Hamas/Gaza War Musings #48: Deja Vu: Amalek = Hamas

Our sages all say that Amalek began attacking when it perceived weakness in the People of Israel and its leadership.... 

Every generation has its Amalek, but it's quiet because it's afraid of us. It attacks when we fight amongst each other or go around begging foreigners for help. Yup. That's the truth.

That's why in 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan conspired to attack on three fronts and destroy the State of Israel. It "checked the water" with threats and demands on us, our supposed allies and the United Nations which had "peacekeeping forces" which were supposed to protect us. The UN quickly removed its forces to facilitate easy attack, our supposed allies waited in safety and our Israeli government ordered the digging of graves. The State of Israel was all alone, but Jews in Israel and all over the world prayed to Gd. Simply put, that's how we won so decisively.

When instead of declaring all of the Land we liberated sovereign Israel, the government refused to settle all but the most agriculturally promising areas, our enemies attacked again six years later. Yes, the Yom Kippur War. This time they didn't threaten, they just attacked with the hidden support of the United States, while Israel was kept in the dark. As the war went on, the USA tried to keep Israel from  having a decisive win, yup-- nothing's new. Thank Gd Arik Sharon refused to follow orders and crossed the Suez Canal with his forces, and Egypt surrendered.

Unfortunately, that was the last show of true strength anyone saw from Israel. In the past decade plus, every couple of years, we're attacked, Bibi refuses to call it a war, refuses to defeat the enemy, just offers a ceasefire, claiming that "now we've shown who's stronger," and most of the country falls for it. I haven't.

Israel tries to compromise, act "gracious," do clever high-tech "tricks," make deals, ceasefires etc. And again the internal fighting definitely encourages our enemies.

For me it's so clear, so obvious. That's why with every "deal" offer, comprise, fokokt "moral fighting," "compassionate" "humanitarian" food to the Gazans, the demands of the terrorists get larger and more dangerous for us.

If you study the Tanach/Bible, you should see that it's classic Amalek... Remember what important instructions Gd told the Prophet Samuel to say to King Saul in 1 Samuel Chapter 15:

Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribe all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!”

Did King Saul obey? No! He kept the Amalek king alive, plus some of the animals. which he used for sacrifices contradicting Jewish Law. Yes, just like Bibi has been doing with his "moral fighting" and "humanitarian aid." How was King Saul punished? He and his sons were killed in battle. That was the end of his rule, no dynasty.

Today there are two very strong parallels with the Biblical Amalek.

• Amalek fights us when we appear weak.
• The only way to have a true lasting victory is to destroy our enemy without mercy.

Need I say more?

Purim's Over, Rosh Chodesh Nissan is Soon

 

It's so true that time doesn't stand still. Late winter wild flowers are providing gorgeous decoration in my neighborhood. Last night we finished with Purim celebrations, and now the month of Nissan, and then  the Passover holiday are just around the corner. 

As you can see in the graphics above, Rosh Chodesh Nissan is just two weeks away on Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:30am. Join us.

ראש חודש ניסן

יום ה' 23\03\23 8:30

מתחילות ביחד בהלל ואחר כך מוסף

כולן מוזמנות

We celebrate with Women's Prayers singing Hallel out loud together and then a quiet Musaf. If you're joining us, please say the Shacharit prayer beforehand.

We meet in Shiloh Hakeduma, Ancient Shiloh at Tel Shiloh, the exact location of the Biblical Tabernacle; yes, Chana prayed here, too. Shiloh's where Joshua established the first Capital City of the Jewish Nation until Samuel the Prophet was told by Gd to appoint David as King. King David then united the Jewish People with a new Capital City, Jerusalem.

Shiloh Hakeduma is a well developed and maintained archeological site. There are lots of activities for visitors of all ages. For more information click or contact them 02-5789122 or visit@telshilo.org.il.

Nebi Samuel and Questions

Nebi Samuel photo by Batya Medad

Last week I went on a tour which included Nebi Samuel. Our guide, who's a Bible teacher, explained why she went against her usual practice and called Nebi Samuel by that non-Hebrew term. She said that there are serious doubts as to its being the burial spot of Samuel the Prophet.

In the Bible it's written that Samuel the Prophet retreated retired to Ramah, where he lived, died and was buried. Most experts believe that Ramah is north of Jerusalem, south of Shiloh. That's not the location of Nebi Samuel.

