The Cave of Shem and Ever in Zfat

B"H 

I am back in Zfat (Northern Israel) until Wednesday and while I was walking around after my arrival today, I found the door to the famous cave of Shem and Ever open. I was able to take a glimpse inside. The following video came out a bit dark but the photos may provide you a better impression.

Shem used to be the youngest son of Noach (Noah) and Ever was Shem's grandson. Jewish tradition says that the two were studying Torah in this particular cave. 

When we say that our ancestors studied Torah although the Torah wasn't then officially given, well, there are different opinions on that concept. They surely didn't study Torah as we do today but it is explained that the ancestors, in particular Avraham, had the principle in mind. 

However, I do not yet have the historical knowledge of how and why it was stipulated that this cave used to be Shem and Ever's cave. 

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries

B"H

Everything regarding Judaism (History, Talmud, Torah, Halacha, Yom Tov, Shabbat, Aggadah, Midrash, Philosophy, Sages, etc.) can be a subject for life. I always regret that a day only has 24 hours. For me, this is not enough time, as I am having too many things to do. Besides my private life, I would love writing about so many different subjects but special articles require research and time. Suddenly you turn around and you are already 40 or 50 years old and you get the feeling like "running out of time". People giving lectures about hundreds of different subjects always raise my suspicion. Intense research on one topic takes at least a few months but mostly  years. How can I place myself in front of an audience without deeper knowledge and having read a Wikipedia page ? 

One of those subjects I would love to spend more time on are the Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Not too many people think about this anymore today. The world screams about the rights for Palestinian refugees although in history, a Palestinian people has never existed. 

Until the 1940ies and 50ies, hundreds of thousands of Jews used to live in Arab countries such as Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Kurdistan or Algeria. In the end, those Jews had to leave their home and property behind. I heard that there were Jews from Morocco who even walked on foot to Israel. In those days, no Nefesh be'Nefesh existed and Sephardic Jews immigrating to Israel did neither receive any benefits. Especially not an Ulpan (Hebrew language course), as every Oleh Chadash gets today. 

There are quite a few elderly Moroccan Jews in Israel who still know Arabic. The same with Lebanese or Syrian Jews. Kurdish Jews still speak their language and so do the Persians. If anyone in Israel understand Arab mentality, it is the Sephardic Jews who once lived in Arab countries. 

There are historical statements claiming that, in general, the Arabs treated the Jews much better than the Christians. Those statements were being made in regard to the medieval Spain, and parts of Europe and Babylon (now Iraq). There is no doubt that there was a tremendous difference how the Jews of medieval Spain were treated by the ruling Muslims and the Christians. Under Muslim reign, Jewish life used to prosper whereas after the Christian conquered Spain, Jews became an outcast. Then, the real anti - Semitism and, later on, the Inquisition, began. On the other hand, we shouldn't forget the Muslims of the 20th century also turning against the Jews. 

Here is a new interesting video, once again, raising the almost forgotten subject of the Jewish refugees escaping Arab countries.

Links:

Justice for the Jew from Arab Countries

Forced Migration

Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period

B"H

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem and its permanent exhibition of the city of Jerusalem during the times of the Second Temple.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

New excavation site near the "City of King David"

B"H

I am going to publish photos from the "City of King David - Ir David" within the next few days. What surprised me was seeing a new excavation site right across the "City of King David" while I was in Jerusalem yesterday. 

The excavations are still going on and there were no signs or descriptions. It may be that the site used to be part of the ancient Old City before the First Temple was built. In the times of King David, the city of Jerusalem was located where we find today's "City of King David" and not where today's Jewish Quarter is located. The very ancient city of Jerusalem was located in the middle of today's Arab village of Silwan. Right outside the Dung Gate near the Western Wall (Kotel) and below the Temple Mount. 

The Temple Mount on the right, in the background you can see the Mount of Olives (Har HaZe'itim) and to the very right is the Dung Gate.

