Maximum Attendance Should be PERCENTAGES, Not Numbers, Life in Corona COVID-19 Lock-down

When the Israeli Government announced "corona gifts" of money to help citizens out without proving poverty or restricting the money to the lower income bracket, I davka agreed. It would cost more to do the bureaucratic bookkeeping to enforce the restrictions than they would save. But when it comes to announcing maximum attendance in synagogues, restaurants, social halls the situation is completely different. These places are supposed to have a maximum capacity listed in their permits. And if they don't for whatever reason, a simple calculation can be made according to the size. For argument's sake, I suggest thirty percent 30% of maximum capacity, and if there hadn't been one set, then 20% of recommended capacity. Any restaurant which is then limited to under ten people will be take-out only. And any synagogue too small for even ten to fit by these standards must be closed.

More about the synagogues, for example here in Shiloh, there are large synagogues that were built to normally seat well over a hundred worshipers comfortably, and there are others that utilize small prefabricated shelters. In the large synagogues it's certainly easy to arrange safe seating for dozens of worshipers keeping their required distance. On the other hand the smaller building may not even be large enough for even a minyan quorum of ten, if they carefully follow social distancing regulations.

The government's "one size fits all" ruling is idiotic and counter-productive. There is no other way to put it.

A synagogue as large as the main synagogue in Shiloh,  Mishkan Tabernacle Synagogue, certainly has room for over 50 worshipers to sit safely, according to social distancing and another 20 or more upstairs in the Ezrat Nashim, Women's Section.

The Mishkan and Post-Temple Judaism

Yesterday in Matan during the lecture by Yael Leibowitz, in which she described what we'll be learning this year, she mentioned that after the destruction of the Holy Temples, Chazal, our sages had the task of defining a Judaism which could survive in Exile and without a Temple. It had to be "portable."

After close to forty years living in Shiloh, it's no surprise where my mind went. I saw a chiastic structure framing the period between Joshua's leading the Jewish People into the Land of Israel and the Destruction of the Second Holy Temple which preceded the long two thousand 2,000 year Exile into the Diaspora.

Model of Inner Tabernacle, Ancient Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh

Main Synagogue in Shiloh, designed after the Biblical Tabernacle

The bridge was the Mishkan, Tabernacle, especially when it rested, stood temporarily in Shiloh for close to four hundred years. Prayer, more specifically communal, consisted of sacrifices and took place in and around the Mishkan. The Mishkan was first constructed according to detailed plans communicated by Gd right after the exodus from Egypt.

The Mishkan was made to be portable, and during the forty years the Jewish People were "in transit" between Egypt and the Holy Land, it could be moved. In the Holy Land, it then "rested" in Shiloh. Besides the stone foundation, it was still constructed of wood, fabric and animal skins. That's why it is so difficult to ascertain exactly where it stood in Shiloh. No stone walls remain, no matter how far deeply the archaeologists dig.

When we were a united tribal nation, the Tabernacle was enough to keep us together, build shared experiences, but with time the Jewish People needed more.

In the Holy Land, first the Mishkan was the center for religious pilgrimages. Later, during the Davidic Dynasty, it was replaced by the Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple in Jerusalem. And then, after the destruction of the Second Temple and the dispersion of the Jewish People, a new version of Judaism had to be developed. No longer did Gd send specific instructions. It was in the hands of knowledgeable people, the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin developed/decided on a Judaism that has kept us a People for two thousand years. And now, thank Gd, we have returned to our Land. As Jews return from all corners of the world, it's time to erase our differences and build the Third Holy Temple in Jerusalem, Gd willing, speedily in our days...

Shiloh, Not an Ordinary Town, Reflections

Reflecting on what living in Shiloh for close to forty 40 years has done for me...

Here I "pasted" a photo of the Shiloh Tabernacle Synagogue on the site at Tel Shiloh where it is believed that the Biblical Mishkan, Tabernacle stood for close to four hundred 400 years.

Although my husband and I had always thought of living in a part of the Land of Israel liberated in the 1967 Six Days War, during our first ten years in Israel, it didn't seem very realistic. It's not because we were frightened spoiled American wimps. The reason was much more practical and pragmatic. There were very few options that suited us.

