from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz
"Your friend
in Karmiel"
May 12th
2023 -Volume 12 Issue
30 21st of Iyar 5783
Parshat Behar-
Bechukosai
Counting Years
Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech Ha’Olam Asher
Kidishanu B’mitzvosuv V’Tzivanu Al sefiras Ha’Yovel- Blessed are you Hashem our God the King of the world
that sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us on the counting of…
the Yovel!
This year is the 2nd year that is one year of
the first shemitta and one year in the Yovel.
Now that’s a bracha that I imagine you’ve never
heard of before. Yet, God willing the courts of Yerushalayim will be
reestablished there once again and every year we will count the years and shemittas
in the 49 +1-year cycle of 7 shemitas in the 50-year Yovel/Jubilee
cycle. Actually, the exact dating of the above count is according to the Chasam
Sofer who calculated how many 50 year cycles there have been since creation.
According to his calculation the year 2022 was a yovel year as was the year
1973- which happened to have been the year of the Yom Kippur War. A day when freedom
from our enemies was certainly called out to the land.
Even more fascinating is that according to the
method of calculation of the Jubilee years according to Rebbi Yehudah mentioned
by the Imrei Bina (in which in Exile from the Temple the count is a 49-year
cycle rather than a 50-year cycle) then the year 1967 was the Yovel year. Not just
a yovel year but the 48th yovel year from
Creation. 48 being the gematria of the word yovel. And of course 1967, the year
that Hashem returned us miraculously to Yerushalayim, Gaza, the Golan Chevron
and to Kever Rachel in the 6-day war was truly one of the most remarkable years
in modern history. If Yovel is about each Jew returning to his homeland
and portion is there any other year in modern history that you could point to in
which that was fulfilled.
To make this even more fun, once we’re at it. The
beginning of the Yovel cycle prior to 1967 was in 1918 was when the Balfour declaration
was made not long after Yom Kippur of that year. Yup, it was that declaration
that began the world recognition of the right of the Jewish people to a
national homeland in Eretz Yisrael for the first time in 2000 years. As well that declaration came right after
Yerushalayim was conquered by General Allenby who
served under the British Prime Minister Lloyd George. In Hebrew we write George-
“Gorg” or Gog… I’m not saying anything Messianic about Gog and Magog
battles and Messianic revelations, but there were certainly great men back then
that did suggest it was in fact when the reishis tzmichas geulaseinu-
the sprouting of our redemption began. I’m sure lots of guys in coffee rooms as
well we’re talking about it. Thank god there were no bloggers or Facebook posts
or whatsapp groups that would’ve been burning up the Net at the time.
But anyways, back to the bracha. We are in the
period of counting the Omer right now and trying to keep track of 49 days to
make with a blessing is challenging enough, I think for most. Can you imagine
49 years of counting. OK, it seems that it would only be a once-a-year type of
ceremonial count, so that shouldn’t be so bad. Yet it would seem according to some
of our Rabbis that in fact it would be a mitzva to count what number year it is
in the shemitta and Yovel cycle each time we mention the year. The fact that we
count the year 5783 this year from Creation is good practice to knowing where
we stand since the beginning of the world when Adam Ha’Rishon was born. Especially
since the Zohar tells us that the entire world is only going to exist for 6000
years until the Shabbos of the world will come in the 7th millenia. Of
course some suggest that since we always bring in Shabbos early before sunset,
then of course the 7th millennia will start as well “early” and if
you ask me 217 years sounds just about right. But to throw into that what year we stand in
the shemitta cycle and in the 50-year Yovel cycle seems to me to
be a bit of TMI. What’s the point?
Yet, the answer it would seem is that it is not
only important, but it is really the crux and essence of everything. The Klei
Yakar explains this mitzva of Yovel as one of being the average lifespan
of a human being’s “accomplishing years”. A man, King David tells us, lives
until 70, although he does give you until 80 if you’re strong. As well, the
first 20 years of one’s life is really a maturing process, and one is not even
held liable in shamayim for sins until after the age of 20. (Although we
will stone you to death down here for sinning at age 13. So don’t get any
bright ideas all you under-20-year-olds or children at the Shabbos table where
Tatty is reading this.) So we’ve got 50 good years.
The function of the Yovel is to remind us
that those 50 years are all not really ours. Everything that we do comes from
Hashem. All the wealth that we amass, all that we accomplish, all the “slaves”
we’ve acquired, the real estate we’ve bought and the “roots” we may have
planted in fields that our not our ancestral heritage all return to where they
came from. In his words, if that’s the case then we should make sure to be
putting our focus on the things in life that have permanence. We should take
our limited time on this world to be building, acquiring and planting seeds that
will be with us forever. Because everything else… will just go back to where it
came from.
