Holyland Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
January 9th 2025 -Volume 14 Issue 11 10th of Tevet 5785
Parshat Vayechi- Asara B’Tevet
Fridays shouldn’t be a fast day. I need my morning coffee to wake up my brain and get working on this million page E-mail that you get weekly. I have three drashos to prepare for Shabbos. Now granted this week, I don’t plan on giving a Friday night drasha. It’s hard enough to keep my people there and not join the breakoff minyan for my sermons, or head out after Mincha to the shul that the Rabbi doesn’t speak between Kabbalas Shabbos and Mariv on a regular Friday night. Forget about when their stomach is growling, and they as well haven’t had a morning coffee.
I rarely even speak Shabbos morning unless I’m serving a chulent Kiddush afterwards. I’ve always been a big believer that being a Rabbi means feeding their body and soul. A drasha without a chulent kiddush is like putting on the hand tefillin without the head one. Like Matza without Shulchan Orech. Like salad without steak. Like crackers without herring. Bagel without lox or even cream cheese. Yeah… it’s a fast day tomorrow, and that’s what’s on my mind. If you’re reading this while you’re fasting and getting hungry, then it should be a lesson to you read Rabbi Schwartz’s E-Mails when you can eat. There’s always going to be some food reference. Print it up for your Shabbos table.
So although I only have two drashos this week. There’s still a whole lot to do on Fridays. I've got to get the shul in order. Put up the chulent there. That’s besides at least pretending to help Aliza with the erev Shabbos errands and cleaning. As well one of my most important Erev Shabbos jobs is to make sure the food tastes good for Shabbos. Especially the weekly shul chulent. So it’s really inconvenient to have a fast on Friday. It’s why in general our sages worked out that we postpone the fast if it falls out on Erev Shabbos. Except for this one... What's up with dat?
Now the truth is that over all though it's not that bad of a fast. It's the shortest one on the Jewish calendar. I plan on getting up and having a coffee even before the fast; before 5:06 AM.. Then I can have my cheese Danish as well. Am I the only one out there thinking like this? What do you think about on a fast day? Oh yeah… I forgot something bad happened today. Unlike our holidays where they tried to kill us-we won-let's eat, our fast days are about that they tried to kill us-they did-let's not eat. It feels sinful to be thinking about food on a day that Jews died. Maimonides tells us that the point of the fast day is for us to increase our Teshuva, our sins that have caused this destruction. I guess we have to do something to distract ourselves from the food, so let's talk about what happened today. What are we meant to do Teshuva for? Who died? Why am I not eating? What is this fast of the tenth day of Tevet all about?
The truth is it's kind of a strange fast day. The Talmud tells us that on the tenth of Tevet the Romans sieged the city of Jerusalem. OK, a siege is a bad thing. But the truth is compared to the other fasts that surround the destruction of the Temple this seems kind of minor. The 17th of Tamuz the walls were breached and the massacres began. On the 9th of Av of course both temples were destroyed. Even the fast of Gedalia right after Rosh Hashana the last hope post-Temple of Jewish life in Yehuda and Yerushalayim died when one Jew assassinates the leader of the remaining community of Israel. But a siege? We've had plenty of those. And no fasts.
Even more fascinating the Talmud tells us that the tenth of Tevet is more severe than any of the other fasts in that if it would fall out on Shabbos (which it doesn’t as we arrange the calendar so it does not) one would fast even on Shabbat. It’s why we are fasting today unlike other fasts falls out on Friday which are postponed. The reason is because the verse in Yechezkel (24:2) that describes the day tells us
"Son of man write for yourself -this day; This very day the King of Babylonia has reached Jerusalem this very day"
Wow! This very day…Those words in Hebrew B'Etzem Ha'Yom HaZeh, are used on very significant moments. The day we left Egypt, the day Hashem brought the flood, the day Moshe died as well as the holiest and most important fast day of the year Yom Kippur. The Avudraham, the 14th century halakhist derives that the prophet is telling us that this day just as Yom Kippur would even be fasted on Shabbat. Can you imagine? No chulent! What is it about this day, which really in most other ways is pretty lenient and short. It is after-all only a daytime fast and doesn’t have any of the stringencies as Tisha B'Av which begins the night before and when which we can't wash or even greet people as we are in mourning. The tenth of tevet seems kind of mild in comparison.
