THE VERDICT IS IN

Robert DiNero representing NYC and the Biden Campaign outside the courthouse WHILE the judge is wrapping up Trump trial and instructing the jury. 
Douglas Murray, who I really like, comments about DiNero. 

The Trump Trial Verdict: Why Is Anyone Surprised?

The Trump trial has concluded with a "guilty" verdict. Why is anyone surprised by that? 

In the American justice system, the accused is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Was this the case with Trump?

Forget the presumption of innocence. If you hate Trump, he was guilty -- simple as that. 

We have turned the justice system into a system to eliminate political opposition.  The term that describes the use of the legal system to eliminate political opposition is "lawfare." It is also known as "competitive authoritarianism." This is a trait of authoritarian regimes. 

There is a fascinating parallel that can be drawn to the blackmail attack that was made on Alexander Hamilton, as portrayed in the Broadway hit "Hamilton," and the trial of Trump.  (*See Epilogue below. ) Could it have been a prophetic foreshadowing of the Trump conviction. Even the first preview of Hamilton that was performed in the Obama White House years fits.  Could the idea for spoiling Trump's chances have been hatched then? Could the shooting death of Alexander Hamilton also prophetically foreshadow Trump's death?

Even the infamous recording of Donald Trump where he said "grab them by the p****" that was part of a 2005 conversation between "playboy" Trump and television host Billy Bush could be a piece in the conspiracy to "Get Trump."  The recording was made on a bus during the filming of an "Access Hollywood" segment. The tape was leaked and publicly released just before the election in October 2016, during Trump's presidential campaign, causing widespread controversy.  

"Alexander Hamilton, We are waiting in the weeds for you. You could never back down."  (Lyric from the hit Broadway play "Hamilton.")

All this set the stage for the trial we just had. Trump was ensnarred by his own past character flaws and sins. But it does NOT make him "guilty" in terms of the way our American system of justice is supposed operate!  Nor does his past, before he became President, mean that he has not reformed his ways.  Grace can come down on Trump as much as any sinner!  

Both Alexander Hamilton and Donald Trump made terrible choices to commit adultery.  Both paid "hush money." Both faced devastating scrutiny for their handling of those payments.  Both had enemies that sought to ruin their reputations over scandal. Both stories underscore how nasty politics is. As controversial and hated as Alexander Hamilton was during his lifetime, history judged much more kindly.  That is essentially the conclusion of the play Hamilton.  Trump is still very active making history. Unlike Hamilton -- Trump hasn't backed down!

The blackmail of Alexander Hamilton and these legal attacks against Trump reflect the deep divisions and sickness in America. Politics is an awful and evil thing!  Naive idealist liked to think America was different than other places.  I used to be one of those.  I thought there really were WMD's in Iraq. At first I thought invading Afghanistan was the right thing to do.  I voted for Obama's first term. I didn't vote for Trump’s first term because of the Stormy Daniels scandal and I didn't think he had the character to be President. But after the Meuller investigation, two bogus impeachment efforts, ISIS and Covid I know better.  

The relentless efforts to "get Trump" highlight how broken our country is.  This case had nothing to do with justice. It was driven by two main factors:

1. Fueling the flames of hate and division.

2. Gaining a political advantage in the Presidential election. This trial, along with the "Presidential Documents" case, were despicable as campaign tactics.  America is no better than a banana republic. 

The trial and reactions to the verdict are reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson case. Americans watched the same trial, but opinions on his guilt or innocence were largely divided along racial lines. In O.J.'s case, he had a jury of his peers, with 10 out of 13 jurors being minorities.

The Trump case felt like a legal lynching. Every key participant—the Attorney General, prosecutors, and judge—were vehement Trump haters and Biden supporters. This case was put together the moment Trump announced his candidacy. The jury pool was undoubtedly not a "jury of his peers."

Alan Dershowitz, a liberal Democrat, renowned constitutional scholar, and legal professor, wrote the book "Get Trump," called the case against Trump "the weakest case he has seen in 60 years!" Yet he was not surprised by the conviction. He expected it. Think about that!!

Dershowitz has been described as "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek.

In his book, "Get Trump," published before the trial began, Dershowitz details the relentless efforts to stop Trump at any cost. He documents the unconstitutional efforts to prevent Trump from retaking the presidency and explains why this challenges the foundations of our liberty: due process, the right to counsel, and free speech.

