Inclusive Words

The following lines I found in Nechama Leibowitz’s commentary. In my opinion they show in a beautiful way how Judaism, that is in some ways quite exclusive has inclusive parts to it as well. This is taken from Ibn Gabirol in his Keter Malchut:

אתה אלוקי האלוקים
וכל הברואים עדיך
ובכבוד זה השם נתחייב כל נברא לעובדך
אתה אלוק
וכל היצורים עבדיך ועובדיך
ולא יחסר כבודך
בגלל עובדי בלעדיך
כי כוונת כולם להגיע עדיך

You are the God of Gods,
and all creatures pay homage to You,
and every created thing has been obliged to serve You with the honor due to Your name.
You are God and all creatures are Your servants and serve You
and Your glory suffers no diminuiton on account of those who
serve others beside You,
since the intention of all them is to achieve communion with You.

Loving God and Living Life

On the following verse I heard a very nice exposition today:

“And Hashem your God will give to you and to
your seed a circumcision of the heart, so that, loving
him with all your heart and all your soul,
you may have life.” (Deuteronomy, 30:16)

When God gives you life, when you come to earth, you only have a part of what it is described as having a life. You breathe but you are unaware what it really means to live. You mostly live for yourself. When you love God you start to live for God and for others, you serve God and at the same time help others. No matter how you consider yourself free and independent before that and how living according to rules seem like being under some pressure, it is not, just then you can leave your evil sides, you get free from the bad sides controlling you and live freely, and live the life what is described as life by God.

—-
I thought that was very inspiring and think many of you would agree that living according to Gods ways is liberating, and true life.

Quote: James Bond and the Trinity

Was Jesus one with God in the sense that, say, Sean Connery is one with Daniel Craig, different faces of a single role, or in the sense that James Bond is one with Ian Fleming, each so dependent on the other that one cannot talk about the creation apart from its author?

-Adam Gopnik, What did Jesus do?

HT: DovBear

Shabbat in Jerusalem

Last Shabbat I was in Jerusalem and had the opportunity to experience it on all different levels.

I must say I already miss it and wish I could be there again… the tranquility and peace, the sun setting slowly, people preparing themselves, etc.

Fridaynight in Synagogue, people slowly dropping in, first for Mincha (afternoon prayer) followed by certain songs and prayers to welcome the Shabbat and after that Arvit (evening prayer). It really was very special, the nice melodies, the devotion and again this strong feeling of peace and ease.

It was also really nice to see so many kids and young people there. In the end there was even a small kid singing a song which the congregation would sing responsively, very uplifting.

At the end of the service people socializing with each other and we ending up being invited by someone we didnt know for dinner at her place. Very different from what we are used to in church!

Very warm family, gathering around the table with strangers but it seemed like even though we were almost equal in number, as if we were doing this every week together. The songs, the prayers, really inspiring.

I remember saying to myself multiple times that night how I longed for this, to be able to participate in the traditions of the Shabbat, going to Synagogue, having dinner together, stopping for a moment in the week, what a blessing it must be…

Israel – 9th & 10th day

9th day
In the morning we went to the Sea of Galilee and after that packed our bags to leave the hostel.

We made a stop at Kfar Nachum (Capernaum) where there is the remains of an ancient Synagogue which is thought to be built on the remains of a Synagogue from the time of Jesus.

We had both been there before so we didnt stay long.

After that we drove to Akko which is an old Crusaders city. Its located at the sea so you have a wonderful view.

I didnt really enjoy it as it was quite dirty and not really developed.

We continued to Rosh Hanikra which is at the border with Lebanon. There you have tunnels and caves which have been hewn out by the water of the sea. Its really fascinating place to see.

The friends we were staying at lived in Naharriya so we drove back south.

It turned out to be a nice holiday village, next to the sea with many elderly people enjoying their retirement.

At night we went out for a walk next to the sea which made us understand why they chose to live there.

10th day
Went to the beach:)

Other than that didnt do much, just relaxing a bit and packing our stuff.

Was afraid all my books wouldnt fit but they did.

Drove to the direction of Haifa as we wanted to visit Daliat al Karmel, a Druze village. On the road we got into a huge traffic jam which turned out to be a protest by some Druze-men who blocked the highway by laying on the ground.

In the end we passed them and arrived to the village, which to our surprise was quite modern. We expected to encounter a very primitive society, or at least some ancient part. We either missed it or it really wasnt there.

In any case we got back in the car after 15 minutes and continued to Netanya.

There we took up some chairs at the beach and watched the sunset:) a pleasant way of forgetting about the wasted afternoon on the highway.

At night we had dinner and left for the airport..

Going home from holidays entails this double feeling of being happy to be with ur loved ones and ur own place but at the same time turning back to normal life and leaving behind a special place.

