Israel 365 News

Shalom Zahara, Please enjoy today's Daily Inspiration from Israel.
This is the day that Hashem has made— let us exult and rejoice on it.
זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ
Psalms 118:24 (The Israel Bible, p. 1615)
zeh ha-YOM a-SAH a-do-NAI na-GEE-lah v'-nis-m'-KHAH vo
Why is Today the Happiest Day of the Year?
What are the happiest days of the Jewish year?

It seems like a simple question. Most people would guess - for good reason! - one or a combination of the following holidays: Passover (who doesn’t love Matzah and late night parties that celebrate redemption?), Hanukkah (lighting candles and eating fried food is always a win!), or Purim (dressing up in costumes as we celebrate the downfall of those who tried to kill us!). Surprisingly, however, the Rabbis disagree.

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says, "There were never happier days for the Jews like the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur…” (Mishnah Ta’anit)

Two unexpected answers, to say the least! What is so joyous about these days? Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is a fast day, and who ever heard of the 15th of Av? The Talmud explains that Yom Kippur is joyous because on this day, God forgives our sins - and nothing could be more joyous than that!

But what about the 15th day of the month of Av - which just so happens to be today? Why is today the happiest days of the year?

https://www.israel365news.com/374046/is-there-a-religious-war-brewing-at-the-cave-of-eliyahu/?
CHRISTIANS HAIFA
On Wednesday night, a conflict that has been brewing for several months, exploded as Jews  and Christians  clashed at the Stella Maris church in Haifa, leading police to briefly block the road leading to the site. Several dozen Jews belonging to the Hasidic Breslov sect arrived and attempted to enter the church. The incident coincided with the Jewish holy day of Tisha B’Av, commemorating the destruction of the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem.

A rally protesting the visits by the Hassidim was held on Thursday night, the second in less than one month.

The Stella Maris church in southwestern Haifa is a Catholic monastery for Discalced Carmelite monks, located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa.The main church inside the Stella Maris Monastery is said to contain the Cave of Elijah, a grotto where according to the Old Testament, the Prophet Elijah lived for some time. Inside the cave, there is an altar carved in the rock, with a small statue of the Prophet. The current church and monastery, built under the orders of Brother Cassini of the Order, was opened in 1836.

According to Jewish tradition, first recorded in writing in the 13th century and later records, the tomb in the grotto in the church, is the tomb of Elisha the prophet, student of Elijah the prophet.

The entrance to the grotto is inside the church. This makes it problematic for Jews to access the site as it is forbidden to enter places where idols, icons, or religious statues are found. Praying at gravesites even those of Biblical characters is not a commandment and even if it were, there is a religious axiom that a mitzvah (Biblical commandment) cannot be performed by transgressing a Biblical prohibition.

Beginning in May, Orthodox Jews adhering to the Brezolv Hasidic sect began to arrive at the Stella Maris Church, attempting to enter the grotto. 

Last month, about 300 members of the Christian-Catholic community in Haifa, including Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh, participated in a rally protesting the arrival of Breslav Hasidim to pray at the Stella Maris Monastery. They called the police to prevent the worshipers from entering the site.

A Journey from Mourning to Comfort
Comfort, oh comfort My people, Says your God.
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
Isaiah 40:1 (The Israel Bible, p. 1023)
na-kha-MU na-kha-MU a-MEE yo-MAR e-lo-hay-KHEM
Imagine you are at the base of a towering mountain, its peak shrouded in clouds. The summit seems impossibly far, the climb treacherous. You've just descended from another mountain – a descent that was painful and swift. Now, you must climb again. Yet, a voice whispers, comforting you, "Fear not, the ascent, however challenging, leads to a place of comfort, of renewal. So, is the climb harder than the fall?"

This question isn't merely rhetorical, nor is it limited to mountaineering. It resonates deeply with the Jewish spiritual journey, particularly between the 9th of Av, the day of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, and Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. This is a period that transitions from the intense mourning of the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, to a phase of consolation and renewed hope. This period begins with Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of consolation, and initiates seven weeks of solace expressed in the seven prophetic readings (haftarot) of consolation read on each of the Sabbaths during that time.

Taking its name from the first words of the reading from the prophets read on this day (Isaiah 40:1-26), "Nachamu, Nachamu ami," which translates as "comfort, comfort my people," Shabbat Nachamu invites us to rise from the ashes of destruction remembered over the previous three weeks, and look ahead towards brighter days. But why is the period of mourning a mere three weeks long, while the seven-week period of consolation is more than double in length?
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
https://theisraelbible.com/scaling-the-mountain-of-redemption/?

What is the Secret of Tisha B’Av?
until I find a place for Hashem, an abode for the Mighty One of Yaakov.”
עַד־אֶמְצָא מָקוֹם לַיהֹוָה מִשְׁכָּנוֹת לַאֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב
Psalms 132:5 (The Israel Bible)
ad em-TZA ma-KOM la-do-NAI mish-ka-NOT la-a-VEER ya-a-KOV
Reading is magical. Reading can take you places you have never been and show you things you have never seen. It is almost as good as being there and reading fanatics know that in many ways, reading is better than watching a movie. It goes deeper.

People who read the Bible can almost see what the Temples looked like. But only almost. The destruction of the Temples happened so long ago and we never experienced it. No one alive today has ever seen them.

But Jewish tradition has us mourning for three weeks and fasting on Tisha B’Av over their destruction. If you weren’t sad about losing the Temple before, after the Tisha B’Av service including reading Lamentations and kinot, sad poems and elegies, after fasting and sitting on the floor, you will be sad, mourning the loss of a Temple you never saw.

But Tisha B’Av leaves the problem unresolved. After all of the intense spiritual work, the Temple is still lying in ruins. Many people are left with the unspoken question of ‘Why do we mourn so much later for a building we don’t really miss?’ Is there something more to mourning than just feeling sad?
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
https://theisraelbible.com/what-is-the-secret-of-tisha-bav/?

https://www.israel365news.com/373747/the-sons-of-jacob-promised-return-series-the-tribe-of-simeon/?
The Sons of Jacob Promised Return Series – The Tribe of Simeon
Yehuda then said to their brother-tribe Shimon, “Come up with us to our allotted territory and let us attack the Canaanites, and then we will go with you to your allotted territory.” So Shimon joined them.
JUDGES 1:3(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Bishop Jerry L. Bowers
OPINION
JULY 20, 2023
Home » The Sons of Jacob Promised Return Series – The Tribe of Simeon
JEWISH HISTORY TEN TRIBES
Ihave found there is a great difference between relating to the ancient land of Israel and traveling to Israel to connect with the land herself.
I have read about biblical history as many have, but when I traveled and visited the many biblical sites, I found a profound connection. As a result, my heart connected to the land. I visited places like the ancient site of the City of David, where he brought the Ark of the Covenant and there I saw four thousand years of history represented at this site. I visited the wailing wall that is a part of the Temple Mount, and walked on the top of the wall that surrounds the city where the two temples were built. I traveled to Tiberias and stood by the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and I saw the many biblical sites. In my seventeen trips to Israel, I discovered that Israel was sown into my heart. On a recent trip, I visited the lands that were given to the Sons of Jacob that became the 12 Tribes of Israel and learned about each of them. 

“If we are going to pray for the return of the scattered tribes, we need to know who we are praying for, and what God has said about them. This will give us a heart for them for their return. They will be sown into our hearts like the land. “

Simeon is the second son of Leah and Jacob. The name “Simeon” means “To Hear.” (Gen. 29:32). The symbol for this tribe is “a fighting sword.” They are described as warriors.  This tribe carries the anointing to hear. They had a shared land with Judah, and their area extended to the city of Beersheba. In Ezekiel 48:24, Simeon’s land will be restored in the area near Benjamin and Judah. (Ezekiel 48:24). Simeon was first to go up to take the land of the Canaanites with Judah. (Judges 1:3,17). Their ability “to hear” translated to their ability to fight and defend Israel. 

