Month: December 2023

Vayechi: Birds on a Wire

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If you have ever meandered around in the town center of Katzrin at night perhaps to eat a bite at a Shawarma or Falafel shop, you may have seen dozens of swallows perched near the ceiling in one of the dark hallways.

Katzrin, a small town located in the Golan Heights of Israel is a favored tourist spot, still shown on Google Maps as outside of the green line that Google is willing to accept as Israel.
But Israelis know it belongs to them and not to Syria, since Israel reclaimed this land in the bloody Six-Day War of 1967.

But I am not writing about that war. We are in another war called “Al Aqsa Flood” by Hamas and “Swords of Iron” by Israel—a war that started with a most horrible massacre. But let us step back even farther and look at what is happening behind the blood stained curtain. This is not all about the current war, though it certainly plays into it. It is about brothers and sisters coming together just as Jacob’s 12 sons came together after his death, put away differences and became one people. But let’s get back to the story!

On October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorists and many radical Palestinian Muslims, though technically classified as civilians broke through Gaza’s border fence and entered the Nova music festival and surrounding villages, killing and raping at random, burning and beheading babies and adults alike. At the same time many of them entered by air in para-gliders, which appeared as giant blood sucking mosquitoes as they filled the dawn sky.

That fated Shabbat, found many religious Israelis attending synagogues, completely disconnected from the news. In several towns, there were soldiers who passed by and alerted some synagogues as to what was happening, and the congregants increased their fervor in prayer with deepened emotion and passionate pleas to the Almighty who alone can save Israel from her enemies.

As I said, this is not about the horrors of war, though that may be the pressure that brought about what has happened since. The swallows in the picture represent the togetherness, the solidarity of togetherness that many Israelis and Jews are feeling around the world.

Soldiers in the field come in from a day of battle, arm in arm, the secular with the religious and feel a camaraderie that few have felt in the recent past. We are one people. And that is what is important here. Not that God is not important. Not that one’s observance is not important—but there is an overriding value that has been missing and is now coming into view. That of brotherly unity and the service of one’s fellow man and especially the right to claim the land of our ancestors. The importance of winning this war against evil is partly to reestablish the Jewish right to exist. And the war is being fought for the good of humanity. This is not just about the Jewish people. It is about good versus evil, hatred versus love, a good God versus an evil god. We fight on for the honor of the name of our God and the place of righteousness in the world. We fight for meaning in our own existence. And YHVH, the Eternal, the Most High, the Creator of the World is supporting this war and when all seems lost, He will come alongside and do things that other wars have not seen. But first we must learn unity. Though it seems to have little to do with God, it virtually has everything to do with Him. We must heal the breach before He can come to us. Love your fellow as yourself. And when we do so, a body will be formed, just as we see written by the prophet Ezekiel:

Eze 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them. 9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.'” 10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.”

At this time in the war we see other elements trying to disrupt the unity. We see left-wing factions presenting their pressure to undo our current government. Can we allow this? Would this not be our undoing at this time? Doesn’t the enemy know about weakening us? and perhaps these ones are and were involved in inciting the ones who called for division in our land! This is a time to stand together and not back down. And for the sake of the soldiers, for the elderly, for the young people, for the children and for those who volunteer to support our soldiers, we must not give in to these demons who divide the nation and who were involved in weakening us in the very beginning, pre-October 7. Military people in charge were asleep at the switch. Why? Many ask this question, but when we look at the political scenario during the last year we see division in our people.

So what do the swallows represent? There they are, night after night, clinging to shredded electric wires draped along the ceiling in a dark hallway of the town shops, protected from the chaos of wind and storm. They are almost touching each other. They are there every night and they stand for something. No, the halls are not nicely painted or decorated. The ceiling is peeling, the wires are bare in places, loose ends hang in different places. It is not about luxury, fame or status, and they don’t care! It is about being together—sharing safety in each other’s company; standing together against the elements as one of a common creation. Can we learn something here? Can we see the foreshadowing in the Parsha that we read week after week?