In the 6th century, some Christian explorers, who didn't get very far from Jerusalem, came across that hilltop and decided that it must be the Ramah of Samuel the Prophet. They built a church there and publicized their "discovery." That was the beginning of Nebi Samuel. Later on the Muslims adopted it and the Jewish prophet as their own. They even renovated the church into a mosque.

Here we are fifteen hundred 1,500 years later, and most people take for granted that Samuel the Prophet must be buried in Nebi Samuel, even though there's no real proof. Before Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Days War, few Jews knew the Land and the Bible in order to discover true locations of biblical sites. Now is the time to examine more carefully. We live here in the Biblical Land and study the Bible, Tanach.

It's a great privilege to be a Jew alive today and living in the Holy Land, which Gd gave us and our religion, Judaism, was established.

 All photos by Batya Medad, yes, me

Rosh Chodesh (The Real) Adar Thursday and Friday

The official name for the upcoming Jewish Month is Adar Sheni/Bet, meaning the second Adar. That's because in ancient days, before there was a "set calendar," the months were announced when the first sliver of the "new moon" had been sighted.

In those days, if at the end of Adar, when it definitely didn't look like winter was over, they'd declare the new month to be an additional Adar. For "Jewish Leap Years," that name stuck. We have Adar Alef/Rishon/First and Adar Bet/Sheni/Second.

I'm a troublemaker, and I don't find those names good. I honestly think that now since we have a set calendar, we should be calling the extra month Shevat Bet/Sheni/Second, and it should come before a solitary Adar. But since I'm no Talmud Chacham, scholar, you'll only read this on my blog. Nobody I've ever mentioned it to knows of any Jewish scholar/sage who's said anything similar.

I hope you don't mind that I've written something that contradicts accepted Jewish theology.

Back to "business."

For well over a decade, I've been inviting women to join me at Tel Shiloh, Shiloh Hakeduma, for morning Rosh Chodesh Prayers. We sing Hallel out loud, but otherwise our prayers are silent, between us and Gd.

As we walk to and from the location believed to be where the Biblical Tabernacle had rested for three-hundred-sixty-nine years, we check out the latest discoveries, exchange Torah Words and more. Sometimes we celebrate special events together, too.

Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet we will doven together on Thursday, March 7, 2019, 8:30am.

כולן מוזמנות, תפילת נשים, ראש חודש אדר ב' , ל' אדר א', יום ה' ,7/03/2019 , 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

Shiloh Hakeduma is an officially recognized archaeological site, and there's even something more important. Biblical scholars and archaeologists agree that Shiloh, where I live, is the same as the Biblical Shiloh.

Here in Shiloh, yes, barely a mile from my house is the very place where the barren Hannah prayed for a son who would be dedicated to the Jewish People. He was Shmuel Hanavi, Samuel the Prophet.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Ancient Shiloh, is open on weekdays. You can just walk around or arrange for an official tour. There are also interesting events, especially during Passover and Succot. For more information, contact them directly at visit@telshilo.org.il, or call 02-5789111.

For more information about our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers, email shilohmuse@gmail.com, with "Rosh Chodesh" as subject.

I hope you'll be able to join us.

Chodesh Tov!
Have a Wonderful Month!
Adar is the Month of Joy 
and Very Pleasant Surprises!

Tanach/Bible "What If's"

As a student of the Bible, who has very little back knowledge and an awful memory, I sometimes find my mind going in strange directions during classes or when thinking about what I've learned. Last week I found myself writing the following note:

The day before my chevruta, study group had gone over the account of King Saul's visit to the witch/fortuneteller, 1 Samuel, Chapter 28. Chazal and midrash have a lot to say about the woman.

Did she really conjure up Samuel The Prophet, or did she just fake it?

Considering that her/Samuel's prediction was on target, totally accurate, that King Saul and his sons would die in battle, gives it all a spooky  legitimacy. Add to this the similarity to Samuel's very first G-d given prediction, when he was told to tell Eli the High Priest that Eli and his sons would all die ending their ruling dynasty. For some strange reason, it popped into my head that the woman was Chana/Hannah, Samuel's mother. No place in the Bible tells of her death.

What do you think?

