בס”ד
Welcome to my blog!
A Scholarly Insight into the Spirituality and Physicality of Israel
Using my expertise gained on my course in tour guiding, in Yeshiva (Talmudic Academy) and as a ‘Land of Israel Studies’ teacher, I shall produce an informative entertaining weekly and monthly blog articles. I do not just aim to inform about the Land of Israel, Torah, Wildlife or the many wonderful people that inhabit or have inhabited his Holy Land, but I also wish to inspire and entertain. I believe that Israel is the most vibrant and exciting country in the world. The concept of ‘Israel: the Holy Land’ works on many levels both on a physical and spiritual level, in learning about Israel you can both become a better educated person and a more spiritually aware individual. As the Jewish Sages taught:
אווירא דארץ ישראל מחכים
The Atmosphere of the Land of Israel Makes one wise. (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Baba Batra 138 B)
Israel: Land of the Bible – a weekly insight into the home of Monotheism
It is traditional for Jews to read a prescribed portion of the Pentateuch every week on Saturday and to review the portion through the week. This is known in Hebrew as the ‘Parshat Hashavua’ (the Weekly Portion). It is my contention that every part of the Torah connects with the land of Israel, this is not just a crazy idea that I thought up but a well known idea most recently popularised by one of my Rabbis, Rav Moshe Lichtman who wrote ‘Eretz Yisrael in the Parsha’. Each week I shall
produce an article connecting an aspect of this week’s parsha to a site that you can visit in Israel. I intend to include both modern and ancient sites, touch on aspects of archaeology, botany, zoology and history and reveal the spiritual aspect within the site of focus.
Spotlight on Nature
As the crossroads of 3 continents, Israel has been not just the meeting point for human civilisations but also for animal and bird migration. It possesses a variety of micro – climates which in turn produce varied ecosystems. Each month shall include a special spotlight on Nature. I shall introduce new ecological developments in Israeli culture. I shall discuss aspects of the multitudinous species that live in Israel.
Movement of the Month
Israel is a vibrant mixture of many cultures, philosophies and religions. I encourage you to read the ‘Movement of the Month’ section which will focus on a different movement in Israel will be it a counter culture, a present ideology or a civilisation long gone. I shall discuss the historical background of the movement, its philosophy and how it affected Israel and world history.
You the Reader
I know shocking is n’t it ? I expect something of you too!
Firstly: come and visit! Contact me and I’ll help you get here, I firmly believe that everybody regardless of wealth or race or belief should visit Israel at least once. If there’s a money problem contact me and I’ll find a way for you to get here.
Secondly: I’ll try and be as objective as I can without being some kind of grey robot, so long as you do the same. Please leave comments, please share ideas, do n’t be offensive or I’ll have to remove it. (That goes for both the ‘right’ and ‘left’ wing, do n’t assume that because you think I’ll agree with you that you will not get erased)
Thirdly: sign up, or just sit back read, watch, listen and enjoy…
