MALICIOUS NEIGHBORS

‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

Ezekiel 28: 24-26  NIV

This week we here in Israel are celebrating the last of the annual cycle of Feasts, the Feast of Succot or Tabernacles ( Leviticus 23:33-43). This is a 7-8 day feast. The first and last day are 'sacred assemblies' on which 'customary work' is forbidden. During this holiday all who are Israelites are commanded to live in booths  (succot) or tabernacles to remind us that for 40 years our ancestors lived in booths as they wandered the desert after God had brought them out of Egypt. Today few people actually live in succot, but most will eat at least one meal in a succah, and it is customary to invite friends and family to eat in one's succah. 

 This festival is also a celebration of the autumn harvest and a time to thank God for the good and fruitful land which He has given us. It is customary to wave an etrog (a kind of citrus fruit), and fronds of the date palm, myrtle and willow trees (which together are called the lulav). 

http://orachchayim.blogspot.com/2013/09/sukkot-huts-four-species.html

All of Israel's feasts are closely linked to the agricultural cycle of the seasons. This feast comes at the beginning of our short Autumn or Fall, which you might miss if you blink! So far there is little evidence that summer has ended as the temperatures remain in the 30's most days, even up here in Jerusalem. However the nights are drawing in, and the mornings are damp with mist and dew up here in the mountains of Judah.

Yesterday, Monday, was the first day that observant Jews begin to insert the prayer for rain into their services and it looked like we might have got a quick answer this year. On Sunday the thermometer hit 36 degrees here but, as evening approached, the air was very still and heavy and the sky was dark. A flock of swifts swirled over the forest like a black snowstorm, and I thought 'surely it will rain tonight'.  Rain was forecast and the met. service warned of the risk of flash floods in the wadis. Hopes were high that the rainy season might just start on schedule this year, but it wasn't to be. We just got a few muddy drops here and I didn't hear of heavy rain falling anywhere. Please pray with us for abundant rains this winter, much needed to replenish our lakes, streams and underground aquifers that have been seriously depleted during the last five years of drought. 

Last week my congregation went for a 3-day retreat in Migdal (where Mary Madalena came from) on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret).  On the last day I joined a group and we went swimming in the Lake.  It was lovely and refreshing, but rather like swimming in pea soup as we stirred up the bottom mud which swirled amongst the greenish end-of-summer algal bloom.

While many Israelis are taking their annual holidays and enjoying the Feast, the world stumbles on with all its tragedies and traumas. 

Russian plane downed by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles

On Monday the 17th of this month a Russian surveillance aircraft was accidentally shot down by Syrian President Assad's forces, killing all 15 Russian personnel aboard (1). Immediately Russia placed the blame on Israel which they claimed was carrying out attacks in the area and hadn't given them sufficient warning. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, claimed that  "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense" (2). I am not sure how a tiny F-16 fighter jet could 'push' a large II-20 surveillance aircraft!  Although the first reports from Russian sources claimed that rockets were fired from a French frigate, the Auvergne, in the Mediterranean, the French have denied any involvement. Syria has since admitted that it fired the missiles that downed the Russian plane, ironically using a Russian-made missile system supplied by Moscow to its Syrian ally. 

According to standing policy Israel initially refused to comment but on Tuesday the IDF Spokesman, Brigadier- General, Ronen Manelis, admitted that the IDF had struck a Syrian military facility  "from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon". This is in keeping with Israel's clearly stated policy that it will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria.  Over the last 18 months Israel has attacked more than 200 Iranian targets in Syria (3). 

Although attacks had been carried out by Israeli aircraft in the area the Israeli Air Force claims that all Israeli aircraft had returned to Israeli airspace before the Russian plane had been shot down, and furthermore that the Russian plane had been far from the area of  the Israeli airstrikes during the operation (4). According to the IDF spokesman, "The Syrian anti-aircraft batteries fired indiscriminately and, from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air. The extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft missile fire caused the Russian plane to be hit” (3).

