IRAN - SYRIA SUMMER WAR WITH US

REMEMBER EVERYONE PASSOVER STARTS AT 6:00 PM IN ISRAEL TONIGHT. IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT 8.0 QUAKE OCCURRED YESTERDAY, ITS A WAKEUP CALL FOLKS. REMEMBER PROPHECIES WILL BE FULFILLED ON THESE DAYS IN ISRAEL, KEEP A WATCH OF THE NEWS FOR HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK.REMEMBER THE DAY JESUS DIED THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE. THESE ARE WAKE UP CALLS TO THE WORLD TO REPENT BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT COMES ON ALL THE WORLD.

Today In Jewish History 14 Nisan APR 02,07

In the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), the Jews in Egypt offered the Passover lamb, to be eaten later that night at the first Passover Seder. This was an act of great courage, as sheep were regarded as idols in Egyptian society, and the Jews were technically still subject to Egyptian slavery.

This was God's way of emphasizing the idea that Egyptian society was in a state of collapse. In times of the Holy Temple, the Passover Lamb would be offered by every Jewish family; many thousands of lambs would be processed and prepared in the Temple during the afternoon hours preceding the Passover holiday.

On this date in 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising broke out. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish ghettos established by Nazis during the Holocaust. It initially held 400,000 people (30% of the entire population of Warsaw), crammed into a tiny area.

In its three years of existence, some 100,000 Jews died of disease and starvation, before the Nazis deported some 265,000 Jews to the Treblinka death camp. When the Nazis decided to liquidate the ghetto, Jewish resistance fighters took action, digging hundreds of bunkers under the houses, connected through the sewage system.

The final battle started on the eve of Passover 1943. Some 750 Jewish partisans shot and threw grenades at German patrols from alleyways, sewers and buildings. The Nazis responded with tanks and flamethrowers, rounding up or killing any Jew they could capture. After several days without quelling the uprising, the Nazis ordered the ghetto burned to the ground. The uprising ended after one month; approximately 300 Germans and 7,000 Jews were killed in the fighting. The remaining 30,000 Jews were sent to Treblinka for extermination. Several dozen fighters escaped through the sewers, and a number of these survivors went on to found Kibbutz Lohamei HaGetaot, located near Acco in Israel.

Court prevents groups from sacrificing live animals at Temple Mount APR 02,07 By Nadav Shargai and Amiram Barkat , Haaretz Correspondent

In their efforts to sacrifice a live animal at the Temple Mount, the New Sanhedrin Council adopted an almost underground modus operandi. Rabbis Adin Steinsaltz, Israel Ariel, Yishai Baved and their associates secretly located a butcher, found a Cohen hailing from a lineage 1,000 years old and worked out a plan to quickly erect an alter on the Temple Mount. They tried to revive the customs of the ancient Sanhedrin tribunal, which was the highest judicial body for the Jewish people in Israel some 1,600 years ago. They sought to slaughter a sacrificial animal across from the Western Wall.

The activists, who belong to various religious circles such as the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, also petitioned the High Court of Justice for the right to perform the ritual. Their plans were thwarted on Sunday when the court rejected their request, ruling that the rights of the petitioners to practice their faith are outweighed by other considerations such as public order and safety.Despite the ruling, the followers decided to hold a colorful procession on Sunday in Jerusalem, heading to the Western Wall along with two sheep.

The Temple Mount Movement followers present were joined by partners from the Temple Institute, which has for years prepared the traditional holy tools and utensils for the Third Temple, according to Torah specifications. The spectacular display did not, however, persuade authorities to allow the participants to perform the practice. Their petition to the court was by no means the first one. In recent years, the High Court of Justice rejected several such petitions filed by the Temple Mount Movement and other associations, dedicated to erecting the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The court invariably cited the same reasons for its ruling. In Passover 1991, dedicated believers decided it was time for action, and tried to sacrifice a lamb in the premises. They were, however, quickly stopped by police. One of the most daring plans to perform the religious ritual at the holy site belongs to the ultra right-wing religious movement Kach. Some 20 years ago, its members worked out an plan to infiltrate the Western Wall Plaza at dusk with a lamb and foldable alter. The plan never materialized, partly owing to the fact that Passover that year coincided with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Earlier and bolder still was the plan of the Temple Mount Movement to hire a helicopter pilot to parachute a ready-made alter onto the Western Wall Plaza.

