Podcasts about Negev

FEED YOUR FAITHHebrews 3:19 (GNB) – We see, then, that they were not able to enter the land (promise land),because they did not believe.Exodus 6:6–8 (NLT) – “‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you fromyour slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claimyou as my own people, and I will be your God… 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give toAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!' ”1. Delivered from Egypt…bondage & oppression2. Red Sea…baptized…old life is dead…new beginning3. Cloud by day…Fire by night…..Presence of God with them4. Manna…miracle provision…daily dependence5. Mt Sinai… place of instruction & preparation for the Promise LandExodus 23:20,27 (NIV) – See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and tobring you to the place I have prepared. 27 I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusionevery nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.Exodus 33:14 (NCV) – “I myself will go with you, and I will give you victory.”6. Kadesh…entrance to Promise Land10 Spies Report – the promise land is amazing…..BUT!!!Numbers 13:27–29 (NLT) – This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us toexplore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind offruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. Weeven saw giants there… 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amoriteslive in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast …”Caleb – speaks in faithNumbers 13:30 (NLT) – But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let's go atonce to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”10 Spies – speak in unbeliefNumbers 13:31–33 (NLT) – But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “Wecan't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report aboutthe land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone whogoes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there…Next to them wefelt like grasshoppers, and that's what they thought, too!”(NKJV) – we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”2 Corinthians‬Unbelief speaks – “we are going to die and God doesn't care”Numbers 14:1–4 (NLT) – Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt,or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only tohave us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn't it be betterfor us to return to Egypt?” 4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let's choose a new leader and goback to Egypt!”Faith speaks - “God is with us, we can take the land”Numbers 14:6–9 (NLT) – Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Calebson of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveledthrough and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safelyinto that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against theLord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have noprotection, but the Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of them!”Results of Faith & Unbelief Unbelief Results – Entire generation did not enter promise land Faith Results – Only Joshua & Caleb entered Promise LandRomans 10:17 (NKJV) - faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.Hebrews 4:2 (NASB) – but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not unitedwith those who listened with faith.Hebrews 2:1 (TPT) - it is so crucial that we be all the more engaged and attentive to the truths thatwe have heard so that we do not drift off course.Hebrews 3:12 (NKJV) – Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief indeparting from the living God.Romans‬Living by faith - simply believing what God said in his word…speaking it & acting on it.TWO THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE FEED OUR FAITH1… WE WILL SEE THE PROMISES OF GOD FULFILLED IN OUR LIFE……BLESSED LIFE2… OUR BLESSED LIFE WILL BE A WITNESS TO THE WORLD

The remarks in Joshua 16:10 and 17:8 tell us of Israel's failure to follow Yahweh's command to destroy the Canaanites. Judges begins with mighty conquests accomplished by faith. The total time in which the Judges ruled in the land was 450 years (Acts 13:20) – these Judges were not consecutive, but overlapped during their rule. They often ruled in different parts of the Promised Land. If we total the years for every judge we get 450 years – thus show Paul's comments to be inspired. It was rightly Judah, the lion of God, which led the campaign. The first battle was at Bezek, near Jerusalem where the king of Jerusalem (Adoni-Bezek) ruled. This city had deteriorated since the great King-Priest, Melchizedek ruled as God's representative into a parody by a miscreant who called himself “the Lord of righteousness”. He had subjugated 70 kings who represented in his mind all nations. Next we have the faithful exploits in destroying 2 of the giants of that land and the taking of the fortress city of Hebron. This is followed by Caleb's younger brother Othniel and his family overthrowing the strongholds of the Negev. But the reversals start to occur from v20 onwards with a waning faith and a ‘failure through compromise' one of the three great themes of this book. The other two being ‘God's strength is made perfect in (human) weakness' – 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; Hebrews 11:32-34 – and ‘in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did that which was right in their own eyes' (Judges 17:6; 21:25). Isaiah 30-31 are woes about those who placed their confidence in Egypt to aid them against their foes. Judah should have placed her confidence in the Living God who alone could deliver them from the calamity that they were now facing. Verses 1-5 of chapter 30 state this. These verses also state that Egypt was a weak and confused kingdom. Verses 6-7 describe Egypt as a land which deified animals and to rely on Egypt for help would prove useless – for when it came to supporting Judah they would prove themselves to be best at sitting still. The rebellion of Judah would be written in a book as a witness against the nation. Verses 10-11 tell us that Judah only wanted to hear lies from the false prophets; rather than heed the word of the Almighty. Verses 12-14 tell us that the consequence of turning aside from their Sovereign would be that the nation was to be smashed to smithereens like a clay pot. Verse 15 is a plea for Judah to forsake their failing to believe their God. Verses 16-17 tells us that they will be left no path to escape, but the curse of Deuteronomy will be seen in their judgment. Verses 18-26 explains that because Yahweh is gracious He will pour many blessings upon His humble and repentant people. The nation will finally, in that Age, accept their Messiah and he will teach them the ways of righteousness. Verses 27-28 speaks in graphic images of the LORD's fiery judgements. Verses 29-33 speak of the Almighty's destructive fire on the Assyrian oppressor. Let us in humility faithfully serve our God that we may receive His grace and not His refusal to accept us as His children. Hebrews 13 begins, “Let brotherly love (Greek “philadelphus” the love among brothers) continue”. And this is the message of the first nineteen verses. There are many ways to show brotherly love and in verse 2 the writer shows that hospitality is one of the ways. Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them; and who knows whether the unknown person to whom you show kindness might even be an angel. In Genesis 18:3 strangers came to Abraham's tent bringing great blessings. Verse 3 focuses on supporting the afflicted and counsels believers to encourage the afflicted through visiting and exhorting. This helping of strangers has often been done by Christadelphians resulting in people becoming believers. Even if that was not the outcome of your actions you will still be blessed in your care being shown to another. Verse 4 tells of the honourable and elevated state of marriage among believers; and states that sexual relationships outside marriage are totally unacceptable to God. Verse 5 tells of the dangers of coveting and explains that knowing God is the best way to counter this. It is important to be content (see 1 Timothy 6:5-10) with all that you have. The literal Greek of this verse Hebrews 13:5) is – “I will never, no not ever, leave you, nor forsake you”. How incredibly encouraging are these thoughts – so that whatever is before us can overcome in the confidence of knowing that God is with you. One person and God is always an overwhelming majority (see 2 Kings 6:16). Always (v7) show respect for those who guide you to understand the Word and counsel from God's Word. Imitate their faith, for it is sustained by an unchanging Lord Jesus Christ (v8). We must be led by grace (v9). We ought not be focused on the present – this includes foods, which are all too important a part of today's transient world. Verse 10 we are constrained to live lives sacrificing everything upon our altar, Christ, who gave all to bring us to God. The Law of Moses taught the same in its code of offerings. The Law was leading us to Christ; as the writer was through the spirit reminding and encouraging the believers (compare Galatians 3:23-26). As a consequence of his doing this our Lord was crucified and we must take up our stake and follow him. Believers are citizens of the coming Zion and not of the then present Jerusalem, which was awaiting destruction. Our sacrifice is of praise – an attitude of gratitude (v15). The readers are encouraged to show submission to their guides in the Word, because it is not for their own benefit that they give their counsel. Those leaders, too, will be called to give account for their words. Pray for the writer, indeed for all who labour in the Word, that all will magnify our Sovereign and His incomparable Son. Verses 20-21 give us the closing benediction. ESV “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Pause and ponder. Final greetings follow and finish with a request for God's grace to be with them. Audio Player      

For the first time since the October 7th attacks, kibbutzim in the western Negev celebrated Shavuot in their fields, in an expression of resilience and healing that underscored the call to return all 58 hostages still held in Gaza. Among these communities is Kibbutz Nirim, which is in the process of rebuilding. Longtime Nirim member Adele Raemer spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Screenshot Facebook, Kibbutz Nirim)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In science, the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists of 2025 were announced this week. The prestigious award went to three early-career scientists among 36 nominees and also includes a 100,000 dollar grant for each one for their groundbreaking research in three fields – Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering. We spoke with one of the recipients, Dr. Benjamin Palmer, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He is being recognized for his pioneering research on how organisms form crystals. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joshua 19 tells of the inheritances of Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan; as well as Joshua's personal allocation. Simeon was the second eldest of Israel's sons so this allotment was to be the next chosen by lot. Verses 1-9 describe the territories and cities given to Simeon. These portions are in the Negev – the southern part of Canaan. Verses 10-16 outline Zebulon's allotted lands and the twelve cities in that portion. Verses 17-23 describe Issachar's allocation and the sixteen cities within this allotment. Verses 24-31 tell of Asher's portion in the north of the land like Zebulon's allotment and also of Naphtali. Those two tribes were the subjects of enlightenment by the gospel message, spoken of in Isaiah 9 and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ministry, which was chiefly in Galilee. The city of Cabul, mentioned in verse 27, was given by king Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre. Hiram saw them as a disagreeable present. Verses 32-39 speak of Naphtali's inheritance with its nineteen cities. Verses 40-48 tell of Dan's lands. In the numbering of the sealed disciples from each tribe (Revelation 7) we find that Dan is omitted. Possibly as Dan became a source of idolatry and apostacy within the Promised Land.Verses 49-51 reveal Joshua's inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim, which Joshua had requested from Moses and was granted by Yahweh's command.

Joshua 19 tells of the inheritances of Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan; as well as Joshua's personal allocation. Simeon was the second eldest of Israel's sons so this allotment was to be the next chosen by lot. Verses 1-9 describe the territories and cities given to Simeon. These portions are in the Negev – the southern part of Canaan. Verses 10-16 outline Zebulon's allotted lands and the twelve cities in that portion. Verses 17-23 describe Issachar's allocation and the sixteen cities within this allotment. Verses 24-31 tell of Asher's portion in the north of the land like Zebulon's allotment and also of Naphtali. Those two tribes were the subjects of enlightenment by the gospel message, spoken of in Isaiah 9 and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ministry, which was chiefly in Galilee. The city of Cabul, mentioned in verse 27, was given by king Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre. Hiram saw them as a disagreeable present. Verses 32-39 speak of Naphtali's inheritance with its nineteen cities. Verses 40-48 tell of Dan's lands. In the numbering of the sealed disciples from each tribe (Revelation 7) we find that Dan is omitted. Possibly as Dan became a source of idolatry and apostacy within the Promised Land. Verses 49-51 reveal Joshua's inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim, which Joshua had requested from Moses and was granted by Yahweh's command. Isaiah 25 is a remarkable chapter in which God promises to swallow death in victory. It is like the interspersed empowering visions that we find throughout the book of Revelation. The purpose of this chapter, found often in the scriptures is to give the faithful believers a vision of the great promise of the Almighty to His children that He is fully in control and no matter how disconcerting the raging of the nations are in their troubled sea God will give His children peace and assurance (compare Isaiah 26:1-4). Isaiah 25:1-2 explain that his Sovereign's acts cause the prophet to praise his God. Verses 3-5 say that the LORD's protection of the poor and His defence of His people when facing destruction from the powerful oppressors brings them to extol Him. Verses 6-9 tell us that in that time of distress; in that place of insecurity and apparent hopelessness; there is no need to fear. Yahweh will because of His faithfulness without fail deliver His people. Their greatest enemy – death – will not swallow them. Rather will our Omnipotent Sovereign swallow death itself in victory – 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. How motivated are we to strive indefatigably to serve our God with all our might, all strength, all our heart and with every fibre of our being? Hosea gives a similar message: Hosea 13:14. Both these passages are united in the great message by the Apostle in the teachings he has given to us in 1 Corinthians 15. Slowly read aloud Isaiah 25:9 and pause and ponder its power for you. The chapter finishes with the mighty acts of the LORD exercised on behalf of His children. Hebrews 8 tells of Jesus the High Priest administering a “better” covenant. What majestic language the writer uses to start this chapter. Jesus is seated at His Father's right hand – called “the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (V1 ESV). Our Lord Jesus serves in the true tent pitched by God, and not man (he was, by miraculous begettal “the Son of God”). The Tabernacle was typical and the man gifted by God for the fabricating of that tent was Aholiab (meaning in Hebrew “from the Father's tent”) Christ as our heavenly High Priest has both offered sacrifices and given great gifts. The Exodus record twice tells us that Moses was to make the Tabernacle after the pattern which was shown to him in the Mount. The covenant Christ mediates has been founded on “better” promises. The writer cites Jeremiah 31:31-34 in verses 8-12 of chapter 8. The concluding verses take us back to chapter 1, which cited Psalm 102:25-26 indicating that Messiah would end the Mosaic covenant (the “heavens” being there mentioned). Verses 1-10 of chapter 9 speak of the earthly (typical) sanctuary – the Tabernacle. This was set up for Israel's worship, in a holy place where the comers thereto could have their minds centred on divine matters. The writer firstly describes the Holy Place in v2. From verses 3-5 we are taken beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies ie Most Holy Place. Some, wrongly believe, that the writer has here made a mistake in placing the incense altar in the Most Holy: thus for one day each year the incense altar was the Most Holy Place. On the Day of Atonement (the only day in which the High Priest was allowed into the Most Holy) incense had to fill the Most Holy before the High Priest was allowed to enter – “lest he (the High Priest) die”. And every other day the sweet incense of prayer permeated the Holy of Holies (Revelation 8:3-4). Whilst the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, were operating they had a status; but, when Jesus died and the veil separating the Holy and Most Holy Place was rent from top to bottom, it could not function any longer. Those former structures being only the shadow and not the reality, are no longer needed. Christ, the believer's High Priest, is there, in heaven for us. From verses 11-28, of chapter 9, the writer explains how we have redemption through what was achieved in Jesus' offering of himself on the tree (cross). One offering for all time of himself has opened the way for salvation. The offering of bulls and calves provided ritual forgiveness, on the condition that the person making the offering understood what God was teaching (the law was a teacher to bring worshippers to an understanding of Jesus' sacrifice – Galatians 3:23-26). But the Law of Moses could never cleanse the conscience of the offerer – since it was the sin of each person that was atoned for, and by the slaying of an animal – incapable of sinning (as it didn't have a nature which prompts sin) our conscience is cleansed. So by our identification with Jesus' offering, as one of us (and representing us in every respect; as the earlier chapters of the book explain – particularly chapters 2, 4 and 5).; we have been given a clear conscience. But the understanding of what Jesus has done on our behalf powerfully motivates us to forsake and turn from our sins to right ways. The old covenant was ratified by the death of animals; but the covenant in Christ, is brought into force by the death and RESURRECTION of our Lord. Verse 22 of chapter 9 states an eternal principle, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (ESV). And so Christ's “better” sacrifice has brought us nearer to God. All this by one perfect offering. Verses 27-28 tell us that having dealt with the problem of sin in his first advent, our Lord Jesus will destroy it for ever at his second coming. For Christ no longer is burdened by a nature biased towards sin, but in a sinless immortal body he will do the eradicate sin for every believer (see 1 Corinthians 15:13-28). Read aloud, pause and ponder.