 Over the past week there has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts to calm the situation and this has resulted in a cooling of the Russian rhetoric against Israel, but it has not stopped Russia from carrying out its threat to make Israel pay the price. Already Russia has begun supplying an upgraded S-300 missile system to Syria (5). This system is much more accurate than that previously supplied and is intended to prevent any more accidents, but it also poses a much greater threat to Israeli aircraft carrying out operations in Syria. This is a significant game changer and complicates Israel's efforts to stop Iran's military build-up in the area.

This whole incident has highlighted the fragility and complexity of the situation in Syria. Multiple countries are currently carrying out military operations in the area with forces on the ground and carrying out airstrikes from the sea. In some cases these forces are backing opposing sides in the military conflict. Hotlines are in place between these countries but there is still a high risk that inadvertent accidents like this one could occur again (6). 

There is one question no one seems to be asking about all this. Russia moved into the region three years ago to assist Assad's forces to retake his country from rebel militias and Jihadist groups including ISIS. This has largely been accomplished now, so why is Russia still here???? Perhaps its time for the Russians to go home? That is unlikely to happen as Russia seems to be intent on consolidating its influence in the Middle East, and this is a golden opportunity to do just that. 

Idlib
It is significant that it was Russia, Turkey and Iran that negotiated an agreement to prevent an all-out Syrian offensive in the province of Idlib. This is a tremendous relief for the people living there of course, but indicative of who really wields the power in the Middle East today. Under the agreement, Turkey and Russia will set up and patrol a 15-20km deep demilitarized zone around Idlib by October 15th, but this requires the cooperation of the various rebel militias and already some are refusing to withdraw or give up their arms. Syria is also reserving the right to attack 'if necessary'.  Keep praying for the safety of the civilian population in Idlib and pray that the various militias will be willing to lay down their arms and evacuate from the area.

The proposed demilitarized zone around Idlib. Green = Idlib province, Yellow-green area patrolled by Turkey, and Orange - area patrolled by Russia.
https://nedaa-sy/u7yy.com/en/news/8465

On the 22nd September, a military parade in the southern city of Arvhas in Iran was attacked by armed gunmen. As a result, 25 Iranian Republican Guards and civilians were killed. Immediately Iran blamed the USA and Israel (yes, we get blamed for everything that happens in the Middle East) and threatened serious retaliation, but shortly afterward ISIS claimed responsibility. Yesterday Iranian Republican Guards said they fired six missiles into Sunni Islamic extremist hideouts in eastern Syria (7). The missiles carried the message "Death to the USA, Death to Israel, Death to Al Saud" (Saudi Arabia) etched on their sides. 

Now for some light relief!

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1380941/media

This billboard was erected in the southern city of Shiraz in Iran, to commemorate the end of the Iran-Iraq war in Sacred Defense Week. The only problem was that it had been photoshopped and actually showed three Israeli soldiers (the fourth soldier, a woman, had been erased from the original photo). Of course, the billboard was immediately removed once the error was discovered (8).  How hilarious is that!!!!!  Not so funny though for the three who have been arrested for this terrible mistake. I sure would not want to be in their shoes. 

Gaza 

This last Friday saw an upsurge in the ongoing "March of Return" along the Gaza border. Some 20,000 Palestinians mobbed the border fence, breaking it down in several places, and hurling at least a hundred bombs and grenades at the Israeli soldiers trying to prevent an incursion. Seven Palestinians were killed, including two teenage boys, and around 500 injured. No Israelis were seriously injured.

Before you accuse Israel of using 'excessive force' resulting in a high number of Palestinians being killed and wounded, imagine if it was your home they were trying to reach. Look at this video and imagine it happening on YOUR doorstep: 

https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-20000-palestinians-swarm-gaza-israel-border-rip-security-fence-and-hurl-explosives/

 After something of a lull in which incendiary attacks had diminished to just (!) 3-5 per day they have now increased to an average of around 12 again. Yesterday, Monday, an incendiary device was found in the city of Modiin, some 70 km from Gaza 'as the crow (balloon?) flies'.  At least two have also landed in Jerusalem in recent weeks. This reflects the increasing sophistication of the balloons, using multiple balloons and inflated condoms (yes, you read that right), which can fly further. Another 'improvement' in the effectiveness of these attacks was also seen this week as some balloons were discovered to be carrying explosive devices, which complicate firefighting and recovery. It also increases the risk to citizens and especially children who might approach such a device. 

