Insights and
Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
"Your
friend in Karmiel"
October 15th
2021 -Volume 11 Issue 2 9th Cheshvan 5782
Parshat Lech Lecha
Outreach
Professionals
I had never run a Kollel before. I certainly never started any, although
I had plenty of ideas how it shouldn't be run. Basically, it should be
different than all of the other Kollels, where I had fought and argued with the
various heads consistently about how they should be doing things my way. But my
chance had finally arrived. At the young age of 31 I was offered the position
to move on out to Norfolk Virginia and start an outreach Kollel whose mandate
would be to serve as a resource for communal Torah study in both the Orthodox
and non-orthodox community.
My vision was that we were going to turn the whole city (maybe even
State!) on its head. I made connections with all of the local synagogues- Orthodox,
Conservative and Reform and they all agreed that we could run programs in their
institutions. I met with the local Federation, JCC, religious and secular
private schools that had Jewish students, as well as the local college campuses.
(I was a little thrown when they told me the local college was called Old Dominion-
I thought they said "Older-minyan" in that Southern Virginia
slang and asked them where the younger minyan was!). B'kitzur I was rocking
and rolling and full of excitement about the possibilities and the incredible
potential before me. It was now time for the final piece; assembling my team of
the other three Rabbis that would be my partners in this exciting spiritual
venture.
As I said, I had never really done this before and yet I knew that
whomever I hired would be essential to actualizing my high hopes and plans. But
what type of guys am I looking for? What character traits and personalities were
the most essential to look for? What
qualities were most important to possess to be a successful Outreach Kollel guy
that would help me change the world? Do I look for the most personable? The
most knowledgeable? Do I want someone who has a secular education that could
impress people? Someone who could speak or teach well? Could write well? Or
maybe I just want the most god-fearing, the best learners, the most pious? I
really wasn't sure. But I knew that the success or failure of my first project
as Rosh Kollel would depend on getting the right answer to those questions.
I'm not shy to ask for advice when I don't know something. Not that
it happens often- although my wife would disagree. Actually, my parents would
probably too. And my teachers and friends…Don't even ask my siblings who I just
spent the whole Yom Tov with. But what do they know? But in truth when it comes
to making a big decision in an area that I really have no idea about- I really
have no problem calling up the experts and more experienced in the field to ask
for guidance and insight. Especially since I knew so many other places that
didn't succeed and I certainly didn't want to join that club. So I made my
calls. I spoke to the top three or four Roshei Kollel in similar communities
and every one of them were more than happy to share with me their insights- of
course on condition of anonymity. It was off the record- they didn't want it
coming back to haunt them.
The best insight I received was from Rebbi Nachman (name changed obviously).
He told me that it was in fact none of the qualities that I had mentioned. None
of them were essential. Although they all were traits and skills that could be
helpful if I found the Kollel Rabbis with the most essential characteristic that
was neccesary in the field of Jewish outreach work and education. The most
important character trait, that a Kollel Rabbi would need, he told me, would be
someone who is truly happy with their yiddishkeit and they could exude that
inner joy and satisfaction to others. That's all. If you have that trait it
doesn't make a difference about anything else; loud, quiet, funny, educated, well-spoken,
personality and life experience it's all irrelevant. Simchas Ha'Chayim at a
deep inner level- true joy about being Jewish and being part of the fortunate
few that are privileged to have been gifted a Torah lifestyle and education is
what ultimately will draw people closer to Hashem.
The problem, Reb Nachman continued, is that sadly it's not easy
finding people like that. It seems that Kollel Rabbis like that are far and few
between. So the next best thing, he
said, is to find someone that can fake it really well! Ouch!! Ouch!!! Yeah…
someone should really do something about that in the Jewish world. Too bad I'm
retired.
The truth of the matter though is, that although Reb Nachman may
have been speaking from his life experience and decades of being involved in Jewish
outreach, we really don't have to go much further than this week's Torah
portion to our forefather Avraham and Sarah the first outreach "professionals"
in the world to learn and see this lesson.
Our Parsha's introduction to Avraham and Sarah is after they are
commanded to leave Charan and to head up to Eretz Yisrael. The Torah tells us
that they left with all of the souls they made in Charan. Boom- there you have
it. They were involved in Jewish outreach. We all know the stories about his
four doored tent and how he would welcome in guests for some of his wife's
special chulent. But it is really later that we see some of the hard Kiruv
decisions he made precisely because he knew how important his role was in
sharing this idyllic Torah lifestyle that he had discovered with others.