A bit of a clue can be found in one of the extra fast selichot supplications which we say in the morning that mentions a few other events that happened on the 8th and 9th of Tevet. Seemingly there is a connection between them and the fast today. We are told that on the 8th of Tevet during the second Temple the Greek King Ptolmey ordered 72 Rabbis into separate rooms and had them translate the entire Torah. Miraculously they all made changes from the literal text that would avoid any mistaken interpretations and they each independently made the same adjustment. (There are those that are more cynical that suggest the miracle would have been greater if you had put them all in the same room and they came out with the same translation in agreement). Although this was a great miracle the Rabbis saw in this a reason to declare a fast day of mourning. Again, the question is why? I'm sure all the newspapers at the time heralded the miracle and advancement of Jewish scholarship.
The next day is the 9th of Tevet, yesterday, which was declared a fast day because it was the day of the death of the great leader at the beginning of the 2nd Temple Ezra the Scribe. This as well seems perplexing. We do not have any fast days for any great leaders. Not Abraham, Not Moshe. Not Joshua not King David, why Ezra? In addition, it's not like he died a tragic death or was killed. He seemingly died of old age. It's sad, yes. We lost a leader, but it happens. That's life…or death. Why the national day of mourning for all of history?
The answer, I heard from one of my teachers, is that all of these days are precisely connected. Who was Ezra? Ezra was the great leader who was given the job of getting the Jews to come back to Israel after 70 years of Exile in Babylonia and Persia and to rebuild the Temple. And you know what? The Jews didn't come. They ignored his call. They were quite comfortable in America, I mean Persia J. They were happy to send donations and contributions, don't get me wrong, but really? Israel? Aliya? The Temple? We'll come visit on our vacation time. We have Torah, Yeshivos, schools and our community here. In the words of Rabbi Yehudah Halevi the author of the Kuzari who describes that period.
" Alas, King of Kuzar, you have exposed my point of disgrace! Indeed, this sin prevented the fulfillment of that which God had destined for the Second Temple… For Divine Providence was ready to rest upon [the Jews] as at first, if they had all willingly heeded the call and returned to Eretz Yisrael. However, only a minority took heed, while the majority–including the most prominent among them–remained in Babylonia, acquiescing to exile and bondage, just so that they would not have to part with their dwellings and businesses… If we would be prepared to draw near to the God of our forefathers wholeheartedly, He would save us as He saved our ancestors in Egypt. But since that is not the case, our utterances of “Who restores His presence to Zion,” etc. are like the chirping of the birds, for we say these things without proper intent. (Kuzari 2:24)"
The fast of Ezra is the fast of the complacency of the Jews. We didn't heed the call. We didn't see the opportunity.
Similarly, the 8th of Tevet when the Torah was translated. The Jews heralded it as a great thing, a miracle! Now our neighbors can read and learn about us. Now our own children will be accepted into Greek culture, gymnasiums and universities. The UN will smile upon us. We are a nation like every other one. Our Torah is an accepted religious book and they might even start lighting Menorahs in their Greek White Houses next to the other "traditional" winter holidays. The Jews, failed to see that this was the beginning of the end. The Torah lost its neshoma, it's soul. The headlines the next day blared "We have made it!" what we didn't realize was that we had really lost it.
Which brings us to today, the tenth of Tevet. It was a regular day in Jerusalem. Everyone clicked on their news apps and whadaya know? The king of Babylonia has laid siege on Jerusalem. Oh well. Any missiles fall? No. Any injuries? No. Ahhh.. Baruch Hashem Thank God! I guess that's just life in Israel. We should really hold new elections for a new king that will do something about these pesky attacks and sieges. Now back to work. The restaurants and stores all remained opened. Life continued… for the next THREE YEARS! And it got worse and worse. And we seemed to have failed to hear the message. To see the impending doom. We had too much faith that "Jerusalem will never fall" Hashem will never let us lose the temple and the holy city. He needs us as much as we need Him. We continued to eat our danishes….