If you ever come to Katzrin, please hang out with us in the evening in the town center! Check out the lighted fountains and venture down the dark hallways behind the shops to see the swallows. They seem to be a symbol of what we must stand for. And we are indeed getting there—are we not?

Ariella

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¿Maldijo a Israel? ¿Qué sigue?

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La semana pasada sucedió algo impensable. Un parlamentario turco maldijo a Israel, sufrió un ataque cardíaco instantáneo y murió en el hospital. (enlace) ¿Coincidencia? Tal vez tal vez no. Me lo pregunto, especialmente a la luz de la creciente aceptación del odio contra Israel. ¿Es posible que el Todopoderoso tenga voz y voto sobre aquellos que odian Su Tierra y Su Pueblo? ¡Les digo que Él tendrá más que decir! ¡Él va a tener un día de campo! Y¿Qué pasará después?

Hay algunos textos en la Biblia que señalan las consecuencias de bendecir y maldecir a Israel, y para aquellos que creen que detrás de Su palabra está el cumplimiento del Pacto de Dios, es algo temible darse cuenta de lo que sucederá cuando Él actúe. Ante el llamado de Abram en Génesis 12, El Shaddai hizo una promesa:

Gén 12:3 “Bendeciré a los que te bendigan, y maldeciré a los que te maldigan; Y en ti serán benditas todas las familias de la tierra.”

Cuando Balaam fue contratado para maldecir a Israel, en realidad intentó hacerlo varias veces y no pudo sacar ninguna palabra de maldición de su boca. Afirmó que Dios no le permitía maldecir a Israel. Y las palabras de profecía que pronunció fueron algunas de las cosas más hermosas jamás dichas sobre el pueblo de Israel. Mira esta parte de su discurso:

Números 24:5-9 ¡Cuán hermosas son tus tiendas, oh Jacob! ¡Tus moradas, oh Israel! 6 Como valles que se extienden, como huertos junto a los ríos, como áloes plantados por Jehová, como cedros junto a las aguas. 7 Él derramará agua de sus cántaros, y su descendencia será en muchas aguas. Su rey será más alto que Agag, y su reino será enaltecido. 8 “Dios lo saca de Egipto; tiene fuerza como un toro salvaje; consumirá las naciones, sus enemigos; quebrará sus huesos y los traspasará con sus flechas. 9 “Se inclina, se acuesta como un león ; Y como al león, ¿quién lo despertará?’ “Bendito el que os bendiga, y maldito el que os maldiga.”

¿Hemos olvidado que YHVH siempre cumple Su Palabra?

¡Durante tanto tiempo el Pueblo de la Promesa ha sido debilitado por las naciones, masacrado, oprimido, maldecido, y ahora, cuando regresamos a nuestra patria, somos presionados por las naciones para que lo abandonemos todo y nos dejemos aniquilar! Ahora tenemos cerca del 50 por ciento de los judíos del mundo viviendo en Israel. ¡Las naciones no tienen derecho a continuar con su humillación burlona hacia nosotros! Si Israel se pone de pie y no aguanta más, ¿se unirá el Dios Poderoso del Universo? ¡Con seguridad! ¿Y cuando nos quedemos sin dinero para comprar armas?

La semana pasada, un importante líder de los terroristas, Hamás, fue asesinado y en su casa se encontró el equivalente a 1,4 millones de dólares estadounidenses (ver enlace). ¿Quizás eso nos ayude con suministros para la guerra? ¡Y qué pasa con los montones de armas que el enemigo abandona al rendirse! Esto puede parecer un pez pequeño a la luz de lo que el Cielo podría hacer, ¡pero déjame decir algo! ¡El cielo ni siquiera ha comenzado! E Israel tiene todos los motivos para burlarse de las naciones que intentan detenerlo. En un momento similar de la historia, cuando Asiria lo amenazaba, el profeta Isaías dijo:

Isaías 37:22-23 “Esta es la palabra que YHVH ha hablado acerca de él (el Rey de Asiria): “La virgen hija de Sion te ha menospreciado, te ha escarnecido; ¡La hija de Jerusalén ha meneado la cabeza a vuestras espaldas! 23 “¿A quién has vituperado y blasfemado? ¿Contra quién has alzado tu voz y alzado tus ojos en alto? Contra el Santo de Israel”.

