Using the Term, "Cease Fire" Loosely In This War

 Nadene Goldfoot                                         

The holiday of Shavuot, which marks the beginning of the 1. wheat harvest as well as 2. the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, began last Thursday, May 21, 2026. . May we be blessed with health, success and peace. Chag Sameach!  With all the wars enveloping Israel one way or another, such a holiday can get forgotten.  Just what's been going on?                           

 First in line came the Torah, which means "teaching", "law," "the Written  Law." This law was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai together with a detailed oral exposition of the Torah and its commandments.  It includes the entire talmudic literature and commentaries. Yet, once we are freed from the bondage of slavery, we are not fully prepared to stand up as free people.  Rather, we need to undergo a transformative process to spiritually and psychologically prepare and cleanse ourselves. Once we have fully come into our liberated state, we are ready to receive the Torah on Shavout — true wisdom, the divine word, direct experience of revelation. 

According to the biblical narrative, Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah (including the Ten Commandments) at Mount Sinai. His life is traditionally divided into three distinct 40-year periods: Age 0 to 40: Raised as a prince in the royal court of Pharaoh.Age 40 to 80: Lived as a shepherd in the land of Midian.  Age 80 to 120: Led the Israelites through the wilderness, received the Torah, and guided the people until his death at the age of 120. At my age of almost 92 today, 80 seems to me like a young kid.  Yes, he could have done it and could have felt he was full of such knowledge. 

Harvest Festivals in Biblical days such as in Eretz Yisrael (later-Palestine) began immediately after Passover in April or May, especially in the Jordan Valley.  In the coastal plain and hill regions, it continued throughout the summer. 

 First came the gathering-in of barley and wheat, followed by olives and the vintage.  There were 3 harvest-festivals:  the Omer festival when the  barley-flour offering was brought to the Temple (Passover) and the counting of 50 days (counting the Omer) ; Counting the Omer is a Jewish commandment to verbally count the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot. The practice begins on the second night of Passover and ends the night before Shavuot, linking the physical Exodus from Egypt to the spiritual giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

the first-fruit (Bikkurim) festival 7 weeks later when the wheat ripened (Feast of Weeks);  and the feast of the ingathering (Asiph) marking the end of the entire harvest (Tabernacles).  

Agricultural significance of the festivals has been re-emphasized in modern Israel by special observances, especially in small villages.  

                         Giving the law on Mt. Sinai

In Temple times, they brought 2 loaves to the priests and the offering of first fruits.  After the Temple was destroyed, the tradition was emphasized that Shavuot commemorated the giving of the law on Mt Sinai on Sivan 6 (day of harvesting wheat).  

From the 16th century on, kabbalists have observed the eve of Shavuot by studying from the Torah.  The Book of Ruth, which mentions the barley and wheat harvests, is read in the synagogues on this time.  

 I remember that in Israel, we stayed awake all night long studying and discussing it.  That was the custom.                                               

According to U.S. media reports (including CNN, WSJ, Axios), Prime Minister Netanyahu has been urging President Trump, in several phone calls this week, to resume strikes against Iran, while Trump has been pushing for continuing negotiations. CNN reported that Trump told Netanyahu he wanted to allow several more days for a deal to emerge in order to save lives. The picture being painted is clearly one of Netanyahu trying to "pressure" Trump and drag the U.S. deeper into a war. 

But clearly,  President Trump is running the show and making decisions based on what he feels is best. Israel is following his direction. Yes, the U.S. military conducted airstrikes in southern Iran. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) described the attacks as "self-defense strikes" aimed at protecting American troops. The strikes hit Iranian missile launch sites and boats attempting to emplace mines.The action took place in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas, which is Iran's main naval base, located roughly 70km from the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM stated that the military action is being executed while utilizing "restraint" during the ongoing ceasefire. The strikes occurred simultaneously with ongoing ceasefire negotiations, as President Donald Trump recently indicated that talks with Tehran were "proceeding nicely".The United States struck targets in southern Iran on May 25, 2026. CENTCOM stated the action was taken in self-defense to protect American troops. The strikes specifically targeted Iranian missile launch sites and mine-laying boats off the Iranian coast, despite a fragile ceasefire that had been in effect since April.  This is past the time of counting the Omer which ended on Shavuot.  