Preparing condoms as incendiary devices
https://www.greenprophet.com/tag/israel/

Israeli analysts are saying that since there is no hope of a ceasefire agreement being reached, Hamas is once more encouraging, or at least not restraining, the border riots and is preparing for another round of aggression against Israel. The IDF has issued a warning to southern communities prepare for such an escalation  (9).

If you are wondering why it is impossible for Israel to achieve peace with the Palestinians, take a look at these videos. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnLIzNGb9gI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_OXUlpzAUU
A whole generation is being brainwashed to hate Israelis and all Jews, to believe lies, and to aspire to become shahids (martyrs) for the cause of Jihad (world domination by Islam). How can we make peace with such people- a people who abuse their own children in such a way, and celebrate when they become martyrs? How can all this horrific child abuse be healed? I believe it will only happen when the Messiah comes to heal and establish peace in all peoples, Palestinians and Israelis together, along with all the world. Until then we need to keep praying. 

I was just reading in Ezekiel 37 how God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. God wanted Ezekiel to participate with Him in the working out of this prophecy. Ezekiels words had power to make these visions become reality. I believe we who believe in Yeshua also have this calling. Pray that the bones, which are already being gathered and given physical tendons and muscles, will also soon be granted the Breath of Life in the Spirit of God. 

 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel.

Ezekiel 37: 9-11 

Please pray for the people of the Middle East, Jew and Arab alike. Your prayers too have the prophetic power to cause these promises to come to pass. 

Pray too for the Body of Yeshua here in Israel. We live at the very epicenter of the spiritual warfare that is taking place, and many are coming under severe spiritual attack. There are many who are seriously ill, some have died recently, some are suffering exhaustion and 'burnout', others are facing marital breakups and still others are being denied citizenship or being made to leave the country. My landlords and friends just last night had their car stolen for the 4th time, from just in front of our house.  I have never before seen a level of attack such as we are experiencing now. This is not surprising for I feel we are drawing close to the great battle for Jerusalem (Zechariah 12). The Enemy is pulling out all the stops - he has nothing to lose now and will try everything to prevent the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth. We cannot stand here without your support in prayer. 

References

1.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5353468,00.html
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5353126,00.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-syria-mistakenly-downs-russian-plane-as-it-repels-alleged-israeli-strike/
 2. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5353575,00.html

3. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5341135,00.html

4. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-works-to-stem-crisis-with-Moscow-after-downing-of-Russian-plane-567536
5. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/252551
6. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5353468,00.html
7. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iran-fires-missiles-at-islamic-state-militants-in-syria-to-retaliate-for-military-parade-attack/2018/10/01/991f91cc-767d-4673-94bd-244e5ebd1c1a_story.html?utm_term=.330c95d7ab61

8. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1380941/media
9. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5360540,00.html

FEAST OF TABERNACLES

It is the sixth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Succot, the last of the annual cycle of appointed feasts in the Bible. This feast is intended to remind us of how God took us out of slavery in Egypt and led us for 40 years in the desert until we came into the Promised Land. It is a feast of solemn rejoicing before the Lord. That is not a contradiction in terms, it is a feast of joy but also a recognition of the pain of our rebellion which leads to suffering along the journey of life. This is a feast not only for those descendants of the People of Israel who came out of Egypt but for all the peoples of the nations who have been saved through Yeshua (Jesus). We have all been rescued by the sovereign act of God and we all have to go through the 'desert' of life, in this world, before we will finally reach the promised land.  In the desert, we have to rely totally on the Lord for his provision and to remind us of this, we dwell in succot (booths) during this Feast. This year our congregation will literally go down to the desert on a retreat this coming weekend. We see it as a call to 'go back to the desert', not as a regression to the past,  but as a reminder of from whence we have come, and of the necessity of our total dependence on God in this life, something we easily forget in our comfortable modern lives.