There, it would serve a group of followers on the ground, sacrificial lamb in hand. As in previous cases, the plan never quite took off the ground.

OTHER NEWS HAPPENINGS FOR APR 02,07

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Tsunami devastates western Solomons. 3-Changes coming
nationwide this week. 4-Los Angeles suffers longest dry spell in 130 years. 5-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 6-Pastor: Christ did not die for sin .Calls Easter message repulsive, insane makes God sound like a psychopath. 7-The Hebrew University was founded on Mount Scopus, opposite the Temple Mount. Is this the third temple? 8-Saudi: Israel should accept 2002 deal. 9-Israel steps up Security for Passover ahead of Weeklong Passover Holliday. 10-Iran, Syria prepping for U.S. summer war.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Mon Apr 2 12:00 PM EDT

APR 02,07
MAP 5.5 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 6.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 4.2 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 4.8 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.4 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.5 AISEN, CHILE
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 3.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS

APR 01,07
MAP 3.2 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.8 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.3 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.7 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.5 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 6.4 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 6.7 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 8.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 2.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.7 OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.4 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.3 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 OREGON
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.2 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.1 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 4.9 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.8 TONGA
MAP 2.9 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 5.5 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

Tsunami devastates western Solomons By GEORGE HERMING, Associated Press Writer APR 02,07

HONIARA, Solomon Islands - Tsunami waves churned by an undersea earthquake crashed ashore in the Solomon Islands on Monday, wiping away entire villages and triggering alerts from Australia to Hawaii, officials said. At least 13 people were killed and the toll was expected to rise.

In the South Pacific nation's remote west, where the devastation appeared centered, there were reports of people being swept away as waves plowed up to a half-mile inland.It was just a noise like an underground explosion, said Dorothy Parkinson, a resident of Gizo, where a wall of water swept through the streets. The wave came almost instantaneously. Everything that was standing is flattened.Residents of the town of 7,000 fled to a nearby hill.There wasn't any warning — the warning was the earth tremors, Alex Lokopio, premier of Western Province, told New Zealand's National Radio. It shook us very, very strongly and we were frightened, and all of a sudden the sea was rising up.Along the coast all of the property was washed away to the open sea, he said.

Julian Makaa, spokesman for the Solomons National Disaster Management Office, said extensive destruction was reported in the South Pacific nation's west. But details remained sketchy because communications were reduced in many cases to scratchy two-way radio lines, and emergency officials struggled to reach outlying areas.Alfred Maesulia, the information director in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's office, said late Monday that 13 people were killed and an unknown number remained missing.Some people were seen floating on the sea during the big waves but it was very difficult to go near them, Maesulia told The Associated Press.The magnitude-8 quake struck shortly after 7:39 a.m. six miles beneath the sea floor, about 215 miles northwest of the Solomons capital, Honiara, the U.S. Geological Survey said.Within five minutes, waves 10-16 feet tall roared ashore and went up to half a mile inland, inundating buildings and sending thousands fleeing for higher ground,
witnesses said.