Outside the Dung Gate

Right across the Dung Gate you can see the Arab village SILWAN. The village is part of Jerusalem and has been exisiting for only 50 years or so. A bit more than 100 years ago, there actually was a small village at the same spot but it was populated by Yemenite Jews who had come from Yemen to Jerusalem. The Yemenites couldn't find any housing, as local Jews didn't really want them. Christian missionaries tried prostelyzing them but didn't succeed. The Yemenites lived in caves and until today, you can see signs of Mezuzot on the oldest doorposts of Arab Silwan. 

The excavation site across the "City of King David" in Silwan. Very close to the Dung Gate and Temple Mount.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Life in a Shtetl

It is all about Amalek

B"H

We are commanded not to forget what Amalek did to us

Amalek was a grandson of Yitzchak's son Esav. He was the first one ever attacking Jews for no reason (see Exodus - Shemot 17:8). Amalek attacked Israel in order to destroy it. This was pretty new in Jewish history and "Exodus - Shemot" 17:16 lets us know that there will be war between G - d and Amalek from generation to generation. Meaning, every generation will bring forth someone who wants to kill the Jews for no reason but for being Jewish. 

After G - d had taken us out of Egypt, all nations were impressed but NOT Amalek. He alone dared to provoke G d's wrath and started a battle against Him and Israel. Today, there are different opinions on what and who is Amalek. Easily we tend to accuse all kinds of anti - Semites or nations who are against us of being Amalek. Starting with Rome and later on the Germans during the Nazi Reich. Now some Jews claim that Obama or the Iranian or Syrian presidents are Amalek. Fact is, the battle is not over yet and will continue until Meshiach comes. There will always be nations hating Jews and trying to destroy them. 

After Amalek attacked the Jews in Refidim, the next encounter took place 434 years later. When King Shaul ben Kish (from the Tribe of Binyamin) did not destroy the entire nation of the Amalekites but spared their King Aggag. Not following the precise instructions of Shmuel HaNavi (the Prophet Samuel), Shaul made a vital mistake. Aggag had time to beget a son and this son became an ancestor of evil Haman. Shaul, on the other hand, was an ancestor of Mordechai and Esther. About ten generations were between them. 

In the end, Shmuel killed Aggag in Gilgal but some 520 years later, the Jews in Shushan had to suffer from Shaul's mistake. However, Shaul had caused a new Amalek but the Jews in Shushan caused their own "punishment" for being disobedient. It was them neglecting Torah study and many of them participated in the non - kosher meal (party) of Achashverosh. Not only by eating but also by enjoying. 

In a way we can understand King Shaul. Isn't it true that some of G - d's orders seem to be cruel in the first place.

"Destroy everyone ! Don't leave anyone alive !"

When we hear this today, well, then we think about the media, what other people (nations) say, about our own conscience. The answer to that is that G - d sees the wider picture, we don't. We only see the NOW. G - d, however, knows exactly what our actions cause to the future generations and if we knew what He does, we would definitely follow His instructions. 

But many times we don't because we have our FREE CHOICE in life.

To be honest: I am glad that I was not in King Shaul's situation but … each of us has his or her own situation and while making decisions, we should also take the future into consideration.

_______________________

Source:

PURIM: Season of Miracles

By Rabbi Zechariah Fendel

"Kabbalat Shabbat" in the Ghetto of Lodz / Poland

Further photos HERE !

"Missed Opportunities" or "Do we need Jerusalem" ?

B"H

Tomorrow morning, at around 4am, the fast of Asarah be'Tevet (10th Tevet) is starting and it Israel, the fast will be over at 5.14pm.

Two years ago, I went to a Shiur at the ORTHODIX UNION in Jerusalem where Rabbi Chaim Eisen spoke. The Rabbi explained further reasons on why we commemorate the 10th of Tevet.

It is said that the great Prophet Ezra who took thousands of Jews out of the 70 - year lasting Babylonian Diaspora back to Eretz Israel, died on 9th Tevet. The passing of Ezra was a big loss for the Jewish nation. Still back in Babylon, Ezra had thought that all Jews would speedily return to Israel as soon as the Persian King gave his permission. However, Ezra was wrong because tons of Jews didn't even consider a return to Israel, as they had built themselves a very convenient life in the Diaspora. Israel ? Jerusalem ? Tempel ? Everything is destroyed. Who needs that ?

