'Sanhedrin': Kill prisoners
if
Shalit doesn't return
Rightist reestablished rabbinical body
says agreement to free hundreds of
terrorists for kidnapped soldier is
treasonous. Their recommendation:
Another war against Hamas, threat to
kill prisoners if captive is not
returned to Israel
"If
Gilad Shalit,
Heaven forbid, is executed or not
returned in peace, prisoners will be
executed immediately," ruled the
court of the reestablished "Sandhedrin"
organization, in a ruling published
last week on the backdrop of the
negotiations
to release the captured Israeli
soldier.
The rabbis even recommended that
Israel
capture senior Palestinian figures –
"including ministers, prime
ministers, and anyone associated
with the enemy's leadership" – as
part of the effort to bring Gilad
home.
"In order to
avoid collapse that would entail,
Heaven forbid, another holocaust,
the Shalit deal must be blocked even
at the cost of his life, while, on
the other hand, any effort must be
taken to rescue him immediately
through using the lives of murderous
terrorists we have in our hands as
hostages," explained the rabbis.
According to the "Sanhedrin," "These
monstrous prisoner release deals,
like the Tannenbaum deal and the
Kuntar deal in which
corpses were
returned in exchange for
the release of masses of murderers,
are road signs on the way to
surrender. The central figures
promoting these moves are
politicians, academics, members of
the media, the Peace Now movement,
and public relations representatives
who receive massive funding from
foreign enemy countries for
despicable acts of treason."
Instead of continuing negotiations
and moving towards carrying out the
prisoner swap deal, the members of
the "Sanhedrin" court recommended
that the State wage another war in
Gaza during this
Hannuka
in order "to exterminate
Hamas
from this world."
According to them, "In any case, the
State of Israel will not be able to
prevent a war unlike any other
simultaneously with all its enemies
- a result of the process called the
'peace' process that is nothing but
a surrender process."
'Acts of treason'
The rabbinic council, associated
with the Right, claimed that the two
most significant decisions made
recently by the government – the
agreement
to release
hundreds of terrorists in exchange
for one captured soldier and the
10-month settlement
building
moratorium – are acts of
treason contrary to the very basis
of the existence of a Jewish state
in the land of Israel that undermine
the physical existence of the Jewish
people.
Because of this, the rabbis called
upon the public "to make conclusions
and ensure its fate" by recruiting
building efforts through the West
Bank, Jerusalem, and the Golan
Heights without waiting for the
decisions of the "surrender
government" to be blocked.
"The 'Sanhedrin' intends to organize
the Jewish people as a public entity
in and of itself, separate from the
feeble government. The 'Sanhedrin'
ask volunteers to contact us in
order to make this dream a reality,"
declared the rabbis.
"If the government were loyal to its
people, it would be obligated to
notify the population residing in
the dense areas on the coastal plain
to disperse throughout Judea and
Samaria, Jerusalem and its vicinity,
north of Ramallah and south of
Bethlehem, in the Judean Desert, in
the vicinity of the mount, along the
Jordan Valley in order to prepare
for the worst, Heaven forbid – an
all-out attack, including an Iranian
nuclear attack."
On the issue of the West Bank
building moratorium, the rabbinical
group said, "There were leaders that
knew how to stand up to American
pressure.
Ben Gurion
did not give in on the status of
Jerusalem and the Negev. Eshkol
started the
Six-Day War.
Begin bombed the Iraqi reactor. All
of these examples despite US
pressure and eventually resulted in
the reinforcement of Israel's
status. The world and the US
Congress appreciate winners and
strong partners, not necessarily
spineless humanists."
"The
government is helping the enemy
expel Israel from its holy
land," the ruling claimed. "To
this end, it gives them many
resources in land, weapons,
water, propaganda, morale, and
human resources in vilifying the
Jewish people in world opinion.
This is hostile, foreign, and
treasonous policy against the
Jewish people … This policy is
aimed at preparing for ethnic
cleansing by expelling 400,000
Jews from their land through a
civil war and endangering th
lives of our people in Israel
and the world."
The
'Sanhedrin' judges concluded,
"The State leadership must
become religious and develop a
perception of war and security
fitting of justice and the goals
of its people that stem from the
uniqueness and special status of
the people of Israel. To this
end, it must consult with the
learned of Israel so that they
may show it the path to return,
part of which is outlined in
this document and other
documents written by the
'Sanhedrin' leadership on the
obligation of the government in
times of war."
Sanhedrin to UN:
Goldstone Will
Bring Judgment Upon You
by
Hillel Fendel
Nov 2, 2009
(IsraelNN.com) The
Sanhedrin has warned the UN General
Assembly not to hold a plenum debate
this Wednesday on the anti-Israel
Goldstone Report.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-Moon and the UN's member
states, the Sanhedrin warns that
continued consideration of what it
calls the "hostile, fallacious, and
malicious" Goldstone document will
bring upon the world the
catastrophic events described in the
Bible's Book of Joel, Chapter 4.
The Goldstone
commission found Israel guilty of
committing war crimes during its
anti-terror Cast Lead offensive in
Gaza early this year. Many in Israel
feel that the commission's purpose
was to categorize Israel's attempt
to fight the same terrorist threat
that threatens the entire world as
"war crimes."
The Sanhedrin is an
initiative of recent years to
recreate the traditional supreme
legal tribunal in Judaism.
The letter reminds
the UN that when it was decided in
Geneva two weeks ago to have its
Security Council discuss and approve
the Goldstone Report, "we sent you a
copy of the injunction issued by the
Sanhedrin’s Court that prohibits any
of the UN institutions from
deliberating on this matter."
The Sanhedrin then explained by
what authority it issues
injunctions to the United
Nations: "The International
Court of the Sanhedrin operates
by the power of the Bible, the
only Holy Writ whose essence was
handed over to mankind at Mt.
Sinai [the Torah], and of the
Prophets, sent to all nations
of the world and universally
held in respect by them. By
virtue of this delegated
authority, passed down from one
generation to the next ever
since the time of Moses our
teacher, the master of all of
prophets, and by virtue of the
succession of authority in
Jewish tradition, we appealed to
you that you might not fail and
thus fail the world, bringing
upon it catastrophe."
The letter states that the
Goldstone Report is an "attack
on the State of Israel, and thus
an attack on the Jewish People,
in order to try to remove it
from the stage of history by an
unprecedented shedding of blood
- tacitly encouraging Iran and
those like it to continue to
develop weapons of mass
destruction while the rest of
the world sits by and looks
on... We are convinced that the
continued discussion of this
report, which is lacking all
moral basis, will lead the
nations of the world, and all of
mankind, to the judgment that
will take place in Jerusalem in
the Valley of Jehoshafat, as
written in the Prophets and
Torah of Israel."
