Kaddish Zugger- Parshat Kedoshim / Emor /Yom Ha'atzmaut 2019/ 5779

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

May 10^th 2019 -Volume 9 Issue 31-5^th of Iyar 5779

Parshat Kedoshim/Emor

Kaddish Zugger

So here in Israel we are a parsha ahead of you guys in chutz la’aretz. See after the exodus from Egypt that we just celebrated on Pesach the holiday of our redemption, some of the Jews came to Israel. The others died in the wilderness. They didn’t want to come to Israel. They stayed a parsha behind.
Now I’m sure they figured that the ones that got a head start will sort things out for them with the nation that were living there first. Y’know set up some familiar midbar style pizza shop or burger places, signs that are actually spelled correctly in their familiar wilderness-lehngvitch, the familiar concepts of customer service, like how the waiter would bring them their manna exactly as they ordered it right outside their door each morning like clockwork, so they wouldn’t have to call five times to ask when it was coming  and to find out that they brought the wrong thing as they yelled at you for being impatient. They were hoping that they would set up a country with politicians that actually cared more about fixing and defending their country than serving their own self-interests and pacifying the rest of the world. So they stayed behind.
The ones that came here were certainly a step-closer to the ultimate redemption than those back in the wilderness. After-all they were living in God’s promised land. They were getting a mitzva for every breath and step they took here. Every mitzva they fulfilled here actually was more than, what Nachmanides described as, just being done to stay in practice until one gets to preform it in the land Hashem meant for them to realize their spiritual purpose. They were keeping Shabbos, putting on teffilin, sitting in their sukkos and learning Torah for real. As the Torah says they were meant to be kept. “In the land I have given you”. Or to quote the Gaon of Vilna

Aderes Eliyahu (Devarim 4:5, 8:1) “The primary fulfilment of the commandments is dependent on the land. Outside of the land one only fulfills them to know how to do them when he comes to live in Israel”

In fact, in parshat Kedoshim after the Torah’s exhortations about all of sins of forbidden relationships, the Torah concludes with the words “and the land will not vomit you out”. The Ra’avan quotes the Rashba suggesting that we see from here that even the prohibitions and sins only really have the severe negative spiritual connotations here in Israel as well. Mitzvos have meaning here, averios have meaning here, life has more meaning. There’s a reason it’s called Is-Real J.  So it’s no wonder that after Pesach, particularly this year, which most certainly should be the year of the final redemption, the ones that are living in Israel should be a step and parsha ahead. We are after-all a step closer to the redemption. Hey, it’s Yom Ha’atzamaut today, I’m allowed to get a bit spiritually patriotic.
Now being as my reading audience-at least those of you that didn’t get too offended or provoked and delete after the first few paragraphs, consist of people in both Israel and the Diaspora. I have made it my goal over the next few weeks/months until we get back together again to try to find and write about the common themes that both parshas share; yours and ours. That way we can all be on the same page. Of course that means I’ll have to find common jokes, and offend everyone equally, but there should be one common dvar torah in both parshas that we can tap into. If not, I’ll just make one up. I’m a tour guide, I’m good at doing that J.
This week there is a theme and verse that finds its way into both Torah portions. Last week in Israel we read Kedoshim, the mitzvos of being holy- for I am holy; Hashem you God. This week--(SPOILER ALERT for you chutznikim)- the Torah portion of Emor which primarily deals with the mitzvos of the Kohanim and the laws of holidays and their observances as well mentions the mitzva of being holy.

Vayikra (22:32) And you shall not desecrate My Holy name and I shall be sanctified amongst the children of Israel; I am Hashem who sanctifies you.

