My musings, reflections on life here in Shiloh, Israel. Original, personal, spiritual and political. Peace, security and Israeli sovereignty. While not a "group blog," Shiloh Musings includes the voices of other Jews in The Land of Israel.
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My chevruta, study partners, and I are repeating Matan's Al Haperek program in which we learn Na"Ch, meaning the Prophets and Writings Sections of the Bible. We enjoyed It so much when the program was running that we decided to repeat it on our own. We finished Joshua and now we're up to Shoftim, Book of Judges.
Learning the Bible puts a very good perspective on today's political situation here in Israel. Certain things get repetitive. I'm not talking about the sins here. I'm talking about conquering the Land. We notice that some cities end up being conquered more than once. Apropos to the fact that we're a half a century, yes a full fifty years, since the miraculous 1967 Six Days War, way back when the Jewish People had to reconquer Land, meaning go to war again for a very simple reason.
Conquering is one thing, but it doesn't change facts on the ground unless you keep the mitzvah of yishuv ha"Aretz, live in the Land, build homes, cities, plant vineyards etc. That's part of being sovereign.
Unfortunately, successive Israeli Governments have intentionally left most of the Land we liberated in 1967 judenrein, empty of Jews. In addition it hasn't been fully annexed and made part of sovereign Israel. That's why we're under diplomatic and terrorist attack.
It's not enough to have a miraculous victory of Biblical proportions. We must use the Land for the good of the Jewish People. Gd willing, speedily in our days...
This phrase/command is traditionally said when Jews complete large learning tasks. And last night at Matan, the auditorium was full for the celebration of six and a half years of learning Na"Ch, Biblical Writings and Prophets in the revolutionary Al Haperek program.
Our Thanks
My friends and I, considered by Matan to be the most loyal "chevruta," learning group in the program were invited up to represent the learners, the very grateful participants.
For us this Al Haperek program was a gift from Gd. This was our opportunity to delve into the Bible as never before. And the message of our short presentation was that as we complete this round of the learning, we will reopen the program on our own, and continue as long as Gd gives us the strength and abilities.
Once we finish the last chapter of Mishlei aka Eishet Chayil, Woman of Valor, we will go back to the first chapter of Joshua and relearn it all, but this time with the added benefits of the knowledge we've accrued from Al Haperek. Yes, just like Jews all over the world for thousands of years, complete the Torah, First Five Books of the Bible and then learn it anew, we plan on continuing our Na"Ch studies, Gd willing.
We sincerely thank Rabbanit Malka Bina and the entire staff of Matan for this amazing educational and spiritual opportunity.
On Sunday morning, everything was so calm, peaceful and lovely, as I walked over to wait for my friends at the bus stop towards Kfar Adumim across from Ammunition Hill Jerusalem. I had gotten off of the 25 bus from Pisgat Zeev and had to cross a couple of streets passing the light-rail stop. I was a couple of minutes early for our scheduled 9:30 am pickup and thanked Gd that my timing was so perfect. At that time, I hadn't realized just how perfect.
I took a few pictures while I waited for them to show up.
Not that long after we arrived in Kfar Adumim, our phones started "beeping" from family WhatsApps, as everyone got messages of:
Jerusalem resident Levana Malihi, 60, left, and police officer First Sergeant Yosef Kirma, 29, who were shot dead in a terror attack in Jerusalem, October 9, 2016. (Police spokesperson) Times of Israel
The main lesson I internalized after I had been injured in an Arab terror attack just over twenty years ago, davka, less than a kilometer from there, was how little control we have over life and death. It's all in Gd's Hands. Sometimes just a few seconds make the difference, and sometimes it's not even an inch or centimeter. We don't know how Gd decides who will die and when.
Another "davka" is that my friends and I are now (in Matan's Al Haperek program) studying Job, Iyov, the man who went from being rich in every possible way to losing it all. Job tries to argue with Gd, demanding from Him the opportunity for a "face to face," so he can ask what he did to deserve such an awful punishment. As students of the Bible know, and as we discussed Sunday morning, Job didn't lose his family as punishment. Job was the "victim"of a bet between Gd and Evil to see if such inexplicable tragedy would cause Job to lose his faith in Gd.