The newborn son of Tzeela Gez, an Israeli woman killed in a West Bank terror shooting, has died; Israel's Foreign Ministry held a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two Israeli embassy employees who were heinously killed in a shooting attack in Washington, DC.;The IDF struck Sana'a International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday morning and destroyed the last operational aircraft belonging to the Houthi rebels, Israel's Defense Minister confirmed; Police arrested a 41 year old Eritrean national for robbing and murdering a 71-year-old man here in Tel Aviv. An explosive device planted by terrorists detonated during combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, killing 20-year-old IDF Sergeant Danilo Mocanu from Holon; A stunning Byzantine-era mosaic, originally discovered in 1990 near Be'er Shema in the western Negev, is now on public display after an extensive restoration.Click that you heard about Hasod (gift boxes) from “a podcast” when you check out. https://www.hasodstore.com/shopsmallIsrael Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgIsrael Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠Music: Tik Tak; Erika Krall & Lian Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGqtwBjb-R8

It's Wednesday, May 28th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Somalian Muslim man trusts Christ and is kicked out of home A young Muslim man in Somalia was kicked out of his home recently after converting to Christianity.  The 20-year-old struggled with substance abuse and had not been home to see his Muslim parents for months. That's when an underground pastor shared the Gospel with him. The young man came to Christ and gained freedom from drug use. After going home, however, his parents drove him away because of his new faith. The young convert told Morning Star News, “Now that I have loved [Jesus], I do not have a family standing with me. I do no not know what to do. I need prayers.” Please pray for this brother in Christ in Somalia, Africa. The country is ranked second on the Open Doors' World Watch List of most difficult places to be a Christian.  In Matthew 19:29, Jesus said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” French Muslim youth vandalizing Catholic churches and assaulting Catholics The European Conservative reports there have been a string of attacks on churches in France recently which have received little attention from the mainstream media. In one case, Islamic youths insulted a Catholic priest and threatened to set the church building on fire earlier this month. Days earlier, another group disrupted a parish meeting in the same area. Muslim attacks on Catholics have included vandalism, physical assault, and kidnapping. Supremes split decision result: OK religious charter school unfunded In the United States, the Supreme Court delivered a split decision last Thursday in a case involving religious education. Previously, Oklahoma's charter school board had approved funding for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. It would have been the country's first publicly-funded religious charter school.  However, Oklahoma's Supreme Court blocked the school. And the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 4-4 in the case, leaving the lower court ruling in place.  For some reason, conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case.  Defense Secretary Hegseth: "“King Jesus, we come humbly before You." U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a prayer meeting at the Pentagon last Wednesday. Listen to his opening prayer. HEGSETH: “If you would bow your head in prayer. “King Jesus, we come humbly before You, seeking Your face, seeking Your grace, in humble obedience to your law and to Your Word. We come as sinners, saved only by that grace, seeking Your providence in our lives and in our nation. “Lord God, we ask for the wisdom to see what is right, and in each and every day, in each and every circumstance, the courage to do what is right in obedience to Your will. “It is in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we pray. And all God's people said, Amen. Thank you.” The voluntary 30-minute prayer meeting was called “Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service.” Hegseth said it may become a monthly event.  Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” Planned Parenthood to close 8 abortion mills in Iowa and Minnesota Last Friday, Planned Parenthood North Central States announced it will close eight locations across Iowa and Minnesota over the next year. Planned Parenthood blamed the closures on states passing anti-abortion laws as well as a freeze on federal funding for abortion. The closures will also involve laying off 66 staff members. CDC no longer recommends COVID-19 shot for pregnant women & kids The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend COVID-19 shots for pregnant women and healthy children. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement yesterday. KENNEDY: “Hi everybody. I'm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, your HHS Secretary.  And I'm here with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty MaKary. “I couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC-recommended immunization schedule. Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children! BHATTACHARYA: “That ends today. It's common sense and it's good science.” MAKARY: “There's no evidence healthy kids need it today. And most countries have stopped recommending it for children.” KENNEDY: “We're now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to make America healthy again.” Lawmakers want to launch “Natural Family Month” Republican lawmakers in Ohio are considering a bill to celebrate families. The measure would designate the weeks from Mother's Day to Father's Day as “Natural Family Month.” The timeframe goes from the second Sunday in May to the third Sunday in June. This contrasts with Homosexual/Transgender Pride Month when many celebrate sexually perverted lifestyles in June. 1,500-year-old Christian graves in Israel discovered And finally, archaeologists recently uncovered 1,500-year-old Christian graves in Israel's Negev Desert. The graves reflect Christian burial practices. Inside, archaeologists found rare ebony figurines depicting individuals with African features. Researchers wrote, “It is possible that the deceased were of ‘Ethiopian' origin, and that they, or their ancestors, converted to Christianity and moved to the Negev.” The figurines were made out of ebony wood sourced from India or Sri Lanka and likely carved in Africa before being brought to the Negev.  Researchers believe it is the first time they have discovered such artifacts in the region of Israel and Jordan.  Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, May 28th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Top headlines for Tuesday, May 27, 2025In this episode, we discuss the sudden cancellation of the highly anticipated Newsboys 2025 Canadian tour by Faith Live, leaving fans and attendees wondering what's next. Then, we turn our attention to Virginia, as Gateway Church announces the appointment of Daniel Floyd, the esteemed founder of a megachurch, as their new senior pastor. Lastly, we pay tribute to Phil Robertson, beloved patriarch of the Robertson family, known for his wisdom and faith-driven life, who passed away at 79 following his battle with Alzheimer's. 00:12 Newsboys' Canada tour canceled amid 'lack of transparency'01:08 Gateway Church names new senior pastor after Morris resignation01:57 'Duck Dynasty'' star Phil Robertson dies at 7902:52 Trump officials meet UK pro-lifers arrested for silent prayer03:48 Pastor challenges African Evangelicals to engage 'now generation'05:00 Gazans seen protesting Hamas in 'unprecedented' display: report05:53 Bone figurines in Negev tombs link to early Ethiopian ChristiansSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsNewsboys' Canada tour canceled amid 'lack of transparency' | EntertainmentGateway Church names new senior pastor after Morris resignation | Church & Ministries'Duck Dynasty'' star Phil Robertson dies at 79 | EntertainmentTrump officials meet UK pro-lifers arrested for silent prayer | WorldPastor challenges African Evangelicals to engage 'now generation' | WorldGazans seen protesting Hamas in 'unprecedented' display: report | WorldBone figurines in Negev tombs link to early Ethiopian Christians | World

Ever had a spiritual faceplant you wish you could undo? You’re not alone. Abraham—yep, the father of our faith—blew it in a big way. But grace didn’t give up on him, and it won’t give up on you either. Key Takeaways Grace Offers Do-Overs – Even when we fail, God’s mercy meets us with a fresh start (Lamentations 3:22-23). Abraham Messed Up Too – He let fear rule and threw his wife under the proverbial camel. Still, God didn’t cancel him—He called him back. Return to the Altar – After failing in Egypt, Abraham went back to where he first encountered God (Genesis 13:4). Returning to God is always the right next step. Failure Isn’t Final – Your spiritual missteps don’t have to define your story. In Christ, shame doesn’t stick—redemption does. Join the Conversation What “altar” do you need to return to? What would it look like for you to start over today with God's grace in view? Share your thoughts with us using #LifeaudioNetwork and let others be encouraged by your journey. You’re not too far gone. God’s mercy says, “Let’s try again—together.”

Ieri, 22 maggio 2025, almeno 51 palestinesi sono stati uccisi nei bombardamenti israeliani su Gaza. È una cifra che si somma silenziosamente a un totale che ha già superato le 53.762 vittime confermate. Ogni giorno un aggiornamento. Ogni giorno un bollettino di guerra che passa inosservato nei palinsesti e nei vertici diplomatici. Dal 7 ottobre a oggi, Israele ha ucciso più di 3.600 persone solo dopo la rottura del cessate il fuoco, il 18 marzo. A queste si aggiungono mille corpi estratti dalle macerie. Come se la guerra non si fosse mai fermata, neanche durante la cosiddetta "tregua", tra gennaio e marzo, in cui morirono almeno 170 civili e più di 2.200 furono sepolti vivi. La violenza continua a mutare forma: non è solo fuoco dall'alto. È fame. È prigionia. Oggi il ministro della Salute palestinese ha confermato la morte per fame di 29 bambini e anziani. Ha detto che 14.000 neonati rischiano la stessa sorte. È un numero che dovrebbe far tremare i tavoli dell'Onu. E invece no: sono tavoli che restano vuoti mentre le forniture umanitarie restano bloccate ai confini e gli ospedali vengono bombardati. A Rafah si spara ancora. A Jenin i diplomatici stranieri vengono “avvisati” a colpi di mitra. A Sde Teiman si continua a morire nei lager israeliani: oggi è toccato ad Amr Hatem Odeh, 33 anni, padre di tre figli, morto nella base-prigione nel Negev dove Israele tiene centinaia di palestinesi senza processo. C'è una logica che tiene insieme tutto questo: è la logica del disumano che si fa sistema, della punizione collettiva come strategia, del genocidio come prassi. L'Occidente guarda, commenta, si astiene. E Gaza muore, ogni giorno, con la puntualità dei suoi numeri. #LaSveglia per La NotiziaDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/la-sveglia-di-giulio-cavalli--3269492/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Innovation in the Desert: A Tale of Risk and Reward Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-05-21-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בעומק המדבר בנווה מדבר שבנגב, נמצא חדר מחקר סודי, מעבדה שמוסתרת היטב מתחת לחולות הזהובים, מלאה בטכנולוגיה חדשנית ומוקפת במרחקים אדירים של מדבר בתולי.En: Deep in the desert, within an oasis in the Negev, there is a secret research room, a laboratory well-hidden beneath the golden sands, filled with cutting-edge technology and surrounded by vast stretches of pristine desert.He: האביב מגיע למדבר, והשמיים הבהירים מנוגדים לאווירה הרצינית שמשתררת במעבדה.En: Spring arrives in the desert, and the clear skies contrast with the serious atmosphere that prevails in the laboratory.He: אל המעבדה הוזמנו אליאנה ומתן, שני חוקרים מבריקים כל אחד בדרכו.En: Eliana and Matan, two brilliant researchers, each in their own right, were invited to the laboratory.He: אליאנה ידועה בחשיבה זהירה ובשנאת סיכונים מיותרים.En: Eliana is known for her cautious thinking and aversion to unnecessary risks.He: מתן לעומתה, מדען שאפתן ותאב עתיד, שאוהב להעלות את גבולות הטכנולוגיה.En: Matan, on the other hand, is an ambitious scientist, eager for the future, who loves to push the boundaries of technology.He: המטרה פשוטה אך לא קלה: לבדוק טכנולוגיה חדשה שיכולה לשנות את העולם.En: The goal is simple but not easy: to test new technology that can change the world.He: אליאנה חוששת מהסיכונים האפשריים.En: Eliana is concerned about the possible risks.He: היא רוצה לבדוק שוב ושוב, לוודא שהכל בטוח.En: She wants to check again and again to ensure everything is safe.He: מתן, לעומת זאת, רוצה להוכיח את הפוטנציאל המהפכני של ההמצאה בהקדם האפשרי.En: Meanwhile, Matan wants to demonstrate the revolutionary potential of the invention as soon as possible.He: בוקר השמש זורחת מעל המדבר, ואליאנה מחליטה ללמוד את הנתונים שוב, אך מתן לוחץ על הדוושה.En: The morning sun rises over the desert, and Eliana decides to study the data again, but Matan presses the pedal.He: הוא בטוח שהם חייבים להראות את ההמצאה לצוות כבר עכשיו.En: He is convinced they must show the invention to the team right now.He: המתח בין השניים גובר, אך ברורה להם התוצאה: הם חייבים להתפשר ולעבוד יחד.En: The tension between the two increases, but the outcome is clear to them: they must compromise and work together.He: בזמן ההדגמה, המכשיר מתחמם יתר על המידה.En: During the demonstration, the device overheats.He: השניים מבינים שמשהו לא תקין.En: The two realize something isn't right.He: אליאנה נרתמת למשימה, דפיה מפוזרים סביבה, היא סורקת את המידע במהירות.En: Eliana throws herself into the task, her pages scattered around, as she quickly scans the information.He: עם הידע המדויק שלה, היא מזהה את הבעיה ומציעה פתרון יצירתי ומושכל.En: With her precise knowledge, she identifies the problem and offers a creative and well-informed solution.He: הסכנה נמנעת, והם מצליחים לייצב את הניסוי.En: The danger is averted, and they manage to stabilize the experiment.He: אליאנה מקבלת את החשיבות של לקיחת סיכונים מחושבים, ומתן לומד את הערך שבהכנה יסודית.En: Eliana acknowledges the importance of taking calculated risks, and Matan learns the value of thorough preparation.He: הסיפור שלהם מסתיים בהבנה שמחקר אמיתי דורש איזון עדין בין חדשנות לניתוח.En: Their story ends with an understanding that true research requires a delicate balance between innovation and analysis.He: ושוב המדבר שקט ורגוע, כמו שהוא תמיד, אך הפעם הוא היה עד לרגע שבו שתי נפשות שונות הצליחו למצוא קרקע משותפת בעמק הזהוב של המדבר.En: Once again, the desert is quiet and calm, as it always is, but this time it witnessed a moment where two different souls managed to find common ground in the golden valley of the desert. Vocabulary Words:desert: מדברoasis: נווה מדברtechnology: טכנולוגיהaversion: שנאהrevolutionary: מהפכניdemonstration: הדגמהoverheats: מתחמם יתר על המידהprecise: מדויקrisks: סיכוניםstabilize: לייצבinnovation: חדשנותbalance: איזוןanalysis: ניתוחambitious: שאפתןcompromise: להתפשרcreative: יצירתיtask: משימהsolution: פתרוןcalculated: מחושביםpotential: פוטנציאלlaboratory: מעבדהboundary: גבולthorough: יסודיתventure: מתן סיכויensure: לוודאpristine: בתוליsecret: סודיcautious: זהירground: קרקעknowledge: ידעBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Obadiah 10-21 (NASB) 10 "Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever.11 "On the day that you stood aloof, On the day that strangers carried off his wealth, And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem - You too were as one of them.12 "Do not gloat over your brother's day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah In the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast In the day of their distress.13 "Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity In the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth In the day of their disaster.14 "Do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down their fugitives; And do not imprison their survivors In the day of their distress.The Day of the LORD and the Future15 "For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.16 "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, All the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow And become as if they had never existed.17 "But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.18 "Then the house of Jacob will be a fire And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau will be as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau," For the LORD has spoken.19 Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, And those of the Shephelah the Philistine plain; Also, possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, And Benjamin will possess Gilead.20 And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel, Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Will possess the cities of the Negev.21 The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion To judge the mountain of Esau, And the kingdom will be the LORD'S. Outline of Part 1 (2 weeks ago):- Intro/background: A long family feud- God's assessment of Edom (Pride comes before a fall) (vv. 1:1‑9)This week's outline:- Gods indictment of Edom (You are your brothers keeper) (vv. 1:10‑14)- God's judgment on all haters (Those who curse Israel will be cursed) (vv. 1:15‑21