And then it happened; The 17th of Tamuz, Tisha B'Av and even the fast of Gedalia. It was over. We are without a home. The prophet tells us that we should remember "this very day". The day we didn't listen. A day that looked and seemed like any other. Write it down and remember that there are no simple days in Israel; not while the Temple is destroyed. Listen for the messages and the cries of Ezra for us to come home, to stop assimilating and looking to the world for light. We fast even on a Friday today, because we have to realize that Shabbos is not coming if we don’t wake up and listen. It’s not erev Shabbos… It’s Erev Tisha B’Av. It’s October 6th and we’re not listening to the chayalot that are screaming about white terrorist tenders that are gathering around our “fortified fences”. By the way in case you didn’t get the message, last year as well the tenth of Tevet also fell out on Friday… That’s two years in a row an anomaly that last happened the year of Yom Kippur War… and that won’t happen again for another 47 years. Although by then it will certainly be a Yom Tov…
The Shabbos that comes, when we ignore the messages is not Simchas Torah. It’s death and destruction. If the only way we'll wake up is to even take away our chulent on Shabbat- so be it. Stop eating and start fasting. Maybe if we would’ve got the message it would’ve been different. We need that return. We need to hear the call to fix the problems and to start repairing the fighting and lack of commitment to Hashem, His Torah and His land. We need to stop chirping like birds and start meaning and acting on the hopes and dreams of all our ancestors. That's why we are not eating today and that's why we are not yet home yet.
This week, the book of Bereishis concludes with Yaakov and Yosef's last request to be taken out of Egypt and buried in the land of Israel. The reason was to remind all their generations that we need to come home. It’s a parsha of last messages that are eternal. Messages that guide us home. Next week we begin the Book of Exodus, redemption. May it truly herald in the final redemption. I don't want to fast another day. I want all of us finally home.
Have a meaningful fast and a great Shabbos
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Keyner iz nit azoy toyb vi der vos vil nit hern.” - Better the best of the worst than the worst of the best.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
3. In which century did the “Return to Zion” (“Shivat Zion”) begin? ______
Who was the governor of the Province of Judah during the Persian period, and the restorer of
Jerusalem’s walls?
A. Ezra
B. Nehemiah
C. Darius
D. Ahasuerus
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/yesimcha One of my nicest compositions according to many fans… This week’s parsha Yesimcha… The blessing for children Wow!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PjWZUpRQfc – Recently discovered “NEW” Shlomo Carlebach song “Nigun Vayigash” with Yehuda Solomon and Shlomo Katz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnHKG2UiSdo&list=OLAK5uy_lBTsYUu17Yt5Kx_3J-jLCAyOqd_VlBNPA – If you ask me… This is the nicest album Baruch Levine has ever put out… All of the golden Pirchei oldies… And Moishie Mendlowitz too… This is one link that you will listen to again and again and put on your favorites or download..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt-wMk59OwM – Ari Goldwag’s latest release Tikva Tova… Beautiful…
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Yirmiyahu- 627 BC – We’ve reached the beginning of the final spiral towards destruction and Exile. And one of our guides and sources for all that will take place is none other than the Prophet Yirmiyahu. He is the author of Sefer Melachim according to Chazal, as well as his own book and Eicha/Lamentations that we recite on Tisha B’AV. He saw it all. He warned us about all. He’s one of the most unique prophets. Let’s get to know him a bit as we enter this next phase of our history.
Born in Anatot, which is right outside of Yerushalayim near Maalei Adumim today in the portion of Binyamin, Yirmiyahu came from a family of Kohanim. Unlike many of the other prophets Yirmiyahu’s prophecy isn’t always grammatically correct, the Abarbanel attributes this to the fact that he started prophesying at a very young age. In his own home even he was not really accepted and the Navi refers to himself as a man of strife and fighting. He was ultimately threatened to stop his prophecies and was chased out by the people of Anatot including his own family members. This fate as the prophet that no one wanted to accept or listen to followed him throughout his days. Yet unlike other prophets that had similar fates Yirmiyahu becomes the only prophet to demand revenge from Hashem on those who pursued him. He doesn’t take this fate sitting down. He understands he has a bigger job to do and he thus moves to Yerushalayim.
He begins his work as a prophet in the 13th year of Yoshiyahu and he even feels that perhaps the danger of destruction could be averted with the King’s teshuva movement. He travels to find and collect the 10 tribes and return them to the land. Yet, the teshuva movement didn’t last. The nation had hidden idols behind their cabinet doors. There are many places in Israel, such as in Tel Arad and others where archeologists have discovered idols and even altars that were taken apart, but not destroyed. The Navi records many conversations that Yirmiyahu has and prophecies thus about the impending destruction that will befall. The anger Hashem has to us. His disappointment in our nation that thought that sacrifices without meaning are what He is looking for, That somehow it will make Hashem forget and ignore the corruption and idolatry that was plaguing our nation.
We will continue the life and times and prophecies of Yirmiyahu in the coming weeks. With Asara B’Tevet this week we start the beginning of the end with the last battle of Yoshiyahu, who’s only really failure was not consulting with Yirmiyahu before he went to war.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FUNNY IGNORE 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.