Chodesh Tov! Lesson From Biblical Shiloh, Prayer and Human Nature

Chodesh Tov, Everyone!
It's the first day of Rosh Chodesh Marchesvan, the Jewish Month of Cheshvan when winter truly begins. Winter here in the Holy Land doesn't always mean freezing snow. It's supposed to mean blessed rain, at the right time, the right quantities, gifts or rewards from G-d for our proper behavior.

Today some friends and I went to Shiloh Hakeduma, Ancient Shiloh, Tel Shiloh, the location of many Biblical stories, narratives that are being confirmed consistently by archaeologists working here to discover our past.

Shiloh has always been a location for prayer.  I, davka, prefer praying in Shiloh than in the more popular (non-synagogue) prayer sites. I just don't get "turned on" by graves, and the  Kotel littered with "Santa letters" is a "turn off." And since the Israeli Government has inexplicably allowed the Muslim Waqf to dictate what Jews can or can't do on our holiest spot, the Temple Mount, the next holiest, to my count when eliminating tombs and cemeteries, is Shiloh, specifically the area where it's believed the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle had stood for close to four hundred 400 years when Shiloh was the administrative and spiritual capital of the Jewish Nation. That was just before the era of Kings and the building of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

One of the most well-known Shiloh stories from the Biblical era, is the story of Chana, Hannah. Chana was barren. She was married to Elkana, who had a second wife, Penina (Pearl) who did have children. Despite her inability to give him children, Elkana loved Chana more than he loved Penina. The situation was difficult for both women. Chana would have given anything for a child, and Penina was jealous of the favoritism Elkana bestowed on Chana.

The family/clan made the pilgrimage to Shiloh for all of the Holidays to pray there. One year Chana made an extra effort to pray to G-d. She prayed silently with all of her soul and might. Only her lips moved,  because G-d can hear what's in our hearts and minds, there's no need to shout. Chana's yearning for a child wasn't for her own personal selfish maternal needs. She understood the chaos and lack of leadership among the Jewish People and wanted to bring a son into the world to be a leader in G-d's name. She promised that if G-d would give her a son, that son would be brought to Shiloh to be trained by the priests there to lead the nation.

Eli, the High Priest, blessed her after hearing her story, and the next year Chana gave birth to a son. When he was weaned, she brought him to Shiloh and entrusted him to be educated by Eli.

Her subsequent "thank you prayer" to G-d is what is known as תפילת חנה Tefillat Chana, Hannah's Prayer, 1Samuel Chapter 2.

The line that fascinates me the most is:

ה  שְׂבֵעִים בַּלֶּחֶם נִשְׂכָּרוּ, וּרְעֵבִים חָדֵלּוּ, עַד-עֲקָרָה יָלְדָה שִׁבְעָה, וְרַבַּת בָּנִים אֻמְלָלָה.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased; while the barren hath borne seven, she that had many children hath languished.

I actually disagree with how it's generally understood. For those who aren't familiar with Hebrew, please look at all those dots and symbols on the bottom of and sometimes the tops of the Hebrew letters. They are the vowels. Without vowels, the letters can be pronounced frequently as different words meaning different things. The one I'd give a different meaning to is  שִׁבְעָה shiv'ah, seven, which I'd pronounce as sav'ah, satisfied.

Chana was satisfied with her one son; that's all she had prayed for. When more children were born to her, that was wonderful, but that isn't what she had asked for. Numbers weren't her priority. I've been telling people my theory for a few years already, and most people agree once they think about it, because the Bible was written without vowels.

The accepted commentary from the midrash for the next few words, that the mother of many was miserable, a better definition than the "languished" in the translation above, is usually explained that with each new child born to Hannah, one of Pearl's died. I can't imagine Hannah gloating over this. Today, at the Tel, when I told one of the women about my reading of שבעה she continued and said that Penina's personality was to be miserable. She wasn't happy even with her many children. The אֻמְלָלָה feeling miserable/depressed is an antonym for being satisfied with life, Chana's emotional state.

Some people manage to always see the best and be happy, while others are always finding fault in their situation. Chana does begin the story unhappy, wanting a child, but instead of being jealous wishing bad on others, she prayed to G-d, knowing that her fertility was in G-d's hands. She made her deal with G-d and didn't renege. Her precious first born son was sent to serve G-d, and he was Shmuel HaNavi, Samuel the Prophet who anointed Israel's first two kings, Saul an David. He did what he was born to do. He changed the world. Shmuel, like his mother accepted that they were just tools of G-d.