Joel 4 is then cited:
"I will gather all
nations, and will bring them
down into the valley of
Jehoshafat; and I will enter
into judgment with them there
for My people and for My
heritage Israel, whom they have
scattered among the nations, and
divided My land... And the
children of Judah and the
children of Jerusalem you have
sold to the children of the
Jevanim, in order to distance
them from their border. Behold
I will arouse them from the
place where you sold them, and I
will return your retribution
upon your head. And I will sell
your sons and daughters into the
hands of the children of
Judah... Announce this among the
nations: Prepare war, arouse the
mighty men... Beat your
plowshares into swords and your
pruning hooks into spears...
Gather and come, all you nations
from around - and they shall
gather; there the Lord shall
break your mighty men... for
their evil is great...
"And the Lord shall roar from
Zion, and from Jerusalem He
shall give forth His voice, and
the heavens and earth shall
quake, and the Lord is a shelter
to His people and a stronghold
for the children of Israel. And
you shall know that I, the Lord
your God, dwell in Zion, My holy
mount, and Jerusalem shall be
holy, and strangers shall no
longer pass through there....
And Egypt shall become desolate,
and Edom shall be a desert
waste, because of the violence
done to the children of Judah,
because they shed innocent blood
in their land. But Judah shall
remain forever, and Jerusalem
throughout all generations."
The Sanhedrin suggests that
instead of considering the
one-sided report, "you should
establish an investigative
committee agreed upon by the
Jewish people and the Government
of Israel, to investigate the
background to the outbreak of
Operation Cast Lead and the UN’s
contribution to its outbreak,
together with additional
factors... This could be your
blessed initiative, accepting
uopn yourself and your
organization the original spirit
that formed its basis: to
establish peace in the world
acting for the King of the
universe."
The Sanhedrin concludes by
advising that the verse from the
Prophet Isaiah - “Let them beat
their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning hooks
and they shall not learn war
anymore”- that is engraved on
the United Nations wall "will
never be realized via the
Goldstone Report and the
traditional policy of the UN
regarding the State of Israel.
[Instead,] your welcome action
[as advised above] is anxiously
awaited by all mankind. You have
the power to help contribute to
the prevention of wars."
The letter is signed by Rabbi
Dov Stein, Secretary of the
Sanhedrin, and Rabbi Prof.
Hillel Weiss, spokesman.
Sanhedrin
Calls to Reject ‘Messianic’ Sects
(IsraelNN.com)
The Sanhedrin organization called
Thursday to reject groups and
individuals calling themselves Jewish
who promote Christian belief as a part
of Jewish identity. Individuals
professing a belief in Christian
theology have left the Jewish faith and
become apostates, even if they continue
to identify as Jewish, the group said.
Such
individuals should not be allowed to
enlist in the IDF or participate in
activities on behalf of the Jewish
people or the Jewish state, they said,
because their goal is usually to
convince other Jews to accept the
Christian faith. Members of the
Sanhedrin said non-Jews, including
Christians who identify themselves as
Christian and not Jewish, should be
allowed to act on behalf of the Jews or
the Jewish state if they so wish,
because they are not falsely
representing themselves or attempting to
convert Jews away from their faith.
The
ruling came as part of the controversy
over this year’s annual Bible quiz. One
of the teens who participated in the
competition belongs to a family of
“Messianic Jews”—Jews who accept
Christian beliefs but insist that such
beliefs are actually Jewish.
4
Palestinians claim descent from Jews
forced to convert
Four Palestinians from the Hebron Hills
contacted a group of rabbis on Tuesday
and claimed to be the descendents of
Jews who were forced to convert to
Islam.
The Palestinians were accompanied by Zvi
Mesini, a researcher who wrote a book on
the subject and assisted them in
learning more about Judaism. According
to the Palestinians, their families had
removed mezuzahs from their doors in
order to avoid harassment by their
neighbors.
One of the Palestinians said he kept a
tefillin he received from his father's
uncle and another told the rabbis that
his family had once secretly lit candles
on the Sabbath and for Hanukkah, the
Jewish festival of lights.
Mesini told the rabbis, members of a
group called the New Sanhedrin, that he
believes hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians are descended from Jews.
"Such evidence renders the conflict
redundant," Mesini said. "It proves that
Judea and Samaria belongs to both the
recognized Jews and the unrecognized
Jews."
Mesini accused authorities of being
indifferent to his findings.
The New Sanhedrin is known as a
right-wing organization that claims to
be the rightful successors of the
supreme Jewish court of antiquity. Its
goal is to create a state based upon
Jewish law that will replace the current
State of Israel.
Noahides Warmly Welcomed Along Unfamiliar
Journey
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Two non-Jews took vows in Jerusalem this
week, and judges in the new court of Jewish law known as the
"Sanhedrin" deemed them full-fledged Noahides.
The Seven
Laws of Noah, often referred
to as the Noahide Laws, are
a set of seven moral
imperatives that, according
to the Talmud, were given by
G-d to the biblical Noah as
a binding set of laws for
all mankind. According to
Judaism, any non-Jew who
lives according to these
laws is regarded as a
Righteous Gentile and is
assured of a place in the
world to come, the Jewish
concept of heaven.
Adherents, after accepting
upon themselves the Torah of
Moses as truth, are often
called "Bnei Noah" (Children
of Noah) or "Noahides."
A
delegation of rabbis from
the nascent Sanhedrin, a
Jewish legal court
struggling for legitimacy in
the Jewish world, heard and
confirmed the vows, recited
by a teenaged male and a
young woman. It was made
clear that this is not
necessarily a step towards
full conversion to Judaism,
and that Judaism fully
recognizes the role of
non-Jews who are loyal to
the Torah.
Rabbi
Chaim Richman of the Temple
Institute told the
newly-declared Noahides,
"This is a new beginning for
you, because you have gone
from being a generic 'son of
Noah' to being a Righteous
Gentile, with a place in the
World to Come. You have
chosen this path not because
you simply believe it is
moral or the right thing to
do, but because it was
revealed by G-d to Moses at
Mt. Sinai."
Hear IsraelNationalRadio's
Yishai Fleisher cover the
Bnei Noah confirmation event
by clicking below
Several "veteran" Noahides
were on hand to offer moral
support during the ceremony.
One man praised the rabbis,
saying, "Many of us left
communities that we grew up
in and were used to, to take
a journey that was often
lonely and hard, and we
didn't know where we were
going. These rabbis are
giving us a completion of
part of our journey, giving
us a warm welcome along an
unfamiliar route."
The
ceremony was timely, in that
the portion of Noah and the
pre-Torah commandments he
was given after the Flood
will be read aloud this
Sabbath in synagogues all
around the world.
Though
the Torah contains 613
positive and negative
commandments (many of which
do not apply when the Holy
Temple is not extant),
non-Jews are required to
observe only seven: They
must not murder, worship
false gods, engage in sexual
immorality, steal, eat limbs
of live animals, or
blaspheme, and they must
institutionalize a system of
courts and justice.