Deuteronomy 33 records Moses' message and blessings for each of the 12 tribes and contains wise words of instruction and warning. These words speaks of events to be seen in the latter days that are specific for each tribe. Verses 2-5 are prophetic and is in the Hebrew text in the future tense. Compare Habakuk chapter 3. Seir is the territory of Edom and relates to the time described in Isaiah 63:1-6. Mount Paran is in the south, in the Negev, and we are being presented with the March of the rainbowed angel of Revelation 10. Verse 3 prophetically relates to the same events described in Psalm 68. Of Reuben Moses tells of an increasing in numbers for that tribe. Verse 7 speaks of Judah. We know that this tribe was to be the progenitor of our Lord Jesus Christ – as Micah 5:2 declares. An interesting exercise is to compare Jacob's last day prophecies in Genesis 49 with those of Moses in this chapter. Contemplate the description of Judah's king in verses 8-12 of Genesis 49. Verses 8-11 of Deuteronomy 33:8-11 tell of blessings upon Levi for that tribe's faithfulness to their God at the time of the incident of the golden calf. This, too, was a mirror of their zeal for the LORD at the time of Israel's corrupting of themselves at Baal Peor – Phinehas led the tribe by his example then. The Urim and Thummim relate to the righteous divine judgments in which Yahweh aided and directed the outcome. Phinehas put his love of the LORD above natural family ties and as a result he was promised a priesthood in the kingdom age – Malachi 2 verses 4-7. For his and his tribe's faithfulness the Levites were entrusted with the responsibility to teach Israel the testimonies of their Sovereign. Benjamin's blessing relates to the proximity of his tribe's habitat being on the border of Judah and sharing of the metropolis of the kingdom age – Jerusalem. Verses 14-18 contain the longest of the blessings, which were upon Joseph, the head of the one whose life marked him as separate from his brothers. Joseph may well be the greatest type of Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Joseph is blessed with the double inheritance as his father elevated him to the position of the firstborn son. Likewise though Adam was the firstborn son of God, Luke 3:38, our Lord was given the place of the firstborn as Is prophesied in Psalm 89 verses 26-29. Verse 16 describes the blessing of knowing Yahweh our God in the revelation that was made to Moses by the angel who abode in the bush – Exodus 3:13-18 compare with Acts 7:30-34. The reference to the ten thousands from this tribe is an allusion to Psalm 68:13-21. Verses 18-21 speak of Zebulon, meaning dwelling, being blessed with an inheritance by the Mediterranean Sea and the treasures of the sand may relate to the extensive gas fields found adjacent to this region. The worshippers arriving at this haven by ship will come from there to worship the King in Jerusalem – the mountain of the LORD as Psalm 48 reveals. Verses 20-21 tell of Gad's troop being the protectors of the Promised Land. Verse 22 shows Dan to be the vindicator – the exactor of vengeance upon Yahweh's foes. Verse 23 outlines how Naphtali will carry the burdens of the blessings that will be brought to the nation from the abundance of the Gentiles – Isaiah 60 verses 9-11 reveals this. The lake mentioned is the Dead Sea in southern Israel. and this tribe may accompany the worshippers on their way to the house of prayer for all nations. Verses 24-25 speak of Asher, whose name means “blessed”, or “happy” being blessed with abundance. The mineral wealth in this tribal allotment is enormous. The mineral deposits in the Dead Sea region are among the largest know deposits on earth. Verses 26-29 enumerate the boundless blessings to the nation. The greatest of these blessings is to have the the Eternal God as our Father and be supported day by day in His caring, but mighty, arms. With Him we experience incomparable blessings throughout our live. And we live in this blessed assurance. Chapter 34 of Deuteronomy is not written by Moses as it speaks of his death and the physical condition of his body at the time he is laid to sleep. From the top of Mount Pisgah Moses views the Promised Land. He saw it through eyes that were enhanced and allowing him to see the entire land – this was not physically possible from that location. He rests awaiting the time that the angel will raise him from his sleep so that he also inherit the home of his constant yearnings. He dies as a vigorous man of 120 years in age. His natural vitality was strong and his eyesight undimmed. Israel mourned his decease for a month. And Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the LORD's people – by the Almighty's divine appointment and with the blessing of Moses. No like prophet ever arose Isaiah 6 tells of Isaiah's calling to be a prophet of Yahweh and his being appointed to that role. He is called as a youth and he protests his unsuitability of carrying out a challenging mission to a rebellious and unheeding nation. In fact the message that he is taking to the nation of Judah would produce an increase in their hostility. As well as his claim to be but a youth we have evidences of that work lasting for 89 years. The prophet begins his service in the year of the great earthquake when king Uzziah died – BC 796. That king had usurped the office of the High Priest and the LORD struck him with leprosy as he was attempting to offer the incense. Uzziah is driven from the Temple as one of the region's greatest earthquakes of all time is unleashed. In contrast with that event the prophet beholds Yahweh of armies enthroned in His Temple. This glorious vision of the king-priest Messiah is symbolic of our Lord Jesus Christ's kingdom reign at his second advent. Matthew tells us this in chapter 13 verses 10-17. The purpose of parables, we are told, was to bewilder the shallow and the sceptical; but to enlighten the hearers who are seeking enlightenment. Verses 9-10 of Isaiah's sixth chapter are cited. At the shaking of the Temple from the great earthquake Isaiah himself physically trembled at this display of raw power from the Almighty. The prophet declares his own unworthiness to even behold this vision, let alone be asked to be his representative. The seraphim appear to be a combination of the cherubic figures of Ezekiel and the flashing of burning fire from the symbolic creatures which Isaiah saw. The Hebrew word derives from a word meaning burning ones. A coal of fire from the smoking incense altar is placed on the prophet's tongue and he is told that there is no need for fears as his iniquity is taken away by God whose Word has purged his sins. The necessary preparation for Isaiah to proclaim the LORD's message. Isaiah is thus commissioned as a prophet of Yahweh and on behalf of his Sovereign he would take the message placed into his mouth by divine inspiration to the nation of Israel. Sadly that generation of Israelites was largely uneffected. Likewise Messiah's message failed to effect the majority of people in his age. So our Lord Jesus spoke in parables. The Apostle John speaks of this in John 12verses 32-33 when our Lord Jesus prophesied his own lifting up in crucifixion. Paul tells us that this was a great stumbling stone for the Jews as we read in  1 Corinthians 1:23. In Colossians 3 verses 1-4 tells us that since we have through the act of baptism been raised in him to a new life our thoughts and actions should be in harmony with this. And so from verses 5-9 all those past behaviours are to find no place among believers. Our new self is being renewed every day through our growth in understanding what it means to be “in Christ”. From verses 12-17 the focus of the believer's mind and actions is to centre on living with (and as) Christ. From verses 18 to the chapter's end he addresses the different groups within Christian households and advises on proper behaviour. Chapter 4 continues with instructions for masters and servants – such an important topic as five sixths of the Roman world were slaves. Verses 2-4 is a request to those at Colossae to pray for Paul's preaching. Verse 5 tells that their speech and behaviour must be sincere at all times – “seasoned with salt”. Verses 7-17 conclude with final greetings. Verse 18 tells us that the letter was written by Paul in his own handwriting.

A new study of Neolithic arrowheads from the Negev shows they had human as well as animal residues on them. Like human blood and guts residue, not, oh I got a tiny little nick residue. Peaceful hunter-gatherers, amirite?

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Political reporter Sam Sokol and reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. The Knesset came back from spring break last week and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners have been pushing for the passage of legislation enshrining military exemptions for their community, after the High Court ruled in June last year that the dispensations, in place for decades, were illegal since they were not based in law. The legislation has long been held up in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, whose chairman, Yuli Edelstein (Likud), has pledged that he will “only produce a real conscription law that will significantly increase the IDF’s conscription base.” Sokol unpacks this complicated situation. Surkes reports on Magen 48, an initiative to train civil defense teams at 66 localities within the Gaza border area — including the city of Sderot — and raise their skill set to that of IDF fighters. We then learn about "She-Rise," a program that teaches women in the western Negev how to leverage their skills and create change in their communities. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: ‘The final deadline’: Could the IDF conscription crisis bring down Netanyahu’s government? After October 7, IDF said to increase penalties for deserters, but not draft dodgers Edelstein urges ‘real solution’ as work set to begin on revising Haredi draft bill IDF joins forces with NGO to turn community security teams into lean fighting machines Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Haredi Jews protest and clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews to the Israeli army, Jerusalem, May 5, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,    we were like those who dream.2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,    and our tongue with shouts of joy;then they said among the nations,    “The Lord has done great things for them.”3 The Lord has done great things for us;    we are glad.4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,    like streams in the Negev!5 Those who sow in tears    shall reap with shouts of joy!6 He who goes out weeping,    bearing the seed for sowing,shall come home with shouts of joy,    bringing his sheaves with him.Dreams are very important communication mechanisms for God the Father to speak to us. When you get a good dream like the one described in this podcast, it's an encouraging word. It will have the effect of lifting up your spirit when you listen to it. The above Psalm describes the restoring of the fortunes of Zion. I believe we are at the precipice of God restoring the fortunes of His people.Fear not God says over 300 times in the Scripture. This is a time to hold your head up high and see what God is doing in America. Our last podcast presented the new movie: "Show me Your Glory". This podcast is a harbinger of a total re-structuring of our financial system. Evil has enslaved us through two principles of Scripture: "the love of money is the root of all evil", and "the borrower is the slave of the lender'. These two principles were not lost on Satan and the powers and principalities of Evil who have enslaved us through a monetary system of debt using fiat money. This dream foretells the old financial system is collapsing and a new Godly reset of our currency to an asset-backed currency is about to begin. Take a listen and be blessed to learn what God is doing for His people.Blessings:Papa Tom

“We want to make it hard for people to go to hell by making it easy for them to go to church so they can experience, know and follow Jesus.”Joshua 1:2-6 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am givingthem. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanonmountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I willnot fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would givethem.Joshua 1:2a “Moses my servant is dead…1. THINK about the PAST.Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you tolead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am givingthem. 2. Take ACTION TODAY.Isaiah 43:19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past andlooking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race andreceive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.BIG moves of God are almost always preceded by obedience to him in SMALL things.“If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you willprobably be unhappy all the days of your life.”—Abraham MaslovThe greatest ENEMY to your calling is your COMFORT.ACTION is the preparation for the FUTURE PROMISE that God has for you.3. TRUST God for the FUTURE.Joshua 1:3-6 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' No one willbe able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I waswith Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to theirancestors I would give them. What seems IMPOSSIBLE to me, is not remotely DIFFICULT with God.Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory inthe church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Teaching Text - Deuteronomy 1This is what Moses said to all of Israel in the Transjordanian wilderness, the arid rift valley opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. 2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir. 3 However, it was not until the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses addressed the Israelites just as the Lord had instructed him to do. 4 This took place after the defeat of King Sihon of the Amorites, whose capital was in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was in Ashtaroth, specifically in Edrei. 5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough. 7 Head out and resume your journey. Enter the Amorite hill country, and all its neighboring areas, including the rift valley, the hill country, the foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain—all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 8 Look! I have already given the land to you. Go, occupy the territory that I, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.” 9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. 11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you just as he said he would! 12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 13 Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 15 So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one person and a native Israelite or a resident foreigner. 17 They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give us. 21 Look, he has placed the land in front of you! Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let's send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 23 I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out. 25 Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 27 You complained among yourselves privately and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.” 29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them! 30 The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 33 who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow: 35 “Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.” 37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. 39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 40 But as for you, turn back and head for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.'” 43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord and recklessly went up to the hill country. 44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. 45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever. 46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time—indeed, for the full time.