Two parshas that deal with becoming holy. Two parshas that mandate us to reveal the holiness of Hashem within us. Last week’s parsha though as opposed to this one tells us about becoming holy in a very simple sense. Don’t lie, honor your parents, love your friend, observe Shabbos, feed the poor, don’t oppress those that are less fortunate or pedigreed. Don’t marry any close relatives and be faithful to your marriage. Psshhhhhh. What a holy guy!
Emor on the other hand seems to be more of what we would describe as holy. Kohanim/ priests maintaining levels of sanctity. The people they are not allowed to marry, the impurities they have to avoid, the foods and purity they require to eat their special gifts and the physical blemishes that invalidate them for serving in the Beis Hamikdash. Holy heebejeebee stuff. A parsha about holiness, it seems, for the guys that are a parsha ahead of last week’s simple stuff. Yet those laws as well conclude with the concept of Hashem’s sanctification amongst all of Israel. In fact, the above quoted verse become the source that we are only permitted to read the Torah, say kaddish and kedusha when Hashem is “amongst Israel”; when there is a minyan in the house.
What is kedusha- holiness? This morning I received a whatsapp from my cousin Yoni. “Are you saying kaddish for Bubby today?” It hit me. I had become the family kaddish zugger. My Uncle Mendy OB”M had been the one until now to recite the kaddish for his and my father OB’M’s parents; Babbi today, Zayide next week. With his passing last year, the family mantle fell on my shoulders.  
It wasn’t my first time saying Kaddish. I recite it every year for my father, but as he died when I was very young I never really knew him. I recite kaddish as well for some of the members of my former shul in Seattle. The ones who never had any “kaddish zuggers” of their own. But this morning was different. I had become the family kaddish zugger. The legacy of passing on that message of Hashem’s name becoming great and revealed to the entire world that all of my ancestors had proclaimed had now officially fallen on my shoulders. 
Kaddish is a fascinating custom/mitzva. We mark and bring merit to the holy ones that left this world, by standing up amongst 10 fellow Jews and proclaiming that our mission here is to sanctify Hashem’s name. We possess holiness and in our holiest most personal communication with Hashem, our prayers, we need to pause repeatedly and respond in a unison that we have a national mission to sanctify that name in the world. For almost a year, the mourner that is consumed with his memories of the deceased, the sense of loss and the reality and the impurity of thoughts of our physical mortality, is called upon to stand before all and proclaim that we there is a name of Hashem that is eternal. Am Yisrael chai and Od Avinu Chai. Bchayeichon Uvichayei Dchol Bais Yisrael- in our lives and in the lives of the entire house of Israel. That is the job of the kaddish zugger.
But our job is not merely to be kaddish zuggers. The Viznitzer Rebbe ZT”L Reb Yisrael once visited a small town and found a minyan for Mincha. He was quite surprised though when after the prayer almost the entire congregation got up and began reciting the final mourner’s kaddish. (Ever been to a shul like that? I remember quite a few in the communities I have lived in.) He went over to the shamash of the shul and asked him.
“Is that gantzeh beis knesses yesomim- is the entire synagogue only orphans?”
The gabbai responded that sadly the shul has a hard time getting people to come to minyan. People work hard, they have other things to take care of, they just don’t feel inspired enough to come. The only ones that make it are the kaddish zuggers. The ones that have a chiyuv. The ones that are in mourning for their parents.
The Rebbe than told him that he understood a Talmud that he had difficult with until that point. The Talmud tells us that Rebbi Yochanan was quite shocked when he heard the Jews in Bavel, in the diaspora were living long lives. That there was a large elderly community. Doesn’t the Torah tell us that
“in order that you will lengthen your days upon the land that Hashem has sworn to your Forefathers.”
The blessing of long life is only in Israel. (Number 7 in today’s ranking in the world as opposed to the US which is number 43). So how is it possible that they are living long in Bavel? Reb Yochanan responded that he understood once he heard that the Jews in Bavel were meticulous about shul attendance. It made sense that they  would then merited long lives. See, the Rebbe explained, the reason why Hashem has people not live long. why he allows the angel of death free reign, is because it is the only way in some communities to get people to come to shul. You need the kaddish zuggers to make a minyan. Hashem “needs” them there because that is the only time and way that His name is being sanctified, that it is being proclaimed in the world.
Once Reb Yochanan heard that the people were committed regardless to coming to shul, that they would sanctify Hashem’s name even outside of their year of kaddish, but even in their daily interactions, in the lives that they lived, in the way that they treated their fellow man. He then understood why they merited to live long lives as well. They weren’t just kaddish zuggers they were Kaddish livers (not to be confused with the chopped kind they serve Shabbos lunch that’s Kiddush livers-sorry that just came out of my keyboard). They lived lives of kedoshim. They brought Hashem’s name through their lives to the world. They sanctified Him amongst Israel.
There are two parshas of holiness and we have two roles of holiness. We first need to create our nation as a holy one. That is Parshat Kedoshim. Those are the laws of how we become a nation that the entire world will emulate by showing His presence amongst our people. How we treat another, reveal the divine spark in  each human and create a just faithful society. Then there is Parshat Emor; the parsha that follows that one. It is the week ahead. It’s the one in Eretz Yisrael. It the laws of the Kohanim. It is the higher spirituality of the Kohanim; the bridge between the two worlds. It is purity of body, of thought, of preparation of a world that has a temple in it. That will have a house where Hashem will reside in it. We are meant to be that nation of Kohanim. We are meant to uplift Him from here.
 It’s been 71 years since the world recognized that Eretz Yisrael is the Jewish homeland where we were meant to fulfill our divine mandate. 72, actually, since the historic vote on November 29^th 1947. May this be the year that we achieve the culmination of the fulfilment of our mandate, when we can proclaim the holiness of Hashem that is within us to the entire world. When they will all respond Amein.
Have an amazing celebratory and holy Shabbos,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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