Present at the ceremony were
several Arabs who say that
up to 85% of Arabs in Israel
are actually of Jewish
ancestry, and who believe
that they should return to
Judaism. They refused to be
identified or photographed;
"I don't want to be the
first one to be killed [by
my Moslem neighbors] for
returning to Judaism," one
said.
‘Sanhedrin’ against Beijing Olympics
Re-established Jewish Sanhedrin rules
against participation in Chinese-hosted
Olympic Games
Only three weeks are left before the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games open,
and the remonstration against holding
the games is joined by the Sanhedrin
(Talmudical tractate) rabbis.
Following rallies, boycotts and attempts
to sabotage the Olympic Torch Relay
worldwide, the court ruled Wednesday
that the Chinese government’s murder and
amputation of living people by using
punishment, revenge and deterrence,
therefore “participating in these
Olympics will be deemed a danger to the
well-being of humanity.”
In
their ruling, the judges clarify that
they are not intervening in or opposing
the country’s authority to convict
criminals violating The Seven Laws of
Noah (also referred to as the Noahide
Laws), but cannot be so cruel as to turn
them into a “organ bank.”
The
Sanhedrin’s judges, convening as an
International Court of Law presided by
Rabbi Adin Even-Yisrael (Shteinzaltz),
discussed the claims of Israeli athletes
training in Falun Dafa (also called
Falun Gong), a high-level Buddhist
cultivation practice believed to bring
great improvements in health and
fitness. According to the athletes,
their Chinese counterparts, who advocate
truthfulness, benevolence, and
forbearance, are persecuted by the
Chinese government, who believes the
athletes are acting against it.
According to testimonies, the Chinese
regime imprisons them in masses in
detention camps and exercises an array
of torturous punishment methods
including murdering and amputating
living people. The Israeli athletes
further claimed that the Chinese
government puts the victims’ organs on
sale throughout the world.
As
part of examining the case, the
Sanhedrin sent emissaries to collect
testimonials in Israel and abroad. The
judges were also presented with
documents by renowned international
organizations supporting this harsh
reality.
Plot
brewed by libeling sources
The
court also approached the Chinese
embassy in Israel, asking them to
present their government’s stance in the
matter. The judges said they were
approached by diplomatic sources in
Israel in China to not discuss the case,
fearing it would harm the countries’
relations, but “being sovereign, the
Sanhedrin did not think it should agree
to such requests.”
The
embassy’s representatives ultimately met
with the judges, claiming the case is a
plot brewed by sources trying to libel
the government, and that the Falun Gong
athletes are a medical nuisance by
trying to incite civilians against
conventional medical treatments.
The
rabbis wrote in their verdict that “the
court has reached its conclusion based
on the accumulated multiple
circumstantial evidence that there is
indeed a severe phenomenon of murdering
innocent Falun Gong men, also motivated
by financial calculations of
commercially exploiting their organs.”
The
court called upon the Chinese government
to adopt and enforce the Noahide Laws
prohibiting murder and theft, and added
that “the Jewish nation has experienced
the Holocaust under the heavy hand of
the Germans during the Nazi regime,
which massacred millions of Jews, and
therefore must be especially sensitive
to the outcry of the persecuted.”
On
taking part in the Chinese-hosted
Olympics, the Sanhedrim said: “The
Chinese government is about to host the
Olympics – an event which brings people
of different nations closer
together…disregarding the bloodshed of
the innocent may seem as an
encouragement similar to Hitler’s during
his rule in Berlin.”
Re-starting the Jewish heart
The Sanhedrin is the name of the 71-member Jewish court that was alone empowered to rule on such nation-affecting matters as who is or is not a prophet, pass final judgments on capital cases and issue rulings that would affect the religious practice of all the world's Jews.
The first Sanhedrin was formed shortly after the giving of the Torah, when God told Moses to "assemble 70 of Israel's elders... the ones you know to be the people's elders and leaders.... I will cause some of the spirit that you possess to emanate, and I will grant it to them. You will then not have to bear the responsibility all alone" (Numbers 11:16).
The Lord then "caused the spirit that had been imparted on Moses to emanate, and He bestowed it upon the 70 elders. When the spirit descended on them, they gained the gift of prophecy and did not lose it." These 70, with Moses, comprised the first court.
The nation was then commanded to obey all (majority) Sanhedrin rulings, on pain of death: "If you are unable to reach a decision in a case involving capital punishment... where there is a dispute in your territorial courts, then you must set out and go up to the place that God your Lord shall choose. You must approach the Levitical priests, and the supreme court that exists at the time. When you make the inquiry, they will declare to you a legal decision... you must do as they tell you, carefully following their every decision. You must keep the Torah as they interpret it for you, and follow the laws that they legislate for you. Do not stray to the right or left from the word that they declare to you. If there is any man who rebels and refuses to listen to the priest or other judge who is in charge of serving God your Lord there, then that man must be put to death" (Deut. 16:8, Deut. 17).
Its mention in Chronicles, Josephus and of course the Talmud proves that this institution was fully functional at least until 70 CE, when the Second Temple was destroyed. Some of the later Sanhedrin members are said to have had divine inspiration, such as the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
To become members of the Sanhedrin, initiates had not only to scale the pinnacle of a nationwide educational system, but experience ordination by a laying-on of hands.
Some believe that until at least one genuine bearer of the tradition comes forward to anoint the 70 other would-be Sanhedrin members, a modern body cannot be said to have divine approval. That "Judaism's Supreme Court" will in fact reconvene, however, is implicit in God's promise that "I will restore your judges as at the first" (Isaiah 1:26).
Of course, even with that authority, Sanhedrin members are merely mortal, and are nowhere described as infallible. The Torah and Talmud thus provided several legal (i.e. God-approved) means of redress in the event of Sanhedrin error.
In Jerusalem recently interviewed Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander, a member of the nascent Sanhedrin responsible for relations with the gentile world and reestablishing the other functions performed by the Sanhedrin.
His answers were then vetted and affirmed by Rabbi Yoel Shwartz, head of the beit din (rabbinical court) of Bnei Noah and a teacher at the Dvar Yerushalayim Yeshiva, and Rabbi Yehiel Sitzman, who is active in helping guide gentiles who wish to follow the laws which Judaism teaches they are obligated to observe.
Of course, interacting with the gentile world was only one of the Sanhedrin's functions; the larger purpose of "Judaism's Supreme Court" was to act as a unifying influence on the Jewish world.
For example, a functioning Sanhedrin issuing authoritative rulings (something which can't happen until the court is situated on The Temple Mount and its rulings earn the approval of a majority of world Jewry) could end Judaism's current division into Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and haredi streams, update such things as the halachic position on electricity, Internet, organ transplants and bioengineering, and unify Shabbat observance and standards of conversion.
There have been earlier, unsuccessful attempts to revive the Sanhedrin. What makes this attempt different?
This is the first attempt to reestablish the Sanhedrin in the Land of Israel at a time when the people of Israel represent the majority of the inhabitants... Today Israel is the center of Jewish life. Thus it has now become a duty for the Jews in the Holy Land to try to establish a Sanhedrin.
