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“…set someone over the congregation who will go out before them and who will come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in…” (Numbers 27:16-17). A real leader must go before the people and not trail behind them. A true leader raises the people up to his level and not be pulled down to their level. (Sefer Avnei Ezel). We find a similar idea in the Talmud, Sotah 49b, where the generation prior to the Messianic Age is described as being low and troubled. One of the things noted is that “the face of the leaders of the generation will be like the face of a dog.” Rabbi Yisroel Salanter explained that a dog will race ahead of its master, but constantly look back to see where its master is heading. He’ll then run ahead in the direction of his master. In the generation before the Messiah, those in positions of authority and governance will lead by following opinion polls. They won’t really lead, but will constantly be seeking to go in the direction the people are taking. A true leader has to go before the people and provide appropriate guidance, even if it’s not popular. By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy..

Verse 98: Studying Your Torah and its commandments gives me the wisdom to save myself from the grip of my worldly desires – my internal enemies. For the value of Your commandments is eternal; it remains with me forever, whereas worldly pleasures have no lasting value. This verse shows so beautifully that the Torah is from G-d. It is He who determines which parts, which commandments are meant for whom. For example, there are commandments that apply only to the High Priest or the Cohanim. Thus there are commandments that apply only to Jews and commandments - the 7 Laws of Noah - that apply to the Gentiles. Anything in the Torah that Noahids can learn something from in order to properly carry out the 7 commandments - or their details - or to improve themselves may be read and learned. Noahids are not permitted to delve deeply into commands or portions of the Torah that do not apply to them and from which they cannot learn anything practical or logical. Noahides do not have a Divine commandment of learning Torah, but this is rather an obligation that is included in the Noahide Commandments themselves and he will receive a reward for it. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Chabad Tehillim The Divine Code 4e edition p.77 © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The creation testifies to the glory of the Creator. “Raise your eyes on high, and see Who created these (things)…” Isaiah 40:26 “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament tells of His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:2) Everything we see points to the Creator. Any person walking on the earth receives the breath in his nostrils from the Almighty. There is a famous Buddhist saying that the finger pointing to the moon should not be confused with the moon itself. The great mistake of chr'istianity was to confuse a created being with the Creator. Every human is created in the image of God and ultimately points to Him and reflects His glory. No human being who receives the breath of life from God should be equated with Him. (Jeremiah 10:1-16; 16:19-21) By Rabbi Michael Skobac Rabbi Michael Skobac had been involved with Jews for Judaism (Canada) since 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Education and Counselling. He is a leading authority on missionaries, cults and issues relating to Jewish continuity and Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Skobac's publications include Missionary Impossible; Counter-Missionary Survival Guide; The DaVinci Code: A Jewish Perspetive; and Intermarriage: Is There Ligth at teh End of the Tunnel? © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy. Republished by Angelique Sijbolts with permission for the Noahide Academy..

Vers 6: Unlike angels, which must do as they are commanded, G-d does all that He desires – in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the depths of the oceans. Angels have no free will and obey G-d in everything they must do. G-d has given us humans a free will to follow or disobey His commandments. How wonderful is this gift, for it is the way to establish a relationship with each other. A relationship that is forced can never be a loving respectful relationship. One of the things G-d desires is a relationship with us humans. When we enter into that relationship by loving Him and obeying His commandments out of love, we have a deeper relationship with Him than the angels. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Chabad Tehillim © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Hanina said: "What does the text mean: "Walk after the Enternal your G-d"? It means to walk after the attributes of the Holy One of Blessing. Just as G-d clothes the naked, so should you clothe the naked, as it is written; "And the Eternal G-d made garments of skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them". (Genesis 3:21) Just as the Holy One of Blessing visited the sick, so should you also visit the sick, as it is written: "And the Eternal appeared to him by the terebints of Mamre [after Abraham's circumcision] (Genesis 18:1). Just as the Holy One of Blessing comforted mourners, so should you also comfort mourners, as it is written: "After the death of Abraham, G-d blessed his son Isaac". (Genesis 25:11) Just as the Holy One of Blessing buried the dead, so should you also bury the dead, as it is writtten: "G-d buried him [Moses] in the valley". (Deuteronomy 34:6). Talmud, Sotah 14A In the prayer book The Order we find the following morningprayer, with personal additional thoughts. Blessed art Thou, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who giveth sight to the blind. If you're not an optician or an ophthalmologist, that might be a little tricky. But how many people are not sighted blind, and whom we may show and teach the 7 Noahid life wisdom, so that hopefully their eyes will open. Blessed art Thou, L-rd, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who loosens bondage. Many people are bound by old thoughts and patterns, show them alternatives, show them where their old religious thoughts go wrong. Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has provided for me in all my needs. We cannot provide for all people's needs, but as the words of the Talmud say, if we put a little effort into it, we can go a long way. Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the Universe, who strengthens man's footsteps. I believe that if we put our feet in the direction of others to help them, the Eternal One will strengthen us and help us in the process. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Every Day, Holy Day The Order © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Daily Verse for July 29th 2022 Verse 2: צַו֮ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְנָתְנ֣וּ לַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִֽנַּחֲלַ֛ת אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם עָרִ֣ים לָשָׁ֑בֶת וּמִגְרָ֗שׁ לֶֽעָרִים֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם תִּתְּנ֖וּ לַלְוִיִּֽם׃ Instruct the Israelite people to assign, out of the holdings apportioned to them, towns for the Levites to dwell in; you shall also assign to the Levites pasture land around their towns. The Levites were not to have a claim to an inheritance in the Land. But they were allowed to use land belonging to the other tribes to build their houses and lands to graze their cattle. This was a stretch of empty land around the cities. From this we can learn that it is important to help people who cannot take care of themselves. This can be done by giving them money, but it is better to give them a job so that they can provide for themselves. Just as the Levites received land to graze their sheep on. In the case of this text, empty land means land on which no houses, or trees, or whatever may come, it is grazing land for the Levites. The text did make me think of the current time in which cities are growing explosively and plants and animals are finding it increasingly difficult to have a place to live. How beautiful it would be if all cities had a circle of undeveloped land where nature could take its course. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Sefaria © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Daily Verse for July 30th 2022 Verse 11: וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם לָכֶם֙ עָרִ֔ים עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לָכֶ֑ם וְנָ֥ס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃ you shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge to which a man who has slain a person unintentionally—may flee. These are people who accidentally killed someone. Fleeing to this particular city makes the person safe from revenge feelings of the family members. Although taking revenge is forbidden, G-d knows people's emotions and in this way provides for safety. We will hopefully not face such situations in our personal lives. However, we can learn a lesson from this verse for today. When we disgrace someone it is equivalent to murder. This sin is akin to murder; just as blood is spilled in the act of murder, so too when one is shamed the blood drains from his face. One who publicly embarrasses his fellow loses his share in the World to Come. But sometimes we can also accidentally embarrass someone by a wrong remark. It is good to apologize, but we can learn from this verse that it may also be good to stay away from that person for a while afterwards. So that he is not reminded of your words every time he sees you and the memory will wear off with time. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Sefaria © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