Israel pounded Lebanon with more than 120 airstrikes in a single day, heavily targeting Hezbollah sites in the southern and eastern regions. The bombardment followed a tense phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations.  President Donald Trump’s stance on Israel's right to defend itself has been heavily shaped by the ongoing regional conflict, including massive joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran that began in February 2026. While the U.S. and Israel have closely coordinated in combat, the administration has also placed certain diplomatic constraints on certain actions. Netanyahu says Israel deepening its operations in Lebanon.  Hezbollah targets Israeli forces with drones, rockets as Israeli strikes intensify.  I think IDF is trying to get as much Hezbollah terrorism destroyed as they can while they have a green light before a cease fire does exist.  

Resource:

Added: 5/27/26

israelAM

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia 

Jubilee Years; It's Importance To Two Religions: Jews and Christians

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

The Jubilee talked about in the New Testament is from the Tanakh and  in the encyclopedia under Sabbatical Year and Jubilee and even brings to mind the number 7 to my mind. For some Christians, they have connected the Jubilee to the coming of the Messiah.  What's going on here? They are waiting for a Jubilee year. 

Christians connect the Jewish Jubilee to the Messiah by seeing Jesus' first-century ministry as fulfilling the Jubilee's promises of liberty to captives and restoration. They cite Jesus' declaration in the synagogue at Nazareth, quoting Isaiah 61, where He proclaimed He had come "to preach the acceptable year of the LORD" (the Jubilee). This ministry of spiritual freedom from sin, through His death and resurrection, is seen as the spiritual Jubilee that enables people to return to God, while the final, physical Jubilee will be fully realized at His second coming.   We Jews are still in waiting for the Messiah's one and only appearance.  That's one big difference in our religions.  

 Our body's cells are said to die off and replace themselves every seven years.  Number 7 is considered by many as a lucky number.  7 days make a week.  In Jewish law and tradition, the number seven (7) is the most sacred and symbolizes completeness, wholeness, and perfection, often seen in the seven days of Creation and the weekly Shabbat. Its significance extends to annual cycles like the Sabbatical year (Shmita), holidays such as the seven-day festivals of Passover and Sukkot, and mourning rituals like sitting Shiva for seven days. The seven-branched menorah and the seven Noahide Laws for humanity also highlight its profound importance in Jewish life and law.

The Torah ( the first five books of theTorah-- Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Ascribed to Moses, it is now held by some scholars to be a compilation from texts of the 9th to 5th centuries BCE. called  by Greek name, the Pentateuch )                                 ordains a rest from farming in Eretz Yisrael once in 7 years (Lev. 25:3).  Any crops in the 7th year are communal property.  The year following 7 fallow years, ( of farmland) plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period in order to restore its fertility as part of a crop rotation or to avoid surplus production."incentives for farmers to let the land lie fallow in order to reduce grain surpluses" )  that is, the 50th year---is the Jubilee (Lev. 25-:8) when cultivation is also prohibited, slaves are freed, and land, purchased since the previous Jubilee, reverts to its original owner.  

      Here's is its importance to us on Yom Kippur.

The Jubilee year was proclaimed by sounding the ram's horn on the Day of Atonement (Day of Judgement) .  The relevant laws are discussed in the talmudic tractate SHEVIIT.  According to halakhah, the commandments of the Jubilee year are valid only when all Jews are resident in their land, each tribe in its territory.  Nevertheless, ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel observe the Sabbatical year (such as 5754 which was 1993-1994).  