The first decision and challenge he is faced with upon coming to
Israel is that a famine hits the land. According to our sages this is the first
famine in the history of the world. Even more challenging, is that this famine
only hits the land of Israel. Can you imagine? Here Avraham is preaching about
the wonderful blessing and great Torah life he has and that anyone can have if
they recognize Hashem as Creator and get rid of their pagan ways and what
happens? The land of Israel, their home which never had a problem before, which
didn't even get hit in the Great Flood of Noach all of a sudden gets hit with
the first famine in the history of mankind. This is not good for business.
Avraham, though knew that he could and should have faith and all was from
Hashem. Yet even with that he still leaves the land Hashem had commanded him to
go to and moves down to Egypt. Why?
The great 16th century scholar Rav Avraham Rappaport in
his sefer Mincha Bilula suggests that although Avraham personally could've
stayed and served Hashem, he understood that the people of the land that he was
being mekarev would see this famine and blame Avraham and his teachings
for it. They were fine before he got here. All was good when they practiced
their pagan ways. But now that they had joined Avraham's team they were suffering.
It was his fault. It was his God's fault. This was not something that they
could and would connect to. Judaism needs advocates and an environment where
the blessing of Hashem is apparent. It can't happen when I'm scrounging for a
piece of bread. When I don't have anything to feed my children. When my crops
all are dead. Avraham left Eretz Yisrael because he understood that his being
there would only bring resentment and a desecration of Hashem's name. Torah and
Judaism can only be "sold" from a place of joy.
As well we see that same idea occur again when Avraham returns to
Israel all wealthy with his bounty from Egypt. His nephew Lot as well joined
him and he had also made it pretty big. Yet when their shepherds begin to fight,
once again Avraham recognizes that this is not going to work. The Netziv takes
note that the Torah tells us that there was a fight between the shepherds of
Lot and Avraham and then it interjects that the Canaanites and Perizim were in
the land. Unlike Rashi and the Midrash that see that verse as explaining the
source of their fight- as the shepherds of Lot felt that land belonged
rightfully to them as it was promised to Avraham and Lot would be his heir- the
Netziv has a different approach.
He suggests that the Torah is telling us that the Canaani and Perizi
were still in the land is the reason why Avraham told Lot that one of them has
to move. We're here to do kiruv. To draw people to Hashem and the beauty of His
ways. The Canaani and Perizi are here and around us. How does it look to them
if we can't get along with one another? If we are fighting between each other.
Is this a lifestyle that will draw people close to Hashem? It doesn't make a
difference how good Sarah's chulent is, how great and compelling my classes
are, how much charity work and hospitality I provide. If we can't exude
happiness and satisfaction amongst ourselves. If we are fighting and bickering,
then how can we expect others to be drawn to that lifestyle. We need to separate.
My resolution this year is to try to keep these E-Mails a bit
shorter, so I'm not going to go through the entire Parsha with you. But you
will see this theme come up again and again in Avraham's challenges and his
life's outlook in how he could best achieve his role here in the universe. It
is his path with the war against the kings and his dialogue with the King of
Sodom. It is his behavior and concerns with Hagar, Yishmael and even the
covenant between the pieces and his concern about us being able to have that same
merit and character trait. Your homework-in all the free time I'm giving you
not reading this E-Mail is to discover it on your own.
We are all outreach professionals. It's the job in life we
inherited from our forefather Avraham and that we accepted as one nation on Mt.
Sinai. The outreach work we are meant to do though does not necessarily mandate
us to move out to Norfolk Virginia or to Karmiel Israel or even Lakewood or
Monsey where they really need it… Sorry couldn't resist. Outreach isn't about
classes, lectures or even Shabbos meals and chulent. It's about exuding the
bracha of the blessing and fortune that we have to be the nation of Hashem in
the world- or at least faking it really well. Part of the process of faking it,
is being cognizant of when we are not expressing that. When we are complaining,
when we are fighting, when we are arguing, when we are not walking around as if
we have won the lottery every single moment of our lives. Because we have won the lottery.