Beer Sheva-based Israeli startup CaPow has developed an in-motion power delivery solution for robotic fleets. CaPow CEO and founder Prof. Mor Peretz spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal about the company, about future applications of the technology, and commitment to develop the tech sector in Israel's Negev. (Photo: Adva Barzilai)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamal Alkirnawi is a leader in the Bedouin community in Israel and the Founder and Executive Director of A New Dawn in the Negev, a Good People Fund grantee. The organization uplifts Bedouin youth facing socio-economic challenges in the region, and with a Bedouin-Jewish core, promotes equality, co-existence and peace. “I have the responsibility for … Continue reading In Israel's Negev, A Passion to Uplift Bedouin Youth and Advance Co-Existence →

This Wednesday, Israelis will mark Yom HaZikaron, the Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers. As of last count, there were more than 25,000 of them. Although Israel has a highly developed culture of grieving and mourning, as a country that has suffered war and bloodshed since its first days, an unusual commemoration project has literally taken over the public sphere this year. It began on a small scale, with friends and relative of soldiers killed in action since October 7 hanging up stickers featuring their photos and other interesting tidbits about them. It quickly spread to the point that in some places in Israel – like the Tel Aviv Hashalom train station – the entire space is wallpapered in them. On the Haaretz Podcast, Dr. Noam Tirosh, head of the Department of Communication Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, who has spent the past few months studying these stickers, spoke to Judy Maltz about what he has learned. According to Tirosh, "the stickers are clearly an attempt by people to tell a wider story. The fallen soldiers were not only soldiers. They were lovers. They were football fans. They were friends of lots of people. They were human beings."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Surviving the Negev: A Desert Quest of Friendship and Faith Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-04-28-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: תחת שמש אביבית וחמימה, השתרע מדבר הנגב.En: Under the warm spring sun, the Negev Desert stretched out.He: לוחות החול נראו כמו גלים זהובים אין-סופיים.En: The sand dunes looked like endless golden waves.He: אבי, נועה ובן ישבו ברכב הקטן, מחפשים את הרפתקאות חייהם.En: Avi, Noa and Ben sat in the small car, searching for the adventures of their lives.He: ״היום אנחנו נעקוב אחרי סיפור יציאת מצרים,״ קרא אבי בקול.En: "Today, we're going to follow the story of the Exodus from Egypt," Avi exclaimed loudly.He: הוא אהב לספר סיפורים ולהתעמק בהיסטוריה.En: He loved telling stories and delving into history.He: השמש זרחה בעוז, והציפורים צייצו.En: The sun shone brightly, and the birds chirped.He: אך לפתע, רוח חזקה התחילה לנשוב והחלה מערבולת חול.En: But suddenly, a strong wind began to blow, creating a sand whirlwind.He: ״סופה!En: "A storm!"He: ״ קראה נועה.En: Noa shouted.He: הם היו חייבים לשנות כיוון במהירות.En: They had to quickly change direction.He: ״אין סיבה לדאגה,״ אמר אבי, מנסה להרגיע.En: "There's no reason to worry," said Avi, trying to calm them down.He: הוא שלף מפה ישנה שמצא בחנות יד שנייה ואמר: ״אנחנו נבחר בדרך אחרת.En: He pulled out an old map he found in a second-hand shop and said, "We'll choose another path.He: זה כאילו אנחנו עצמנו במסע במדבר ממש כמו בימים ההם.En: It's as if we're on a desert journey ourselves, just like in those days."He: ״הרכב פנה בדרך עוקפת, חול ממלא את האוויר סביב.En: The car turned onto a bypass, sand filling the air around them.He: הסופה התחזקה, והרוח נשבה בעוז.En: The storm intensified, and the wind blew fiercely.He: אבי הסתכל סביב, ניסה להכין את עצמו למסע בעיניים עצומות.En: Avi looked around, trying to prepare himself for the journey with eyes closed.He: תחושת אחריות כבדה נפלה עליו.En: A heavy sense of responsibility fell upon him.He: כל זה היה הרעיון שלו, ועכשיו היה צריך להוציא אותם מהמצב הזה בשלום.En: This was all his idea, and now he needed to get them out of this situation safely.He: ״אבי!En: "Avi!He: אנחנו נסמכים עליך,״ לחש בן, כשהחול הכה בפניהם כמו גלים.En: We're depending on you," whispered Ben, as the sand hit their faces like waves.He: בעיניים עצומות ובנשימה כבדה, אבי הנהיג אותם הלאה.En: With closed eyes and heavy breath, Avi led them onward.He: לאחר נסיעה מותחת ועיניים מכוסות בחול, הופיע לפניהם מחזה מהפנט: נווה מדבר.En: After a tense drive with eyes covered in sand, an enchanting sight appeared before them: an oasis.He: מים זכים זרמו בו, עצים צמחו מסביב והאוויר היה נקי וצלול.En: Clear water flowed there, trees grew around, and the air was pure and clear.He: הם מצאו מקום בטוח לחגוג את פסח.En: They found a safe place to celebrate Passover.He: עם מחצלות ישיבה, הם חלקו מצה וזכרו את הרפתקאותיהם.En: With sitting mats, they shared matzah and remembered their adventures.He: ״הסיפור הכי טוב הוא זה שכולנו חווים יחד,״ אמר אבי בחיוך, כשהבין שהרפתקה אמיתית אינה בספרים בלבד.En: "The best story is the one we all experience together," said Avi with a smile, realizing that true adventure is not only found in books.He: החברות בניהם התחזקה, והם הבינו שתכנון טוב הוא חשוב, אבל הגמישות ברגעי אמת היא זו שמובילה להצלחות הגדולות ביותר.En: Their friendship strengthened, and they understood that good planning is important, but flexibility in moments of truth is what leads to the greatest successes. Vocabulary Words:delving: להתעמקwhirlwind: מערבולתbypass: דרך עוקפתintensified: התחזקהfiercely: בעוזtense: מותחתenchanting: מהפנטoasis: נווה מדברpure: זכיםcelebrate: לחגוגflexibility: גמישותresponsibility: אחריותdepended: נסמכיםadventures: הרפתקאותstretched: השתרעdunes: לוחותshone: זרחהchirped: צייצוstorm: סופהcalm: להרגיעsecond-hand: יד שנייהprepare: להכיןrealizing: כשהביןstrengthened: התחזקהplanning: תכנוןtruth: אמתexclaimed: קרא בקולblew: נשבהcovered: מכוסותheavy: כבדהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

  A Place Called Gethsemane The Passion Week account of Jesus happens during the annual feast of Passover for the Jews.  This is one of three times that every Jew was required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast.  Jesus being a devout Jew went to the city as well not only for the feast but to complete His awesome mission. Not every Jew in the world could possibly come but it is estimated that 1 to 1.5 million people would be in the city during Passover.  The picture below from the Temple Institute in Israel shows the 1000's entering the city at Passover.  Since Jerusalem was a city of perhaps an estimated population 35,000 to 80,000 depending on the archaeologist, it is clear that the city could not handle such a dramatic increase in population.  Every extra room was rented and those not finding rooms camped out on the hills nearby or they sought lodging in nearby towns like Bethlehem or Bethany.  Many of those who camped out in the hills around Jerusalem would more than likely camp on the beautiful slopes of the surrounding hills like Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. (Vander Laan 177)       After Jesus and His apostles had completed the Passover Seder meal they went to the Mount of Olives to a place called Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives in an olive grove.  The account can be found in Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39 and John 18:1.  The word Gethsemane is the English transliteration of a Greek word which was based on two Hebrew words.  (Picture below from Permaculture Research Institute, is a good idea of what the side of the Mt. of Olives would have looked like in Jesus' day). The first was GAT.  The Hebrew word stands for a press.  The second word is SHEMIN which means oil – like olive oil.  The plural in Hebrew is Sheminim.  Thus, Gat Sheminim means a press for oils and referred to in most cases an olive press.  (Vander Laan 178) Today in Israel one can visit Tel Maresha in the Negev.  At this tel archaeologists found the remains of a perfectly intact olive press.  Olive presses were built in caves close to an olive grove.  The cave itself would have “windows” cut into the walls and an air shaft in the roof.  These “windows” and the airshaft were used to control the airflow and temperature since processing olives required a certain temperature range.  The olives themselves were processed by first smashing them with a millstone to break open the skins.   The smashed olives were then put into special porous bags and crushed under the weight of huge weighted down cypress logs in the main press room.  The olive oil would run down into a basin which had a drain directly into a collection jar below the pile of bags of crushed olive pulp.  The jar of oil would be sealed when filled and made ready to be taken to market.  (Vander Laan 178)  The picture below is of the Gat Sheminim at Tel Maresha Israel courtesy of Israel Travel Inc. Where is this exact location of where Jesus prayed and is there a connection to the Gat Sheminim and the word Gethsemane?  As far as location is concerned, “Christian tradition has always placed Gethsemane on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives – though today the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches hallow different sites.”  (Reader's Digest 186)  Recently, however, archaeologists working at the base of the Mount of Olives made a very interesting discovery.  “A cave nearby was recently identified as containing an ancient olive press.  Early 6th century tradition supports this cave as being Jesus' Gethsemane.” (Vander Laan 179)   Moreover, no archaeological evidence nor evidence from ancient descriptions of the city of Jerusalem and its surroundings as ever found a place called the Garden of Gethsemane.  This name is a modern label attached to an area that tourists would come to experience what the place called Gethsemane in the Bible was like.  “The designation ‘Gethsemane' does not occur outside the gospels.  Even Luke 22:39 omits the name, using the more general description, ‘the Mount of Olives.'”(Flusser 251) What we know for a fact is that the Mount of Olives had an olive grove and near olive groves one will find a Gat Sheminim or an olive press.   One might conjecture the following based upon the fact that in the Jewish culture God taught His people difficult theological truths with the use of pictures – as in the case of the word tekton and 1 Peter 2:4-6.  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and entered the gat sheminim, or the olive press, to find a secluded place to pray.  He would prefer the seclusion of the press since there were many possible pilgrims camping out on the slopes of the hill for Passover and the press would be located in a quiet cave.  Perhaps Jesus knew the owner and was able to gain private access to the olive press.  Again, all of this is conjecture but it is based on the archaeological evidence that is factual.   In the gat sheminim, or in a location very close, we know that Jesus prayed and was in deep stress and anguish.  In the account found in Luke 22:44 Jesus' sweat was like drops of  blood.  What is intriguing about this picture is a verse found in Isaiah 53:5.  This verse for us Christians says He was crushed for our inequities.  When one makes the connection between the discovery of the olive press and how it was used and these verses it would seem that God is showing us how Jesus was crushed – like an olive crushed by the weight of a huge cypress log with heavy weights attached.  It would seem that God Himself is making use of the archaeological discoveries to open up the world of the Bible to us so that its meaning is enhanced.  Do we know for a fact that Jesus was in the olive press or the Gat Sheminim?  No we do not.  But, these discoveries perhaps are given to us to intensify our understanding of His word and the picture of the gat sheminim can simply be used to help us understand the scope of Jesus' stress and anxiety that horrible night. Works Cited * That the World May Know Set 3 Ray Vander Laan c 1996 Focus on the Family Publishing  Colorado Springs CO * Egypt and Bible History: C. Aling Baker House book Grand Rapids MI c 1981 * “Reader's Digest Atlas of the Bible”, C 1981 Reader's digest, Plesantville, NY * “Jesus”, David Flusser, Magnes Press, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, 1998 * Josephus WAR 5:141 * “First Easter: The True and Unfamiliar Story”, Paul L. Maier, Harper and Row, NY 1973. * Archaeology and the Bible: The Best of Biblical Archaeology Review, “The Garden Tomb: Was Jesus Buried Here?”, Gabriel Barkay, Vol. II, Archaeology in the World of Herod, Jesus and Paul.    Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? (John & Robin somewhere in the Middle East) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0      

Fifth Sunday in Lent Old Testament Isaiah 43:16-21 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. The Psalm Psalm 126 In convertendo 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, * then were we like those who dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, * and our tongue with shouts of joy. 3 Then they said among the nations, * "The Lord has done great things for them." 4 The Lord has done great things for us, * and we are glad indeed. 5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, * like the watercourses of the Negev. 6 Those who sowed with tears * will reap with songs of joy. 7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, * will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.   The Epistle Philippians 3:4b-14 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. The Gospel John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

Garth Heckman The David Alliance  TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com  Abe is the father of our faith Galatians 3:6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. 8 What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.     Detailed outline of Abraham's life as described in the Bible, primarily in the Book of Genesis: I. Early Life and Call (Genesis 11:26-12:9) C. The Divine Call: God commands Abram to leave his country, His family, and father's house.   *God must have shown up in a major way for Abraham to just leave.  He was the father of our Faith. He practiced great faith with no history or foundation in who God was.   7 promises give to Abraham by God  -1 I will make your descendants/nation a great nation AND HE PROMISES HIM TO BE A GREAT NATION… NATIONS ARE DEFINED BY A PEOPLE WHO SHARE A HISTORY, HAVE TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES, and led by one government.     -2 I will bless you  -3 I will make your name great  -4 I will make you a blessing to others  -5 I will bless those that bless you  -6 I will curse those who curse you  -7 Through you people from every nation on the earth will be blessed.      Abrahams father died in Haran…. And now… D. Journey to Canaan: Abram, Sarai, and Lot depart from Haran. Abram is 75 years old. They travel to Shechem in Canaan. God appears to Abram, promising the land to his offspring. Abram builds an altar to the Lord. Abram moves to Bethel and then continues to the Negev. II. Sojourn in Egypt and Return (Genesis 12:10-13:18)

What does it mean for a university to become a battleground against deep-seated prejudices and historical tensions? In today's episode, we dive into these challenging questions with our distinguished guest, Cary Nelson, a celebrated scholar and ardent advocate for academic freedom.Nelson shares his insights on the intersection of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in academia, a topic explored in his new book, "Mindless: What Happened to Universities?" The conversation examines how the lines between critique of Israel and hostility towards Jewish students blur, becoming toxic and divisive forces across campuses, from historical shifts that turned post-1948 anti-Zionism into a rejection of Israel's existence to the phenomenon of hatred and the campus protests that undermine foundational academic values. Nelson calls for reclaiming the core purpose of academia as a community of imperfect learners where dialogue and understanding prevail. In This Episode:Historical context of anti-Zionism and its transformation into anti-SemitismThe unique pressures faced by Jewish students on campusesThe role of social media in spreading campus protestsDistinctions between psychological and intellectual safety in AcademiaThe undermining of the university's role as a space for diverse perspectives About Cary:Cary Nelson is Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts & Sciences Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an affiliated faculty member at the University of Haifa. He holds an honorary doctorate from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Over his distinguished career, Nelson has authored or edited 36 books and published over 400 essays, focusing on modern poetry, critical theory, the politics of higher education, and issues related to antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From 2006 to 2012, he served as president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), advocating for academic freedom and shared governance. Nelson's latest work, “Mindless: What Happened to Universities?”, published on March 6, 2025, examines how universities have deviated from their commitment to shared intellectual principles, leading to environments where extremism and intolerance can flourish. Follow Heterodox Academy on:Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fax5DyFacebook: https://bit.ly/3PMYxfwLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/48IYeuJInstagram: https://bit.ly/46HKfUgSubstack: https://bit.ly/48IhjNF

