Join Torah in Motion and 929 for an exciting initiative to learn each book in the Tanach over the course of 8 short weeks.<\/p>\r\n
Starting on July 6, each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 11 am EST, you will have the opportunity to learn a different book of Tanach with a different educator.<\/p>\r\n
Do not miss out on the chance to hear from 24 Torah scholars, leaders, and public intellectuals, who will each provide unique insight and thought-provoking ideas on their chosen book.<\/p>\r\n
Leaders & Speakers:
\r\nRabbi Alex Israel
\r\nDr. Erica Brown
\r\nRabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin
\r\nRabbi Zvi Grumet
\r\nDr. Rebecca Winter
\r\nRachel Sharansky Danziger
\r\nRabbi Nathaniel Helfgot
\r\nRabbi Chaim Strauchler
\r\nRabbi Joshua Berman
\r\nDr. Tammy Jacobowitz
\r\nDr. Beni Gesundheit
\r\nMiriam Krupka
\r\nRabbi Menachem Leibtag
\r\nDr. Dov Zakheim
\r\nRabbi Allen Schwartz
\r\nRabbanit Dena Freundlich
\r\nRabbanit Channa Lockshin Bob
\r\nDr. Aaron Koller
\r\nDr. Orit Avnery
\r\nRabbi Yaakov Beasley
\r\nRabbi Joshua Berman PhD
\r\nRabbi David Silber
\r\nDr. Moshe Sokolow<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":76788,"alt":"","title":"joel1-time for tanach","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","width":822,"height":417,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-300x152.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":152,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-768x390.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":390,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","large-width":822,"large-height":417,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","1536x1536-width":822,"1536x1536-height":417,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","2048x2048-width":822,"2048x2048-height":417,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","post_full_size-width":822,"post_full_size-height":417,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","home_baner-width":822,"home_baner-height":417}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Torah In Motion together with 929 present:","tile_main_caption":"Time For Tanach","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"24 Teachers 24 Books 24 Classes","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":76788,"alt":"","title":"joel1-time for tanach","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","width":822,"height":417,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-300x152.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":152,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach-768x390.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":390,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","large-width":822,"large-height":417,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","1536x1536-width":822,"1536x1536-height":417,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","2048x2048-width":822,"2048x2048-height":417,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","post_full_size-width":822,"post_full_size-height":417,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-time-for-tanach.jpg","home_baner-width":822,"home_baner-height":417}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"515","date":"20270819","wall_id":"515"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"76819","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Chukat-Balak: Kohelet, Tolstoy and the Red Heifer ","post_title":"Chukat-Balak: Kohelet, Tolstoy and the Red Heifer","slug":"chukat-balak-kohelet-tolstoy-and-the-red-heifer","old_id":"76819","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":42813,"post_title":"Covenant & Conversation","slug":"covenant-conversation","old_id":"42813","first_name":"","last_name":"Covenant & Conversation","description":"Covenant & Conversation: Family Edition is a new and exciting initiative from The Office of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Written as an accompaniment to Rabbi Sacks\u2019 weekly Covenant & Conversation essay, the Family Edition is aimed at connecting older children and teenagers with his ideas and thoughts on the parsha. Each element of the Family Edition is progressively more advanced; The Core Idea is appropriate for all ages and the final element, From The Thought of Rabbi Sacks, is the most advanced section. Each section includes Questions to Ponder, aimed at encouraging discussion between family members in a way most appropriate to them. We have also included a section called Around the Shabbat Table with a few further questions on the parsha to think about. The final section is an Educational Companion which includes suggested talking points in response to the questions found throughout the Family Edition.","short_description":"Covenant & Conversation: Family Edition is a new and exciting initiative from The Office of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":42814,"alt":"","title":"CCfamilylogo-693x457","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","width":693,"height":457,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457-300x198.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":198,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","medium_large-width":693,"medium_large-height":457,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","large-width":693,"large-height":457,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","1536x1536-width":693,"1536x1536-height":457,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","2048x2048-width":693,"2048x2048-height":457,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457.jpg","post_full_size-width":693,"post_full_size-height":457,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CCfamilylogo-693x457-637x420.jpg","home_baner-width":637,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"1103","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"
1. Chukat begins with the law of the Red Heifer (a young female cow who can be used to purify us). The Sages thought the Red Heifer was the hardest of all the mitzvot in the Torah to understand, and it became the classic example of a chok - a mitzvah with no obvious explanation.<\/p>\r\n
The parsha then continues telling the story of the Israelites in the desert. After the death of Miriam, the people complain they no longer have any water. Moses and Aaron turn to God for help, and then show impatience with the people. God judges that they have acted wrongly and tells them they will not live to enter the Land of Israel. Soon after this Aaron dies a natural death, aged 123.<\/p>\r\n