We all must learn to stop saying "I want..." and learn to hear what G-d wants us to do and be satisfied with it.

Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom

Why Uman, When The Traditional Biblical Place for Prayer is Here in Shiloh?

My family isn't taking a plane to Uman for Rosh Hashanah or any other time.  In recent years I know of many, many Israeli men of all ages and backgrounds who leave their families davka for the Jewish Holidays. I also know of quite a few women who have gone there at other times.

Every year, thousands of men (in 2007, over 40,000!) leave their families and travel to Rebbe Nachman's gravesite in Uman, a military city located in the Ukraine, to spend Rosh Hashana with "the Rebbe."

We pray much closer to home.  I go with friends, just a mile or so from my house to Shiloh HaKeduma, Tel Shiloh every Rosh Chodesh to pray.  In all honesty, I generally avoid praying at graves and tombs.

That's where the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle rested (was located) for close to four hundred years, from when Joshua established Shiloh as the administrative and spiritual Capital of the Jewish People until Eli the High Priest's sons lost the Aron, Holy Ark in battle.

Eli was succeeded by Samuel the Prophet, the son of Chana (Hannah) who prayed for a son at Shiloh.  She didn't want a son for personal, maternal reasons.  She told G-d that she would raise that son to serve G-d and the Jewish People. It was Samuel who anointed the first two Jewish Kings, Saul and David.

The holiness of Shiloh remains to this day, and people of all religions come from all over the world to pray here.  Archeologists and enthusiastic volunteers have been working hard to discover and uncover more of Ancient, Biblical Shiloh.

My friends and I generally come to pray on Rosh Chodesh, the first of the Jewish Month, but the next one is Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish Year.  So we'll join the big T'fillat Chana, Hannah's Prayer event being run by Shiloh HaKeduma on August 28.  Contact Shiloh HaKeduma for more information about it.  At present I only have a Hebrew poster to post here with information.

Benzion Netanyahu's Greatest Mistake

Hebrew names are words and/or biblical personalities.  They all have meaning and history.  Hebrew is an extremely magical language.  When someone's name is "analyzed" lots of information can be deduced.  That's not the say that every single person with the name of עדינה Adina, which means gentle will be all that gentle.  But I'd certainly prefer to have a Calev or Joshua on my team than a Nimrod.

I'd think that a great scholar of Jewish History and the Bible such as the late Professor Benzion Netanyahu would have picked a stronger name for his second son than Binyamin, Benjamin.  It's not the name for a strong, loyal to G-d leader. The first Benjamin in the Bible was the youngest child of Ya'aqov Avinu, Our Forefather Jacob.  Benjamin was a pawn.  We don't hear him speak.  He survived his childbirth which killed his mother.  His father and brothers made his decisions for him.  One doesn't see him acting independently or responding when the Egyptian Viceroy, who actually was his elder brother in disguise, sentenced him to imprisonment.

Second, his tribal descendants, the Tribe of Benjamin was involved in one of the most despicable Biblical stories, Pilegesh ba'Givah, the rape and murder of the concubine in Givah.  The tribe of Binyamin caused a major civil war which almost caused the destruction of their tribe.

And my third example of the problem with the name of Benjamin for a leader concerns King Saul, who was from that tribe.  King Saul was instrumental in two major sins as a king. He kept trying to cause a major civil war against David and his followers. He was willing to do anything to destroy David to guarantee that his son Yonatan, Jonathan would follow him as king to establish a dynasty.  Before David took over as king, he walked a very narrow tightrope trying to both defend himself and be a leader protecting the Jewish People. 

King Saul also refused to obey G-d's commandment to destroy all of Amalek, including the Amalek livestock.  In direct defiance of G-d's orders he kept alive Agog, the Amalek king and the livestock, which he used in an uncalled for ceremony.  When Samuel the Prophet discovered what he had done, Saul blamed the people for urging him to do it.

Finally the Prophet Samuel had to make it very clear to Saul that he was deposed.  Soon after that Saul committed suicide and his sons died in battle.  King David was then able to reign over the People of Israel.  Even better was that King David was in direct communication with G-d and didn't need the mentoring of Samuel.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is too much a "Benjamin" to be a strong Prime Minister.  Do you see the parallels in his letter to the problems we had thousands of years ago with King Saul?

