Your Favorite Things About Israel

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The Three Weeks | My Jewish Learning

 

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Opinion | Israel’s Secret Arab Allies

 

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And all the nations shall account you happy, for you shall be the most desired of lands—said God of Hosts
Malachi 3:12 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

ve-EESH-RU et-KHEM kol ha-HOY-eem kee tee-HEE-yu a-TEM e-RETZ khe-FETZ
a-MAR a-d-NAI tze-VA-ot

The Day of God is Coming
Malachi’s final words mark the closing of the era of prophecy. He ends his final message by stating that the day of Hashem (God) is coming, preceded by the arrival of Eliyahu(Elijah) the prophet. On that day, the prophet’s role will not be to overthrow nations, but to “reconcile parents with children and children with their parents.” Only when our homes are filled with harmony and love, teaches Malachi, can we begin to dream of peace and understanding on a global scale.

 

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But Yehuda shall be inhabited forever, And Yerushalayim throughout the ages
Joel 4:20 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

vee-hu-DAH l’-o-LAM tay-SHAYV vee-ru-sha-LA-im l’-DOR va-DOR

An Unbreakable Bond
Yehuda (Judah) is Yaakov’s (Jacob's) fourth son. When the land is divided amongst the tribes of Israel, Yehuda receives the vast territory south of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), extending from the Dead Sea in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. For centuries, this area has been known as the region of Yehuda, or Judea. Though many people seek to sever the bond between the Jewish people and Judea, the biblical heartland of the Jewish People, through His prophet Yoel (Joel), God promises that Yehuda will exist forever.

 

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A rare bronze Year Four coin, minted in 69-70 CE during the Great Jewish Revolt, and depicting the Four Species, discovered in wet sifting of material from the City of David, June 2018. (Ilan Shilmaiv/City of David)

(full article online)

Recently uncovered Jewish Revolt coin shows rebels aware of impending disaster

 

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Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent
Psalms 1:1 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

ash-ray ha-EESH a-SHER LO ha-LAKH ba-a-TZAT r’-sha-EEM uv-DE-rekh KHA-ta-eem LO a-MAD uv-mo-SHAV lay-TZEEM LO ya-SHAV

The Path of Righteousness
King David begins the Book of Psalms by focusing on man. This man's first action is to walk, in Hebrew halakh , and immediately upon setting out on his journey he is forced to decide which path he should take: righteous or wicked, fruitful or barren. This ‘walking’ reminds us of God’s first words to Avraham (Abraham) directing him to travel to the land of Israel, lech lecha , ‘Go forth’ (Genesis 12:1), and more significantly, kum hithalekh ba’aretz , ‘Arise, walk about the land’ (Genesis 13:17). David may have been reminding us that while praising God transcends time and place, the Books of Psalms was written in the Land of Israel, the ancient walking grounds of our forefathers.

 

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According to Dr. Danny Syon of the IAA, “at a first impression, the finds seem to date to the Hellenistic period—between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE. Considering that cooking and serving vessels were found, it would appear that those who brought them planned to live there for a while. We assume that whoever hid there had escaped some violent event that occurred in the area. Perhaps by dating the vessels more closely, we would be able to connect them to a known historic event. It’s mindboggling how the vessels were carried up into the cave, which is extremely difficult to access. Maybe an easier way that once existed has disappeared over time.”

(full article online)

2,000-Year-Old, Intact Pottery Vessels Salvaged in Cave on Lebanese Border

 

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I had resolved to adopt you as My child, and I gave you a desirable land—the fairest heritage of all the nations
Jeremiah 3:19 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

v’-a-no-KHEE a-MAR-tee AYKH a-shee-TAYKH ba-ba-NEEM v’-e-ten LAKH E-retz
khem-DAH na-kha-LAT tz’-VEE tziv-OT go-YIM

A Desirable Land
Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) describes the Land of Israel as a 'desirable land'. The Land of Israel is desired by all nations since Hashem's (God's) holy presence is so palpable there. Everyone who senses the holiness of the Land of Israel is drawn towards it. One needs to look no further than the modern media outlets to appreciate the ongoing conflicts and debates over the ownership of the Land of Israel. Despite its small size, Israel is indeed the most desired land and is sought after by the nations of the world.

 

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Amazing how Israel turned this near wasteland into such a thriving & beautiful land.

Israel: Beautiful and Historic

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A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces
Ecclesiastes 3:5 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

AYT l’-hash-LEEKH a-va-NEEM v’-AYT k’-NOS a-va-NEEM AYT la-kha-VOK v’-AYT
lir-KHOK may-kha-BAYK

What's The Time?
According to Jewish tradition, the phrase "a time for throwing stones" is a reference to the destruction of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) when the holy city's grand walls were reduced to a heap of rocks. The phrase, "and a time to gather stones" refers to the second stage of exile, when King Yechonya, and those exiled with him carried the stones and the earth of Yerushalayim to Babylonia, in order to build synagogues and study halls from the precious earth and stones of the Holy Land. Just as Hashem (God) allowed Yerushalayim to be ravaged and reduced to stones, He also allows for the stones to be gathered and for Yerushalayim to be build and restored once again.

 

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Halva Cigars Chocolate-Halva Cigars

 

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Shabbat Shalom

Nevertheless, I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish it with you as an everlasting covenant
Ezekiel 16:60 (The Israel Bible™)

Hear the verse in Hebrew

v’-za-khar-TEE a-NEE et b’-ree-TEE o-TAKH bee-MAY n’-u-RA-yikh va-ha-kee-mo-TEE LAKH b’-REET o-LAM

An Eternal Covenant
To explain the unfolding tragedy of destruction and exile, Yechezkel (Ezekiel) employs a metaphor, portraying Israel as a baby abandoned in the wilderness. Ignored by most, a kind passerby picks her up, protects her and cares for her. Upon her reaching the age of maturity, he marries her. Nevertheless, despite his dedication and affection, the young woman becomes unfaithful. Such has been the relationship between the people of Israel and Hashem (God). He saved them from slavery, cared for them and protected them in the desert, entered into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai and brought them to their own land. In return, though, they betrayed Him and abandoned Him, favoring other gods over their own. Unlike mortal man, however, God does not change His mind. He promises that He will renew His relationship with them in an “everlasting covenant” and return them to their land.

 

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The 100,000-square-foot Noah’s Ark-shaped building, which houses more than 5.5 million specimens of species from around the globe, opened this week alongside the Tel Aviv University campus after more than two decades of planning.

As the biggest natural history museum in the Middle East and Israel’s national center for biodiversity studies, the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History highlights the country’s ecological diversity at the crossroads of the three continents, as well as the impact of urban development, climate change, and man-made devastation on the region’s ecosystems.

The main goal of the museum, according the curators, is to increase public awareness about the natural world and environment on a local and global scale.

(full article online)

Middle East’s largest natural history museum opens in Israel