Simeon was said to be cruel as a warrior, according to Jacob. (Gen. 49:7). When his sister Dinah was raped by a man named Shechem, he devised a scheme to rescue her and kill all the men in the city. (Gen. 34:2-26). 

When God begins to work in our lives to restore, He will also redeem our future generations to His original purposes and strengths. The anointing “to hear” was redeemed and is still working for the benefit of Israel. The sacred prayer “Shema Yisrael” is recited daily morning and evening to this day for the people “to hear.” It is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one God.” 

Here is what we can learn from Simeon. He was a keeper of the promises of God by watching over his family, and the promises of God, for the inheritance of the land. The sacred prayer of “Shema Yisrael” reminds us of his anointing “to hear.” 

We are invited by the prophet Isaiah “to watch and wait” with Simeon “to hear and see” on the walls of Jerusalem. Isaiah the prophet tells us that God is looking for “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem,” who will watch over His promises day and night. Like Simeon, who was ready to take the land for his tribe, we are to watch over the fulfillment of God’s prophecies for Jerusalem in Isaiah 62:6-7.

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace, day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes, and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

The Voice of Aliyah is being heard in the Nations for Simeon

Declaration of Return for the Tribe of Simeon

“Simeon, from your birth you were appointed “to hear” your God and fight for Him. He has called you to return to the land first appointed to you and have your portion restored. (Ezek. 48:24). The Holy One of Israel will redeem and restore you to your inheritance. Hear now His Word to return from the nations that you might know HaShem in the land of Israel and His love for you and your children. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is waiting for you to come home.”
Land of Simeon Restored
The restored tribe of Simeon, according to Ezekiel 48:24, will have land near the tribe of Benjamin, which is near Judah and Benjamin.
The location of the sons of Simeon. 
Midrashic writings and history suggest that the Tribe of Simeon was taken captive by the Assyrian king Sennacherib and taken to Ethiopia. When the Chazars adopted Judaism, Simeon joined them. A part of the Falashas people are said to claim descent from the tribe of Simeon. (Ha-Shiloah, ix. 360). Ethiopian Jews are now returning to Israel. While we cannot be certain where all the tribes and their descendants went, we do know God has promised to bring them back to the land of Israel.

Wrestling with Divine Justice
For I envied the wanton; I saw the wicked at ease.
כִּי־קִנֵּאתִי בַּהוֹלְלִים שְׁלוֹם רְשָׁעִים אֶרְאֶה
Psalms 73:3 (The Israel Bible, p. 1557)
kee ki-NAY-tee ba-ho-l'-LEEM sh'-LOM r'-sha-EEM er-EH
Have you ever been bothered by the perplexing reality of why the righteous often face hardships while the wicked prosper? This enigma, known as theodicy, has long troubled humanity, from the biblical times of King David and the prophet Jeremiah to the present day. In their quest for answers, they grappled with this theological concept, seeking to reconcile divine goodness with the existence of evil. Yet even though they struggled to make sense of this difficult reality, they continued to serve God with all of their strength.

King David lived and breathed this dilemma, but perhaps the most powerful expression of theodicy came from the prophet Jeremiah:

You will win, Hashem, if I make claim against You, Yet I shall present charges against You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are the workers of treachery at ease? (Jeremiah 12:1)

How can we make sense of this dilemna?
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
https://theisraelbible.com/wrestling-with-divine-justice/?

Dvarim – Moses, the Rock, & the Spies
Because of you Hashem was incensed with me too, and He said: You shall not enter it either.
גַּם־בִּי הִתְאַנַּף יְהֹוָה בִּגְלַלְכֶם לֵאמֹר גַּם־אַתָּה לֹא־תָבֹא שָׁם
Deuteronomy 1:37 (The Israel Bible, 440)
gam bee hit-a-NAF a-do-NAI big-lal-KHEM lay-MOR gam a-TAH lo ta-VO SHAM
This week, we begin the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is made up of a series of speeches that Moses delivered in the final five weeks of his life. In the opening speech, Moses retold the story of the sin of the spies. As we recall from Numbers 13 and 14, the spies were sent to scout out the land, brought back a negative report, and led the people into a state of despair and panic. As a result of this display of lack of faith, God decreed that the entire generation, all those over the age of twenty, would die over the course of forty years in the desert.
In his review of these events here at the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses added the following:

Also at me was the Lord angry because of you, saying, ‘You, too, will not arrive there. Joshua, the son of Nun, who attends you, he will arrive there. – Deuteronomy 1:37-38

Here, when recalling the punishment of the people of Israel, Moses included the decree that Moses himself would not be allowed into the land. This is difficult to understand. The reason for Moses being forbidden from entering the land is well-known. In Numbers 20, in the fortieth year of the sojourn in the desert, God commanded Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock to bring forth water.

Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” – Numbers 20: 11-12

Moses and Aaron were punished for hitting the rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it. The decree that Moses and Aharon would not be allowed to enter the land of Israel is expressly stated as a punishment for this sin, not for the sin of the spies thirty-eight years earlier.

Furthermore, a close look at the verses in Deuteronomy chapter 1 indicates that Moses claimed here that God decreed this punishment at the same time as he decreed that the entire generation would not enter the land, in the wake of the sin of the spies. This is difficult because Moses’s rock-hitting incident occurred thirty- eight years later. Yet here in Deuteronomy 1, the implication is that Moses was forbidden from entering the land of Israel as a result of the sin of the spies.

To sum up: In Numbers 20, we see that God decreed that Moses would not enter the promised land due to his striking the rock to bring forth water rather than speaking to it as God commanded. Yet, here in Deuteronomy, Moses claims that he was forbidden from entering the land due to the sin of the spies. How do we solve this problem?
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
https://www.israel365news.com/373742/dvarim-moses-the-rock-the-spies/?

https://www.israel365news.com/373491/matot-the-two-vengeances/?
Matot - Two Vengeances
They took the field against Midian, as Hashem had commanded Moshe, and slew every male.
וַיִּצְבְּאוּ עַל־מִדְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל־זָכָר
Numbers 31:7 (The Israel Bible)
va-yitz-b'-U al mid-YAN ka-a-SHER tzi-VAH a-do-NAI et mo-SHEH va-ya-har-GU kol za-KHAR
The Midianites had initiated a pagan orgy that led directly to the deaths of twenty-four thousand Israelites. In these verses, God commanded Moses to take vengeance for this tragedy. In God’s command, he referred to the vengeance as “vengeance for the Children of Israel.” Yet, when Moses relayed the command to the people, he called it, “God’s vengeance.” Why did Moses change the language of the command?


https://theisraelbible.com/love-and-brotherhood-in-the-temples-legacy/?
Love and Brotherhood in the Temple's Legacy
More numerous than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without reason; many are those who would destroy me, my treacherous enemies. Must I restore what I have not stolen?
רַבּוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם עָצְמוּ מַצְמִיתַי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־גָזַלְתִּי אָז אָשִׁיב
Psalms 69:5 (The Israel Bible, p. 1551)
ra-BU mi-sa-a-ROT ro-SHEE so-n'-AI khi-NAM a-tz'-MU MATZ-mee-tai o-y'-VAI SHE-ker a-SHER lo ga-ZAL-tee AZ a-SHEEV
David set the stage for the building of the Temple by purchasing the mountaintop threshing floor that became the location of the Temple that was built by his son, Solomon. As explained in a previous article, the location was chosen because of the brotherly love displayed there.