The Pacific region went on high alert for several hours after the quake struck between the islands of Bougainville and New Georgia, with Sydney's famous Bondi among beaches closed more than 1,250 miles away in Australia.Warnings from the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center were lifted within hours for areas outside the Solomons, but Australian officials closed beaches along the length of the country's east coast, stopped ferry services in Sydney and warned fishing boats to return to port in precautionary measures that were lifted by the end of the day.We just feel it's best to err on the side of caution, said Warren Young, the chief lifeguard on Australia's Gold Coast, about 1,370 miles from the quake's epicenter.In Gizo, the capital of Solomons' Western Province, Judith Kennedy said
water right up to your head swept through the town. Her father, dive shop owner Danny Kennedy, said the surge carried detritus.There are boats in the middle of the road, buildings have completely collapsed and fallen down, he said by mobile phone as he toured Gizo.Maesulia said residents of Simbo, Choiseul and Ranunga islands near Gizo also reported deaths and widespread destruction.There are reports that some villages were completely washed away, he said.

Sasamungga village is quite a big village. ... It was reported that 300 houses were completely destroyed in that village alone.Lokopio said up to 4,000 people who fled to a hill behind the town may be in need of emergency shelter and other supplies. He said most of the town's government offices were badly damaged, along with police stations and at least one hospital. Strong aftershocks continued throughout the day.
Solomon Islands deputy police commissioner Peter Marshall said three military helicopters would fly to the stricken region on Tuesday with supplies for the homeless. He said a national state of emergency has been declared. The Solomon Islands is an impoverished archipelago of more than 200 islands northeast of Australia, with a population of about 552,000 people, that lies on the Pacific Basin's so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines where quakes frequently happen. In 2004, a magnitude-9 quake sent tsunami waves slamming into the coastlines of a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean's rim, killing about 230,000 people.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Changes coming nationwide this week Mark Avery, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel APR 02,07

Northeast

Showery weather will greet commuters in New England this morning. In Northern New England, snow will be possible, prompting winter weather advisories to be posted over parts of New Hampshire and Maine. Below average temperatures continue over New England, while farther south and west above average temperatures rule and will do so into Tuesday.

Showers return to the interior Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday, withthunderstorms possible on Wednesday. Snow returns to the interior Northeast, and near the Great Lakes, Thursday and Friday. From Wednesday through the end of the week, the entire region will have below average high temperatures.

Midwest

In the Northern Plains, a new storm system is gathering strength and is forecast to bring significant snows to parts of North Dakota and northern Minnesota. Winter storm watches are posted from North Dakota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Farther south, rain will change to snow in South Dakota and southern Minnesota as the day progresses and into this evening. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes will continue to see rain from the same system that brought rain to much of the Midwest and Plains late last week and over the weekend. This system will move north and eastward through Canada and into the Atlantic as the next system (the one bringing precipitation to the Northern Plains) moves in. By Tuesday, snow and wind will be the big weather features across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, while a chance of severe thunderstorms will threaten much of the Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes and Lower Ohio Valley. By Wednesday, colder air will move into the region with snow showers possible over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Snow showers will linger into Friday near the Lakes, while snow and rain will return to the Plains on Thursday and Friday. Below average temperatures will be the rule today over North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, and spread across the entire region by Wednesday through the weekend.

South

Scattered showers, with a thunderstorm or two as well, is possible in the Southeast today, with the best chances being near the Gulf and Southeast Atlantic Coasts. Shower and thunderstorm chances will be more widespread on Tuesday, with severe storms possible in central and eastern Arkansas into western Tennessee. Thunderstorms will again be possible on Wednesday from the Appalachians to the Tennessee Valley before moving into Florida on Thursday. Rain (with a few thunderstorms) will be possible in the Southern Plains on Thursday and Friday. Behind the frontal boundary that helps kick up the storm chances, colder air will be moving in. Temperatures are expected to be above average today and Tuesday before cooling off on Wednesday. Highs in Virginia, the Carolinas, coastal Georgia, and Florida will stay above average on Wednesday before cooling off to below average readings for Thursday and Friday.

West

A developing storm system in the Northern Rockies and Northern High Plains is the beginning of the end of warmer than average temperatures for the Eastern United States for later this week.