But well if the past is in any way an indication of what is to come (4 years in a row to Israel) I am optimistic for next year:)

Israel – 8th day

Woke up early as we are renting a car to drive to Meron.

Meron is the place to be for Lag Baomer. It features the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and thousands upon thousands go up there, to pray and party:)

It was alot of fun to be there, loud music, people dancing, many children, a sort of festival:)

My friend took me into the tomb but the way towards it and in it was so crowded that it felt like I was in a crowded disco! People jumping and dancing and singing and we trying to make our way through them.

When we finally made it I longed to get out to get some fresh air and so we left again.

After walking around a bit I decided we had seen enough so we returned to the car.

We continued to Safed, where we started in the artists colony. This I would recommend to anyone who likes art. I bought a piece of art which contained a blessing for the home and many deeper layers in it.

We visited the Ari Synagogue, both the Ashkenaz and the Sephardi. And in the Sephardi they just started the afternoon prayer so i joined:) outside of the Synagogue, below, is the cemetary where the Ari is buried and several others which you can recognize by the fact that they have been painted blue.

It was really a special place. We also visited the Yosef Caro Synagogue which had a closet with books that ranged fron 100 to 500 years of age.

On our way back there was a group of children with sticks with fire and some men dancing under a chuppa with a Torahscroll which was a delight to see.

If you are in the neighbourhood i would definitely recommend a visit.

At night we stayed in a hostel in Tiberias and went for a walk close to the lake which has this street with sellers of souvenirs.

All in all a great day:)

Israel – 6th & 7th day

6th day
In the morning I met with a friend and toured the Mea Shearim a bit and some other neighbourhoods. He showed me alot of places and told me alot of stories, it was really interesting.

At 12 i met with my mom at the market (machane yehuda) and did some shopping for Shabbat:) i didnt buy much books yet and as this was our last afternoon in Jerusalem (when the shops were open) i decided to go to Pomeranz, which is a big bookstore with many english titles. (Id recommend a visit)

I ended up buying the commentary of Nechama Leibowitz on the Torah (7 vols!)and two other books.

We were invited for fridaynight service at a Modern-Orthodox Synagogue and it was a very nice experience. It was interesting to see they had a separation in the middle so you could if you stood see the other side and in general the atmosphere was quite relaxed.

The prayers were moving and it made me long more for such a place to worship.

After the service suddenly a British woman came up to us who invited us for dinner:) we didnt know what to say as when someone in Holland offers this we would think it was just to be polite but she insisted so much that we agreed to join them.

We had a lovely dinner, with song and much laughing and left at 23.30

7th day
Shabbat morning i met up early with my friend from Yeshiva and he said we needed to hurry as he wanted to show me the Synagogue of the Rav Elyashiv and might be able to catch a glimpse of him. Rav Elyashiv is considered, especially by non-chassidic groups, to be the leader of Charedi Judaism (ultra-orthodox) today.

We got there and the tiny Synagogue was full with people and in the front somewhere the Rav himself.

I was urged by my friend “dont tell what you are, and what you are not”:) which i had sort of figured myself as well. After the prayers ended everybody lined up to pass the Rav and say ‘Gut Shabbes’ to which he would respond with a nod.

The Rav Elyashiv is thought to be a 100 years old and thats the way he looks but he stands during prayers and when people pass to greet him.

His house is close to the Synagogue and is like a dumpster. He prefers to live like that even though he could live in riches. Presidents of Israel visit his place and according to my friend you cant become the mayor of Jerusalem without his approval.

After that we walked around more and i was shown other Synagogues and even got a glimpse of the Satmar Synagogue.

We made a short stop at his aunt where i got to taste some special Shabbat food! To be honest it looked horrible and it was:P i of course ate it and smiled as if it was great food:)

For lunch I was invited to American Modern-Orthodox friends where we had a lovely meal, which lasted for like 3 hours! I really enjoyed the conversations and singing. They truly know what hospitality is and I always feel at home at their place.

Thereafter we returned home and I took a nap, all the eating and walking makes a man tired:)

At night Lag Baomer started! This festival is marked in Judaism by the lighting of bonfires everywhere and I went to the Kotel to see what they did.

They made small square with wood on it and at 21.00 lighted it. Everybody gathered around it singing songs about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and dancing around it. It was really nice to witness it:)

Ive added some pictures.

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Israel – 4th & 5th day

Yesterday I didnt manage to post so heres a post about yesterday and today.

4th day
In the morning we went by taxi to Bethlehem. As you may know the State of Israel has erected a massive wall dividing the area of Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

It was quite shocking to see suddenly this large concrete wall and the tight security around it.

