Our Bible, Enough Learning for A Lifetime

Around fifteen or more years ago, for quite a few years I participated in what we called "Boker Limud," A Learning Morning, or a Morning of Learning.  A neighbor wanted to learn and put it all togehter.  We studied Tanach (Jewish Bible,) Kuzari, T'hillim (Psalms,) Kohelet, Women in the Bible, Ecclesiastes and lots of other courses over the years.  You can even find notes from some of the lessons on my blogs, the earliest of posts.

I remember enjoying the classes immensely but finding them sometimes very difficult to follow, because I had no real background.  As I've said my times before:

"They don't teach these things in P.S. 46, JHS 74 or in Great Neck North." 

 I didn't study the Bible in Stern College either.  I felt like I had been given a few pieces from a 5,000 (or 5 million) piece jigsaw puzzle without any idea of what the picture was supposed be of.

Even when I didn't understand much about the Tanach, I always enjoyed the classes.  And now that I know a teeny bit more, I find the lessons even more exciting.

Learning Tanach, as many Israeli-raised friends tell me, isn't even a strong element in the Israeli curriculum and that includes in religious schools.  It's almost totally ignored in the Chareidi world.

The Tanach, the Jewish Bible, is not just history, or religion, literature or a road map.  It is everything, yes, everything and more.  It should be taught more in Jewish schools, here and abroad.  There should be more tours and visits to walk the places our ansecstors walked.  Get into their "skin."  After almost thirty years in Shiloh, the longer I'm here, the more I study, the more totally connected I feel to my Land, the Holy Land, the Land of Israel.

Maybe that's why the Bible isn't taught all that much in Jewish schools here and abroad.  "They" don't want to raise Jewish kids to feel totally connected to the Jewish Land, the Land of Israel.  That's also why graduates of Jewish Day Schools can barely speak Israel, rabbis need translations etc.  Considering that most day school kids have at least fourteen years of Jewish schooling, there's no excuse for their lack of fluent Hebrew and knowledge of ancient Jewish History and the Bible.

"Less Lethal", Indeed!!!

The Muqata has just tweeted this:

Weapon used in Havat Gilad was the "less-lethal" FN303. Will they at least use these in Bil'in too, or is it against Settlers only?

According to Wikipedia:
The FN 303 was involved in a controversial 2004 incident in Boston in which Victoria Snelgrove was shot in the eye and fatally wounded. [5] Subsequent tests by Boston Police indicated that the 303's accuracy "decreased significantly" after about three hundred firings. This is circumstantially corroborated by testimony of the officer who fired the weapon, stating that he was aiming at a rioter throwing bottles and did not even know that a bystander had been hit. [6]

A fifteen million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Boston and FN Herstal was settled in July 2006. [7] In 2007 the Boston Police destroyed their remaining FN303s, stating they were more powerful and lethal than had been anticipated. [8]

During violent protests in front of the ARCELOR [former ARBED] building in Luxembourg city on May 11, 2009, the weapon was used for the first time by Luxembourg police forces. An RTL cameraman was hit in the hand, breaking one finger. [9]

Doesn't sound so "less-lethal" to me! But here's the clincher. Who purchases these weapons? Again, from Wikipedia:

Libya: Purchased 2,000 launchers in 2009. [11]

Hmmmmmm.....perhaps the comparison to Libya [L'havdil?] was not such an exaggeration after all........

Nu, Do You Want to Know the News?

Here are updates about the riots, revolts, violence in the middle-east.  At least they admit it isn't heaven.

J Street, What they don't want you to know...

From  ישראל שלי Yisrael Shelli, My Israel.

If Bibi Thinks Life Is Difficult Now, He's Steering The Country To Tougher Times

Hat tip to IMRA for some of the links.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has taken a wrong turn and is snared in bunch of thorn bushes.  He's pushing us deeper in and blaming the only people who have a chance of getting us out.  Bibi told the "settlement leaders" that things are difficult, but he's making it worse.  We have to pull out of all appease, faux "peace" negotiations and declare that a Pseudostinian aka Palestinian sic state will only further endanger world peace.

Attacking law-abiding patriotic Israelis isn't the way to help the nation.  Only by declaring all of Judea and Samaria officially Israel, annexing it and supporting the building of Jewish homes and communities and cities will we enjoy true peace.  Sorry to sound melodramatic, but we're on our way to -G-d forbid- destruction if Israeli Government policies aren't changed.