The people complain again and are attacked by venomous snakes. God tells Moses to place a brass snake on a pole, so that all who look up to it will be healed. Moses then leads the people into battle against Sihon and then Og, and they win both battles.<\/p>\r\n
2.\u00a0Balak is the king of Moab, a country next to the Land of Israel. He becomes scared when he hears that the Israelites are heading his way. Together with the elders of Midian (another country near Israel), he tries to hire the famous non-Jewish prophet Bilam to curse the Israelites. Bilam asks God what he should do, and God tells him not to go with them. But the Moabites and Midianites return to ask him again, this time with a better offer. God tells Bilam that if he goes, he must only say the words God puts in his mouth.<\/p>\r\n
Then a strange thing happens. Bilam\u2019s donkey sees an angel blocking their way and stops walking so Bilam strikes her, and the donkey speaks to him. Bilam is then able to see the angel, who reminds Bilam to only use the words God gives him. After that, Bilam and the king climb a mountain above the Israelite camp to prepare for Bilam's curse. They try three times to prepare altars and sacrifices, but each time, Bilam blesses the Children of Israel instead of cursing them. King Balak eventually gives up and leaves, angry and frustrated. Despite escaping Bilam\u2019s curses, the Israelites bring disaster on themselves anyway when Moabite women convince some Israelites to have forbidden relations with them and to worship idols. 24,000 people die in a plague as punishment, until Pinchas, in an act of passion, rises up against one of the wrongdoers and kills him.<\/p>\r\n
Download the whole parashah guide for Parashot\u00a0<\/a>Chukat-Balak<\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Family Study Materials","tile_main_caption":"Kohelet, Tolstoy and the Red Heifer","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"for the double parasha - Chukat-Balak","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":42816,"alt":"","title":"covenant and conversation - Sacks","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","width":723,"height":426,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks-300x177.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":177,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","medium_large-width":723,"medium_large-height":426,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","large-width":723,"large-height":426,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","1536x1536-width":723,"1536x1536-height":426,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","2048x2048-width":723,"2048x2048-height":426,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks.jpg","post_full_size-width":723,"post_full_size-height":426,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/covenant-and-conversation-Sacks-713x420.jpg","home_baner-width":713,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":false,"chapter_main_number":false,"date":false,"wall_id":"1103"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":3,"id":"47708","color":"#f6f5de","size":"1","name":"Hukkat: Inexplicable Laws ","post_title":"Hukkat: Inexplicable Laws","slug":"hukkat-inexplicable-laws","old_id":"47708","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46171,"post_title":"Avner Moriah","slug":"avner-moriah","old_id":"46171","first_name":"Avner ","last_name":"Moriah ","description":"Avner Moriah is a prolific Israel artist who has addressed a wide range of Jewish and Israeli themes during the four decades of his artistic journey. Currently, Avner is completing a singular artistic and spiritual feat of illuminating the entire Chumash. The unique illuminated books contain hundreds of original drawings that offer a profound, provocative and humorous perspective. \r\nFor the entire weekly portion series, visit: https:\/\/avnermoriahprints.com\/collections\/parasha\r\nFor more of his work visit: https:\/\/avnermoriah.com\/\r\n","short_description":"Avner Moriah is a prolific Israel artist who is illuminating the entire Chumash.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":46173,"alt":"","title":"avner moriah","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","width":1387,"height":1425,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-292x300.jpg","medium-width":292,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-768x789.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":789,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-997x1024.jpg","large-width":997,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","1536x1536-width":1387,"1536x1536-height":1425,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","2048x2048-width":1387,"2048x2048-height":1425,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-1168x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1168,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-409x420.jpg","home_baner-width":409,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"136","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" Illustration for Chapter 19:<\/p>\r\n The first commandment in <\/span>Parashat Hukkat<\/span><\/i> concerns the Red Heifer, perhaps the most perplexing one in the Torah: \u201cInstruct the Israelite people to bring a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid. You shall give it to the priest. It shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.\u2026 and the priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop and crimson stuff and throw them into the fire consuming the cow (Num. 19:1\u20132, 5\u20136, 9). <\/span><\/p>\r\n What is the meaning of this mysterious ritual? For whom is it intended?<\/span><\/p>\r\n The Sages concluded that this ritual is one of the statutes (<\/span>hukkim<\/span><\/i>) for which there is no known rationale, but rather is simply a law in accord with God\u2019s words to the assembly of Israel<\/span>: <\/span><\/i>\u201cYou shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy and I have set you apart from other peoples to be Mine\u201d (Lev. 20:26). In order to be \u201choly to Me,\u201d one must obey all of God\u2019s statutes of sanctity regardless of whether or not they are understood, and the mysterious ritual of the Red Heifer is one of those commandments to be taken solely on faith.