As our 'Getting to Know the Rishonim' series continues, we explore the towering figure of Rashi with Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, one of the foremost scholars of medieval Jewish thought. French Jewry produced a remarkable corpus of Torah commentators—from Rashi to Rashbam, Bechor Shor, Rav Yosef Kara, and Hizkuni. What makes this school of biblical interpretation unique, and is there a common thread in their methodologies? We also examine the process by which Rashi's Torah commentary achieved a near-canonical status—how early did this happen, and why? One of the most debated aspects of Rashi's legacy is his relationship with Peshuto Shel Mikra. While Rashi famously states that his goal is to explain the simple meaning of the text, he frequently incorporates Aggadah. How should we understand his approach to peshat and his use of Midrash? Are peshat and aggadah fundamentally intertwined in his conception of biblical interpretation? Finally, we discuss whether the way Rashi is studied today aligns with how he originally intended his commentary to be understood. Join us for a fascinating deep dive into Rashi's methodology, influence, and lasting legacy.---• Bio: Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel is the E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law at Yeshiva University, where he teaches and directs doctoral dissertations at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. He researches the fields of medieval and early modern Jewish intellectual history and rabbinic literature. Rabbi Kanarfogel received his PhD from Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and his rabbinical ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of nine books and nearly 100 articles, and is a winner of the National Jewish Book Award, the Association for Jewish Studies' Jordan Schnitzer Book Prize, and the International Book Award sponsored by the Goldstein-Goren Center for Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Rod Ilian, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel Maksumov, Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

In this episode, Dr Amira Halperin speaks with Professor Chaim Hames, the Rector of Ben Gurion University of the Negev. They discuss the horrific situation on campus following October 7th when, 88 members of the BGU community, students, staff, and family members, were murdered, and 6 students were taken hostage. One-third of the student body are active reservists. Prof. Hames also shares his experiences and actions regarding academic boycotts and radicalisation on campuses outside of Israel.    Professor Hames is a historian of religious thought. He received his PhD in Medieval History from Cambridge University in 1996.

Für seinen neuen Roman "Stadt der Hunde" ist Leon de Winter tief in die Recherche gegangen. Für ihn war das hochinteressant, eine Phase, die er sehr ausgekostet hat, die nicht nur deshalb neun Jahre lang gedauert hat. Leon de Winter erzählt die Geschichte von einem renommierten niederländischen Gehirnchirurgen, der bereits im Ruhestand ist, seine Ruhe aber nicht findet. Vor Jahren ist seine Tochter in Israel verschwunden. Jedes Jahr reist er deshalb nach Tel Aviv und in die Wüste Negev. Dieses Mal wird er gebeten, eine äußerst komplizierte Gehirnoperation durchzuführen. Eröffnet sich hier eine neue Spur zu seiner Tochter? Der Schriftsteller und Filmemacher Leon de Winter schreibt über Israel nicht ohne auch den grausamen Terrorangriff der Hamas am 7. Oktober 2023 zu flankieren. Leon de Winter verwebt in seinem neuen Roman die Stimmung im Land, in der israelischen Gesellschaft, die Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Ultraorthodoxen, Nationalreligiösen und Liberalen. Und schließlich den Konflikt zwischen Juden und der arabischen Bevölkerung. Über "Stadt der Hunde", darüber wie eine friedliche Zukunft im Nahen Osten aussehen könnte, spricht Leon der Winter mit Annemarie Stoltenberg in "NDR Kultur à la carte".

In a first for Israel, a tomb complex holding the bones of about 60 individuals was recently uncovered in the Negev region of southern Israel. On today's program, Let the Stones Speak host Brent Nagtegaal speaks with Israel Antiquities Authority senior researcher and Negev expert Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini about the unique discovery. https://armstronginstitute.org/1189-2500-year-old-tomb-complex-discovered-at-critical-crossroads-in-southern-israel

I Samuel 30:1-5 (NIV) David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel I Samuel 30:6-7 (NIV) David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, Own Your Spirit Pray for Guidance I Samuel 30:8 (NIV) …and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” Go Together I Samuel 30:9 (NIV) David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind. Expect Recovery  I Samuel 30:18 (NIV) David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken…

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Detours, Camels, and Unexpected Journeys: A Desert Tale Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-02-10-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: המכונית נעה על הכביש המתפתל דרך מדבר הנגב.En: The car moved along the winding road through the Negev Desert.He: ירון ישב במושב הנהג, ידיו על ההגה ועיניו נצמדות לכיוון הכביש, בעוד תוכנת ה-GPS התעקשה לכוון אותם לכיוונים שגויים.En: Yaron sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel and his eyes glued to the road, while the GPS insisted on directing them in the wrong directions.He: "בפעם השלישית היום שהיא שולחת אותנו לחוות גמלים," הוא נאנח.En: "The third time today it's sending us to a camel farm," he sighed.He: נעה, ישבה לידו במושב הנוסע, ראשה נשען על החלון וידיה מחבקות מצלמה קטנה.En: Noa sat beside him in the passenger seat, her head resting on the window and her hands cradling a small camera.He: "אולי זה סימן," היא חייכה.En: "Maybe it's a sign," she smiled.He: "אולי צריך לחוות קצת גמלים בדרך לטברנה.En: "Maybe we need to experience some camels on the way to the tavern."He: "ירון גלגל את עיניו.En: Yaron rolled his eyes.He: "אבל אנחנו צריכים להגיע בזמן לסיור במודל המשכן.En: "But we need to get to the Model Tabernacle tour on time."He: "הכבישים היו פתוחים ושקטים, כשהם נעים דרך נופים של חול זהוב וסלעים חומים תחת שמים כחולים ונקיים.En: The roads were open and quiet as they traveled through landscapes of golden sand and brown rocks under clear, blue skies.He: האוויר היה קריר בחורף של הנגב.En: The air was cool in the Negev's winter.He: "אולי אנחנו פשוט צריכים להשתמש במפה הישנה שבמגירה," הציע ירון.En: "Maybe we should just use the old map from the drawer," suggested Yaron.He: הוא פתח את תא הכפפות והוציא את המפה המקומטת.En: He opened the glove compartment and pulled out the crumpled map.He: "אין מה לעשות, צריך לחזור לדרכים ישנות.En: "We have no choice; we need to go back to old ways."He: "נעה התעקשה לנסות לטעום את כל מה שהטבע והדרך מציעה.En: Noa insisted on trying to taste everything nature and the road had to offer.He: הדרך לחוות הגמלים הייתה מלאה ברפתקאות לא מתוכננות, אך כשכירון חיפש את הדרך הנכונה עם המפה, הם מצאו עצמם מובילים שיירת גמלים דרך כפר קטן.En: The journey to the camel farm was filled with unplanned adventures, but as Yaron searched for the right path with the map, they found themselves leading a camel procession through a small village.He: הכפר התנפץ לחיים.En: The village burst to life.He: התושבים המקומיים יצאו לחגוג את המראה יוצא הדופן.En: The local residents came out to celebrate the unusual sight.He: ילדים רצו בגילאיונות, ונראה היה כי כולם חייכו בשובבות כאשר הגמלים עברו דרך הרחובות הצרים.En: Children ran around in excitement, and it seemed everyone smiled mischievously as the camels passed through the narrow streets.He: לבסוף, לאחר כל ההסטות והעצירות הבלתי צפויות, ירון ונעה הגיעו למשכן.En: Finally, after all the detours and unexpected stops, Yaron and Noa reached the Tabernacle.He: השעון הראה שהם הגיעו בזמן לסגירה, אבל צוות המקום חשב שהם חלק מהמצעד הבלתי מתוכנן של הגמלים והחליט לקיים ביקור ערב מיוחד.En: The clock showed they arrived just before closing, but the staff thought they were part of the impromptu camel parade and decided to hold a special evening visit.He: "אני לא מאמין שהגענו בסוף," אמר ירון, עיניו מחייכות בחיוך מותש.En: "I can't believe we made it in the end," said Yaron, his eyes smiling with exhaustion.He: "ולפעמים המסע עצמו הוא היעד," השיבה נעה, מחייכת אליו.En: "And sometimes the journey itself is the destination," replied Noa, smiling back at him.He: עם סיום הערב, ירון הבין את החשיבות של חוויות בלתי צפויות ונעה הבינה כי לפעמים תכנון חשוב לא פחות.En: As the evening concluded, Yaron realized the importance of unexpected experiences, and Noa understood that sometimes planning is just as important.He: הם צעדו ביחד תחת כיפת השמיים המוארת בכוכבים, מתחילים להעריך את מה שיש למדבר להציע.En: They walked together under the starlit sky, beginning to appreciate what the desert had to offer. Vocabulary Words:winding: מתפתלsteering wheel: הגהglued: נצמדותinsisted: התעקשהsigh: נאנחcradling: מחבקותsign: סימןtavern: טברנהrolled: גלגלlandscapes: נופיםcompartment: תאcrumpled: מקומטתunplanned: לא מתוכננותadventures: הרפתקאותdetours: הסטותprocession: שיירתvillage: כפרburst: התנפץcelebrate: לחגוגmischievously: בשובבותnarrow: צריםclosing: סגירהimpromptu: בלתי מתוכנןparade: מצעדexhaustion: מותשdestination: היעדconcluded: סיוםappreciate: להעריךunexpected: בלתי צפויותstarlit: מוארת בכוכביםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Dr. Yael Dekel, a literary scholar at the Open University and Ben Gurion University of the Negev and a lead fellow at Brandeis University's Institute of Advanced Israel Studies, talks about the Literary Laboratory: how can digital methods be used to study the canon of Israeli literature - and redefine it, along the way? This episode is part of a series in partnership with the Institute of Advanced Israel Studies at Brandeis University.

When the second truce in Israel's War of Independence went into effect on July 18, 1948, Israel was militarily in a far better position than it had been at the outbreak of the War. Still, work was still very much cut out for the nascent IDF as Egyptian forces had pressed so deep into the Negev that they were able to menace the key artery linking Tel Aviv to the southern towns and Jewish settlements. Israel's innovative, young commander of the Negev campaign was Yigal Allon. In order to break the Egyptian hold, he would have to get his troops to the south undetected. Allon's soldiers discovered an ancient route built by the Romans 2000 years earlier, known as the Ruheiba Trail. The Egyptians logically expected an Israeli assault from the conventional route and were totally unprepared for an enemy that materialized out of nowhere from a trail that was concealed and provided natural cover. Audio credits: Trailer: To Cast a Giant Shadow Pacific Front Untold – Flying the Hump vs The Burma Road Kings and Generals – The First Arab-Israeli war 1948 The Armchair Historian – Brutal Urban Combat - Battle for Fallujah 2004 Fox News – Fallujah General details the True Challenges of Gaza Invasion Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com Don't forget to subscribe, like and share! Let all your friends know that that they too can have a new favorite podcast. © 2025 Media Education Trust llc

The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighbouring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.” (Deut 1: 6 – 8)I wonder if God is saying that to you: “you have stayed in this place long enough and it's time to move on. Go in and take possession of the land”. Now, of course, there are times to “hang in there”, persevere with people or situations, and there are seasons when we must wait on the Lord. God is not in a hurry, and to walk away from a challenge or a difficult set of circumstances might not be the right thing to do. God may want us to go through it and grow through it. But there are also times to leave and take possession somewhere else. How might we discern the difference? Obviously, there isn't a “cookie-cutter” answer to that question, but perhaps there are some clues in today's verses.  First, God's people knew there was a big picture. A bigger picture than living next to a mountain. They were called to the Promised Land, not Mt Horeb. The mountain was always going to be temporary. Perhaps there are moments when it is appropriate to pray, “Lord, what is the big picture of your will for me? Have I become too comfortable where I am? Have I completed all the work you called me to do here? Is there a further horizon I must walk towards?”Second, and related to the first, what has God already given you that you are not living in the good of? A calling or a sense of something more. What have you not yet taken possession of? The Lord said, “see I have given you this land. Go in and take possession…” Perhaps you have a talent that you can't use where you are. Perhaps you have a sense of call that is not realised where you are currently serving. It might be that doors are closed at your own Mt Horeb that prevent you from improving and growing. Within his sovereign purposes, God has a destiny for each one of us. Staying where we are when we need to embrace the challenges of leaving and moving forward may prevent us from experiencing the blessings that he has planned for us. It takes courage to listen to the voice that says, “it is time to break camp and advance”. But there is no other way to get to the Promised Land. 