The Obligation to have Mercy on a Animal The prohibation of meat from a living animal The prohibition - eiver min ha'chai - seems obvious, but it contains more details than what one initially thinks. Genesis 9:4 says, “But flesh with its soul, and its blood, you shall not eat.” This refers to the separation of flesh from a living animal, i.e. while its soul is still in its blood. Specifically, it is illegal to eat Rocky Mountain oysters. But it goes a step further. One should not eat meat taken from a living animal. (Even if it died afterwards). If we want to kill an animal for food, it must be done as painlessly as possible. Permission to kill an animal for food was not given to Noah until after the flood, Adam was not allowed to kill an animal for food. Man was given permission to kill an animal but was not given permission to make an animal suffer unnecessarily. Every person should distance himself from cruel practices and should not harm any living being uselessly, on the contrary one should show compassion and mercy to all living beings. This also means that one should not kill an animal uselessly for pleasure. Pleasure hunting is prohibited. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Sefaria © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Daily Verse for August 1th 2022 Verse 17: לֹֽא־תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ ...׃ You shall not be partial in judgment: hear out low and high alike... The small person we can see as a poor person. It is forbidden for a judge to have mercy on a poor person in judgment. And the same for a great person, a rich person, a judge should not favor the rich person either. But since most of us will not be judges, what can we learn from this verse. One who is rich can be seen as one who keeps the 7 Commandments of Noah, and one is poor if he does not. If a conflict arises between these two people and it is up to you to pass judgment on the situation you must look at the situation objectively. It is easy to think that someone who keeps the 7 Commandments has done well and the other has made a mistake, but it does not have to be that way. So every situation must be judged objectively without regard to personal opinion. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources ChabadApp chumash with Rashi for Deut. 1:17 © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

In a nutshell, anyone who is descended from Noah is a ben (son) or bat (daughter) of Noah, i.e., a Noahide. When Noah went out of the ark, the Rainbow Covenant became effective for all mankind. Everyone must obey the 7 Laws of Noah. However mankind left the Rainbow Covenant very soon and after a few generations mankind had forgotten the covenant and G-d again. G-d saw that the people did not accept the 7 Laws upon themselves, and therefore He released them from the 7 Laws. Actually, that's odd, because shouldn't He be punishing the nations precisely for not keeping these laws, rather than exempting them from them? An explanation of this can be found in tractate Kiddushin 2, which explains that someone who does mitzvot because he is obligated to, he receives a greater reward - because the Yetsar Hara makes it harder for him - than someone who does a mitzvot voluntarily. Because G-d released the people from the obligation, but not from the laws themselves mankind in general receives the lesser reward for good deeds and the consequences of violating them. The reward of the mitzvah is the mitzvot itself. So by not lying you will not get into trouble. If you do lie, and people discover the truth, you experience the consequences of your lie. Many people recognize that the laws are logical - one does not murder, one does not steal, etc. - these people are called wise men of the world. All who accept the Seven Mitzvot and observe them carefully are called MiChasidei Umos HaOlam (of the pious peoples of the world) and have a share in the world to come. Rabbi Moshe Weiner in “the Divine Code”, after examining the various readings of Maimonides, concludes that personal acceptance of the 7 Laws is sufficient to become MiChasidei Umos HaOlam. Thus, it is sufficient to accept the seven mitzvot personally, however, it is logical to express the intention of this acceptance in a verbal pledge, in front of 3 rabbis, listing the 7 mitzvot and justifying why one takes them upon oneself. It makes a clear definitive end to an old lifestyle and manner and the starting point of a new path in life. Especially in times when life has its challenges, it is an anchor point in time that will help you stay on the right path. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts Sources Talmud Bava Kama 38a on Habakkuk 3:6 Tractate Kiddushin 2 The Divine Code © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