Do you know how many months there are in 50
years? 600. How many days? 18,250. How many hours? 438,000. Most of us live
checking our watches or our phones and we live minute to minute day to day. And
we’ve got plenty of time. I don’t have to take care of this today. I’ve got tomorrow.
I’ve got next month. Maybe next year. After all we’ve got lots of days, months,
and years to realize all of our plans and dreams and goals. The Dubna Magid
teaches us though that it is precisely for that reason that we need to count
our years to Yovel. We’ve only got one Yovel - one fifty-year
period to make it all happen. After that… the game is pretty much over. The count
of Yovel each year is to remind us that our life clock is ticking, and
we only have one life and one Yovel to make it all happen.
Yet, Rav Hirsch takes the count of the Yovel to
an even deeper level. He notes that the Yovel count is really not relevant
today. This past year, when I spent a lot of time with my tourists visiting Shemitta
farms, I pointed out to them that the laws of shemitta today are only
Rabbinic in nature. When I asked them why that was, many of the mistakenly told
me that it was because there was no Bais Ha’Mikkdash. The wrong answer,
of course. Which I why I asked it in the first place. The real reason that Shemitta
isn’t biblically obligated today, is because we derive the laws of Shemitta
from Yovel and it is only when the Yovel is in force that the shemitta
is. This of course leads to the next question, which is why the Yovel
isn’t in force. I mean we have to keep Shabbos each week. Why not Shemitta?
Why not Yovel?
The answer the Talmud tells us is because Yovel
is specifically dependent on an era when all or most of the Jews are living in
the land of Israel in their biblical heritage lands. It’s why incidentally that
according to that reasoning we haven’t really had Shemitta and Yovel
in force biblically since the times when Reuven and Gad and half the tribe of Menashe
were exiled from the land about 100 or so years before the destruction of the
first Temple. During the second Temple most Jews didn’t return to Israel. They
were happy to stay in Bavel Park. They would probably come visit for holidays
and take some great tour guides, maybe send their daughters for seminary or let
their newly married children honeymoon there a bit in Kollel until they come
back to the “real” world in the diaspora. But they weren’t moving to that country
full of Israelis. And thus during the second Temple there was no biblical Yovel
or shemitta as well. By the way that would mean fantastically enough
that there were probably more people keeping Shemitta this past year in Eretz
Yisrael then has been kept since the period of King Solomon. As from not long
after his reign the Jews violated the laws of Shemitta, as Chazal tell
us and it was the reason why we were exiled for 70 years. We’re living in historic
times, certainly. By the way we are getting closer and closer to that time once
again when the majority of Israel is here once again.
Rav Hirsh explains this unique halacha and is
troubled by it. We don’t find other mitzvos dependent on the majority of Israel
living here. We put on tefillin, we celebrate all our holidays, and we bring
sacrifices even if a minority live in Israel. What makes Yovel l unique
in that way? The answer is that he explains is that Yovel is national
mitzva. It is the shemitta of the nation. Every 7th year
every single farmer individually has to be make a reckoning of his life, where
he gets his blessing from, what his role and really achievements are. He needs
to be reminded who the land really belongs to. Yet the power to do that only
comes from the Yovel year to which he counts from. For Yovel is
when we as a nation remember what we are here for. Who gave us this national
homeland. What He wants us to accomplish with it. What we have 50 years to do
with it. Yet, we can only realize those national goals if we are all here
together. If there’s Jews left behind, then we don’t even start to count
towards our goals, because we are missing the basic ingredients and components necessary
to make them happen.
It’s not only all of us being here as well that
is a condition for the Yovel to count. It’s each Jew living in his
ancestral portion. We need to be rooted and tapped in to where we really came
from. Yovel does that for us. It makes us remember that we are not Americans,
we’re not Detroiters, or Lakewooders. We’re not even Bnai Brakkers of
Yerushalmim or Beit Shemeshites. We’re from an ancestral tribe that has a
portion here in Israel. That’s our identity. That’s where we come from. I don’t
know who said it once, but the saying goes if you don’t know where you come
from, you can’t know where you’re going to. Yovel is about going back to
the beginning. It’s going back to Creation. It’s right after Yom Kippur when we
become cleansed, and we start the world again.