A winter storm watch is posted for portions of eastern Montana, with a winter weather advisory for parts of northeastern Montana. Snow advisories and heavy snow warnings are posted in central Montana southward into western Wyoming. Further to the south in the Southern and Central Rockies and the High Plains of Colorado and New Mexico, an elevated risk of wild fires exists today due to dry air and gusty winds expected today. Southern California continues to stay dry and precipitation-free, continuing the path to what could easily become the driest water year on record for Los Angeles.

Showers return to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday, and much of the Interior West on Thursday and Friday. While the Southwest remains warm with above average high temperatures, the Northwest and Northern Rockies are expected to have below average high temperatures today and tomorrow before warming by mid and late week.

FAMINE

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Los Angeles suffers longest dry spell in 130 years Sun Apr 1, 6:45 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles is going through its longest dry spell in at least 130 years, the National Weather Service said Sunday, fueling fears of rampant wildfires which have plagued the US west coast in recent years. The rain season is currently the driest to date in downtown Los Angeles since records began in 1877, the weather service said in a statement.It said the southern California city had received just 2.47 inches (6.27 centimeters) of rain since July 1, 2006, far from the normal precipitation of 13.94 inches (35.4 centimeters) in the same period.If downtown Los Angeles receives less than 1.95 inches of rain from now through June 30th this will become the driest rain season ever, it said.The record-holder is the 2001-2002 season which saw just 4.42 inches (11.22 centimeters) of rain.Southern California is repeatedly the victim of wildfires, some of them of criminal origin like the arson-caused inferno that blazed Friday near the famed Hollywood sign in the hills overlooking Los Angeles, destroying some 150 acres (60 hectares) of brush.The worst earth-scorching year on record in the United States was in 2006, when fires burned nearly 15.5 thousand square miles (39,957 square kilometers) -- an area close to the size of Switzerland.

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
APR 02, 2007

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

Thirty years ago, when I organized the first ever Evangelical-Jewish dialogue, I was heartened to discover that there were great numbers of evangelical Christians who were firmly supportive of Israel and the Jewish people. These friends of Israel had a hunger to demonstrate that support in tangible and meaningful ways, to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and to learn more about Israel and the Jewish roots of their Christian faith.Recognizing this hunger, and drawing on the shared biblical heritage of both Christians and Jews, in 1983 I founded the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between these faith communities.The Fellowship's success has far exceeded my expectations. Through God's blessing, millions of people have been assisted through our various programs helping Jews return to their biblical homeland and providing humanitarian aid to desperate Jews in need in Israel and around the world. In turn, hundreds of thousands of Christians have experienced the biblical promise of blessing to those who bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3).

The importance and value of The Fellowship's work and our Christian donors' support for Israel was recognized by the Israeli government last year when I was appointed Israel's Goodwill Ambassador to Evangelical communities in Latin America. During my travels through this vibrant part of the world, I have seen that Latin American Christians, too, have a hunger to know more about Israel and the Jewish people, and to deepen their own faith by learning more about the Jewish roots of Christianity.
To fill this need, I am happy to announce that The Fellowship is launching a broad outreach into Latin America. Our new Director of Latin America and U.S. Hispanic Ministries, Douglas Dye, La Fraternidad Internacional de Cristianos y Judios will be working closely with me to bring The Fellowship's bridge-building message to the region through initiatives like Ask the Rabbi, a five-minute, Spanish language radio show that will air on Christian radio stations throughout Central and South America. Ask the Rabbi will give me the opportunity to discuss various aspects of Jewish life, faith and observance, to explore the Jewish roots of Christianity, and to look in depth at the history of Israel and the Jewish people. Our new Spanish-language website, www.FraternidadInternacional.org, will help Latin American Christians learn about Israel and the Jewish people and support the lifesaving work of The Fellowship.