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Avner Moriah\u2019s painting for this <\/span>parasha<\/span><\/i> figures a red cow in a frontal view that shows the animal in detail. The image allows us to see its front, its back, all four legs, and its tail; its eyes, which seem to be almost human, are staring at us. \u00a0Elazar, the priest who will oversee the ritual, is pictured on the left, also figured in red (in a darker shade than the coloring of the cow), which is thought to be the color of sin, as we read in Isaiah 1:18: \u201cBe your sins like crimson, they can turn snow-white. Be they red as dyed wool they shall become as fleece.\u201d Elazar is holding a knife and it is clear that the animal is about to be slaughtered. Green and blue hills serve to separate the figures of the priest and the Red Heifer from the round-topped tents behind them, indicating that the action is taking place outside of the camp.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The juxtaposition of the priest and the cow taken in conjunction with the ritual described in the relevant text seems to be reminiscent of the story of the Golden Calf: \u201c[Moses] took the calf that they had made and burned it; he ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water and so made the Israelites drink it\u201d (Exod. 32:20). Although the statute of the Red Heifer apparently has no rational explanation,<\/span> we can perhaps sense here a deliberate reminder of the sin of the Golden Calf and relate that memory to a commandment enjoined to reinforce the sanctity of the people of Israel vis-\u00e0-vis the desecration of the Golden Calf.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Artwork by: Avner Moriah, by courtesy of the artist<\/p>\r\n Text by: Dr. Shulamit Laderman, who holds a\u00a0<\/span>PhD in Art History and has published extensively on Jewish and Christian influences on biblical interpretive illustration.<\/p>\r\n For the entire weekly portion series, please visit: <\/span>https:\/\/avnermoriahprints.com\/collections\/parasha<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":47709,"alt":"","title":"Num19-Hukkat","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","width":2059,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-247x300.jpg","medium-width":247,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-768x932.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":932,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-843x1024.jpg","large-width":843,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","1536x1536-width":1265,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","2048x2048-width":1687,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-988x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":988,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-346x420.jpg","home_baner-width":346,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Chapter Illustrated","tile_main_caption":"Hukkat: Inexplicable Laws","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Of Red Cows and Gold Calves","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":47709,"alt":"","title":"Num19-Hukkat","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","width":2059,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-247x300.jpg","medium-width":247,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-768x932.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":932,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-843x1024.jpg","large-width":843,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","1536x1536-width":1265,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat.jpg","2048x2048-width":1687,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-988x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":988,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num19-Hukkat-346x420.jpg","home_baner-width":346,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Numbers","chapter":"19","chapter_main_number":"136","date":"20260308","wall_id":"136"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"368","name":"Parasha","old_id":"768"},{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"}]},{"order":4,"id":"47961","color":"#efefef","size":"1","name":"Balak: How Fair Are Your Tents! ","post_title":"Balak: How Fair Are Your Tents!","slug":"balak-how-fair-are-your-tents","old_id":"47961","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46171,"post_title":"Avner Moriah","slug":"avner-moriah","old_id":"46171","first_name":"Avner ","last_name":"Moriah ","description":"Avner Moriah is a prolific Israel artist who has addressed a wide range of Jewish and Israeli themes during the four decades of his artistic journey. Currently, Avner is completing a singular artistic and spiritual feat of illuminating the entire Chumash. The unique illuminated books contain hundreds of original drawings that offer a profound, provocative and humorous perspective. \r\nFor the entire weekly portion series, visit: https:\/\/avnermoriahprints.com\/collections\/parasha\r\nFor more of his work visit: https:\/\/avnermoriah.com\/\r\n","short_description":"Avner Moriah is a prolific Israel artist who is illuminating the entire Chumash.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":46173,"alt":"","title":"avner moriah","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","width":1387,"height":1425,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-292x300.jpg","medium-width":292,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-768x789.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":789,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-997x1024.jpg","large-width":997,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","1536x1536-width":1387,"1536x1536-height":1425,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679.jpg","2048x2048-width":1387,"2048x2048-height":1425,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-1168x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1168,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/avner-moriah-e1545511134679-409x420.jpg","home_baner-width":409,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"139","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" Illustration for Chapter 22:<\/p>\r\n Balak king of Moab fearing defeat at the hands of the Israelites asked Balaam, a heathen prophet, to curse them. God appeared before Balaam, warning him against doing so, and Balaam refused to go. But Balak persisted and after his third approach: \u201c[Balaam] saddled his ass and departed with the Moabite dignitaries. <\/span><\/p>\r\n But God was incensed at his going so an angel of the Lord placed himself in his way as adversary. He was riding on his she-ass when the ass caught sight of the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand. The ass swerved from the road and \u201cBalaam was furious and beat the ass with his stick\u201d (22:27). At the third stroke the ass opened her mouth and cried out to Balaam, and then God \u201cuncovered\" his eyes and he was able to see the angel.