But even this "new" Sanhedrin did not at first see itself as official. Is this still the case?
Yes. To be "official" the basic requirement from a practical standpoint is that the top level of talmidei hachamim [Talmud scholars] either be part of the Sanhedrin or recognize it.
Is a certain level of ruah hakodesh (divine inspiration) in at least one member necessary, as in the times of the original Sanhedrin?
Maimonides does not list ruah hakodesh as a definite prerequisite.
What relationship is envisioned between the Sanhedrin and the gentile world in general? With the Bnei Noah in particular?
It is our duty to strive to bring the Torah to all the nations. This is indicated in many places... The nations are already coming to learn, as we see by the developing Bnei Noah movement - those wonderful non-Jews who have taken upon themselves to observe the Seven Noahide Laws [sometimes called "The Noahide Covenant" or more figuratively "The Rainbow Covenant"]. Many Bnei Noah also take on additional commandments. There is a thirst for the word of the almighty, and it is our duty to meet this need. This Word was especially given at Sinai to Israel, whose role is to be "a kingdom of kohanim [priests] and a holy nation" [Exodus 19:6] which means, among other duties, that it is the duty of the Jews to teach the nations, just as it is one of the duties of the kohanim to teach the Jews, as Malachi says: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts" [Malachi 2:7]. Bnei Noah join the Jews in observing Psalm 105:1: "O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name; make known His doings among the peoples."
What changes would the Sanhedrin be looking to encourage in such things as Christian and Islamic belief and practice?
We would try to encourage the acceptance of the message the Almighty sent to mankind at Sinai through the Jewish people, and the understanding that the Almighty has never revoked this message.... [which has been] misunderstood or intentionally distorted by the spokesmen of Islam and Christianity. This misunderstanding must be rectified, the distortions recognized, the true message learned and heeded.
And would the Sanhedrin permit or encourage such people if they wanted to live in Israel?
There are many other conditions necessary for living in the Holy Land. If and when met, yes, it would be permissible for a non-Jew to settle.
What of the Hindu pantheon?
The common understanding is that the Hindu pantheon reflects a religion which is not monotheistic. As such, believers in this pantheon are not Bnei Noah.
What will be the eventual relationship between the Sanhedrin and such existing authorities as the United Nations, the World Court and the political leadership of the world's nations?
We are looking forward to a working relationship with these organizations. The motto of the UN is "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." This motto is part of verse 4 in Isaiah chapter 2; it would be proper to consider the whole verse: "And it shall come to pass in the end of days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established at the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall stream unto it. And many nations shall come and say: 'O come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob;' and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." It is our firm belief that the vision of verse 4 will become a reality only after the world accepts and internalizes the message indicated in verse 3.
Clearly, selecting, training and empowering the worldwide courts and court officials envisioned by the Seven Noahide Laws will be a massive undertaking. What is this going to cost, and how long is it expected to take?
We have not put together an "executive summary." The answer depends on many factors. The first and foremost factor is understanding; people must understand that the world is in a very dangerous situation. There is a serious threat of nuclear war. There is a serious threat of moral disintegration. We are being taught that there is no absolute morality, no real "right" and "wrong," only subjective "narratives." When the gravity of the situation is finally recognized, the means will be found.
What would be the involvement of already-extant rabbinical courts in this process?
One of the Noahide commandments is to set up a social system with a legal framework, including courts. The function of the Jews is to teach and advise, to help the nations do this, mainly by themselves.
Would already Bible-believing, Israel-supporting Christian evangelical groups (and/or existing international legal-ethical bodies) be permitted, expected or encouraged to help bring this about?
Yes, when they have accepted the Noahide covenant.
Would actual Sanhedrin membership be strictly limited to Jews?
The Sanhedrin is a Jewish institution which mainly deals with Judaism, but it also has a function regarding non-Jews - to facilitate the spread of the Torah. In this regard we hope for the partnership of leaders from every nation. Each nation can decide how to handle its own affairs.
And regarding the Jewish world, once the Sanhedrin is officially recognized as the final authority regarding Jewish belief and practice, where will such things be "set" on the current Reform-to-haredi continuum? In other words, what will be done to establish guidelines that will gain the confidence and support of most of the planet's Jews?
When the nations understand the function of Israel and the role of the Torah, so will all the Jews understand their obligations to the whole world, and this will unite the people of Israel.
The prophecy is that the world's nations will one day look to Jerusalem (and the Sanhedrin) for guidance. Do you see forces at work today that will help bring such universal admiration?
Yes, we do: in the return to Torah by the Bnei Noah, which reflects a longing for the authentic call of the Almighty. This call has to be the basis of action. We are determined to do our part in this cosmic undertaking by preparing suitable people.
As you probably know, the very idea of reconstituting the Sanhedrin is being met with a mixture of hostility, ridicule and indifference by both Jews and gentiles. Is more than education required?
Certainly any means for bringing people closer to their covenant with the Almighty is of great importance. Education is the first and most important step. But education without action is not enough. Proper education brings action. We attempt to use any vehicle that will help bring people closer to truth.
Four Questions for Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, the brilliant young sage from the generation following the Second Temple’s destruction, likened himself to “a man of 70” in the Passover Haggadah. If ben Azariah were alive today, his role model for wisdom might very well be Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.
At 70, the indefatigable Steinsaltz — renowned Jerusalem scholar, philosopher, social critic, educator, author and Sanhedrin president — travels the world over, “trying to do something useful in every place.” Hailed by Time magazine as a “once-in-a-millennium scholar” for his innovative commentary and translation of the Talmud into Hebrew and other languages, Steinsaltz received the Israel Prize, the country’s highest honor, in the field of Jewish studies, in 1988. Today, he presides over a chain of schools in Israel and in the former Soviet Union.
“And there is always something else to do,” Steinsaltz told the Forward. “I have writing plans for about another 150 years.”
It’s that hectic season again, when Steinsaltz and Jews everywhere will busy themselves with Passover preparations. Nonetheless, he graciously agreed to speak with Simcha Prombaum for an interview of “four questions” in honor of Passover. His answers may serve as a stimulus for meaningful discussions around the Seder table.
Simcha Prombaum: In the Passover Haggadah, the Four Sons represent an archetype for the need to adapt Jewish educational efforts and methods to the needs of the students. In America, there are many different educational outreach initiatives: day schools, summer camps, Birthright, etc. Which of these initiatives have the best chance of producing the kinds of Jewish role models we will need for the future?
Adin Steinsaltz: An important question one has to ask about every educational experience and every educational experiment is “What do you remember?” The basic point is not “What should we do?” but “What is the outcome?” Which means you cannot rely on a one-time experience or a shorter experience. Any kind of stable educational system has better chances. The school system can be very effective if it is good. But there are problems attached to it. You can transmit some knowledge, but not too much knowledge, in school. And when you are staying in the school, especially in a Jewish one, it becomes a matter of enduring rather than enjoying. That’s a problem.