And a monthly Spanish-language e-newsletter will alert them to new initiatives and events affecting Israel and the Jewish people. I encourage you to share this site with your Spanish-speaking friends.I have always believed that the bonds that unite Christians and Jews are far stronger and more significant than the issues that divide us. They are bonds based on biblical truths that transcend language and culture. We at The Fellowship feel privileged to be strengthening these bonds with Latin American Christians, and pray that God will bless our new endeavor, just as He has so richly blessed our work to date.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians And Jews.

JUDE 8-16
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.(JESUS)
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

HERE WE GO AGAIN ANOTHER GODLESS CHRISTIAN HOMOSEXUAL WHO WILL PAY BIGTIME FOR PUTTING JESUS DOWN IN THE FUTURE.

TESTING THE FAITH
Pastor: Christ did not die for sin .Calls Easter message repulsive, insane makes God sound like a psychopath April 1, 2007 - 1:00 a.m. Eastern - WorldNetDaily.com

Church of England traditionalists, wearied by the battles over homosexuality in the church and the clergy, are about to take it on their spiritual chins once again when a leading gay cleric will tell listeners to BBC Radio 4 that Christianity's traditional teaching on Christ's crucifixion for the sins of mankind is repulsive, insane and makes God sound like a psychopath.

Rev. Jeffrey John, who was forced to withdraw before assuming a position as bishop in 2003 after it was learned he was in a longterm homosexual relationship, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday and will criticize ministers who use their Easter messages to preach that Jesus was sent to earth to die as an atonement for sin, reported the London Telegraph. Christian theology has taught the doctrine of penal substitution that humans, alienated from God by their sins and unable to save themselves, could only be forgiven by God sending Christ as a substitute to suffer and die in their place.

In other words, Jesus took the rap and we got forgiven as long as we said we believed in him, said John. This is repulsive as well as nonsensical. It makes God sound like a psychopath.

If a human behaved like this we'd say that they [sic] were a monster.John, who currently serves as dean of St. Albans, raised a furor when he and Rev. Grant Holmes, a hospital chaplain, entered into a civil partnership last August. Church of England clergy may enter into gay marriage if they assure their bishop they are to remain celibate. In rejecting penal substitution, John will reportedly propose a different interpretation of Christ's death, suggesting Christ was crucified so he could share in the worst of grief and suffering that life can throw at us.

Too many Christians fail to understand God is about love and truth, not wrath and punishment, Johns said. Rev. Tom Wright, the bishop of Durham, blasted the BBC for giving John such an influential forum to make provocative claims on traditional beliefs, saying John's statements attacked the central message of the Christian gospel. He is denying the way in which we understand Christ's sacrifice. It is right to stress that he is a God of love but he is ignoring that this means he must also be angry at everything that distorts human life, Wright said. I'm fed up with the BBC for choosing to give privilege to these unfortunate views in Holy Week, he said.

THESE ISRAELIS BETTER NOT BE SYMBOLIZING SCRIPTURES THEY WILL BE COMING TO PASS LITERALLY NOT SYMBOLICALY.

The Hebrew University was founded on Mount Scopus, opposite the Temple Mount. Is this the third temple? Dr. Yair Paz Published: MAR 30,07

Parashat Tzav specifiess the details of various sacrifices, and concludes (Leviticus 7:37-38): This is the law of the burnt offering, of the cereal offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the consecration, and of the peace offerings, which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai. One of the exciting intellectual challenges facing modern, traditional-minded Jews is our response to the substantial parts of Leviticus that are dedicated to the bringing of animal sacrifices to the Sanctuary as part of the sacral service and spiritual transcendence. One of the interesting examples of the modern attempt to confront this issue is related to the founding of the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, opposite the Temple Mount, and the spiritual ideas that accompanied the building of the campus on that particular site.

In 1913, the Zionist Congress discussed the establishing of the Hebrew University. On one hand, the creation of a university answered a functional academic need, particularly in light of the restrictions placed upon the admission of Jewish students to European universities.