There are rungs of ascending spiritual levels that one can achieve as a Noahide (Observant Gentile). The most basic level of righteousness, which G-d expects from every Gentile, is to refrain from any actions that would transgress any of the Seven Noahide Commandments, regardless of what your beliefs are about the source or basis of those commandments. Thus, adding on observance of the eternal 7 Noahide Commandments to whatever you are presently following is a very positive and worthwhile step, that will certainly bring you into a more personal relationship with G-d. ​ Beyond the obligation to observe just the letter of the Seven Commandments, a Gentile can progress further to take on the Torah-based faith of the Noahide Code. The Noahide Code as a faith extends beyond the general concept that there are Seven Noahide Commandments, and it includes a set of basic principles about G-d, prophecy, and the Torah of Moses. By accepting and following the Torah-law details for the Seven Noahide Commandments because they were given directly by G-d in the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, a Gentile can merit the reward of eternal life of the future World to Come. ​ Certainly, a Noahide on this higher level is anxiously waiting for the Messiah son of David (the “Moshiach,” in Hebrew) who is promised by G-d in the Hebrew Scriptures. Also, he/she recognizes that every Gentile has a personal responsibility to repent directly to G-d for any transgressions of the Seven Commandments that are done, G-d forbid. A person’s sincere repentance brings G-d’s forgiveness, and His cleansing of the person’s soul from the stain of a sin. ​ One of the commandments that G-d gave through Moses is that all Gentiles should observe the Seven Commandments of Noah. In fact, the only written proof we have that there are Noahide Commandments and a Noahide Covenant is that G-d instructed Moses at Mount Sinai to write about the generations from Adam to Noah in the Torah’s Book of Genesis, and to preserve the details of those commandments within the Oral Torah. So ultimately, that is their basis from that time on. The pious individuals of the nations (who earn a place in the World to Come) are those who follow the Seven Commandments because G-d commanded them to Noah, and because all Gentiles must follow those precepts according to the details of the Noahide Code that G-d commanded through Moses. Therefore, a faithful Noahide accepts that G-d revealed Himself at Mount Sinai to the entire Jewish nation (at least 3 million people), and that Moses was a true prophet and the receiver and transmitter of the Torah. ​ Unlike Torah-true Noahidism and Judaism that were given by G-d, there are man-made religions in the modern world that have a great many recognized branches and sub-branches. In addition, one must admit that each individual has his/her own personal interpretations of his own religion, which influence exactly what he/she believes and practices. The compatibility of this with the strict letter of the Noahide Commandment that forbids idolatry must be considered objectively on a case-by-case basis. ​ To go into more depth on this issue, you should read the book, “The Divine Code,” Volume I, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner. ​ By way of introduction, consider the first of the Principles of Torah Faith enumerated by Maimonides, which includes the following: ​ “… there is in existence a Being Perfect in respect of all modes of existence, Who is the Cause of all things in existence, through Whom their existence is possible, and from Whom their existence ensues.” ​ This can be expressed as the principle of the Truth of G-d’s Being, which supersedes and transcends any other possible Truth, and by virtue of His True Being all the spiritual and physical creations are brought into existence. ​ The Noahide principles (some of which are incorporated in the first Noahide Commandment, which prohibits idolatry) recognize the truth of the absolute unity and non-physicality of G-d. Historically, the Noahide Code continued to have a following throughout history up until the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish People, who up until then had provided a main source of religious instruction and inspiration for the Noahides. Now that the time for the end of the exile of the Divine Presence from Jerusalem has arrived, large numbers of Gentiles are again becoming motivated to return to the Noahide faith. By Rabbi Michael Schulman

DNC & WNC Zoom Meeting Topic: Praying for the Temple Time: Jul 26, 2022 07:30 PM Amsterdam Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2364326460?pwd=Q1JsTzBSaFo5TnE3K2tOTG5UYmlVUT09 Meeting ID: 236 432 6460 Passcode: veAAX1 One tap mobile +12532158782,,2364326460#,,,,*662604# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,2364326460#,,,,*662604# US (Houston) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 444 9171 US +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 386 347 5053 US +1 564 217 2000 US +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 646 931 3860 US Meeting ID: 236 432 6460 Passcode: 662604 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdP190icFC

You can start here with Rabbi Shlom Eitan from Jerusalem. If you would like personal Guidance to learn Hebrew please contact Angelique.

