Karmiel

Karmiel
Our view of the Galile

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Super Mom- Lech Lecha 5775/2014

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 31st  2014 -Volume 5, Issue 2 -7th  of Cheshvan 5775
Super Mom
She is probably one of the most awesome women in the Jewish world today. Rebbetzin Lori Palatnik, has become a household name and revered figure and role model for many women in the Jewish world today as a women who not only lives an inspiring Jewish life but is determined to take that personal inspiration and share it with the Jewish world. For a woman in her mere early 50's who was not raised as an observant Jew, Lori has created quite a remarkable track record. Together with her husband Rabbi Yaakov, they founded Jewish outreach centers and synagogues in Toronto, Denver and Washington DC, she has authored books, has video blogs on Aish.com that has tens of thousands of viewers and has thousands of students worldwide that have re-connected to the faith and heritage of their ancestors.
Her most recent project that is truly transforming the Jewish world and that I was privileged as a tour guide to participate in this past week is called the Jewish Women's Renaissance Project (JWRP). The program was developed with the appreciation that it is women and particularly Jewish mothers that possess the power to build and transform the Jewish home. Over the past 6 years thousands of women have come to Israel on this very heavily subsidized "birthright" for women. The conditions to be eligible for the program is merely that one be non-shabbat observant, emotionally and physically healthy and 90% of the women have children under the age of 18 at home. The trip contains classes and sessions about spirituality, relationships, Torah ideas and insights into meaningful mitzvot and some of their concepts such as Shabbat, prayer, and Mikva. They also incorporate along the trip truly moving experiences meeting with soldiers, projects of chesed and meetings with inspirational individuals from all walks of Jewish life. Best of all of course is the great and fantastic tour guides J that truly feel privileged to show them and connect them to their land and heritage as we traverse Israel from top to bottom together.
Lori says "When people ask me 'how can I leave my children for 9 days?' I tell them you're not leaving your children-you're going for your children…for their future for everything that they will learn and be inspired from you for the rest of their lives."
In the Jewish educational outreach world that I was fortunate enough to be part of in my journeys across the States, in New York, Iowa, Virginia and Seattle, Lori is considered the "queen of Kiruv/outreach. Her love and passion for every Jew and her determination to provide everyone of our brothers and sisters who may have never experienced the true beauty of our rich heritage with the opportunity to do so inspired us to do more…to connect more…to live more inspired ourselves. But the truth although Lori may be the queen the Father and Mother of Jewish life and inspiration make their introduction to us right from the start in this week's Torah portion in the figures of our first Patriarch and Matriarch Avraham and Sarah.
The Torah does not tell us much of Avraham and Sarah's early lives. We are introduced to the them in their 70's this week with Hashem's commandment to them to pick up and leave their birthplace and dwelling place and parents home and go to the "land I shall show you"; The first Rennasaince project ever. What were they doing until then? The Torah doesn't tell us but it does drop a very subtle hint when it tells us that they went and they took with them their orphaned nephew Lot and all of their possession "and the souls that they made in Haran". Hmmmm…how do you make souls? Rashi, our greatest commentator who in general explains what he refers to as the simplest understanding of the text, quotes the Midrash that Avraham and Sarah had spent the past years where they dwelt bringing the people of the world under the 'wings of the Divine'. They were involved in the outreach business it seems. According to Maimonides there were 10's of thousands that left the pagan world and idolatry and joined the troops of Avraham and Sarah. What is even more  fascinating is that Avraham and Sarah did all of this without any word or acknowledgement from Hashem. No prophecy, No word of God speaking to them. Without even any teachers. They discerned Hashem and brought the concept of monotheism and a caring loving God that interacts and watches over all of his Creation merely by the fact that it's obvious. The world doesn't make sense otherwise. So much beauty, wonder, good, incredible intricacies of every nuance of our existence existing and continuing to function couldn't be here and function without such a Creator. And from there it all started.
Yet the words of the Torah our deep and there is even something more significanct in the words the Torah chose in describing what Avraham and Sarah did with the their students. It doesn't say the souls they converted or the souls they inspired or even the souls that they taught, when referring to these students. The word the Torah uses is the souls that they made. One of my teachers once explained this strange term with a concept that Nachmanides elaborates when he discusses our forefathers is that what our Patriarchs and Matriarchs truly did was to create Jewish DNA. To light up those natural genes that we have that connect to God and embed them within our Jewish souls. All of the actions and stories, Nachamanides suggests, that the torah tells us about our forefathers and their experiences are really stories about us. Avraham goes down to Egypt, he is rescued and comes out, their acts of kindness, the battles, their struggles and challenges even the test and request which was not carried of having to sacrifice of our children rather than abandoning our faith. All of it was just making our souls, making our DNA.
Now although we all have that special soul, and we recognize that in each of our daily prayers when we connect to Hashem by beginning our conversations with Him as the children of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, it doesn't end there. Each and every one of us are meant to ignite and "turn on the spiritual DNA for our own children and the souls throughout the world that we are meant to "make". We have parents and ancestors that have done that for us. Somewhere somehow if you are reading this E-Mail you are connected to Jewishly (at least the Jews areJ) and that is because you must have had someone who prayed and ignited those sparks in your DNA and kept those initial sparks of Avraham and Sarah dormant enough for you to realize them and then share them and pass them down yourself.
Until a few years ago if you would have asked Lori who ignited her sparks, she would have said it was her Rabbi, Rabbi Noach Weinberg O"BM who should met when she came to Aish Hatorah on a trip many years ago. However a few years back Lori, through what can only be described as Divine providence, connected with a relative that she never knew she had done some family research of their mutual great-grandmother. It seems that her great-grandparents lived in a small Polish Shtetl of Ivansk that was quite impoverished. There were no schools, places of study, or even Rabbis or teachers in the town and so the town got together and chipped in to hire a Melamed/ a children's Judaics teacher in order that the children would be able to get their basic Jewish education. After many months though it seems the money ran dry and the it reached a point where the Melamed announced to the town that unless they came up with money he would have no choice but to leave and find other employment somewhere else. Lori's great-grandmother was heartbroken and she together with the townspeople pleaded with him to stay for the sake of their children. However having no funds and no choice the melamed packed his belongings and boarded the wagon to leave.
The townsfolk came to say their final tearful good-byes to the man who had served so faithfully and given them and their children so much for so long on his meager stipend when suddenly a commotion was heard. A woman had lain down on the street in front of the wagon and refused to get up. With tears and screams Lori's great-grandmother exclaimed "If my children cannot study Hashem's holy Torah, I have no reason to live. Let me be trampled to death. Without the knowledge that my children will have our heritage, our special gift from Hashem, I cannot bear to go on.. The people were shocked and tried to prevail upon her to get up, but she refused to move. As a crowd gathered they were so inspired and taken aback that they all agreed that somehow someway they would figure out a way to come up with the funds. The melamed himself as well so moved by this woman's self-sacrifice also stepped down and announced that he would stay. The relative of Lori's told her that when he heard this story it was the start of his return to the faith of his ancestors for as his Rabbi told him "it is in the merit of that righteous woman and her sacrifice that you unlike so many of the rest of your assimilated brothers and sisters was given the opportunity to once again find your way home".
Later that evening when Lori who was so moved by this story of her great-grandmother called her father to find out if this story was in fact true, he confirmed telling her that he heard it as well when he was a child but never bothered to tell her because he didn't feel it was too important. When Lori asked if he knew any other stories that he might share, her father said that he didn't. But then rather nonchalantly he mentioned "You know, come to think of it, Lori, you were named after…her name was Leibe Rachel". The spark that almost flickered and went out had been so strongly embedded by Leibe Rachel it just took some time until it was reignited once again. We are not leaving our children….We are going and doing for our children for their future for everything that they will learn and be inspired from us for the rest of their lives…"
Have a remarkable Shabbos,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This week's E-Mail has been dedicated by my dear friends Carl and Helen Grossman of Seattle Washington upon the occasion of their 19th anniversary this past week. We miss you guys here in Israel and look forward to you visiting us. May Hashem continue to bless the two of you with many many more happy years together filled with health, joy, happiness, inspiration and nachas from your children!
Mazel Tov
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