On the other hand, the desire to establish the university in Jerusalem expressed a symbolic national need. The two central figures that addressed the issue spoke in similar terms. Menachem Ussishkin, one of the leaders of Hovevei Zion and later the president of the Jewish National Fund, stated in his speech to the Congress in August 1913: on the ninth of Av this year, we mark two thousand five hundred years since the foe and enemy came to the holy place and destroyed our Temple Two thousand five hundred years ago, our national temple God’s Sanctuary on Mount Moriah - was destroyed. Now we come full of faith and hope to build a new national temple, the sanctuary of wisdom and science on Mount Zion… Chaim Weizmann, president of the Zionist Organization, was of two minds in regard to the address he was to deliver on this subject. In a letter two his wife Vera, he confided some of his doubts: I feel a sense of great responsibility in regard to the address that I must prepare for the Congress…While it is true that the Hebrew University and the Tomb of Jesus can hardly dwell under one roof, we cannot relinquish Jerusalem. We must take the risk! This is the only motto that, I believe, can resonate: The Hebrew University – Die Zionsuniversität auf dem Berg Zion (The Univeristy of Zion on Mount Zion) – the Third Temple!

New national temple

There are two salient common threads to these statements. One is that the university will rise on the heights of Mount Zion, and the second that it will be a new national temple or Third Temple. Ultimately, the university was built atop Mount Scopus, and many continued to portray it as a new temple in speeches, ceremonies, and architecture. On the day of its inauguration, even the newspaper headlines quoted Isaiah 2:2: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it.But why did a modern nationalist movement turn to the imagery of a purely religious institution the Temple to reinforce public consciousness in regard to its modern institutions?

And why was it the university in Jerusalem that warranted metaphoric comparison to the most elevated religious institution (and perhaps more than mere comparison?), rather than the legislature or the Supreme Court?

The answer is complex, but it would appear that one of the sources may lie in Midrash Tanhuma on the verse with which we began. The verse reads: zot ha-torah la-olah la-minha ve-la-hatat ve-la-asham ve-la-milu’im u-la-zevah ha-shelamim .

This is the law of the burnt offering, of the cereal offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the offering of consecration, and of the peace offerings. The midrash, however, understands the preposition la as a separate word meaning no, thus rendering the verse: zot ha-torah la olah la minha ve-la hatat ve-la asham ve-la milu’im u-la zevah ha-shelamim – This is the law (Torah): Not burnt offering, not cereal offering, not sin offering, not guilt offering, not the offering of consecration, and not the peace offerings.And the midrash concludes: But be engaged in Torah and I will deem it as if you had brought all of the sacrifices.In other words, as opposed to the approach that views prayer as a mere substitute to compensate for the loss of the sacrifices, the midrash appears to reject sacrifices in favor of a preferred alternative. This idea was developed by some of the more innovative Jewish thinkers, like Maimonides and Rabbi Kook, who were not always
understood by the general public. Similarly, those engaged in the national enlightenment movement connected the Torah of the modern temple of knowledge with
the Torah of the Temple of old in their efforts to give modern Jewish cultural significance to their pioneering efforts. Dr. Yair Paz is the head of the Land of Israel Studies track at the Schechter Institute

Saudi: Israel should accept 2002 deal By ABDULLAH SHIHRI, Associated Press Writer APR 02,07

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Israel should withdraw from Arab territory and allow the creation of a Palestinian state before Arabs recognize it, a Saudi official said Monday in the kingdom's fir comment since Israel's prime minister invited Arab leaders to discuss their ideas for peace with him. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday specifically called on Saudi Arabia to take the lead, the first time Israel has made such a request of the Saudis, who maintain a state of war with Israel but are pushing for a peace deal.The Saudi official told The Associated Press that before any meeting could be considered, Israel should accept the 2002 Arab peace initiative that would recognize Israel in exchange for withdrawal from captured territory and a just solution for the Palestinian refugees. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.At a summit in Saudi Arabia last week, the Arab League renewed its commitment to the peace initiative, which was initially proposed by Saudi Arabia. Olmert welcomed the decision but said Israel did not accept all parts of the plan.