Ezra wrote to many communities and his proposal of returning to the Holy Land got rejected by many Jews. The same happened with the German communities Speyer, Worms and Mainz. After the destruction of the First Temple, Jews had already settled in Germany. 

However, the Jews from those three German communities refused to return to Eretz Israel and restore the Temple. Not only them but also them. And it happened particularly to those three communities which were almost destroyed by the Crusaders on their first Crusade in 1096. The Crusaders passed those towns and killed more than 100,000 Jews.

The Talmud teaches us that from hundreds of thousands of Jews living in the Babylonian Diaspora, only 42,360 returned to Eretz Israel. The rest remained in Babylonia. Therefore, the Second Temple lost parts of its holiness compared to the First Temple. During the First Temple period, the Shechinah (G - d's presence) could be felt and was always around. The Ark was still standing in the Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKedoshim), the High Priest (Cohen HaGadol) wore the Urim ve'Turim (Breastplate), G - d's secret names were still known and also their pronouncation and Prophets were around everywhere. If all the Jews had returned from the Diaspora and build up the Second Temple, G - d may have granted them much more than a limited holiness of the rebuild Temple.

On Asarah be'Tevet, we don't only commemorate the siege of Jerusalem but the times of missed opportunities. If the Jews had reacted in different ways, the future and our present may have looked very different. Who of the Diaspora Jews thinks about Jerusalem at all ? Who constantly desires a Third Temple ? Most Jews say their prayers including the prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem but, as soon as the prayer is over, everyone goes back to normal. 

Thus we are mourn and fast because of the missed opportunities and the behaviour of the Jews. When Jews are getting too comfortable in the Diaspora, they act against G - d's will.

Asarah be'Tevet - 10th Tevet

Source: Jerusalem.Com

B"H

Even if the Jews outside Israel don't really like to hear it, I cannot imagine that Jews abroad are able to commemorate certain events in Jewish history as authentic as we do in Israel. And especially in Jerusalem. The latest example was Chanukkah. 

What do Jews who have never been to Jerusalem know about the Site of the Kotel (Western Wall), the Temple Mount and our city ? When you are standing right here in front of the sites where everything took place, you suddenly get a very different feeling and approach to the holidays.

The same is happening tomorrow with the Fast day of Asarah Be' Tevet. This Fast day is a rabbinic fast but has an immense historical meaning. This year, Asarah Be'Tevet is going to start tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

On this day, the siege over Jerusalem by the Babylonians began. One of the greatest tragedy in Jewish history. Three years later, on Tisha Be'Av, the First Temple was destroyed. The 10th Tevet stands for endless suffering and destruction.

Generally both Temple destructions are considered as a G - dly punishment. During the times of the First Temple, the Jews participated in idol worship, sexual perversions and even sacrificed their children in the Tofet (a place near the todays' Cinematheque). The Tofet was one of the most horrifying sites in Jerusalem at that time. Even if the Jews believed in G - d, they misunderstood the principle of the sacrifices and thought that G - d favours childrens' sacrifices.

Not only the Temple was destroyed. With it disappeared the Aron HaKodesh with the tablets, prophecy, the Shechina hid itself more, and even the Shemen HaMishcha was gone. Today we do not have any prophecy but rather a Bat Kol which Rashi describes as an echo of a Heavenly voice.

Today many of us might consider the Asarah Be' Tevet as a kind of minor fast. "What does this all have to do with me and the problems today" ?

Leading Rabbis appointed the 10th of Tevet as a Holocaust Memorial Day. Kaddish is said for all the Jews whose date of death or the location of the grave is unknown. Many Haredim consider the Asarah Be' Tevet as the real Holocaust Memorial Day and not the one stipulated by the Knesset. This is one of the reasons why especially Haredim do not stand still when we hear the sirens.

Every year anew, this behaviour is causing harsh criticism but once you know their real reason, you can understand it. Their memorial day is Asarah Be' Tevet. One chassidic friend of mine once made a good point about the whole situation. She told me that the religious and particularly the haredi population does not need sirens or big shows. "What do you do anyway when you listen to the sirens", she asked me. You look around and get exited. We, on the other hand, sit down and say Tehillim".