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

Q.  A stamen is:

A. The organ of the flower that produces the pollen

B. The name of an insect that helps pollination

C. The part that connects the flower to the stem

D. The pollen

RABBI SCHWARTZES COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDG7UbPzXnI   – Meir Green Acapella Rivkahs’ favorite song of the week- Ki ani Yehudi

https://youtu.be/oxP1nTktXdQ   – Ari Goldwag’s latest video Acapella “SMILE”

https://youtu.be/syUSmEbGLs4      –Hatikva Recording from Bergen Belsen concentration camp by survivors April 20^th 1945upon liberation. Powerful!

https://youtu.be/FsoSN9UzuiQ   – Cool history of Hatikva- fascinating…

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S “LOMDUS” CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Emor– There’s nothing like a good halacha to flex your lomdushe muscles. If it has to do with the laws of the temple and you can tie it into to a modern day practical law then you really win the prize. Sefer Vayikra is the book of choice for briskers and lamdanim because it affords the ability to do precisely that.

In this week’s portion it tells us of the mitzva of the Kohanim that is in fact relevant today, even when there is no Beit Hamikdash. It is the mitzva for every Jew to sanctify the Kohen. Rashi explains that means we should call him up for every holy matter first. He has seniority in leading in bentching or being called to the Torah. Now this law is brought down in shulchan aruch and the RAM’A rules that if one comes in without any prior identification of his Kohen status and claims to be a Kohen we can permit him to read from the Torah first. There’s no problem assuming he is a Kohen because there is no fear that he will ever eat teruma and violate a biblical commandment, as we don’t give teruma/ tithes to any Kohen these days. So even if he is not a real Kohen there is no real sin that he would be committing by getting the Aliyah.

The Chatam Sofer asks though, what should be the difference. Seemingly the fact that he is being called up as a Kohen and taking that rightful position away from a “real” Kohen should be a problem. There is a mitzva to sanctify the Kohen and by this non-Kohen taking the aliya, he is not fulfilling that mitzva.

The Chasam Sofer, being a lamdan of course comes up with a brilliant answer. He suggests that the whole mitzva of vi’kidashto- to sanctify the Kohen is not a personal thing. It’s not a gift to the Kohen, like teruma is. Rather it is showing honor to the role of a Kohen. The holy lineage of Aharon.  If we give him the Aliyah, we are only doing so because we assume he is a Kohen. So even if it is revealed after the fact that he wasn’t a Kohen, ultimately the honor he was given was not to him. We honored the kehuna, as we assumed he was one. Eating teruma on the other hand would be a problem as this is something that only a Kohen can do.

I’ll leave you guys with a lomdushe question though. The Rem”a as well says that the questionable Kohen as well can perform the mitzva of blessing the Jewish people. Seemingly this is a mitzva that only a Kohen is permitted to do. Especially since he is making a bracha upon it that Hashem has commanded him to bless the Jewish people. How would this be permitted?  