Love and brotherhood are very important in Judaism and in the worship of God. Through His prophets, God warns over and over again against treating others unfairly, oppressing others, and taking advantage of those who are less fortunate. The prophets even state that God is not interested in our worship of Him if we are not also just, moral and kind (see for example Isaiah chapter 1).

The Sages teach that it was, in fact, baseless hatred that led to the destruction of the Second Temple.

In Psalm 69, David himself warns against this very sin. How?

In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!
Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available now!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.
Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!
צִיּוֹן
TZION
TZEE-YOHN
ZION
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, sat and wept, as we thought of Zion.” (Psalms 137:1)
MORE https://www.israel365news.com/372939/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-tzion-zion/?

https://www.israel365news.com/373276/bbc-anchor-utters-blood-libel-during-live-interview-with-ex-israel-pm-naftali-bennett/?
'BBC anchor utters blood libel during live interview with ex-Israel PM Naftali Bennett
They encircle me with words of hate; they attack me without cause.
PSALMS109:3(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Rachel  O Donoghue
RACHEL  O DONOGHUE
ANTISEMITISM
JULY 6, 2023
Home » BBC anchor utters blood libel during live interview with ex-Israel PM Naftali Bennett
BBC NAFTALI BENNETT
“The Israeli forces are happy to kill children,” is just one of the profoundly disturbing statements made by BBC News presenter Anjana Gadgil during an interview with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about the IDF’s recent counterterrorism raid in Jenin.

Gadgil’s anti-Israel bias was exposed in her first question to Bennett:

“First of all, the Israeli military is calling this a military operation, but we know that young people are being killed — four of them under 18 — is that really what the military set out to do? To kill people between the ages of 16 and 18?“

Of course, the malicious suggestion that the Israeli army “set out” to kill children is patently false, and Gadgil’s failure to tell viewers that every single one of the Palestinians who died in the raid was claimed by a terrorist organization is tantamount to journalistic malpractice.

While Bennett deftly handled the question, including explaining that at least 50 Israelis have been murdered in attacks perpetrated by terrorists from the West Bank city that has emerged as the epicenter of Palestinian terrorism, the fact remains that such an appalling question should never have been asked in the first place.


The interview then went from bad to worse as Gadgil doubled down on her initial accusation by promoting an outright modern-day blood libel:

“Terrorists, but children. The Israeli forces are happy to kill children.”

Bennett swiftly countered the despicable comment and pointedly asked Gadgil to explain how she would personally define a young terrorist:

“You know it’s quite remarkable that you’d say that. They’re killing us. Now if there’s a 17-year-old Palestinian that’s shooting at your family, Anjana, what are you calling him?”

HonestReporting has since submitted an official complaint to the BBC in which we asked the corporation to investigate and take appropriate action.

Jewish Group Lights Candle, Violates Shabbat in Order to Mourn 'Death' of Roe v. Wade
About 250 people participated in the Yahrzeit of Roe Virtual Candle Lighting, sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women.
It was You who created my conscience; You fashioned me in my mother's womb.
PSALMS139:13(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz
ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ
JEWISH WORLD
JULY 5, 2023
3 MIN READ
Home » Jewish group lights candle, violates Shabbat in order to mourn ‘death’ of Roe v. Wade
ABORTION UNITED STATES (AMERICA)
One year after the US Supreme Court overturned “Roe v Wade,”  many pro-abortion groups are mourning the decision. One group, claiming to be “inspired by Jewish values,” marked the demise of pro-abortion legislation by profaning Shabbat and making a mockery of an austere Jewish custom.
MORE https://www.israel365news.com/373251/jewish-group-lights-candle-violates-shabbat-in-order-to-mourn-death-of-roe-v-wade/?

The Key to Wisdom and Righteousness
By Rabbi Akiva Gersh
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God; all who practice it gain sound understanding. Praise of Him is everlasting.
רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה שֵׂכֶל טוֹב לְכָל־עֹשֵׂיהֶם תְּהִלָּתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד
Psalms 111:10 (The Israel Bible, p. 1609)
ray-SHEET khokh-MAH yir-AT a-do-NAI SAY-khel TOV l'-khol o-say-HEM t'-hi-la-TO o-ME-det la-AD
Yirah, Hebrew for "fear" and “awe,” is most commonly used in the synonymous phrases yirat Hashem and yirat shamayim, meaning “awe of God.” Awe is the foundation of serving God and connotes a powerful feeling of God's presence in one's life.

The word yirah is connected to the Hebrew word lirot, "to see." As we open our eyes and look at the world around us, we bear witness to God's majesty in nature as well as His involvement in all of the great events and mundane aspects of our world. When we open our eyes to truly see, we are inspired with awe, and ultimately love, for God.
MORE https://www.israel365news.com/372922/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-yirah-awe/?

https://www.israel365news.com/373216/several-injured-in-tel-aviv-car-ramming/?
Seven injured in Tel Aviv car-ramming, stabbing
They encircle me with words of hate; they attack me without cause.
PSALMS 109:3
(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
TERROR WATCH
JULY 4, 2023
< 1 MIN READ
Home » Seven injured in Tel Aviv car-ramming, stabbing
TEL AVIV TERRORISM
APalestinian terrorist drove his car into pedestrians at a bus stop on Pinchas Rosen Street in Tel Aviv’s northeastern Ramat Hahayal neighborhood on Tuesday.

He then got out of the vehicle and stabbed additional victims with a sharp object, police said. There were seven victims in total.

Three of the victims are in serious condition, including a 46-year-old woman with multiple systemic injuries. Two are moderately wounded and two are lightly injured.

Magen David Adom emergency medical responders have taken four of the injured to the Ichilov and Beilinson hospitals.

According to eyewitnesses, the terrorist ran over two groups of people on the sidewalk before armed civilians and a police officer intervened. An armed civilian killed the terrorist, police said.

The terrorist was identified as 23-year-old Hasin Halilah from the Palestinian village of Samua, near Hebron in Judea. He reportedly entered Israel using a valid permit issued for medical reasons.

Halilah was wearing an Israel Defense Forces uniform during the attack, according to Channel 14.

On Monday, a 14-year-old Palestinian stabbed an Israeli man in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak.

The victim was evacuated in moderate condition to Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in the city, which is located east of Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian terrorist was arrested at the scene.

Earlier Monday, the Israel Defense Forces began a major counterterror operation in Jenin, including the entry into the Samaria city of significant ground forces.

The operation was widely anticipated as Palestinian attacks mounted in northern Samaria. Since the beginning of 2023, terrorists have killed 28 people in Israel.

The Hamas terrorist group praised Tuesday’s “heroic” terror attack in Tel Aviv, calling it “revenge for [the IDF operation in] Jenin
An armed civilian killed the terrorist.
READ MORE » https://www.israel365news.com/373216/several-injured-in-tel-aviv-car-ramming/?

https://www.israel365news.com/372908/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-tiferet-beauty/?
Israel – Tiferet/Beauty
Make sacral vestments for your brother Aharon, for dignity and beauty.
EXODUS
28:2(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Akiva Gersh
AKIVA GERSH
OPINION
JULY 2, 2023
2 MIN READ
Home » 75 words for 75 years of Israel – Tiferet/Beauty

75 WORDS HEBREW
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!

Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available now!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

תִּפְאֶרֶת

TIFERET

TEEF-EH-RET

BEAUTY

“Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and beauty.” (Exodus 28:2)

ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת.

“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, Israel in whom I glory.’” (Isaiah 49:3)

ויאמר לי עבדי אתה ישראל אשר בך אתפאר.