After the first truce was called in Israel's War of Independence, the United States and Britain, acting through the United Nations, wished to secure a lasting peace in the region. The United Nations mediator was Count Foke Bernadotte, who unabashedly viewed himself as a soon-to-be Nobel Prize laureate and assumed many liberties that succeeded in making himself extremely unpopular to both sides of the conflict.  Bernadotte's scheme for achieving regional peace entailed amputating the Negev region from Israel and limiting Jewish immigration.  With pressure mounting upon Israel to make concessions that it could not afford, the prudent option Ben Gurion concluded was to take the Negev by force. Young and brilliant commander Yigal Allon was responsible for this campaign and employed some innovative techniques that would become the hallmark of Israeli military strategy. Audio Credits Audiology 1948- Arab-Israeli War Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com Don't forget to subscribe, like and share! Let all your friends know that that they too can have a new favorite podcast. © 2025 Media Education Trust llc

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: A Spark of Discovery: Saving the Negev's Endangered Flora Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-01-01-08-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: כשהשמש החורפית שוקעת על מדבר הנגב, אורות מחנה המחקר מנצנצים באופק.En: As the winter sun sets over the Negev Desert, the lights of the research camp twinkle on the horizon.He: אראל, אקולוגית מסורה, בוחנת את הנוף המדברי.En: Aral, a dedicated ecologist, surveys the desert landscape.He: יחד איתה נמצאים נועם ושירה, שני חברי צוות נאמנים, המשכימים קום בכל בוקר למען פרויקט שימור חשוב.En: With her are Noam and Shira, two loyal team members who rise early every morning for the sake of an important conservation project.He: החורף בנגב יותר קריר, והלילות אפילו קרים, אך אור החנוכיה נותן חום וחגיגיות.En: Winter in the Negev is cooler, and the nights are even colder, but the light of the Hanukkiah provides warmth and festivity.He: אראל רצתה לגלות תגלית מדעית משמעותית שתסייע בהגנה על צמחים בסכנת הכחדה.En: Aral wanted to make a significant scientific discovery that would help protect endangered plants.He: היא האמינה בנגב, אך הספקות לא הרפו ממנה.En: She believed in the Negev, but doubts did not let her go.He: כשהתפשטו שמועות על תקלות בציוד, הלחץ רק גבר.En: When rumors of equipment failures spread, the pressure only increased.He: המממן דרש תוצאות מהירות, אך המחקר דרש זמן וסבלנות.En: The sponsor demanded quick results, but the research required time and patience.He: יום אחד, לאחר שיחה עם אחד מאנשי הקהילה הבדואית המקומית, עולה רעיון חדש במוחה של אראל.En: One day, after a conversation with a member of the local Bedouin community, a new idea dawned on Aral.He: אולי הם יודעים איך להתגבר על הקשיים במדבר?En: Maybe they knew how to overcome the challenges of the desert?He: הם ידעו כיצד לקרוא את האותות של הצמחים, כיצד לשרוד בתנאי הקיצון.En: They knew how to read the signals of the plants, how to survive in extreme conditions.He: אראל ביקשה מהבדואים לכוון את צוות המחקר לשיטות הישנות.En: Aral asked the Bedouins to guide the research team to the old methods.He: הלילות עברו, וחג החנוכה הגיע.En: The nights passed, and the holiday of Hanukkah arrived.He: סביב החנוכיה, שירה ונועם הציעו חגיגה קטנה כדי להרים את מצב הרוח.En: Around the Hanukkiah, Shira and Noam suggested a small celebration to lift their spirits.He: האור בחשכה נסך נחמה, וסיפורי מכבים ותיפוח שביב התקווה עודדו את אראל.En: The light in the darkness offered comfort, and stories of the Maccabees and nurturing a spark of hope encouraged Aral.He: היא התעמקה במחקר, חקרה מסמכים ושוחחה עם חברי הצוות בשגרירות האנושיות והידע.En: She delved into the research, studied documents, and communicated with the team, rich in humanity and knowledge.He: בלילה השמיני והאחרון של חג החנוכה, נצנץ רעיון חדש במוחה של אראל.En: On the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, a new idea sparkled in Aral's mind.He: המשלבת הישנה והחדש, אראל ופיתחה טכניקה חדשה לאסוף נתונים קריטיים.En: Combining the old with the new, she developed a new technique to collect critical data.He: הטכניקה שילבה בין ידע מדעי עדכני לבין מסורות עתיקות למדידת דפוסי צמיחה בצמחים המדבריים.En: The technique blended up-to-date scientific knowledge with ancient traditions for measuring growth patterns in desert plants.He: כשעלה היום המחרת, אראל והצוות החלו לאסוף את הדגימות.En: As the next day dawned, Aral and the team began collecting the samples.He: שעה אחר שעה, התגלו דפוסים חשובים על הצמח המדברי בסכנת הכחדה.En: Hour after hour, important patterns about the endangered desert plant emerged.He: התגלית העניקה לצוות כספים נוספים להמשך המחקר.En: The discovery provided the team with additional funds to continue the research.He: אראל, שנאבקה בלבטים, מצאה כעת ביטחון בעצמה ובעבודתה.En: Aral, who had struggled with doubts, now found confidence in herself and her work.He: ההתנסות למד אותה ערך השיתוף והקשבה לאחרים.En: The experience taught her the value of sharing and listening to others.He: השילוב בין ידע מדעי ומסורתי פתח בפניה דלתות חדשות.En: The combination of scientific and traditional knowledge opened new doors for her.He: המאמץ השתלם, והאור של חנוכה לווה את הצוות בדרכם להצלחה בשימור צמחי המדבר היקרים.En: The effort paid off, and the light of Hanukkah accompanied the team on their path to success in preserving the precious desert plants. Vocabulary Words:desert: מדברecologist: אקולוגיתdedicated: מסורהsake: למעןconservation: שימורendangered: בסכנת הכחדהdoubts: ספקותspread: התפשטוpressure: לחץincreased: גברsponsor: מממןpatience: סבלנותcommunity: קהילהchallenge: קשייםsurvive: לשרודextreme: קיצוןguide: לכווןcelebration: חגיגהduplicate: שילבהspark: שביבtechnique: טכניקהcritical: קריטייםtraditions: מסורותemerged: התגלוdawn: שחרconfidence: ביטחוןexperience: התנסותsharing: שיתוףlistening: הקשבהeffort: מאמץBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Mystical Lights of the Negev: An Untold Desert Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-01-01-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בלילות חורף קרירים במדבר הנגב, נועם, סופר מסעות חקרן וחובב סיפורים, הגיע למקום ספוג היסטוריה וסודות עתיקים.En: On cool winter nights in the Negev Desert, Noam, an inquisitive travel writer and story enthusiast, arrived at a place soaked with history and ancient secrets.He: לצידו עמדה אילנה, מדריכה מקומית, שבין כל סוגי הסלעים והחולות, החזיקה בכל הסודות והאגדות של האזור.En: Beside him stood Ilana, a local guide, who held all the secrets and legends of the area among the various types of rocks and sands.He: יחד, צעדו אל עבר האופק על מנת לגלות את סוד האור המסתורי שמופיע בלילות.En: Together, they walked toward the horizon to uncover the secret of the mysterious light that appears at night.He: המדבר נפרש לפניהם, מתמלא בגבעות חול ורוחות שהעבירו סיפורים מן הזמנים הרחוקים.En: The desert stretched out before them, filled with sand dunes and winds that carried stories from distant times.He: השמיים היו זרועים כוכבים, משמרים זיכרונות שנותנים השראה לאגדות שונות.En: The sky was scattered with stars, preserving memories that inspired various legends.He: בימי חנוכה אלו, סימלו האורות של הקשת בשמיים אירועים מופלאים ורקיע מלא תקווה.En: During these Hanukkah days, the lights of the rainbow in the sky symbolized wonderful events and a sky full of hope.He: נועם, עם עיניו התרה בראשה של אילנה, שאל: "מה הסיפור מאחורי האור הזה?En: Noam, with his eyes searching Ilana's head, asked, "What is the story behind this light?"He: " אילנה, בחיוך חמים ומתוך אהבתה למורשת התרבותית, הסבירה לו כיצד הדורות במרוצה התייחסו לאור הזה כסימן למשהו מעבר להבנה ולתובנות הרגילות שלנו, משהו שמעבר למדע.En: Ilana, with a warm smile and out of love for cultural heritage, explained to him how generations over time have regarded this light as a sign of something beyond our usual understanding and insights, something beyond science.He: נועם, למרות הספקנות הראשונית שלו, ידע שהוא חייב להישען על ניסיונה של אילנה.En: Despite his initial skepticism, Noam knew he had to rely on Ilana's experience.He: כך נוצרה ביניהם מערכת של אמון וכבוד, כשאילנה הסכימה להנחות אותו כל עוד המסתורין נשאר מוגן.En: Thus, a relationship of trust and respect was formed between them as Ilana agreed to guide him as long as the mystery remained protected.He: כששניהם עמדו על ראש גבעה, הלילה החל לרדת.En: As they stood together on the top of a hill, the night began to fall.He: לפתע הופיעה קרן האור, נעה כמו מפה קסומה בשמיים, מציירת דמויות וחזיונות שלא ניתן היה להסביר.En: Suddenly, a beam of light appeared, moving like a magical map in the sky, painting figures and visions that could not be explained.He: נועם עמד המום, עיניו פקוחות לרווחה.En: Noam stood in awe, his eyes wide open.He: אילנה, שעמדה לצידו, הרגישה את הרוח הקלה נושבת וידעה שבאור הזה מסתתרים דברים שהיא לא ידעה, אלא העניקה להם משמעות חדשה בזמן הזה.En: Ilana, standing beside him, felt the gentle breeze blowing and knew that in this light were hidden things she did not know but had given new meaning to at this time.He: האור לא נתן תשובות אך הוסיף את אור הזוהר לסיפור של נועם.En: The light did not provide answers but added the glow to Noam's story.He: הוא הבין שהפעם, הסיפור לא נמצא בגילוי והפרכה אלא בכבוד לשמירה על המסתורין.En: He understood that this time, the story was not in discovery and refutation but in the respect for preserving the mystery.He: אילנה חשה בנוח לדעת שחלקה את עולמה עם מישהו שהעריך את הקסם ונותר נאמן לרוח הדברים.En: Ilana felt comfortable knowing she shared her world with someone who appreciated the magic and remained true to the spirit of things.He: כך, בין דיונות המדבר ומראות האור, למדו נועם ואילנה את חשיבות השמירה על מסתורין ואת הכוח שיש לקסמם של סיפורים לא מסופרים.En: Thus, between the desert dunes and the visions of light, Noam and Ilana learned the importance of preserving mystery and the power of the magic in untold stories. Vocabulary Words:inquisitive: חקרןenthusiast: חובבsoaked: ספוגancient: עתיקיםsecrets: סודותhorizon: אופקuncover: לגלותdunes: גבעותscattered: זרועיםpreserving: משמריםlegends: אגדותsymbolized: סימלוbeyond: מעברinsights: תובנותskepticism: ספקנותreliance: הישעןhill: גבעהbeam: קרןvisions: חזיונותawe: המוםgentle: הקלהbreeze: רוחglow: זוהרrefutation: הפרכהpreserving: שמירהmystery: מסתוריןimportance: חשיבותuntold: לא מסופריםcultural heritage: מורשת תרבותיתmagical: קסומהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

A new community has been established in the eastern Negev. This one sponsored by the Hashomer Hahadash movement, a social educational organization whose goal is to assist farmers and ranchers and aimed at building attachment to the land. Home to 20 young families already, it is called Mitzpe Yoni, in memory of Col. Yonatan Steinberg, the commander of the Nahal Brigade who fell in battle during the October 7 Hamas attack. Reporter Arieh O’Sullivan spoke with the founder and CEO of Hashomer Hahadash Yoel Zilberman about the new Zionist endeavor. (photo: courtesy) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The upcoming concert of the Petach Tikva Museum of Art Orchestra, "Sounds of the Seasons" is a musical accompaniment to the exhibition currently showing at the museum: "In Their Image, Album Darom (southern album)" which presents photographs of the western Negev region from the 1950s through the events of October 7th and the fighting in the south. At the heart of the December 18th concert is "Winter," composed by Staff Sergeant Uri Bar Or, a promising young composer, who wrote the piece at the age of 17, and who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip last May, at the age of 21. Michal Oren, music director of the Petach Tikva Museum of Art Orchestra spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Violence is never the answer for Khitam Abu Bader. That's why she tries to fight for peace.Khitam is helping to build Ma'oz Darom South by promoting regional development in the Negev, collaborating with local leaders, and empowering communities. She has extensive experience in leadership and youth development, previously directing the Raidat Leadership Program for Women at Desert Stars and the Arab sector activities of Krembo Wings for youth with and without disabilities.The Bedouin social activist finds herself in a complicated position with Israel's military campaign in Gaza: As a person dedicated to creating a shared society in Israel, and as a Palestinian and Arab woman, Khitam mourns Jews, Israelis, and Palestinians. She constantly tries to emphasize our "shared humanity" in the hopes for coexistence.Now, she joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including what Zionism is for her, how October 7 affected her, and whether peace is possible.This interview was held on Dec. 11.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Bedouin, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?Can you share more about your experience of October 7?How have your religious views changed since October 7? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?What kind of work do you do to create a shared society?What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?What do you see when bringing Arab and Jewish students together?What is Zionism for you?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel's government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?What does the world misunderstand about Israeli society?What is a book you think everyone should read about Israel?What do you wish the world knew about the Palestinian and Bedouin communities in Israel?Where do you identify on Israel's political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel?