A typical booth (succa) in Israel
https://www.ou.org/holidays/files/Sukkah-4.jpg

Like all the Biblical Feasts, Succot is linked to the agricultural calendar and falls at the time of the end of the summer harvest. 

So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest.

Leviticus 23:39

It is also the time when traditionally we begin to pray for the arrival of the winter rains. This year our prayers have been answered. Yesterday most of the country received its first rain - the yoreh. As always many of us, myself included, were caught out unprepared. I was in town and got soaked in my summer clothes and sandals. It is always a shock to rediscover how cold and uncomfortable rain can be - we tend to forget that during our 8 month-long rainless summer period. This year, as usual too, many streets flooded, and sadly some homes as well, because the drains get blocked with debris as the streets get their first wash. There is usually a spate of car accidents too as the rain turns the greasy, oily streets into a 'skating rink'. It is, for all that, a joyful time and many will run out onto the streets to dance and revel in the rain.  Plentiful winter rain means survival in this arid part of the world. 

Floods in Nahariya (Photo: Bentzi Beniashvili)https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5026325,00.html

It is traditional to decorate succot with tinsel and other decorations. This year one of the Muslim Arab bus drivers even decorated his bus to look like a succa.  This heartwarming act of goodwill stands starkly in contrast to the image of Jerusalem so often perpetrated in the media. Although there is often tension and violence in this city, the fact is that most of the time the Jewish, Arab and gentile inhabitants manage to cohabit quite happily. 

The festive Sukkot bus (Photo: Amit Shabi)
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5026839,00.html

In my last blog update I mentioned that I had attended a worship gathering called Panei el Adonai (my face to my LORD), a quote from Daniel 9. This gathering included Jewish, Arab and Gentiles from all over Israel and as we worship God together all barriers of nationality, identity, language and culture are transcended.  You can read more about this gathering, and get a preview of the new CD that will soon be released if you go to this link: 
http://kehilanews.com/2017/10/06/messianic-concert-draws-believers-and-nonbelievers-from-around-israel/

Sometimes when one reads the news all appears so terrible and hopeless. How can we ever find peace and reconciliation? This week I saw a glimmer of hope. Dozens of Syrians wrote letters to the IDF and Israel expressing their gratitude for the help they had received in Israeli field hospitals since the outbreak of civil war in their country. With the breakdown of medical services in Syria the only place those injured or ill could seek help was from their 'enemy' Israel. Israeli field hospitals were set up near the border and Israeli soldiers, often at great risk to themselves, helped the wounded and sick to cross the border for treatment. Many have been treated in Israeli hospitals at our expense.Yeshua (Jesus) taught us to pray for our enemies and love them. That is the only way to break down animosity. It works. 
One man, who had had to have his hand amputated, wrote, "We, the nation of Syria, want peace with the State of Israel because it provided us with many services during this troubled period. To all Syrians who say Israel is the enemy, I say that you are liars. Peace to Syria and to Israel". https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5014499,00.html?utm_source=Taboola_internal&utm_medium=organic

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

Matthew 5: 43-44

Tomorrow the annual Feast of Tabernacles, organized by the  International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), will conclude with a closing prayer meeting "Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem". According to Bat-el Leonard of "Kehila News", 
The event, according to Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, is the largest annual event in Israel, drawing some 5,000 “Christian pilgrims” from roughly 100 countries to Jerusalem each fall, an activity which ICEJ claims brings between $15 to 18 million into Israel’s economy each year.
This year some 6,000 people attended, the largest number ever in the 38 year history of the celebration.  
http://kehilanews.com/2017/10/08/icej-kicks-off-feast-tabernacles-celebration-jerusalem/

