Tanach Thoughts

On this blog I've discussed a couple of times the Exodus and archeology (see here and here ). Recently, I have been thinking to myself that perhaps the lack of hard evidence means something. True, there's a loose collection of findings (such as the Ipuwer Papyrus or the Book of Gates (see here )) that many Bible-believers hold to be evidence of the Exodus, but since they have all been dismissed by academic scholars in a manner that has lulled the world into a belief that there is zero evidence for the Exodus, it is difficult to consider them hard evidence. Not impossible, just difficult. Which led me to think that perhaps there's a reason for us not having found hard evidence for the Exodus, i.e., something that will completely knock the socks off of academia, and that is that the Exodus stands as a challenge to our generation: Will you believe or will you deny? Look at it this way: Although we have not yet found evidence for portions of the Tanach, it is no longer (compa...

This past Shabbat is called "Shabbat Chevron" because in this week's parsha portion, Avraham buys the Machpela Cave and buries Sarah (and at the end, he himself is buried there as well). Tens of thousands of Jews come to Chevron and Kiryat Arba on this Shabbat. My yeshiva goes there every year as well (except for last year, because of Corona, of course). I didn't go with them; decided to rest with at home. I wanted to share a thought I had shortly before Shabbat. Rashi on Beresheet 37:14 writes : "FROM THE VALE OF HEBRON — But was not Hebron situated on a hill, as it is said ( Numbers 13:22 ) “And they went up into the South and they came unto Hebron” why then does it state that Jacob sent him from the עמק, (the vale, the deep part) of Hebron? But the meaning is that Jacob sent him in consequence of the necessity of bringing into operation the profound (עמוקה) thought of the righteous man who was buried in Hebron ( Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 22 ) — in order that th...