He said that if King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia were to invite him, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and moderate Arab leaders to a meeting to present Saudi Arabia's ideas before us, we will come to hear them and be glad to offer our ideas.Egypt's assistant foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hani Khallaf, was quoted as saying Monday that the Arab side cannot negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians. The Jordanian government did not make any immediate comments.Syria had no immediate comment to the latest Israeli offer. At a meeting with Olmert on Sunday, the Israeli premier asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) to take a message to Syrian President Bashar Assad that if Syria stops its support for terrorism, Israel would be interested in making peace.

In a March 22 interview with French television, Assad said seeking peace with Israel is a firm principle, but stressed that the return of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, was a Syrian right that would not be compromised.The land must be returned in full. Any other details are subject to negotiations but land is not. It is Syrian land, he said.Israel occupies Syria's Golan Heights and the disputed Chebaa Farms, where the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Israel meet, as well as areas in the West Bank.Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, responding in Beirut to a question on Olmert's call, said the Arab peace initiative was based on the very principle of land for peace. And this is something that Israel has to understand.Saniora said Israel's use of military force and launching wars on Lebanon and Arab countries did not bring peace.Therefore, I think it's about time for the Israelis to realize that eventually it is important to establish real peace in the region and accept the Arab peace initiative in its entirety, Saniora said.Almost every Israeli prime minister has called for peace talks with moderate Arab leaders over the years, but the only multinational forum was the 1991 Madrid conference, which was followed by secret Israeli-Palestinian contacts and a series of interim peace accords.Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Olmert should agree to the Arab peace initiative.I think if he accepts the Arab peace initiative, it would open the way to many conferences, not one, he said.Associated Press Writer Karin Laub contributed to this story from Jerusalem.

Israel steps up Security for Passover ahead of Weeklong Passover Holliday.By STEVE WEIZMAN APR 02,07

JERUSALEM Apr 2, 2007 (AP)— Ultra-Orthodox Jews burned bread and other leavened foods in communal bonfires Monday, completing preparations for Passover. The weeklong holiday commemorates the flight of the ancient Israelites from bondage in Egypt, as described in the Old Testament. Observant Jews eat matzo, unleavened bread, to illustrate how their ancestors had no time to let their bread rise as they fled. Even the normally unobservant scour their homes to get rid of any particle of food that contains, or may have touched, leavening. The army sealed off the West Bank early Sunday as a precaution against Palestinian attacks. The closure will last through the holiday, affecting some 50,000 Palestinian who cross into Israel every day to work.

Exceptions would be made for humanitarian cases and for Christians visiting family inside Israel for Easter, the army said. Police were on high alert, putting reinforcements on the streets. A suicide attack on Passover diners at a hotel in the Israeli city of Netanya killed 30 Israelis in 2002. Israel's chief rabbis instructed believers to add a holiday prayer for the safe return of three Israeli soldiers abducted last summer by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and by Lebanese Hezbollah militiamen. The Supreme Court Sunday blocked plans by Jewish fundamentalists to sacrifice a sheep at the site of the biblical Jewish temples, as was the practice at major festivals in ancient times. The rock platform where the temples built by Solomon and Herod once stood, now houses the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

The site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, is holy to both faiths and has been a frequent flashpoint. In February, Israeli work on a ramp leading up to the hilltop site touched off clashes between police and local Muslims and brought howls of protest from around the Islamic world. The Haaretz daily said the Supreme Court denied the Jews permission to carry out animal sacrifice at the site, fearing it might provoke Muslims.The rights of the petitioners to practice their faith are outweighed by other considerations, such as public order and safety, Haaretz quoted the court ruling as saying.