During the Succot Week  Israeli school children have a vacation. This year a disturbing new phenomenon has hit our streets. Some teenagers are dressing as creepy and scary clowns and arming themselves with knives, clubs and irons, which they brandish to frighten younger children. They film and post their antics on the social media. As a result, many other children are afraid to go out on the streets and are arming themselves with weapons to protect themselves. Police have confiscated baseball bats, knives, slingshots and other dangerous weapons.  It is only a matter of time before this activity escalates to violence with potentially deadly results. Those 'clowns' apprehended by police claim they are doing it out of boredom. It is tragic that this generation, which has more entertainment options available than any other, cannot find healthier ways to amuse themselves.  I hope that once schools reopen next week this 'clown epidemic' will fade away.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5026555,00.html

Yesterday high-level talks began in Cairo between the two ruling Palestinian organizations, Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip and Fatah which controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. In 2007 Hamas violently ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip, resulting in a division of Palestinian territories, but three weeks ago Hamas announced that it wished to hand the government of the Gaza Strip over to the Palestinian Authority, currently controlled by Fatah. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Palestinian-rivals-Hamas-Fatah-start-unity-talks-in-Cairo-507132

What has caused this reversal of policy by Hamas? In a nutshell, I suspect that Hamas is tired of trying to govern the Strip, and is ready to admit defeat as the humanitarian situation there is approaching boiling point. Hamas is essentially a terror organization more interested in destroying Israel than the day-to-day running of a country. Another possibility is that Hamas is intending to become a legitimate player in West Bank politics so that it can eventually take control there as well?  Whatever the motivation, can there be reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas? It seems doubtful, given that Hamas is based on an extremist Muslim ideology focussed on the concept of a military defeat of Israel, while the Fatah organization is more secular and is determined to prevent Hamas having any military presence in the Palestinian areas.  The situation is very complex and if you are interested you can read this article which I think gives a balanced analysis:
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2017/1009/Palestinian-reconciliation-What-s-driving-Hamas-and-Fatah-this-time

It is late now and I want to finish with this thought:

Be silent in the presence of the Lord God;
For the day of the Lord is at hand...

The great day of the Lord is near;
It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;
There the mighty men shall cry out.

That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
 A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.

Zephaniah 1: 7, 14-16

 

 

WE SHALL REJOICE

 

Today marks the last day of  Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles, known as Hoshannah Rabah ( The Great Salvation), and  it is a day in which we are commanded to rejoice in the LORD.

 

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁴ “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. ³⁵ On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. ³⁶ For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.....Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. ⁴⁰ And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, ⁴³ that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’”

Leviticus 23: 33-36 and 39-43

Here in Jerusalem, all who are able, build succot (temporary shelters) and eat together in them, celebrating the goodness of the provision of the Lord. This time is also a kind of harvest festival, celebrating the ingathering of the Fall harvest.

Friends celebrating in a Succa

http://news.colgate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Sukkot.jpg

 Here in Israel this day is also Simchat Torah (outside the Land it is tomorrow), the day in which the cycle of Torah readings is completed and the new cycle begun. It is a day of rejoicing which, in traditional Jewish circles, is marked by unbridled joy surpassing even that of the joy of Succot.

Today also marks the official beginning of the rainy season and from today until Passover prayers will be made each day for abundant rain in Israel. I was so thrilled this morning to feel that freshness in the air, and the stirring of the breeze, which precedes the first rains. Rain is indeed forecast to arrive later this week, according to the meteorological service. You have to live through a hot Israeli summer (and this year it has been hotter than most) and 8 months without a drop of rain to break the heat or settle the dust, to truly appreciate the blessing of rain. When the first rains fall it is not uncommon to see adults and children alike rushing outdoors and dancing in the streets rejoicing in the rain. 

As I was browsing the 'net' looking for a suitable illustration I came across this one, which so sums up life in Israel I felt I must copy it here.



https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/19/b1/3a/19b13ac7c5976891327d9e5d79363558.jpg

How apt it is. This year, in this most joyful of holidays, we have once again been stricken with horror and sadness and loss. The week has been  marked by an escalation of terror and unrest especially here in Jerusalem and in the surrounding areas.