Here's the very disgraceful Saul/Benjamin-like "letter to the people" that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu
From time to time, prime ministers are called on to make decisions that go against public opinion – when the matter is important for the country.
In order to make decisions that are supported by the public, there is no need for prime ministers.
At the present time, it seems to me that it is very important for the State of Israel to enter into a diplomatic process. This is important both in order to exhaust the chance of ending the conflict with the Palestinians and in order to establish Israel’s position in the complex international reality around us.
The major changes in our region – in Egypt, Syria and in Iran – not only place challenges before the State of Israel but they also create considerable opportunities for us.
For these reasons, I believe that it is important for the State of Israel to enter a diplomatic process that will continue for at least nine months – in order to check if it is possible to reach an agreement with the Palestinians during this time.
But even with all of the importance that I ascribe to the diplomatic process, I was not prepared to accept the Palestinians’ demands for withdrawals and freezes as preconditions for entering negotiations.
Neither was I prepared to accept their demand to release Palestinian prisoners before the start of negotiations. I did agree to release 104 Palestinians in stages after the start of the negotiations and in accordance with the circumstances of their progress.
This is an incomparably difficult decision, it is painful for the bereaved families and it is painful for the entire nation and it is also very painful for me.
It collides with the incomparably important value of justice.
It is a clear injustice when depraved people, even if most of them have sat in prison for over 20 years as in this case, are released before they have finished serving their sentences.
The decision is difficult for me seven-fold because my family and I personally know the price of bereavement stemming from terrorism. I know the pain very well. I have lived with it every day for the past 37 years. The fact that previous Israeli governments have released over 10,000 terrorists does not make it easier for me today, and did not make it easier when I decided to bring back Gilad Shalit.
Gilad Shalit’s return home entailed an incomparably difficult decision for me – releasing terrorists. But I believed that the value of bringing children back home needed to overcome this difficulty.
People in positions of leadership need to choose between complex choices and sometimes the necessary decision is especially difficult when most of the public opposes it.
Thus I decided to end Operation Pillar of Defense after the elimination of arch-terrorist Ahmed Jabari and after the severe blows the IDF dealt to Hamas and the other terrorist organizations.
I made the decision to end the operation even though most of the public supported continued action, which would have required entering the Gaza Strip on the ground. As Prime minister, I thought that the goal of deterrence had been mostly achieved by the determined actions that we carried out.
Today, almost one year after the end of Operation Pillar of Defense, we are witness to the quietest situation in the south in over a decade. Of course, this quiet can fray at any minute but my policy is clear on all fronts: We will, as much as possible, foil threats against us in a timely manner. We will react strongly to any attempt to harm our people.
In the next nine months, we will consider whether there is a Palestinian element opposite us that, like us, truly wants to end the conflict between us.
Such a conclusion will be possible only under conditions that will ensure security for Israel’s citizens and ensure our vital national interests.
If we succeed in achieving such a peace agreement, I will submit it to a referendum.
Such a fateful decision cannot be made by a close vote in the Knesset.
Every citizen must be allowed to directly influence our future and our fate on such a crucial issue.
The best answer we can give to those same base murderers that sought to defeat us through terrorism is that in the decades that they sat in prison, we built a glorious country and turned it into one of the most prosperous, advanced and strongest countries in the world.
I promise that we will continue thus.
Yours,
Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jewish Prayer Direct to G-d

One of the most wonderful things about Judaism is that we don't need an intermediary to pray to G-d.  That's one of main lessons we learn from the Biblical story of Chana (Hannah) in Shiloh.

After almost four hundred years of a leaderless anarchy, when after conquering the Promised Land, it was time for the Jewish People to take the next step and choose a king. 

Judges Chapter 21 שׁוֹפְטִים

כה  בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:  אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו, יַעֲשֶׂה.  {ש}

25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes. {P}

It took a woman to finally set this in motion.

The Biblical Chana, barren, though married to Elkanah who had many children with his other wife, Penina, couldn't understand why Chana wasn't satisfied with her life.  During one of their pilgrimages to the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle in Shiloh, Chana went to pray.  She prayed for a son who would be dedicated to work for G-d and the Jewish People.