These trials go to show what "40 years in politics" do for the likes of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and many others behind the "Deep State."  As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer referencing the intelligence community and President Trump during a January 2017 interview on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show."

"Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you."

Meanwhile, Trump's detractors in the media and across the country had decided on his guilt even before the Grand Jury indictment. There was never a presumption of innocence, only enthusiasm for a conviction. Legal challenges to the case based on procedural or ethical violations by the prosecutors, or unconstitutional decisions/statements by the judge, were met with a "damn the torpedoes" attitude.

It is clear that there is a double legal standard—one for Biden's and Clinton's, and another for Trump. The hypocrisy is evident, but only if you choose to see it. If you hate Trump, you likely cannot.

Here's a litmus test to see if you can recognize this hypocrisy: Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah and Savior? Do you believe the Hebrew Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God? Do you believe that God created the universe, including life on Earth? If you answered "yes" to at least two out of these three questions, you might see it.

Evil forces have driven a wedge through America's heart and soul. The question we should be asking is, by whom? Surely America has broken the covenant we made with God. Has God turned His face away from America? We need to pray for revival.

THE VERDICT IS IN AND IT IS AMERICA THAT IS GUILTY OF HATING OUR FELLOW, NURTURING A GRUDGE.  WE ARE THE SINNERS. 

THE VERDICT IS IN: AMERICA IS A FALLEN NATION. AMERICA HAS FALLEN AWAY FROM OUR JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES. 

Jews are always the first victims.  We are the canary in coal mine.  Antisemitism is a sign that America, Europe and the world are in trouble. 

*Epilogue:

The situations involving Alexander Hamilton and Donald Trump have notable parallels in terms of personal scandals involving payments to women and how these incidents were used politically by their adversaries. Here’s a focused comparison:

1. The Affair:

   - Maria Reynolds Affair: Alexander HamMaria Reynolds, which began in 1791.

   - Blackmail: Reynolds' husband, James Reynolds, discovered the affair and subsequently blackmailed Hamilton, demanding payments to keep the affair secret. Hamilton paid these sums to avoid public scandal.

2. Political Fallout:

   - Public Disclosure: In 1797, when political adversaries Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Aaron Burr got wind of the affair through documents implicating Hamilton in financial misconduct, Hamilton decided to publish the "Reynolds Pamphlet." In it, he admitted to the affair but denied any financial corruption.

   - Impact: The admission damaged Hamilton’s reputation and was used by his political enemies to tarnish his character and undermine his influence.

Donald Trump:

1. The Affair:

   - Stormy Daniels: Donald Trump allegedly had an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2006.

   - Hush Money: In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money to prevent her from going public with the story.

2. Political Fallout:

   - Legal and Political Issues: The payment led to legal scrutiny and was a subject of investigation, raising questions about campaign finance violations since the payment was made shortly before the election.

   - Impact: The scandal provided ammunition for Trump’s political opponents, who used it to question his integrity, ethics, and adherence to the law.

Political Use by Adversaries:

- Hamilton: Political adversaries seized on the affair to accuse Hamilton of financial improprieties, hoping to discredit him and diminish his influence in the Federalist party and national politics. The scandal, while not leading to legal consequences, severely tarnished his personal and public reputation. 

- Trump: Trump’s adversaries used the Stormy Daniels payment to highlight issues of character and legality. The hush money payment became part of broader investigations into Trump’s conduct, including potential campaign finance violations. The scandal fed into ongoing narratives about Trump’s personal ethics and legality.

Summary:

Both Hamilton and Trump faced significant personal scandals involving payments to women with whom they had extramarital affairs. In both cases, these payments were used by political adversaries as tools to attempt to discredit and weaken them. Hamilton's self-disclosure in the Reynolds Pamphlet was a preemptive attempt to control the narrative, whereas Trump's situation involved ongoing legal battles and scrutiny. The exploitation of these scandals by political opponents highlights how personal misconduct can be leveraged in the political arena to influence public perception and political fortunes.

Here are a few more coincidental parallels:

Below are some selected lyrics from the opening rap song that was performed at the White House for Obama's "Poetry Jam."  I have bolded certain text and annotated comparisons: 

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
spot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

Trump is a Scotsman. People are in disbelief that he became President and a hero to tens of millions. 