Job is the perfect book to be learning in these difficult times.
I think this picture says a lot about life in Israel that you won't find anyplace else.
The sign on the bus is of the most basic of Jewish Prayers, the "Shma," "שמע."
Sh'ma Yisra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.Judaism 101
Shema Yisrael (“Hear, O Israel”) are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is the centerpiece of the morning and evening prayer services, encapsulating the monotheistic essence of Judaism:
Its recitation twice daily (morning and evening) is a biblical commandment. In addition, we recite it just before retiring for the night, as well as in the Kedushah service on Shabbat.
Indeed, this succinct statement has become so central to the Jewish people that it is the climax of the final Ne’ilah prayer of Yom Kippur, and is traditionally a Jew’s last words on earth. Chabad
With all the faults and sacrilegious/non-Jewish stuff that goes on here, every once in awhile something happens or there's a sight like this one to remind me that with all its faults, the State of Israel is still a Jewish Country. There is no other. And Judaism, whether one practices/observes it or davka not is still the religion that ties to the Land, and without it there wouldn't be a country here, Jewish or not.
This week in my Matan Al Haperek study group, we learned Tihillim Psalms 85, which deals with the fertility of the Land and how the necessary rain will only fall if Gd decides that we have acted properly.
Before Zionism, before the return of the Jewish People to farm and inhabit the Land of Israel, it was desolate and barren. The proof that Gd loves us, and we are His ONLY CHOSEN PEOPLE is the abundant agriculture that has characterized the Zionist enterprise and subsequent State of Israel.
Last night's festive evening at Matan celebrating the Al HaPerek Siyum of Sefer Yehoshua was a wonderful treat.
I'm one of the few hundred from all over the world who have already joined the Al HaPerek Bible studies. It will be a five year program; we receive study/thinking questions on two chapters each week. Of course, I'm familiar with some limited chapters in the Bible, but most of it will be very new to me. I don't expect to complete the program as an expert, but I hope to be much more familiar with it than I am today.
Already, after reading line by line, chapter by chapter, the Book of Joshua is no longer a mystery. And now Joshua and the initial conquest of the HolyLand are more fleshed out and meaningful in my mind and eye.
I'm certain that neither the organizers nor the speakers had any idea that the two English language classes would match so perfectly. First Atara Snowbell (my Wednesday Megilat Scroll of Ester teacher) compared the leadership of Moshe and Yehoshua. Then Rabbi Yehoshua Berman led us in a very inter-active class on Achan and Group Punishment. (Sorry, but I can't find a copy of the official titles.)
Atara gave us a handout with a chart comparing Moshe and Yehoshua. The first example of the differences in the leadership was that Joshua delegated authority, while Moshe took on everything, even after his father-in-law, Yitro and later G-d suggested how to delegate, share. There's a very fine art to knowing how to do this.
Moses led the Jewish People with the full help of G-d and His miracles, but once Joshua brought the People into the Land, that had to end. We had to learn to be on our own. In Rabbi Berman's class we went over the lessons of the battles of Ha'Ai, the differences between the first failed battle and the second, the victorious one. Joshua delegated responsibility to twelve "spies" to check out Ha'Ai. In the heady aftermath of the miraculous defeat of Jericho, they reported that it would be a piece of cake and only a small fighting force would be necessary.
Joshua confidently followed their instructions and sent off a few thousand soldiers. Those soldiers expected the enemy to miraculously give them their victory. But the real world is different. In shock, our soldiers fled, and when Joshua saw this he fell down in misery. G-d chastised him severely. Only then did Joshua understand.
Our victories aren't our own. We defeat our enemies with G-d's help and with strong human leadership. The second battle of HaAi is a different story. It's a beautiful working relationship between man and G-d. The comparison with today and our recent history is so strong and obvious. I hope you can hear the two classes on the Matan site. My post is my interpretation of the classes, yes, my "drash" to their "pshat."
I'll end with a bit of the music we were treated to, Moshe Musa Berlin and daughter.