1 Samuel Chapter 1 שְׁמוּאֵל א

א  וַיְהִי אִישׁ אֶחָד מִן-הָרָמָתַיִם, צוֹפִים--מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם; וּשְׁמוֹ אֶלְקָנָה בֶּן-יְרֹחָם בֶּן-אֱלִיהוּא, בֶּן-תֹּחוּ בֶן-צוּף--אֶפְרָתִי.	1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
ב  וְלוֹ, שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים--שֵׁם אַחַת חַנָּה, וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית פְּנִנָּה; וַיְהִי לִפְנִנָּה יְלָדִים, וּלְחַנָּה אֵין יְלָדִים.	2 And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
ג  וְעָלָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מֵעִירוֹ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה, לְהִשְׁתַּחֲו‍ֹת וְלִזְבֹּחַ לַיהוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּשִׁלֹה; וְשָׁם שְׁנֵי בְנֵי-עֵלִי, חָפְנִי וּפִנְחָס, כֹּהֲנִים, לַיהוָה.	3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto the LORD.

ו  וְכִעֲסַתָּה צָרָתָהּ גַּם-כַּעַס, בַּעֲבוּר הַרְּעִמָהּ:  כִּי-סָגַר יְהוָה, בְּעַד רַחְמָהּ.	6 And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
ז  וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה, מִדֵּי עֲלֹתָהּ בְּבֵית יְהוָה--כֵּן, תַּכְעִסֶנָּה; וַתִּבְכֶּה, וְלֹא תֹאכַל.	7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat.
ח  וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ אֶלְקָנָה אִישָׁהּ, חַנָּה לָמֶה תִבְכִּי וְלָמֶה לֹא תֹאכְלִי, וְלָמֶה, יֵרַע לְבָבֵךְ:  הֲלוֹא אָנֹכִי טוֹב לָךְ, מֵעֲשָׂרָה בָּנִים.	8 And Elkanah her husband said unto her: 'Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?'

י  וְהִיא, מָרַת נָפֶשׁ; וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל-יְהוָה, וּבָכֹה תִבְכֶּה.	10 and she was in bitterness of soul--and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
יא  וַתִּדֹּר נֶדֶר וַתֹּאמַר, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם-רָאֹה תִרְאֶה בָּעֳנִי אֲמָתֶךָ וּזְכַרְתַּנִי וְלֹא-תִשְׁכַּח אֶת-אֲמָתֶךָ, וְנָתַתָּה לַאֲמָתְךָ, זֶרַע אֲנָשִׁים--וּנְתַתִּיו לַיהוָה כָּל-יְמֵי חַיָּיו, וּמוֹרָה לֹא-יַעֲלֶה עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ.	11 And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'
יב  וְהָיָה כִּי הִרְבְּתָה, לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה; וְעֵלִי, שֹׁמֵר אֶת-פִּיהָ.	12 And it came to pass, as she prayed long before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
יג  וְחַנָּה, הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל-לִבָּהּ--רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת, וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ; וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ עֵלִי, לְשִׁכֹּרָה.	13 Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken.

 

G-d answered Chana's prayers, and she gave birth to a son, who was the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel,) the person who led the Jewish People after the capture of the Holy Ark and anointed the first two kings, Saul and David.

For the past few years I have been inviting women to join me at Shiloh HaKeduma, Tel Shiloh for Rosh Chodesh Prayers.  Shiloh is easily accessible by public or private transportation.  Please spread the word.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh
Rosh Chodesh Av

Monday, July 8, 2013

1 Av 5773, 8:30am

Tour of Tel & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים
ראש חודש אב בתל שילה
יום ב' 8-7 א' אב תשע"ג 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

 

 

There's now a very interesting and well kept up tourist center in Shiloh, Shiloh HaKeduma, at Tel Shiloh.  You can arrange tours and events there by emailing visit@telshilo.org.il or call 02-994-4019.

 

Pilgrimage to Shiloh, Like in Ancient Days

Centuries before Jews trekked to Jerusalem for prayer, Jewish pilgrims came to the Mishkan Tabernacle in Shiloh to pray to G-d on chaggim, holidays and whenever they could.  Yes, the Shiloh where I live is the same Shiloh, which was the spiritual and administrative Capital of the Jewish Nation for almost four hundred years, from the time of Joshua until Shmuel Hanavi, Samuel the Prophet.