The Ten dollar, founding father without a father
got a lot farther by working a lot harder
by being a lot smarter by being a self-starter
by fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter

Trump is the quintessential entrepreneur and has a reputation for being a very hard worker.

 And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted away across the waves he struggled and kept his guard up

Inside he was longing for something to be a part of
the brother was ready to beg steal borrow or barter

Then a hurricane came and devastation rained
our man saw his future drip-dripping down the drain
put a pencil to his temple connected it to his brain
and he wrote his first refrain a testament to his pain

Trump survived financial devastation.  He wrote several best selling books about this.

Well the word got around they said this kid is insane man
took up a collection just to send him to the mainland
Get your education don't forget from whence you came. And the world is gonna know your name.
What's ya name, man?

Alexander Hamilton.
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
And there's a million things I haven't done.
But just you wait, just you, wait.

His name is everything to him. Like Hamilton,  Trump speaks of great things he will accomplish. 

When he was 10, his father split
Full of it, debt-ridden
Two years later, see Alex and his mother, bed-ridden
Half-dead, sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick
And Alex got better but his mother went quick

Trump was emotionally effected by the death of his brother.  As a result he never drinks or smokes.

Skipping ahead ...

Scannin' for every book he can get his hands on
Plannin' for the future, see him now as he stands on
The bow of a ship headed for a new land
In New York you can be a new man (x4) In New York (New York) Just you wait (x3)

Trump's father built homes on Long Island. Donald headed to NYC to make a big name for himself in commercial real estate.  

Alexander Hamilton
We are waiting in the weeds for you
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time
Alexander Hamilton
America Sings for you
Do they know what you overcame
Do they know you control your name
The world will never be the same, oh

His enemies waited 10+ years to exploit an old sexual encounter that was already exposed prior to the 2016 election. But Trump never backs down - his motto is "never quit." ⁷America does sign for him.  The world will never be the same. 

The ship is in the harbor now
See if you can spot him
Another immigrant comin' up from the bottom
His enemies destroyed his rep, America forgot him

His enemies have been seeking to destroy his reputation with two failed impeachment attempts, exposing his tax return, etc.

We, fought with him
Me, I died for him
Me, I trusted him
Me, I loved him
And me, I'm the damn fool that shot him
There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait
Whats ya name man?
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Donald J TRUMP

HARD TO IMAGINE

 🇮🇱 Biblical Israel 🇮🇱 

Imagine a book so influential that it has shaped the course of history, culture, and thought for millennia. This book is the Bible, read by more people worldwide than any other text since the dawn of writing. Its narratives are not mere stories; they are the bedrock of a nation's identity, informing traditions, holidays, and even the daily language of millions.

The settings of these ancient tales are not mythical lands but real places you can visit today. The culture and traditions born from these biblical stories have survived thousands of years, evolving yet holding true to their roots. This nation, inspired by prophecy and preserved through trials, is Israel.

Imagine a land, a nation, a people that is the basis of story, a book written thousands of years ago, that's been read by more people in the world than any other book since the days that human beings started writing books. This book has been in nearly every home in the world since the days people started owning books. 

Imagine that the places and characters in this book's stories once existed and that the events in the book happened in places and locations that are real. 

Imagine an actual culture and traditions that grew out of this book's stories which has existed since the book was written thousands of years ago.

Imagine a nation with holidays and songs that correspond to the stories in the book. 

Imagine that people today are maintaining beliefs and practices based on the text of this book in the same places as written about in the book.

Imagine that the stories in this book have inspired countless other books, poems, songs, movies, artwork and even clothing and jewelry. 

Imagine that the nation in this book draws hundreds of thousands of tourists and business travelers in modern times. 

Imagine, as predicted thousands of years ago in the book, that this nation and it's people have blessed the world in so many ways from science and medicine, to entertainment, to flowers and farming methods and much much more! And just as the book predicted, people and other nations that have been a curse to this nation have been themselves cursed. 

Imagine a nation which has been to war many times as written about in the book.  Imagine this nation have been conquered and it's people expelled from it's land time & time again, but they stayed a nation and kept coming back to their land, as written about, and even foretold in the book.  

Imagine a modern nation with the same enemies today as described in the book based on family disputes that are written about in the book thousands of years ago.. 

Imagine there is one modern nation with the official language today that is just as was written in the book. And, the people of this nation can still read and speak this ancient unique language. 