Iran, Syria prepping for U.S. summer war
Israel: Arab countries expect strike, notes defensive military movements
April 2, 2007 - 1:23 p.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com

JERUSALEM – Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia are preparing for a U.S.-led war this summer, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. Their preparation is defensive ahead of war. ... They fear a war initiated by the Americans because they understand that there might be an attack against Iran over the summer, but not by Israel, IDF Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the Knesset today. Yadlin said Iran and Syria believe a war this summer will be initiated by the U.S. and that Israel will be involved. He said Israel has been monitoring Iranian fortification of Tehran's military positions; Syrian military movements and indications of war preparation with the help of Iran; and the large-scale smuggling of Iranian-supplied weapons to Hezbollah. Yadlin noted the war preparations are defensive. He said Israel doesn't expect Iran or Syria to start a confrontation. What we are seeing is their preparation for the possibility of war in the summer. My assessment is that they are defensive preparations for war, Yadlin told the Knesset.

The military intelligence chief, though, said he feared hostilities could break out even without a U.S.-led strike because of the involvement of many players.WND previously reported Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, head of the IDF's intelligence research division, said the Syrian army has been placed on high alert for attacks. He said Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered increased production of long-range missiles and instructed the Syrian military to position anti-tank missiles closer to the Syrian border with Israel. Security officials told WND there have been indications Syria is seeking to launch a provocation. Assad has made multiple statements to his state-run media he is preparing his army for war. Also the officials say state-run Syrian media have been broadcasting regular warlike messages unseen since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Syria and Egypt launched invasions from the Golan and the Sinai desert.

The tone [in Syria] is one of preparing the public for a war, said a senior security official. He said any Syrian provocation would likely be coordinated with Iran. Tehran and Damascus, which both support Hezbollah, have signed several military pacts. Also, according to Israeli intelligence officials, Iran and Syria have been smuggling mass quantities of weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The officials say
Hezbollah has regained most of its strength since the militia's war last summer with the Jewish state and that the rate of weapons smuggling has nearly doubled the past few weeks. The Iranian weapons are coming in so furiously, there are even indications Syria is worried about Israeli deterrent action against Hezbollah, a security official said. WND reported earlier this month Iran has been working with Palestinian groups in Gaza to help improve the range of Palestinian rockets, smuggle in mass quantities of weapons, construct underground bunkers and build guerrilla-like armies. Israel says Hamas is sending hundreds of Gaza-based militants to Iran for prolonged periods of advanced training and that the smuggling of weaponry into Gaza from the neighboring Egyptian Sinai desert recently increased six-fold. Israeli officials say Palestinian terror groups were taking advantage of a cease-fire signed in November to enhance rockets and create a complex system of underground war bunkers.

The reports of Iranian and Syrian war preparations come alongside the announcement this weekend by an American congressional delegation visiting Damascus stating they believe there is an opportunity for dialogue with the Syrian leadership. We came because we believe there is an opportunity for dialogue, read a statement by the American diplomats released by the U.S. Embassy in Syria today. We are following in the lead of Ronald Reagan, who reached out to the Soviets during the Cold War.Earlier this month, Ellen Sauerbrey, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, visited Damascus in a public gesture widely seen as an expression of Washington's willingness to engage Damascus. Sauerbrey was the most senior U.S. official to visit Syria since the U.S. withdrew its ambassador following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, for which Syria was widely blamed. Syria also openly provides refuge to Palestinian terror leaders and has been shipping weapons to Hezbollah. Damascus is accused of
supporting the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq.

Alongside the reports of Arab war preparations, Israel has also been taking some defensive measures. Two weeks ago the Jewish state engaged in a nationwide wartime drill, acting out responses to various wartime scenarios, including salvoes of chemical-tipped missiles and major terrorist attacks. It was the largest war drill held in Israel since its establishment in 1948. Israeli government spokesmen said the drills were to test lessons learned during last summer's war against the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Israeli security sources also confirmed to WND stepped-up training schedules for IDF reservist troops. They say the training is not related to any expected confrontations, but is in response to internal military investigations that found reservists were not properly trained for the Lebanon war.