B"H. Mazel tov! The paperback edition of The Divine Code has recently been fluctuating between #89 - #100 on Amazon in the category of "Religious Studies Education"! In the top 100 titles, there are no other books on the subject of the Noahide Commandments and Noahide observance. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Used Sources Text from Rabbi Dr. Michael Schulman Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

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This week's Torah portion tells the story of Pinchas who showed loyalty and bravery for God. At the advice of the evil prophet Balaam, the daughters of Moab and Midian tempted the Jews to sin with them, then led them to worship their idols. Pinchas did not act within the bounds of Jewish law when he killed Zimri as there was no Jewish court involved in investigating the case. He was criticized for killing Zimri without asking Moshe and the other sages. However, God rewarded Phinehas for his bravery by giving him eternal priesthood. The Third Noahide Commandment is about Forbidden Relations. Both prostitution and any kind of pre-marital relations could be destructive to the human being. This refers to Jews and non-Jews as well. A Noahide couple should seek a long-term relationship within a legal marriage. Actual worship of idols is banned for Noahides too as they have to be aware of the oneness and unity of God. Pinchas is actually linked to Elijah the prophet and played a key role in a number of later events in Jewish history. He will be the one to announce to the entire world that the time of redemption has arrived. With thanks to the writer: Rabbi M. Bernstein

The Great Spiritual Flood in Our Time “Know this day and take unto your heart that Havaya is Elokim (God is the Lord) in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is no other” [Deut. 4:39]. This requires explanation: For would it occur to you that there is a god dwelling in the waters beneath the earth, so that it is necessary to negate it so strongly as to say, “Take unto your heart?” It is written, “Forever, Oh God, Your Word stands firm in the heavens” [Ps. 119:89]. The Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory, has explained that “Your word” which You uttered, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…,” [Gen. 1:6] these very words and letters stand firmly forever within the firmament of heaven and are forever clothed within all the heavens to give them life, as it is written,”The word of our God shall stand firm forever” [Isa. 40.8] … For if the letters were to depart even for an instant, God forbid, and return to their source, all the heavens would become naught and absolute nothingness, and it would be as though they had never existed at all, exactly as before the utterance “Let there be a firmament.” And so it is with all created things in all the upper and lower worlds, and even this physical earth which is the “Kingdom of the silent” (inanimate). If the letters of the Ten Utterances by which the earth was created during the Six Days Of Creation were to depart from it but for an instant, God forbid, it would revert to naught and nothingness exactly as before the Six Days of Creation. This thought was expressed by the AriZal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, 1514-1572) of blessed memory, when he said that even in completely inanimate matter, such as stones or earth or water, there is a soul and spiritual life-force – that is, the enclothing of the “Letters of speech” of the Ten Utterances which give life and existence to inanimate matter that it might arise out of the naught and nothingness which preceded the Six Days of Creation. Indeed, this is an even greater miracle than, for example, the splitting of the Red Sea. For then, God drove back the sea by a strong east wind all the night and the waters were divided and stood upright as a wall. [Ex. 14:21-22] If God had stopped the wind, the waters would have instantly flowed downward, as is their way and nature, and undoubtedly they would not have stood upright as a wall… how much more so is it in the creation of being out of nothing which transcends nature and is far more miraculous than the splitting of the Red Sea, that with the withdrawal of the power of the Creator from the thing created, God forbid, it would revert to naught and complete non-existence. Rather, the Activating Force of the Creator must continuously be in the thing created to give it life and existence. These forces are the “letters of speech” of the Ten Utterances by which [beings] were created… Now … every intelligent person will understand clearly that each creature and being is actually considered naught and absolute nothingness in relation to the Activating Force and “Breath of His mouth” (Ps. 33:6) which is in the created thing, continually calling it into existence and bringing it from absolute non-being into being… that alone continuously brings it forth… Hence, there is truly nothing besides Him. An illustration of this is the light of the sun which illuminates the earth…Now, it is self-evident that this light is also present in the very body and matter of the sun-globe itself… However, there in its own place, this radiance is considered naught and complete nothingness, for it is absolutely non-existent in relation to the body of the sun-globe which is the source of this light and radiance, inasmuch as this radiance and light is merely the illumination which shines from the body of the sun-globe itself. It is only in the space of the universe, under the heavens and on the earth, where the body of the sun-globe is not present, that this light appears to the eye to have actual existence. And here the term “existence” can truly be applied to it, whereas when it is in its source, in the body of the sun, the term “existence” cannot be applied to it at all… The exact parallel to this illustration is the relationship between all created things and the Divine flow (of the life force) from the “Breath of His mouth,” which flows upon them and brings them into existence. God is their source, and they themselves are merely like a diffusing light and effulgence from the flow and spirit of God, which issues forth and becomes clothed in them and brings them from naught into being…The term “existence” can be applied to all created things only [as they appear] to our corporeal eyes, for we do not see nor comprehend at all the source, which is the spirit of God, that brings them into existence… But the illustration is apparently not completely identical with the object of comparison. For in the illustration, the source (the sun) is not present at all in the space of the universe and upon the face of the earth where its light is seen as actually existing. Whereas, all created things are always within their source, and it is only that the source is not visible to our physical eyes. If so, why are they not nullified in their source? It is written, “For a sun and a shield is Havaya Elokim.” (Ps. 84:12) The explanation of this verse: “Shield” is a covering for the sun, to protect the creatures so that they should be able to bear [its heat]. As our Sages of blessed memory said, “In Time to Come (the Messianic Era), the Holy One blessed be He, will take out the sun from it sheath, the wicked shall be punished by it…” [Talmud, Nedarim 8b]. Now, just as the covering shields [i.e. conceals] the sun, so does the name Elokim shield [i.e. conceal] the name Havaya, blessed be He. The meaning of the name Havaya is “That which brings everything in to existence from nothing,” … indicating that the action is present and continuous. For the fact that they were created during the Six Days of Creation is not sufficient for their continued existence, as explained above. In the enumeration of the praises of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, “the Great, the Mighty” (Deut.10:17), etc. “The Great” refers to the attribute of Kindness and the spreading force of the life-force into all the worlds and created things without end or limit so that they shall be created from nothing and exist through Gratuitous Kindness. And the attribute of Kindness is called Greatness for it comes from the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, in his Glory and Essence, for “G-d is great and His greatness is unsearchable” (Ps. 145:3), and therefore, He also causes life-force and existence from nothing to issue forth for an unlimited number of worlds and creatures, for “It is the nature of the beneficient to do good.”… And just as it is impossible for any creature’s mind to apprehend His attribute of Geatness, which is the ability to create a being out of nothing and give it life, as it is written, “The world is built by kindness” (Ps. 89:3), exactly so it is not possible for him to apprehend the Divine attribute of Might (Restraint), which is the quality of Tzimtzum (contraction) and restraint of the spreading forth of the life-force … in a revealed way, but rather with His Countenance concealed. For the life-force conceals itself in the body of the created being and it appears as though the body… has independent existence… The concealing of the life-force is called “Vessels” and the life-force itself is called “Light.” [The “Vessels” and “Light” in combination are the revealed ten Divine Attributes (Kindness, Might/Judgement, Mercy/Beauty, etc.)] Concerning this the Sages of blessed memory said, “Originally it arose in God’s thought to create the world with the attribute of stern judgement (i.e., complete concealment); He saw, however, that the world could not endure, so He combined with it the attribute of mercy,” that is, the revelation of G-dliness through the Righteous (such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.) and the signs and miracles recorded in the Torah.” … Before the Messianic Era, it is only the Righteous in the heavenly Paradise who are granted the reward of comprehending the spreading forth of the life-force and light which issues from these two Divine Attributes, Kindness and Might. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Used Sources Selections from The Gate of Oneness and Faith, by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), pub. Kehot Publication Society, Brooklyn, NY. The content of this page is reproduced from Asknoah.org, with permission. Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