Imagine their is one nation today whose flag and money, the schekle, and other official symbols are based on this book, story and the characters. 

Imagine a nation with the same cities, villages, rivers, mountains and valleys as those that are described in the book thousands of years ago. There are even buildings, lakes, wells & pools and artifacts one can go see today that were written about in the book thousands of years ago. 

Imagine a nation that is the modern fulfillment of prophecies written about in the book.

You don't have to "imagine it," because it exists -- it is true. Of course you know I am referring to the bible and that state of Israel. You don't have to "imagine it," you can visit it.  

What is hard to imagine is that people say this nation, Israel, has no right to exist. It is hard to imagine that people whose first leader is Yassar Arafat would claim the title to the land of Israel.

Israel just celebrated it's Independence Day. 

AM YISRAEL CHAI (18)

 

EICHA, אֵיכָ֣ה, HOW?

 Jews never forget the Holocaust. It is just that this is when we remember it.

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is a solemn day dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. It is a time to reflect not just on the atrocities committed, but also on the indifference and complicity that allowed such horrors to unfold. This post confronts the haunting question: "Where was God?" However, a more pressing question emerges: "Where were you?"

In Genesis 3:9, God calls out to Adam, asking, "Where are you?" This question resonates deeply as we remember the Holocaust. When the Nazis began their campaign of terror, there was no war. Jews were law-abiding citizens, contributing to society as neighbors, educators, and caregivers. Yet, when the persecution began, the world stood by and watched.

As Jewish men, women, and children were rounded up, their non-Jewish neighbors, colleagues, and friends—those who had benefited from their presence—became silent witnesses or active participants in their suffering. They saw the looting, heard the screams, and watched as innocent lives were torn apart simply because they were Jewish.

This blog post calls out to humanity, echoing the Biblical lament "Eicha?" (How?), drawing from the Book of Lamentations and Genesis to remind us of our moral duty. The Holocaust was a time when humanity failed, and the echoes of that failure reverberate today. We are challenged to remember, to question, and to never forget the lessons of the past.

Let us honor the memory of those who suffered and renew our commitment to ensuring such atrocities never happen again. The blood of our brothers and sisters cries out from the ground, demanding that we respond with vigilance, compassion, and action.

WHERE WAS GOD?  NO, THE QUESTION IS WHERE WERE YOU??

GENESIS 3.9 

And the Lord God called to man, and He said to him, 

ל֖וֹ אַיֶּֽכָּה --"Where are you?"  

When the Germans started rounding up Jewish men, woman and children there was no war. We didn't have guns. We weren't breaking laws or trying to overthrow the government.  

When the Germans, French, Australians, Polish and Hungarians forced Jews from our homes and tore our families apart, we were their good neighbors. We supplied them produce. We were their tailors and dress makers. We taught their children to read in their schools and music in our homes. We were their doctors who cared for them!

When they beat and shot us on the public streets and forced us into ghettos to starve us and loaded us onto cattle cars to take us away and work us to death, they knew we committed no crime. The accusers were our neighbors. The prosecutor was also the judge. AND THE ONLY CHARGE WAS THAT WE HAD JEWISH BLOOD. THE SENTENCE WAS A TORTUROUS DEATH ... NO MERCY. 

The Germans, French, Australians, Polish, Hungarians and other citizens watched. They went to warehouses to pick from our stolen property. They saw the propaganda posters. They heard the stories of people they knew before as upstanding citizens. They listened to our women and children scream. They heard our cries!

.... AND THEY WATCHED.  

EICHA ל֖וֹ אַיֶּֽכָּה -- "WHERE ARE YOU?"  
Eicha? איכה -- How can it be?

“Eicha?” cries the mourner (probably Jeremiah) in the first verse of chapters 1, 2 and 4 in Lamentations.

EICHA אַיֶּֽכָּה -- WHERE?
EICHA אֵיכָ֣ה -- HOW?

The Hebrew letters are the same.

First we turned from God! 
...then we hurt are fellow. 

GENESIS 4.10

And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

HISTORY IS RHYMING!
We are crying out today. Eicha?!

ROMANS 1.22 

"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools"  

THE AFIKOMAN MYSTERY

Pictured in this post is a single piece of handmade "shmura matzo" and three pieces of the more common matzah. 

