Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
September 19th 2014 -Volume 4, Issue 45 -24th
of Elul 5774
Parshat
Nitzavim/VaYeilech
Up
Close and Personal
I
almost missed it. The road between Tzefat and Meron is quite curvy and as I was
coming across the
bend by the Birya forest, out of the corner of my eye, I
thought I saw something that looked strange. I stepped on my brakes hurriedly,
very carefully made a U-Turn and sure enough my eyes did not deceive me. There
they were. What they were doing there… I wasn’t sure. But this is the mystical
mountains of Israel and I knew that there most certainly was going to be a good
story or at least a worthwhile E-Mail that as your “man on the ground” I was
obligated to investigate.
So
I got out of my car and slowly and quietly made my way over to this strange
sight on the side of the road. They were a very mixed crowd of about 20 women.
There were older and younger women. Some were obviously very religious with
head coverings and wigs. Others were younger with rings and piercings dressed
more “street –like”. Some seemed were more put together women and some who
seemed like they could use a hand-out. Yet the diversity of the women was not
what caught my eye, rather it what each of them was doing that seemed very
bizarre. For each one of them was standing next to their own tree, with their
eyes closed in some type of meditation and hugging the tree for dear life. Now
I come from Seattle and New York and have certainly seen quite a few strange
people and things in my life. But the range and the diversity of these women
coupled with what seemed like either some biblical styled tree worship or some
type of science fiction mind morphing alien abduction definitely took the cake.
I
approached one of them and asked what was going on and was shhhh’ed away
back to my corner. All of a sudden a woman who seemed to be leading this group
shouted out some type of command that unfortunately I did not understand and
could not make out. But within a second I was shaken to my core when each woman
let out a deep guttural scream, almost tarzan-like on the tops of their lungs
for a full 30 second or so.
AAAAAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OYYYYYYYYYYYY!
It
was suddenly very quiet again. Each woman went back to her silent intense
tree-hugging meditation and then once again three minutes later with even more
intensity.
AAAAAAAiiiiii!!!!!!
OYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
This
continued one more time and then they all smiled at each other hugged and
embraced and made their way back to their bus that was parked there.
I
couldn’t restrain myself anymore. I walked over to the “leader” and asked her what
this was all about. Was this some environmentalist thing, some far
out eastern religion, or maybe some type of candid camera thing that my
reaction was being filmed for? She smiled at me and explained.
“Actually”-
she said “this is a very Jewish thing. You see these women have all suffered
some type of tragedy. Some have lost their children, others are from abusive
relationships and others have sunk to the bottom and are in so much pain they
could barely pick themselves up. We are a support group for these women and we
have found that one of the most effective means of helping them is by utilizing
the great wisdom and insight of Rebbe Nachman of Breslav”.
Rebbe
Nachman advises that when one is so overcome and overwhelmed and feels that he
or she has nowhere to turn; they should go out to the forest, a place of quiet,
solitude…of holiness. There in the forest one should feel the life force that
flows from the heavens, the earth and the trees. One should contemplate how
each leaf and each branch rises up and is cared for and loved by the Master of
this Divine universe. And then one should pour out all of their pain and woe to
our Father who has never left our side and who sits and joins us in our sorrow
or loss and our hurt. That knowledge and personal connection is the essence of
their relief. Hashem is not just a concept and ideology or a global
manipulator. He is a personal God who is there to hold our hand and bring us up
and closer to His presence.
The
great 18th century Chasidic Rebbe, Reb Yackov Yitzchak of
Peshischa, known as the Yid Ha’Kadosh in this week’s Torah portion shares with
us this very powerful idea. We learn hownn Moshe in his final speech to the
Jewish people warns them to heed our special covenant that is being made with
each individual.
“
Your leaders, tribes, elders, officers, each man, infant,
woman, convert in your camp from the wood chopper to the water
carrier… those who are standing here today and those that are not here with us
today…”
Perhaps there
is amongst you a man, woman, tribe, family or tribe whose heart is turned away
from Hashem our God… “Pen Yeish Bachem- perhaps there
is within you a root that bears poison and bitterness…”
The
Yid Hakodosh reads the verse, that the root that bears the poison and the
bitterness is actually the “perhaps” itself. Pen
-Yaish Bachem- There is doubt within you. That is what the
source of your pain is. That is the root which will fester and grow and it, and
it is from there that all sadness, sorrow and sin result.
I
walked away from the bus somberly. It was not them who were taken over by
aliens rather it was me. Alien thoughts, foreign reliance’s, a forgetfulness of
the essence of who I truly am and the world I truly exist in, but fail to see
and appreciate. But most of all the powerful love and caring that my Father has
for me.
This
week each of us will stand by ourselves before Hashem. “Like a sheep passing
underneath the rod- Hashem counts and brings us close to Him as he
decrees the upcoming year’s outcome for us. Our prayers for the New Year should
not only be for ourselves, but for all of Klal Yisrael, for Eretz Yisrael, for
Jews that are in pain and for all those that need relief, comfort, redemption
and salvation. But our prayers should not be like those of the past. They
should not just be read as an organized book of prayers and rituals. Rather
they should be conversations of the most personal and deepest nature to our
Father who is yearning for us to be close to Him. Who stands with His pen
poised to give us all that we need and could possibly hope for if we only were
able to really deeply tell Him how badly we want it, how much we need it. How
real He is us to us and how much we need this year to be better and different…closer…home…peace…returned.