There are two things that are infinite, the universe and man's stupidity..... And I am not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below at end of Email)
 Q.  During the 12th century the Crusaders built a system of fortifications for the purpose of laying siege to:
A.    Gaza
B.     Jerusalem
C.     Ashkelon
D.    Akko
 New feature!-last year we did Gematria which is the Remez portion of Torah this year we start Drash enjoy!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MIDRASH OF THE WEEK  
 After Avraham wins the battle of the 4 kings and rescues his nephew Lot he was concerned that he had used up his merits and Hashem responded that he had nothing to fear for because of his great faith all of his reward would be intact and he would even be granted a child. When Avraham objected that it had been forseen by astrologers in the stars that he was not destined to have children. Hashem told him to forget about the stars and the forces of the Zodiac that control the world for Avraham and his descendants are above all of that and are only controlled by direct Divine decree.
The Midrash then shares a story of how Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai and Rabbi Yannai were listening to two astrologers who pointed at a group of workers and foretold that two particular ones destiny as told in the stars was to be bitten by a poisonous snake and die that very die. When they came back alive, like every good Rabbi would do, the two sages went back to the astrologers and said "Didn't you predict their demise was foretold in the stars" The astrologers then asked the men if they did something special that particular day. When they responded that the recited the Shema and morning prayers as they did daily before going to work. The astrologers responded
"Ahh you are Jews, the predictions of astrologers do not apply to you people"
Shabbat 156A

