Moses, Continuation Meeting the Amaleks, Living For A Reason

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Moses had Dan fight with the Amaleks who attacked the last of the marchers of the Exodus that were the slower ones.  It was like animals who attacked herds of others;  they waited for the weak and the babies.                                

The Amaleks were almost always hostile to Israel.  They were nomads wandering between Southern lands and Canaan.  They attacked the Israelites in the desert near Rephidim shortly after the Exodus, slaying the weak and weary. 

Israel regards Amaleks as an eternal foe, the extermination of which was a national mission as told in Exod. 17:  13-16, incompletely carried out later by King Saul in I Sam. 15.  During the period of Judges (12th-11th centuries BCE), the Amaleks penetrated Western Eretz Yisrael at various points and their presence was a standing threat to the peace of the country. Later they invaded Southern Juddea and burned down the town of Ziklag.  King David fought and defeated them heavily with only 400 of them escaping told in I Sam.30l.  In the reign of Hezekiah (720-690 BCE) the tribe of Simeon overwhelmed the Amalekites and settled in their territory.   During Purim we read about the story of Haman, who was the "Agagite" in Esther 3:1 and is regarded as a descendant of Agag, king of Amaleks, as told in 1 Samuel 15:33.  I could easily think of Hamas and Hezbollah of today as their descendants as well. 

Moses and Aaron talked the Pharaoh into letting the Slaves go who agreed after going through 10 plagues and they were prepared to leave and got as far as the Sea, sea of Reeds, but his army was drowning in it.  The 2 million had successfully crossed first.  

After several marches and a severe battle with the Amalekites, Moses led the people to Mt. Horeb in the Sinai wilderness which was Mt. Sinai.  After arriving there, Moses received the TEN COMMANDMENTS by divine revelation.  He then taught the people an entire legal code, expounded the sacrificial practice, gave instructions for the erection of the TABERNACLE and, on the advice of Jethro, organized a judicial system.  There were 613 commandments in all, but we do follow most of them in daily living. 

                            striking the rock to get water

Moses had argued at the beginning of the march with many of the people.  Some had found it a hard way to live and wanted to return to Egypt. They seemed to remember their favorite foods that weren't available on this march.  They forgot the stings of the whips.   His 1st attempt to penetrate Canaan with such a group failed.  Between the 2nd and 39th year of the Exodus, we don't know how they all managed.  In the latter year, he tried to bring into Canaan the new generation that had grown up in the wilderness and successfully fought the Amorites, the Moabites, the Midianites and Bashan---all in Transjordania.                             

 Before his death at age 120, he appointed Joshua as his successor.   He said his good-byes in the form of a public address by summarizing the events of the past 40 years and the main legislation laid down at Sinai.  He blessed the people, gave them guidance for their life in Canaan, and died at a place unknown to posterity, for he didn't want to be worshipped. 

 He taught them that there was only one unseen G-d.  This was a new and unique religion to be observed in its own land.  The basis was complete.  It was and is Monotheism and a loyalty to G-d, the Creator and Father of all.  Israel was to be a holy nation and a model to other people.   Moses gave it form and substance and had been nurture by the patriarchs.  

Traditionally, the entire Pentateuch was written by Moses himself.  There are many legends about him found in Jewish literature.  Remember, he wrote this as the Five Books Of Moses, the father of monotheism.  He taught us how to treat others, how to be moral.  Any author of today trying to screw this aim up got it all wrong. To besmirch his good name is a form of anti-Semitism.  He was not even able to act like todays soldiers in a jungle doing things they would later have PTSD over, as I have found to be happening.  Our Moses expected the best of us, so had to expect the best in himself.   

Defending the Druze In The Mountains of Syria Part I

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                        

                                           Druze IDF Soldier

Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian regime military

 forces in the Druze-majority province of Sweida today. PM

 Netanyahu and DM Katz issued a joint statement instructing the                                               

                             A Druze unit of IDF

 IDF to “immediately strike regime forces and weapons

 deployed into the Sweida area of the Druze Mountain in

 Syria,” which they said were being used in operations against

 Druze civilians, violating a demilitarization policy agreed upon

 to prevent Syrian deployments near Israel’s border.