The most recent sabbatical year (Shmita) according to Jewish law was 2021–2022, corresponding to the Hebrew year 5782. This observance, which includes resting the land and releasing debts in Israel, concluded around Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) in September 2022. The next sabbatical year will begin on September 20, 2028, or the Hebrew year 5789.   Our calendar goes up to the year, 6,000. 

Isaiah was a prophet.  He prophesied in Jerusalem from the death of King Uzziah until the middle of Hezekiah's reign (740-701 BCE), and was from a noble family, closely connected withthe royal court and under King Hezekiah, was prominent in Publicaffairs. 

He was against moral laxity;   kindness, pity, and justice to the poor and underprivileged are more significant to G-d thanoffering sacrifices.  The hand of G-d is predominant in all 

historical events, even Assyria serving only as an instrument ofDivine anger.  He opposes all treaties with neighboring states;Israel as the people of G-d must trust solely in Him, The peopleof Israel will be punished for its sins but not exterminated;  aremnant will return and renew the link between G-d and the Landof Israel.  

Christians connect Jubilee with Isaiah 61.  Isaiah is telling us    that the spirit of Hashem/Elohim  is telling him; to bring tidingsto the humble, to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for captives and release from bondage for the imprisoned..(now I'm thinking of our hostages).  to proclaim a year of favorto Hashem and a day of vengeance for our G-d, to comfort allmourners, to ring about for the mourners of Zion to give themsplendor instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, acloak of praise instead of a dim spirit.  they will then be called "elms of righteousness, the planting of Hashem in which toglory."  They will rebuild the ancient ruins, the wastelands offormer times they will restore.....Israel of today has certainlyall that.   

Our Stone Edition comment is:  favor (for his people), vengeance (for their enemies) 

The Jubilee year was designed to maintain social and economic balance within the Israelite community, prevent extreme poverty and the concentration of landownership, and remind them that the land ultimately belonged to God. 

The Jubilee year in ancient Israel, as described in Leviticus 25, significantly impacted farmers: Land restoration: All leased or mortgaged land was to be returned to its original owners, ensuring that ancestral lands remained within families and preventing permanent land loss due to debt.Freedom from servitude: Farmers or their family members who had fallen into debt and become bonded laborers were to be set free. This provided a chance to restart and regain economicindependence.Economic reset: The Jubilee system acted as a check on wealth accumulation and fostered social equity by periodically restoring property and releasing those in servitude, according to faithworksfinancial.org. Trust in God's provision: Farmers had to trust God to provide for them during the Jubilee year, as agricultural work was to cease.

Isn't this the first indication of land management and not wearing

it out?  The land rests every 7 years.

The practice of letting land lie fallow, or rest, for a year to replenish soil nutrients dates back to ancient times, after the Biblical days of Moses (1391-1271 BCE) .  Ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Javanese used fallow systems to sustain soil fertility. The Romans also practiced a form of crop rotation that included a fallow period where land was left unplanted. They understood that different plants drew different nutrients and that leaving the land fallow could help it regain its fertility. 

The three-field system, which incorporated a fallow year as a regular practice, emerged in Europe during the medieval period (around the 9th century and became widespread by the 12th century), according to Fiveable Library. This system involved dividing arable land into three sections and rotating crops and fallow periods to maintain soil health. Therefore, the understanding and practice of letting soil rest for a year is an ancient practice, not a modern discovery, and was systematized during the medieval period. (800-1100 CE) .

Resource:

Tanakh, Stone Edition

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Altering History and Altering Religion Deceptive Reasons

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

There is a movie about biblical David that is not following the story line found in the Torah (Bible).  

The "House of David" is a Prime Video series premiering February 27, 2025, that tells the story of David's rise to becoming King of Israel. The series, produced by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn, features Michael Iskander as David, Ali Suliman as King Saul, and Martyn Ford as Goliath. Never-before-seen images of the series have been released, showcasing the cast and the series' visual style. 