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO  IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
(New year figure we'll offer a new feature-Let me know what you think)

Hiking – Sure there are lots of places around the world to hike but Israel is the only country where you get a mitzvah for hiking. As many of our sages suggest that anyone who walks four cubits in the land of Israel is fulfilling the commandment of settling the land. Why? Because when we walk around we are showing that it is ours, Hashem gave it to us. We are not leaving it abandoned and we are appreciating this beautiful gift. In addition Its pretty cool when you hike in this country that you are literally walking in the footsteps of our ancestors who lived here and explored the land just as we are doing today for thousands of years. That's pretty awesome as well! There are really fantastic hikes in Israel that are there for everyone; water hikes, desert hikes, mountains valleys hidden springs, challenging extreme ones and easy stuff for the whole family. Two very popular extreme Israeli hikes are the sea to sea hike width-wise across the country from the Mediterranean to the Kineret/sea of Galile, although I have seen quite a few American Yeshiva guys doing this over the summer break and vacation this is a pretty fun 2-3 day hike. The other more typical Israel one is a few weeks or more and that is the top to bottom Shvil Yisrael/Israel trail that starts up at Tel Dan in the North and ends by Eilat which is not a straight shot but stops along the way across many historical sites. The trails in Israel are usually fairly well taken care of and marked with colored paint markings on rocks along the way and are all of lots of fun. Just remember take water and drink and make sure people know where you are when your exploring Hashems favorite country…your country.  

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  COOL YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
Check out the Lori Palatnik's JWRP tour!

And guys don't feel bad theres a new JWRP program for men as well it's called Momentum here's the preview

and lots of personal moving testimonials..
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S JOKE  OF THE WEEK
Two brothers are terrible trouble makers. They are always breaking things, stealing things, lying, and making all kinds of general trouble. The parents have tried everything to get the boys to change, to no avail. Finally, out of options, they ask the Rabbi if he can help. He says he will talk to the boys, but only one at a time. The parents drop off the youngest and go home, promising to return to get him soon. The boy sits in a chair across from the pastor's desk and they just look at each other.
Finally, the Rabbi says, "Where is God?"
The boy just sits there and doesn't answer.
The Rabbi begins to look stern and loudly says, "Where is God?"
The Rabbi is starting to get angry at the boy's refusal to converse and practically shouts "Where is God?"
To the Rabbi's surprise, the little boy jumps up out of his chair and runs out of the office.
The boy leaves the synagogue and runs all the way home, up the stairs and into his brother's room. He shuts the door and pants, "We're in BIG TROUBLE. God's missing and they think we did it"
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Answer is C:  Hate to say this but this one stumped me. Frankly I hate the Crusaders. Really lousy jew murdering people. So I kind of zoned out by the nitty gritty details of their battles and sieges and the to be fully honest here shhhh…I hav never toured Ashkelon which is the correct answer here. But there is a bit of process of deduction that would have been possible here. Jerusalem is not correct because the Crusaders conquered it in 1099-not the 12th century. Akko was the Crusader capital during the later Crusades and the Crusaders built the city and its immense fortifications but not to make siege rather to protect themselves from attacks. Gaza was conquered by the Crusaders and built up-(not that I've toured there either) but Ashkelon was held by the arabs for quite a while and they would launch attacks on the Crusaders from there so the Crusaders built fortifications to keep their on them and eventually seized and conquered them. I'm wondering though if this question is a mistaken Hebrew and English translation because the Hebrew question was that the Crusaders built fortifications in order לכתר or in English L'Kater which of the following cities and as far as I know L'kater would mean to crown the city not siege it but who knows? Any Hebrew speaking tour guides know if this question was right or wrong on the exam?

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Righteous, man!-Noach 5775/2014

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 24th  2014 -Volume 5, Issue 1 -30th  of Tishrei 5775
Parshat Noach
Righteous, man!
It was a random call. I was building my Sukkah, getting ready for the chag in the few spare moments I had in between my tours, but hey you gotta answer the phone because ya never know. "Hi", the sweet voice on the line said. "I was referred to you as someone who does tours around Israel." I like calls that start off that way J. "Sure" I said "what can I help you with?"
"Well I'm here with some friends of mine and we were wondering, if you take people to tzadikim", 
she asked.

