Rasputin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvDMlk3kSYg LOL ... I'm boring.   I only like the same stuff all the time. Battle of Jericho { Book of Joshua } -- first battle of Israelites -- conquest of Canaan -- walls of Jericho fell after Joshua's Israelite army -- marched around Jericho blowing trumpets -- Noah cursed Canaan to become a slave -- god gave land of the Canaanites to Abraham & his descendants -- descendants of Abraham:  children of Israel -- themselves slaves (Egypt) -- brought out of Egypt by god (through Moses) -- brought to promised land of Canaan -- Moses instructed them to seize the land by conquest -- Moses placed them under command of Joshua -- Joshua sent spies to Jericho -- Jericho first city of Canaan to be taken -- land in fear of Israel & their god -- Israelites marched around walls once every day for 7 days -- with priests & Ark of Covenant -- on 7th day, marched 7x around walls -- the priests blew their ram's horns -- Israelites raised a great shout -- the walls of the city fell HEREM -- pursuant to god's law of 'herem', Israelites took no slaves -- pursuant law of 'herem', Israelites took no plunder -- pursuant to god's law of herem Israelites slaughtered:     -- every man     -- every woman     -- every child -- in Jericho -- Rahab spared only & her family -- Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who had sheltered the spies -- Joshua 6:1-27 herem - boycott herem - expulsion (from community) herem - (war or property), belief:               any property imperilling               Jewish RELIGIOUS life               should be destroyed herem - priestly gift / object devoted to god Tell es-Sultan:   site of Jericho -- destruction occurred c. 1500 BC -- during well-attested campaign period -- Jericho deserted throughout mid-late 13th Century -- a small unwalled settlement built 15th Century -- but tell unoccupied to 10th/9th centuries -- walls of Jericho collapsed & Jericho suffered inferno, per bible accounts -- pieces of pottery & other evidence place event c. 1400s BC -- book of Joshua holds little of historical value -- written by authors far removed from time depicted -- written to illustrate theological theme:     -- Israel & Israel leaders ARE JUDGED BY:     -- OBEDIENCE to     -- TEACHINGS & LAWS (the covenant)     -- set down in BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY         - Devārīm, '[spoken] words)       Opening phrase:  Eleh ha-devarim: "These are the words ..." -- book consists of x3 sermons or speeches -- delivered to the Israelites by Moses -- on the plains of Moab -- shortly before they enter the Promised Land Levitical caste (priestly) believed to have provided authors of book -- believed to reflect economic needs & social status of Levetical caste -- most significant verse is Deuteronomy 6:4: -- definitive statement of Jewish identity: -- the Shema Shema "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one." Summary of ha-devarim contents (book Deuteronomy): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomic_Code -- journey through wilderness:    from Horeb (Sinai) to Kadesh to Moab - recalled -- events at Mount Horeb (Mt. Sinai) - recalled     -- giving of Ten Commandments     -- family heads urged to instruct in law those under them     -- warnings against serving gods other than 'Yahweh'     -- land promised to Israel is praised     -- Israelites urged to obedience -- laws governing Israel's:     -- worship     -- appointment & regulation of community & religious leaders     -- social regulation     -- confession of identity & loyalty -- blessings & curses for those who keep or break the law -- Israel exhorted to obedience -- Joshua installed as Moses' successor -- Moses delivers the law to Levites (priests) -- Moses ascends Mount Nebo / Pisgah -- Moses dies & is buried by god -- narrative of Devārīm is interrupted by x2 songs:     -- Song of Moses     -- Blessing of Moses -- worship of Hebrew God  -- as sole deity of Israel = only permissible religion -- sealed by greatest prophets Deuteronomic Code -- is contained in ha-devarim -- code composed of several mitzvot (commandments, Heb. pl. mitzvah) -- code composed of several mitzvot (commandments, Heb. singular mitzvah) -- composed of approx. one-third of mitzvot of the Torah -- therefore Deuteronomic Code = a major constituent of Jewish Law -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomic_Code Priestly Code |  Torat Kohanim -- Contrast with:  Priestly Code -- Heb.  Torat Kohanim -- Torah body of laws -- comprised of majority of Leviticus & some laws in Numbers -- one-third of portion of Torah laws -- therefore:  a major source of Jewish Law -- mostly concerned with ritual & Jewish priesthood + scholarship     -- covers, for example:         -- circumcision         -- Passover meal (Exodus) - Pesah         -- Sabbath         -- dietary         -- purification, atonement         -- Yom Kippur         -- + other         -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_Code Pesah (Passover) -- commemoration of liberation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt -- under leadership of Moses (Bk. Exodus) -- spring festival -- during Jerusalem Temple -- offering of first fruits of barley harvested in Land of Israel -- Pesah = feast of unleavened bread -- {like freed slave Israelites fleeing Egypt, no time to leaven dough} -- is one of x3 pilgrimage festivals (to Temple in Jerusalem) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover Shalosh Regalim  pilgrimage festivals = 'Shalosh Regalim' -- entire population of Kingdom of Judah -- would go to Temple in Jerusalem -- other two Shalosh Regalim:     -- Shavuot (Weeks, Pentecost)     -- Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents) -- after destruction Second Temple (70 CE), pilgrimage no longer obligatory on Jews -- no longer national scale festivals -- modern-day Israel try to attend prayers at Western Wall (of destroyed Second Temple) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Pilgrimage_Festivals HaKotel HaMa'aravi -- HaKotel HaMa'aravi - Western Wall -- aka Wailing Wall (but this is considered derogatory by some) -- Arabic:  al-Mabka 'Place of Weeping' -- wall:  small segment of retaining wall -- originally part of expansion of Second Temple -- by Herod the Great (resulting in encasement of hill, Temple Mount) -- Jews call it:  HaKotel -- one of most sacred sites in Judaism outside Temple Mount itself -- wall has 17 courses -- located below street level -- exposed section in Jewish Quarter, plus other concealed structures -- site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries -- earliest source mentioning Jewish attachment to the site: 4th century -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall SEND A PRAYER TO:  Ha'Kotel "you can send a prayer directly to a computer that is kept near the Ha’Kotel" prayer is:  printed & stuck into crack in wall god's spirit is always with the Wall source:  chavashira Mitzvah Heb. pl.  Mitzvot Halakhah: Jewish Law A List of the 613 Mitzvot Halakhah from x3 sources: -- Torah -- Rabbis -- Customs Halakhah from any of these =  mitzvah (pl. Mitzvot) -- 'mitzvah' also used informally for 'good deed' -- halakhic mitzvot known as:     1.-- mitzvot d'oraita            -- fm. Aramaic, meaning:  from the Torah     2.-- mitzvot d'rabbanan            -- fm. Aramaic, meaning:  from the rabbis     3. -- minhag (from custom) LINK | here --------/\/\/ *I can't tell the difference between the kohanim & the Levites *think Levites were hereditary / that's distinction (too lazy to check) Not sure how much of this I'll remember, but it was really cool checking this out. The Shema song is really lovely. Not so keen on the 'herem' principle, although it's probably a good one if you're not on the receiving end. The history is really cool.  I like history. I'm not really clear on the laws structure.  There seems to be a lot of laws from all over the place.  There's no way I could live with that many laws.  It seems very complicated.