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

Division of the Land –Tribe of Yehudah 1265 BC – After the tribes of the children of Yosef, Ephraim and Menashe, who were of course entitled, as we mentioned, to a double portion, Yehuda had the largest and perhaps most important portion of the Israel; the center of the country. His really consists of three geographical regions. The har, the shefela and the midbar- the Judean hills, the lowlands or plains and the Judean Desert. In the south it goes all the way to the border of Edom which is in the Negev. On the East it is spans the entire Dead Sea. And in the West it went up to the Mediteranean (although they were not successful in wiping out the Philistines and taking Gaza). Some things, I guess never change.

It is fascinating and inspiring to me to read through the cities in Tanach and identify the ones that we still have today. The modern cities that were given the same names as the ancient ones in Tanach. It’s a nice tidbit to share with tourists when I guide, and it’s cool that the government of Israel appreciates the significance of utilizing Tanach to restore the names to the cities in the locations where they once were.

So for example in the south of Israel some of the more famous cities that are now there today that are mentioned are Dimona, and chatzor, Zif and Telem in the Negev. Be’er Sheva and Rimon (not to be confused with mitzpeh Rimon, which was outside of the those borders of Israel).

In the Shefela and coastline which is the Beit Shemesh area, the named cities that are around today are. Eshtoe’el, Tzora, Zanoach, Tapuach, Gedera, Adualam, and of course Ashdod and Gaza on the coastline. As well of course we have the remains of Tel Azeka, Socho Lachish and Sha’arayim.

In the Judean hills which span from south of Chevron up to the Shefela we have Yatir (good winery!), Cholon (which today is a city although not in the Judean hills), Gilo, Ma’on, Carmel (in the south), Zif, Yuta, Chalchul (not so friendly arab village) Kiryat Ye’arim (Telzstone!)

Finally in the Midbar you have the Yam Hamelach and of course Ein Gedi.

I don’t know how many of these cities you have heard, but I’m sure you’ve heard of quite a few. Isn’t it cool to know that they are mentioned in Tanach as being from the tribes of Israel?

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S KADDISH JOKES  OF THE WEEK

Jacob goes to the races for the first time. As soon as he arrives at Ascot, not knowing anything about horse racing, he goes straight to the paddock to take a closer look. To his surprise, Jacob sees a rabbi blessing one of the horses. Jacob thinks he must be onto a good thing so he writes down the number of the horse and places a £3 bet on it. The horse wins and Jacob wins £21.
Jacob immediately returns to the paddock and there, as before, he sees the rabbi blessing another horse. He writes down the number of this horse and bets his £21 winnings on it. It comes in first and Jacob now has over £100.
This process goes on race after race until Jacob has won £4,650.
It’s now time for the last race of the day and Jacob watches the rabbi bless the final horse. So confident is Jacob that, although the horse is a 20-1 outsider, he bets his entire £4,650 on it. But, Oy Veh, this time the horse struggles in last, a good 20 lengths behind the field.
Jacob is so upset with this outcome that he runs over to the rabbi and says angrily, "Why did every horse you bless win except the last one, rabbi? He came in last."
The rabbi replies, "That's the problem with you Reform Jews. You don't know the difference between a brocheh and a kaddish."

Young Bernie Gold was nearly 12 years old and although he had a lower than average IQ, he was a dutiful and caring son. One day, he was having a chat with his father.
"Dad, it’s Father's Day on Sunday and I want to buy you something. Mum said I should ask you what you wanted."
Mr Gold only needed to think for a moment. "What do I want? I only want one thing - you are 12 months away from your barmitzvah and I would be so very happy if you could learn at last to speak Hebrew."
Bernie groaned aloud, "You know how hard I’m finding it at school to learn new subjects, Dad. I’m such a slow learner. I just don’t think I would be able to learn Hebrew."
Mr Gold looked squarely at his son and said, "Bernie, you’re better than you think you are. I’ll even help you, just as my father helped me. If you could do this for me, it would please me so very much!"
"OK, I'll try Dad, just for you, but please don’t be angry with me if I fail."
So next Sunday, they went to see the Rabbi and soon after that, Bernie was enrolled in the shul’s Hebrew classes. Over the months that followed, Bernie kept his promise by attending regularly and trying as hard as he could.
One day, Mr Gold decided to visit the shul and check on Bernie’s progress. He entered the class in the middle of a lesson and when it came to Bernie’s turn to read, Mr Gold was soon dismayed to discover how little Hebrew Bernie could manage after all the months that had gone by. Bernie was very slow and made many mistakes in his reading.
But even worse, Mr Gold realized that what he was hearing from Bernie was the beginning of the Kaddish. He was shocked – the Kaddish is the prayer for the dead, the words that every son is expected to say after the father's death.
"Rabbi, what on earth are you teaching my son?" argued Mr Gold after the lesson was over. "I'm only in my 40s - I’m a young man still in good health. I go jogging and Israeli dancing every week. Do I really look so ill that you are teaching Bernie to say the Kaddish now?"
The Rabbi replied, "Mr Gold, please God you should live so long that Bernie is able to say the whole of the Kaddish over you!"