We read in Genesis the story of creation – how the world was created – and of course Genesis doesn’t start in the beginning. It starts with the Hebrew word “B’reishis,” which starts with a letter beis [the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet], not with an aleph [the first letter]. [This indicates that there was a "First" which preceded "In the beginning..." (Gen. 1:1)] And it’s written B’ [ = In] -reishis [ = the beginning],” instead of Reishis [The beginning]. But what was the beginning? This the Written Torah doesn’t tell us. We learn in Chassidic teachings that G-d created the world from [His attribute of] Malchus [Kingship, the lowest of the ten Divine sefiros (attributes)]. In Kaballah, it says that the world was created from [His attribute of] Chochmah [Wisdom, the highest of the ten sefiros]. So the world was created from Malchus, and the world was created from Chochmah, and that of course precedes “And G-d said, ‘Let there be light.’ ” (Gen. 1:3) But even that’s not the beginning. What does it mean that “Malchus created the world”? And where does Malchus-Kingship come from? Malchus was not an original existence. [As the Zohar explains,] “There is no King without a people.” Malchus is something that already is connected to existence (the existence of a people), so it can’t be the beginning of existence. And the same is true of Chochmah. Chochmah is the first of the ten sefirot, but it’s still Chochmah - which is a definite notion, a definite feeling of existence. Where did that come from? When we talk about the theory of cosmic evolution, for example as a possible description of the beginning, it is not even debatable as a possible original beginning, because it doesn’t begin in the beginning. If you notice what happened with the theory of cosmic evolution – it started off being an explanation for the origins of the universe. “Where does the world come from? An evolution.” But, of course, it doesn’t tell you where it came from. Because it starts of with existence – there existed some primordial “stuff.” But I asked you where it came from! But this doesn’t give the answer at all. It only [attempts to] tell you what happened after the “stuff” already existed. Then the scientists realized that they were not answering the question, so they changed the question. Now it’s not a discussion of the origins of the universe; it’s a question of the age of the universe. But I don’t care how old the world is. I want to know where it came from! So this whole discussion of creation and cosmic evolution is not the same thing. Any evolution theory discusses what happens after something exists, and creation discusses – or is supposed to discuss – how it all began to exist. Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets Used Sources The above is excerpted from an edited transcript of a public lecture by Rabbi Manis Friedman, October ’03, Pittsburgh, PA, based on a Chassidic discourse by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson (Hadran al Sefer Mishneh Torah 5745). Original text posted on and copyright © by Asknoah.org. Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children. More from Rabbi Moshe Perets © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

This is the first mitzvah for Bnei Noah. Of the seven Mitzvot, 6 are represented as prohibitions and 1 is represented as a commandment. Associated with each prohibition is a commandment. Commandment and prohibition belong together like two sides of 1 coin. For example, attached to this first prohibition against the worship of false gods is the commandment, Mitzvah, to believe in G-d and to strengthen our belief in His Oneness and Singularity. When we put our focus on our belief in Him as the Only, Unique, Almighty, Eternal G-d then it follows logically that you do not worship false gods. It is important that we do our best, each with our own ability and potential, to know G-d and come to the recognition of G-d's true Existence. We must achieve this not only on an intellectual level, but also with our hearts and with our emotions. Belief in G-d makes us as humans want to perform our actions in such a way that they are in accordance with His will. This automatically leads to the development of good character traits. Faith in G-d makes us become better people. Brought By Angelique Sijbolts Used Sources The Divine Code Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano. More from Angelique Sijbolts © Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further. NoahideAcademy.org's copyright policy.

