Breaking news: Israel's Latest Vaccine Move Practically Lets All Adults Get Second COVID Booster and Unique Sites of Israel: Biblical Beth Horon By Nosson Shulman and The Portion of Mishpatimin synagogue tomorrow-The Uniqueness of the President and English is a crazy language and Israeli & Turkish Scientists Discover Victim Remains from Bronze Age Tsunami 3,500 Years Ago and Scientists discover new part of the human body and Arab MK compares violence against Palestinians to Holocaust
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
Arab MK compares violence against Palestinians to Holocaust
MK Ahmed Tibi marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day by speaking out 'in opposition to the Occupation', condemns 'Hilltop Youth'
An Arab lawmaker drew criticism Wednesday afternoon, when he used an address ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day to compare violence against Palestinian Arabs to the Holocaust.
MK Ahmed Tibi (Joint Arab List) used his speech Wednesday, intended to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to voice "opposition to the Occupation", condemning young settler activists, known as the "hilltop youth", and IDF soldiers.
"Killing, trespassing in villages, smashing up and burning cars, continuous harassment, the burning of trees, destroying fruit trees and orchards and Palestinian property in the Occupied Territories – all at the hands of the so-called 'hilltop youth' and armed soldiers," Tibi said.
"Ahmed Tibi, a terror supporter, took advantage of his speech on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in order to make a horrifying comparison between the situation with Arab rioters and Jews during the Holocaust. There are no limits anymore. No humanity."
"And the chairman of the hearing, MK Eitan Ginzburg of Blue and White, let [Tibi] go on and on, despite his time being up. You should be ashamed. How low can you go? And even on a day like this."
The Portion of Mishpatim
The Uniqueness of the President
Following the revelation at Sinai the Torah begins to enumerate the laws which we are obligated to observe. Many of these laws are listed in this portion.
"You shall not curse a judge, neither shall you curse a president among your people" (Exodus 22;27).
The Torah warns us against cursing G-d and cursing a judge. Additionally, the Torah warns us not to curse a president. The president in this case refers to the one who is chosen by the seventy elders of the Sanhedrin.
The president is the leader of the seventy. In this sense he is unique. The numerical value of the Hebrew letter "ayin" is seventy and this is the reason for the special emphasis of the "ayin" as seen in the accompanying picture. (Remazei Rabbenu Yoel)
Israel's Latest Vaccine Move Practically Lets All Adults Get Second COVID Booster
The ministry director-general approved the coronavirus booster for those who declare they may be 'significantly exposed to the virus at work,' but no proof is required
Israel's Health Ministry on Wednesday approved permitting anyone 18 or older to receive a second COVID-19 booster shot, conditioned only on their declaring that they are exposed to the virus in the course of their work. No proof of such exposure is being required.
The second booster will be made available to qualifying individuals who received the first booster shot at least four months before as well as those who have recovered from the coronavirus at least four months previously.
Prior to Wednesday's decision, the second booster had already been made available to Israelis 60 and over. As of Thursday, more than 600,000 Israelis have received the booster dose in a vaccination campaign that began at the beginning of the month. scandal
The country's health maintenance organizations admit that they have no way of confirming that a particular patient is at risk of "significant exposure," as Health Ministry Director General Nachman Ash's directive states for those 18 and over.
"We will permit anyone claiming to be at risk to get the vaccine," Maccabi Healthcare Services head nurse Tammy Alkalay said. "If someone [18 or over] says that they work at a store or bank and are exposed to possible infection, we have to accept the declaration and permit them to get vaccinated."
In addition to those exposed in their work, Wednesday's decision permits adults with underlying medical conditions and their caregivers as well as the staff of patient care facilities and those caring for the elderly to receive the second booster.
In expanding the availability of the second booster, Ash adopted only a part of the set of recommendations of a panel of experts. The committee had suggested permitting anyone 18 or over to receive the second booster at least five months after the first booster. Thirty-three of the panel's 49 members voted in favor of the recommendation. Among the opponents were those who believed that the decision was based on data that was too preliminary or incomplete.
In another development, Ash raised the possibility that the green pass – the Health Ministry's downloadable certificate of vaccination or recovery that is required for admission to a large number of public venues – may be discontinued or limited.
On Thursday, Ash said the ministry is considering either doing away with it, limiting its use or extending its validity further. The green pass was initially due to expire next week but has now been automatically extended until the end of February. Ash urged those who have downloaded it in the past to do so again to receive a version with the new expiration date.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
Israeli & Turkish Scientists Discover Victim Remains from Bronze Age Tsunami 3,500 Years Ago
Photo Credit: PX / GPA Photo Archive
Tsunami waves, December 7, 2021 (archive).