One shabbes morning, Rabbi Landau is giving a sermon on ‘the mitzvah of forgiving your enemies’. He talks at length on the subject for nearly 15 minutes and then asks his congregation, “Please raise your hand if you are willing to forgive your enemies.“
About 50% raise their hand.
This upsets Rabbi Landau so he decides to lecture for another ten minutes. He then repeats his question. This time about 80% raise their hand. But the Rabbi is still not satisfied, lectures a bit longer and repeats his question.
This time everybody raises their hand, except an old lady at the back of the shul.
Rabbi Landau asks, “Mrs Levy, aren't you willing to forgive your enemies?”
“I don't have any enemies,” she replies.
“That's very unusual Mrs Levy. How old are you?”
“I'm 98, Rabbi.”
“Please, Mrs Levy, come to the front and tell us how you have lived to 98 and don’t have an enemy in the world.”
Mrs Levy hobbles down the aisle, faces the congregation and says, with a smile, “I outlived the momzers, that’s how.”.

A Rebbe arrived in a small town to raise funds for his Yeshiva. He was scheduled to speak on Shabbos at the local shul the next day. 

He needed to mail a letter back home to his Yeshiva with the collections he received to help pay the bills. As he walked down the street he saw several children playing together. They were Jewish so he asked the little boy, "What's your name?"

 He responded, " Michael"

 Then the Rebbe asked, "Michael, where is the post office?"

 Michael said, "Three blocks down on your left side with the huge flagpole in the front."

 The Rebbe thought, What a smart child, as he thanked him adding, "Tomorrow I'll be speaking at the neighborhood shul. My Drosh will be about making Gan Eden your home. I hope to see you and your family."

Michael responded, "I don't think so, Rebbe, you don't even know your way to the post office."

A very old man had a dog, his only company for almost of 15 years. Regrettably one day, the dog died. He loved your dog like a son, for that reason he went to see his Rabbi and asked the Rabbi if he would say Kaddish (a prayer for the dead) for the dog.

The Rabbi told him:
- Mr. Bernbaum, you know that we are a very Orthodox Congregation, Kaddish is only for the humans, definitely not for animals. The Rabbi -suggested - that there was a new congregation of Reformist, two streets down. Go and request them to say Kaddish for your dog. You know... this new congregation is very liberal, they may say Kaddish for your dog.

The old man thanked the Rabbi, and in the farewell he added : - Sorry Rabbi, before going there, I make you an extra question, I don't know them and I don't want to offend them. You believe that they will accept my donation of $25,000 for their Congregation in memory of my small and dear Moshe??

- WHAAAATTTT!!!!... screamed the Rabbi ...You never mentioned that your dog Moshe was Jewish ! !

When Moishie was younger, he just hated going to family weddings. All of his uncles and aunts used to come up to him, poke him in the ribs, giggle, and say to him, "Mirtzeh shem ba deer-God willing,you're next, Moishie." 
But they stopped doing that after Moishie started doing the same thing to them at funerals.  

A very wealthy man, old and desperately ill, summons to his bedside his three closest advisors: his doctor, his social worker and his rabbi.

"I know," he says, "they say you can't take it with you. But who knows? Suppose they're mistaken. I'd like to have something with me, just in case. So I am giving each of you an envelope containing one hundred thousand dollars and I would be grateful if at my funeral you would put the envelopes in my coffin, so that if it turns out that it's useful, I'll have something. They each agree to carry out his wish.

Sure enough, after just a few weeks, the old man passes away. At his funeral, each of the three advisors is seen slipping something into the coffin.