Question: I’m curious to know: what does the Talmud say about bad things that happen to good people? ​ Answer: One important point is that we physical people have a very limited perspective on what are “bad things”, and our view of “happen” is limited to what we think we see in a small frame of time. But this topic does need a lot of explanation. ​ Before we discus this topic, it is essential to understand that G-d is the ultimate of goodness, and since everything comes from G-d, the essential nature of everything – at least in its deep essence – is good, since it is part of His plan for bringing the creation to its ultimate perfection. It is also important to know that our perception of good is very limited. Consider, for example, a child who is playing with a sharp knife, and the father sees this and takes it away. The child thinks that the father is being mean by taking away a toy, but the father is really doing his beloved child a favor by taking away the dangerous object that could lead to worse harm than temporary hurt feelings, G-d forbid. ​ That is an analogy for an important teaching from Kabbalah: there are two types of good in G-d’s creation – hidden good and revealed good. To illustrate this point, the Talmud relates the following two stories. ​ Rabbi Akiva, who was one of the the famous sages of the Talmud, was once traveling with a donkey, a rooster, and candle. When night came, he tried to find lodging in a village near his route, but he was turned away. Although Rabbi Akiva was forced to spend the night in a field, he did not lament his fate. Instead, his reaction was to declare, “Everything G-d does is for the best.” That night a wind came and blew out his candle, and then a cat ate his rooster, and then a lion came and ate his donkey. With each event, Rabbi Akiva’s reaction was, “Everything that G-d does is for the best.” Later that night, a regiment of Roman soldiers came and took everyone in the town captive, while Rabbi Akiva who was sleeping in the field went unnoticed and thus was spared. When Rabbi Akiva woke up and found out what had happened, he said, “Didn’t I say that everything that G-d does is for the best”?” Obviously if Rabbi Akiva would have found lodging in the town, he would have been captured. And Rashi explains in his commentary that if the burning candle, the rooster or the donkey would have been with Rabbi Akiva in the field that night, the soldiers would have seen the candle light or heard the crowing rooster or the braying donkey, and would have captured him along with the others. ​ The second story happened to another sage of the Talmud, Rabbi Nachum Ish Gam-Zu. Once it happend that the Jewish sages needed to send a present to appease the Roman Caesar. They decided to send a chest full of precious jewels, and they felt that Nachum Ish Gam-zu would be the best emissary, since he had great faith in G-d. On his way to Rome, he stopped to sleep at an inn, and during the night the unscrupulous owners emptied out the jewels from the chest and filled it with sand. The sage continued on his way, and when he made his periodic check on the contents of the chest, he found the jewels gone and only sand in their place. As he always did with full faith, the sage only said, “Gam-zu le’tova!” – “Also this is for the good!” And he continued on his way to present the gift to the Caesar. When the chest was offered to the Caesar he opened it and saw the sand. Naturally he was infuriated and wanted to kill not only Nachum Ish Gam-zu, but also all of the Jews. Nachum Ish Gam-zu just said with full faith, “Gam-zu le’tova.” At that moment Elijah the Prophet appeared, disguised as one of the Caesar’s advisers, and pointed out that the Jews were very wise, so there must be something very special about this sand that would greatly benefit the Caesar. He suggested that maybe this was from the sand that their Patriarch Abraham and his servant Eliezer threw at the armies of the four kings, and it miraculously turned into swords and spears and destroyed the armies.[1] The Caesar commanded to test the sand on the front lines where his army was fighting a war against a nation that they had difficulty in conquering. In fact the sand turned into missiles of swords and spears when it was thrown, and with this the Romans defeated the opposing army. The Caesar was overjoyed, and he sent Rabbi Nachum Ish Gam-zu back to Judea with great honors and a chest full of much greater treasure than the sages had sent in the first place. On the return trip, Rabbi Nachum Ish Gam-zu again spent the night at the same inn. The innkeepers couldn’t believe their own eyes. Didn’t they replace the jewels with sand?! How could the Caesar have repaid him with such honor and riches for bringing sand? They approached Rabbi Nachum and asked him, “What was it that you brought to the Caesar, that warranted such a reward”? He replied “What I took from here is what I delivered there.” The innkeepers said to themselves, “Wow! we’re sitting on such valuable sand, and we weren’t even aware of it! They quickly knocked down the inn and brought all the sand to the Caesar, and explained to him that the original sand came from their inn. The Caesar again had the sand tested to see if it also contained the miraculous powers. When the test failed, the thieving innkeepers were executed. ​ On the surface, these stories seem difficult to comprehend as lessons for our daily lives. How is it expected from a regular person to ignore all the suffering and anxiety that he is experiencing, and just live a regular life as if nothing “bad” was happening? The answer to that question comes from the above approach to life: being secure in the knowledge that everything that G-d does is for the good. When a person perceives that G-d is causing him to suffer, he should say to himself, “It is really that G-d is showing me a higher expression of good, and it’s all for the best.” Having this sincere faith is a tremendous accomplishment in the service of G-d, and it generates great spiritual merit for the person. That is why Rabbi Akiva always said, “Everything that G-d does is for the good,” and the sage Nachum Ish Gam-zu always said, “This too is for the good,” regardless of whether or not they were blessed to see the goodness that would eventually come from it. ​ We also must understand that G-d’s ways are not our ways. For alternatively, when G-d decides to afflict a person in this world for sinning against Him, it is not out of vengeance but rather out of love for the person. Kabbalah teaches that when a person commits a sin he creates a blemish on his soul, so in order to cleanse the soul, G-d punishes the person for misdeeds that were done, in order that this soul should become purified. In a similar vein, there is a fundamental difference between Torah-based faith and other religions in the way they have a concept of a “Hell” (which they often conceive of in terms of pagan ideas). Torah teaches about the realm called Gehinom, where a soul that merits can be cleansed from its unrepentant sins. Some popular religions imagine a “Hell” as only a place of eternal damnation, but Torah teaches that Gehinom is established by G-d as a place which enables an essentially good soul to become purified through suffering and thereupon able to enter the spiritual heavens to receive its rewards. ​ Torah also teaches that for people who deserve great spiritual reward, G-d punishes their sins in this world (which is very light compared to the spiritual punishment / cleansing of a soul in Gehinom), and He rewards their observance of their commandments and their acts of goodness and kindness in their spiritual heaven after death (since the pleasure of a soul in the spiritual heavens is far greater than any pleasure in this world). On the the other hand, for people who are wicked, while they are alive in this world G-d rewards their good deeds and observance of any commandments, and He gives them their punishment after their soul passes on. Thus, like a loving father, G-d rewards and punishes in ways that bring a person to self-judgement so he will search his deeds and be motivated to repentance every day of his life, to discover his faults that were hidden from him by his self-love, and to actually correct them before it is too late. ​ Furthermore, the Zohar explains that even a righteous person can receive suffering due to a sin that his soul committed in a previous incarnation. For example, if a person dies before he repays what he owes to another person, G-d brings the two souls back into another lifetime together and brings about a situation in which they encounter each other and the accounting is settled for the good of the souls, even though the people have no memory of their past lives. For example, a person who stole in a previous incarnation drops some money, and the person with the soul which he stole from finds it. ​ In light of the above, the Talmud teaches that a person is obligated to bless G-d when he suffers apparent misfortune, just as he is obligated to bless G-d when he experiences openly revealed good, for his sufferings in this world are ultimately an expression of G-d’s love for him. That being said, no human has the right or ability to judge as G-d judges, so we must not be unsympathetic to another person’s suffering by rationalizing that “he must deserve it.” G-d obligates us to cheerfully help others in need, heal the sick, give charity for the poor, etc., and He rewards us for doing so. ​ Also even though we know that everything that comes from G-d is ultimately good, we are limited and weak, and there is only so much that we can we endure. We have to know that we need G-d’s mercy, and He has infinite ability to find ways to accomplish His plan using revealed goodness instead of hidden goodness that we perceive as suffering. Thus we have the opportunity and obligation to pray to G-d for our needs and especially the needs of others (health, sustenance, happiness, etc.), and we say “May it be a will before You, L-rd our G-d, that …” Our prayers can bring G-d to change His will and give us the things that we are needing in our physical lives. ​ May it be G-d’s will that there will very soon be no more suffering and pain, and that we will only experience revealed good, which will happen with the coming of the true Messiah and the Messianic Era, speedily in our days. ​ By Dr. Michael Schulman and Rabbi Sholom Ber Bloom, Ask Noah International ​ Footnotes: [1] As described in the Midrash on the Genesis chapter 14.

