Who are the Israelis?

[rylah]

Preliminary study of about 4,000 archeological items,
hundreds of them signed by Bar Kochba

Dr. Eshel: A preliminary study of about 4,000 archeological documents and items has been completed, hundreds of them signed by Bar Kochba himself, which indicate the history of the revolt.

Archaeologist Dr. Yitzhak Eshel tells in an interview with Channel 7 about a fascinating archeological find that did not receive sufficient public attention and in fact, yet known among the Israeli public, the archive of Bar Kochba that came into his possession and was investigated by a team of researchers he leads.

In the documents that Dr. Eshel defines as the archive of Bar Kochba's war, you can find, along with letters, the blessing of the road signed by Bar Kochba's deputy, the house blessing, an amulet of the Ten Commandments on a gilded plaque and more.

Read more, in Hebrew -

מה מסתתר בארכיון של בר כוכבא?

הארכיאולוג ד"ר אשל: הושלם מחקר ראשוני של כ-4000 תעודות ופריטים ארכיאולוגיים, מאות מהם בחתימת בר כוכבא עצמו, המלמדים על קורות המרד.

www.inn.co.il

 

[rylah]

בס"ד​

​

Rabbi Yehudah Bivas - Torah, science, arms | 170 years now

Shalom my teachers and Rabbis a holy audience,
we're in the central synagogue of Shlomi,
2nd day of Hol HaMo'ed Pesah.

3 subjects in 25 minutes,
let's see what we can manage,
of course in summarized chapters.

First this year 170 years since the passing of, how was he called, 'noble holy of G-d', that is what they called him. HaRav Yehudah Bivas, this is the wise, HaRav Yehudah Bivas, exactly 170 years since his passing. What is unique about him?

First of all most historians write that he is the grandson of Or HaHayim HaKadosh. What is the meaning of this? Or HaHayim HaKadosh, there's a famous quote of his, about 250 years ago, regarding leaders of Israel who don't motivate the nation of Israel to make 'Aliyah - those leaders of Israel will give the judgment for that, Vayikra 25,25. Most historians write that he is is his grandson from his daughter, in Gibraltar, before he had a Yeshivah in Morocco. Or HaHayim HaKadosh writes, that the troubles Jews suffered there were worse than during the days of Egypt, and there was no other choice but to escape Morocco, they would sneak out the students of the wise, so they can study. Where could they study? In Gibraltar, in his Yeshivah those days, when it was under British protection, there was all the persecution of Morocco, they've murdered Jews without an account.

According to historians, he was the grandson of Or HaHayim HaKadosh. However HaRav Shlomah Dayan, the Rabbi of the Ma'aravi community in Jerusalem, a big student of the wise, wrote books, and he claims he was the grandson of HaRav Yehudah HaLevy, which is a great head of Beit Din in Gibraltar. But what is agreed among all are two main things, this is Rabbi Elkaly who passed in 1878 and this HaRav Yehudah Bivas, it is exactly 170 years since he passed, the first time his picture is painted in color, focus on that...HaRav Yehudah Elkalay met him. And he says 'I was terrified of what I have heard from him', and he didn't want to write exactly what. The thing came it's way, HaRav Yehudah Elkalay calls him a 'noble holy of G-d'. Rabbi Bivas also had a doctorate from the London University,
because he said that Jews need to prepare for 3 things -

First thing Torah.
The second is arms, teach every Jew to hold a weapon.
The third is science. Without science, it is impossible to be a light unto nations.

Student: Is the Jewish nation dumb?
R. Elharar: No, it means the nation of Israel needs to invest in as much as possible in all existing wisdom, regardless of the subject. Torah, science, arms. What was HaRav Yehudah Elkalay terrified about?

Torah, I understand, ok we study Torah.
Science? In such terms saying 'every Jews', without it impossible to be a light unto nations.
Till now we had the Iron Dome, now we're developing something different, unlike anywhere, a laser that is cheaper and further reaching, in terms we are yet to grasp.

Brauch HaShem,
they are developing this very quickly,
we are the only country having this technology.