"The TV series that portrays David as potentially born out of wedlock is House of David on Amazon Prime Video. 

While the biblical account doesn't explicitly state that David was illegitimate, the series takes "creative liberties" by suggesting this possibility or alluding to it. "

Of all things to be creative about, this is NOT one of them.  It's messing around with our family tree, our line of inheritance.  

"Some viewers have noted that this aspect of David's backstory in the show seems to be linked to "Jewish tradition" that posits David was considered illegitimate due to his mother's supposed lineage.  

Illegitimate means that the parents of a child were not married.

Jesse and the daughter of Ithra were married.  In those days,

men had many wives  (married them). It is not surprising that

Moses did not write down a woman's name while he did the men. What was he writing on?  Sheepskin, no doubt, something much harder than we use today.  Moses was a scribe of Egypt, schooled with the Egyptian princes.  It was common practice to leave out many women's names.  

 I take exception to this statement. I doubt very much that thisillegitimacy is in  our Jewish tradition.  

1. David, 8th son of Jesse, born (1000 BCE-died 960 BCE) of tribe ofJudah 4th son of Jacob and Leah.  Judah was one of the 12tribes that we Jews came from.    He was said to be a gingy(reddish hair).     Youngest son of Jesse, born in Bethlehem, married Saul's daughter, Michal. 

 The Book of Samuel states that Jesse had eight sons, namingthe first three as Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah, and David as the youngest.[8] The Book of Chronicles names seven sons ofJesse—Eliab, Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem and David—as well as two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail.[9]Among his grandchildren were the three sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab and Asahel; and Amasa, the son of Abigail.[10]

David became at age 25 armor-bearer of King Saul, was best friend of Saul's son, Jonathan.  David showed he was a great soldier when fightingPhilistines-husband of Saul's daughter, Michal. 

Of course, Davidas a teen had fought the giant Goliath, a Philistine from Gath (I Sam.17:21-10).  

Rather-King David, was the most important personage of the Jewish religion.Everyone wanted to be connected to his family.  To belong to the Sanhedrin, one hadto have a family tree showing the connection.  It was most important to have a family tree leading to king David for religious and political reasons.  Christians felt they had a family tree leading to David which differed from our established Jewishfamily tree.  This concept was part of the "proof" they needed to establish theirreligion.

I have pored over the Torah in the act of making a tree from the information which isthe only qualified information we have.  It is our research tool.

1   JESSE

b: in Bethlehem in 11th or 10th century BCE, grandson of Ruthand Boaz.

He lived in Bethlehem but for fear of King Saul; lived for a time in Moab.  The royal  house of David is known as "the stock or root of Jesse.  (Is.11:1, 10)  He married the daughter of Ithra.  

.. +Ithra's Daughter with Ithra having  DNA of J1haplotypeArab  or Jewish line

In the Torah (Hebrew Bible), Ithra is mentioned as the father of Amasa, who served as David's military commander. Ithra is also identified as Jether the Ishmaelite in some texts.

David's army would be made up of Israelites (Jewish) soldiers. 

A few of the soldiers might have been Ishmaelites, who werepeople who lived in N. Arabia between Egypt and the Assyrian border.  The Bible refers several times to their trade with Egypt.

Traditionally they are the Arab descendants of Ishmael and modern Arabs still claim this descent, which connects them to  Ithra's daughter and King David.  

In today's IDF, we have certain Arab tribes serving.  While Druze and Circassians are conscripted into the IDF, along with 
Jews, the Bedouin and Israeli Arabs, Christians and Muslims are not obliged to serve. 

An estimated 1,500 Bedouin are currently serving in the IDF. Around 606 Muslim Arabs volunteered to serve in 2020 compared with 436 in 2018.

Unlike today, Judaism is legally figured to have been carried in the family by the father.  The male line is the important line. 

Sometime during the Middle Ages, this proof of being Jewish switched to the mother.  If your mother was Jewish, you were legally Jewish.  