THE TRUTH OF HASHEM ALWAYS COMES OUT IN THE END All of the biggest scientists, when they reached the furthest point of their wisdom, no matter what it was that they were dealing with, they discovered the truth of the Torah. The Ramban (Nachmanedis) wrote that there are 50 wisdoms in the world, among them are the wisdom of music, medicine, and astronomy. All of these are different Wisdoms that Hashem created and all have the Torah at the center of them all. All of these wisdoms are derived from the Torah. Brought by Ahdee Shepherd

help stop the coronavirus This prayer has its foundations in the Zohar Parasha Vayakel and the Sha’ar Kavanot of the Arizal. The Zohar, in Vayakel’s portion, goes into great detail and praises the Ketoret. The Zohar says: “It is written that Hashem decreed that anyone who contemplates and reads the letters of Ketoret’s portion will be saved from curses, black magic, any harm, bad thoughts, bad judgment, death, and even negative forces will not be able to affect him” https://kingdavidkabbalah.com/product/free-tikun-haketores-with-transliterations-hebrew-english/ Brought by Ahdee Shepherd

23rd of Shvat for Yeshuot and miracles in all aspects of life. Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz lived over 150 years ago. He was a holy Mekoubal and the second Admour of Belz. The Tzadik also performed many miracles during his lifetime. One year, on the 23rd of Shvat, Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz was at a gathering with many other Rabbis and together they witnessed a big miracle. Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz declared that from that day on, the 23rd of Shvat would be a day of miracles and salvations. A few years later, Rabbi Yehoshua passed away on the same date, the 23rdof Shvat. This day became known for its power of yeshuot not only because it had previously been declared a day of Yeshuot by the Rav while he was alive, but also because it became the day of his Hilula. be sure to do the following: 1) Share the information with as many people as you know so they too can benefit from the power of the 23rd of SHvat 2) Light a candle in the merit of Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz zt’l (Also good to give tzedaka in honor of the Tzadik) 3) On Monday read part of his Torah 4) Read Tehillim 90-106 5) Pray for all your needs in the merit of Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz who promised that this day is a day of miracles and Yeshuot. Include all those in need of yeshuot as well as all am Israel. Brought by Ahdee Shepherd