What she said was actually very true and I agree that silent mourning is the better way.

It says in Talmud Taanit 30b that whoever mourns for Jerusalem will witness its rebuilding. Hence, the Ge'ulah.

The 10th Tevet is a day of Teshuva and should lead our hearts to the realization to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. Everybody should realize that the universe was only created for him (Talmud Sanhedrin 37a) and thus, each of us is responsible for his actions. Every Jew has a special purpose in life and among the Jewish people, and he has to fulfill this task. With his actions, he not only influences his generation but also the future generations until the coming of Meschiach.

Zom Kal - Have an easy Fast !!!

19th century: Jewish Majority in Jerusalem

Rabbi Berel Wein on the authencity of THE ZOHAR

Rabbi Berel Wein giving a lecture on the ZOHAR (Book of Splendor, published in 1290 by Rabbi Moshe DeLeon in Spain). The lecture took place at Yeshivat AISH HATORAH. 

I do agree with the statement of Rabbi Yaakov of Emden. Furthermore, the wife of Rabbi DeLeon said after her husband's death that he (her husband) wrote the book. When asked why, Mrs DeLeon said that a book written by an author such as Rabbi Shimon sells much better. Further, Mrs DeLeon justified her husband by saying that they desperately needed the income from the book in order to pay their rent and this is the reason why Rabbi Moshe DeLeon claimed that the true other was Rabbi Shimon. Let's call it one of the first public relation campaigns.:-)

Palestinians and Churches faking Jewish History

B”H

Those of you talking to Palestinians in Jerusalem's Arab Quarter in the Old City many times hear the local opinion: "Hitler was a great man but he could have been the greatest by killing ALL Jews !" This is how countless Palestinians think about us. 

Another claim you may hear is that there have never been two Jewish Tempels and that all Jewish history in Israel is a Jewish and Zionist lie. 

No one should be surprised when Palestinians make such claims, as they follow certain political interests and even try convincing the UN that Israel is Palestine and always has been Muslim. But it is not only the Arab world trying to change Jewish history. Also the Vatican, the Armenian Chruch as well as the Greek - Orthodox Church put themselves suddenly on the side of the Palestinians when it goes against the Jews.  

To the church, Jews are the living proof of G - d protecting His people (the Jews). As long as there are Jews, the church has no monopoly and has to face the true Jewish opinion and Torah. As long as there are Jews, we fight against Christian missionaries and keep on publishing the lies of the church.

Further details on YNET ! 

Botschaft an die Kirchen

The "Jerusalem" of Lithuania: VILNA

B"H 

The Israeli Holocaust Museum YAD VASHEM is publishing a short documentary on the Jews in Lithuania. Once, Vilna played an extremely important role in Jewish history. Most people identify the toen with the Vilna Gaon who once fought the new chassidic movement. However, many Jews don't know that also quite a few Chassidim used to live in Vilna. 

Today, only photos remain from the great Jewish history of Lithuania. 

http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/he/exhibitions/vilna/index.asp

Why Palestinians want this video removed

Further Tunnels from the Second Temple period discovered

B”H

How Jewish fighters against the Romans fought the enemy and escaped: Archeologists discovered further tunnels underneath the Old City of Jerusalem. 

All Pictures HERE !

Why Jerusalem belongs to the Jews

Jerusalem 60 Minutes: The City of David

Photos: Prague and its Jewish History

See all photos HERE !

4000 Years of Jewish History

Exhibition: The HOLY LAND in the 19th Century

B"H

The JEWISH NATIONAL LIBRARY at the Hebrew University Compound in Jerusalem (Givat Ram) is running an exhibition about the history of the HOLY LAND (Israel) in the 19th century. 

 

The American writer Herman Melville (Moby Dick) on the Jews in, what is now called Israel.

Already in the early 19 hundreds, Christian missionaries made their way to Israel.

A Christinan missionary school in Yaffo (near Tel Aviv) in 1870.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Geven Amol Iz A Shtetl