Summer Bible/Tanach 5779 at Herzog College

Yesterday I spent the day immersed in Bible, Tanach at Michlelet Herzog, Herzog College in Alon Shvut. They offer a weeklong "festival" of study and touring. It's not cheap, but it's worth it for me. My summer vacation treats are membership in our local pool and spending one day at Herzog. I prefer that to a hotel or other "vacation."

This year enough* people signed up for the Shomron-Binyamin bus, which made traveling very easy.
I signed up for lectures according to the lecturers. Three are favorites from Matan, Dr. Yael Ziegler, Yael Leibowitz and Atara Snowbell, who no longer teaches there. They are my all time favorites, and if you ever have the opportunity to hear them, take advantage.

Herzog College Yemei Iyun, Bible Study Days offer classes and tours in Hebrew, English and French.

The organization, as usual, was excellent. This time my classes were only in two locations, two lectures, lunch and then the following three in a large "tent." Besides the bus, I signed up for lunch, which was also excellent. There was fish, plus a vegetarian alternative, lots of vegetables, salad, fruit and bread for those who wanted. There were hot/cold drinks in various locations, plus fruit, cookies and pastry throughout the day.

I must admit that the various lectures are all mixed up in my head. They covered similar overlapping topics and even quoted some of the same Bible verses.

To very superficially summarize, the lectures were about the era between the two Holy Temples, Ezra, Nechemia and Jeremiah.

Each of the five lecturers/speakers have different styles, and I really enjoyed the fact that they went over similar subject matter in their individual ways. The era is so similar to today:

• aliyah
• intermarriage
• assimilation
• "Who's a Jew?"
• To build or not to build a new Holy Temple?
• True or False Prophets? Who's really speaking in the name of Gd?

An added bonus was seeing lots of friends, many I've known since I was a teen. I also got to meet people I've been in touch with via facebook and other social media.

The growing popularity of the Tanach, Bible is further proof that we're preparing ourselves for the Third Temple and the Moshiach. They are connected, and I believe that we have to change, be ready, prepare ourselves and the world. It's not the job for the Moshiach to change us.  Gd willing we will work harder to make ourselves better, do Teshuva, repent and utilize the gifts Gd has been giving us, like the Land of Israel.

במהרה בימינו

bimhaira biyameinu

speedily in our days...

*last year it was cancelled for the day I needed due to insufficient registration

Inspiring Pre-Passover Learning

Yesterday, I was one of the hundreds of women and men who overfilled the Matan Auditorium to hear three of Matan's best teachers, Dr. Yael Ziegler, Rabbanit Shani Taragin and Yael Leibowitz. I thank Gd for the opportunity to have been there, which was due to the fact that in my present job teaching EFL Remedial English in Yeshivat Ahavat Chaim, my Passover break has already begun.

 As  every Wednesday morning in Matan, Jerusalem, for many years, Dr. Yael Ziegler opened the day with a totally spellbinding and inspiring lecture. Not one person interrupted, and Yael hardly took a breath as she enlightened us about the Plague of Darkness and its significance for the Egyptians and Gd's promise to the Jewish People.

 After a short break, Rabbanit Shani Taragin told us about Prayer, Passover and the Mitzvah to retell what happened to the Jewish People in Egypt. She quoted Rav Soloveitchik who had taught that those who don't recognize their own power of speech/prayer are slaves.

Lastly, Yael Leibowitz managed to keep us totally enthralled with her fascinating talk about the beginnings of the Jewish Nation including comparisons between Moses and Jacob.

My friends and I walked out totally energized and inspired, even though we had been sitting and listening for over four hours.

These pre-holiday learning sessions and the regular courses in Matan can be heard on their Matan Online site. Some are free, and others require payment. But once you subscribe, you can access all of the lectures. So, even if you can't attend Matan in person, you can still enjoy its classes. When I take my fitness walks, I listen to the lectures. Even those I had heard in person never bore me when I listen to them a number of times. 

Have a wonderful Shabbat, which should energize you for Passover, which is barely a week and a half away.