The Bible uses the word tiferet, Hebrew for “beauty” or “glory,” to describe the special garments that the priests wore in the Tabernacle and the Temple during the performance of their service of God. These garments beautified the priests’ appearance and brought glory to God through the presence of such beauty in His sanctuary.

“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, Israel in whom I glory’” (Isaiah 49:3). Though God is infinite and transcends this physical world, mankind can and must bring Him glory through holy deeds. When we beautify our service and worship of God, we bring God even greater glory. 

The sages teach, “Which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is tiferet to the person who follows it, and which also brings tiferet to him from others.” This means our actions should be beautiful, both to us and to those observing us. By serving God with tiferet, we not only glorify God but also inspire others to do so as well. 

In Kabbalistic thought, the attribute of tiferet is the “golden mean,” representing the balance between the attributes of giving and kindness on the one hand, and the attributes of concealment and restraint on the other. There are times when we must give with abundant kindness, and there are times when love requires that we hold back and restrain ourselves from giving. Balancing these attributes requires great wisdom. This holy balance is represented by the attribute of tiferet, for it beautifies our world and glorifies God.

https://www.israel365news.com/373122/putin-and-abbas-agree-mutual-commitment-to-russia-palestine-relations/
Putin and Abbas agree ‘mutual commitment’ to Russia-Palestine relations
Do not count me with the wicked and evildoers who profess goodwill toward their fellows while malice is in their heart.
PSALMS28:3(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz
ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ
MIDDLE EAST
JULY 2, 2023
2 MIN READ
Home » Putin and Abbas agree ‘mutual commitment’ to Russia-Palestine relations


MAHMOUD ABBAS VLADIMIR PUTIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held a telephone discussion on Saturday on the occasion of the Mulsim holiday of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday celebrating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael.

Russian media reported that Abbas initiated the call.

“The Palestinian President expressed his full support for the Russian leadership’s actions to defend the constitutional order and the rule of law during the events of June 24,” the Kremlin’s website stated, referring to an attempted armed coup by the paramilitary Wagner Group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. The rebellion failed, and Prigozhin went into exile.

Abbas was the only world leader other than Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed support for the Russian president in the wake of the attempted rebellion.

“The two leaders stated their mutual commitment to the further progressive development of the traditionally friendly Russia-Palestine relations,” the statement continued. “The President of Russia reaffirmed his principled stance supporting a just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on existing international laws.”

The war in Ukraine has led to global polarization, with the US and its allies waging massive sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Russia is not entirely alone and has forged relations with China, Iran, and others. The PA has made several statements indicating its preference to ally with Russia.

The Biden administration reopened relations with the PA, reinstating funding despite the Taylor Force Act and rejoining UNRWA. The PA ha alsos strengthened its ties with Russia. In a meeting with Putin in October 2022, just a few months after President Biden entered the Oval Office, Abbas said, “We don’t trust America, and you know our position. We don’t trust it, we don’t rely on it, and under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem.”
In a rare rebuke, the White House issued a statement saying it was “deeply disappointed to hear President Abbas’s remarks to President Putin.”

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https://www.israel365news.com/372646/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-shevach-praise/?
75 words for 75 years of Israel –
Praise Hashem, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples,
PSALMS117:1(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Akiva Gersh
JUNE 27, 2023
Home » 75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shevach/Praise
75 WORDS HEBREW
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!

Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available now!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

שֶׁבַח

SHEVACH

SHEH-VACH

PRAISE

“One generation shall praise Your works to another and declare Your mighty acts.” (Psalms 145:4)

דור לדור ישבח מעשיך וגבורתיך יגידו.

“Extol God, all you nations, praise Him, all you peoples.” (Psalms 117:1)

הללו את יהוה כל גוים שבחוהו כל האמים.

Throughout the Book of Psalms, King David uses the Hebrew word shevach, “praise,” to express his love for God and his longing to draw closer to Him. Praising God is of such importance that every Jewish prayer service ends with a prayer of praise that begins with the words “It is upon us to praise the Master of all.” Praising God helps us recognize His greatness and reminds us that He provides us with life.

This is why the Jewish morning prayer service begins with a selection of Psalms referred to as “Verses of Praise.” Reciting the powerful words that King David used to praise God opens up our hearts and our souls to do the same, helping us begin each day with open eyes to see God’s wonders in the world around us and God’s providence in our lives. We are greatly indebted to King David for writing the Book of Psalms, which is most fundamentally a book of praise, so that we can always find the words we need to praise God.

“Extol God, all you nations, praise Him, all you peoples” (Psalms 117:1). King David describes a future reality in which the entire world, with its great diversity of peoples and nations, praises God. How will we achieve this ideal state? The Psalm continues: “For His love for us is great and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Hallelujah!” (Psalms 117:2). When humanity realizes how much God loves us and that God is the source of truth, conveyed to us through the Bible, all of mankind will be moved to praise Him.

https://www.israel365news.com/372642/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-shema-listen/?
Judaism's Most Foundational Prayer
By Rabbi Akiva Gersh
75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shema/Listen
Hear, O Yisrael! Hashem is our God, Hashem alone.
DEUTERONOMY
6:
4
(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)

Akiva Gersh
AKIVA GERSH
OPINION
JUNE 26, 2023
2 MIN READ
Home » 75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shema/Listen


75 WORDS HEBREW
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!

Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available now!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

שְׁמַע

SHEMA

SHEH-MAH

LISTEN

“Listen, Israel! Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד.

“Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, ‘All that God has spoken we will do and we will listen!’” (Exodus 24:7)

ויקח ספר הברית ויקרא באזני העם ויאמרו כל אשר דבר יהוה נעשה ונשמע.

Shema, Hebrew for “listen,” is the first word of Judaism’s most important and foundational prayer, “Listen, Israel! The Lord is our God, God is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), which declares our faith in the one and only God. The Bible commands us to recite the Shema every morning and evening: “And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart… and you shall speak of them… when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). By reciting the Shema prayer each day and night, we do not forget its powerful message.

Rabbi Akiva was the leading rabbi of Israel during the 2nd century CE, a time of terrible Roman persecution. Among other rabbis, he was arrested by the Romans and tortured to death for teaching the Bible in public. As the Romans burned him to death, he cried out the words of the Shema. His students cried out, “Master, at a time like this you can say the Shema?” Rabbi Akiva responded, “All of my life I have strived to fulfill the verse ‘You shall love God with all your heart and all of your soul.’ Now I finally have the chance to do so.” With the words of the Shema on his lips, his soul left the world. Rabbi Akiva’s act of spiritual bravery is the source for the Jewish practice of reciting the Shema before death. Untold numbers of Jews recited the Shema in their final moments before being murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust.

Upon receiving the Torah, the children of Israel proclaimed “we will do and we will listen,” committing themselves to live according to God’s word as written in the Bible, even before they heard what was written in it, an extraordinary commitment of faith.

Shalom Zahara, Please enjoy today's Daily Inspiration from Israel.