Bibi's Likud is no better for the future of the Jewish People and State of Israel than Ariel Sharon's was.  He must recognize the dangers around us.  I'd say that Bibi is having a problem with "reality," locked in his protected world, fed news by his staff.

We must keep up the protests and do what is right!

What Can Be Seen on Israeli Roads

I got very nervous when I saw these two strange buses with Jordanian markings on the road near French Hill, Jerusalem, going towards Pisgat Zeev, Maale Adumim.

Yes, so as you can see, I immediately whipped out my camera and started shooting.  Luckily I was with a friend who lives in Kfar Adumim who informed me that she sees this sort of bus pretty frequently making the Israel-Jordan, Jordan-Israel run.  I could see a bit through the windows, and the passengers seemed to be men dressed in suits.  Are these diplomats or businessmen?  Does anyone have any information?

Frume Sarah's Latest Havel Havelim

Frume Sarah is now a frequent HH hostess and always does a great job.  Take a look!

I don't know why she called this edition "A MishMash," because it's done in her usual very professional way.  Nu, take a look and visit all the blogs included.

Frume Sarah, thanks so much!

What Will Greet Us on Rosh Chodesh Adar II At Tel Shiloh

Rosh Chodesh Adar II is next week.  Purim is just two weeks later!

On Rosh Chodesh Adar I, not only did a neighbor and I brave the lovely winter rains and winds, but we discovered we werent alone. There were Japanese tourists at Tel Shiloh.

G-d willing Tel Shiloh will be decorated with wild flowers or more blessed rain or both when we go to Tel Shiloh for our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh

Rosh Chodesh Adar II

Sunday, March 6, 2011

9:30am

Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים

ראש חודש אדר ב' בתל שילה

יום א' 6-3

9:30

יהיה דבר תורה קצר

נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

I'd Love to Hear Such Words From Israel:

Abbas: $460 million in US aid "does not mean they dictate to us whatever they want"

In Perkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, we're taught that we're supposed to learn from everyone, and yes, I have no doubt that even Mahmoud Abbas has what to teach us.  The less doubt and compromise you display the less people pressure you.

And of course, Castro's Cuba is the best example/proof that being the United States #1 enemy is not a death sentence.  Castro has outlived his opposition, internal and external.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran proves the point that even being a good friend of America doesn't guarantee support and survival when you need it.

And yes, all of my examples are dictatorships, and Israel is a democracy with the la la Left controlling the courts, media and universities.  So, when you take that into consideration, Israel is under the dictatorship of the la la Left, a very dangerous situation and the reason why our politicians spout Leftist dogma, ideology, rather than what's really best for the secure future of the State of Israel in the Land of Israel.

The only thing that will truly save us would be leadership not looking to curry favor with other nations. Israel must have true Jewish leaders, not followers of other nations and ideologies.

Thanks to Caroline Glick The Tribal Update brings you the Arab Democracy Anthem



Yes, it's the weekly broadcast of the RIGHT  news.

It's A Wasted Vote to Vote Likud and Other Coalition Joining Parties

There was a very important vote this week in the Knesset.  If it would have passed, we Israeli citizens, tax-paying, law-abiding Israeli citizens would have been given full legal rights.  Our towns and cities would have been recognized as sovereign Israeli instead of the second or third class status we now suffer. 

Only four MK's voted for the bill which had been sponsored by the Ichud Leumi, National Union.  The Likud MK's who had been recommended in the primaries by Moshe Feiglin's Manhigut Yehudit  Jewish Leadership fled the plenum and the Likud ministers voted against.  I never expected the NRP (Jewish Home) by any other name to do anything to risk their coalition status and perks.  Ditto for Avigdor Lieberman's faux Right pro-Land of Israel party.  He used the words to attract the votes, but his MK's are even worse than the Likud's, as you can see in the Mattot Arim "report card."

The Israeli political system is multiple parties, not an American two party one.  That means that you have to vote for the party that can be relied on to support what's important to you.  And, if you're like me and, consider Israel's survival dependent on Jewish presence and sovereignty in all of the Land of Israel, the choice is a simple one.  Vote Ichud Le'umi, National Union.