I put together a list of Apostolic scriptures to read and study with parsha #yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23), plus links to related commentary and videos: https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/01/24/parsha-yi

#biblestudy

I was wondering over the past week whether it would be a benefit to the wider Torah Observant (TO) community if I create a search engine which exclusively has content created by the community.
Only ministries and business pages created by and submitted for indexing by the TO community would be included.

That way we can support each other's businesses and get teaching material all searchable in one place.

If this sounds like a good idea then please give this post a thumbs up and/or leave your thoughts below. ?

On this date in history, 02/05/1775: A party of militia raid an informer's house in Stamford, Connectictut, and take back seven half-barrels of confiscated gun powder. #otd #tdih #americanrevolution #connecticut https://www.historycarper.com/....1775/02/16/affair-at

I Love you KINGDOM FAM! MUAH! Hugs ,love joy And smiles all Praise HASHEM!

Thought for Today: Sunday February 05:

May Elohiym draw you in so close that your heart beats in rhythm with His heart. May He keep you far from accusing tongues and critical spirits. May He fill your ears with Words of Truth, direction, promise and love. May your face shine with the strong assurance that you belong to Him.

SERIES G --- THE PROMISED LAND --- LESSON 08

VICTORY AT AI

HOW THE BATTLE WAS WON AT AI

From Joshua 8

[You must not be discouraged or afraid,] Adonai said to Joshua. [Take your warriors and go to Ai. This time you will defeat the king, his city and his people, for I have given them to you. You must do the same at Ai as you did at Jericho, except that you may keep the cattle and the spoils of battle for yourselves. Now, arrange for an ambush behind the city.] Joshua and his army prepared to attack Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand of his men and sent them by night with these orders: [Form an ambush behind the city. Be ready, near the city. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we will run away. They will run after us, for they will think that we are running away as we did before. We will run until we have drawn them away from the city. Then you will rise up and capture the city, for Adonai has put it into your hands. When you have captured Ai, set it on fire. You have your orders. Do exactly as Adonai has Commanded.] When the men left, they set up an ambush west of Ai, between Ai and Bethel. The rest of the army remained there at Jericho with Joshua. Early the next morning, Joshua marched toward Ai with his army. With them went the elders of Israel. When they arrived at Ai, they set up camp on the opposite side of a valley north of the city. Joshua sent another five thousand warriors west of the city to join the thirty thousand who had set up an ambush there. Joshua stationed his troops, the main army on the north side of the city and thirty-five thousand in a rear-guard ambush on the west side of the city. That night Joshua stayed in the valley. When the king of Ai saw Joshua’s army in the valley to the north, he went out early with his army and attacked at a place near the plain. He did not know that there was an ambush to the west, behind Ai. Joshua and his men pretended to run away when they were attacked, fleeing toward the desert. The forces of Ai went after them, leaving Ai behind. All of the troops of Ai went after Joshua, leaving the city unprotected and open. Then Adonai spoke to Joshua. [Hold out the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I have given the city to you. Joshua held out the spear in his hand toward Ai. When the men hiding behind the city saw that, they ran into the city captured it and set it on fire. At this time, the men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke from the city rising into the sky. They realized that there was no place to go, for the main army of Joshua that had been pretending to run away suddenly turned to fight. Because Joshua and his men knew that their troops to the west of the city had captured Ai and would soon come to join them, they began fighting and killing the men of Ai who had come out after them. Before long, the men who had captured the city came rushing out to aid the others. They attacked the forces of Ai from the rear, which left the men of Ai trapped in the middle. The Israelites destroyed all the men of Ai that day, leaving not one of them. However, they captured the king of Ai and brought him before Joshua. As soon as they had destroyed all the men of Ai out in the open country, the troops returned to the city and killed the people there. In all, there were about twelve thousand people of Ai who died that day. Joshua continued to hold out his spear until every person of Ai had been destroyed. As YHVH had permitted, the people of Israel took the cattle and loot for themselves. Then Joshua burned the city, making it a heap of refuse. Joshua also hanged the king of Ai on a tree. The body hung there until evening. At sunset he had the body taken down and thrown at the entrance of the city gate, covering it with a great heap of stones. Then Joshua built an altar to Adonai at Mount Ebal, for Moses, Adonai’s servant, had commanded in the Book of the Law that an altar of stones that had not been broken or cut with iron tools was to be built at Mount Ebal. When the altar was finished, the priests made burnt offerings on it to Adonai and also sacrificed peace offerings. Joshua engraved a copy of the Law of Moses on these stones, while the people of Israel watched. Then the people of Israel, including the elders, officers and judges, as well as those who were not Israelites by birth, formed two groups. One group stood at the foot of Mount Gerizim, the other at the foot of Mount Ebal, just as Moses had commanded earlier. The priests with the Ark stood between. Joshua read all of the words of the Law, both blessing and curse, which Moses had written in the Book of the Law. Every word that Moses wrote was read that day before the people of Israel, even women, children and those who were not Israelites by birth.

COMMENTARY

AI

When Achan’s sin was purged from the camp, the Israelites easily defeated the forces of Ai. The lesson had been learned. Obedience meant victory. Disobedience led to defeat. All Israel stood to hear the Law of YHVH read to them for guidance and blessing. At the creation, an old rabbinical tale explains, YHVH gave three angels sacks of stones to spread evenly over the earth. Two were so busy gazing at the newly made world that they bumped into each other. The sacks spilled open and two thirds of all the stones in the world fell on the land of Canaan. This is especially appropriate for the ancient city of Ai. The word means {heap of stones} or {ruin.} The name may come from the heap of stones piled on the body of the king of Ai after he was killed in the battle with Joshua. Or it may come from the city’s destruction by Joshua’s men. They made Ai a desolate mound of stones and it remains a ruin.

If war is so terrible, why do we embrace it so easily? Maybe the answer is more complicated than we like to think. It's one thing to desire peace, but it's quite another to endure willingly all that is required to attain true peace.

https://thebarkingfox.com/2023/02/04/forever-war/

 

thebarkingfox.com

Forever War - The Barking Fox

If war is so terrible, why do we embrace it so easily? Maybe the answer is more complicated than we like to think. It’s one thing to desire peace, but it’s quite another to endure willingly all that is required to attain true peace. Exodu