After the burial, as the three are walking away together, the doctor turns to the other two and says, "Friends, I have a confession to make. As you know, at the hospital we are desperate because of the cutbacks in funding. Our CAT SCAN machine broke down and we haven't be able to get a new one. So, I took $20,000 of our friend's money for a new CAT SCAN and put the rest in the coffin as he asked."

At this the Social worker says, "I, too, have a confession to make. As you know, our organization is simply overwhelmed by the problem of the homeless. The needs keep increasing and we have nowhere to turn. So I took $50,000 from the envelope for our homeless fund and put the rest in the coffin as our friend requested."

Fixing the other two in his gaze, The Rabbi says, "I am astonished and deeply disappointed that you would treat so casually our solemn undertaking to our friend. I want you to know that I placed in his coffin my personal check for the full one hundred thousand dollars."

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

Answer is A–  Got this one right. No thanks to my ministry of tourism course. The course I took was in Hebrew. Never heard the word stamen there. The word they used in Hebrew was avkan; avak being dust or pollen. The word avak, of course I knew from my yeshiva studies as it is mentioned in the torah. Stamen on the other hand, like many words that I never heard in the course that was given in Hebrew I would not have known from what we learned, which actually got me one question wrong on the exam that I took (who ever heard of a casemate wall- I knew what a chomat sogaryim was). But thanks to a good 4^th or 5^th grade science teacher I remembered that the stamen was the reproductive organ of the plant that produces the pollen. And I was right! Thank you Beth Yehuda education J  So the score is Schwartz 21 and 5 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam so far.

Bible Rules- Acharey Mos Kedsohim 2019/ 5779

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

May 3^rd  2019 -Volume 9 Issue 30-28^th of Nissan 5779

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. One of the benefits a child growing up in Israel has is that language they learn in is for the most part pretty much similar to the one they hear in the street-minus the peetza, pelephone and autobooz. They don’t need a dictionary or old-fashioned Shakespearean terms to read Torah in. We didn’t have that benefit growing up. We missed out on the fact that each word each lesson, each mitzva are all eternal, all are meant to have meaning and a lesson for me today. Here in 2019. 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 and honesty, to name more than a few. It’s amazing how 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 ask 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.  Conveniently enough it is mentioned in both parshas Acharei mos and Kedoshim. The reading in the States and the Diaspora. 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-(literally the nation of the land but basically-the average guy) 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 place 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. If it is then you are not reading the newspapers (or the cartoons- thank you very much Arthur Sulzberger and the NYT), about the historic dramatic rise in anti-semitism. You’re not listening to members of congress who are merely representatives of the thousands that put them in office. You haven’t visited most countries in Europe where there are places you are told that you should not go to without a baseball cap instead of your yarmulke- For you chasidim with long payos and beards the cap doesn’t really work by the way, just in case you were wondering…Never figured out why they think it does…

No, 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. They are creating a world without a Father, or even worse a Father that will sacrifice his son. (sound familiar to any religions founded on that premise that you may know…? I’m just saying…) 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 in both Torah portions are mentioned next to the commandments of the sacredness of a Jewish home and 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 Israel 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 vhiyisem 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 a holy Shabbos and uplifting Rosh Chodesh Iyar

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Di velt hot feint dem massernik un dem mussernik.”- The world hates the informer and the moralist.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

Q.   The united underground movement was active in the years:

A. 1917 to 1920

B. 1939 to 1945

C. 1945 to 1946

D. 1948 to 1949

RABBI SCHWARTZES COOL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/i03iegZ3Hwo  – The Kaliver Rebbe ZT”L who passed away this past week sining Solol Kokosh at holocaust memorial

https://youtu.be/bezjJbBkWkg – Gam Ki Eilech for Yom Hashoah acapella by Six13

https://youtu.be/SY_v25-dqAo     –Awesome golden oldie in honor of Israel’s 71^st birthday Hinneni Kan Acapella of course!

https://youtu.be/xJPsgH6zapE  – Am Yisrael Chai- Shir Acapella fun!