Have
a fantastic last Shabbos of the year,
Rabbi
Ephraim Schwartz
**********************************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FAVORITE
REBBE NACHMAN QUOTES OF THE WEEK
" If you believe that you
can damage, then believe that you can fix.."
“If you won't be better tomorrow than you were today, then what
do you need tomorrow for?”
" It is good to make a habit out of looking at the
sky."
Rebbe Nachman of Breslav
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below at end of Email)
Q. The fortress Herod built on the
northwestern part of the Temple Mount was named for:
1.
Marcus Agrippa
2.
Augustus
3.
Sebastus
4.
Marcus Antonius
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL
GEMATRIA OF THE WEEK
A nice reminder this week we begin, as every
year in the Ashkenazic community, to recite Selichot
the extra supplications to get us in the
mode and increase our teshuva before Rosh Hashana, The gematria of the words
that start off this weeks parsh "atem nitzavim hayom"- and you
shall stand up today is the same as "La'amod La'Selichos-to arise
for selichot! Hows that for a nice reminder..
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
Biriya- in the heart of the second largest forest in
Israel right outside of the city of tzefat lies this small little hilltop and
fortress that in the 1940's captured the heart and soul of our soon to be
fledgling nation. The yishuv of Birya mentioned as the home of various tana'aim
in the Talmud and also the place where Rabbi Yosef Karo wrote his first volume
of Shulcah Aruch- the code of Jewish law on Orach Chaim was abandoned in the
17th century until the jews started to return here with the assistance of Baron
Rothschild and P'IKA(Palestine Jewish Colonization Association) who purchased
the land in the 1890's and was first settled unsuccessfully in the 1920's.
In 1945 with the British limiting Jewish purchase of land in
Israel and emigration, the Jews fought back by occupying hilltops and
establishing Jewish settlements. Birya, being one them, was occupied by 24
young men from the Palmach as a training camp for young recruits. However the
British after finding an illegal arms cache expelled the Jews from the
settlement. This being the first time the British had thrown Jews out of a
settlement raised uproar amongst the Jews. And on the 11th of Adar a few days
later (taanis Esther that year) thousands of Jews who pretended to be going to
their annual pilgrimage to Tel Chai detoured to Birya and reestablished the
camp. The next day after many of the groups had left. The British once again
came with tanks and threw the Jews out. But the Jews would not be stopped and
that Friday evening and Shabbos the Jews returned for the third time from Rosh
Pinna and Tzefat- even getting permission to bring food on Shabbos as the Rav
of Tzefat felt that it was a dangerous area that protected the city from the
arabs around them. And the British finally caved and allowed 20 men to remain
and work the ground. Jews celebrated that Purim throughout the country and
until today each year Purim of Birya is celebrated as youth groups from around
the country relive that great moment when it was clear that the Jews were
willing to do whatever it takes to never give up the land. Today one can visit
the beautiful forest see the short film of the history of Birya in the visitor
center and explore the old homes of this early Yishuv
RABBI
SCHWARTZ'S COOL YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
Whistling
Rosh Hashana
A Cute
Rosh Hashana reminder video
beautiful Rosh Hashana song
*******************
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S FIRST TIME JOKE OF THE WEEK
Problem
at The Shul (Synagogue)
Rick
wanted to get into the Shul [synagogue] In Gants Hill, London on Rosh Hashanah,
but without a ticket they don't let you in.
Rick
pleads, 'Look, I just want to give a message to Morris in there.'
The
man at the door says, 'Sorry sir, you've got to have a ticket.'
Rick replies, 'Just let me in for one minute, then I'll be right out.'
Rick replies, 'Just let me in for one minute, then I'll be right out.'
'Alright,'
says the man at the door, 'but I better not catch you praying.'
****************
Holiday
Visit
Just
before Rosh Hashanah, Becky moved and her grandson called to get directions to
visit her in her new apartment.
“When
you get to East 33rd Street and park, come to the entrance door at 970. I’m in
apartment number 32 on the 8th floor. At the lobby door, you’ll see a big panel
of buttons. With your elbow, push button 32. I will buzz you in. Come inside;
the elevator is on the right. Get in, and with your elbow hit 8. When you get
out, go to the left. With your elbow, hit my doorbell.”
“Grandma,
that sounds easy, but why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow?”
“You’re
coming empty-handed?”
*************************************************************
Answer
is D: Antonia was the name of the fortress built by Herod on the ruins
of pevious Hashmonean fortress. It was from this fortress that the Titus and
the Romans captured the Temple mount and destroyed the Bais Hamikdash. In the
words of Josephus who described Jerusalem in the period of its destruction
"the Temple overlooks and controls the city and the Anontia overlooks and
controls the Temple He who controls it controls all three". Yes the Marc
Antony is the same of the Julius Caesar and Cleopatra who was buddies with
Herod and as they studied together in Rome (Herod was sent there by his father
to learn in "yeshiva" gymnasium.) Its good to have buddies in
Rome I guess..
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