Shemitta and Yovel are called Shabbos. One of my Rabbis pointed out
to me once that what is unique about the Jewish people and our holy tongue is
that we don’t count days of the week. There is no Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
in Hebrew. It is Yom Rishon, Yom Sheini and Yom Shlishi – the first
day the second day and the third day. The first from what? The second from
what? It is from Shabbos. We count every day from Shabbos. According to the Ramban
that is as well part of the mitzva of remembering Shabbos. Every day, Every
year and every fifty years- a lifespan- we tap into our source of life; the
Creator of the world.
Yovel, the year of freedom is the pinnacle of that. It’s when we are
all connected. We are all planted and rooted in our land. Produce in the Torah
is called yevula- it is what comes from the source and is brought to its
proper destination. That is really the essence of what freedom is. Being able
to become the most that we can become and having all the resources and being in
the proper path and direction to achieve and realize our goals.
The Chafetz Chaim once told his students that the
price that one pays to redeem a slave is according to the years left in his yovel
cycle. If he has 5 years to yovel then obviously it is a higher price to redeem
him. If he has only one year left, then it doesn’t cost that much to set him
free. Similarly, he suggests is the way that we will ultimately be redeemed.
Sure, we may not be as great, or as holy, or as righteous as previous
generations. We may not have as much Torah learning, or piety or even faith as
those that came before us did. But we are in the last generations before that
ultimate Shofar blast of Yovel. We don’t need that many merits. We just
need a little bit of faith. Perhaps one extra mitzva. One kind word to someone.
One act of charity, of kindness, a little bit of Torah learning, maybe even
just an inspiring E-Mail. Yes, we count days, and weeks, and years, but Hashem
is counting all of those little deeds as well, our tears, our hopes and our thoughts
of teshuva. May this be the last year that we are only counting the days and
weeks of Omer and may we all merit soon to make that bracha that we have waited
so long to hear al sefiras ha’yovel.
Have a Shabbos that counts,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
************************
YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK
“Az du
gaist oifen laiter, tsail di treplech.- When you climb a ladder, count the rungs.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
answer below at end of Email
21) The plant
carved on "Corinthian columns" is:
A main crop
grown in the Jordan Rift Valley is:
A) date
B) olive
C) avocado
D) mango
RABBI
SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
https://soundcloud.com/ephraim-schwartz/ma-rabu
-
It is here boys and girls… My long awaited for composed under the Victoria
Falls in Africa song- my Amazing Ma Rabu!! Dovid Lowy knocked it out of the
park this time with his arrangements and Vocals… Let me know what you think?
https://youtu.be/SFFXhLZoHNc
-Joey
Newcomb’s latest song Ka’Eilah… hilarious…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HASW09vYUw
– Benny Friedman and Mo Shapiro L’Chai Olamim
it…
https://vimeo.com/276854831
– A
moving powerful video of my Uncle Mendy Klein Z”L who’s yartzeit was this past
week. Watch and be moved to tears and be inspired as I was… his neshoma should
have an aliya
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR
PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Our Man in Damascus- 680
BC- No, the
title of this week’s column is not about Eli Cohen, the spy in the 1960’s-
who’s yartzeit was this past week, and whose intelligence that he passed on to
the Israelis led to our miraculous victory in the 6-Day War. He was
caught and executed this past week over 50 years ago on Syrian National TV
when he was hung in Damascus Square. Rather we’re still learning about Elisha
and did you know that he was our original spy in Damascus or in Aram
as it was biblically known as.
The Navi tells us that the King of Aram was out to kill Yehoram
the King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel based in the Shomron.
He told his officers in confidence that they should set and ambush for the king
along the paths and road that he was traveling. Yet, it seems that Elisha, who was
at the time was hanging out in the ancient city of Dosan was able to divinely
intuit his conversations and he sent warning to Yehoram. This happened
once, twice and three times. Finally the King of Aram suspecting a spy or
traitor in his midst confronted his men. Yet they told him, that he was looking
in the wrong place. The informant was Elisha. He was a holy man and a
prophet and he could tell hear “even the private conversations you have in
your bedroom”. The King was obviously perturbed and yet rather than back
down- and not mess with the holy prophet, which would’ve been the smart thing
to do. He decides to send his army to Dosan and capture Elisha.
Tel Dosan,
is actually identified by the great Jewish traveler and pilgrim Rav Ashtori
Ha’Parchi in the 14th century and was excavated in the
early 1950’s and again in 2002 and 2013. This is the biblical site seemingly
where Yosef met his brothers and they threw him the pit. There is
in fact until today a pit that the Muslims have a tradition was that pit called
Bir Al Chafira or Bir Jussuf and it’s about 60 feet deep. Being
in the North part of the Shomron/ West Bank about 10 KM west of Jenin
and north of Shechem, it’s not a place where I do much touring. But who
knows? Maybe one day. As well interestingly enough they found a mizbayach
there which dates back to this period of Elisha.