In a remarkable discovery, the first-ever in situ victims of one of the largest natural disasters witnessed in human history have been found some 3,500 years later. An articulated human and dog skeleton were discovered within tsunami debris along the Turkish coast which date back to the Late Bronze Age Thera eruption (modern-day Santorini), according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The study, co-written by Dr. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov, Head of University of Haifa's Marine Geosciences Department and Dr. Vasıf Şahoğlu, a professor at Ankara University's Department of Archaeology and Head of the University's Mustafa V. Koç Research Center for Maritime Archaeology (ANKÜSAM), was conducted alongside researchers in Turkey, Israel, and Austria. Due to calibrated radiocarbon ages from within the tsunami deposit, researchers estimate that the artifacts are from no earlier than 1612 BCE. These findings also provide insight into how expansive this catastrophic event was for the region. This finding also gives researchers a better understanding of the chronology and history of the Late Bronze age.
"This discovery was the outcome of many years of excavations by my colleague Dr. Prof. Şahoğlu combined with sedimentological analysis to assess the deposit origins," said the University of Haifa's Dr. Goodman-Tchernov. "He invited me to come to Turkey to assist him to determine whether an ash layer at the site was linked to the Thera Eruption, and when I saw the section noticed that there were some similarities immediately below the ash layer to tsunami deposits I had seen elsewhere."
The excavations were conducted within the framework of the Izmir Region Excavations and Research Project (IRERP) by an international team headed by Dr. Şahoğlu between 2009 – 2019 under the permits of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkey.
"We proceeded to study the deposit, which for many years frustrated and confused us until it became clear that our error was thinking that only a small part of the deposit was tsunami-related, and in fact, the tsunami deposit was much larger than we could have imagined," Goodman-Tchernov continued. "Once we understood this, the entire excavation area fit together logically, and the discovery of the human skeleton was like receiving confirmation from the ancients."
Researchers relied on a multidisciplinary approach using earth sciences, geology, and archaeology to uncover the discovery. The study reveals physical evidence that massive tsunamis descended upon the northern Aegean, contrary to the previously held belief that the region primarily suffered fallout from volcanic ash. The Late Bronze Age eruption along the island of Santorini was a critical event for the Mediterranean. It brought about a massive loss of life and property damage, as well as natural disasters in its aftermath, including earthquakes, pyroclastic debris flow and ash, and tsunami landfall.
Despite the magnitude of the event, remains of human victims were not found, until this study. Some scientists attribute this to pre-volcanic activity that prompted residents to flee the island, although many could have been incinerated at sea. Researchers found the remains in Çeşme–Bağlararası, about 200 meters from the modern Çeşme Bay and coastline. Back then, the region was a thriving coastal settlement with robust trade via land and sea.
The findings also suggest that survivors attempted to rescue and recover victims, represented by misshapen pits which were left behind. The human skeleton was found far below those pits, indicating that survivors probably couldn't locate him at the time, and he was left behind.
In the aftermath of the event, the once-thriving community didn't exist for at least a century. It is also one of many coastal settlements impacted by tsunamis, eruptions, and earthquakes, and understanding the nature of this site could uncover others.
"Natural disasters, whether eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, or plagues, have long been a part of the story of humanity," remarked Dr. Goodman-Tchernov. "Every one of us is descendent from people who, whether by luck, skill, or accident of geography, managed to survive these challenges. Çeşme Man, and the remains from the rescue effort, give us an opportunity to time travel into the past and better understand what the people experienced at that time. Through this, we can better prepare for what is possible in the future by understanding what happened in the past."
We do speak a weird language! What follows begs the question: How did we ever learn to speak proper English? And, imagine trying to learn it as a second language!
Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning.
A homograph that also is pronounced differently is a * heteronym.*
Our language is filled with them
Heteronyms...some brilliant examples!
(Read through to the P.S........Kudos to the person who put this together!)
1) The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*.
2) The farm was used to *produce produce*.
3) The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* more *refuse*.
4) We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture.
5) He could *lead* if he would get the *lead* out.
6) The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert*.
7) Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to *present* the *present*.
8) A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum.
9) When shot at, the *dove dove * into the bushes.
10) I did not *object* to the *object*.
11) The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid*.
12) There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row*.
13) They were too *close* to the door to *close* it.
14) The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present.
15) A seamstress and a *sewer* fell into a *sewer*.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his *sow* to *sow*.
17) The *wind* was too strong to *wind* the sail.
18) Upon seeing the *tear* in the painting I shed a *tear*.