         Some Druze Men at a gathering  

The statement said, “Israel is committed to preventing harm to Druze in Syria due to the deep fraternal alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial ties to the Druze of Syria. We are acting to prevent regime attacks on them and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border.”

     IDF soldiers with one Druze;  each one from another line of Arab, Israeli, all serving in IDF

Sweida is home to Syria’s largest Druze community, numbering around 700,000 people, many of whom fear persecution under the new regime, which has been accused of seeking to “return the Druze to pure Islam” and undermine their traditional way of life.

"Can it be that these Druze are our ancient members of of Israel taken by Sargon, the Assyrian king  so long ago in 721 BCE?  Their Y haplogroup of DNA is so close to our J1 community of Jews throughout the world".  

Druze, a sect from Islam with members in Syria, Lebanon and Israel were mentioned by Benjamin of Tudela in about 1170 CE being the first to describe the Druze and their religion to the Western world.  Out of over 200,000 plus 20,000 who migrated oversees, 53,000 live in Israel and are concentrated in 18 villages in Western Galilee and on Mt. Carmel.  The Druze cooperated with the Israeli forces during and since the War of Independence and Drue representatives sit in the Knesset.  they have their own religious courts which administer Druze religious law.

                                Druze with book

The Druze religion and Judaism, while both monotheistic and

 originating in the Middle East, have significant differences in

 their core beliefs, practices, and historical

 development.   Druze

 beliefs incorporate elements from Islam, Greek philosophy,

 and Hinduism, while Judaism is rooted in ancient Hebrew

 scriptures and traditions. Druze practices are secretive and

 emphasize reincarnation, while Jewish practices are more

 public and focus on divine law and

 tradition. Jewish Kabbalah also incorporates reincarnation.

Furthermore, the Druze are a closed community, not accepting converts, while Judaism, while historically endogamous, does not formally prohibit conversion. 

• Monotheism:

  Both religions believe in one God  Both recognize Moses as a prophet. The Druze also revere Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. Shared Roots:The Druze religion emerged from within Islam, but has incorporated elements from Judaism, Christianity, and other philosophical traditions. Family Unity and Devotion to Country:   Both Druze and Jewish communities emphasize family unity and loyalty to their respective countries. 

The Druze faith emerged from Ismaili Shiism in 11th-century Egypt but developed into a distinct religion with unique beliefs and practices. 

Key differences and reasons for separation

• Divine Incarnation: The Druze believe that the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah was a divine manifestation, a core tenet that differs significantly from mainstream Islamic beliefs about God and prophets.
• Esoteric Teachings: The Druze faith emphasizes esoteric knowledge and hidden meanings within religious texts, known as the Epistles of Wisdom. This approach contrasts with the exoteric (outward) focus of mainstream Islam.
• No Conversions: The Druze religion does not accept converts, a policy established in 1043 CE, according to Understanding Religion.
• Rejection of Islamic Rituals: The Druze do not adhere to all Islamic practices, such as daily prayers, the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), or fasting during Ramadan.
• Persecution: The Druze faced persecution from various Muslim regimes who considered their beliefs to be heretical or deviations from Islam. 

These differences, along with the unique historical and political circumstances of the time, led to the Druze developing a distinct religious identity and separating from the broader Islamic community.

 Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druze#:~:text=Be%20that%20as%20it%20may,%22they%20loved%20the%20Jews%22.

israelAM

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/ethnic-and-cultural-studies/druze#:~:text=The%20Druze%20are%20monotheistic%2C%20meaning,perfect%20agreement%20with%20God's%20will.

https://www.ifcj.org/learn/resource-library/who-are-the-druze#:~:text=The%20religion%20is%20heavily%20monotheistic,matters%20pertaining%20to%20their%20community.