During the modern Passover celebration there is an old Jewish tradition of putting aside 3 whole matzot. The center matzah is broken into two parts and the larger half is removed, wrapped in a napkin. That half-piece of matza gets "stolen" and hidden during the Seder ceremony only to be found later. That piece of matzah is called the "Afikoman."

Afikoman in Hebrew - אפיקומן

In Byzantine Greek, epikōmion means ‘a revel’.

Based on the Mishnah in Pesahim 119b, the Afikoman is a substitute for the Passover lamb that was slaughtered for the blood on the doorposts and was eaten at the Passover meal. The lamb had to be fully consumed. After it was the Hebrews rushed out the bloody door to be born as the Nation of the Children of Israel and begin the Exodus to the Promised Land. 

There would be many trials and tribulations along the way. The first generation of Israelites would die in the desert because of their lack of faith. Not even Moses was aloud to go into the Promised Land because he "struck" the Rock when God told him to "speak" to it. To this day, on Yom Kippur we are atoning for the sin the "golden calf." God would have destroyed us all if Moses hadn't interceeded for the Hebrews. 

Since the destruction of the Temple and the discontinuation of the Korban Pesach (sacraficial lamb), Jews eat the afikomen piece of matzah to finish the Passover Seder meal. 

There are various interpretations for the tradition of the Afikoman as it is played out today but surprisingly the actual origin and intention of this custom is not known. 

The Passover has great significance to those who believe in Yeshua, better known as Jesus. The "bread" (a cracker) and wine shared are important symbols to both Jews and Christians. So one might wonder if there any parallels concerning the Afikoman tradition? 

Parallels between the Jewish tradition of the Afikoman and the Crucifixion:

- Yeshua offered his body as a substitute Passover lamb to free people from slavery. 

- Yeshua was scourged, striped and pierced. Matzah looks scourged/striped and pierced. 

- Yeshua was crucified inbetween two criminals.  The Afikoman is in the middle of two other matzot. 

- Yeshua's body was wrapped in a burial schroud and hidden away in a tomb after the crucifixion. The Afikoman is wrapped in a napkin and hidden away. 

- Like the Afikoman which is found and is the "desert" at the end the Passover, Yeshua is found. He is the "Good News."

- Even the fact that the Afikoman is found by children is relevant because a child's testimony, like the women who found the tomb empty, were not believable.  

Surely anyone can appreciate why believers in Salvation, the English meaning of Jesus's Hebrew name Yeshua, can see the parallels between the two Passover events. There are so many passages in the Old Testament that point to the New Testament. Thus the expression, "The New Testament revealed what the Old Testament concealed." 

The word Seder means order. With 613 Mitzvot, one thing is sure, we worship a God of Order. Heaven knows I fail miserably at keeping God's commandments. 

When is the right time and what is the right way to "atone" for our disobedience? The Book of Jonah is read on the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. There is a lesson to be had about Atonement from that book. God knew Jonah would flee. God chose Jonah to make a point. And when Jonah declared to the Ninevites what God told him to say, they heard God, not Jonah.

None of us know when our days are over. If we did, would we repent like the Ninevites? 

After the Passover, Jews start "counting the omer," each day for seven shabbats, seven 7's until Shavuot, when the law/logos is received on Sinai. The Revelation on Sinai coincides to the day with Christian's PENTECOST holiday!

(I'm reminded of Yeshua's teaching in Capernium ... a hard teaching.)

Today, 18 Nisan 5784, is 3 days of the Omer.

I SHALL RAISE UP MY EYES

An Israeli coach watching his children players 

WHEN IT COMES TO ISRAEL ... TIMING IS EVERYTHING. 

Yesterday was the 10th of Nisan on the Hebrew Calendar!  Tonight is Shabbat HaGadol ("The Great Shabbat" שבת הגדול), the Shabbat immediately before the Passover. 

The first Shabbat HaGadol took place in Egypt on the 10th day of the first month, the month of Nisan. The first Great Shabbat was five (5) days before the Passover and the start of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt. 

FIVE IS A SIGN

The letter Hei (5) appears twice in the unspoken name of God, YHVH, (10, 5, 6, 5 = 26).  This is what 5 (Hei) looked like in ancient Hebrew before the Torah was written. It was a man with outstretched Arms, like Moses when the Joshua battled the Amalakites.  

"So Moses said to Joshua, Pick men for us, and go out and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Exodus 17.9

Israel is battling the Spirit of Amalek again! 

