Everybody wants spirituality. To be a good person means to walk in G-d's ways. How does that translate to reality? The only guidebook to spirituality that has stood the test of time is the Hebrew Bible. The Bible says that the Jews will be a light onto the nations. But if you are not a born Jew, you have to convert, which is not so easy!! If you do convert, it is a lot of work to be a Jew (three times a day prayer, keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath).
This blog will show you how to be Jewish without the work!!
Monday, September 12, 2022
Shofar blowing on the Mount of Olives to wake up the people and Unique Sites of Israel: Mount Tabor By Nosson Shulman and Idaho to Get First Mikvah as Part of $3.5 Million Chabad Construction Project and The "Pizza" Rebbe founding a new settlement in the Negev
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
The Three are Rabbi Yehuda Glick, famous temple mount activist, and former Israel Mk, and then Robert Weinger, the world's greatest shofar blower and seller of Shofars, and myself after we had gone to the 12 gates of the Temple Mount in 2020 to blow the shofar to ask G-d to heal the world from the Pandemic. It was a highlight to my experience in living in Israel and I put it on my blog each day to remember.
The articles that I include each day are those that I find interesting, so I feel you will find them interesting as well. I don't always agree with all the points of each article but found them interesting or important to share with you, my readers, and friends. It is cathartic for me to share my thoughts and frustrations with you about life in general and in Israel. As a Rabbi, I try to teach and share the Torah of the G-d of Israel as a modern Orthodox Rabbi. I never intend to offend anyone but sometimes people are offended and I apologize in advance for any mistakes. The most important psychological principle I have learned is that once someone's mind is made up, they don't want to be bothered with the facts, so, like Rabbi Akiva, I drip water (Torah is compared to water) on their made-up minds and hope that some of what I have share sinks in. Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave.
The Three Musketeers at the Temple
"Pizza" Rebbe founding new settlment in the Negav
Shalom uBracha Reb Yehuda,
I will appreciate your quoting in your blog whatever you wish from the following,:
I cofounded https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mevo_Modi%27im and in 2019 the village was set on fire by terrorists, especially the sentence in bold font; Please note that "egalitarian" is not shorthand for "reform", but refers to a co-operative administration..
I have gathered enough experience to start a new village, and picked the Arava region, which has the greatest development potential, to turn it into Israel's own Las Vegas, minus the known unsavory bits.
I'm seeking Accountants. Actors, Architects, Artists, Autodidacts, Creators, Doctors, Farmers, Filmmakers, Foodies. Futurists, Healers, Hippies, Horse riders, Independent Thinkers, Inventors, Lawyers, Musicians, Nature Lovers, Performers, Researchers. Scientists, Shepherds, Teachers, Thespians, Winemakers, Writers... who want a role in building a better world and raise their children in a sustainable, self-sufficient learning egalitarian spiritual green community, near the new Eilat international airport and the future high speed railway, eager to claim land and build their own dream home, with our own and our neighbors' hands, and to seize a huge economic opportunity.
Please share what you want your ideal community to be like, and what energy, skills and talent you can contribute to plan and create it together; the bylaws you want, the things you stand for and what matters the most to you.
The community will be run according to the Holacracy system, which guarantees equal access to power and decisions for every member, and a meaningful role for each one no matter what age they are and economic weight they carry:
All transactions will be fully transparent, and no information may be withheld, hidden or denied to any member.
Equal access to tools and resources for projects and seed capital for startup enterprises will be a right and not a favor, the village will start as glocal until the land is secured.
My own contribution is a new solar energy conversion technology, based on nano-optics, and I have planned a sophisticated economic development model.
Once the land is granted, a hotel will be built, very similar to Norman Foster's Apple HQ in Cupertino and function as a residence for members until their permanent homes are built; it will then be used as a tourist resort hotel, whose profits will be equally shared among ALL members. It will include an academic campus, conference, exhibition and performance space, and opulent hospitality facilities.
In the semi tropical climate, the power station's heliostats will shade prize winning Greek and Sicilian grape varieties to produce famous wines..
The village will produce films and TV content for syndication and for its own satellite triad broadcast channel.
Your suggestions are welcome and will be part of the initial planning stage.
