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Author: Ben Zion

  • Negev – lecture 3

    Negev – lecture 3

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in ,

    On Purim we celebrate the victory over Amalek, and Amalek – according to the Bible – lives in the Negev. It all starts with the ancient ancestors of Israel and Amalek – Isaac and his son – Esau. It is written about both Isaac and Esau, that they were “people of the field”, and both…

  • Negev – lecture 2

    Negev – lecture 2

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    What are the borders of the Negev according to the Torah? Why is the south sometimes called “Negev”, sometimes “Tayman” (Yemen) and sometimes “Yamin” (right, in English)? How does this relate to the name Jacob gave his son – “Binyamin” (son of “yamin”)? We will suggest some answers to the question that we have not…

  • Negev – lecture 1

    Negev – lecture 1

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    A preliminary analysis of the “Negev” in the Torah.Where exactly is the Negev? And what does the word “Negev” mean in Hebrew?And why, of all places, does Avraham decide to go to the Negev when he first arrives in land of Israel?

  • Levanon – lecture 13

    Levanon – lecture 13

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    What is the meaning of the strange comparison that the Midrash makes between Hiram the King of Tyre and Hirah, the friend of Judah (son of Yaakov)? Why does the Tanach emphasize that Hiram was like a brother to Shlomo and Hirah was Yehuda’s best friend? How could Shlomo give Hiram 20 cities in the…

  • Levanon – lecture 12

    Levanon – lecture 12

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    Ben Zion
    in

    Both King David and King Solomon had good relations with Hiram, King of Tyre. How did they make a covenant with Hiram, contrary to the strict prohibition of making covenants with the people of Canaan? And why do the prophets describe a future destruction and a special punishment that will befall Tyre? What is the…

  • Levanon – lecture 11

    Levanon – lecture 11

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    In this lecture we will explore 2 major cities in Levanon – Tyre and Sidon. They are mentioned again and again in the Tanach, and according to the Midrash, even Avraham visited there. Why is Sidon, the eldest son of Canaan, never mentioned among the nations of Canaan along with his younger brothers? And what…

  • Levanon – lecture 10

    Levanon – lecture 10

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    In the Tanach, the cedar is a symbol of strength and power and the reed symbolizes weakness and lowliness. But in the writings of the sages (Chazal) we receive a completely opposite message: “A person should always be soft as a reed and not hard as a cedar”. What is the reason for this change…

  • Levanon – lecture 9

    Levanon – lecture 9

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    What is so special about the “Cedars of Levanon” and what do they symbolize? We will look at prayers and verses in the Bible where the Cedars of Levanon are mentioned, and we will examine the interesting relationship between the cedar and the hyssop. Why did Bilaam bless Israel to be like “cedars on water”?…

  • Yam Hamelach – lecture 12

    Yam Hamelach – lecture 12

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    Ben Zion
    in

    The connection between Yam Hamelach and Beit Ha-Mikdash The final meaning of Yam Hamelach Israel is a land without superlatives. Except, in the case of, Yam Hamelach. This symbolizes the connection between the highest spiritual place and the lowest place in the world. Yam Hamelach expresses the great destruction expected when we leave the covenant,…

  • Yam Hamelach – lecture 11

    Yam Hamelach – lecture 11

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    by

    Ben Zion
    in

    The Dead Sea: A Prophecy of Re-Creation. The prophets’ descriptions of the transformation of the wilderness into a blooming garden. According to the prophets, the water will come from the Temple after an earthquake, in accordance with ancient evidence that there is much groundwater under the Temple Mount, and recent research that an earthquake is…