In a world of 8 billion or so people there's just a relative handful
of us that really know what it's all about, that really have a deep and intimate
daily connection with Hashem, that really know the King. Our neighbors should
see that on our faces, our co-workers should be asking what is it that makes us
so joyous, and perhaps most importantly our children need to know and see that
coming from us every day of our lives. Outreach begins at home, the saying
goes. But the truth is it really begins from within and we were all hired for
the job. Let's get to work.
Have a joyous Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
***********************************************************************
RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
" Fun veiten nart men leiten; fun der noent, zikh alain."- From afar you fool others; nearby, only yourself.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer
below at end of Email
A) Mitzpe Ramon
B) Givatayim
C) The Galilee panhandle
(Etzba Hagalil)
D) Eilat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiGSVUdOeww
– A little
late but I just saw it and had to share Sukkos in house of mayor of Yerushalayi
with all the stars- who can you spot singing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc-Da7GZ5Jg
– First Jewish Music video filmed
in Dubai? David Haziza with Matanot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbbsJ5PGLiU
– Bardak Ashkenazi or Sefardi who's got it
better?
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/SHABBOS CONNECTION OF THE WEEK
Each year we
have studied chumash in this column with a different focus we began with Rashi
and moved from there to Midrash, to Gematria, to mitzvos, last year we did
Eretz Yisrael in each parsha. This year in honor of the Shemitta Sabbatical
year we will attempt to find a Shabbos connection each week in each parsha of
the Torah. Shabbos is the essence of the Jewish people and thus each Parsha
each Shabbos that we read the Torah portion has a special new insight for this
special gift day that Hashem has given us. Let's explore this idea through the
eyes of the weekly Parsha and appreciate our Sabbatical year to it's fullest.
Lech Lecha me'artzecha… Ha'Aretz Asher
Are'eka- go to yourself from your land… to the land I will show you.
The word Are'eka- in gematria (with the
final kaf being equal to 500) is 702 the same as Shabbos. Hashem is telling
Avraham that if he goes lecha- to himself or for himself than he will be
blessed with Shabbos. What is the connection between Shabbos and his going to
the land?
The woman chosen for Dovid was a young maiden named Avishag Ha'Shunamit. The city of Shunam is today in the arab village of Sulam at the foothills of Mt. Tabor. There one can visit the home of the Shunamite woman whom later on in the book of Melachim we will learn about who hosted Elisha the prophet and who he blessed her with a child and resurrected said child from the dead. According to our sages this mysterious Shunamite woman was in fact the sister of Avishag- which would make her quite old. But let's wait till then to get to that story. Who knows it may even happen this year- although more likely next.
Yankel replied, “Well, the job is much harder when you don’t know
what you’re doing.”
Yankel responded: “I’d rather not, I really want this job.”
The interviewer then said “But why do you want this job?”
Yankel, perhaps a tad too honestly said. “Well, I’ve always been
really passionate about not starving to death.”
"Well believe it or not I think we have a place
for you. See, we looked over your resume and it is bloated with half-truths, false
praise, exaggeration and unsubstantiated accomplishments. We’d like to
hire you to write our Annual Company Reports.”
“Nervous?” asked the interviewer.
I simple replied “No, I always give 110%”
Interviewee: That is because I went to Yale
Job interviewer: Oh, that is impressive! You are hired!
Interviewee: Thanks! I really needed this Yob
“I think my job interview to be a bug sorter went well. I
boxed all the right ticks.
Why was the janitor late for his job interview? He over
swept.
I was in a job interview today when the manager handed me his laptop and said, “I want you to try and sell this to me.”
So I put it under my warm, walked out
of the building and went home. Eventually he called my cell phone and said, “Bring
back my laptop!”
I said, “$200 and it’s yours.”
*********************************
Answer is A – This one is really easy. Anyone
that has been to Mitzpeh Ramon the beautiful craters in the Negev of Israel
know that this is one of the most magnificent places in Israel. The craters are
awesome and are pure TMR – totally Ma Rabu as my seminary girls like to say.
For stargazing though perhaps the most important aspect is pure darkness with
no light or electricity that takes away from the glory of just gazing directly
into the heavens and being that there really isn't much else there or around
the area for miles it is an ideal place to see the stars. There are even great
stargazing companies there that will set up camp for you and direct you into
the full effect. So I got I right obviously and the score is Schwartz 36 and 12 for MOT (Ministry of
Tourism) on this exam.