With blessings of Health, Longevity and Prosperity,
Eliahu Gal-Or - The Pizza RebbeLightwave Int.l Mediation & Investments, LtdIsraeli RE Broker Lic. 30212597 POB 31403 Jlm 91313 IL +972586272388 -
Idaho to Get First Mikvah as Part of $3.5 Million Chabad Construction Project
A new $3.5 million construction project at Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho in Boise will include the state's first Jewish ritual bath, also known as a mikvah, reported the local KTVB 7 news.
"This is a tremendous milestone that we are here today to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Chabad Jewish Center," said Rabbi Mendel Lifshitz at a ceremony on Wednesday.
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The center opened in 2004. The Jewish population in Idaho is about 0.1 percent of the state's total population of 1.754 million, in 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
"When we [first] moved to Boise, it had a small Jewish community. It still is a very small community, but it did not have any traditional representation within the Jewish community," said Lifshitz, who co-directs the center with his wife, Esther. "During the pandemic, our community has grown tremendously, and we are now looking at being able to provide more services."
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony and said the announcement of the new Chabad center "more than symbolizes the importance of community, the importance of coming together around the importance of shared values, the importance of having a place."
The new Chabad Jewish Center will also have a children's library to honor a community member who passed away six years ago, according to KTVB 7.
Today we are visiting the stunning Mount Tabor! Surrounded by relatively flat lands, this mountain, which is shaped like a perfectly round semi-circle, dramatically rises 450 meters (1476 feet), seemingly out of nowhere. Because of this, the site is often used by scripture to denote majesty. For example, "As long as I live, says the King, Whose name is the Lord of Hosts, that as sure as Tabor is among the mountains, and Carmel is by the sea, it shall come about (Jeremiah 46:8)". In Psalms 89:13, the verse says "Tabor…sings joyously in your name".
The only way to get to the top is to drive upon a very windy road. The drive itself is through a beautiful Mediterranean forest filled with Mount Tabor Oaks (the actual name of this species of trees), Pistachio trees, common oaks, and Carob trees. Depending on the season, you will see beautiful wildflowers on your way up, some of them quite rare!
This ultra-winding road is the only way to the top, but the drive is extraordinarily scenic! Photo Credit: Liorca -CC BY-SA 4.0Advertisement
Once at the top, we are immediately treated to breathtaking panoramic views!
Due to its height compared to its surroundings, the views of Mount Tabor are some of the most scenic in the country! Photo Credit: Zairon – CC BY-SA 4.0
Tabor was an important place in Biblical times, partly due to its location on the main international highway (the Via Marris) which went from Egypt to Damascus and Mesopotamia. It was also on an important North-South route in Israel. Since the mountain can be seen from far away, it acted as an important navigational landmark for wayfarers. The centrality of the mountain is further shown as being the border point between three tribes: Zebulun (Joshua 19:12), Issachar (IBID Joshua 19:22), and Naphtali (IBID 19:34).
Mount Tabor (see blue circle) is the biblical border between three tribes. Photo Credit: Richardprins – CC BY-SA 3.0
Due to the dramatic height difference between the mountain and its surroundings, Tabor was used throughout history as an important fortification. Besides the steep slopes which made it difficult for enemies to climb and conquer, the views above allowed it to spot potential invaders from far away.
The steep slopes of the mountain made it a formidable military base for defenders. Photo Credit: PikiWiki – Israel free image collection project – Creative CommonsAttribution 2.5 Generic
When the Jewish people were oppressed by the ultra-powerful general Sisera, Deborah the prophetess told Barak (her husband according to Jewish sources) to gather together an army of 10,000 men and bring them to the top of Mount Tabor. When Sisera was near, Deborah told Barak to forge an attack with his army. As they ran down the mountain, G-d caused the superior forces of Sisera to be confounded, and they fled into the Kishon River. G-d then set a divine trap, and the enemy forces got stuck in the brook where they were subsequently slaughtered (for more on the miracles of the Kishon River and the battle against Sisera, click here). Because of these miracles, the Jewish people had quiet in their land for the next 40 years (see Judges 4). Later, Gideon's brothers were killed by the Midianites on Mount Tabor (Judges 8:8).