S.P.: In the Haggadah, we read: “And this same promise has stood by our fathers and ourselves. For not only one man has risen against us, but in every generation there are those who rise up against us to destroy us. But the Holy One, blessed be He, has delivered us out of their hands.” When you recite these words at your own Seder in Israel, is it an overt regional threat like [Iranian President] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that comes to mind, or is it some less apparent but equally dangerous threat that is in your mind?
A.S.: Sometimes the dangers are obvious, sometimes there are other dangers. In some places there is a clear physical danger. In other cases, you will have life but nothing remains of it. Sometimes that is the biggest danger. Look at a family. In 50 years, how many will remain inside the family? Assimilation and intermarriage are now the dangers that face Jewry in America, more than most other dangers, and they are not completely novel ones. People think these problems are completely new. They are not. There were ages like this in the past. And we had to do something about it with whatever means we had.
S.P.: The Haggadah puts forth the following personal challenge: “In every generation, a person is supposed to see himself/herself as if he or she had personally gone forth from Egypt.” The Hebrew for Egypt, Mitzrayim, comes from a root suggesting “narrowness.” What is an example of a narrowness of thinking from which we need to break free?
A.S.: The Haggadah is basically optimistic, stressing a great amount of hope; it is not usually a recitation of our shortcomings and problems. It looks at the spiritual redemption [ge’ulah] and says that it won’t stop. But people can’t be just optimistic. I think that is one [narrowness]. We have to be aware that there are problems and do what we can to resolve them. There must be hope on the one hand and effort on the other. What do you do when you have a flat tire? You can stand there and hope it will heal itself. You hope that some people will help you. But you can’t just stand there and say, “Okay, an angel will come and take me away from it.”
S.P.: The Passover Seder ends with a wish: “Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem.” As a native-born Jerusalemite who has seen the division and reunification of the city in his lifetime, do you believe Israel’s government will actually divide it once again as a concession for peace? What concessions should Israel be willing to make for peace?
A.S.: The Israeli government cannot do everything one-sided. I don’t know what will happen, but we don’t seem to get to a final agreement by conceding another piece of land. The major historical view of the Arab nations is that we are like the Crusader state: We came, we established some kind of a place, but eventually we are going to leave it. If we agree to it, we have to move and that’s the end of it. It’s a complete solution. If we want to stay, it means that we can concede points. The fact that there is or will be some kind of an Arab state in Eretz Yisrael is not a simple thing that everyone understands. It is a concession, and there are many others that we are doing all the time.
Passover Sacrifice Slammed by Pro-Animal Group
by Gil Ronen
(IsraelNN.com) Animal rights group "Tnoo Lachayot Lichyot" ("Let the Animals Live") is threatening to take legal action to prevent the Jewish Temple movement from carrying out an educational demonstration of the Pesach (Passover) sacrifice next week. The group's chairman, Attorney Reuven Ladiansky, sent a letter to Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski and to Temple Institute Director Yehuda Glick, urging them to cancel the planned event or face legal action. The group sees the planned sacrifice as an act of illegal cruelty to an animal.
The demonstration of the Paschal sacrifice is part of a study day scheduled to take place on Sunday, the First of Nissan (April 6), at the Kotel Yeshiva in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. The study day is a joint project of the Temple Institute, the Sanhedrin and the King David Museum. It was originally planned to take place one week later, but the organizers decided to dedicate it to the memory of the eight yeshiva boys murdered in Jerusalem recently, and to hold it on the 30th day after their death.
The study day is to include a public sacrifice which is being termed a "general rehearsal" for the actual Pesach sacrifice on the Temple Mount, a ritual prescribed by the Torah but currently forbidden by the Israel government and courts.
Public sacrifices are allowed
Glick told Ynet Monday that according to Jewish law, abstaining from performing the sacrifice is an extremely serious offense, comparable in its severity to avoiding a brit (circumcision ceremony) for one's newborn boy. He explained that although Jewish law forbids Jews in an impure state (which all Jews are in as long as the Temple rites are not renewed) from entering the Temple area, an exception is made for public sacrifices like the Pesach sacrifice.
The Temple movement recently sent a formal request to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Minister of Public Security Avi Dichter, to allow them to conduct the sacrifice on the Temple Mount. "Making the Paschal sacrifice is part of the religious freedom which is a basic human right and a cornerstone of democracy," they wrote.
Glick said, however, that the organizers "have no intention of trying to ascend to the Mount without permission from the police."
'A substitute should be used'
According to the chairman of "Tnoo Lachayot Lichyot," the "demonstration sacrifice" would violate the Israeli law which makes it illegal to torture animals or to kill them in a cruel way. Any use of animals for educational purposes requires prior approval by the Council for Experiments on Animals. "Carrying out a 'general rehearsal' in which a live animal is sacrificed for demonstrational purposes only, while a substitute – like a model of a sheep – can be used, is unjustified and unnecessary," he claimed.
Another animal rights activist, Etti Altman, said the sacrifice has no place in an "enlightened country" like Israel and quoted from the ancient Sifri biblical commentary which says: "As God is called 'compassionate,' so should you be compassionate."
The Temple movement has conducted several Paschal sacrifices in recent years. The ceremonies took place in front of the Temple Mount, on a hill which is called the Hill of Hananyah, and on the Mount of Olives. These sacrifices, however, bore a symbolic nature and were seen as memorials to the real Pesach sacrifice, because Biblical law stipulates that the Pesach sacrifice can only be performed on the Temple Mount.
Court cited 'Special feelings'
In Biblical times, pilgrims came to Jerusalem from all parts of the Land of Israel, each family bringing with it a lamb, which was sacrificed in the Temple. The family then took the lamb and roasted it according to the Bible's instructions, making sure it did not touch the oven or the ground during the roasting. Then each family sat together and ate the sacrifice.
In 2007, the Temple Mount Faithful and the Sanhedrin rabbis purchased a herd of sheep and petitioned the Supreme Court to allow a Pesach sacrifice to be offered on the Temple Mount. However, the government and legal advisors to the police asked the Supreme Court to reject the plea. The act of bringing a sacrifice could threaten the general public's safety, they said, citing the Muslim public's “special feelings” for the Temple Mount and the possibility of a violent outbreak.
Besides the planned Pesach sacrifice demonstration, next week's study day will include discussions regarding the possibility of using an electrical oven or a ceramic skewer for roasting the Pesach sacrifice.
Sanhedrin demands expulsion of women from military
The self-appointed Supreme Judicial Court of the Jewish People, also known as the Sanhedrin, passed down on Thursday a halachic ruling which calls to exempt women from army service and expel those who have already been recruited.
The ruling comes just two months after three religious soldiers belonging to a Yeshivat Hesder (program that combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service) were jailed for refusing to participate in a class given by women instructors.