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S “LOMDUS” CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Parshat Kedoshim– Lamdanim like to poke holes in things. Don’t take anything for granted. They particularly relish in showing, in many cases rightfully so, how English translations of the Torah really miss the boat on some of the particular and significant nuances that an appreciation of lashon hakodesh- the holy tongue of biblical Hebrew has. It’s even more fun when it’s Artscroll or the more “yeshivish translation” that are taken by many as the word of God in English. Hate to break it to you guys. The word of God is only in Hebrew.

Take for example the famous lomdishly mistranslated mitzva in this weeks Torah portion of

Devarim (19:14) Lifney iver lo sitein michshol- do not _______ a stumbling block before a blind person.

Now I imagine most of our readers know that this is not meant to be a literal translation that a person should not stick something in front of a blind person, rather it is homiletic. Rashi notes that this is a warning not to give advice to a “blind” man that isn’t appropriate to him. That I figure you guys all know. The question is but where does Rashi get this from. Why doesn’t he translate the verse literally as it says?

See and here’s where Artscroll or whatever English translation you used messed you up. Because if I asked you to translate the verse. What verb would you put in the word I left _______ blank. Do not -____ - a stumbling block in front of a blind man. So I imagine most of you would say Do not place a stumbling block. Because that’s correct English. The problem is, notes Reb Yehoshua Leib Diskin- the Rav of Brisk, that the pasuk doesn’t say lo sasim michshol- which would mean to not place, rather it says lo sitein- which means do not give a stumbling block.

What is the difference between the two? Giving, explains the Rav is something that is handed over to someone else. He received it from you. Placing, on the other hand is putting something before someone else so they can then use it or not. As we find Hashem places a city of refugee before an unintentional murderer or someone should not place a dangerous place in your house so that someone might stumble and fall. If the Torah was meant to be read literally over here than the proper word and reading would be, as it is mistranslated, Before a blind man do not place a stumbling block. But it doesn’t say that. Rather it says do not give a stumbling block. Rashi quoting our sages therefore notes that in fact it must be talking about something that was given already not just placed before him so he might stumble. What was given? Bad advice.

See what happens when you don’t know you Hebrew? Thank god for lamdanim to teach us that.   

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

Division of the Land -Hevron 1265 BC – The description of the division of the land pauses in Yehoshua from the lands that Moshe promised, the Eastern Jordan river lands to Reuvein and Gad, to the one place that was not divided by lottery; the city of Chevron. This city as well was promised by Moshe to Calev Ben Yefuneh, the loyal spy who together with Yehoshua brought back the good tidings of Eretz Yisrael as opposed to the other ones that bashed it.

Now you have to realize. This was not a simple give. Chevron was the holiest and most important city in Israel. Today everyone only thinks about Yerushalayim. Chevron is for “crazy settlers”. Oy… The Jews were in eretz Yisrael a good few hundred years before Yerushalayim was even liberated and revealed to be a holy place by Dovid Hamelech. It was a Jebusite city. Back then it was all about Chevron. That’s where are forefathers lived. Where the tribes grew up. That’s where Dovid Hamelech would rule from. It was the opening to Gan Eden. And here comes Calev with the tribe of Yehudah, in whose portion it fell and claimed it for himself.

The scene depicted by Tanach is truly a moving and historical one. Calev and 85 year “young” man comes before Yehoshuah with the elders of his tribe and requests the portion promised to him by Moshe. What makes this so cool, is if you remember Calev is a descendant of the tribe of Yehuda whereas Yehoshua is from Ephraim the son of Yosef. If you have a historical appreciation this is a flashback to the last meeting between these two tribes when Yehuda comes before Yosef, whom he doesn’t recognize to ask for benevolence for his family from whom he had assumed was Pharaoh’s viceroy. Yehudah who was chosen to be the king and who ultimately would be the tribe from which the Kings would come was bending the knee to Yosef, although unwittingly, as Yosef had dreamed years before. Now we have Calev willingly accepting Yehoshua’s leadership and with him is all the of leaders of the tribe. In return for this humility he is granted the city of Chevron which ultimately becomes the city from where Dovid Hamelech’s kingship will ultimately rise. Awesome! What an amazing story, and certainly something to share with my tourists when we visit the city of Chevron.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S PAGAN SACRIFICE JOKES  OF THE WEEK

A teacher asked her students what religious objects they had in their homes. Little Timmy answered, "We have a picture of a woman with a halo holding a baby and every day my mother kneels in front of it."