Y en los Salmos:

Sal 2:1-5 ¿Por qué se amotinan las naciones, y los pueblos traman cosas vanas? 2 Los reyes de la tierra se levantan, y los gobernantes consultan juntos contra YHVH y contra su ungido, diciendo: 3 “Que Rompamos sus ataduras y desechemos de nosotros sus cuerdas. :”

¡Y esto apenas ha comenzado a suceder! ¡Que Israel se levante bajo la luz brillante del gran poder de su Dios que no abandona Su Pacto! Porque ha dicho acerca de su pueblo Israel:

Jer 31:35-37 “Así dice YHVH, Quien da el sol para alumbrar de día, Las ordenanzas de la luna y de las estrellas para alumbramiento de noche, Quien agita el mar, Y rugen sus olas (YHVH de los ejércitos es Su nombre): 36 “Si esas ordenanzas se apartan de delante de mí, dice YHVH, entonces también la descendencia de Israel dejará de ser una nación delante de mí para siempre.” 37 Así dice YHVH: “Si los cielos arriba se pueden medir, y los cimientos de la tierra explorada debajo, también desecharé toda la descendencia de Israel por todo lo que han hecho, dice YHVH.”

Multitudes de amantes sinceros de Israel en todas las naciones del mundo están orando por la salvación de Israel de las manos de Hamás y de todos sus afiliados que incluso ahora avanzan para destruirnos por todos lados. Creo que esas oraciones están siendo respondidas de manera decisiva. ! ¡Que la tierra se abra y se trague a los que nos comen vivos! ¡Oh sí, y que nuestros ojos se abran para ver la Mano Poderosa que lucha junto a nuestros soldados!

¡Esperando el cumplimiento de nuestro Pacto Guardando a Dios!

Ariella

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He Cursed Israel? What Next?

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This past week something unthinkable happened. A Turkish MP cursed Israel, had an instant heart attack and died in the hospital. (link) Coincidence? Maybe…Maybe not. I wonder, especially in the light of the ongoing woke acceptance of anti-Israel hate mongering. Is it possible that the Almighty is having a say about those who hate His Land and His People? I tell you, He is going to have more than a say! He is going to have a Field Day!

What will happen next?

There are a few texts in the Bible that point out consequences of blessing and cursing Israel, and for those who believe that a Covenant keeping God stands behind His word, it is a fearsome thing to realize what will happen when He takes action. At the call of Abram in Genesis 12 El Shaddai made a promise:

Gen 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

When Balaam was hired to curse Israel, he actually tried to do so several times and could not get any cursing words out of his mouth. He claimed that God was not allowing him to curse Israel. And the words of prophecy that he poured forth were some of the most beautiful things ever said about the people of Israel. Check out this part of his speech:

Num 24:5-9 ” How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens by the riverside, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. 7 He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones And pierce them with his arrows. 9 ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”

Have we forgotten that Hashem keeps His Word? For so long the People of the Promise have been weakened by the nations, slaughtered, oppressed, cursed, and now when we return to our homeland, we are pressured by the nations to give it all up and let ourselves be annihilated! We have now close to 50 per cent of the world’s Jews living in Israel. The nations have no right to continue their mocking humiliation of us! If Israel stands up and won’t take it any longer, will the Mighty God of the Universe come alongside? For sure! And when we run out of money to buy weapons?