The Politics In Religion; Power Play Plays A Big Part

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Following the Torah:  (The Written Law)also known as the Pentateuch, given to Moses on Mt. Sinai together with a detailed oral exposition on the torah and its commandments.  Not to be forgotten is also the entire talmudic literature and commentaries of highly respected rabbis.  Judaism is complete Monotheism and loyalty to G-d, the Creator and Father of all.  Israel is meant to be a holy nation and a model to the other people on earth;  a hard role to be in.  

How many of us are aware of the Old Testament laying down rules of behavior for people?  This is what the Orthodox Jews of today still try to maintain.  Our book is called the Tanakh, and refers to what Christians and many Jews call "the Old Testament," because it was written so long ago by Moses, as it is believed, who lived from 1391 BCE to 1271 BCE.  Moses led us out of Egypt at age 80 where we had lived for 400 years, mostly as slaves, to arrive in our birth home of Canaan 40 years later at age 120.  That was 3,296 years ago.

The Christians follow the rules set up by Jesus, which is a Greek name, the equivalent of Joshua;, who died at age 29 CE.  We have no Jewish writings about him, and discover his story through the 4 New Testament's gospel writers. Gentiles (non-Jews) also have a genealogy tree from man's beginning, using the Jewish tree, but have declare an additional amount not on the Jewish tree to show Jesus's connection to King David, which cannot be verified with any writings.  They need such a connection to show that Jesus was the one, the only, redeemer, and there's no way that it is true.  The Gospel writer Matthew wrote about 60 years after Jesus' death; and the others wrote much later than that, so none had first-hand experience with Jesus.   The :New Testament does not explicitly state the date of Jesus's birth. However, most scholars believe he was born between 6 and 4 BC. This estimation is based on accounts in the Gospels related to King Herod's reign and the approximate age of Jesus when he began his ministry. 

In the Gospels, Jesus is referred to as "Rabbi" in several instances, including by Judas, his disciples (Peter, Nathaniel), and even some would-be disciples like Nicodemus. John the Baptist's followers also called him "Rabbi" according to some online sources. The term "Rabbi" translates to "my master" or "my teacher," and it was used as a form of address for learned Jewish teachers or sages in Jesus's time. 

The basic form of the rabbi developed in the Pharisaic (167 BCE–73 CE) and Talmudic (70–640 CE) eras that came about after Jerusalem was burned down by the Romans and the Temple was destroyed by fire; when learned teachers assembled to codify Judaism's written and oral laws. The title "rabbi" was first used in the first century CE.

Matthew wrote his gospel about 60 years later saying  that Jesus was teaching Judaism in that he said, " in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them".    However, Jesus was altering the standard lessons to suit himself.  He was brought up in Bethlehem and then Nazareth, never studying with the renowned teachers in Jerusalem.  Hehad much background to learn that was missing, but also addedhis understanding of G-d's lessons through Moses. 

Today we might see him as a Reform Jew or one of the newstrains of Judaism hat has evolved.   The organization, J Street,has   elements of the power play as well between groups of Jews. Several newer Jewish religious groups have emerged in recent times, including Jewish Renewal, Reconstructionist Judaism, and Humanistic Judaism. These groups represent diverse approaches to Jewish practice and belief, often emphasizing different aspects of Jewish tradition and experience.  One group trying to pass itself off as Jewish that is not is "Jews For Jesus."  The very name tells us it is not Jewish for we do not believe a man is also a god.  The Greeks did that already, and Romans may have, also.  

The bad part is that he became anti-Semitic about his ownreligion in pushing it over the normal lessons.  It became a political battle, competition of two ways of following the pathof Moses.  For this reason, there was no way that the two couldunite, especially when people thought of him as another GreekGod. 

 It was respectful and admirable that his followers thoughtthey were following his laws, which were the Laws of Moses (613.  To copy another is flattering, but declaring the wrongperson to be the author is not okay.  What he did was re-word much, which even I often do, too, when I write.  

That additional part ended Christianity and Judaism's connectionYou can look at the 10 commandments and see that Jews feelothers could follow 7 of them.  