19) I had to *subject* the *subject* to a series of tests.
20) How can I *intimate* this to my most *intimate* friend?
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in a pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore itsparadoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn'tpreachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on. .
English was invented by people, not computers, and so reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
P.S.
- Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'? AND If a male goat is called a ram and a donkey is called an ass, why is a ram-in-the-ass called a goose?
"And it was as they (the Canaanites) fled from before Israel, and were in the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died with the hailstones than whom the children of Israel slew with the sword (Joshua 10:11)"
"Seron, commander of the (Greek)army, heard that Judah had mustered an assembly of faithful men ready for war…(They)reached the ascent of Beth-horon. Judah went out to meet him with a few men. But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judah "How can we, few as we are, fight such a strong host as this? Judah said… "Victory in war does not depend upon the size of the army, but on strength that comes from Heaven" … When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly upon Seron and his army, who were crushed before him. He pursued Seron down the descent of Beth-horon into the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest fled to the land of the Philistines (1 Maccabees 3:13-24)."
Today the Jewish town of Beit Horon (biblical Beth-horon) in Judah and Samaria is a flourishing bedroom community, with a population of close to 1500 people. Photo Credit: מיכאליunder CC BY-SA 2.5
Advertisement
Today we are visiting an unassuming, Biblical treasure that few tourists (and not even every tour guide) know about! It is not a tourist site per say (although I do bring groups here and my tourists love it) but the views are spectacular and some of the most dramatic (and consequential) events in Jewish history happened here. Once we enter the town, we will immediately drive to the quiet, breathtaking "Beth-horon ascent" lookout point.
Looking out onto the Beth-horon Ascent, referenced several times in the Bible. Photo credit: Leiah Jaffe
In biblical times, there were twin towns (Upper and Lower Beth-Horon) located on the main Jerusalem-Coastal Road (roughly today's Highway 443).
As in ancient times, today's Jewish town of Beit Horon is strategically situated along Highway 443 (connecting Jerusalem to major coastal cities like Tel Aviv). For most of history this was the main route and continues to be an important throughway (although today, Highway 1 has overtaken it as the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv route). Photo Credit: מיכאל יעקובסון
The towns derived their name from an Egyptian-Canaanite deity. Indeed, pottery from the late Canaanite period (when the Egyptians were the overlords of the land) has been excavated here, suggesting that it may have been a place of idol worship. The villages marked the border between the territory of the Tribes of Benjamin and Ephraim (See Joshua 16: 3-5). Although located on the Ephraim side of the border, Beth-horon (and the surrounding land) was one of the 48 cities given to the Levites (see Joshua 21:22).
The Arab town of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa (as seen from modern Beit Horon) is believed to be the exact location of Upper Beth-Horon, mentioned several times in the bible. Photo Credit: טייכר אבישי ר"ד:צילום CC BY 2.5
The original builder of both the upper and lower biblical towns of Beth-horon was Sheerah, Ephraim's daughter (see 1 Chronicles 7:24). King Solomon turned them into greatly fortified cities. (see 2 Chronicles: 8:5).
The Arab town of Beit Ur Al-Tahta is believed to be the location of Lower Beth-Horon
Why was it so crucial to fortify? This was because they were not only situated on arguably the most important route in the country, but they were also sitting strategically on the most vulnerable (and extremely steep) part of the road, known in the Bible as the "Ascent of Beth-horon." According to Jewish sources, this piece of the road that connected the Upper and Lower towns (which were about two miles apart) was so narrow that if two camels tried to pass together, side by side at the same time, they would both fall into the deep canyons which flanked its right and left below.
The Beth-horon ascent has been widened in the modern era for the highway, but for most of its history, it was so narrow that two camels could not go side by side at the same time. Photo credit: BiblePlaces.com
It was along this route where one of the most dramatic biblical events took place. After Joshua and his army defeated the city states of Jericho and Ai, the powerful city of Gibeon made an alliance with the Israelites (see previous article on Hazor where I discuss the structure of Canaanite city states, Tel Hatzor). Five Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon, sen ding a message that making peace with the Children of Israel was not in their interest. When they attacked, Joshua felt bound by his oath and came to their rescue. As the armies of the five kings saw him coming, G-d put panic into their hearts and they were smitten, with the survivors fleeing by way of the "Ascent of Beth-horon". As they started to descend from Beth-Horon, G-d sent a hailstorm that finished off most of the remaining troops (Joshua 10). According to Jewish sources, these very hailstones were left over from the plague of hail in Egypt. When Moses asked G-d to stop the plague (see Exodus 9:33) the remaining hail was saved.