Torah, science, arms - what scared them?
It was the Ottoman rule those days, he was going through Europe in regions under the Ottoman rule, to call for arms 170 years ago meant rebellion against the Turkish Sultan. Meaning death, no jokes, so he was terrified. And this we only know through other sources, 170 years since his passing, and he talked about it everywhere.

One of his greatest students is, of course,HaRav 'Uziel, the student of HaRav Elkalay.
Rabbi Yehudah Bivas - 170 years, Rabbi Yehudah Elkalay - 1878, Rabbi 'Uziel - 1953,
this is the line of the sages.

As You know Rabbi 'Uziel, You have heard this countless times, all First To Zion after him, since this institution of the First To Zion was established, admit there was no greater First To Zion as he was.
This is the way of the wise, the tradition of these three wise, this is agreed upon all.

These two things, Torah - science -arms, 'noble holy of G-d'.
There's an argument whether he was the grandson of Or HaHayim Hakadosh, unclear whether he is his grandson, or the grandson of HaRav Yehudah HaLevi, the great judge and student of the wise in Gibraltar.

This is one subject.
The second subject, and we'll do it shortly
because this Passover we have to do a lot of things.

The Hebrew identity Revolution
Story about the Jewish book shelf | Manitou

Manitou: I want to tell You a story, maybe I already told some years ago. About 30 years ago, I've heard on the radio, it was specifically before the Passover, an interview with someone, how do You say it on the radio?

Student: Interviewer?

Manitou: Not exactly, You'll understand immediately, and tell me which word should be used.

He was going to every apartment, typical Israeli homes, and his question was - why Jewish homes have so many books?

Because it's different from society to society. There are books, but not so much, scholars have libraries, well, book sellers have books, but among Jews, You enter an apartment and immediately, from the beginning You see books. Also in the rooms, within the rooms of the rooms, there're books.

So he made a report about this.

And specifically among the religious, so he went to religious homes and saw these big books, You see the Talmud and all that.

Then he asked, not only out of curiosity, but irony, he asked the homeowner - "do You think You'll read this and become wise?"

The homeowner answered - "Listen habibi, one has to be wise first, to read all this."

Original Manuscript of Theodor Herzl’s Novel Exhibited to the Public for the First Time​

“It’s like touching the handwriting of one of the writers of the Old Testament, maybe even Moses,” Herzl Center president Uri Zaki told Israel’s Channel 13, to explain the value of the manuscript.

i24 News - “Each of its pages is insured for a million dollars and ‘Altneuland’ has 396 of them,” he said.

Susan Burns, curator at the Zionist Central Archives, who loaned the manuscript to the museum, said Herzl envisioned a future society with light rail as a mode of transportation and electronic newspapers read by an enlightened public.

“Altneuland” was published six years after Herzl’s political pamphlet “Der Judenstaat” (The Jewish State), setting out the author’s vision of the return of the Jewish people to their homeland.

“Some of what he wrote is like a prophecy,” she said.

Dr. Herzl and the building of the Third Temple

Original Manuscript of Theodor Herzl’s Novel Exhibited to the Public for the First Time - Algemeiner.com

i24 News – The original German manuscript of Theodor Herzl's novel "Altneuland" is on public display for the first time at the Herzl Center in Jerusalem, as part of a new exhibition celebrating 120 years of its publication. This utopian novel, published in 1902, describes the vision of the...

www.algemeiner.com

 

[rylah]

 

[Mindful]

The blockade of Jerusalem began during the first few days of the War of Independence, spreading from the Old City's Jewish Quarter to the rest of Jerusalem. These color photos from 1948 show us what life was like in the city that was cut off from the rest of the country…

Jerusalem During the War of Independence—Now in Color!

The blockade of Jerusalem began during the first few days of the War of Independence, spreading from the Old City's Jewish Quarter to the rest of Jerusalem. These color photos from 1948 show us what life was like in the city that was cut off from the rest of the country…

blog.nli.org.il

 

[P F Tinmore]

The blockade of Jerusalem began during the first few days of the War of Independence, spreading from the Old City's Jewish Quarter to the rest of Jerusalem. These color photos from 1948 show us what life was like in the city that was cut off from the rest of the country…

Jerusalem During the War of Independence—Now in Color!