  Boaz was the son of Judah.  David was also said to be the son of Jesse,  an Ephrathite man from Bethlehem in Judah, who had 8 sons.  After fighting Goliath he became a soldier fighting the Philistines like his 3 older brothers did. "   Was Jesse the son of Judah or from Ephriam?  They still should produce the same DNA haplotype.  

History  from Aggadah (Haggadah) (below)

The part of Oral Law distinct from Haslakhah, ie that which does not deal with the laws incumbant upon the Jew in his daily activities.  From this follows the positive definition:  the Aggadah is primarily the sequel to those parts of the Bible which include stories and chronicles, sayings of the wise and moral instructions, and the admonitions and consolation of the prophets.   

"Jesse merited to be the ancestor of the royal house by virtue of his own good deeds. He expounded Torah to a multitude of 60 myriads (Yev. 76b). His father-in-law Ithra, an Ishmaelite, converted to Judaism and gave Jesse his daughter in marriage, when he heard him recite Isaiah 45:22 "Look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth" (TJ, Yev. 8:3, 9b). After the birth of his sixth son, Jesse separated from his wife for three years but on one occasion attempted to seduce one of his female slaves. His wife, however, disguised herself as the slave girl (on the latter's advice), and it was thus that David was conceived (Yal. Mak. to Ps. 118:28). It was Jesse who encouraged David to slay Goliath and thus protect King Saul, seeing in it a continuation of the protection which Judah (David's ancestor) had afforded to Benjamin (Saul's ancestor) in Egypt (Tan?. B., Gen. 104). David's cruelty toward the Moabites (II Sam. 8:2) is justified by the fact that it was they who had treacherously killed Jesse after David had entrusted him to their care while he fled from Saul (cf. I Sam. 22:3; Num. R. 14:1). It is also stated, however, that Jesse was one of the four persons who were untainted by sin and died merely because death was decreed upon all mankind, as a result of the serpent's seduction of Eve. It is for this reason that Abigail, who was really Jesse's daughter, is referred to by Scripture (II Sam. 17:25) as "the daughter of Nahash" ("serpent"; BB 17a). Jesse is one of the eight "messianic princes among men" referred to in Micah 5:4 (Suk. 52b)."  

The show is noted for taking some creative liberties with the biblical narrative, though it also attempts to portray some aspects of David's story with biblical authenticity. It is important to note that this depiction in "House of David" is a creative choice made for the series and is not the traditional biblical account of David's birth."   THAT'S FOR SURE!

I ask, why change history?  Cecil B DeMille knew not to change the Ten Commandments in 1956.   

To change something so dear, so historical to us in our Bible is tochange much more. In this case, it is altering a legality;   a legal point in something that was very important;  our rights of descendancy.   

Today, people are trying to change historical facts recorded to benefitother groups about our historical religion.  

  That's not history. David lives in our history:

City of David is Jerusalem.  Then there's the Shield or Star of David  that was worn during the Holocaust forcing Jews to be identified;and there's the Tomb of David of the present Old City of Jerusalem,which is site E.  What I love is the song, David, king of Israel:Dah-veed, melekh Yisrael...chai, chai...It’s one of the first songs Jewish kids learn in Jewish preschool or summer camp:Dovid, Melech Yisrael, Chai Vikayam…. David, King of Israel, Lives Forever…

....The song's lyrics are simple and consist of only five words, which are repeated many times in some tunes.

English:

David, king of Israel, lives and endures.

Hebrew transliteration:

David, melekh Yisra'el, Ḥai veqayam.(vik-iy yam)

Hebrew:

דוד מלך ישראל חי וקיים

Source

      Known as the star of David; a Mogan David

 

Resource:

Tanach (Torah), the Stone Edition-Bible, ArtScrollSeries

 The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/11/wasnt-david-chosen-as-moral-person-and.html

https://aish.com/dovid-melech-yisrael-4-facts-about-this-iconic-jewish-song/