This past week a Senior Hamas terrorist was killed and in his house was found the equivalent of 1.4 million US Dollars (see link). Maybe that will help us with supplies for the war? And what about the piles of weapons the enemy is abandoning as they surrender! This may seem like small fish in light of what Heaven could do, but let me say something! Heaven hasn’t even started! And Israel has every reason to thumb their nose at the nations that try to stop them. At a similar time in history when threatened by Assyria, the prophet Isaiah said:

Isa 37:22-23 “this is the word which YHVH has spoken concerning him (the King of Assyria): “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back! 23 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.”

And in Psalms:

Psa 2:1-5 “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the YHVH and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; YHVH shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:”

And this has only just begun to happen! May Israel arise under the shining light of the mighty power of her God who does not forsake His Covenant! For He has said regarding His People Israel:

Jer 31:35-37 “Thus says YHVH, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (YHVH of hosts is His name): 36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says YHVH, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.” 37 Thus says YHVH: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says YHVH.”

Multitudes of sincere lovers of Israel in every nation on the globe are praying for the salvation of Israel from the hands of Hamas and all the affiliates who even now move forward to destroy us from every side, I believe those prayers are even now being answered decisively! May the ground open and swallow up those who would eat us alive! Oh yes, and may our eyes be opened to see the Mighty Hand that is fighting along with our soldiers!

Awaiting the fulfillment of our Covenant Keeping God!

Ariella

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A Rickety Bridge and a Crossing

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I stand on the edge of a cliff, looking across a wide and deep chasm. On the other side is nothing I can recognize. As the fog settles, I see a faint outline of an almost invisible bridge, stretching out before me. I cannot see how it attaches to the other side and the bridge appears rickety and as fragile as glass. To step out would be certain doom, or so it seems. But stay where I am? Behind me an earthquake shakes up rocks that are falling on all that I remember of security. My past stands ready to be buried and the only way out is through, but who among us can find the courage to step out? I want to run back, I want to go to the remembered comfort of home and family, but it is not there…It is quickly fading from view. But I hear the whine of a siren calling me to go back. It will be good, she says, you can still find the old life in the old country, but the news tells another story—a story that none of us knows, a story of the end. All we knew before is going going, gone. True there is a semblance of normalcy as the riots increase and the unrest breaks out and antisemitism is everywhere. Could I find peace on a plot of land in a small house and garden back somewhere I once called “home”—a place I used to know? And for how long? Nothing is the same, nowhere!

I raise my eyes and stretch my foot precariously to test the solidity of the bridge before me. Where is this path leading? What will I find on the other side? I can see a path there. When I glance back, I know there is no return. I am afraid. What does the future hold? Bombs shake not too distant towns and I see the smoke billow at the end of the bridge. To stay where I am is to not cross over. Crossing over is what our first father Abraham did, going out to a country he did not know. And, yes, I did follow the path to here. I have made that first step, but the only way to move forward is to close the door on the siren voice that bids return to nothingness. As I swing around, I see a doorway to the past behind me and I reach to close it’s squeaky door, I turn the rusty key in the lock. I take that key now and hold it up to consider what I am doing for a second. Maybe I have lost my mind, but no! I toss the key into the canyon. One two three, 10…12…21, ping! it hits a rock. It really is a long way down and there is no retrieving it now. As for me, I realize that I feel better having made a choice, now there is no option for return and as I look at the bridge before me, it now appears solid with a strong railing on each side. And so I step out, never to return.

This is the way of life, there is always risk but each person must come to this decisive moment if there is to be growth. The way ahead seems uncertain, but the step forward brings confidence. To some, I say, “come to Israel while you still can!” Cross over! Make aliyah! I know it is hard to leave a life once known for comfort and predictability, no matter the risk of staying. Dreams can keep you there and the voice of the siren is assuring.

I can’t promise you will be wealthy or even comfortable at first if you come, you may have hardship, you will face great challenges, but you will be free. And you will find a way.