According to the Sanhedrin rabbis, by integrating women into mixed army units the IDF is surrendering to "political and ideological demands".
The ruling stated that "rabbis and parents will not send their sons to an army that recruits women to mixed units. There is no place for any flexibility and compromise (in this matter).
'Failures in the battlefield'
Sanhedrin member Professor Hillel Weiss told Ynet that separating male and female soldiers would not due, and called to expel women from the army entirely.
"I remember when I would be called up for reserve duty and the IDF sent women instructors to show us how to operate a heavy machinegun; they couldn't even cock the large weapon," he said. "Today I meet women soldiers who say they are proud to be serving in the Armored or Artillery corps. It's a joke.
"However," Professor Weiss added, "there is room for technological and other units in which only women will serve, but this should be done outside the military framework.
"Just as there is the National Service for the State (alternative voluntary service for those that cannot or do not wish to serve in the IDF), there can also be National Service for the army" he said, "the women who would take part in this program would not even have to be in uniform.
The Sanhedrin's ruling also mentions the IDF's "failures in the battlefield", stating that the establishment of mixed units has resulted in a "disruption of the conscience".
"There seems to be a connection between the inability to make the distinction between the genders and the inability to make the distinction between friend and foe. Both of these characterize the post-Zionist army, which deems such distinctions racist," the ruling stated.
High Court redux?
Mishpatim Exodus 21:1-24:18
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
March 13, 2008
If the entire
congregation of
Israel commits an
inadvertent
violation as a
result of [a
mistaken legal
decision of the
Highest Court]…and
they thereby violate
one of the
prohibitory
commandments of God,
they shall incur
guilt.” (Leviticus
4:13)
If the Jewish state
could be revived
virtually from the
ashes of destruction
after 2,000 years,
then why hasn’t the
Sanhedrin, the great
Jewish court of the
first and second
commonwealths, been
revived?
During the centuries
of its existence,
this august body,
comprised of 71
sages, brought unity
to the land because
their decisions were
binding on the
entire nation.
On the surface,
reviving the
Sanhedrin seems
impossible because
its members must be
recipients of the
classic Jewish
ordination that
traces itself back
to Moses himself —
and even to the
Almighty, as it
were, who ordained
Moses, who ordained
Joshua, who ordained
the elders, and so
on. But this special
ordination ended in
the third century.
A
verse in this week’s
portion, however,
raises alternate
possibilities. In
his commentary to
the Mishna,
Maimonides writes:
“…if all the Jewish
sages and their
disciples would
agree on the choice
of one person among
those who dwell in
Israel as their
head” — this must be
done in the land of
Israel — “and [that
head] establishes a
house of learning,
he would be
considered as having
received the
original ordination
and he could then
ordain anyone he
desires.”
Maimonides adds that
the Sanhedrin would
return to its
original function as
written in
Isaiah (1:26):
“I will restore thy
judges as at first
and thy sages as in
the beginning.” Such
a selection would
mean an election —
but who does the
choosing? The sages
and their disciples,
everyone with a
relationship to
Torah sages, to
Jewish law. In an
alternate source,
however, Maimonides
extends voting
privileges to all
adult residents of
Israel!
This idea reappears
in Maimonides’
Mishna Torah, Laws
of Sanhedrin,
except here he
concludes with the
phrase: “this matter
requires decision.”
In 1563, an attempt
was made by a sage,
Rabbi Yaakov BeRab,
to revive classic
ordination using the
Maimonidean formula,
and in an election
in Safed, he was
declared officially
ordained. He
proceeded to ordain
his most important
student, Rabbi Yosef
Karo, the author of
the Shulhan
Aruch, and
other disciples.
But the rabbis in
Jerusalem strongly
opposed the Safed
decision. When the
question was put
before the Ridbaz,
Rabbi David Ben
Zimra, chief rabbi
of Egypt, he ruled
in favor of the
Jerusalem rabbis
because not only had
the election been
restricted to one
city, Safed, and not
Jerusalem, but also
because the closing
phrase, “this matter
requires decision”
opened the
possibility that
Maimonides may have
changed his mind and
was, in effect,
leaving the issue
un-adjudicated.
Rabbi Yaakov BeRab,
on the other hand,
understood that the
phrase “requires
decision” referred
to whether one sage
was sufficient to
ordain others, or
three sages were
required. He was
convinced Maimonides
had no doubt about
the method and
inevitability of
reviving classic
ordination.
Three centuries
later, Rabbi Yehuda
Leib Maimon, the
first minister of
religion in the new
Jewish state, tried
to convince the
political and
religious
establishments that
there should also be
a creation of a
Sanhedrin. In his
work The Renewal
of the Sanhedrin in
Our Renewed State,
he cites the
existence of a copy
of Maimonides’
commentary to the
Mishna
published along with
emendations written
by Maimonides
himself, where he
writes that
ordination and the
Sanhedrin will be
renewed before the
coming of the
Messiah, which
implies that it must
be achieved through
human efforts. (A
photocopy of these
words, in
Maimonides’ own
handwriting, is
provided in The
Renewal of the
Sanhedrin.)
I
believe the basis
for his democratic
suggestion stems
from the verse
quoted above dealing
with the issue of
the sins of the
entire congregation.
Commentators ask how
an “entire
congregation” can
sin. Rashi
identifies the
“congregation of
Israel” with the
Sanhedrin. So when
it says “…if the
entire congregation
of Israel errs…” it
really means “if the
Sanhedrin errs.”
The Jewish people
are a nation defined
by commandments,
precepts, and laws.
The institution that
protects and defines
the law is at the
heart of the
nation’s existence.
So it should come as
no surprise that
Maimonides wanted to
revive the
ordination and found
an utterly
democratic method to
do so.
For Maimonides, it
is the population
living in the land
of Israel who
represent the
historical
congregation of
Israel. (B.T.
Horayot 3b)
Apparently
Maimonides is saying
that before the next
stage of Jewish
history unfolds, the
nation will have to
decide who shall be
given the authority
to recreate the
ordination, who will
be
commander-in-chief
of the rabbis. Will
it happen in our
lifetime?
Shlomo
Riskin is the chief
rabbi of the city of
Efrat and dean of
Ohr Torah Institutes
in Israel.
Israeli Court Refers Case
of Jailed Teen to Sanhedrin Court
(IsraelNN.com)
Tzviya Sariel of Elon Moreh, who has
been held in jail since December for
refusing to recognize the authority of
the secular court system, was allowed to
testify before a Torah court set up by
the nascent Sanhedrin Friday. The
Sanhedrin Court for Matters of People
and State ordered her immediate release.
The court, headed
by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, heard Sariel’s
testimony after a judge from Netanya’s
Magistrates Court ordered that she be
allowed to attend the hearing on the
limits of the youth’s struggle against
the Israeli judicial system. It is
presumed that Netanya Magistrates Court
Judge Smadar Kolander-Abramovitch hoped
the Sanhedrin court would instruct
Sariel to put and end to her struggle
and recognize the civil courts.