What Does "Guarding the Sabbath" Mean?
by Rabbi Akiva Gersh
Hashem took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to work it and guard it.
וַיִּקַּח יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ
Genesis 2:15 (The Israel Bible, p. 11)
va-yi-KAKH a-do-NAI e-lo-HEEM et ha-a-DAM va-ya-nee-KHAY-hu v-gan AY-den l'-av-DAH ul-sha-m'-RAH
Shamor, Hebrew for “guard,” is frequently used throughout the Bible to exhort the people of Israel to guard God’s commandments. In the Ten Commandments, they are told to “guard” Shabbat as well as to “remember” Shabbat. To “guard” Shabbat means keeping the detailed laws of the holy day of rest, and so a Jew who observes the laws of Shabbat is known as a shomer Shabbat, “one who guards Shabbat.” By contrast, “remembering Shabbat” means infusing Shabbat with holiness and spirituality.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE https://www.israel365news.com/372634/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-shamor-guard/?

https://www.israel365news.com/372629/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-shamayim-heavens/
75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shamayim/Heavens
Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created. When Hashem made earth and heaven—
GENESIS 2:4THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Akiva Gersh
AKIVA GERSH
OPINION
JUNE 23, 2023
Home » 75 words for 75 years of Israel – Shamayim/Heavens


75 WORDS HEBREW
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible! Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available now!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

שָׁמַיִם

SHAMAYIM

SHA-MAI-EEM

HEAVENS

“Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created, on the day God made earth and heaven.” (Genesis 2:4)

אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם ביום עשות יהוה אלהים ארץ ושמים.

“The heavens belong to God, but the earth He gave over to man.” (Psalms 115:16)

השמים שמים ליהוה והארץ נתן לבני אדם.

Shamayim, Hebrew for “heavens,” appears in the very first verse of the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible, however, tells us almost nothing about the creation of the heavens, focusing almost entirely on the creation of the Earth and on the lives of the people who inhabit it. “The heavens belong to God, but the earth He gave over to man” (Psalms 115:16). Our primary goal in life is not to understand the mysteries of the vast heavens, but rather to learn how to best live our daily lives here on Earth.

Nevertheless, the great medieval rabbi, Maimonides, favored the study of science and believed that contemplating God’s wonders in nature brings people closer to love and awe of God. As is written in the Book of Psalms, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers – what is man that You are mindful of him?” (Psalms 8:4-5).

The word shamayim contains within it the Hebrew word mayim, meaning “water.” The atmosphere, or heavens, contains a significant amount of water, a fact reflected in the verse, “God made the expanse, and separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse” (Genesis 1:7).

Shamayim is also used to refer to God Himself. Yirat shamayim, “awe of God,” literally means “fear of heaven.” Similarly, performing an act for God’s sake is called l’shem shamayim, “for the sake of heaven.”

https://www.israel365news.com/372409/75-words-for-75-years-of-israel-regel-festival/
75 words for 75 years of Israel – Regel/Festival
Three times a year you shall hold a festival for Me:
EXODUS 23:14(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Akiva Gersh
JUNE 19, 2023
75 WORDS HEBREW
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!
Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible (available soon!) these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.

Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!

רֶגֶל

REGEL

REH-GEL

FESTIVAL

“Three times a year you shall hold a festival for Me. You shall observe the Feast of Matzah, eating matzah for seven days as I have commanded you at the set time in the month of Spring, for in it you went forth from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty-handed.” (Exodus 23:14-15)

שלש רגלים תחג לי בשנה. את חג המצות תשמר שבעת ימים תאכל מצות כאשר צויתך למועד חדש האביב כי בו יצאת ממצרים ולא יראו פני ריקם.

“And God said, “Do not come closer! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground!” (Exodus 3:5)

ויאמר אל תקרב הלם של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קדש הוא.

Regel, Hebrew for “festival,” refers to the three annual pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Israelites were commanded to travel to Jerusalem during these festivals in order to stand in the presence of God in His holiest place. For many people, this journey could take a week or more. Pilgrims would then celebrate the festival for a full week in Jerusalem, before finally taking another week to return home. Though each pilgrimage required a significant investment of time and money, this experience was an essential part of ancient Jewish life. By celebrating the festivals together in the Temple, the people strengthened their bond with God and infused the rest of their year with Godliness and clarity of purpose.

The festivals coincide with different stages in the land of Israel’s agricultural cycle. Passover is the Festival of Spring, when the crops have just begun to ripen. Shavuot is the Festival of the Harvest, occuring in the late spring during the harvest. Sukkot is the Festival of Gathering, and is celebrated in the fall when the crops are gathered. In Biblical life, spirituality and physicality go hand in hand.

Regel also means “feet” in Hebrew. Though seemingly unrelated to one another, the words “feet” and “festival” are bonded together through the people’s pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Most pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem on foot, joyously undertaking the arduous journey to celebrate with God in Jerusalem. In this spirit, the Sages praise the pilgrims by citing a passage from Song of Songs: “How beautiful are your footsteps in your shoes, daughter of nobles” (7:2).

https://www.israel365news.com/372460/evangelical-leader-decries-mainstream-church-efforts-to-malign-israel/
Evangelical leader decries mainstream church efforts to malign Israel
I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
GENESIS 12:3
(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
CHRISTIAN ZIONISM
JUNE 16, 2023
Home » Evangelical leader decries mainstream church efforts to malign Israel
Aconcerted effort is underway by some mainstream churches to convince evangelical Christians to be less supportive of Israel, the incoming head of an evangelical organization headquartered in Jerusalem says.

Rev. Peter Fast, CEO-elect of Bridges for Peace, spoke in an interview with JNS on Tuesday.

The remarks come two months after the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem lambasted Israeli restrictions on the number of worshippers allowed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem for the Holy Fire ceremony over Easter.

News agencies fanned the criticism worldwide, only to have it later emerge that a church engineer had requested the limitations over safety concerns.

“The big churches are using a very loud voice to malign, fabricate and twist the story to make Israel look like a human rights violator and oppressor of faith,” Fast told JNS.

These efforts to depict Israel as infringing on Christians’ freedom of worship are an effort to influence evangelicals around the globe, who are seen as the main Christian supporters of the State of Israel, and need to be countered with education, he said.

“Christianity in Israel is the only place in the Middle East which is growing and protected, while elsewhere in the Middle East it is oppressed, shrinking, vulnerable or leaving,” Fast said.

But public opinion polls have shown a dramatic drop in support for Israel among young evangelicals in recent years.

“It’s not just Israel,” said Rev. Rebecca Brimmer, who is stepping down from her role as head of the organization after 18 years.

“We are losing young Christian people to secular humanism,” she said, attributing the survey results to a general trend of a decline in belief in their faith.

Loving Israel “is in our DNA”
Like the larger International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Brimmer’s unabashedly pro-Israel institution, which has offices in nine countries, has gained a name over the years for promoting Jewish immigration and helping the needy and Holocaust survivors in Israel.

“There have always been two camps,” she said of the criticism of Israel among other church denominations. “Organizations like ours have job security thanks to Christian antisemitism.”

Looking back at her time in Israel, Brimmer said that she has seen an “incredible change” over the last three decades in how Christians are perceived by the Jewish people as concerns over proselytizing and bitter memories of the past have been increasingly overshadowed by their active support for the Jewish state.

“Israelis have started to understand that not all Christians are identical, [even if] there is still a tendency to lump us all together,” she said.

“Loving God and Israel is in our DNA,” Brimmer said at a Jerusalem event marking the change of leadership at Bridges for Peace, where she received accolades from Israeli leaders involved in interfaith relations.

Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus, told Brimmer at the event, “Your love of God and the Bible is only matched by your love of Israel.”

He noted that Brimmer was a pioneer in faith-based diplomacy, predating the establishment of the cross-party parliamentary lobby two decades ago.

The event itself, where Jewish and Christian speakers pledged to continue working together with the next generation of leaders, was in itself testimony to the burgeoning relations between Israel and the largely supportive evangelical community around the world.

Educational work ahead
“We are guilty of resting on our laurels and we have a serious educational task not to lay back but to pursue and renew in each and every generation,” said Rabbi David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee.

He has said Israel is living in “the golden age” of Jewish-Christian relations.

Rosen ascribed the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate’s baseless criticisms and international campaign against Israel to struggles within the Church to please rank-and-file Palestinian members.