Passage: 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then, and our tongues with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord had done great things for us; we were joyful. 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, like watercourses in the Negev. 5 Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. 6 Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. -- Psalms 126:1-6 (CSB) Song: Psalm 126 (https://open.spotify.com/track/2Urw2FGFCqSaPhhH9DpAzx?si=c202eeea1ff64241)by Paul Zach, Isaac Wardell, Orlando Palmer, Liz Vice Lyrics: Our mouths they were filled, filled with laughter Our tongues they were loosed, loosed with joy Restore us, O Lord Restore us, O Lord Although we are weeping Lord, help us keep sowing The seeds of Your Kingdom For the day You will reap them Your sheaves we will carry Lord, please do not tarry All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy The nations will say, "He has done great things!" The nations will sing songs of joy Restore us, O Lord Restore us, O Lord Although we are weeping Lord, help us keep sowing The seeds of Your Kingdom For the day You will reap them Your sheaves we will carry Lord, please do not tarry All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy All those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy Prayer: O Almighty God, give to your servant a meek and gentle spirit, that I may be slow to anger, and easy to mercy and forgiveness. Give me a wise and constant heart, that I may never be moved to an intemperate anger for any injury that is done or offered. . . . Let no sickness or cross accident, no employment or weariness, make me angry or ungentle and discontented, or unthankful, or uneasy to them that minister to me; but in all things make me like unto the holy Jesus. Amen.  -Jeremy Taylor

The Abraham Accords marked a significant foreign policy achievement for President Donald Trump at the end of his first term in 2020. What's next for the Abraham Accords under a new Trump administration?  Joining us is Rob Greenway, Director of the Allison Center for National Security at the Heritage Foundation and former senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs on the National Security Council, to discuss the opportunities and challenges President Trump will face in the Middle East. Guest hosted by Benjy Rogers, AJC's Director for Middle East and North Africa Initiatives, Greenway draws on his firsthand experience with the Abraham Accords to explore how these agreements can be expanded and how security and economic cooperation between Israel and its neighbors can be strengthened. Resources: AJC Experts Assess the Global Impact of Trump's Election What President-Elect Trump's Nominees Mean for Israel, Antisemitism, and More The Abraham Accords, Explained Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Honoring Israel's Lone Soldiers This Thanksgiving: Celebrating Service and Sacrifice Away from Home The ICC Issues Arrest Warrants: What You Need to Know What President-Elect Trump's Nominees Mean for Israel, Antisemitism, and More Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Rob Greenway: Manya Brachear Pashman: The landmark achievement of the first Trump Administration was President Trump's ability to successfully broker peace treaties between Israel and the Arab countries of the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. While much has changed since the September 2020 signing of the Abraham Accords, there are high hopes that a second Trump Administration will once again focus on brokering Arab-Israeli peace. This week, my colleague Benjy Rogers, AJC's Director for Middle East and North Africa Initiatives, invited an expert from the first Trump administration to share his insights on what to expect. Benjy, the mic is yours.    Benjamin Rogers:   What can we expect from the incoming Trump administration, particularly when it comes to the committee's policy and the future of the Abraham Accords and regional integration? To help us break it all down, we're joined by someone who's been at the center of these historic developments, Rob Greenway.  Rob is the director of the Allison Center for National Security at the Heritage Foundation, where he formulates policy to defend American freedom and prosperity. Rob has first hand experience with the Abraham Accords, having served as Deputy Assistant to the President and senior director of the National Security Council's Middle Eastern and North African Affairs Directorate during the first Trump administration.  Rob has more than 30 years in public service, including as President and Executive Director of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, advocating for the expansion of the agreements he helped craft. Rob has also served as Senior Intelligence Officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency, and is a decorated combat veteran within the US Army Special Forces.  Rob, welcome to People of the Pod. We are honored to have you here. Rob Greenway:   It's my great pleasure. Thanks for having me. Benjamin Rogers:   Let's jump right into it. Much has changed in the Middle East since the last Trump administration, while the hope of the Abraham Accords continued into the Biden administration, the horrors of October 7 in its aftermath have transformed the region.  How do you think the next Trump administration will address the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and do you see renewed hope for continuing to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords? Rob Greenway:   It's a great question. I'll start in reverse order, because that's the optimistic part, right? The hope in all of the relatively dark circumstances and the escalation of the conflict that's really accelerated, but didn't begin in October the seventh, but it certainly accelerated dramatically. I certainly judge that there is hope. And there's hope because the shared interest between Israel and its neighboring countries is, in fact, very strong.  And that the US fundamentally, and certainly under a Trump administration, I think, will reprioritize efforts to normalize Israel's relations with its neighbors, to confront shared adversaries, which obviously is Iran, its surrogates and proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. But also because the economic potential has to be unlocked through integration of Israel and its neighbors and the countries within the region.  They all know this, and they all recognize the intrinsic importance of it, so both for security purposes and for economic reasons, the normalization process will be resumed, certainly under a Trump administration as a matter of policy. It is, in many ways, the solution to the problems we're seeing in the region right now. Benjamin Rogers:   Say a little bit more about that, Rob, if you would, what particular solutions do you think can come as a result of expansion of Abraham Accords, regional integration? Rob Greenway:   Sure. On the one hand, the practical side of it is Israel's defense is better done working with and through with other partners, not just the United States, but its neighbors, so the extent to which cooperation could be expanded, they can jointly meet the threat from Iran, and will, in fact, have to do so.  Iran, unfortunately, has been fed too long by appeasement the last four years. It's flush with cash. It's at nuclear threshold. The only way for Israel to effectively defend itself is more often than not, working with like-minded partners, and certainly the United States. Together, I think it's easier to provide a defense. Remember the ballistic missile attacks against Israel, which now unfortunately, have happened twice. It took a regional neighborhood response to that in order to effectively detect and intercept the range of missiles and drones and cruise missiles coming from Iran. That's a picture of what the potential is and should be.  It's also a strong deterrent. When Israel's standing with its partners and allies in the region, it discourages the escalation that Iran is responsible for. And again, the economic potential is also critical, and it's so important that they would protect and defend the relationship, because it's so vital to all of their future potential. Benjamin Rogers:   I appreciate what you said on defense, and I think that makes a lot of sense, but I want to drill into a little bit more on the economic side of things, because it's easiest to say, hey, look, there's greater ties, there's greater business. This is a region that, little over 10 years ago, went through the Arab Spring. This is a region that is not all the Gulf. This is a region where there's lots of poverty and there's lots of struggles. A region that is impacted by the daily changes throughout the globe. How does economic cooperation address some of those concerns? Address some of those issues? How does a more integrated Middle East, will it actually make your average person on the streets, life better? How do you get there? Rob Greenway:   So first, a couple of points. If you talk to countries in the region. They all share similar concerns. They look a little different, but they have similar concerns. One is the security environment. Again, each of them have a different focus, but they're all concerned about the security environment, largely again, the threat from Iran.  Second is that they've got a domestic population that, in all too many cases, ultimately will have difficulty finding employment for its large youth population, growing population below the age of 25. They're all very cognizant of this, and they know that the solution is economic integration, regionally and perhaps globally. And so they know that they have a problem. They know that the solution is better integration. It's historically not been the case. Intra-GCC trade has always been less than 15% historically, Europe and Russia are probably still trading more than that now, even though they're at war essentially in Europe, but the GCC has not done so, but they know that they can't sustain it. Second, how it helps average individuals. The employment opportunities. And look, it's not just integrating the country's economies. The reality is, the strongest economic potential is allowing market markets to be connected between Europe and Asia, through the Middle East. So to move goods and services between Asian and European markets, the Middle East has to be transited.  If you integrate the countries from a transportation standpoint and from an economic standpoint, the potential becomes vast. That's the real economic promise. Integrating a company's bilateral trade with UAE, with Israel, is absolutely spectacular to watch, but that's the beginning. The end is to better integrate economies and markets globally through which the region is a critical transport link. It can happen. They want it to happen, and I think we can make it happen, and I hope we do.  Benjamin Rogers:   That's fascinating. I think it's just such a stark difference in the way we've been approaching the region recently, which is doom and gloom. This is cause for hope. This is a cause for a way forward.  But October 7, we saw, and you've mentioned this country repeatedly, we saw how spoilers can completely upend this hope. You mentioned a little bit, but can you say a little bit more about how the Trump administration is thinking about countries like the Iranian regime, how the Trump administration will ensure that terror organizations like Hezbollah, like Hamas, will not ever be able to threaten this, this pretty remarkable vision that you're sharing today. Rob Greenway:   It's a great question. Maybe the central question. First, we didn't see this threat manifest itself, even though it was there, latent. It didn't just come into creation on October the seventh. Obviously, it existed during the first Trump term, but it never manifested itself this way because it had boundaries. The boundaries come in two ways. First is an absolute, demonstrable commitment to Israel's security, not question, not speculative, not changing or dynamic as it is now and unfortunately, wanting in too many cases, it was ironclad. Everyone in the region knew it, and everyone saw it, and that's an incredibly important part of deterrence. The second and perhaps even more important is denying resources to your adversaries. It sounds fundamental. You shouldn't pay your enemies to attack you, but that's what appeasement is, and that's what's happened in the last four years of the Biden administration.  You can't give the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism $120 billion of excess revenue and not expect them to engage in terrorism. And so they did. The principal applied the first Trump term will absolutely come back in the second and that's denying them the resources. And so for us, you know, I watched Hezbollah for decades, and to see them ask for members to donate their organs to raise funds at the end of the maximum economic pressure campaign, by the end of 2020, as a sign of success, in a sense that they were they were deprived and unable to conduct attacks and enter into that risk. I know that that will have a similar result. It's going to take a while to get back to it, but I strongly believe it has to happen, and I believe that it will happen. Benjamin Rogers:   Thanks Rob. I want to also dive into what's been front and center on a lot of people's rights now, which is Israeli-Palestinian relations. What do you think the Trump approach will be? And this, to me, is particularly interesting, because, you know, we saw early in the Trump administration, the focus on the deal of the century, focus on peace and prosperity. We saw an initial rejection by the Palestinian Authority, by the PLO to any sort of agreement.  We know that many in the Israeli government have a range of views, quite strong views. And I would say the population as a whole, any mechanisms of peace while an ongoing war is happening, particularly in the aftermath of October 7 and something that is more challenging than ever to talk about. How do you see the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and how do you see a Trump administration approaching it? Rob Greenway:   I believe I've read somewhere. I'm sure you did too. There's nothing new under the sun. And in most cases, there are precedents and examples. Look, for over four decades, people pursued the Israel-Palestine conflict as the central issue in the region, and they made no progress on either front. The region didn't get better, and Israel's relationship with the Palestinians didn't improve, empirically and objectively.  The approach in the Trump administration was, what are the most pressing threats to our interest in the region's interest, including Israel? The answer is Iran, its surrogates and proxies. And ISIS in 2017 as you recall. And so the premise is, start with the highest order of threat. If you get the sequence wrong, you know you're going to inevitably have adverse consequences.  You can't paint the kitchen when your house is on fire. It's not a perfect analogy, but the idea is, we have to deal with the most primary threats first, and if you don't deal with Iran as the principal source of instability in the region, you can't make progress on anything else, including this issue. Second, as we heard from, John Kerry's famous remarks in 2016, deeply held belief then, and I fear still now, you cannot make progress on Israel-Arab relations without making progress on the Palestinian file. And he emphasized, you can't. And obviously you can. We proved it in the form of the Abraham Accords, and President Trump led the way. And I think that will come back again. And that, I think, is the key to success. But everyone I talked to in Israel tells me the same thing, the two state solution is dead after October the seventh. At some point it may resurrect itself. I think at the end of the day, we focus on the primary threat, build a stronger relationship between Israel and its neighbors, and then we can also improve the lives of the Palestinian people in a variety of ways, which the Abraham Accords were designed to do and its members insisted on.  And second, as you mentioned, the peace to prosperity plan, I think we'll end up leveraging the work done there, the fantastic work that Jared did, just he did with the Abraham Accords, and resurrect that for what needs to happen next in places like Gaza and South Lebanon. And I think that will improve the lives of the Palestinian people. So it's a reverse sequencing, essentially. I think that gets to a different outcome. But if you start with an impossible, intractable problem, everything else becomes difficult. Benjamin Rogers:   Fascinating. Saudi Arabia. What do you think can be done? What do you think relations are between the US and Saudi Arabia, between Israel and Saudi Arabia. I know there's been strong comments that have got a lot of attention as of late, but where do you see that relationship going? Rob Greenway:   I think the good news is that President Trump's relationship with the kingdom and with Saudi leadership like the region, was exceptional. His first visit as President of the United States on May 17, was to Riyadh and then to Jerusalem, and then to Rome, very deliberately and very intentionally. And the policies he set forth were what we carried as guidance for the four years that followed. And I think it bore fruit.  That relationship is key, and I think it's going to be restored. It was deeply damaged on a number of fronts under the Biden-Harris administration, I think that damage is going to be undone by a different relationship and approach. And second, look, we've had decades, generations of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, as we have with Israel, and that puts President Trump in a unique position to be able to broker the inevitable peace between the two.  But I think it's something that, like most negotiations, and certainly in the Middle East, we should give space for the new administration to do this privately and not have a public negotiation, because all that's going to do is complicated for all parties, and it'll make the end objective more difficult. I think it'll happen. I think it needs to happen.  Last thing I'll say is, it isn't as much about security, although that's certainly a critical part of it. It's also, again, about managing global markets between the United States and Saudi Arabia, because this is what, obviously, for our purposes and for the region's purposes, we've got to be able to do. As long as China is dependent upon Middle Eastern oil and gas, we've got to be able to exercise some control over it. And we can't let Russia, as an exporter and our partners and allies in the region, manage global exports to China.  So this isn't limited to the region itself. Our relationship with Riyadh is vital. It is strategic. It is necessary. It helped us prevail in the Cold War against the Soviet Union. It'll be absolutely vital in competition with China and with Russia. So it's critical on a number of fronts. President Trump instinctively understands this better than I think anyone, and I think he's in a unique position to close the real deal of the century. Benjamin Rogers:   Staying on this topic, for a little bit, where else, what other countries in the Middle East do you think are going to be of a particular focus to the incoming Trump administration? Rob Greenway:   So not surprisingly, Riyadh would unlikely be the only country to join the Accords, not followed by others. So I could think of most other countries in the Gulf would be good candidates. But I also think it's not limited to the region, right? There are a number of other Muslim majority countries that are not necessarily Arab, that reside outside the region that would be enormously beneficial from an economic standpoint and from a diplomatic standpoint. And we had a number of conversations with many countries that fall into this category.  So there's, I think, a new vista that opens with the successful conclusion of getting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish normalized diplomatic relations. And again, I think if you confront Iran, this becomes possible. If you don't confront Iran, it's virtually impossible. Benjamin Rogers:   I want to zoom out, but before I do, you have, you have explained how you've explained in detail, where the Trump administration may go. You've expressed some criticism of the Biden administration. Is there anything related to Middle East policy that the Biden administration pursued?  Things like the Negev Forum, things like the concept of I2U2, of IMEC, things where do you think those are actually helpful mechanisms that may continue into a Trump administration? Or do you think this is essentially going to be a return to priorities that were started in the first Trump administration? Rob Greenway:   I think it's going to be more of the latter than the former. Negev ultimately was taking the Abraham Accords and introducing it into a multilateral fora. But the attempt, I think, was ultimately not successful, not because of October the seventh, but because one they made it a diplomatic conference, which we deliberately didn't do with the Abraham Accords. We were more focused on getting the businessmen together and the parts of the government that dealt with trade and concrete relationships, because that's what they wanted.  So we didn't try and impose a forum on them. We tried to allow it to grow organically in the areas where they were interested, and, frankly, where you could measure the progress. I mean, as you know, having a diplomatic conference is not a difficult thing to do. Having one with an outcome might be a bit of a challenge. So we were inclined to approach it from an economic perspective. Ultimately, we'd like to see it get to the security domain. I think there is a difference. But again, it's an extension of the Accords that were built during the Trump administration. They also intended to insert the Palestinian issue into the equation, and they worked to get it introduced into the forum. I don't know the wisdom behind it, and ultimately, I think it became an impediment, but I will say that ultimately, they did come to the conclusion the Abraham Accords was a good thing. The Abraham Accords was beneficial to the region, and the region wanted to see the US invested in it.  Unfortunately, I think it came too late, and it was overshadowed by the intrinsic policy contradiction of feeding Iran and attempting to deal with the consequences of it. So you can't feed the greatest threat to instability in the region and attempt to work together towards normalization at the same time, the two objectives are in complete opposition to one another. And so they were working across purposes, and the region saw it, and I think they were unable to get progress because of it.  Sudan is probably the only accord member country that unfortunately has collapsed into virtual civil war, which was again a very tragic and unnecessary result of bad policy choice. And it can and it must be reversed. And I trust the Trump second Trump administration would make that a priority as well. Benjamin Rogers:   I'm happy to hear that, because that's an area that we have focused on, and I think absolutely heartbreaking to see what's unfolding in Sudan right now.  I'd be remiss if I didn't make a plug for AJC Center for a New Middle East, which is something our CEO Ted Deutch announced in June, and essentially our concept is, let's take the decades of trust that AJC has cultivated over the last 70+ years. Let's take the network that we have in places like Europe, in the Middle East, with our office in Abu Dhabi and in Jerusalem. We have offices across Asia. We've got offices in Africa.  How can we use that architecture to be a helpful model in bringing people together? So I wanted to ask you, as someone with so much experience on this, what role do you see for civil society organizations in being able to help cultivate, reinvigorate, bring together more hope to a region that is really reeling? Rob Greenway:   Having come from the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, where this was our purpose, and having worked with your offices and your organization and many others, I'm convinced that there is an absolute necessity for private organizations to help contribute to and to ensure that there's continuity and successes are sustained. Especially in the people to people contact, but areas like education, in sports and athletics, enormous potential. And it will require private organizations. This is one of many areas where government doesn't do it well. So I think government has opened a door. It can open others.  Private organizations ultimately are going to determine success and failure, and that includes, of course, businesses. So I think it's absolutely essential, and I think that organizations like AJC and others are uniquely positioned to be able to translate the potential into concrete success in a number of different fronts that either government can't do or it's just not well equipped to do.  So 100% agree, and in fact, again, this is too, where more people external to the region can really make a contribution, and small ways can have a massive impact. And we had the luxury of being able to work on a number. And we saw the fruits of that, and I think we'll continue to see. Some of them take decades to materialize, but it's worth it. Benjamin Rogers:   Amazing. Thanks, Rob. So I promised I would zoom out a little bit, because I know you're not only an expert in the Middle East, but look at the whole globe. Outside of the Middle East, where do you think when it comes to foreign affairs, the Trump administration will be focused?  How will it address issues like Russia, Ukraine? How will it address issues like China?  Rob Greenway:   So if you just consider the staggering array of security challenges that the new Trump administration is going to inherit and confront, it can be overwhelming. For two reasons. First, because it's happening on virtually every continent, right, in every cardinal direction you look, there's not just a crisis, but in many cases, a conflict that is unprecedented or hasn't been seen at this level in a generation. First land war in Europe since the Second World War, a Middle East that hasn't been this unstable since, I think at least 1979, perhaps earlier. These are generational challenges. And I could add to that, of course, China in both the first second island chains and the potential threat against Taiwan. Massive challenges to the international order and the US vital national security interests.  Number two, they're not just connected in a temporal space. Yes, unfortunately, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, are working together in unprecedented ways. The provision of ballistic missiles and drones from Iran, nuclear technology going in the other direction. All horrible. But the fact that they are connected in ways that are impossible to segregate, so you can't solve one problem while you're waiting to solve the other two. Because the solution to each is integrated to the problem in the other.  And energy, as I mentioned already, is just one of those ways, and perhaps one of the most important.  So if you want to restore maximum economic pressure against Iran–and we have to–you're going to be taking them gradually off the international market. Without disrupting prices in everyone's economies, including ours, you've got to compensate for it. There are ways to do it, but Russia is an exporter too, and China is a consumer. So you think about the sequencing behind how to confront these challenges, it is going to be absolutely one of the most complex I think any presidential administration has faced. And again, economic insecurity is integral. And I say that too, because the Trump administration thankfully at the top, with the President himself and many of his trusted advisors and cabinet officials come from a business background, and they understand the economics, because that's the world in which they grew up in. As well as the security domain.  And I think they're uniquely configured to be able to solve this. And they have the experience of working in these regions. A daunting series of challenges. And I think all of us watching this progress need to give them time and patience, because the scope of these challenges are massive. And I didn't mention, you know, the interior crisis at the border and the millions of illegal immigrants, tens of thousands of which are terrorists or known criminals. And that just adds to the complexity, and also can't be addressed in isolation. So massive challenges, all of them connected, security and economic standpoint, and it's going to take time, but this team and the president, I think, are uniquely postured to be able to do it. Benjamin Rogers:   Rob, I really want to thank you for everything today. Before we conclude, any final thoughts? Rob Greenway:   So I'd like to end again on a positive note, because it's easy to get distracted with the crises. The solution to these problems are what make them possible. Seeing the potential is what gives you the drive, the resolve, to fix it, and it also makes it possible. So if there wasn't a good solution to these problems, they would persist.  The reality is that integrating the Middle East and Israel and its neighbors and connecting global markets is key to solving these problems. It's also what's going to prevent it from happening again. If we can lean into it and do it successfully and follow through on what was started, we'll be able to see not only a cessation of these problems, we'll be able to see a real improvement in regional quality of life, and hopefully peace and prosperity will again dominate, rather than conflict and chaos.  Benjamin Rogers:   Alright Rob, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it. Rob Greenway:   My great pleasure. Thanks for having me.