The Hand, Outstretched Arms, the Nail

Hei (5) is associated with Revelation. God revealed himself with Moses during the battle with the Amalakites. As you can see, Hei (5) appears twice. 5+5=10 (Yod). Ten is also viewed as a complete and perfect numeral. In the image above, the Arm/Hand of God appears before the first Hei (5). It appears again before 6, the symbol of a nail. 

Israel's mission began with the Great Shabbat. God told the Children of Israel to select the lamb for their household five days before the Passover. On the Passover the Israelites would shed the blood of their lamb and spread it's blood on their doorposts. 

The destroyer passed over homes with the protection of the blood of their lamb. The Israelites were "chosen" for a mission. On the Passover God instructed us to rush through the door opening. The nation was born and we left Egypt for the Promised Land. 

I've gotten ahead of the story. It isn't quite time for hagadah (the telling). The Passover isn't here yet! Its not the hour  The destroyer hasn't arrived yet. The Exodus hasn't begun yet. But God is calling. Come! BA! (Hebrew בא)

ON AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI'S 85TH BIRTHDAY

Israel delivered his birthday present, but the evil Ayatollah didn't get what he wished for.  Instead, Israel gave him what he deserved. The 9th plague, darkness. is striking Iran. Israel delivered what leader's described as a "limited Israeli response."  

The Ayatollah says Israel will be completely destroyed if Israel responds to it's attack. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi threatened Israel, "If they do a tiniest invasion against our territory, they should be assured that they will face a massive and harsh response."

Clearly Iran's leaders do not appreciate the blood of the lamb that protects Israel from the "destroyer."  The Light is coming. BA (בא)!

THE GREATER THUNDER IS TO COME! BA!

FORCES OF DESTRUCTION WILL SOON PASSOVER.
THEN, A LULLING SENSE OF PEACE ON THE CHESOD OF YESOD. 
GREATER THUNDER IS TO COME!! BA!! בא
20 IYAR
GREATER THUNDER IS TO COME!!! BA!!! בא
6 SIVAN 
GOD IS SAYING בא COME!!!

PSALM 121

A song for ascents. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come?

My help is from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to falter; Your Guardian will not slumber.

Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shadow; [He is] by your right hand.

By day, the sun will not smite you, nor will the moon at night.

The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity.

RAISE UP YOUR EYES -- AM ISRAEL CHAI

Epilogue:

2 Chronicles 20:26 

And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

TREES AND LIFE

 

This photo was taken by friend of native Dogwoods blooming in Beacon NY. 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:7

With the Hebrew month of Nisan, God's creation comes to life. This blog post is inspired by Tree's. 

TREES

A POEM BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see 

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wea

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

A tree's rings tell us about the life of a tree.

Dendrochronology is the study and dating of annual rings in trees. A "dendrochronologist" is a scientist who uses tree rings to answer questions about the natural world humans faces as recorded in the rings of a tree. 

A tree's rings tell you a tree's age. Each dark ring is another year. Each spring and summer a tree adds new layers of wood to it's trunk. 

The wood formed in spring grows fast and is lighter because it consists of large cells. In summer, growth is slower; the wood has smaller cells and is darker. So when a tree is cut, the layers appear as alternating rings of light and dark wood.

Many things affect the way a tree grows. The conditions in a tree's life alter the shape, thickness, color and uniformity of it's rings. What the tree has been through, such as a drought or fire or a plague, are recorded in it's rings.

Trees react to their environment, and this reaction is reflected in their growth rings. Climate effects the width of tree rings.  Other factors in the life of a tree, such as rockfalls, avalanches and attacks by insects and other wildlife, effect the formation of tree rings.  Even the death of a neighboring tree, which increases the exposure to light may effect a tree's rings. 

A prehistoric tree preserved for thousands of years in loam soil, bogs and lakes can tell us a great deal about life in the times when the tree was alive. 

The beginning formation of a tree is called the "Heartwood." It is the central supporting pillar of a tree. Although dead, it will not decay or lose strength while the outer layers are intact.

The heartwood is generally rot-resistant, fungus-resistant, and somewhat insect-resistant.

Heartwood is often denser and harder than sapwood. It is sought after in woodworking. Heartwood provides a robust core that provides the structural strength which supports the tree. 