The blockade of Jerusalem began during the first few days of the War of Independence, spreading from the Old City's Jewish Quarter to the rest of Jerusalem. These color photos from 1948 show us what life was like in the city that was cut off from the rest of the country…

blog.nli.org.il

he blockade of Jerusalem began during the first few days of the War of Independence,

Independent from what?

 

[Mindful]

Independent from what?

Don’t even try it on me.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Independent from what?

Arab losers?

 

[P F Tinmore]

 

[P F Tinmore]

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Very convincing gay Palestinian guy.

 

[P F Tinmore]

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

“International law is explicit and absolutely prohibits the use of children as human shields by armed forces or armed groups,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Accountability Program director at Defense for Children International – Palestine.

Don't tell the Palestinians, that's kind of their "thing".

 

[P F Tinmore]

A Palestinian youth was shot this evening by an Israeli terrorist settler in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.

 

[rylah]

A Palestinian youth was shot this evening by an Israeli terrorist settler in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.

Because when members of the "religion of peace"
engaging in the honorable tradition of debate,
and take a picture of Israeli medics treating
them - it's the "terrorist Jews" to blame?



(UPDATE) the guy is already home,
released from Sa'arey Tzedek hospital
with no evidence of being a shooting injury.

 

[rylah]

Independent from what?

From small-Mindedness

 

[rylah]

Torah Body Movement - 'Beresheet'
|Prophetic Cinema School

בס"ד​

Faith and arts | Can arts, and cinema be tools for correcting the world?

'Einat Kapah: The words 'faith' and 'art' come essentially from the same root ('Emounah' and 'Omanout'), I would like to hear Your point of view. Generally and as a tool to correct the world, is it capable, what is the ability of art to influence, and can the spirit receive actual tools, to influence us all?

R. Sherki: Good evening, it was really interesting.

The 2nd movie talked about everything except God.
In a certain sense, it can be said that also the 1st movie,
deals with what the Israeli nation likes to discuss - the orthodox.

Where is God here I haven't found, that's correct.
But it's very interesting, I think that cinema is overall
the technological development of theater, despite disciplines
being difficult to see as parallel. But the basic intuition of cinema,
I think it started with theater, and we can't forget that theater was - a religious ceremony.

As to say, when it began in Greece, not only were they offering a sacrifice before the show,
we can see it today in the ancient theater in Beit Shean, there is a place You see an altar, on which they'd sacrifice at the beginning of the show. But the characters were, initially from the mythology, meaning mostly gods. What is interesting is that the gods didn't arrive at the scene, those who arrived were actors, to play the role of the gods. It is possible to definitely say that the longing at the foundation of theater -is the longing that the gods to arrive.

Imagine that instead of an actor playing Hamlet, suddenly Hamlet arrives.
This can happen if the actor gets a little crazy, at the end of the play,
and keeps thinking he's Hamlet.

'E. Kapah: There's this theme in a Woody Allen movie.

R.Sherki: Yes, the question is, why is there no theater in Jewish tradition?
Essentially it begins the moment that God ceases revealing, and the first
theater play in the TaNaCh is the Megilah story, the Megilah of Ester.
There are characters each playing role that is not theirs,
it's not them truly. Not by chance, all the plays
in the nation of Israel came from Purim.

Why not before? Why is that a Greek creation?
I understand it so, because in our play the actor was God Himself,
meaning He arrived. There is no one playing Mosheh, Mosheh is there.

From then on, it's very difficult to live with the fundamental sense, the classic
Jewish experience was that we are the subjects of revelation. This is exactly the opposite of the fundament sense at the basis of the Greek worldview, which later developed into Philosophy, this is later, but already began in the era of mythology, the sense that the human is fighting for independence before God, it can be said. for autonomy.

And to this we should add, You've talked about it, 'shall not make statues or any graven image' - the fear of the visual. So much that when a Jew wants to express his inner world, closes the eyes and says 'Shma'a', meaning there's a clear preference for the acoustic over the visual.

