving his friend advice that might even make sense, however since it is mixed with his ulterior motives, from what Rashi seems to be saying, it is considered as if he is placing a stumbling block before someone who does not see or appreciate the entire picture of your personal agenda in this advice. It’s not an eitza haguna LO- advice that is right and tailor-made specifically for him. It is for you and him and that’s taking advantage.

On a more spiritual level though it is interesting to note that a donkey is something that has benefits over a field it is immediately viable, a quick source of income, something that the benefits are visible right away. A field on the other hand is a long term investment. It takes work, it takes, years sometimes, it is dependent on the rains and it is very labor intensive. Yet at the same time it is something that has the potential to be forever. To become a family legacy and heritage. When giving advice to a friend about taking the quick and temporal over the long term and the eternal. Particularly when it comes to buying a field in Israel J…think twice. Make sure your giving the right advice and that none of your personal baggage or agenda is tied in. And as we say in yeshiva v’ha’mavin yavin-he who understands…understands.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL HISTORICAL EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-

1^st of Iyar- the beginning of the construction of the first and 2^nd Temple-Most of us are familiar with the days that the Temple was destroyed. The 9^th of Av is the historical day of mourning for the Jewish people. It is when many of the Jewish tragedies take place. But did you know that the 1^st of Iyar is the date when King Shlomo began building the first Temple in the 2929 from our Creation or 832 BC according to the calculation of the Seder Olam. The Beis Hamikdash took 7 years to build and had 150,000 people working on it. Cedar wood was imported from Lebanon it had gold, silver and was magnificent. The Bais Hamikdash stood for 410 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians.

Fifty three years following the destruction of the First Beit Hamikdash, in the year 3390 - 370 B.C.E. The grandson of a Jewish king,Zerubavel, led the first band of Jews back from the Babylonian exile. Zerubavel and Yehoshua the Kohain Gadol / High Priest began construction of the Beit Hamikdash, with permission from King Cyrus of Persia. Zerubavel helped clear away the charred heaps of debris which occupied the site of the Second Beit Hamikdash, and the foundation was laid amid public excitement and rejoicing.
The offering of sacrifices had actually commenced a few months earlier, on the vacant lot where the First Beit Hamikdash stood, however it was only after the construction started on the 1st of Iyar that the Leviyim / Levites began accompanying the service with song and music. The construction was later halted after the hostile Samaritans supplied false slanderous information to Cyrus about the Jews' intentions. The construction was resumed many years later, and completed 21 years later under the reign of King Daryavaish / Darius. This Second Beit Hamikdash would become the center of Jewish worship for 420 years, before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. Today, the Kotel HaMaravi / Western Wall is a remnant of the Beit Hamikdash / Holy Temple complex, the focal point of Jewish prayers for millennia.

May we soon see it built who knows maybe even by that same fortuitous day of the 1^st of Iyar once again.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S MOLECH CARTOONS OF THE WEEK

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Answer is B – OK Let’s see how many of you know this answer. I’m betting not a lot. And that’s pretty sad. We pray for the Temple so many times a day, a year and yet we don’t even know the different sections of what it looked like and were called. Can we really be claiming to longing for something and not even bothering to check out and learn everything about it. When it comes to longing for the newest smartphone, car or whatever your favorite toy of the week is we check out everything about it but the Bais Hamikdash not so much. Anyways back to the question at hand. The Temple had two main Azarot  or “courts” areas of gathering there were enclosed by the walls of the Temple Mount. The Ezrat Kohanim and Ezrat Nashim-the Kohen section and the women section. The women section was actually also a place where the men would gather as well it was just called that because that was as far as women could go without a specific purpose. The Ezrat Yisrael was a small section between the two, where the men could go although they also required a sacrifice for their purity as well as dip in a mikva. The Ezrat Kohanim was for Kohanim and plain Jews men and women were allowed there only when they were obligated to bring a sacrifice. There was no azara of Levi’im and the eitzim and gazit were halls or lishkot were they kept the wood for the altars and where the Sanhedrin sat. Incidentally the name azara comes from the word ezra-or help as our sages say that from there help will come to the world as the verse in Psalms says Yishlach Ezrecha Mikodesh – Hashem sends his help from the holy place.