At the very center of the heartwood is the "pith." Like stem cells in a human, the pith's cells of a tree are special undifferentiated cells. Pith cells (parenchyma) function in the storage of the nutrients. Pith cells give the tree life.

In language terms, the "pith" means the essence of something; the important or essential part. The pith is the core or heart of the matter. The pithiest part is the most significant; it carries the most weight. The pith is the essence. 

Like our finger print, a tree's rings identify it.  Our heart and lungs sustain us.

Tree's exchange CO² for Oxygen.  Human lungs exchange O² for Carbon dioxide. The veins of each leaf are like a river network. Like human veins, they support the life of it's cells. 

In the ancient Jewish science (NOT religion) of Creation there is the Tree of Life comprised of "Sefirot," meaning emanations. The sefirot are the attributes (emanations) through which the Ein Sof (The Infinite), the Creator, is revealed.  

The 10 Points of Light;

Jacob's Ladder
Tree of Life

1. Keter (Crown)
2. Chokmah (Wisdom)
3. Binah (Understanding/ Intelligence)
4. Hesed (Love)
5. Gevurah (Strength)
6. Tiferet (Beauty)
7. Netzach (Eminence)
8. Hod (Majesty Glory)
9. Yesod (Foundation)
10. Malkhut (Kingship)

Da'at is a location (the mystical state) where all ten sefirot in the Tree of Life are united as one. Da'at is roughly translated as "knowledge" or "consciousness" about things outside of oneself.

The Creator bestows. Creation recieves. 

Proverbs 3:18-26

It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and those who draw near it are fortunate.

The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with discernment.

With His knowledge the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes; guard sound wisdom and thought,

and they shall be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.

Then you shall go securely on your way, and your foot shall not stumble.

If you lie down, you shall not fear, and when you lie down, your sleep shall be sweet.

Be not afraid of sudden terror, or of the darkness of the wicked when it will come.

For the Lord shall be your trust, and He shall keep your foot from being caught.

I hope this post blesses you. 

Jonah

Epilogue:

The farm I am developing is called "Tree of Life" for many reasons including several alluded to in this blog post. 

BET - 2

 

The Letter BET

A Story With the Letter BET

King Ptolemy II (283-246 BCE) wanted a Greek translation of the Torah (the Septuagint). He gathered 72 Israelite elders and sequestered them in 72 different houses.1 He visited each of them and instructed, “Translate for me the book of Moses your teacher.” Miraculously, each Sage’s translation was identical, even though they each independently made certain changes to the text. The Jewish elders felt that if they gave him G‑d’s literal words to Moses, Ptolemy might be misled or use it against the Jewish people.

Significantly, the Sages all altered the first verse of the Torah. Instead of writing בראשית—“Bereishit, (In) the begin­ning, created G‑d … ” they wrote אלקים—“Elokim (G‑d) created, (in) the beginning,” thus beginning the Torah with the letter א—aleph instead of the letter ב—bet.

The First Letter in the Torah

The first word in the Torah is Bereshit and the first letter in the first word is Bet. Bet is closely related to the Hebrew word for "House" Beit בַּיִת.  

God Created In Two's

Bet is the second letter in the Hebrew Aleph-Bet. Bet is equivalent to the number 2. As such, Bet represents duality. God created the world in two's. Male & Female; East & West; North & South; Left & Right; Hot & Cold. The world is filled with opposite forces. There is only one God.  A marriage is a balancing act; and effort to become one by finding the right balance. The Right balance is found in God.  By doing so we establish and maintain a home.

The House

Before Passover, Jewish families prepare their homes by cleaning and removing all leavened foods, or chametz, from their house. (The Christian parallel is removing sin from one's home.)

God commanded the Israelites to bring the Pascal Lamb into their home for 4 days.  Then, when it was time, at the start of the 5th day they were to consume* it entirely! (5 is the number that is associated with "behold" and the concept of something Godly being revealed.) 

* The Christian can see a parallel to taking communion.

Psalms 121:8 -- "You will be guarded by God himself. You will be safe when you leave your home, and safely you will return. He will protect you now, and he'll protect you forevermore!" 

PAY ATTENTION: 

In the Bible, take note when the people are leaving or going to their houses or homes. 

House and home are significant in the scriptures. "Returning home", "going home" and "coming home" have important spiritual implications in Judaism and Christianity. So does "leaving home."