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Why did the angel appear to the ass before Balaam could see him? Why was the ass given the miraculous ability to speak?<\/span><\/p>\r\n The painting visualizes the very instant that the she-ass was about to go down under her rider, when, turning her head toward him, she began to talk, saying: \u201cLook I am the ass that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you\u2026\u201d (22:30). Balaam was about to strike her yet again when God allowed him to see the angel, shown here dressed in white with white wings, a drawn sword in his hand pointed at the ass. <\/span><\/p>\r\n The angel told Balaam that God was not pleased with his journey but would allow him to continue on if he would speak only the words that God put in his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Clearly everything that occurred in this episode happened by God\u2019s will. Balaam had to come to realize that the God of Israel has sovereignty over the entire world. In proof, the ass saw God\u2019s angel before he, Balaam, was aware of him and God made the \u00a0ass open her mouth and speak. <\/span><\/p>\r\n \u201cIn the morning Balak took Balaam up to Ramoth. From there he could see a portion of the people\u201d (23:31). Here we come to the upper scene in the painting. From the top of the brown-colored hills , the two men could see the Israelite camp with its round-topped tents arranged around the Tabernacle, whereupon Balaam exclaimed: \u201cAs I see them from the mountain tops, gaze on them from the heights, there is a people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the nations (23:9). And later: \u201cHow fair are your tents, O Israel, Your dwelling, O Israel\u201d (24:5). Seeing God\u2019s cloud above the Tabernacle against a pink dream-like sky, Balaam declared: \u201cNo harm is in sight for Jacob, no woe in view for Israel. The Lord their God is with them\u201d (23:21).<\/span><\/p>\r\n Artwork by: Avner Moriah, by courtesy of the artist<\/p>\r\n Text by: Dr. Shulamit Laderman, who holds a\u00a0<\/span>PhD in Art History and has published extensively on Jewish and Christian influences on biblical interpretive illustration.<\/p>\r\n For the entire weekly portion series, please visit: <\/span>https:\/\/avnermoriahprints.com\/collections\/parasha<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":47962,"alt":"","title":"Num22-Balak","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","width":2013,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-242x300.jpg","medium-width":242,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-768x954.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":954,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-825x1024.jpg","large-width":825,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","1536x1536-width":1237,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","2048x2048-width":1649,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-966x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":966,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-338x420.jpg","home_baner-width":338,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Chapter Illustrated","tile_main_caption":"Balak: How Fair Are Your Tents!","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"No Harm In Sight For Israel","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":47962,"alt":"","title":"Num22-Balak","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","width":2013,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-242x300.jpg","medium-width":242,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-768x954.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":954,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-825x1024.jpg","large-width":825,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","1536x1536-width":1237,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak.jpg","2048x2048-width":1649,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-966x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":966,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Num22-Balak-338x420.jpg","home_baner-width":338,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Numbers","chapter":"22","chapter_main_number":"139","date":"20260311","wall_id":"139"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"368","name":"Parasha","old_id":"768"},{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"}]},{"order":5,"id":"76407","color":"#f2e9df","size":"1","name":"Reflect With Us. Write For Us. Connect With Us. ","post_title":"Reflect With Us. Write For Us. Connect With Us.","slug":"reflect-with-us-write-for-us-connect-with-us","old_id":"76407","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"509","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" Dear Friends,\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Our country is at an auspicious moment. It is wracked both by the biological pandemic of COVID-19, and the social plague of racism and injustice, and both need to be dealt with head-on: honestly, openly, with the willingness to work for the betterment of all. Without exaggeration, it seems that the magnitude of the issues, and their consequences are of biblical proportions.<\/p>\r\n Which brings us to 929: biblical proportions and connections is us.<\/p>\r\n In our rhythm of a chapter-a-day, we have just begun what are known as \"the Twelve\" (Trei-asar) latter prophets. We are in mid-Hosea, and will soon progress to Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micha and the rest. There is a wealth of material here that relates to matters of very contemporary import: working for social justice, ending oppression, protecting the powerless, fighting callousness and apathy, insights into the nature of the good society, and more.<\/p>\r\n We are inviting you to share your thoughts on issues of the day in light of Biblical teaching. How are you inspired to act? What motivates your engagement with the challenges of our generation?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Where to begin? There's so much: there's Amos chapter 5 (a favorite of Dr. King's). And there's also Zechariah 7, Micah 6 (often quoted as the very essence of Jewish teaching), Malachi 3 and much, much more.