Four days ago, a young Jewish couple,  Eitam and Na'ama Henkin were driving back from a class reunion with four of their six children in the back of their station wagon. As they drove past the Palestinian village of Beit Furik, gunmen affiliated with the PLO approached their car and shot both adults to death at point blank range,  in front of the children aged between 9 years and 4 months. The children were physically unharmed but no doubt will be scarred for life. Eitam was a doctoral student at Tel Aviv University, where he had won the prestigious Natan Rotenstreich Scholarship, and his wife, Na'ama was a graphic designer who ran her own studio. What now will become of their six children after such a horrific trauma?


Eitam and Na'ama Henkin and the car in which they were brutally murdered.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706203,00.html

On Saturday night  Aaron Bennett and his wife Adele and their two children were on the way to the Western Wall to pray when they were attacked by a knife wielding terrorist.  Aaron was killed, his wife seriously injured, his infant son lightly injured and their baby daughter physically unharmed in the attack. A second man, Rabbi Nechami Lavi, was also stabbed and  killed when he rushed from his home to try and help the Bennett family. He leaves behind a wife and seven children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron Bennett (left) and Rabbi Nechamia Lavi victims of terror

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706876,00.html

 

The terrorist who carried out this cowardly attack was Mohammed Halabi who was shot dead by security forces at the scene.

 

Just a few hours later another Palestinian terrorist, Fadi Aloun, stabbed and wounded an 18 year old Israeli teenager near the Damascus Gate in the Old City. This terrorist too was shot dead by security forces. The attacker was a resident of East Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood and he had earlier written on his Facebook page  "Either martyrdom or victory." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706801,00.html 

 

 On the Eve of Rosh Hashanah another man, Alexander Levlovitz, returning from celebrations, was stoned by Arab youths  right here in my neighborhood of East Talpiot. His  car to veered off the road into a ditch and hit a pole, killing him and lightly injuring the other occupants of the car. Four youths from the neighboring village of Sur Baher have been arrested.  

 

 

 

The scene of the car crash September 13, 2015 resulting from a rock-throwing attack in East Talpiot, Jerusalem in which Alexander Levlovitz, 64 [inset] was killed. (Arik Abulof/ Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services/Courtesy)

http://www.timesofisrael.com/man-killed-in-jerusalem-rock-throwing-attack-named-as-alexander-levlovitz/

 

For some time now there have been ongoing riots on the Temple Mount where youths have barricaded themselves in the El Aksar Mosque and from there attack worshippers and the security forces with rocks and firebombs. Rioting is also occurring elsewhere in the city on a daily basis, mainly in the Arab villages of East Jerusalem. In the face of the rising tensions and unrest the Old City was closed down on Friday for all but Israeli citizens and tourists.

In addition to this escalating tension and the possibility of a Third Intifada, there have been a series of rocket and missile attacks coming out of Gaza. On September 18 two missiles were shot down over the city of Ashkelon and a rocket landed in the city of Sderot. Last night too a rocket was fired from Gaza, sending residents of nearby town scrambling for their shelters, but the rocket fell short landing inside the Gaza Strip. This brings to around 14 the number of rockets and missiles fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip since the 'ceasefire' of August 2014.

Stray rocket fire has also spilled over the border from Syria from time to time. In my last blog update I wrote about the setting up of Russian air bases in Syria. This week Russia has begun bombing missions inside Syria aimed at destroying  all opposition to the Assad regime, attacking both 'moderate' rebel groups  and the more rabid Day'ish militias. Russia tried to enlist the support of the USA in this operation but there is a fundamental difference of opinion in that the US does not want to see Assad in power at the end.

With all that is going on here and in our neighboring lands we could be forgiven for not feeling very festive at this time. Yet we are a people who specialize in 'dancing in the rain'. We will not allow our enemies to stop us from living life to the full and rejoicing in it.  Yesterday I did a little shopping in a local Mall and was impressed by the happy holiday atmosphere there, in spite of the heavy things happening in the city.  The Mall was heaving with smiling, laughing children, and their equally happy looking parents and grandparents. The Mall even permitted free parking for the holiday.