We passed through it without any difficulties and got in another taxi to the Bethlehem Bible College. We were welcomed there and joined a group that came from Namibia for a lecture by dr. Munayer titled “The Theology of the Land”

He was a good speaker and offered a different side of the story and what in his opinion was a proper theology of the Land.

It basically surrounded on who the people of God are today and in the end left not much room for the idea that the Jews are, theologically, entitled to the Land.

Even though I disagreed with him it was interesting to hear the Palestinian side of the story and witness first-hand the dire conditions they are living in.

After Bethlehem we went back to Jerusalem to visit the Mount of Olives. Unfortunately the garden of Gethsemane was closed but we did enjoy the beautiful sight of the city from the mount.

We visited an Orthodox church down the mount with again much incense and many icons but we didnt stay long. It was supposed to contain the tomb of Mary.

After that we entered through the Lions gate and followed the Via Dolorosa to the Muslim quarter as we were on our way to the Garden tomb of Jesus.

The Muslim quarter reminded me of the less well-off neighbourhoods in Turkey and it didnt take long for me to wish to get out of there asap.

We went to the garden and its like an Oasis when compared to its surroundings. As we had been there before we didnt stay long.

On our way back we passed through the Christian quarter and slowly made it to the Kotel. My mom took again her painting spot above the Kollel of Chabad and I went in the cave for afternoon prayer and some studying.

After that we returned home and at night were quite tired so headed to bed early:)

5th day

Today we went to Masada and Ein Gedi beach. I had visited Masada before but it was still impressive. It certainly is a must-see.

We went by public transportation which I wouldnt recommend if you go with two or more people. The money you spent on renting a car is about the same and doubtless much more comfortable than waiting under the burning sun for a bus that is like 20 minutes late.

We enjoyed the water of the Dead Sea at Ein Gedi beach and having been at Ein Gedi Spa I would recommend going to the beach, not only because its for free but because you dont have to walk so far to get there and the facilities are more than enough.

Upon returning we went to the market at Machane Yehuda and had dinner at Restaurant Luigi which has become one of our favourite places to go.

That was about it for today:)

Israel – 3rd day

Today Im just posting some pictures as I want to go to sleep:)

Israel – 2nd day

This morning I had to wake up early as my mom was joining a group that does a prayerwalk on the walls.

I myself had an appointment with the head of the Bible and ANE M.A. Program of Hebrew University to talk about what their program offers but before that went to the Kotel.

While on my way there I saw a sign to the Holy Sepulchre and as I hadnt gone there yet went to see it.

It was quite dark inside and featured many icons and images. There was a very strong smell of incense which I liked at first but after a while made it hard to breath!

There was also a very large wooden construction with people around it waiting to go in and some priests around it.

I must say that I didnt feel very comfortable by the whole scene.

After that I went to the Kotel for morning prayer and as it is Monday there were many Bar-Mitzvahs going on and it was really nice to see the little boys getting ‘initiated’. (Ive added a picture)

After that I went to the university and it has a huge campus. It was kind of difficult to find the room because the offices were very much built in the form of a labyrint! (I know of a much better architect:P)

I got there on time and had a very nice conversation. We first talked about the program but soon were talking about the split between personal beliefs and academic study of the Bible and sometimes schizophrenic state of mind that resulted from that.

I asked her many questions and it was really nice to talk to someone with so much knowledge:)

Unfortunately the program is two years which makes it a big step to take.

Im now in a Finance masters and while I dont really enjoy that, do want to have a career in something related. That sounds a bit wrong but from a practical perspective theres little use in a degree in Biblical studies for making a living.

So until now its a dream and only God knows whether it will be more than that in the future.

I returned to the Dung Gate to meet my mother and go to the City of David to visit the tunnel of Hezekiah.

This was alot of fun:) the tunnel is very long and it starts with water above your knees! Its extremely dark so I was happy they made us use a flashlight.

It got quite narrow at times and at certain parts you had to bow your head because of the low ceiling.

We got out and wanted to go up to the Al-Aqsa Mosque but apparently this is only open in the morning.

Instead we had some fresh orange juice in the souk.

We wandered around a abit and ended up at the Karta, which is a very nice street with shops and good cafes/restaurants.

At a place called Roladin we enjoyed some cheesecake and a nice view of the city.

Now Im back in the room again and relaxing a bit:) i dont know yet what we’ll do tonight but Im sure we’ll find something. Btw if any of you know of any good restaurants to visit in either the Old City or Ben Yehuda street let me know!

Israel – 1st Day

Today was the first day in Israel. In a way we didnt do much, in other way we were all the day busy.

We went to Ben Yehuda street for breakfast and for me to check if my simcard was still working and from there walked to the Old City.

Theres alot of construction going on and for my mom who hasnt been here for about 27 years alot has changed.

We went to the Kotel (wailing wall) through the souk (sort of bazaar) and took some alternative routes which led us to some very pitoresque alleys.