Well Aram’s army pulls up to town. Yet, Elisha wasn’t
too intimidated. As he walks the next morning early out of his house with his
student, who begins to freak out a bit at the scary army outside their gate, Elisha
tells him not to fear. “We are more than them”. He tells him. He waves
his holy hands in front of his eyes and wada boom wada bing Hashem opens up his
eyes and he sees fiery chariots with heavenly angels that are surrounding the
army of Aram. Have no fear, help is on the way. Yet, it’s not the army
of Hashem that will take care of this army. Elisha has another plan.
Stay tuned next week- to hear the rest of this story, I can bet most of you
have never heard.
RABBI SCHWARTZ’S TERRIBLE COUNTING
JOKES OF THE WEEK
Zelda was a shaggy looking old Jewish lady who went one day into her
bank and asks the teller...
"Can I please withdraw $10 from my account?" while
handing over her debit card.
The teller, annoyed at such a transaction request, rudely tells the
Zelda "Go to the ATM, stop holding up the line for $10."
Zelda then says "Okay, then I want to withdraw $10k from my
account."
The teller, now a little bit incredulous, takes the old lady's
debit card, checks her account, and sees that she has over $500k on deposit.
She apologizes, informs the manager, and begins counting the money.
After a few minutes, the teller hands over the $10k in $100 bills
to the old lady and asks "Is there anything else I can help you with?
Zelda replies "Yes, I want to deposit $9,990." while
handing the $10k back to the teller.
Berel went to the doctor because he had trouble falling asleep.The
doctor told him to count to 1000 every night to help him fall asleep. So that
night, Berel got into bed and started counting to 1000. When he got to 50, he
started feeling very tired, so he got up, made himself a coffee, and went back
to bed to keep on counting.
A retired boxer goes to see his doctor because he’s having trouble
sleeping. “Have you tried counting sheep?” the doctor asks.
“I tried,”
the boxer explains, “but every time I get to the number nine I stand up.”
Someone asked me to describe myself in 4 words. I said "bad at
counting"
I can count the number of times I've been to Chernobyl on one hand.
-- It's seven.
The teacher asks little Johnny if he knows his numbers. "Yes,"
he says. "My daddy taught me."
"Can you tell me what comes after three?"
"Four," answers little Johnny.
"What comes after
six?"
"Seven," answers little Johnny. "Very good," says the
teacher. "Your father did a very fine job. What comes after ten?"
"A jack," answers little Johnny.
Shaindel turned to her husband Tevye one night and asked him “What
do you think of our love?”
Tevye told her that she should go outside and count the stars in the
sky.
Shaindel was so touched…” Aww... are you saying it's infinity?!”
Tevye “ Nope. It's just a waste of time.”
What are ten items you can count on? Your fingers.
What does zero always envy of eight? His belt
A teacher asked the two fours why they skipped lunch. They replied:
they already eight.
Can we make seven an even number? Yes, just take off its’ S.’
Ever wondered what’s always odd? Every other number.
A company hired an odd man to do six jobs. When they asked, he’d
only done jobs one, three, and five.
Any idea why the quarter never rolls down the mountain along with
the nickel? Maybe because the quarter always has more cents.
Minus sign met positive sign and asked are you sure I make a
difference? The positive sign replied, “I am positive.”
What do people call number 1 and number 9 when they get married? What
an odd couple.
Why can you never trust a math teacher? Because they are constantly
calculating.
********************************
The answer to this week”s question is A – . So I got this one only half right. The second part of the question
was easy. My favorite Date farmers live in the Jordan Valley and the sweetes
dates in the world and 70% of the European Date market comes from the mejoul
Dates grown near Yericho- where they’ve always grown. Well that is except for
about 2000 years or so when the Jewish people weren’t in the country and nothing
grew here- as the Torah tells us in this week’s parsha would be the case. The
first part of the Question though… I had no clue. I guessed wrongly dates even
though I knew it was likely wrong. I hoped maybe it was a trick question. The correct
answer is the acanthus bush which is called Kotzitz in Hebrew- although I
probably could’ve argued that many of them have grapes on them as well. And so the
score as of now 16.5 for Schwartz and
4.5 for Ministry of tourism on this exam so far…