This year the Muslim holiday Eid el Adha coincided with the Feast of Succot. Last weekend our congregation went for a retreat for two nights at a kibbutz. On the Saturday we all went to the water park run by the kibbutz hoping for a quiet lazy day at the pool. It was not to be!! The water park was packed to capacity as busloads of Arabs from the West Bank and elsewhere arrived to celebrate too. We had a giggle about how far from the 'apartheid state' Israel really is as we rubbed shoulders with hijab clad Muslims and celebrated our respective holidays together without any sign of friction or tension.

 

 

 Such are the ironies of life in Israel: tension and tolerance, violence and peace, hatred and respect. We will go on and we will choose life, and we will 'dance in the rain'. And what is more we choose to celebrate life and rejoice in the LORD.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

 

Philippians 4:4

 

 

 

  

IN THE BEGINNING....



http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/lulav-priestly-blessing-western-wall-kotel-jerusalem-cohen-sukkot.jpg

 Succot in Jerusalem

 

 

This week we here in Israel, and Jews all over the world, celebrated the Holiday of Succot (the Feast of Tabernacles), a holiday in which we are commanded, among other things, to 'be happy' before the LORD.

 

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ³⁴ Speak to the people of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, and lasting seven days, there shall be the festival of booths to the Lord. ³⁵ The first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. ³⁶ Seven days you shall present the Lord’s offerings by fire; on the eighth day you shall observe a holy convocation and present the Lord’s offerings by fire; it is a solemn assembly; you shall not work at your occupations.

 

Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the Lord, lasting seven days; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. ⁴⁰ On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ You shall keep it as a festival to the Lord seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever throughout your generations. ⁴² You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, ⁴³ so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

 

Leviticus 23: 33-36,39-43.

On the last day of the Feast, Jews in every synagogue dance around carrying the Torah Scrolls. It is a time of great joy, rejoicing in the fact that the LORD has given us revelation of Himself in the Torah.

 

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This day, Simchat Torah (the Rejoicing of the Torah) also marks the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle. This week's Torah portion begins with the first words of the Torah:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.   Genesis 1:1

This passage reminds me of the fact that God did not only reveal himself in the Torah and the other writings of the Bible, but he also left his signature on creation itself. 

 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse...

Romans 1:20 

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
⁹ Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this...

Job 12: 7-9

 

As a science teacher I seek to impart to my students a sense of awe and wonder in the contemplation of the created world. Recently I have been teaching a 6th grade class space science and was reminded once more of the awesome magnificence,  and the unimaginable scale, of the universe.

 

There are one million grains of sand in a handful of sand… There are more stars in the universe than all the sand on the sand on all the beaches on Earth.   BBC " The Planets"

http://badmuslim.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/sand.jpg

 And the God whom I worship made all this. It is truly mind blowing. I believe that when we take time to contemplate the glory and beauty of our world, we will draw closer to God. For this reason I see it as entirely appropriate that many so-called secular Israelis take the opportunity of our holidays to go out into nature, picnicking and hiking, in our beautiful land.



 

 



When Job in his distress poured out his complaint to the LORD, He answered Job thus:

Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
³ Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38: 2-7

I have lived now over 30 years in Israel and  there is something in the  Israeli psyche which have come to admire deeply.  I have seen it  over and over again, and that is the ability  to choose life and find joy especially at the darkest moments of death and loss, of war and terror.  At such times there is always an acknowledgement that the greatest victory we can have over our enemies is to grasp life and live it to its fullest. From whence comes this strength? I believe it is born of a deep belief in a good God, who has given us life, who cares about us and will fulfill all his promises in the end.

Consider the works of God's hands and rejoice!!!! Here are some photos I have taken of this beautiful land - the side you do not see on the news.


Wadi Zin

Almonds at Ein Sataf



Love in the Mist at Netanya Winter Pond



Montfort

Anenomes in the Negev Desert in Spring

 

Dor Beach

Soreq Caves

 

HALLELUJAH - FOR GOD CREATED ALL THESE AND MORE  !!!