My husband wasn't going to be a farmer; he had enough of that as a teenager on Moshav Amatzia when doing that part of Machon Lemadrechai Chutz La'aretz. We had tried the Old City of Jerusalem, and it wasn't for us at the time, 1970. We had signed up to be of the original residents of Kiryat Arba, but he felt the travel to Jerusalem for work would be too difficult.

In the late 1970s when the first non-agricultural communities began to emerge, again we looked, and in 1981 we discovered Shiloh. At that point we were expecting our fourth child, and my priorities were to find a community where the older girls would have friends their age and schooling wouldn't be too complicated. Not knowing much Bible, the significance of our new home was rather lost on me.

Gradually, I began to understand and appreciate and become connected to the Biblical narrative about Shiloh, Eli, Chana and Shmuel. And I especially appreciated that it was in Shiloh where the Jewish People evolved from its tribal anarchy into a united Kingdom, first under Saul and then David.

I found myself leading tours, frequently of Christian groups. At that time more Christians came to Tel Shiloh to tour and pray than Jews. That was one of the reasons I began to invite women to join me for prayers on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month. In just over a week, we will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar, which heralds the time of joy and the holiday of Purim.

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh
Rosh Chodesh Adar 5778
Friday, February 16, 2018
1st of Adar, 5778, 8:30am
Hallel and Musaf for Rosh Chodesh
Tour of Tel Shiloh
Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors.

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אדר בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום ו' 16-02-2018

א' אדר, תשע"ח 8:30

הלל ומוסף לראש חודש

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל

כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Please join us!

The religious and archeological site of Shiloh Hakeduma is open to the public six days a week, Sunday-Friday. For more information, email visit@telshilo.org.il or art@telshilo.org.il. See you Rosh Chodesh!

Our dovening is individual except that we sing Hallel out loud together. If you'd like more information, then please email me with "Rosh Chodesh" as subject, shilohmuse@gmail.com.

Bibi's Promises are Worthless

Just a few months ago the community of Amona made a very difficult and controversial decision. They agreed to allow their community be destroyed in exchange for the building of a new and fully approved community, not too far away.

They were pretty confident that as painful as it was to leave their lovely hill near Ofra, the package Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government had offered was better than another violent confrontation. The government had even begun to assemble very large prefabricated homes for them to live in until new homes could be constructed. These prefabricated homes were made transportable. Imagine them as the modern Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle that had been constructed in the wilderness for the recently released Jewish slaves, as depicted in the Torah Portions we've been reading.

Shiloh's main synagogue, designed to look like the Biblical Tabernacle

And like the Biblical Tabernacle, these homes are also supposed to be brought to the area of Biblical Shiloh.

One of the proposed locations for the "new Amona" is south of Shvut Rachel

The only problem is that Bibi's word isn't worth anything. And the families of Amona are still waiting to find out where they're going and when.

Now the families have began a hunger strike near the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. 

HUNGER STRIKING SETTLERS: NETANYAHU MUST KEEP PLEDGE TO BUILD NEW SETTLEMENT

Today at the Shabbat table, talking with friends about the political situation in Israel. We all felt that Netanyahu is useless and isn't acting as a national leader. But the biggest problem is looking at the alternatives, the wannabes, those who dream of replacing him. They are far worse.

Local Bar Mitzvah

A local family celebrated their son's Bar Mitzvah here in Shiloh last night and this morning. There's really no need to travel when we live in such a beautiful, spiritual and historic place.

Think about it. No doubt that Shmuel HaNavi, Samuel the Prophet must have had his Bar Mitzvah here, too. His family and friends may have eaten the seudat mitzvah, the special "command meal" in the very same spot, not far from the Mishkan, the Holy Tabernacle.

Here in modern Shiloh, we have a synagogue modeled, designed according to the Biblical description of the Mishkan.

We Jews are here, because this is our Land, based on our long and well-documented history.

61 Years And Praising G-d

HALLEL

Chapter 13


1
Hallelujah. Praise, O ye servants of HaShem, praise the name of HaShem.
2
Blessed be the name of HaShem from this time forth and for ever.
3
From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof HaShem'S name is to be praised.
4
HaShem is high above all nations, His glory is above the heavens.
5
Who is like unto HaShem our G-d, that is enthroned on high,
6
That looketh down low upon heaven and upon the earth?
7
Who raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill;
8
That He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people.
9
Who maketh the barren woman to dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah.

Yom Ha'Atzma'ut Sameach!

Happy Israeli Independence Day!