Ten Tribes Studies (29 December, 2013, 26 Tevet, 5774)
Contents:
1. Rahab the Righteous Woman of Fortune who Repented.
2. Amnon Goldberg: The Recent Snowstorm and the Messiah son of Joseph
3. Problem with Understanding Lesson on Ezekiel by Yair
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1. Rahab the Righteous Woman of Fortune who Repented.
Maimonides (Laws of Kings 1:3), says that Joshua had the legal status of a King. He had been appointed by the authority of Moses and the Seventy Elders (Sanhedrin). Joshua was from the Tribe of Ephraim. Some see him as a Prototype of the future Messiah son of Joseph who will lead the Ten Tribes back and initiate reconciliation with Judah.
The Israelites were encamped at Shittim east of the Jordan. Joshua sent two men to cross the Jordan and spy out the Land. They came to Jericho and entered the house of Rahab who was the owner of a lodging house as well as being a prostitute. The House of Rahab was part of the city wall. The King of Jericho had heard about the arrival of the spies. He sent messengers to Rahab to turn the spies over. Rahab instead hid the spies on the roof under flax branches that were spread out to dry as part of the process of manufacturing linen. Rahab told the emissaries of the King that the spies had left her but could be overtaken if pursuit was undertaken immediately.
Rahab then went up to the roof and informed the spies that the fear of the God of Israel and of the Israelites was on all the inhabitants of Canaan which would be easy to conquer. She asked that when they conquered Jericho that mercy be shown her and her family. Rahab then let the spies down over the wall by a rope. The spies told Rahab to tie a thread of scarlet to her window and to gather all her family into her house at the time of conquest. The spies then went to the mountains for three days until the pursuers from Jericho had returned to the city. After this they returned to the Israelite camp and gave their report to Joshua.
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2. Amnon Goldberg: The Recent Snowstorm and the Messiah son of Joseph
That the [recent snow] storm fell on Israel on the 10th of Teves [Hebrew month of Tevet], a fast that commemorates the breaching of Jerusalem's walls, the death of Ezra and the darkness wrought by the Greek Septuagent, was also a day on which virtually no person in Eretz Yisroel [Land of Israel] did not experience some type of personal distress or damage to his property and finances, is to be viewed as a kind of national kapporah [Atoning]!
But also as a day of brochoh [Blessing]: "Greater is the day of rain than the day of the creation of Heaven and Earth...than the day that the Torah was given....than the day of the Ingathering of the Exiles....than the day of the Resurrection of the Dead!" (Chazal [the Sages]). And "He spreads the snow like wool" (Tehillim [Psalms]147). Snow is literally a blanket, capturing the air like an insulator which keeps out the frost which would otherwise kill the roots and valuable insects which hibernate in the earth. The white color of snow repels the Sun's rays retarding its melting which is instead gradual and fully absorbed, allowing more water to reach the new season of vegetation than even rain: "A snowfall is better than five rains!" (Ta'anis 3).
On the verse "And Benayahu ben Yehoyada was a valiant man....who smashed the lion in the pit on the day of snow" (2-Samuel [Shmuel II] 23), the Ramchal in Ma'amar Hageulah states that snow hints at Moshiach ben Yosef [the Messiah son of Joseph] and extreme din [judgment]. ... "Praise the L-rd from the earth....fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy wind, they do His bidding ([Psalms]Tehillim 148). Snow symbolises moral purity: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Yeshaya [Isaiah] 1). "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow ([Psalms] Tehillim 51)!
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3. Problem with Understanding Lesson on Ezekiel by Yair
New comment on your video
Ezekiel and the Ten Tribes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLs3rmaAoIM&google_comment_id=z12ptffinwrrep2qy04cgnaqdtrnxts5zuc0k&google_view_type#gpluscomments
ForceFieldOfLove
Not all are called for teaching. I could not track with you at all
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Brit-Am Reply:
Some talks are evidently better than others. This one is not so bad. I have a message that I believe in. In some ways it is unique. If I do not teach it chances are that no-one else will. A sufficient proportion of those who hear our talks appreciate and understand them enough to make the effort worthwhile. They who have difficulty following us can always read our articles.