Jesus returned to heaven to prepare a place for us in His Father's house. Mark 5:19 -- "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" 

What happens in a home and the roles of those who live in a home is important in so many ways. One's "house" speaks volumes about those who live in the home and how they live. 

Genesis 28:16-19

And Jacob arose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had placed at his head, and he set it up as a monument, and he poured oil on top of it. And he named the place Beth El, (House of G-d) but Luz was originally the name of the city..

In Judaism, the phrase "the Place" (Hebrew-HaMakom) is one of the names for God. The verse above, Genesis 28.19, is the reason that Place was marked by a Rock. That Rock became a House. Jacob named the place Beth-El, House Of God. The letter that symbolizes the word for House (Beit) is the letter ב BET. One side of the letter Bet is open because God's house, like Abraham's tent is always open. 

In it's ancient form the letter "Bet" was shaped like a tent. The Israelites traveled in tents during the Exodus.  

Numbers 24.5

How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!

Here is a short video on the history of the shape of letter. (Interestingly, the Hebrew word for tent Ohel אוֹהֶל does not contain the letter Bet.)

Bet is so important that God used the letter Bet (בַּ) to start the first word in the Bible - Bereshit בְּרֵאשִׁית‎ which means "In beginning." Jewish sages say the Torah, and Creation, start with a bet because the world itself begins with—I and is contained within—the letter Bet.

The word Ben (Bet Nun) pictured above in their ancient form also means Son. The letter NUN in Son has the numeric equivalent to 50 (Pentecost). 50 is Jubilee. The shape of the ancient NUN is a fish/seed. 

The first two letters in the Hebrew word Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית‎) are Bet and Resh (בְּרֵ). They make the Aramaic word "Bar" which means "Son."  

Imagine how sad and difficult life would be without a house or home. A house (Beit) provides shelter, a critical means for survival. But there is more to life than survival. Man is not meant to be alone, and thus God created woman. Together, a father (Av-אָב in Hebrew and Abba-אבא in Aramaic) and a mother (Emma-אִמָא) make a house (Beit) into a home where they build a family by adding a son (Ben-בֵּן) and/or a daughter (Bet-בַּת). In the Torah, the legacy of the family is handed down through the Son. ("Son of"). 

The first three letters in Bereshit בְּרֵאשִׁית, spell ‎בְּרֵא (Bra). Pronounced Barah. בְּרֵא (Bra) means “ "create.”

So we have HOUSE Bet (בַּ), SON Bar (בְּרֵ) and CREATE בְּרֵא (Bra) in the first 3 letters IN THE BEGINNING (Bereshit בְּרֵאשִׁית) of the first WORD of CREATION in the Bible. How cool is that!! 

Getting back to just the letter Bet, one way we can find the meaning of BET is through Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is organized around each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew aleph-bet. For each letter there are 8 verses that provide us insight and understanding of the respective letter. The 8 verses associated with Bet are found in verses 9 - 16. The Hebrew word that starts each verse is printed in bold when translated into English.

Psalm 119: 9-16 
9. How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
10. With my whole heart I have sought You. Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments.
11. Your word I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You.
12. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your statutes.
13. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.
14. I have rejoiced IN the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
15. I will meditate on your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.
16. I will delight myself in your statutes; I will not forget Thy word.

Walking in the ways of the Lord brings us closer to God. Our home is an expression of our inner self and when we go out of our home we are a reflection of what happens in our home. 

Genesis 7.1 

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

The phrase “come and see” appears four times in the Gospel of John. 

The world renowned Kabbalist, Michael Laitman, Ph d. writes that, "The Creator is the quality of love and bestowal. In the works of Kabbalah, "The Zohar states that the reason G‑d created the world is “So that we may know Him.” Rabbi Chaim Vital in Etz Chaim writes that “G‑d wished to reveal the complete array and perfection of His powers and deeds.” 

God created Man in His image. He put the Devine Light of the Creator in us. To achieve our connection with God we need to be like God, to walk in His ways. He commanded us to Love our Fellow. By bestowing loving kindness (Chesed) we connect with the one another and the Holy One. 

God created such a beautiful and diverse world Garden for us to live in. 

Tragically for Mankind that wasn't enough. We wanted more. So we ate from the Tree of  Knowledge of Good & Evil. So God put us outside the Garden -- outside the home God prepared for us.  But God is always calling us back. His House is always open. 

John 14:23 -- Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Epilogue:

The House of God written in the earth.