Young Lee said, "We have a brass statue of a man seated with crossed legs and a Chinese face, and every day my parents burn an incense stick before it."

Then a Bereleh piped up, "In the bathroom we have a little platform with numbers on it. Every day my mother stands on it first thing in the morning and screams, "OH MY GOD!!!"

Thomas decided to live his life in service to the Lord. So he went to the nearby monastery to join the Benedictine order of monks there. Thomas was welcomed by Brother John, who gave him a tour of the monastic life. Thomas was excited and eager to join. Brother John laid out the conditions of induction into the order. Before Thomas would be accepted he would need to complete a 3-year probationary period. During this time, Brother John explained, Thomas would have to strictly adhere to vow of silence and could not communicate in any way with anyone. At the end of each year, Thomas would be allowed to speak only one word. If he passed the 3 year probation satisfactorily, he would be become a full brother of the order. Thomas, thinking, what is such a small sacrifice for service to the Lord, agreed and began his 3 year probation.

Life is the monastery was calm, and Thomas passed his time with study of the monks and Benedictine order. Then, about halfway through the first year he ran out of toothpaste. What could he do? He had to suffer with nasty breath and teeth until when the year was up he was allowed to speak his one word for the year:

"Toothpaste" he said. The other brothers understood and brought him some toothpaste.

The second year started well, but he popped a button off his tunic, and it let the cold air of winter in, chilling him to the bone. Finally the second year was up and his chance to say his one word. Thomas said, "Button." The bothers understood and sewed a new button on his tunic.

During his last year, Thomas thought he was in the home stretch and all would be fine when the buckle on his sandal broke and made a clanking sound whenever he walked. The noise worried Thomas, who was naturally humble and self-conscious. At last the 3rd year of his probation ended, and he spoke his one word, "Buckle." The bothers understood and fixed the buckle on his sandal.

As it was the end of his probation, Thomas was brought before the council of monks where they reviewed his record. After some deliberation and whispered discussion, Brother John looked at Thomas and said: "Well Thomas, we're afraid that you are not a good fit here. We've decided that you have failed your probation."

Thomas was crestfallen. He'd done everything they wanted without error, and took great pleasure in the pious service of the Lord. Thomas pleaded, "Why?"
Brother John looked at him and said, "The problem is, all you ever do is complain."

An English, Chinese, American and Mexican Guy Climb Up Everest...They decide to sacrifice some things from their country as they are overflowing with these specific things. The English man grabs some tea and pours it off and says ' I have too much of this in my country' The Chinese takes a sack of rice and tosses it over and says “I have too much of this in my country”. the Arab throws a bag of Hashish over and says ' I have too much of this in my country' and finally the Israeli grabs the Arab and throws him off and says ' I have too much of this in my country'.

ONE LINERS

What is the difference between New Age and Pagan? Around $500.00 a weekend.

What is the definition of a saint? A dead liberal who is worshiped by living conservatives.

My deity ignored my prayers today. The sacrifice was a disaster. First, I didn't have the correct incantation, and then the goat knocked over the candles. I guess two wrongs don't make a rite

My wife cooks dinner for me. She treats me like a god........Everything is either burnt offerings or a bloody sacrifice.

My body is a temple. It requires frequent animal sacrifice.

You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” 

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

Answer is C–  This was an easy one. Not the uniting the army thing. Getting Jews together is never an easy task. I meant that the question was easy. The armies was not as a simple. The one thing that generally does unite us though is a common threat. In this case it was the British who had issued a series of “White Papers” limiting Jewish immigration to Israel in response to the large amount of Jews coming here post-holocaust and the arab pogroms that took place supposedly as a response to that. As if they weren’t killing us before hand and they needed an excuse to kill us. That was unacceptable to all three illegal armies at that time the Haggana, Etzel and Lechi. So they coordinated attacks on the various bridges, trains and tunnels leading into Israel thus sending a message to the British that if we can’t get in neither will you. It all fell apart after Begin had the King David Hotel blown up in Jerusalem and there was tremendous backlash against the Israelis. All this of course took place from 1945-1946, the answer with the shortest time span. Even if you didn’t know the history you should have guessed it as you know tragically we Jews can’t be united for too long.  So the score is Schwartz 20 and 5 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam so far.