Christians generally consider themselves bound by all ten of the Ten Commandments, though they often emphasize a subset related to ethical conduct and relationships with others. These include: 1,"You shall not murder," 2."You shall not commit adultery," "3.You shall not steal," 4."You shall not bear false witness," and 5."You shall not covet". Additionally, Christians often incorporate the commandments related to God: 6."You shall have no other gods before me," 7."You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain," and 8."Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy". While not always explicitly listed as a separate commandment, the idea of loving one's neighbor as oneself is also a central Christian teaching derived from the Ten Commandments. 

Take the Golden Rule, for instance.  We Jews say it in a negativeform:  Don't do to people what you wouldn't want done to you. 

It was formulated from knowing the laws by Hillel, a very famourabbi, just before Jesus' day.  

Others say:  Do unto others as they would do unto you.  

The Golden Rule is a principle of ethical conduct that essentially means "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". It's a universal guideline for how to treat others, advocating for fairness, respect, and kindness. In essence, it suggests that if you want to be treated a certain way, you should treat others in the same way. 

Moses and Aaron with the Ten Commandments (painting c. 1675 by Aron de Chavez)

The Ten Commandments are found in two different sections of the Bible: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Both chapters contain the same basic set of rules, though there are some minor wording differences. 

Here's a breakdown of the Ten Commandments in Jewish tradition:

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 
2. You shall have no other gods before Me. 
3. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. 
4. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 
5. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
6. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 
7. You shall not murder. 
8. You shall not commit adultery. 
9. You shall not steal. 
10. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 
11. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. 

The Ten Commandments are as famous as they are powerful: Catholic Listing

1. I am the LORD your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’s Day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. (via Catechism of the Catholic Church)

During the Middle ages in Germany, rabbis got together and discussed such things as the 10 Commandments, etc.  

There's no use talking about the rest of the 613 since the first 10 are found to be the greatest challenge, even for people living in 2025.  Of course, some laws are much harder to follow than others for each person.  It was Jesus who started the discarding of certain ones, I believe.  Adultery and coveting seems to be the hardest ones.  Killing is becoming too common a way to solve one's problems.  I bet you know certain people who have already broken many of these laws.  

Update: 6/18/25 6:00am

Resource:

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-era-of-sanhedrin-and-its-rabbis-in.html  about Hillel and Golden Rule

Which Monotheistic Religion of the Three Basic Ones Was First?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Danny Eskow, conservative Jewish man from Brooklyn, New York.  His mother was from Reformed German-Jewish  heritage and father was a Russian-Jewish heritage taxi-driver in Brooklyn.  Danny became a high school history teacher, making Aliyah in 1980.   

                                                                         

Moses views a burning bush:  In the biblical story of Moses and the Burning Bush, God appears to Moses in a miraculous way, using a burning bush that is not consumed by fire. God reveals Himself to Moses, instructs him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and gives him a special name: "I AM WHO I AM". This encounter is a pivotal moment in the story of the Exodus, marking the beginning of Moses's journey as God's chosen leader.         

  Judaism was the first of the three monotheistic religions.  Abraham broke the pattern of believing in a polytheistic religion which his father was brought up in. Abram, as he was named, was born sometime around 1948 BCE in the 2nd millennium BCE (before the common era). That was 4,000 years ago.  Jews were living in Egypt when the Pharaoh enslaved them for 400 years until Moses (1391 BCE-1271 BCE)  came along and led them for 40 years on the Exodus back to their homeland of Judah.  That was 3,296 years ago.

Judaism continues as a religion. The Romans tried to put an end to it by burning down Solomon's Temple and its city of Jerusalem in 70 CE,  when they had starting killing off the Jews by starvation, then by capturing and torturing them along with Christians and taking them as slaves to Rome.  Not all Jews lived in Jerusalem, however, and the rest were hiding out in other further away towns, villages, and cities in Judaea. Israel has been reborn on May 14, 1948.  Judea and Samaria (called West Bank by Jordan) were a part of the original Israel along with 11 other tribal lands.  Israel originally was Jacob who wrestled with an angel, and in winning was named Israel; thus the 12 tribes of Israel.  Our history is also part of Judaism as anything else.  