We were provided with an
excellent tour guide.

Yesterday,  a group of women came from all over Israel to visit and pray at the ancient site, Shiloh HaKeduma, Tel Shiloh.  They have been in touch with me via social media, mostly facebook, and we have been planning this trip for months.

outside a local store

They traveled from various parts of the country by bus and car for the opportunity to pray where Chana prayed and see the modern Jewish community that has grown on the same site where our ancestors lived and visited.

No doubt that it was due to the holiness of the spot, but everyone managed to find the strength and agility to hike all over Tel Shiloh.

 

The highlight, of course, was the chance to pray and say T'hillim, Psalms to G-d in the very spot most experts, archeologists and Biblical scholars believe the Mishkan had once stood.

Everyone agreed that the visit was spiritually exhilarating, despite all their time traveling.

Joe Bazer's Biblical Flutes

Afterwards, we spent some time in the Visitors Center, where you can buy drinks, snacks, local crafts and souvenirs, including  wine and olive oil from the area.

Pilgrims can't leave hungry, especially Jewish pilgrims to Shiloh.  The last stop of the group was the local dairy restaurant, pizza place, where everyone ordered a delicious meal, and we even skyped with a member of the group who presently lives abroad.  Thank G-d for modern technology.  Of course, the entire group is due to modern technology, internet and social media.  Almost all of us are writers, bloggers and photographers, so there should be more posts in various sites and blogs in the internet about this visit.

For information about Shiloh HaKeduma, Tel Shiloh, contact visit@telshilo.org.il or call 02-994-4019.  They cater to both groups and individual visitors besides running large public events during Jewish Holidays.

Women are invited to join me for Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Shiloh HaKeduma at Tel Shiloh.  The next one will be:

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh
Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Friday, May 10, 2013

1 Sivan 5773, 8:30am

Tour of Tel & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים
ראש חודש סיון בתל שילה
יום ו' 10-5 א' סיון תשע"ג 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Biblical Parallels, Aaron and King Saul

Regular readers and neighbors who attend Torah/Bible classes with me are well aware of how little regard I have for King Saul, the first king of the Jewish Nation.  Numerous times I've written about his great sin of allowing Agag, the Amalek king to live and making an uncalled for ceremony to G-d with his livestock, instead of following G-d's instructions to execute Agag and kill the livestock.  For this sin, he was severely punished; his right to rule was taken from him.  Simply put, G-d fired him; he was no longer allowed to be king.

Yesterday, Shabbat, as I read the Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the week, Ki Tisa, I was hit by the parallels in the story of Aaron, the "Golden Calf" and King Saul and his illegal religious ceremony.

In this week's Bible Portion, the people began to panic because they had expected Moses to return from his meeting with G-d.  They pressured Aaron to assist them in constructing a "golden calf" to worship.  Aaron's delaying tactics were ineffective, and G-d was furious with the people, as was Moses when he was greeted by the sight of the subsequent ceremony.  Moses mediated between G-d and the people, defending them, and no real immediate punishment was meted to Aaron.  It's very possible that the death of his sons, Nadav and Avihu for the "strange fire" while worshipping G-d was his punishment.

When Samuel the Prophet confronted King Saul over his disobeying G-d by leaving Agag and the livestock alive and uncalled for ceremony, Saul's excuse was that "the people pressured him."  Nothing of that sort is recorded in the Bible.  Of course, the Bible isn't a minute by minute record.  Could it have been that King Saul thought that he'd be excused, just like Aaron the Priest was?

Now this is all my opinion, my guess-work.  When I mentioned it at our שיעור נשים women's Study Class yesterday, the Bible teacher who was giving it had never heard these parallels mentioned before.

A simple reading of the Bible makes it very obvious that G-d doesn't accept Saul's excuse, whether true or fabricated.  Considering that there is no textual back-up for it and G-d's anger and subsequent punishment of Saul, the chances are that King Saul lied.

Saul was supposed to be a leader, to propagate G-d's commandments to the Jewish People.  Aaron's role was spokesperson and assistant to Moses.  G-d expected, demanded more of Saul; therefore this sin lost him his position.

It could also be said that a more expanded comparison of the two Biblical stories would make Samuel, the Prophet the parallel of Moses, because Samuel brought G-d's instructions to Saul.  King Saul was never the true leader of the Jewish People, but that's for another post.