Drawing from 1880 illustrating Upper Beth-horon on the top of the hill, with the route clearly seen in the foreground. After passing this hill, the hailstorm hit the majority of the remnant of the Canaanite troops fleeing from Joshua.
The second happen a couple of centuries later. Starting in 63 BCE, the Romans seized control over the land of Israel from the Maccabees. For the next (more than a) century, the Romans ruled with an iron fist, often oppressing their Jewish subjects. When the Jews could no longer bear the cruelty shown by the Romans, they rebelled by attacking Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, causing them to flee the city (circa 66 CE). Gaius Cestius Gallus, the Roman Governor of Syria (which include Judea), brought the powerful 12th legion to retake Jerusalem, but they failed and had to retreat. On their way back to the coast, as they were approaching the narrow ascent, they were attacked by a barrage of rock-missile fire and arrows. Once the soldiers were on the pass (where it's narrow confines forced them to march one by one), they were ambushed by a heavy force. With no where to turn, they were easily slaughtered (almost 6000 of them) with only a few (including Gallus) able to escape and fled to Antioch (in modern day Turkey which was then controlled by Rome). In his escape, he had to leave most of his weapons and equipment, which fell into the hands of the Jewish rebels. They also stripped the dead soldiers of their armor and helmets. With this stunning victory, many Jews (who at first were hesitant to fight the mighty Roman empire), now volunteered for combat and once again, Judea (i.e Israel) became an Independent Jewish State. It wouldn't last long as the next year, the Romans sent an invading force to re-conquer the land and after 4 years, Jerusalem was taken and the Second Temple was destroyed.
Ancient Relief of a Roman legion in tight formation. Such a tactic was impossible to implement on the narrow Beit Horon Ascent and as a result, most of the 12th legion was wiped out when attacked. Photo Credit: Rama under CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
After the revolt, the Romans built fortifications to protect the ascent and by the late Byzantine period (and all the way until modern times), Upper and Lower Beth Horon (today the Arab villages of Beit Ur Al-Tahta and Beit Ur Al-Fauqa) became insignificant, small villages.
In 1948, Jordan took possession of this land and built an army base (whose remnants can still be seen today from the Beit Horon lookout). In 1967, Israel liberated Judah and Samaria and in 1977 they started the modern-day Jewish town of Beit Horon which is growing and flourishing.
On your next tour of Israel, I highly recommend visiting this site, which can be done as a quick stop (and can be conveniently combined with other sites in the area). If you're looking for a beautiful, off the eaten track site where intriguing biblical stories and formative Jewish history took place, this is the site!
This jaw-dropping discovery focuses on the jaw, specifically the masseter: a muscle in the lower jaw that is essential for chewing.
Do humans have a body part that has never been seen before? According to this academic study, the answer is yes. This jaw-dropping discovery focuses, fittingly enough, on the jaw – specifically the masseter: a muscle in the lower jaw that is essential for chewing. If you place your fingers on your cheeks and clench your teeth, you would feel the masseter tightening. The Health & Wellness portal is presented in collaboration withSamson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital
While our current scientific understanding of the human anatomy had, until now, known that the masseter has a deep layer and a superficial layer, this new study, published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Annals of Anatomy, has revealed the existence of a third layer in the middle. The third layer was noted by the 38th edition of Gray's Anatomy – the British anatomy reference book written in 1858 by Henry Gray, not the similarly named American medical drama series. However, this merely referenced an even older observation, made in the 1784 German text Grundriss der Physiologie für Vorlesungen. However, it had never been properly identified, and whether it existed at all in humans wasn't considered.
An animation of the masseter muscle. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)But the researchers behind the study sought to clarify the masseter structure and resolve the inconsistencies in the scientific literature. So they began investigating.The scientists had taken 12 human heads from corpses that had been preserved in formaldehyde in order to dissect them. Further, they examined 16 fresh corpses through the use of a CT scan. Finally, they looked at a living subject by examining their jaw through an MRI.
The results were, quite frankly, jaw-dropping. In fact, according to one of the researchers involved, University of Basel's Prof. Jens Christoph Türp, it's as if a new animal species had been found.The investigations did indeed point to the presence of this third layer of the masseter muscle in the lower jaw. According to lead author Dr. Szilvia Mezey of Basel's Department of Biomedicine, this part of the muscle likely stabilizes the lower jaw and seems to be the only part that can pull the jaw backward, towards the ear.This discovery of the previously unidentified layer of the masseter, which the researchers suggest naming Musculus masseter pars coronidea, is a major find, as it shows there is still things humanity doesn't yet know about anatomy.