A poll of Negev residents has found that despite concerns for personal safety, a majority of respondents are satisfied with their life in the region, and the primary factor that would compel them to move away are challenges in employment prospects. The survey was carried out ahead of the annual Ben Gurion Report Conference, an initiative of the Merage Foundation, that will be held December 8th at Sde Boker, and will address local and national decision-making on life in the region. Nicole Hod Stroh, Executive Director of the Merage Foundation, spoke with KAN reporter Naomi Segal.  (Photo: Nati Shohat/Flash90)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psalm 126 — Read here.

The Regavim movement congratulated the demolition last week by the Israel Lands Administration of the Bedouin community of Um al Khiran after decades of legal battles, and praised the move as a step to halt the widespread land grab by the Bedouin blocking the development of the Negev. Naomi Khan, the director of the international division at Regavim praised the move and supported her movement's efforts to protect the nation's lands for the future of the State of Israel. (photo: Israel police) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you in the "land between"? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We want you to live all in and know, grow, and go with Jesus every day. Check out the show that dropped yesterday on Spiritual Leadership In Your Family. This might be a helpful video if you have been trying to figure out how to do this. Also, we are just a few chapters away from finishing 1 Samuel. So, I want to prepare you for our next book. We are moving to the New Testament and will start the new year with the Book of James! So go to our website and get the Scripture Journal for this book. There is a link below the video or in the show notes. But for today, let's dive into 1 Samuel 27:5-7: Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. — 1 Samuel 27:5-7 Achish allotted David a "land grant." In some ways, Achish believed that he was buying David's loyalty when, in reality, David was distancing himself from Achish. Ziklag was a border town between Philistine and Israelite territories. Allotted initially to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:31) and later to Simeon (Joshua 19:5), it was lost and came under Philistine control, where it remained until David received it. It was situated in the Negev territory, close enough to Israelite lands for David to maintain connections with his people, but still under Philistine rule, keeping him out of Saul's reach. This strategic positioning allowed David to gain resources and operate independently while avoiding complete alignment with either Israel or Philistia. It was the "land between." Are you living in the "land between"? If so, it's an uncomfortable, undefined space. David left the land of his people but had yet to step into his calling as king. For David, Ziklag was the land between. And sometimes, we find ourselves in similar places — in the middle of what was and what will be. Maybe you're between jobs, between relationships, or in a season of waiting for something God promised but has not yet delivered. In this "land between," God often works in hidden and unexpected ways. In Ziklag, God provided for David through unusual means — through Achish, the Philistine king, who, likely unknowingly, became a part of God's provision. It's a reminder that God can use anyone or anything to sustain us in our “land between.” The people we least expect, the circumstances that seem out of our control — God is weaving all these elements together to prepare us for something greater. But this "between" season can stretch our faith, especially when we don't know how long it will last. Like David, who lived in Ziklag for 16 months, we often want to know the timeline. But the “land between” doesn't come with timelines and deadlines. God uses these spaces to prepare our hearts, refine our character, and strengthen our trust in Him. It's a holding place but also a growing place. If you're in that space today, trust that God is at work. He knows where you are and what you need. And just as David eventually left Ziklag to step fully into his calling, God will lead you out of your “land between” in His perfect timing. So, lean into this season. Grow. Trust. And have faith that God is shaping you for what's next. I love you and pray that even today, God will provide you with resources, reasons, and resolutions to your "land between." #ZiklagSeason, #FaithInTheWaiting, #TrustGodsTiming Ask This: In what ways are you experiencing a “land between” season right now, and how is God calling you to trust Him in it? How might God use unexpected people or circumstances to sustain you during this season? Do This: Be faithful in the land between. Pray This: Lord, help me trust You in this season of waiting, even when I can't see the full picture. Strengthen my faith and prepare me for what's next. Amen. Play This: Make A Way.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. For nearly a year, Israel has been forced to fight a war on seven fronts: against Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Houthis in Yemen; various Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and also in Syria; against Iranian efforts to arm Palestinian militants in the West Bank; and against Iran itself, which first attacked Israel in April and then again on Tuesday night. Rettig Gur examines how Israel has moved to a more offensive position this week, and how far it may go before the United States's bear hug becomes a restraint. And to close out this holiday episode, Rettig Gur speaks about what makes the Jewish New Year different from every other major holiday. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Biden: US opposes Israel hitting Iran nuclear sites, response should be ‘proportional' A nervous Iran wanted to restore old regional order, but Israel is on the offensive Iranian regime's missile assault underlines that Israel, with US, must expedite its demise Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Podwaves. IMAGE: Israelis stand on top of the remains of an Iranian missile in the Negev desert near Arad, on October 2, 2024, in the aftermath of an Iranian missile attack on Israel. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

//The Wire//2000Z September 25, 2024////ROUTINE////BLUF: UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES IN NEW YORK. IED DETONATES IN CALIFORNIA COURTHOUSE. ISRAEL CONTINUES PREPARATION FOR INVASION OF LEBANON.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: Conflict continues to escalate as before. Overnight a drone attack originating from Iraq was carried out on a small Israeli outpost in the Negev desert, causing severe damage. In Israel, growing rhetoric suggests that the IDF is reaching the final stages of readiness for a ground invasion of Lebanon.Syria: Air defenses reportedly intercepted roughly a dozen Israeli missiles overnight. AC: Some reports indicate that the interception of these missiles was not undertaken by Syria, but by Russian forces stationed at their naval base in Tartus. Though this cannot be verified at this time, if true, this would present a substantial move by Russia to become more deliberately involved in the rapidly escalating war.Red Sea/HOA: CENTCOM claims to have destroyed another Houthi long-range drone in the Red Sea.Germany: A man was beaten to death near the Old Botanical Garden in Munich overnight. The group of assailants remains at large.Russia: During a meeting of the Security Council, President Putin proposed a change to Russia's first strike nuclear policy. Specifically, he stated that “It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation”.AC: In short, this proposal would change Russia's nuclear stance to consider attacks by Ukraine (as aided by NATO) to be treated the same as a first-strike by a nuclear power...exactly the situation that Russia is facing right now. Though anything regarding the use nuclear weapons is largely a debate, this is probably concerning nonetheless. Generally speaking, the entire Cold War was predicated on the idea of a mutual, simultaneous nuclear attack, with both sides mostly adopting the position of “I won't launch if you won't”. Now, if Russia is considering a conventional attack that is aided by a nuclear power to be a first-strike itself, this probably will cause great controversy within the field of strategic arms limitation efforts.-HomeFront-Ohio – Yesterday afternoon a rail car began leaking styrene gas in Whitewater township west of Cincinnati. Local evacuations were recommended due to the hazards posed by the gas leak.Florida: In a post made on social media this morning, Donald Trump specifically blamed Iran for “threats on (his) life”. AC: This morning, the United States' Secretary of Commerce (and former Governor of Rhode Island) Gina Raimondo stated that Trump needed to be “extinguished for good” during a media interview. Not 72 hours ago, a group of 741 former “intelligence professionals” signed a letter endorsing Kamala Harris, including some of which who took part in what has become known as the Russia-gate hoax. As such it's highly likely that the alleged Iranian threats to Trump are inaccurate or over-emphasized considering the other more domestic threats Trump openly faces nearly daily.New York: The United Nations General Assembly continues this week amid growing protests from a wide variety of interest groups. Most protests have involved Israel, Palestine, India, Ghana, and Cuba, all regarding various issues in these nations.California: This afternoon an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated inside a courtroom at the Santa Maria courthouse. Two people were wounded in the blast, and one suspect was arrested.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: The California IED attack is the latest in a string of attacks throughout the state involving explosives. On August 28th EOD personnel were dispatched to render safe an explosive device that was likely intended to de