"All the time", I said. Now I had already began to develop a client profile in my mind. These were probably a few girls or young women obviously Orthodox yeshiva oriented. Probably have been back in the States after their "year" in seminary who probably have not yet found their bashert/soulmate yet, and most likely have saved up some money to come to Israel and visit some of the graves of some of our holy righteous people/tzadikim where they could pray in a meaningful way for their hearts desires. I've done those kind of tours. Many have even found their bashert. (Funny aside anecdote; Once on one of these types of trips the girl in the car afterwards starts having a conversation with her mother back in the States about her future Mother-in-Law. Man! I thought and told her, I know these prayers work but that was pretty fast. She explained through peals of laughter that she was actually engaged before the trip already and was just coming to pray for her upcoming wedding…But yes she had gotten engaged not long after praying here in Israel.)
Anyways although I had read these clients right, it became very clear a few minutes into the conversation as she began giving me the names of the places and people she wanted visit that I had had a misunderstanding. Because as far as I knew all the tzadikim that they had mentioned were actually all still alive and well.

"Oh" I said "you mean you want to visit live tzadikim. I didn't understand", I apologized. "I'm sorry I don't do those types of tours." Now don't get me wrong. I have the greatest respect and awe for many of the great righteous people that I truly believe it is in whose merit, Torah study, kind deeds, and prayers that Hasem sustains the world and continues to shine favor and mercy on us. I also have tremendous faith that their blessings and prayers on our behalf do have the power to bring mercy and beneficence down from heaven. I just don't do those types of tours. Personally, it's because I respect them so much and the value of their Torah that I don't want to trouble them with photo ops with young bar mitzvah boys and tourists all the time. In addition I hate waiting on long lines particularly on hot sweaty days in small waiting rooms. I do however know some great tour guides that specialize in this type of tour. They are great in jumping over poor widows, orphans, homeless and sickly people that are looking blessing, comfort and salvation and sneaking their well- paying tourists into the "backdoor" so that they can get their quicky bracha and traditional picture without having to wait. It's just not my thing. Now dead Tzadikim are something else. I'm fine with that . I just don't really do the live ones.

So we cleared up the misunderstanding. I think she kind of felt the way I do by the time we finished our conversation. She decided to opt for the dead tzadikim tour. Truth is, I was booked anyways but I happily gave her instructions on how and where to go and of course concluded our conversation with my personal blessing and best wishes to her and her friends. As far as I know she's not engaged yet. But if she does get engaged soon, you're all free to E-Mail me for a blessing as well J.

This week's Torah portion begins with the well-known story of the first Tzadik of the world.And Noach was and Ish Tzadik- a righteous man, Tamim Haya B'dorosuv- He was complete/perfect in his generation. Like all good tzadikim,( particularly Jewish ones-although Noach was actually pre-Jews and Jewish), right away your commentaries and sages start to note and question and critique. Maybe he was only righteous in his generation where there pretty much wasn't any competition because pretty much everyone was pretty bad. But had he lived in a better generation like Abraham's then as the guys in the back of the shul would say "Ehh"  he wouldn’t be anything special. As the saying goes you can't please everyone all the time. But the truth of the matter is as many of the commentaries note this is the first time in the first 1500 years of the history of the world and in the Torah that someone is called a Tzadik. And as the great Gaon of Vilna notes if you truly want to understand a Hebrew word and concept one needs to go back to the beginning when it is first mentioned. So what is a Tzadik? How would you define someone who is righteous?

It's interesting that the word Tzadik is the same root as two other words that are seemingly opposite concepts. The first is Tzedaka which generally we translate as charity. The second word is Tzedek which is translated as justice. It would seem that these two concepts are polar opposites. Justice is when I get something I deserve and charity is something I either give or receive when it is undeserved. The truth though our sages tell us is that the two concepts are really the same. For in truth why does one person have and another not? Is it fair? He should have the big fancy house and car and I should be driving my jalopy and another living in squalor. The answer is that all that we have is undeserved. We have done nothing to receive or earn our lives, our health and our wealth. It is all from above. It is all from the our Father in heaven. Our job in this world is to recognize that since we are the recipients of His kindness we are meant to share and give that light and love with others that do not have it. This is justice. This is charity. This is what being a Tzadik truly means. One who can share and teach a world that our lives are truly blessings and that we are here to become God-like by in turn becoming givers to the world in connecting them with that basic principle of life. It is fascinating that we find many places where Hashem as well is referred to as a Tzadik; for He is the source of all righteous-ness. Being a Tzadik means connecting to that which is right. Righteous, man!