22 Shvat: Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson (1901-88). Wife of The Rebbe R’Menachem Mendel (7th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch) & daughter of the Freidiker Rebbe, R’Yosef Yitzchak (6th Rebbe). a day of Eit Ratson for Yeshuot and miracles in all aspects of life. 1.Light a candle in the merit (Bizechout) Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson 2. Read Tehillim in her merit 3. Pray for all your needs in the merit of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson remember to Include all those in need of yeshuot as well as all am Israel. Brought by Ahdee Shepherd

Over time (and thanks to Zion Tours also!), I have come to be intimately familiar with the archaeological sites on Mount Zion, Jerusalem. It has become much more than just a general hobby but a keen interest in investigative archaeology, in particular. The silent existence of ancient tunnels and burial caves beneath the Mount have of late been confirmed to those few archaeologists that are privy to that information. Now, the details are becoming more public as allegations that the Greek Orthodox Church has dug new tunnels connecting these holy tombs are coming to the surface. In fact, on a recent visit to the site, I noticed that earth and debris had been deliberately piled up on top of one of the metal covers that serves as an entrance to one of those ancient tunnels, as an attempt to obscure it from the public. Everyone who is following current events realizes how close we are to the final redemption, not just of the Jewish People, but the Gentiles as well ( https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/141474/the-election-impasse-and-the-age-of-the-messiah-opinion/ ). The holy burial site of King David and the other righteous Judean Kings, the High Priest, etc. at Mount Zion is sure to be an even more important spot in the future! Indeed, there are several tunnels/caverns below Mount Zion that are quite ancient, having enormous religious and archaeological significance, but no one is currently allowed near them. The Israeli Antiquity Authority all but denies their existence. However, it's no secret that the Vatican is also extensively involved with the site and the Churches have in fact built their OWN underground channels to connect to these royal burial grounds. Keeping the whole process under wraps has thus far prevented a dispute between the Vatican and the Israeli government, but that is about to change. Along with the final status of the Temple Mount, it may even prove to be an election issue moving forward! Now that more people know about it, the status quo of Mount Zion is quickly changing. The rabbis that have official ties to the site are trying to prevent a situation in which the Vatican has (illegal) access to these Jewish holy sites that even the Jews don't have access to. Looking forward to the grand opening of the warren of royal caves, including the chamber of the mighty King David, replete with his golden crown, scepter, sword and harp, as we say (atleast) once every single month: "David Melech Yisrael Chai V'kayam" - Amen! Brought by Harry H Moskoff

During the morning prayers I recited: Meanwhile, I'll carry on hoping that one day I shall feel every word of my prayers with every fibre of my being and truly accept that everything is for the best because there's none else besides Him, therefore everything happening in my life is an expression of His will... https://www.soullbook.com/garden-of-eden Brought by Roxana Popa

Inspired by Rabbi Perets, I started the secular year 2020 studying. Thank you for the reminder and the inspiration, Rabbi! https://www.soullbook.com/garden-of-eden Brought by Roxana Popa

A short story: A young father worked hard and had great success, but he seemed very sad. His father noticed this and stopped by to talk to him; the young man was surprised when, instead of asking about work, his father asked how much time he was spending with his family. “With all the demands of this job, I have very little time for that,” he replied. “That sounds like what my father used to say,” his father said. “Every day I would wait by the window for him to come home, and every day I would fall asleep before he came. For the sake of your children, and for the sake of their children, no matter how much work you have, try to make it home every night in time to tuck them in. You cannot imagine how much you will be doing for them — and for yourself.” Your home and family are your nest, the center of your life, the hub from which all your daily experiences extend. Both as children and adults, our home and family are where we should feel most comfortable in the world. They determine how you make your life decisions; they shape your attitudes, your awareness, your self-esteem. A healthy home life is obviously a vital ingredient in the pursuit of a meaningful life. How do you build a healthy home? There are three key elements in building a peaceful home life: the relationships between family members, the atmosphere of the home itself, and the way the home is run. When a family shares principles and values, they grow together. The home becomes a foundation for the family’s shared sense of purpose while providing a springboard for each member to pursue his or her own goals. The ultimate beauty in a home is its emotional and spiritual warmth. There are many ways to beautify your home spiritually, to invite G-d into your home. Talk with your family about G-d and our responsibilities as good-hearted people. Invite guests into your home, and allow it to be used as a place of study and prayer, or to hold charitable functions or community meetings. Each healthy home is a macrocosm of the entire universe, helping make the entire world a home for G-d. Harmony at home, within a family, translates into harmony between families and communities and nations. When there is no harmony between people who are related by blood, how can we expect to create harmony between strangers? After many centuries of exhausting journeys, it is time for all of us to come home — to ourselves, to our families, to G-d. After the thousands of years of civilizing this world, after the millions of spiritual seeds that human beings have planted through acts of kindness, the time has come for this world to sprout like a garden — G-d’s garden, a universe filled with goodness and knowledge. Brought by Sarah Perets