The Court For
Matters of People and State also heard
testimony from the girl’s mother, as
well as Shmuel Medad of the Honenu legal
assistance organization. The court
concluded that Sariel’s right to refuse
to recognize Israel’s current justice
system is justified and ruled that the
only limitation to the struggle is the
ability of each individual to withstand
the difficulties of prison. The court
also ordered that Sariel be released
immediately, without any limitations.
"Every day and every hour that Tzvia
Sariel spends behind bars is a
wrongdoing to this girl," Rabbi Ariel
ruled. "Justice demands to release her
immediately. It is a serious stain on
the judiciary system in Israel.
According to the Torah law of Israel, we
are demanding her immediate release
without conditions and to erase the
indictment."
The hearing was
marked by uncertainty over legal
procedure, according to
IsraelJustice.com. "Attorneys did not
understand what role was given to the
rabbinical court in a criminal case and
whether the rabbis were granted any
authority over the civil court judge who
approved the procedure. Usually,
Rabbinical courts are only authorized to
hear cases that concern marriage and
divorce. "There is a question of
authorities," Honenu's Meidad explained.
Sariel was
arrested in December and has been held
for three months for allegedly pushing
an Arab who entered her town to pick
olives. Judges decided to keep her in
prison without formal charges after she
refused to cooperate with the secular
justice system. Sariel, 18, remains in
prison even after two Arab men,
witnesses called by the prosecution,
testified that she was not involved in
the alleged physical assault.
Jabber Mahmoud
Hussein, called to the stand by the
Prosecution, said: "I managed to come to
court twice, despite the fact that the
accused didn't hit me or do anything
bad to us at all...we are prepared to
close this case because all we want is
to harvest olives in peace."
Precedent:
State of Israel Recognizes Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin
court called for the establishment of a
committee to act as bridge between the
state's law and Torah law, in light of
the legal precedent set by the Israeli
court’s recognition of the court and its
findings.
“It is no
coincidence that the hearing took place
on the anniversary of the passing of
Moses our teacher, the father of Hebrew
law, and close to the days of Purim,
when it is said that the Jews reaccepted
and affirmed their commitment to the law
of the Torah,” a statement from the
court said.
After the verdict
was read, the court's rabbis, wrapped in
prayer shawls, stood and recited the
special prayers accepting the justice of
the Almighty, according to
IsraelJustice.com: "Everyone in the
courtroom followed in a loud chant to
say the words, 'Hear O' Israel, the L-rd
is our G-d, the L-rd is One,' despite an
attempt by prison guards to prevent
supporters, including Ruth Sariel,
Tzvia's mother, from entering the
hearing."
Following the
hearing, the officials present from the
Prisons Authority affirmed their
commitment to carry out the verdict of
the Sanhedrin court. Prisons' Authority
warden Hila Furis reportedly told those
present: “The Prisons' Authority
recognizes the authority of the
[Sanhedrin] court and will act to
implement the verdict.” They removed
Sariel's leg restraints and claimed she
was being brought to the Ramle
Magistrates court, where she would be
released before the Sabbath.
Sariel was
returned to Neve Tirza Prison,
however, where she spent the Sabbath.
Her parents say she has been placed in
solitary confinement. Rabbi Ariel said
the court would continue to follow the
case and work for Sariel’s release, in
accordance with the directives of the
Netanya court.
The nascent
Sanhedrin, headed by Rabbi Adin
Even-Israel Steinsaltz, was established
in 2004, with the renewal of Semikha
(ordination) in order to create the
infrastructure necessary to fulfill the
Torah obligation of reestablishing the
supreme Jewish legal body of 71 Torah
scholars. The Court for People and State
has been one of the most active projects
of the nascent Sanhedrin.
Sanhedrin
Launched In Tiberias
(IsraelNN.com) A unique
ceremony - probably only
the second of its kind
in the past 1,600 years
- is taking place in
Tiberias today: The
launching of a
Sanhedrin, the highest
Jewish-legal tribunal in
the Land of Israel.
The Sanhedrin, a
religious assembly that
convened in one of the
Holy Temple chambers in
Jerusalem, comprised 71
sages and existed during
the Tannaitic period,
from several decades
before the Common Era
until roughly 425 C.E.
Details of today's
ceremony are still
sketchy, but the
organizers' announced
their intention to
convene 71 rabbis who
have received special
rabbinic ordination as
specified by Maimonides.
An attempt to
reconvene the Sanhedrin
was made several
centuries ago in Tzfat.
The body in fact
ordained such greats as
Rabbi Yosef Karo, the
author of the classic
Jewish Law code Shulhan
Arukh. However, the
opposition of other
leading rabbis soon
forced the end of the
endeavor.
One of the leaders of
today's attempt to
revive the Sanhedrin is
Rabbi Yeshai Ba'avad of
Beit El. He said that
the 71 rabbis "from
across the spectrum
received the special
ordination, in
accordance with
Maimonides' rulings,
over the past several
months." Rabbi Ba'avad
explained that the
membership of the new
body is not permanent:
"What is much more
crucial is the
establishment of this
body. Those who are
members of it today will
not necessarily be its
members tomorrow. But
the goal is to have one
rabbinic body in
Jerusalem that will
convene monthly and
issue rulings on central
issues. This is the need
of the generation and of
the hour."
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel,
who heads the Temple
institute in Jerusalem,
is one of the
participating rabbis. He
told Arutz-7 today,
"Whether this will be
the actual Sanhedrin
that we await, is a
question of time - just
like the establishment
of the State; we
rejoiced in it, but we
are still awaiting
something much more
ideal. It's a process.
Today's ceremony is
really the continuation
of the renewal of the
Ordination process in
Israel, which we marked
several months ago. Our
Talmudic Sages describe
the ten stages of exile
of the Sanhedrin from
Jerusalem to other
locations, until it
ended in Tiberias - and
this is the place where
it was foretold that it
would be renewed, and
from here it will be
relocated to Jerusalem."
Rabbi Ariel said that
the rabbis there
included many from the
entire spectrum:
"Hareidi,
religious-Zionist,
Sephardi, Ashkenazi,
hassidi, and many others
- such as Rabbi Yoel
Schwartz, Rabbi Adin
Shteinzaltz, and many
others... We can't
expect a great
consensus; that's not
how things work here.
But sometimes that's how
the process goes, from
the bottom up."
The Sanhedrin Speaks out Against China selling Human
Organs
The Sanhedrin Administers
the First Noachide Oath,
Monday, January 6th, 2006
The Sanhedrin Administers
the Second Noachide Oath,
Following Sukkot, Monday, October 16th, 2006
Former chief Rabbi to
Bush:
Don't act against God’s
will
In a letter handed to US
president, Rabbi
Mordechai Eliyahu warns
him not to take action
that would harm Jewish
people. ‘The Jewish
nation forever remembers
those that inflict harm
upon it’
In a letter handed to
US President George Bush
Thursday, former
Sephardic Chief Rabbi
Mordechai Eliyahu
admonished the US
president to avoid any
course of action that
would harm the Jewish
nation.