One last interesting idea about a Tzadik that I understood on one of my many tours down to the Dead Sea area, where not too many Tzadikim live, not too many people either. But there are a lot of Palm trees there. And it is a fascinating thing about plam trees. You see unlike other trees, palm trees grow in the worst possible conditions such as the Dead Sea, where there are tons of them. Palm trees grow with barely any water or rainfall. They can withstand extreme heat, terrible soil and in fact I was told that the saltier and worse the sand they grow in is the sweeter the dates are. King David in his psalm about the day of Shabbos writes that a Tzadik flourishes like a date palm. The Tzadik is someone who can grow in the worst conditions. The two biblical figures that are referred to as Tzadikim are Noach and Joseph. Noach lived in the absolute worst place and time. A world filled with licentiousness, thievery, corruption and just plain evil. It is there that he became a Tzadik. Similarly Joseph who grew up far away from the yeshivas and religious community of his brother and father, but rather in the home of Pharaoh in Egypt of all places, what our sages refer to as the source of all Tumah/impurity and idolatry. There he becomes Yosef Ha'Tzadik. A tzadik doesn't neccesarily have to grow and flourish only in Bnai Brak, Lakewood Boro Park or Jerusalem. A Tzadik is someone who can flourish like a Tamar/ a date palm in the places where he can most impact the world and continue to grow, thrive and inspire.

This Shabbos Jews around the world have chosen to dedicate to sharing perhaps our most special gift from Hashem; the gift of Shabbos. Shabbos, the day that we recite this Psalm of King David, we recognize that V'Ameich Kulam Tzadikim- Hashem's nation are all truly righteous. Tens of thousands of Jews across the world will turn off their phones, their computers their "social" media and celebrate Shabbos as a day when we refrain from all acts of creative activity in order to bask in a world that has a Creator. Many Jews and organizations that observe a traditional Shabbos regularly will be sharing this Shabbos with many of our brothers and sisters who have yet to appreciate the beauty of this special day. It is a weekend that we can all become Tzadikim. But it was never meant to be "just one Shabbos". It was meant to be a world full of Shabbos. Shabbos is the day which we are told brings all the blessing to the world. You may not have a Tzadik that lives next to you or a tour guide that can take you to, one either dead or alive, but we all have Shabbos with which to receive that ultimate blessing from our Father who is the source of it all. May this Shabbos be the beginning of many more blessed ones to come.
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz


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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  FAVORITE  QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"The Pure Tzadkim do not decry wickedness rather they increase righteousness, they do not decry heresy rather they increase faith, they do not decry ignorance rather they increase wisdom  ." Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohein Kook

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below at end of Email)
 Q.  During which period were ossuaries (gluskemaot) used for burial in the Land of Israel?
a.       First and Second Temple
b.      Chalcolithic and Second Temple
c.       Bronze and Hellenistic
d.      Second Temple and Crusader
 New feature!-last year we did Gematria which is the Remez portion of Torah this year we start Drash enjoy!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL MEDRASH OF THE WEEK  
 When Hashem commanded Noach "two of each you shall bring in the ark" all creatures came in pairs.
Sheker/Falsehood also wanted to come in. Noach said to him "You can't come in without mate"
As he was searching for a mate he met Tragedy
"From where are you coming from?" asked Tragedy
"I come from Noach's ark I wanted to enter but was refused because I have no mate. Do you want to be my mate?"
"Gladly," replied Tragedy "but what do I get in return?"
"Whatever I aquire you may take"
"A deal" said Tragedy
So Sheker/falsehood and Tragedy entered the ark together in an eternal partnership that whatever Falsehood acquires Tragedy takes it away.
Yalkut Shimoni

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL THINGS TO DO  IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK
(New year figure we'll offer a new feature-Let me know what you think)

Visiting graves of Tzadikim – Yes there is a whole tourist market for this. Jewish tradition tells us that dating back to the time of the first Jewish visitors/tourist to this country our ancestors  Joshua and Caleb who spied out the land before we moved here stopped off in Hebron to pray by the graves of our forefathers. And Jews have been coming since. However just to clarify this fascinating practice many of our sages explain that we as Jews (as opposed to other religions) believe that we only pray to Hashem, not his "son" or prophets or cows and not even to his righteous tzadikim. We have a direct line and we do not require any intermediaries. Rather graves of the righteous are a place to go to pray to Hashem because being within the proximity of  the tzadik who is buried there is meant to inspire our prayers and in the merit of us connecting with that tzadik who served Hashem our power of prayer becomes strengthened. In addition we can beseech the soul of the Tzadik to implore before Hashem for his children in addition to our own prayers. Throughout Israel there are many graves of many of our greatest sages, as well as our Patriarchs, Matriarchs and many of our biblical figures many of the traditions of their burial places go back hundreds and in some cases over a thousand years. Many of the graves are painted blue and I am told that the reason for this is to remind us as the blue string on our tzitzit fringes do to adjust our eyes and hearts to heaven as the tzadik who guides us did rather than to mistakenly pray to the tzadik. Spending a whole day visiting graves is not for everyone, but a trip to Israel should certainly include a trip to some of these holy places as well.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  COOL YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
The official Shabbat project and how it looked last year in South Africa where it first started!
An interesting and cute take on what can happen this Shabbos…