In the Kishon River, Sisera's soldiers were ensnared and slaughtered by Barak's forces. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
In post biblical times, Tabor continued to be a major fortress and was the site of several wars. When the Romans invaded Israel in 63 BCE, they fought against the Maccabean ruler Alexander, who had his base on Mount Tabor. Alexander refused to surrender, and the Romans attacked (ultimately capturing the mountain) and subsequently slaughtering 10,000 of the Jewish troops stationed there.
During the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans, circa 66-73 CE, Jewish general Josephus Flavius (arguably the most famous historian in history) heavily fortified Mount Tabor, stockpiling provisions for a long siege, including water, food, and weapons. When the Romans came to attack, they were unable to safely climb the mountain, so General Placidus convinced the Rebels to descend and surrender in exchange for their life. The fighters pretended to surrender, but instead attacked the Romans. After a heavy fight the Romans gained the upper hand, and the surviving Jewish fighters fled to Jerusalem (which was ultimately conquered in 70 CE by the Romans, who then destroyed the Holy Temple).
Remains of the wall that Josephus built to fight the Romans, circa 66-67 (see blue circle)
During the Byzantine period, Tabor became a popular Christian pilgrimage site, and three monasteries were built on top.
4th Century Byzantine ruins found on the property of the Greek Monastery of Mount Tabor.Byzantine ruins found on the grounds of the Franciscan Monastery. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
In 1101 the invading Crusaders rebuilt the monasteries (which had turned into ruins) and built a massive fort atop the mountain.
Ruins of the Crusader 'Dungeon" (i.e. the tallest tower in the fort). Photo Credit: Shutterstock
In 1187 the Muslim ruler Salah captured this place from the crusaders, although he allowed the Churches to continue to function. In 1212 his successor (and brother) Sultan Al-Adil I built massive fortifications using stones from the Churches and monasteries.
Defense walls built by the Muslim rulers in 1212 in preparation for battles with the Crusaders. These walls stood for only 5 years, before the one who built it ordered it to be destroyed.
In 1217 the Crusaders once again invaded Israel to dislodge the ruling Muslims. At first they were doing well, which caused the Muslims to do something which seemed counter intuitive; they destroyed their own fortification walls here and throughout the country. Why did they do such a peculiar thing when they should have been building more walls? The answer has to do with the different styles of battle that the Crusaders thrived in as compared to the Muslims. The Crusader strategy was to build many fortifications within eyesight of each other and hide behind the walls. If one of the forts was put under siege, soldiers from the other forts could leave their walls and attack the enemies from behind. However, the Muslims fought best in open fields. Had the Crusaders been able to capture the forts, the Muslims would have had little chance of expelling them afterwards. Had no forts existed, the Crusaders would have had little chance of re-capturing the land because they had to fight in the open field. For this reason, the Muslims destroyed their own walls and ultimately, they were victorious.
Picture taken in 1912 with Mount Tabor clearly visible on the horizon.
In 1229 the Crusaders were finally able to capture the mountain, but in 1263 the Muslim ruler Baybars conquered the area. Due to his hatred of the Christians, he destroyed all of the churches and religious institutions, banning Christians from attending.
For the next few centuries, all was relatively quiet atop the mountain. In 1799 the "Battle of Mount Tabor" took place in the valley between the French invading force of Napolean and the Ottoman Turkish rulers. Although the French sent only 2000 troops into battle, they were able to defeat the 35,000 Turkish troops guarding Mount Tabor (only two French troops were killed in battle). Although wildly successful in this battle, the Ottoman Turks were able to turn the tide of war in the siege of Akko (Acre). After 10 weeks in Israel, Napoleon and his forces were forced to retreat from the land.
Famous painting hanging in the Louvre which shows Napolean visiting his troops at a military hospital in Jaffa, Israel.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Greek Orthodox were permitted to rebuild one of their monasteries. In the 1920s, the Catholic churches were also allowed to be rebuilt (both incorporated Byzantine and Crusader ruins into their building plans).
Today, tourists can visit this breathtaking and historic biblical mountain! During your next tour of Israel, I hope to ascend Mount Tabor with you!
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