<\/p>\r\n If you've contributed posts to 929: we encourage you to dip into this summer's material of these 12 short and inspiring books, and contribute again.\u00a0If you've never written for 929: contact our education director Shira Hecht-Koller at\u00a0shirahk@929.org.il<\/a>\u00a0or our editor Jeremy Benstein at\u00a0jeremy@929.org.il<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and we'll help you get on board. It's not hard, and we are always looking for new voices and perspectives.<\/p>\r\n Be in touch today!<\/p>\r\n The English 929 Team<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":76408,"alt":"","title":"Header - 929 people","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","width":2500,"height":1429,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-300x171.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-768x439.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":439,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-1024x585.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":585,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":878,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1171,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-1200x686.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":686,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-735x420.jpg","home_baner-width":735,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Reflect With Us. Write For Us. Connect With Us.","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"details inside...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":76408,"alt":"","title":"Header - 929 people","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","width":2500,"height":1429,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-300x171.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-768x439.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":439,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-1024x585.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":585,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":878,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1171,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-1200x686.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":686,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Header-929-people-735x420.jpg","home_baner-width":735,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Hosea","chapter":"9","chapter_main_number":"509","date":"20270811","wall_id":"509"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":6,"id":"76705","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Ethical Giants - The Hebrew Prophets ","post_title":"Ethical Giants - The Hebrew Prophets","slug":"ethical-giants-the-hebrew-prophets","old_id":"76705","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"2015","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"They did not believe that conscience is a still, small voice: it thunders or it does not speak at all","post_main_content_content":" \u201cWhen silence threatens to take the power of decision out of our hands \u2026 one looks into history for the courage to speak even in an unpopular cause. Looming as ethical giants are those extraordinary of men, the Hebrew prophets.<\/p>\r\n They did not believe that conscience is a still, small voice. They believed that conscience thunders or it does not speak at all. They were articulate, passionate, and fearless, attacking injustice and corruption whether the guilty be kings or their own unrepentant people. Without physical protection, scornful of risks evoked by their unpopular messages, they went among the people with no shield other than truth.<\/p>\r\n Today we particularly need the Hebrew prophets because they taught that to love God was to love justice; that each human being has an inescapable obligation to denounce evil where he sees it and to defy a ruler who commands him to break the covenant. The Hebrew prophets are needed today because decent people must be imbued with the courage to speak the truth, to realize that silence may temporarily preserve status or security but to live with a lie is a gross affront to God.<\/p>\r\n The Hebrew prophets are needed today because we need their flaming courage; we need them because the thunder of their fearless voices is the only sound stronger than the blasts of bombs and clamor of war hysteria\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\r\n -From Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech to the Synagogue Council of America on December 5, 1966.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65063,"alt":"","title":"mlk","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","width":1920,"height":1919,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1919,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-1200x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"MLK on Justice and the Prophets","tile_main_caption":"Ethical Giants - The Hebrew Prophets","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"They did not believe that conscience is a still, small voice: it thunders or it does not speak at all","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65063,"alt":"","title":"mlk","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","width":1920,"height":1919,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1919,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-1200x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/mlk-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Hosea","chapter":false,"chapter_main_number":false,"date":"20200701","wall_id":"2015"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":7,"id":"76773","color":"#e6f5f3","size":"1","name":"The Quintessential Prophet\u00a0 ","post_title":"The Quintessential Prophet\u00a0","slug":"the-quintessential-prophet","old_id":"76773","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":73524,"post_title":"Yaakov Beasley","slug":"yaakov-beasley","old_id":"73524","first_name":"Yaakov ","last_name":"Beasley ","description":"Yaakov Beasley is the Tanakh Coordinator at Yeshivat Hesder Lev haTorah, the host of the TanachTalks podcast, and the author of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: Lights in the Valley (Maggid Press, 2020). ","short_description":"Yaakov Beasley is the Tanakh Coordinator at Yeshivat Hesder Lev haTorah, podcast host and author. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":73525,"alt":"","title":"yaakov beasley","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","width":409,"height":484,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley-254x300.jpg","medium-width":254,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","medium_large-width":409,"medium_large-height":484,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","large-width":409,"large-height":484,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","1536x1536-width":409,"1536x1536-height":484,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","2048x2048-width":409,"2048x2048-height":484,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley.jpg","post_full_size-width":409,"post_full_size-height":484,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/yaakov-beasley-355x420.jpg","home_baner-width":355,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"515","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" Perhaps no prophet encapsulates the Tanakh's prophetic message better than Joel. We know little about Joel\u2013 yet we can easily close our eyes and envision dark clouds of locusts slowly approaching on the horizon, quietly blotting out the sun. Listen carefully and we hear the distant echo of approaching hooves and chariots, a dull, deep rhythmic sound that slowly gets louder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Joel contains a terrifying portrayal of approaching terrors, but he also manages to reinforce our belief in God's mercy, using some of the most magnificent expressions of comfort found in the prophetic works. Both philosophical and practical, Joel dares to ask the fundamental question - when catastrophe strikes, how do we react? Do we give in to despair in times of trouble, or do we find new reservoirs of faith, persevere, and grow? His 73 verses contain 43 separate commands to his listeners - weep, awake, lament, assemble, repent, sound an alarm, fast, return, and rejoice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Joel is traditionally read in synagogues worldwide on the Shabbat after Rosh HaShanah \u2013 <\/span>Shabbat Shuvah<\/span><\/i> \u2013 the Sabbath of Repentance. Our previous chapter in Trei Asar, Hosea 14, assures us that repentance is possible \u2013 Joel challenges us to seize that opportunity when it comes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Joel ranks among the hardest prophets to determine when he prophesied \u2013 the book references no specific historical event or figure. Rabbinic thought (TB Taanit 5a) equates the locust plague that Joel so vividly describes in chapter 1 with the famine depicted in 2 Kings 6:24-8:1 (between 850-800 BCE). This is the Radak's view as well:<\/span><\/p>\r\n [He] prophesied first about the locusts, [and then] about the future, the days of Messiah. Some say he presented this prophecy in the days of Jehoram ben Ahab, when there was a famine in the land, as it is written (Melachim II 8:1), \"For God has called for a famine, and it has come to the land for seven years.\" Four years were the four types of locusts, and three years were of drought.<\/span><\/p>\r\n However, the trend among modern commentators and scholars is to date Joel much later. In his commentary in <\/span>Daat Mikra<\/span><\/i>, Amos Hakham observes:<\/span><\/p>\r\n \u2026 Some say that Joel prophesied soon after the construction of the second Temple. There is evidence for this view: Joel used the name Judah even where the intent was certainly for the entire, promised land of Israel (4:20).<\/span><\/p>\r\n Also, in his appeal to the people to repent, he does not enumerate specific sins, neither does he mention idolatry - regarding which the prophets rebuked at length in the first Temple, but which was uprooted from Israel in the second Temple. Joel does not mention the king when he speaks about the nation gathering to pray in the house of God\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n Fortunately, the lack of certainty of when Joel lived does not hamper us from appreciating Joel's message \u2013 and possibly helps makes that message even more timeless.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Quintessential Prophet\u00a0","tile_main_caption":"Joel asks the fundamental question: how do we react when catastrophe strikes? Do we give in to despair, or do we find new reservoirs of faith, persevere, and grow?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"515","date":"20270819","wall_id":"515"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":8,"id":"76775","color":"#faeed8","size":"1","name":"Joel Ben Pethuel ","post_title":"Joel Ben Pethuel","slug":"joel-ben-pethuel","old_id":"76775","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"515","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Son of Sam(uel) - or not?","post_main_content_content":" The Book of Joel opens with a seemingly straightforward superscription: \u201cThe word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel\u201d (Joel 1:1). The Prophet Joel is mentioned by name only here, though ten other biblical personalities also bear the name Joel. Also, Pethuel is mentioned only here. Moreover, unlike most other Prophets, no specific information is given in Scripture about when the Prophet Joel lived. The current dominant view seems to be that the Book of Joel was composed in the Second Temple Period.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n The paucity of definite dating information for the Prophet Joel ben Pethuel only served to stimulate the interpretive ingenuity of Jewish tradition. Rashi on Joel 1:1 states somewhat elliptically that Joel ben Petheul was the son of Samuel the Prophet, apparently identifying the Prophet Joel with Joel, the first-born son of Samuel (see I Sam. 8:2). Ibn-Ezra though states bluntly that \u201caccording to the <\/span>pshat<\/span><\/em>, he (i.e. the Prophet Joel) is not the son of the Prophet Samuel\u201d, because we have no way of knowing in what generation the Prophet Joel lived.