Eventually we got the Kotel and of course we had to split our ways, my mom to the womens side and I too the mens side.

At first it felt quite normal to be there and praying but when coming to the point of confessing sins I was really touched for being there again.

After the Kotel we walked to the Cardo which is the old street under the normal street. The last time I had been there it was quite short but they really dug up alot and its very interesting to walk there and imagining people having walked in the 6th century on the same streets.

They also have many shops that sell art and as my mom is an art-teacher she enjoyed that quite alot.

At the Cardo you could also get tickets for the Churva Synagogue which had been opened since only a couple of weeks (after having lain in ruins the last time since 1967).

We got a tour and it was very interesting! Its the oldest Synagogue of the Jewish quarter and has been destroyed three times! I would certainly recommend a visit.

After a tour you of course get hungry so went to eat some falafel:)

Having regained some energy we went to find a place for my mom to paint the Kotel and found this spot right above Chabads soupkitchen where you have a bench to sit on and view the Kotel.

It was really nice as there was another painter as well so they could chat.

I went to the Kotel for the afternoon prayer and did that in the Cave as it is too hot to stand under the sun.

I also took out a Torah commentary to study a bit and it was really quite nice.

I didnt stay long and went to my favourite bookstore which is called Moriah to browse some books. I had promised myself not to buy anything similar to what I already have so that left out alot:)

I did buy And from there you shall seek from R. Soloveitchik, a book of Psalms for my brother and a cd of Yosef Karduner (Road Marks).

After that we went on our way home which is a guesthouse on King David street though we made a short stop at the Diaspora Yeshiva to visit King Davids tomb. They also improved on that site and have a prayer section for men and women. Perhaps it was there before but I didnt notice it.

We also walked through the room of the last supper but it wasnt really impressive…

And now Im back in my room to relax a bit.

I enjoy being here, the streets, the people, the atmosphere, and especially after having been here for three times now it feels a bit like coming home.

To be sure there are things that bother me too: rudeness of people, which is probably something cultural but hard to understand when being used to the hospitality of Turkey and complete service in shops, restaurants, etc. but that doesnt take away the peace I sense when walking here.

One thing that also really impressed me was during the tour the constant stress on Remembrance. This is something that you see coming back everywhere; buildings that have been donated by people with their names on it, archeological sites everywhere, the mixing of the old stones with the new and so much more.

Well thats it for today, we still have tonight but I wrote more than enough:) see below some pictures taken with my phone

Shalom (peace) from Israel

Archeology books

In about a month Im going to Israel and this time I want to have some background knowlege on the archeological sites that Ill visit. So Im looking for a good book on archeology in Israel.

Any recommendations?

Preferably just one volume and not a multiple volume set.

Happy New Year!

Hereby I wish all of you a blessed 2010

May it be a year of Gods favour on your life, a year that you draw closer to Him and His ways and above all a year of peace!

- Daniël

Speculating on Christian Hebraists

Ok, before I start writing I would like to note that most of what I will write below is pure speculation, as in, I have not consulted any research on this, so please dont take it in any way as a well founded perspective on Christian Hebraists.

Here we go… Ive been wondering about Christian Hebraists… people like Johannes Buxtorf, John Lightfoot, Hermann Strack, Franz Delitzsch, Nicholas of Lyra etc.

These men were experts in Rabbinic literature…

I heard the nickname of Buxtorf was Master of the Rabbi’s, as Rabbi’s would come to consult him on difficult issues and of Nicholas of Lyra that he heavily relied on Rashi and that he regarded Rashi as the foremost among the Jewish exegetes and of Daniel Bomberg that he is heralded as a great saint by many Jews in his role of printing the Talmud.

What motivated these men to study this intensively? Solely apologetic reasons? Or in Bomberg’s case, monetary reasons? Pure academic reasons?

Could it be that while studying this intently, they saw our Rabbi’s (i.e. Jesus’s) ”real” face? Could it be that they saw the errors made in Church tradition? Could it be that they realised the fundamental flaws in their contemporary Christian understanding of Jesus? Could it be that they realised the eternity of the Torah? And consequently our Rabbi’s reverence for it? Could it be that the socio-political atmosphere did not allow for such opinions and thus they kept silent?

Or all these questions simply a result of me projecting myself onto them?

Would it be a logical fallacy to expect a causal relationship between a Christian’s serious dedication to studying Rabbinic literature and a sort of love or at least appreciation of it?

Or is my reasoning again a product of projecting my own situation onto them?

Could it be that in fact some of these men (deep down) were Christians for Moses, who had ideas that were contrary to the established ideas, and simply not to be uttered in their present situations and just kept them to themselves…

I dont know…

One things for sure, these men were giants.