With that, there's a series of commandments having to do with sight.
To see the candles of Hanukah or the Hadar fruit 'and you shall take for you' (Vayikra 23),
there's a requirement that the fruit is beautiful, and pleasant aesthetically, there is this dimension. Interesting that the holidays of Sukkot and Hanuka are coming after the holiday of Rosh HaShanah when the person has to hear the sound of Shofar.

So clearly there's a sort of tension. Once I was asked to write an article about the 'theater of revelation'.
People asked me - we want to be creators, essentially the stood before the question You're rising, about how can we speak about spiritual matters, etc., without getting into pagan symbolism...something like that. Given I'm neither in cinema nor in theater, I'm not an artist, but I've said regarding the goals, a thing that has to be clear - the challenge of the Hebrew creativity when dealing with spiritual matters, is to know to express this tension.

Meaning, essentially, how to be messed up. As to say, probably Jewish existence is a complicated existence, there're even some who define it as a mental illness or paranoia of a paranoid who is right because he is really being chased. So clearly if You want to express something that the prophetic tradition wants to talk about - then you have to give place to this complex.

It is possible that the helicopter theme is connected to this.
Meaning, You want (Psalm 121) - "I shall raise my eyes, from where comes my rescue, my rescue from HaShem" - really comes a helicopter. And You know that this helicopter is not what You have been expecting, but this is the messanger You've been expecting.

Many times, our critical artists, speak in terms with which I very much identify.
When I read writings by atheists or haters of religion, I feel that I'm meeting here Rabbi Kook. Meaning the criticism arising in the depth of Judaism against its pseudo-pagan images,
or almost pagan, that express themselves in the religious institution, etc., I don't want to play into the politically correct of being against the religious institution, that isn't my interest.
But in many times there's in this, say artistic rebellion - something seeking to meet God truly.

If I'm allowed a story, I was once interviewed with Prof. Caro Schtranger Z"L, who was my friend and foe at the same time, he was an 'x-religious'. By the way, very interesting to see this creation of this 'ex-religious' world, I think it's very connected to the artistic world, and maybe this is the more creative part of the Israeli society, the ex-religious part searching for itself. So prof. Schtranger was discussing wit me a question, there was a nice moderator who asked - "Is there or isn't there God?".

Prof. Schtranger answered - there's no.
'Rabbi Sherki what do You say' - I said there's no.
So the moderator was a bit confused, how do we continue.
Because I've told him - the God which You want me to say is there, is not my God.

Therefore I had to say 'there's no'.

To sum in a word - an artist seeking to speak about spirituality - truly,
to know how to be complex.

'E Kapah: But essentially the place of every cinema character, is the place of a conflict?

R. Sherki: I don't know, there're such cute movies, about a hero, the prince on the white horse coming to rescue Cinderella, get real, these are not missing.

'E. Kapah: Do You think there is anything in the sitting itself, in a dark hall, the cinema or the theater? Takes us to a different experience, because part of our senses turns off, opening from within? I don't know, because of less stimulus?

R. Sherki: Look, if tho be a psychoanalyst, I will say that that is a 'womb experience'.
Meaning, to return to some dark enclosed place, and there watch over the world.
This is essentially nostalgia for the mother's womb, we can say.

Then maybe it is the place of a new creation.
To say, I'm entering and exiting from there to a new world.
There is a sort of magic in it...though it's always possible to criticize
the passive aspect in the longing and watching, and alike, it's nothing new.
There is always a danger in the essence of the term - entertainment.

Once I was at a lesson of some Rabbi, who was talking about culture.
So he saw that the students didn't understand what he was talking about.
Then he asked - tell me what is culture? These were secular students.

So they said - culture is what You do when You have time".
The difference between culture and pastime. Thus even here,
if we're looking for entertainment, or a place for a date this evening,
then we're missing something, there's this danger, but this, I am not responsible for this.

'E. Kapah: So who in Your opinion can represent this complex or conflict, to turn into correcting the world, I know these are words too high, yet taking to new places? With what tools and what people?

R. Sherki: I'll tell You something.
There's always a danger of ideological or recruited art, there's always this danger, definitely. Therefore there is always a problem with 'religious cinema', or 'moral cinema', and alike. Because art by definition expresses what is inside the artist. And what is inside the artist, You cannot stop it. But what You can, do is ask the artist - who are You before You create?