  

    Christianity was born out of Judaism since his followers worshipped a Jewish man born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. 

12 Apostles' supper with Jesus during Passover, a Jewish holiday.  The Apostles' supper during Passover, known as the Last Supper, is a significant event in Christianity. It's believed to have been a Passover Seder, a ritual Jewish meal commemorating the Israelites' liberation from Egypt. During this meal, Jesus shared the first communion with his disciples, symbolizing his body and blood, according to the Bible. Three of the first four books of the New Testament (known as the Gospels) identify the Last Supper as a Passover meal.6 There would have been lamb, matzah, and bitter herbs. There were cups; the Gospels tell of two, but we know that many Mishnaic traditions go back to earlier times, so we can reasonably suppose that there were four. In any event, the presence of “cups” shows that traditions had already accrued beyond the bare essentials mandated in the Exodus for the Passover observance.  All this information was said to be written by the  4 Gospel writers of the Gospels New Testament)  some 75 to 200 years later after the fact. It is not found anywhere in Jewish history.  

If there were four cups used in the first century, then the Gospel account in Luke appears to begin with the kiddush, “the first cup” He took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.” (Luke 22:17) The writer, John, was the hardest commenter of the Jewish people.  

 Since Jews of this history write that he died at age 37, historians have the calendar used by most people today start with his birth.  They believe this man, Jesus, who was speaking in public groups of his beliefs, was a rabbi.  Jesus was crucified by the Romans who had overcome Judah, calling Judaea, joining the many thousands that had been punished thusly for  a sundry of minor actions by the Romans.  Jesus was written about almost 100 years later and more by the 4 gospels as having risen from the grave in a cave to give hope to all those who had followed him.  At first it was against the law to be a Christian by the Romans;  and then they all followed. So the year of 1 CE  or 37 CE would be the beginning of Christianity, taken over by the Romans. That was about 2,000 years ago. 

Muslims have the Kaaba, a shrine in Mecca that they strive to visit as often as possible, as it is the holiest site in Islam.  'the Honored Ka'ba'), is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.  It is  located near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and considered by Muslims everywhere to be the most sacred spot on Earth. Muslims orient themselves toward this small shrine during the five daily prayers, bury their dead facing its meridian, and cherish the ambition of visiting it on pilgrimage, or hajj, in accord with the command set out in the Qurʾān, their book.

Islam was created through a 3rd man, Mohammed, who was born in Mecca, Arabia about 570 CE and died in 632 and had become a prophet of Islam to his people.  All Muslims aspire to undertake the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage, to the Kaaba once in their life if they are able. Prayer five times a day and the hajj are two of the five pillars of Islam, the most fundamental principles of the faith. 

Mohammed was influenced by Judaism and dependent on Christianity in espousing his new religion. When about 40, he became concerned about the day of Judgement that he had heard about. Mohammed connected to Abraham as being the descendant of  Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abraham and Jacob's  twin brother, Esau.   He had also heard Jewish rabbis speak outside their tents in Medina, Arabia  of the lessons from Judaism. Islam came along about 1,393 years ago.  

 Buddhism originated in India around the 5th century BCE, with Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) being the key figure in its development. Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Lumbini, modern-day Nepal, is traditionally believed to have lived from 563 to 483 BCE. His teachings, focused on the path to enlightenment and liberation from suffering, laid the foundation for Buddhism. This would have taken place just before Islam.  Buddhism itself started sometime in the fifth century BCE. We now think that the Buddha, who founded the religion, died sometime toward the year 400 BCE. As Buddhism developed, it spread beyond India. A number of different schools emerged.

Resource:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kaaba-shrine-Mecca-Saudi-Arabia

Stone Edition of Old Testament:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203&version=NIV

https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/was-jesus-last-supper-a-passover-seder

Update: 7:29am on 5/4/25