Yesterday as I was
walking the old Jerusalem train tracks, minding my business and admiring the view, a couple of walkers stopped me:
"You're religious. Maybe you can help us."
"OK." I was curious.
That was a very compelling opening line. What could they want from me?
"I've been trying to teach my friend Parshat Shavua, (Torah Portion of the Week,) and we have a problem. How could a man as righteous as Jacob lie to his father?" One of them asked me.
Actually, this verse is from an earlier week,
Toldot, Genesis Chapter 27:
19And Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you have spoken to me. Please rise, sit down and eat of my game, so that your soul will bless me."
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יטוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־אָבִ֗יו אָֽנֹכִי֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֵלָ֑י קֽוּם־נָ֣א שְׁבָ֗ה וְאָכְלָה֙ מִצֵּידִ֔י בַּֽעֲב֖וּר תְּבָֽרֲכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ:
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By chance I had read the perfect response to this. I asked them if they were familiar with the power of punctuation and how it can change the meaning of things. Just add a comma or semicolon:
"אָֽנֹכִי֙' עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ I am myself; Esau your firstborn"
"Wow. That makes sense. Thank you so much."
And they went their way, and I went mine. Does this happen anyplace else, or just Jerusalem?
Yesterday as I was walking the old Jerusalem train tracks, minding my business and admiring the view, a couple of walkers stopped me:
By chance I had read the perfect response to this. I asked them if they were familiar with the power of punctuation and how it can change the meaning of things. Just add a comma or semicolon:
5 comments:
I can't imagine it occurring anywhere else. You might think of this as a special case of "only in Israel."
QUESTION:
Does this happen anyplace else, or just Jerusalem?
ANSWER:
It can -- and does p-- happen any place where
Jews want it to happen, including the exile.
Any Jew who is filled with enthusiasm for mitzvot
or love of Torah can make it happen, in any place.
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Since the Reform Jews closely ally themselves
with anti-Israel entities like:
the J Street organization, the New Israel Fund,
the anti-Israel boycott movement (BDS),
and the anti-Israel political Far-Left,
it is appropriate to read [and publicize]
these short blog articles that expose
the truth about the Reform Judaism movement:
Rambam vs. Reform Judaism (*** NEW ***):
[alternate title: How to Refute Reform Judaism in Exactly 100 Words]
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/11/rambam-vs-reform-judaism.html
How a Reform Rabbi Became Orthodox (true story):
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-did-reform-rabbi-become-orthodox-jew.html
Reform Judaism vs. Real Judaism:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/05/guest-post-real-judaism.html
Sephardic Jews REJECT Reform Judaism:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/07/sephardim-reject-reform.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/03/greek-jews-syrian-jews.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/08/guest-post-persian-rabbis-decree.html
How Reform Jews CHEATED on the Pew survey:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/06/reform-jews-cheated-pew-survey.html
Last but not least, the Reform Jews
strongly opposed efforts to save
European Jews from the Holocaust
during World War II.
Those rescue effort were led by
Orthodox Jews, who the Reform Jews
considered to be behind-the-times
and obsolete and an embarrassment.
The Reform Jews got what they wanted:
the rescue efforts failed.
Yes, Sheldan, thanks.
Mr. Cohen, maybe, but here it's only "newsworthy" for a blogger.
But is this really the right answer?
There are otehr answers, I think.
https://books.google.com/books?id=qG6ms6TAgusC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=yaakov+lie+father+yitzchak&source=bl&ots=DrTl_R66qr&sig=pgqYl2tvABuQqZ2nMSO5-C9mJTs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizmtSwyenXAhXFSN8KHR2BD_IQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=yaakov%20lie%20father%20yitzchak&f=false
Ibn Ezra and Radak defend Yaakov's lying, especially Radak.
I'm sure there are many "right" answers to this, but the men seemed satisfied with what I said.
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