Hey Even Paula Abdul is into it
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOP NINE LIST  OF THE WEEK

TOP NINE Noach Facebook Updates
9. "I can't believe my wife, she only packed one bottle of Fabreeze???"
8.  "Note to self: never put unicorns in the same cage as lions"
7.  "Looking for a shidduch for my son Ham, tough kid to setup with a name like that"
6.  Noah was tagged in the album "Animal House"
5.  "Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oy Veh!"
4.  Shuffleboard upper deck, who's in?
3.  Noah likes rainbows
2.  "New Expression: 'Save it for a Sunny Day'"
1.  "Anyone find Earth on Google Earth?"


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Answer is B:  This was a pretty tricky question as the copper (chalcolite) period and the second temple are ae a few thousand years apart. But yet it is during those periods where we find people doing a two part burial. First in the ground and a cave and then after a year the bones would be gathered and placed in a box made of clay or stone or whatever and put in a family plot plot. The gemara talks about this and discusses whether it is a happy occasion or mourning. There are some that suggest as well that this is one of the sources for the recitation of Kaddish for a year or the placing of a tombstone at that point as tradition has it that after a year the soul is elevated and has finished its atonement.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

A Yom Kippur Song- Yom Kippur 5775 2014

Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

October 2nd  2014 -Volume 4, Issue 46 -8th  of Tishrei 5775
Yom Kippur 5775
A Yom Kippur Song
They called him Yoyli. Or at least they used to, when he was still part of the "Kehilla"; the hasidic Satmar community he was raised in. But it wasn't for him. He was Joe now. Joe the agnostic, Joe the sinner, Joe the "bum". It didn't bother him that much. He had friends; it seems that there were quite a few that didn't fit in to the Satmar mold, that didn't make it in "the system". So they left. They found jobs in the city and left the life that they felt restricted them too much, that stifled them and defined who and what they must be. The beards got trimmed, the payo/sidleocks chopped off, The Yarmulka got replaced with a baseball cap and very soon nothing at all. Their observances as well seemed to have fallen of the Williamsburg bridge crossing into the city .First to go was their Teffilin and prayers, Kosher soon followed, then Shabbos and the holidays. Joe and "the boys" were "free".

The first Yom Kippur after their 'official Exodus" was coming up. "Let's celebrate" Jake (formerly yankel) suggested. "How about making a big bonfire, BBQ, party with the crew, I actually found a great new butcher "Tony's" great Italian sausages and tenderloins." Joe offered to bring the boombox (do they still call it that?), Jake was bringing the meat, Kayla and Sarah offered to make the salads and Jimmy (formerly Yirmiyahu or Yirmy) was bringing the booze. There was about 15 of them total and they were all psyched about their upcoming Yom Kippur party. It was going to be the night were they showed they had moved beyond their past baggage.

Things didn't work out the way they had planned though. They had a hard time getting the fire started. Seems that kind of got left out in their cheder education and they kind of never did the boy scout thing before. The meat didn't really taste as good as they had hoped. The booze was just fine though. It seems 'Captain' Jack was working hard to get them high that night although Jimmy did say he wouldn't mind a bit of shlivovitz or 'Alteh Zayde' (old grand dad) to top it all off. Joe decided to liven things up a bit and put on the Stereo with all the latest pop hits. But after a while the crew from Satmar realized that they really didn't know any of the songs.The disc he had bought of the greatest dance hits of the decade was about 5 year olds and sadly for them had a bunch of songs that they had failed to pick up during their year of freedom. And then the stereo died. "Oh well" Jimmy said "let's sing some songs that we do know. Hey, how bout this one?" he said with a smug smirk on his face. He then broke out sacrilegiously in the tune of the Kol Nidrei prayer of the Satmar community that they were part of. They all raised their beers and clinked them together. Finally a song that they all knew. And they began to sing…and sing… and sing..

At first their singing was a mocking. It they imitated the nuances, the choir, the funny guy in the back that always sang of key. But slowly something happened. The singing became a bit more soulful with the flickering embers. Their eyes slowly began to close and their voices began to rise with sentiment and emotion. The beers were put down and the Yom Kippur davening continued.

"BiYeshiva Shel Maalah UBiyishiva Shel Mata Anu Matirin LhitPalel Im Kol Ha'Avaryanim-In the Heavenly Court and in the Earthly court below we hereby permit to pray with all of the sinners".