“This is a narrow segment of the Christian world using false disinformation that no one is buying,” Rosen said.

He said Israel also has work to do to speak out against all forms of racism.

A recent uptick in isolated incidents of Jewish extremists from the ultra-Orthodox community spitting at Christians has been condemned by the two chief rabbis of Israel as recently as last week as well as by the Chief Rabbinate.

Brimmer noted the 180-degree change from such actions, which she herself routinely encountered three-and-a-half decades ago, to words of thanks from Israelis for standing with Israel.

Both Fast and Brimmer said it took time to repair centuries of Christian persecution of Jews.

“Although the horrors and tragedies that have strained the relationship between our two communities for more than 17 centuries cannot be erased, we strive to form a new future of uncompromising love and support to the Jewish people,” Fast said.

Closing a circle
Brimmer recounted how as a little girl in the U.S. during the 1967 Six-Day War, her family sat on the floor glued to the TV screens at the direction of her pastor father as Israel reunited Jerusalem.

“Look, girls,” her father told them, taking out his Bible and referencing the Book of Ezekiel. “It is happening in our lifetime.”

https://www.israel365news.com/372281/likud-mk-presents-plan-to-divide-temple-mount-between-jews-and-muslims/
Likud MK presents plan to divide Temple Mount between Jews and Muslims
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I will buy them from you at a price. I cannot sacrifice to Hashem my God burnt offerings that have cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekalim of silver.
SAMUEL24:24(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz
ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ
ISRAEL NEWS
JUNE 11, 2023
Home » Likud MK presents plan to divide Temple Mount between Jews and Muslims
MUSLIMS TEMPLE MOUNT
In an interview with the Hebrew news site Zman Yisrael that was published on Wednesday, Knesset member (MK) Amit Halevi suggested a plan to divide the Temple Mount equally between Jews and Muslims. According to his plan, the Muslims will receive the southern area including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Jews will receive the central and northern area of ​​the mountain, including the Dome of the Rock. In order to implement this plan, he suggested removing Jordan from its custodianship of the holy site.

“Let’s start with the facts,” Likud MK Halevi said to Zman Yisrael. “The area of ​​the Temple Mount is 144 dunams (37 acres). A small part of it is Al-Aqsa Mosque, at the southern end of the mountain. The Muslims expanded the mosque beyond recognition starting in the year 2000, when they annexed Solomon’s stables, excavating and removing huge amounts of dirt that included precious archaeological findings and building another large mosque in the space.”

“On the other side of the Temple Mount stands the Dome of the Rock structure with the Foundation Stone in the center. That is where the First and Second Temples stood. This is most of the area of ​​the mountain, which is the holiest place for the Jewish people.”

“Muslims today call the entire Temple Mount ‘Haram al-Sharif’,” Halevi said. “This is entirely an evil lie. It’s a plot; the Al-Aqsa plot. Because of this plot, we cannot enter the mountain, a place that actually belongs to us. The Temple Mount became Judenrein.”

“At the Camp David conference in 2000, Ehud Barak proposed to build a synagogue in a subterranean area, and this was the signal for the great assault of the Muslims on Shlomo’s Stables, to turn it into a huge mosque. The Jews should not be under the mountain. They should be on top of the mountain. We must not allow the Al-Aqsa plot. What did the Muslims do? Turn the entire Temple Mount into Muslim territory.”

Halevi suggested that the Muslims continue to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque, even though he maintains that they have transformed the mosque the place into a center of radicalism and incitement led by Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. “And it was precisely on the Jews that the government imposed restrictions.

“Despite these actions by the Muslims, the Israeli government limits the Jews on the Temple Mount,” Halevi said. “If they pray there, it does not transform the entire Temple Mount into a holy place exclusively for Muslims. It never was and it never will be.”

“We will take the northern end and pray there,” said Halevi, “The entire mountain is sacred to us, and the Dome of the Rock is the place on which the Temple stood. This should be our guideline. Israel should take the lead. It will be a historical, religious, and national statement. If this does not happen then we are not actually the owners of the site. We are klutzes. What are we even doing there at all?”

Halevi is sure to ascend to the Temple Mount several times a year. Most recently, he was at the site on Jerusalem Day when he visited along with two other Likud MKs. While religious freedom at the site is mandated by Israeli law, his visit was heavily criticized by foreign governments including the US.

Halevi was unperturbed by the criticism.

“These are simple things,” he said. “This is the place of the First Temple and the place of the Second Temple built by the Jews returning from Babylonia. No one needs to examine the stones to know that it is ours, and until we say so, we are confirming the Muslim plot about Haram al-Sharif.”

“We are not breaking into anything. King David bought the land from the Jebusites. Arabs play soccer in the compound and hold picnics. We need to put an end to this. There are mosques in the south of the mountain and we respect that. Pray there and give us our share.

“For Muslims, the Dome of the Rock is a historical monument, not a mosque. For us, it is the Holy of Holies. If the Muslims want to come and pray with us in front of the place where the Temple stood, they are welcome,” Halevi said, quoting the Book of Isaiah, “For my house shall be called a house of prayer to all nations”.

Halevi’s partition plan also seeks to change the access procedures for the Jews to the Temple Mount. Today, Jews and tourists are only permitted to enter through the Mughrabi Gate and only during the few hours when the gate is open during the day. Halevi demands that Jews be allowed to enter through all the other gates, just like Muslims.

“We need to normalize the situation and remove the restrictions imposed on us. We must be allowed to go to the Temple Mount without police supervision. Why did this happen in the first place? Because we didn’t create the right narrative; that the Temple Mount is ours.”

“One of the reasons why the Temple Mount is not considered a place that is under Israeli sovereignty is because of Jordan’s political status on the Mount,” Halevi said. “This is a scandal, and the Jordanian status should be removed.”

“Are we giving status to a foreign country on the Temple Mount,” Halevi said. “Why would we do this? It is a historical crime,” Halevi said. “Why not give them status in the Dizengoff Center [in Tel Aviv] as well? This is a terrible mistake. This status should be abolished. I know it’s an agreement between countries, but we have to deal with this. It needs to be changed even if it is a process that will take time.”

Halevi intends to continue going up to the Temple Mount. He considers this to be of utmost importance to the people of Israel and to Israeli society.

“God should be relevant to Israeli society,” Halevi said.” What do we have in the mountain? We have no possessions, but we have the Ark of the Covenant and the Tablets of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments. This is the essence of the Temple Mount. The relationship with God is of the utmost importance. This is the purpose of the Temple in the end.

“We need to bring back this system of concepts, not to be ashamed of it, not to fear any security incident. We need to start the process. To say to the Muslims – you have a mosque, but you will not take over the Temple Mount. The fact that you have a mosque does not paint the whole mountain in a Muslim color. And it won’t hold water anyway.”

“It is our Temple Mount,” Halevi said, quoting Uri Zvi Greenberg, considered one of modern Israel’s greatest poets.

“Whoever controls the Temple Mount, controls the land of Israel,” Halevi quoted. “Whoever controls the mountain, attacks our belonging to this country. Whoever controls the Mount, threatens the Jewish and cultural identity of the country. This nation has a message; that there is God.”

Tom Nisani, CEO of Beyadeun Temple Mount advocacy organization, responded to Halevi’s plan

“MK Halevi’s desire to create real and impactful change including the cessation of discrimination against Jews, and return of the site to the hearts and minds of the Jewish people, is something we have been demanding for years,” Nisani said. “We will continue to act to strengthen voices that bring about this shift in policy until it is adopted in full!”