Therefore I won't tell You to want to create, but I will tell You who to be - I have a moral claim - who You have to be. What is needed to be inside You, 'wine got in, secretly got out' (Rabbi Hiya), but what is Your secret? Maybe it's better You don't drink wine, and say, maybe it's better You study in Yeshivah first,
and then we will talk, right?

'E. Kapah: So we have to prepare people, maybe to first fill themselves with...

R. Sherki: To fill themselves with good, yes.

It's not that easy, You may say if I'm filled with good, I'm going to be boring, what shall come from me?
But I don't think this concerned Rembrandt, he was a good person according to my appreciation,
and the good he had he expressed.

Faith and arts | Does Cinema need to be a tool for spiritual elevation?

'Einat Kapah: The question rather, what both of You are saying, that thew point of 'spiritual experience', I don't hear that from You. I hear the difficulty, the limits, maybe that's not the place. Meaning we want to find the tools - as they would teach Prophecy so and so years ago.

Should teach such creativity, and maybe teach a reading in such movies. You say it's the responsibility of the watcher, but we all know, what is required of the watcher to come out of the movie on a new level? Human experience, if we have yet to use the word 'spiritual'. I don't hear that we have found the spice, the path, or the ladder.

Rabbi Sherki: May I say something?
It seems I'm looking for exactly what You are not looking for, and the other way.
Meaning, You want spirituality, and I want the Godly. Here is a sort of 'spiritualist' attitude, to see in God the 'spiritual', a common position among the nations of the world. It is also in a way anti-monotheist, as to 'see God in everything', if the attitude is to see God in everything then it also doesn't see God in anything. In someplace there's 'ereythingness', a totality of monotheism. And therefore it's much easier to meet the Godly, I would say, there are the ideas of the AriZ"L...

The world of the spheres, meaning if You want to say 'spiritual', the world of Kdushah, or the impurity, is described in two allegorical images. Either in a family - father, mother, son, daughter, grandparents and alike, or with letters - it can be said, that letters, are quantity turned into quality, and in the family - it's quality which turned into quantity.

That says, the consciousness, when we talk about the roots of reality, we cannot shrink into one dimension. It's binary, either that or synthetic thought - possible to find the unified root. I think that the unified root will be a sad mistake to try and picture it. It's a thing, that specifically through human interaction, or the interaction between the human and nature alike, can express more correctly.

What I'm saying, for example, what scratches my mind in this scene, about foreign service ('Avodah Zarah') - is that it doesn't even speak about God. It speaks about some family conflicts, father, and mother fighting over pedagogical education. But there is, I think, I'm returning to Levinas, he was the one who returned to the philosophical world - the term of the 'face', and the question is what is the 'face'?

If the face is the skin under my skull, then even the dead has a face. Rather, 'the face' is the point of touching without touching, the endless light. Therefore the Zohar says a thing that shocked Rabbi Yihyah Kapah, when the Zohar says -"the face of Lord HaShem - is Rabbi Shim'on bar Yohay"... whoaa!!??? Right?

I am saying, through the human face one can meet the Godly.
'Einat Kapah: Then maybe every movie is like that. We speak about the expression in the world.
R. Sherki: Erez said this, the danger always is of the conceptualization. To turn the experience of the meeting into a picture, and a picture doesn't have life, this is the danger, and the challenge I think.

 

[rylah]

Israel has the potential to lead impact innovation - opinion

Many elements like climate change and COVID-19 have led investors to choose projects that will positively impact society and the planet.

www.jpost.com

 

[rylah]

Europe has gone from being critical of Israel to admiring it - opinion

New dialogue and far-reaching collaboration are underway between the European Union and Israel.

www.jpost.com

 

[rylah]

IRGC officer who planned attacks on Jews, Israelis killed in Tehran

Assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed the Quds Force member in front of his home in the Iranian capital.

www.jpost.com

 

[rylah]

'Five bullets with a silencer' - How was an IRGC officer assassinated?

IRGC Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodayari was shot and killed near his home by unknown assailants.

www.jpost.com