Three-Weeks Appropriate Discovery: Bronze Coin from the Great Revolt

Can't see images? Click here... Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor Eternal Help A person who utilizes suffering to arouse himself in spiritual matters will find consolation. He will recognize that even though the suffering was difficult for him, it nevertheless helped him for eternity. When you see yourself growing spiritually through your suffering, you will even be able to feel joy because of that suffering. Love Yehuda Lave Last Tuesday the 20th marked the passing of Theodor Herzl in 1904 20 Tammuz   This date marks the passing of Theodor Herzl in 1904. Upon witnessing the Alfred Dreyfus trial in France, Herzl was so affected by the anti-Semitism and injustice, that he committed his life to vigorously pursuing the cause of Zionism. Herzl promoted his vision in two books, The Jewish State, and Old New Land, a novel which pictured the future Jewish state as a socialist utopia. Herzl coined the phrase, "If you will it, it is no dream," which became the motto of the Zionist movement. During his career as president of the World Zionist Organization, he never took a salary and paid for all expenses out of his own pocket. Herzl died, penniless, of heart disease at the age of 44. In 1949, Herzl's remains were brought to Israel and re interred on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem On Wendesday of theis week 21 Tammuz   In 1963, the State of Israel instituted a law prohibiting the raising of pigs on Jewish farms. According to Jewish law, one is not allowed to make his livelihood by dealing in non-kosher products. Beyond this, the Talmud states that one should not raise a pig, even as a pet. Why such great opposition against the pig? The answer may be rooted in the fact that the pig is the only animal in the world possessing the outward symbol of kosher (split hooves), but not the inward symbol (chewing cud). The pig therefore represents that which is kosher in outward appearance, but is in fact unclean on the inside. This type of hypocrisy is described by the Talmud as one of the behaviors that God most detests. For that moral reason, the pig is universally viewed as reprehensible to the Jew. If the court awards the garment to your adversary, sing a happy tune as you leave (Sanhedrin 7a).   Someone who loses even a substantial amount of money as a result of a drop in the value of the stocks that he or she owns will not be upset as intensely or for as long a time as if he or she had lost a much smaller amount of money in a court. The reason? In the first instance, although he lost, no one else won. In the latter case, his loss resulted in his adversary's triumph, and that hurts more. Here, two plus two does not equal four, but much more. If one's loss and the other's gain had occurred independently of one another, the reaction would not have been as great. The fact that another person gains something should not be distressful, since one should be able to fargin (see 14 Tammuz). The fact that one has lost, while unpleasant, usually does not provoke so extreme a reaction. But if the two come together, and the other person's gain comes as the result of one's loss, two plus two suddenly equal a million. Competition exists in law, business, sports, and many other events. Life is full of situations where one wins and the other loses. Unless we learn to restore the equation to its arithmetical equivalent, so that the whole should not be greater than the sum of its parts, we are in for trouble. Inability to gracefully accept a loss in competition may result in severe emotional stress and cause not only interpersonal and behavioral consequences, but may also take a severe toll on one's health. The Talmud is right. If you lose at competition, walk away singing. Today I shall ... ... try to develop an attitude of acceptance when I lose in competition. Three-Weeks Appropriate Discovery: Bronze Coin from the Great Revolt Just as the Three Weeks between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av have begun, a bronze coin from the fourth year of the Great Revolt against the Romans has been discovered at the archaeological sifting project at Emek Zurim National Park, City of David reported. The source of the soil is the excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the City of David National Park, supervised by archaeologist Eli Shukrun. The coin, minted by Jews in the year 69 CE, right before the destruction of the Second Temple, features the words "For the Redemption of Zion" in ancient Hebrew script, with an image of a goblet under the inscription. The back of the coin has an image of the Four Species and the words "Year Four" – rereferring to the fourth year of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. Just a short time afterward, in the year 70 CE, the revolt was crushed and the much of the city, including the Second Temple, destroyed. "The Jews minted coins throughout the entire period of the revolt, but in the fourth year of the five-year rebellion, we see that instead of the words 'Freedom for Zion,' the coins were minted with the words 'For the Redemption of Zion,'" explains Shukrun. "The difference between freedom and redemption expresses the change that took place, both in their mindset and in reality, at that time." "Coins that were minted in the second and third years of the revolt are plentiful and easier to find, but coins from the fourth year are much rarer," Shukrun noted. The coins were discovered as part of the "Archaeological Experience" which is being offered to the general public at the sifting project run by the City of David at the Emek Zurim National Park. The project invites children and adults to come to Emek Zurim and sift through artifact-rich soil from excavations held by the Antiquities Authority at the City of David, as well as soil dug up illegally by the Waqf on the Temple Mount. The coin was found at the City of David National Park, in soil extracted from a drainage canal which passed underneath Jerusalem's main street at the end of the Second Temple period. According to the writings of Josephus Flavius, and based on archaeological evidence, the last remaining Jewish rebels hid from the Romans in this drainage canal. "It is possible that this coin was in the pocket of one of the residents of Jerusalem who hid from the Romans in the tunnels underneath the city streets," Shukrun said, "or perhaps it dropped from the hand of someone walking down the streets of Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago, and rolled into the drainage canal." SEAL K-9 Unit in Action K-9 Unit around the World - https://goo.gl/50Sm0F I created the yetzer hara, and I created the Torah as its antidote (Kiddushin 30b).   Many commercial products that we use both at home and in industry are toxic. We use them because they serve a particular constructive purpose, but we are also aware that they are dangerous chemicals. Indeed, they usually contain a warning, such as "not for internal use" or "avoid contact with eyes," followed by an antidote with instructions of what to do in case the precautions were not heeded. Rational people will be very cautious with these chemicals, using them only as directed. If someone accidentally swallowed one of them, he or she will immediately use the specific antidote recommended by the manufacturer. Trying something else instead would be foolish at best and suicidal at worst. The manufacturer obviously knows best what the most effective antidote is. So it is with the yetzer hara. Our appetites and other physiological drives have their source in the yetzer hara, so they must be used only as directed. Misuse can be dangerous and even lethal. Fortunately, the manufacturer issued precautionary instructions (to be found in books of mussar) and provided an effective antidote: Torah. How foolish would it be to ignore the manufacturer's instructions or to try to find an antidote other than the one prescribed! Our physical bodies are very dear to us, and we scrupulously follow instructions on products to avoid physical harm. If there are no instructions on the product package, we will immediately call a poison control center for instructions from the experts on how to avoid harm. Our spiritual selves should be treated with equal respect. We should follow instructions and whenever in doubt, promptly ask the experts. Today I shall ... ... give my spiritual life serious consideration and protect it as I do my physical self. Dirty Harry - Best Quotes, Lines (Clint Eastwood) Many use dirty words so don't open if you are too sensitive Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood Top Quotes from: Dirty Harry Magnum Force The Enforcer Sudden Impact See you Sunday, Shabbat Shalom Love Yehuda Lave Rabbi Yehuda Lave Your mailing address Contact Phone Website LIKE TWEET FORWARD You received this email because you signed up on our website or made purchase from us. Unsubscribe