"It was the most powerful Yom Kippur of my life", Joe said as he registered in Yeshivas Aish Hatorah in Jerusalem a month later. "We all went home that night somberly and quietly. We had been transported to some place incredible. For the first time I understood and appreciated how precious my soul is, how no amount of running and hiding will ever turn off that powerful heavenly magnet that resided in me. I knew I had a neshoma and I knew that no matter how far I went, I would never be complete…I would never truly be me… unless I developed it, I incorporated it, I lived up to what my soul was capable of becoming. I'm here to learn. To start fresh. To become the Jew my Father in heaven wants me to be"

This past week, Shabbat Shuva we read the Torah portion of Haazinu, or perhaps to be more accurate we read the song of Haazinu. It is the portion that is always read around Yom Kippur. Although the entire Torah is holy and important the song of Haazinu is arguably the most important part of the Torah. Maimonides in his description of the last Mitzvah in the entire Torah, which is to write a Torah scroll write that that mitzvah comes from the verse

"And now you shall write for them this song and place it in their mouths". The true mitzvah is to write down this final song of the Torah, however since we cannot write just one portion of the Torah by itself so we are obligated to write the entire Torah, But in truth it is all about the song. And what is this song? It describes the heavens and earth testifying to the eternality of our covenant with Hashem. It urges us to never forget our history, our roots. It talks about how we will violate the commandments and sin and how we will be punished and exiled. And finally it talks about our return, the vengeance with which Hashem will punish all those who have persecuted us. This is the song of the Torah, it is the song of all ages of our people that is deep within every Jew's soul.

Nachmanides, the great 13th century sage the Ramban write that this song is the ultimate promise to our nation that we have never been abandoned. Even more fascinating, he writes that the song does not even suggest that Teshuva/ repentance is not even a prerequisite for this eternal promise. We are always His children, we will certainly return. This is the music of our soul, it is this more anything else that the Torah wanted us to have written down
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We approach what will hopefully be the last Yom Kippur before we see the end of this song fulfilled. We have seen and sung our songs of hope, our songs of rebellion, our songs of exile and our songs of return. Yet our souls are still longing for that ultimate song of redemption; the cleansing song of forgiveness, of healing of consolation and of the final return of our Abba to us, to Yerushalayim with our/His Temple and home rebuilt. The words of the Torah many of us have forgotten and have not fully upheld, but that one song that is so deeply embedded in each of us is just waiting to burst forth.

As I do every year, I would like to ask forgiveness from any and all of you who I may have offended or slighted this past year. It was certainly never my intent to cause pain or hurt to anyone. I would also like to express my appreciation to all those who have communicated and given me feedback over the year and particularly those who have generously contributed to our Synagogue and programs. Your words and donations mean a tremendous amount to me and inspire me to continue to share my inspiration, musings and jokes J with you. Thank you for being my hearing board. It is my hope that you will all be blessed and sealed with a year that is full of joy, happiness, health,
Parnassa livelihood and maybe even Aliyah for those that are still not fortunate enough to live here yet. And I hope that you can find it in your hearts to have myself and my family in your prayers as well as all of those that we know that so desperately need salvation and miracles from Hashem be it in finding their Basher/Soulmate, be it in having children, or overcoming struggles in matters of health, finding a job or making ends meet, or those that are undergoing challenges from with their children, parents, or other struggles. As well please have in mind our country and our soldiers that we should have a year of peace, with no more losses, no more tragedies and a year that will finally bring the redemption. If we are all praying for one another, than our Father in heaven will look down upon us His family and seal us all for a Gut G'Bentch'd year.

Shana Tova and Gmar Chatima Tovah

Warmly, your friend in Karmiel

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  FAVORITE TESHUVA QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"When you come to Shamayim we may have answers as to why we sinned, we were weak, the challenges were to hard, we couldn’t overcome our inclination…our main judgement will be though on why we did not do Teshuva…why we didn't just say we were sorry and return to our Father who is waiting for us"-Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman

"99% of Teshuva is not focused on the past, rather it is focused on the future." The Rebbe from Slonim