As a true American Patriot I always put phone numbers I want to ignore under the contact "Freedom". Because I always let Freedom Ring.
Moshe is waiting on the platform at the station. He notices a Jewish man standing nearby and asks him for the time. But the man ignores him. Moshe then asks him again, and the man responds in the same way. Frustrated, Moshe asks "Excuse me, but I've asked you for the time twice, why are you ignoring me"
Suddenly, the man looks up and says, "We're both waiting for the train, if I answer you, then when we get on the train you will come and sit next to me, we will probably start talking, and I may invite you to my house for Shabbat, there you will meet my daughter, you will probably like her, you may eventually want to marry her, and to be honest with you, WHY WOULD I WANT A SON IN LAW WHO CAN'T AFFORD A WATCH?"
My wife has been addicted to Netflix lately and has started to ignore me... ...So I went ahead and renewed the subscription for another 10 years.
i tried to ignore my girlfriend's bulimia. but she kept bringing it back up
Berel woke up one Shabbos morning in a bad mood. When he came down to breakfast, he put on his yarmulka and sat across the table from his visiting sister, Sarah.
"I'm not going to shul today!" he said to Sarah emphatically.
"Yes you are." Sarah replied calmly.
"No I'm not . . . I don't think I really want to ever go again!" Berel said with obvious irritation. "The people down there don't like me, they ignore me sometimes . . . they don't appreciate me at all . . . and I won't go back."
"Yes, you will go today, and you will continue", said Sarah with confidence. And, I'll give you two reasons. Number one, you're 45 years old ... and Number two, you're the Rabbi!"
They say Donald Trump was charged with crimes that would have been ignored if someone else had committed them. I guess orange really is the new black. (OK not all of you will get this… But if you do it’s funny…- but don’t try too hard…)
Is it ok to ignore dumplings in my Chinese takeout? Or will I be charged with wonton neglect?
You know what happens to those who ignore the past? They usually fail their history exam.
I get ignored so much.My name should be Terms and Conditions.
Arguing with your wife is like reading a software license agreement......in the end, you ignore it all and click "I agree".
One day, I asked my English Teacher, "Why do we ignore some letters in pronunciation eg. the letter H ...in Hour, Honour. ...etc. ...??????
My English Teacher said, " We are not ignoring them; they're considered silent ".......
I was even more confused. During the lunch break, my Teacher gave me her packed lunch and asked me to heat it in the Cafeteria.
I ate all the food and returned her the empty container.
My English Teacher : What happened? I told you to go and HEAT my food, you are returning me an empty container.
I replied, "sir, I thought 'H' was silent.
I asked my acupuncturist to use smaller needles this time, but they ignored me. I’ve never felt so stabbed in the back.
A guy walks into a bar and takes a seat. Before he can order a beer, the bowl of pretzels in front of him says "Hey, you're a handsome fellow."
The man tries to ignore the bowl of pretzels and orders a fine Pilsner beer. The bowl of pretzels then says "Ooooh, a pilsner, great choice. You're a smart man."
Starting to freak out, the guy says to the bartender "Hey what the heck is going on, this bowl of pretzels keeps saying nice things to me!"
Bartender says "Don't worry about it, the pretzels are complimentary."
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The answer to this week”s question is B – So I got this one right Baruch Hashem… Although it is a bit of a trick question. See, we all know that the Churban of the second Temple was in the year 70 CE. As well we have a tradition that the second temple stood for 420 years. Thus if you do the math subtracting backwards it would put the beginning of the era when Ezra came back with the Jews from Bavel to be in approximately the year 370 BCE or so, which would make the answer the 4th century. Yet, according to most Ezra’s return of the Shivat Tzion is in the year 530 BC or so… Or if we want to date it to 70 years from the siege of Jerusalem it would be 516 BC. As the siege of Asara B’Tevet took place in 586 BC. So as you see this is a historical problem. There have been many explanations written about what Rav Shimon Schwab addresses as “The missing 150 years”. But anyways I knew the answer they were looking for was the 6th century and therefore got it correct. The walls were of course built by Nechemia who was the governor of Jerusalem. It really wasn’t until Alexander the great came about 150 years later that we became independent. And about 130 years after that when the kingship returned to Israel in the second temple with Yehuda Hamaccabee on Chanuka! So the new score is Rabbi Schwartz 2 Ministry of Tourism 1 on this exam so far.