\" Since we are told there that Samuel\u2019s two sons fell into wicked ways, Rashi's view seems to be a surprisingly pejorative comment on the character and behavior of the Prophet Joel. Indeed, Rashi goes on to state that he [the Prophet Samuel] \u201cseduced God with his prayer\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Rashi\u2019s source for this rather disconcerting comment is a no less curious midrashic tradition preserved in Midrash Tehillim 80:1 and in Numbers Rabbah 10:5. Why was he called Pethuel [Hebrew \u201cpetu<\/em> \u2013 seduce, el<\/em> \u2013 God)? Because he would seduce (mitpateh<\/em>) by curling his hair like a virgin maiden\u2026Because he seduced God with his prayer. And this refers to Samuel Ha-Ramati (the prophet Samuel whose home was in Ramah, I Sam. 25:1), as Samuel says: \u201cI will pray to the Lord for you\u2026and there they said We have sinned against the Lord\u201d (I Sam. 7:5-6) [i.e. Samuel \u201cseduced\u201d God with his prayer to forgive those who had sinned]\u2026 \u201cAnd the name of his [Samuel\u2019s] first-born son was Joel, and his second son\u2019s name was Abijah\u201d (I Sam. 8:2)\u2026Just as this one was wicked so the other one was wicked. But in the end, they repented\u2026and for this reason the two sons of the Prophet Samuel deserved the Holy Spirit, as it is written: \u201cThe word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel\u201d (Joel 1:1).<\/span><\/p>\r\n According to Jewish tradition, the grave-site of the Prophet Joel ben Pethuel is located in the Galilean village of Jish (ancient Gush Halav) along with the grave-sites of the early Rabbinic Sages Shemaiah and Avtalyon and several ancient synagogues.<\/span><\/p>\r\n (For a detailed discussion of the various traditional Jewish interpretations of Joel 1:1, see Menahem Ben-Yashar and Jordan S. Penkower, <\/span>The Bible in Rabbinic Interpretation<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>Vol. 2 Joel Amos (2015), pp. 19-27).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":76776,"alt":"","title":"joel1-tomb","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","width":400,"height":533,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-225x300.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","medium_large-width":400,"medium_large-height":533,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","large-width":400,"large-height":533,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","1536x1536-width":400,"1536x1536-height":533,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","2048x2048-width":400,"2048x2048-height":533,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","post_full_size-width":400,"post_full_size-height":533,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-315x420.jpg","home_baner-width":315,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Joel Ben Pethuel","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Son of Sam(uel) - or not?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":76776,"alt":"","title":"joel1-tomb","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","width":400,"height":533,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-225x300.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","medium_large-width":400,"medium_large-height":533,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","large-width":400,"large-height":533,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","1536x1536-width":400,"1536x1536-height":533,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","2048x2048-width":400,"2048x2048-height":533,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb.jpg","post_full_size-width":400,"post_full_size-height":533,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-tomb-315x420.jpg","home_baner-width":315,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"515","date":"20270819","wall_id":"515"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":9,"id":"76780","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Like A Bereaved Maiden Girded With Sackcloth ","post_title":"Like A Bereaved Maiden Girded With Sackcloth","slug":"like-a-bereaved-maiden-girded-with-sackcloth","old_id":"76780","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":57331,"post_title":"Josh and Leora Blechner","slug":"josh-and-leora-blechner","old_id":"57331","first_name":"Josh and Leora ","last_name":"Blechner","description":"Josh and Leora Blechner have been learning Tanach together since Leora was five years old. Josh is an in-house attorney in New Jersey and Leora is a middle school student at SAR academy.","short_description":"Josh and Leora Blechner have been learning Tanach together since Leora was five years old. Josh is an in-house attorney in New Jersey and Leora is a middle school student at SAR academy.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":57484,"alt":"","title":"blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","width":501,"height":509,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1-295x300.jpg","medium-width":295,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","medium_large-width":501,"medium_large-height":509,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","large-width":501,"large-height":509,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":501,"1536x1536-height":509,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":501,"2048x2048-height":509,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1.jpg","post_full_size-width":501,"post_full_size-height":509,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blechner-1-413x420.jpg","home_baner-width":413,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"515","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A short book inspires a timeless poem of mourning\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":" We are not sure when the prophet Joel prophesied, as it is never explicitly mentioned in the book. Many commentators place the prophet as early as the start of monarchy or as late as the evil king Manasseh. In any event, this prophet pre-dated the destruction of the Temple.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Joel is also a very short four chapters long. One can easily be dismissive of an unknown, fleeting prophet. Yet, this short collection of prophecies predating the destruction provides one of the most recognizable verses used in the fast of the 9th of Av. After a long morning of sitting on the floor and reading the poems of lament, we end the services with Lamentation number 45. This poem is usually sung and its tune is recognizable to many a shul-goer.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The poem has a simple structure, each verse begins with the Hebrew word <\/span>alei<\/span><\/em>, \u201ccry out!\u201d followed by a treasure of the people lost in the destruction. The opening and closing phrase of this poem are the same and come from chapter one verse eight in Joel: \u201cLament the maiden girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth\u201d (1:8), or as the poet recalls \u201cLament for Zion and her cities like a woman giving birth, <\/span>and like a bride dressed in mourning for the husband of her youth<\/span><\/em>.