The Palestinian Authority’s Higher Presidential Committee of Church Affairs said in a statement that the plan, which it described as “fascist aggression”, must be “stopped and confronted” as it would “drag the region into the furnace of a religious war”, placing the blame on the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


“[The Temple Mount] is a pure right for Muslims exclusively, and we will not accept the presence of any other entity,” the statement read. “Just as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a pure right for Christians, and sharing it is a violation of sanctities. Defending Al-Aqsa is a national, Arab, Islamic and Christian duty.”

https://www.israel365news.com/372240/pat-robertson-defender-of-israel-passes-away-at-93/?
Pat Robertson, “Defender of Israel”, Passes Away at 93
The death of His faithful ones is grievous in Hashem's sight
PSALMS
116:15(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz
ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ
CHRISTIAN ZIONISM
JUNE 9, 2023
4 MIN READ
Home » Pat Robertson, “Defender of Israel”, Passes Away at 93


Prominent televangelist and the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson, passed away on Thursday at the age of 93.


His obituary posted on CBN said, “His life was lived to the glory of God.”

In 1986, Mr. Robertson announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for president of the United States on a conservative platform. While he enjoyed some success in the early primaries, he eventually placed third. At the 1988 Republican Convention, Mr. Robertson endorsed Vice President George H. W. Bush, who won the nomination and the presidency.

In honor of his support for Israel, Mr. Robertson received the Defender of Israel Award in 1994 from the Christians’ Israel Public Action Campaign; the State of Israel Friendship Award in 2002 by the Chicago chapter of the Zionist Organization of America; and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Support of Israel in 2008 by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Robertson vehemently opposed any negotiations that would require Israel to give up territory. In January 2009, on a broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson stated that he was “adamantly opposed” to the division of Jerusalem between Israel and the Palestinians. He also stated that Armageddon was “not going to be fought at Megiddo” but would be the “battle of Jerusalem,” when “the forces of all nations come together and try to take Jerusalem away from the Jews. Jews are not going to give up Jerusalem—they shouldn’t—and the rest of the world is going to insist they give it up.” Robertson added that Jerusalem is a “spiritual symbol that must not be given away” because “Jesus will come down to the part of Jerusalem that the Arabs want,” and this would be “not good.”

Rabb Tuly Weisz, the head of Israel365, mourned the passing of a “friend of Israel.”

“Israel lost one of its greatest advocates and leading supporters with the passing of Pat Robertson,” Rabi Weisz said. “For decades, he was at the forefront of Christian Zionism. He helped transform America to become Israel’s great ally, by educating a generation of Christians about the importance of Israel and the US-Israel special relationship. Amongst Roberstson’s many accomplishments and impressive achievements for Israel and the Jewish People, one of his most significant initiatives was establishing a CBN news bureau in Jerusalem. Pat Robertson put his money where his mouth was and by investing in a news studio in the heart of Jewish Jerusalem, he ensured that Christians all over the world were well-informed about the great miracles occurring here and the fierce struggle our enemies wage against us. Our hearts go out to Gordon and the entire Robertson family and we mourn this great leader whose legacy will live eternally through the many blessings he bestowed upon the Land of Israel in his lifetime.”

Rabbi Weisz noted that in a beautiful speech posted on his website, Robertson explained his support of the Jewish state succinctly:

“The survival of the Jewish people is a miracle of God. The return of the Jewish people to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a miracle of God. The remarkable victories of Jewish armies against overwhelming odds in successive battles in 1948, and 1967, and 1973 are clearly miracles of God. The technological marvels of Israeli industry, the military prowess, the bounty of Israeli agriculture, the fruits and flowers and abundance of the land are a testimony to God’s watchful care over this new nation and the genius of this people.”

“Ladies and Gentleman, evangelical Christians support Israel because we believe that the words of Moses and the ancient prophets of Israel were inspired by God. We believe that the emergence of a Jewish state in the land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was ordained by God.”

“We believe that God has a plan for this nation which He intends to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth…We evangelical Christians merely say to our Israeli friends, ‘Let us serve our God together by opposing the virulent poison of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism that is rapidly engulfing the world.”

His love of Israel was acknowledged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who praised him on his 93rd birthday last March by saying, “You’ve been a tremendous friend and I have to say, you have many friends and many admirers around the world for the life of purpose that you have led. But I want to say categorically that Israel has had no better friend than you. You have led many Christian believers around the world to understand the miracle of the Jewish return to the ancient Jewish homeland, the resurrection of Israel and the reuniting of Jerusalem. I know all that stirs your heart as much as it does mine. And I want to also say that you’ve been a great personal friend. So, for all of that and much more, thank you, Pat. Happy Birthday.”



The pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), mourned his passing, calling him

The pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), mourned his passing, calling him

The pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), mourned his passing, calling him “a great friend of Israel and a pioneer in the modern Christian Zionist movement”.

In 1954, he married Adelia “Dede” Elmer Robertson. They were married 67 years before she predeceased him on April 19, 2022, at the age of 94. Together they had four children: Timothy Brian Robertson of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Elizabeth Robertson Robinson of Dallas, Texas; Gordon Perry Robertson of Chesapeake, Virginia; Ann Robertson LeBlanc of Portsmouth, Virginia; plus 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

https://www.israelunwired.com/israels-enemies-dont-want-you-to-see-this-idf-video/
ISRAEL’S ENEMIES DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS IDF VIDEO
written by Leah Rosenberg June 5, 2023 1.1K views
Israel’s enemies know the strength of the IDF. But it’s not only a physical strength. It’s a mental, emotional, and spiritual strength.
The Strength of the IDF
The Israel Defense Forces, or the IDF, is known to be one of the best armies in the world. They are strong and capable. But what makes the IDF so unique and special is the soldiers’ determination to defend the Jewish people and the Jewish homeland. Israel’s enemies are not fighting for the same reason. The enemies of Israel fight to destroy. They fight out of hatred and evil intentions. The Israeli army fights so that the Israeli people can be safe and continue creating and building. They fight out of a love for their people and land. The motivation of the IDF is the opposite of the motivation of the enemies of the Jewish nation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDRyc5WG_UI

The Israeli army has a difficult task. Israel exists in the toughest neighborhood. For those who have never seen the map of Israel and the surrounding countries, they would be shocked to learn the truth. How do IDF soldiers put their lives on the line day in and day out? Israel constantly needs to protect its borders as well as defend itself from the enemies within the state.
Israel’s enemies don’t want you to know how truly strong and determined Israeli soldiers really are. They don’t want you to know where their strength lies. They definitely don’t want you to see this video that shows how truly special Israel’s defenders really are.


IFCJ Celebrates 40 Years of Building Bridges Between Christians and Jews
As she looks towards next steps, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews head Yael Eckstein reflects on her father’s passing, the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
GENESIS12:3(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
Much has taken place since Yael Eckstein became president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews in 2019 after the passing of her father Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who founded and headed the organization in 1983 with the mission to promote understanding between Christians and Jews.
A native of Evanston, Ill., Eckstein divides her time between the fellowship’s offices in Jerusalem, where she lives with her husband and four children, and in downtown Chicago, where the fellowship has been headquartered stateside since its 1983 founding.

In March 2022, the Fellowship moved its U.S. headquarters from 30 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago to its current location on 303 East Wacker Drive overlooking the Chicago River.

“These past four years have been a wild ride,” Eckstein said. (She last spoke at length with JNS in late 2019, shortly after taking over the reins of the organization her father built.)

Eckstein recounted how her father’s sudden passing at age 67 from cardiac arrest was a particularly tumultuous time. Following a unanimous vote of the IFCJ board to elect her CEO, she faced an unforeseen challenge.

“I was immediately elected right before the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Since that time, we have helped over 2 million people in Israel,” she said.