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK
(answer below at end of Email)
 Q. Zodiac wheel decorations were found at:
a.       Migdal and Sephoris (Tsipori)
b.      Bet Alfa and Bet She’arim
c.       Hamat Tiberias and Bet Alfa
d.      En Gedi and Um-al-Qantir
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL GEMATRIA OF THE WEEK
 Perhaps one of the most moving prayers of Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur davening is Nesana Tokef which describes the Day of judgment and the awe and trepidation up in heaven. The prayer concludes with the statement Teshuva Tefila and Tzedaka Mavirin Es Ro'ah Ha'Gezeira- that Repentance, Prayer and Charity remove the harsh decree. On top of those three words in little letters it says three words Tzom (fast), Kol (voice), and Mamon (money). Those three words each have a gematria of 136. In the added psalm we recite each day since the beginning of the month of Elul has the sentence that B'zot An Botayach-in times of trouble in this I have faith. B'Zot- in this in gematria is 408 the sum 136+136+136 those three tips that remove the decree. In addition my Rebbe noted to me that although charity may be difficult and teshuva may feel challenging Prayer/Kol serve in place of the other two as it says in song of songs Ki Koleich Areiv because your voice can is pleasant  also can be translated as  your voice serves as an Areiv a guarantor. The word Areiv is Gematria 272 which is the gematria of 136+136 the gematria of Tzom And Mamon that prayer can serve as guarantor for the other two.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Har Azazel - the fun part of the trip to see the famous and significant site which was the peak ( excuse the pun) of the Temple service on Yom Kippur during the first and second Temples, is that the only way to get there is by jeep- or a very long difficult hike through the Judean desert. The Torah tells us how each Yom Kippur the High priest would take two identical goats and through a certainly deeply mysterious process would perform a lottery declaring one goat as being sacrificed to God and one to go to "Azazel" (which our sages teach us is the angel of our evil twin brother- the "other" brother and twin of Jacob and child of Rivkah and Yitzchak above). The Azazel goat would then be taken for a thirteen KM hike (in biblical measurements) by a priest (who would not live out the year) to the highest mountain peak in the Judean Desert passing along the way 10 booths that were set up to escort him to the peak offering him food and drink should he need although it was Yom Kippur (he never did). Upon arriving there a string was tied to his horns and the goat would be thrown off the mountain top to its death along with all the sins of Israel.
P.E.T.A (people for the ethical treatment of animals would not approve of this ritual- but they don't like me eating steak drinking milk eggs or cheese either). The Talmud records for us that when the Jewish people achieved atonement-meaning that this service included remorse for their sins and a dedication to repair their ways, there was a red string that would turn white in the Temple letting them know that they had been forgiven. For the first forty years of the Temple it always turned white after that it was touch and go...
When we returned after 2000 years to Israel and recaptured the Judean desert in 1967, archeologists wanted to verify that this was indeed the place although this is the highest peak in the Desert and the proscribed distance. They built a model goat identical in weight and build to a real goat (built according to PETA standards) and pushed it off hoping to see where it landed and to find ancient goat bones.
Sure enough they found bones and were very excited until.... They saw some Bedouins come later that night and make a barbeque there in the desert and realized they had come upon a modern barbeque spot rather than an ancient Temple ritual location. Yet most agree that although there is no way to find 2000 year old goat bones this is indeed the location of that ancient ritual. We will just have to wait for the rebuilding of our Temple with the coming of Mashiach to confirm it.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S  COOL YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
I  Don't know what to make of these clips below besides hopeful that maybe Mashiach is coming pretty cool though strange shofar sounds heard around the world. Even more interesting is the Talmud quoted in the 2nd clip that predicts this happening in the shemitta year before mashiach comes

someone told me that this is here in Karmiel pretty wild..

Reb Shlomo Carlebach Kol Nidrei

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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S YOM KIPPUR JOKE OF THE WEEK
A middle aged Jewish woman goes in search of a famous guru. She takes a plane to India and then a boat up a river, and then hikes into the mountains with local guides. All in all it takes her months of hardship to track down this guru. When she finds him he is in the middle of some kind of ritual which lasts for days and the guru's followers won't let her see him. Finally the guru is ready to receive visitors and calls for the woman to be admitted. She stands before the famous guru. "Harvey," she says. "It's time to come home!".'
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An old rabbi was having a discussion with a young agnostic. The younger man told the rabbi, "According to Nietzsche, God is dead. "The rabbi thought for a moment, then replied, "According to God, Nietzsche is dead."
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Answer is C:  There are many Synagogues found in Israel from the period of the Mishna and Talmud (2nd-6th century) and perhaps one of the most interesting things that we find in those ancient shuls are the central mosaic motifs on the floor that are the Zodiac astrological wheels in some of the synagogues we even find besides pictures of the various astrological signs a central image of the mythological Greek goddess "Helios" with her long blonde hair and chariot of horses leading schlepping the sun. Not an image you would expect to find in a shul today. Some have suggested that the signs of the Zodiac or as our sages referred to them as "mazalot" was showing that the world is controlled by these signs but we the Jewish nation are above Mazal and our controlled only by the direct Divine. Regardless as far as the question above Tzippori has the Zodiac as well as Beit Alfa and Hamat Gader and I think Um al Quaniter in the Golan as well but I don't remember. Ein Gedi is unique in that it has a list of the signs but no picture. So C is the only correct answer with both choices.