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":76781,"alt":"","title":"joel1-maiden","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-1024x768.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":768,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1152,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1440,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-1200x900.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":900,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Like A Bereaved Maiden Girded With Sackcloth","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A short book inspires a timeless poem of mourning","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":76781,"alt":"","title":"joel1-maiden","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-1024x768.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":768,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1152,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1440,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-1200x900.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":900,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-maiden-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"515","date":"20270819","wall_id":"515"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":10,"id":"76783","color":"#effaea","size":"1","name":"Dating a Prophet ","post_title":"Dating a Prophet","slug":"dating-a-prophet","old_id":"76783","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"515","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"He\u2019s hard to pin down...\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":" The Book of Joel confronts us with a problem unprecedented in our 929 experience: It lacks an explicit historical identification. The opening verse: \u201cThe word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel\u201d identifies only the prophet; there is no mention of the king(s) during whose reign(s) he prophesied. Naturally, that has led to considerable speculation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Rashi identified Pethuel with the Prophet Samuel, who \u201centreated God (<\/span>pitah la`el<\/span><\/em>) with his prayer,\u201d but also cited another opinion to the effect that Joel\u2019s prophecy was uttered during the reign of Jehoram son of Ahab, during the selfsame seven years of famine prophesied by Elisha (2 Kings 8). Yet a third opinion, which he attributed to the 8<\/span>th<\/span> century Halakhot Gedolot, placed Joel, along with Nahum and Habakuk, during the reign of Manasseh.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Yosef Kara cited Rashi\u2019s first interpretation and attributed it to Seder Olam, the standard work of rabbinic chronology. Ibn Ezra, ever the skeptic, wrote: \u201cWe have no way to determine his era, and according to the straightforward (<\/span>peshat<\/span><\/em>) meaning of the text he was not the son of Samuel.\u201d Radak, ever the eclectic, wrote:<\/span><\/p>\r\n This prophet prophesied first about the locusts that God would bring to the Land of Israel on account of their sins. Then, he prophesied a future prophecy for the Messianic Age. Some say that during the reign of Jehoram son of Ahab, he prophesied a famine, to wit: \u201cGod has summoned a famine to come upon the land for seven years\u201d (2 Kings 8:1). Four [of those] years were taken up by the four species of locusts, and for three years, the rains were withheld.<\/span><\/p>\r\n He also cited the opinion that situated Joel in the era of Manasseh along with Nahum and Habakuk (attributing it to Seder Olam rather than Halakhot Gedolot), adding that this information was withheld from the text on account of that king\u2019s improprieties.<\/span><\/p>\r\n A most original interpretation was offered by Yosef Ibn Kaspi (Provence, 1279-1340), placing the subject of Joel\u2019s prophecy\u2014if not necessarily the prophet himself\u2014firmly in the Second Temple era:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Therefore, it appears to me that after he had verified through Isaiah and Hosea and others of his predecessors that the First Temple would be destroyed and a second one built, even though they had made no predictions of Second Temple events to befall our people save for Ezekiel who predicted the rise of the third creature [see Daniel 7, referring to the Greeks] and the troubles it would cause our people until the Hasmoneans defeated them, this prophet reinforced this matter, too. Therefore, he addressed \u201cthe people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem [who] were sold to the Ionians\u201d (4:6).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":76784,"alt":"","title":"joel1-joel-michaelangelo","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","width":502,"height":599,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","medium_large-width":502,"medium_large-height":599,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","large-width":502,"large-height":599,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","1536x1536-width":502,"1536x1536-height":599,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","2048x2048-width":502,"2048x2048-height":599,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","post_full_size-width":502,"post_full_size-height":599,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-352x420.jpg","home_baner-width":352,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Dating a Prophet","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"He\u2019s hard to pin down...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":76784,"alt":"","title":"joel1-joel-michaelangelo","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","width":502,"height":599,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","medium_large-width":502,"medium_large-height":599,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","large-width":502,"large-height":599,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","1536x1536-width":502,"1536x1536-height":599,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","2048x2048-width":502,"2048x2048-height":599,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo.jpg","post_full_size-width":502,"post_full_size-height":599,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joel1-joel-michaelangelo-352x420.jpg","home_baner-width":352,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Joel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"515","date":"20270819","wall_id":"515"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/76715"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}