With careful adherence to Israeli laws, the fellowship is guided by its founding principle to help less fortunate people in Israel, whether they are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze or any other religion.

The fellowship devotes 70% of its resources to food aid, according to Eckstein. During the pandemic, the Israeli government was able to purchase much-needed supplies and emergency food packages to provide to thousands of elderly people in Israel, but it couldn’t easily distribute those items to needy people.

“The Israeli government was able to distribute funds but not transport the food to those people who needed it. This is when the fellowship was summoned,” Eckstein said. She added that Israel allocated 50 million shekels (about $13.4 million) to IFCJ for that purpose.

IFCJ’s donors are largely Christian, according to Eckstein. The fellowship’s donor base grew up 35% during the pandemic, she reported.

‘Our work is done in accordance with Israeli law’

The agency has also met pressing needs due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including helping rescue Ukrainian Jews.

“We helped bring over 5,000 olim from Ukraine to Israel since the war began,” said Eckstein, using the Hebrew term for new immigrants. “Our last aliyah flight from Ukraine began just before the war, and we have organized our flights from Moldova since then.”

In accordance with Israel’s Law of Return, which recognizes an individual with a single Jewish grandparent as eligible for citizenship, the fellowship helps Jews irrespective of whether many Orthodox rabbinic authorities would recognize them as halachically Jewish.

“We are a non-political organization, and our work is done in accordance with Israeli law. Whether they are from Ethiopia or the Bnei Menashe from India, we work to bring Jews home to Israel,” Eckstein said.

In recent years, IFCJ has focused more on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, from where Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists have launched more than 1,000 rockets in recent years at Israel.

After the 2021 conflict in Gaza, the fellowship coordinated closely with the Israel Defense Force’s Homefront Command to secure vulnerable Israeli civilian areas by purchasing ambulances and funding the construction of bomb shelters, according to Eckstein.

“We built a bomb shelter over the NICU [neonatal intensive-care unit] at Barzilai Medical Center. Prior to that, the delivery unit at the hospital needed to move the babies to a secure area whenever a siren would go off,” she said. “There was even one instance where a woman in labor needed to be moved to a tiny bomb shelter the size of a broom closet in order to give birth to her baby.”

As the fellowship celebrates its 40th anniversary, Eckstein seeks new opportunities where her organization can help more people in Israel.

“Jews have friends among the Christian community. It is very exciting to see how Christian support for Israel has been developing ever since my father founded the fellowship 40 years ago,” she said. “Looking towards the future, we are constantly looking to work with as many partners as possible to provide humanitarian aid to those who need it.”


https://www.israel365news.com/372055/miami-jews-christians-protest-targets-pride-merchandise-for-children/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign
Miami Jews, Christians protest Target’s Pride merchandise for children
And teach them to your children—reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.
DEUTERONOMY 11:19(THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
ome 30 Jews and Christians gathered across the street from a Target store in Midtown Miami on June 1 to protest the retail corporation’s LGBTQ Pride merchandise for children.
There were also counterprotesters and a police presence outside the Target store in southern Florida. Among the protesters’ signs were those that read “Stop Grooming Our Children” and “Save the Children.”
“A lot of people think that this whole thing is people protesting against the gay community, which is not the case,” Jimmy Levy, an Israeli-American musician and an organizer of the rally, told JNS.

Levy said he wanted to bring Christians and Jews together for the rally, and hopes to inspire more people around the world to protest Target’s Pride merchandise for children.

The musician collaborated with Kurt Jantz—the rapper known as Forgiato Blow—on the song “Boycott Target,” which the two released on May 25 and which includes other rappers. The iTunes-topping song, and the June 1 protest, respond to Pride-themed children’s clothing that Target sells.

‘It’s about the children’

Michelle Terris, founder and president of JEXIT, which stands for Jews Exiting the Democratic Party, told JNS the rally was about protecting children.

“I love people of all walks of life,” she said. “You’re free to practice whatever your religion or culture is. This is about the children. They don’t need to know about sexual orientation. They need to be children. They need to be protected.”

JEXIT’s participation in the rally draws on its Jewish values, Terris told JNS.

“That’s all our religion is about. It’s about our children,” she said. “I have obligations as a strong leader in my faith and in God that the children come first.”

“My children are very proud that their mother stands for all children, not just her own,” Terris, a mother of two, added. “If we all did that, the world would be a better place.”

Her organization educates Jews “on the dangerous shift that the Democrat Party has taken.”

“It’s not that Jews have abandoned the Democratic Party. It’s that the Democrat Party has abandoned Jews, and we can see this today,” she said. “We are uniting with our Christian brothers and sisters for the Judeo-Christian principles that this country was founded by, which are rooted in the Torah. If we were following those principles, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Terris praised Levy for his song’s success on iTunes.

“The song, without a record label, beat Taylor Swift,” she said. “That should give you an idea of the climate and the temperature of what people want and where they stand. It’s not against any affiliation, orientation or religion. It’s about the children.”

“As a Jewish mom, I believe every Jewish family has an obligation to their children,” she added.

Target has offered products that celebrate Pride Month, held in June, for more than a decade. The retail giant removed some LGBTQ items from its stores recently, following a backlash from conservatives.

Target stated on May 24 that the company has received threats impacting its employees’ safety and well-being at work since introducing this year’s Pride collection.

“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” it stated. “Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.”

Bethany Mandel, a conservative writer, told JNS that Target is prioritizing its corporate equality index score, which the Human Rights Campaign Foundation issues, “and their public perception of being pro-LGBT, rather than their bottom line.”
Target’s stock has been dropping, recently snapping its largest losing streak in 23 years, MarketWatch reported.
“They’re feeling the heat,” Mandell said. “It seems like they’re making a really bad business decision that their shareholders may not be happy with in the long term.”

Mandel thinks that the protests against Target and Bud Light, which came under fire from conservatives for a transgender spokesperson, won’t be short-lived.
“American consumers are going to hold on to this memory and make their shopping decisions accordingly,” she said.

After more than two years of Biden policies, Israelis are deeply concerned about the next US presidential election. While Trump has a proven track record of pro-Israel policies, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his intention to run as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, and pro-Israel voters are wondering which candidate to support.

One expert thinks it almost doesn’t matter. DeSantis is a proven pro-Israel politician, “maybe even more than Trump.”

Last week, DeSantis announced his intention to run for president on a Twitter platform that crashed when over 700,000 listeners inundated it. Despite the glitch, his campaign received over $1 million in the first hour.

Most polls place him well ahead of the other candidates, Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations, and Tim Scott, a US senator from South Carolina. He is still considered to be lagging behind former President Donald Trump. While Trump lost his 2020 bid for the White House to Joe Biden, DeSantis won his 2022 gubernatorial race by a landslide. However, some polls show that Trump would lose in a head-to-head battle against Biden, whereas DeSantis would win.

He has made statements indicating his intention on foreign policy, though as governor, he has yet to act on these intentions; his stance on Israel is clear. DeSantis has already proven that he is a strong advocate of the Jewish State, showing that his claim in 2019 that he would be “the most pro-Israel governor in America” was not an empty promise. He paid his fifth visit to Israel in May for an international trade mission. In 2019, DeSantis concluded his trip to Israel with a visit to the Western Wall. While at the Jewish site, DeSantis offered up a silent prayer. Before leaving, as per popular custom, he inserted a note between the rocks with the words, “Good Lord, spare us hurricanes this year.”

DeSantis was also a member of the Israel Caucus and made an undivided Jerusalem one of his major issues.
MORE https://www.israel365news.com/371859/desantis-the-pro-israel-candidate-maybe-more-than-trump-senior-republican/?