“The Jewish nation is
eternal, and forever
remembers those that
have aided it throughout
history, as well as
those that have done it
harm. Please let your
name go down in history
as a president who aided
the Jewish nation, who
worked alongside God and
not against him,” wrote
the rabbi.
The Rabbi furthermore
urged Bush in his letter
to utilize his visit to
strengthen and bolster
the State of Israel.
“You were granted the
privilege of serving as
US president. Make the
best of the duties given
you, and we will fulfill
our task of remembering
you as good and noble
throughout the ages,”
said the Rabbi.
Rabbi Eliyahu began
his letter with
greetings for President
Bush and praise for his
efforts to bring peace
to the region. With
that, he then told the
American president that
“his agenda for peace
goes against the will of
God”.
Granting the site of
the Holy Temple to
murderers of women and
children who blaspheme
God, wrote Rabbi Eliyahu,
is an act against the
Jewish people as well as
God.
“Ever since the
Jews of Gush
Katif were expelled from
their homes, Sdeort was
bombarded with hundreds
of Qassam rockets by Hamas
as well as other
Palestinian
organizations….Hundreds
of thousands of
additional people will
live in similar danger
if we were to abide by
your peace plan, and
then where would we end
up?” asked the Rabbi.
'God promised land of
Israel to Jewish people
alone'
The Rabbi stressed
that “he prays for
peace, as does any
individual who believes
in God,” but that
“anyone who accepts the
bible as the word of God
must keep in mind that
God had promised the
land of Israel to the
Jewish people alone. The
Ishmaelites have no part
of this divine
guarantee.”
Noting that God’s
promise to return the
Jewish people to their
homeland has been coming
to full fruition during
the last century, the
rabbi then urged
President Bush to act as
a vessel carrying out
the divine plan. “God’s
pledge to the Jewish
people is carried out
through people who were
created in God’s image,
and it their duty to
carry out the divine
will.”
In addition to Rabbi
Eliyahu’s letter,
various rabbis and
right-wing activists
composed
an additional
letter to President
Bush, urging him to free
Israeli spy Jonathan
Pollard, to support
“Jewish settlement in
Israel entire”, and to
encourage Israeli Jews
to make aliyah to Israel
en masse.
Written on parchment
much like a Torah
scroll, the
aforementioned letter
will be handed to the US
president by a “very
prominent figure” who is
scheduled to meet him.
Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz,
Sanhedrin President,
wrote the letter, which
was then translated by
Rabbi Chaim Richman.
The letter was signed
by members of the News
Jewish Congress, the
Sanhedrin, and the
Temple Mount Faithful
Movement, the “loyal
representatives of the
Jewish nation in God’s
name”.
Newly discovered ruins
of the Sanhedrin at Tiberias
The
re-established Jewish Sanhedrin website would
like to inform its viewers that Israel
Antiquities Authority excavations in Tiberias in
2005 may have uncovered the site of a structure
used by the Sanhedrin, researchers believe. The
site could have also be used for writing the
Jerusalem Talmud. The excavations began in March
in the central part of the city and in recent
days have moved eastward toward route 90. The
main finding in the new excavation area is a
basilica structure.
For hundreds of
years after the destruction of the Temple, the
Sanhedrin assembled in various cities. In 270
C.E. it moved to Tiberias. In 358 C.E. Roman
Emperor Theodosius disbanded the Sanhedrin and
confiscated their property, as a reaction to
previous emperor Julian's pro-Jewish stance. The
modern Jewish Calendar was adopted at
clandestine, and maybe last meeting, in the
caves of Mount Berenice overlooking the city.
The Sanhedrin complex is believed to have been
converted into a Christian structure shortly
after that.
Further
revelations of the beauty of the ancient city of
Tiberias and of its uniqueness as a Jewish
center were revealed in this season's
excavations there. The excavations, funded by the Tiberias
municipality, are turning the site into a
significant archaeological park, according to
dig director Prof. Yizhar Hirschfeld of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel
Antiquities Authority, and Prof. Katharina Galor
of Brown University, Providence, RI.
Excavations at
ancient Tiberias, showing the "Galilee Street,"
and the basilica complex, with the Sea of
Galilee in the background.
Ancient Tiberias'
location, just south of the modern city of
Tiberias along route 90, was highly attractive
in Roman times: on one side open to the Sea of
Galilee (Lake Kinneret) and on the other bounded
by Mount Berenice. Two main north-south streets
dominated the city plan. One was the cardo, the
main commercial thoroughfare of the town. The
other was the promenade, which was open on one
side to the lake and over which route 90 was
built.
Excavations
this year focused on the city's basilica
complex, which was first discovered several
years ago and is identified with the seat of the
Sanhedrin, the ancient supreme Jewish religious
authority. The eastern wall of the structure was
preserved to a height of two meters and was
bounded by the promenade.
The structure
itself was built in the 4th century C.E. as a
gigantic complex of at least 2,000 square
meters. It has some 25 rooms with three main
components: a colonnaded courtyard, which served
as a gathering place for the townspeople, a
passageway, and a reception hall with a
semi-circular apse. Under the courtyard,
excavators found a water cistern, supported by
arches, that has survived the centuries
unscathed
Beneath the
apse hall, remains of an impressive,
first-century, marble floor were found.
There is no
natural marble in Israel, and therefore, this
floor must have been part of a grand structure
belonging to an individual of extraordinary
wealth. The excavators believe it was one of the
palaces belonging to Herod Antipas, son of Herod
the Great, who founded Tiberias in 20 C.E. A
marble floor of this type from the Second Temple
period has been found previously in Israel only
at the Herodian palaces of Masada, Jericho, and
Herodion.
The finds in
the remains of the complex's ancient shops this
season were extremely rich: complete oil lamps,
bronze coins, including more rare coins from the
11th century, (discovered in earlier excavations
there), glass and stone vessels, jewelry and
frescoes. On the western facade of the basilica
complex, a row of shops was discovered along
with a 50-meter section of street paved with
basalt stones, which the archaeological team
named "Galilee Street."
Haaretz (Hebrew)
reported that in excavations this week (March
9th) at Tiberias, archaeologists discovered a
mosaic containing a picture of a lion or dog, a
flying dove, and grapevine branches with grape
clusters. The mosaic, dating to the 4th century
CE, was uncovered in a semicircular niche in the
basilica structure, where scholars believe the
Sanhedrin was operating, after it had moved to
Tiberias in the 3rd century CE. The
archaeologists say that this shows how beautiful
the basilica must have been. Unfortunately, a
wall built later divides the mosaic. An
inscription that may have originally been
written in the mosaic has been destroyed and all
that is left is a corner of the frame inside of
which an inscription was possibly present.
