Robert Sapolsky

On Depression in U.S. (2009)

Israel

"Israel's Founding Fathers", Martin Kramer (2018)

Menorah

 

Menorah depicted in Mosaic Pavement, Samaritan Synagogue of el-Hirbe, (5th Century C.E.) 

Photograph by Steven Fine

Marc Chagall

"The Holy Coachman" (1912)

Nissim Black

"Mothaland Bounce"

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ
  

When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 

Genesis 22:13

Vida

 

A Northern sea lion (also known as Steller sea lion, or Eumetopias jubatus) 

in Avacha Bay off the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on the south-eastern coast of Kamchatka, Russia

Avivah Zornberg

"Letter from an Unknown Woman: Jacob and Joseph"

Wittgenstein e Schoenberg

The Language of the New Music" (1985)

Job

"Book of Job - When Bad Things happen to Good People", Micah Goodman

Israel

"Yemen Blues", Jat Mahibathi

Cairo

 While attempting to document Egyptian synagogues, the Israeli historian Prof. Yoram Meital 

stumbles upon a massive, well-preserved 616-page codex that was written in 1028

וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם

And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. 

Exodus 25:8
 

Vida

A badger in Yellowstone national park, Wyoming

Joe Lieberman

("L'Chayim")

Lou Reed

"Magician"

"Magician, magician, take me upon your wings
And gently roll the clouds away
I'm sorry, so sorry, I have no incantations
Only words to help sweep me away

I want some magic to sweep me away
I want some magic to sweep me away
I want to count to five
Turn around and find myself gone
Fly me through the storm
And wake up in the calm

Release me from this body
From this bulk that moves beside me
Let me leave this body far away
I'm sick of looking at me
I hate this painful body
That disease has slowly worn away

Magician take my spirit
Inside I'm young and vital
Inside I'm alive please take me away
So many things to do - it's too early
For my life to be ending
For this body to simply rot away

I want some magic to keep me alive
I want a miracle I don't want to die
I'm afraid that if I go to sleep I'll never wake
I'll no longer exist
I'll close my eyes and disappear
And float into the mist

Somebody please hear me
My hand can't hold a cup of coffee
My fingers are weak - things just fall away
Inside I'm young and pretty
Too many things unfinished
My very breath taken away

Doctor you're no magician - and I am no believer
I need more than faith ... can give me now
I want to believe in miracles - not just belief in numbers
I need some magic to take me away

I want some magic to sweep me away
Visit on this starlit night
Replace the stars the moon the light - the sun's gone
Fly me through this storm
And wake up in the calm...
 

I fly right through this storm
And wake up in the calm"

Gideão

 

"Scenes from the Life of Gideon and Moses and the Burning Bush", Master of James IV of Scotland (c. 1510-1520)

Felix Mendelssohn

"Violin Concerto E Minor Op.64", Hilary Hahn (2012)

Balthus

"The Dream" (1955)

לֵ֣ךְ אֱכֹ֤ל בְּשִׂמְחָה֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וּֽשֲׁתֵ֥ה בְלֶב־ט֖וֹב יֵינֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י כְבָ֔ר רָצָ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ

Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your action was long ago approved by God.

בְּכָל־עֵ֕ת יִהְי֥וּ בְגָדֶ֖יךָ לְבָנִ֑ים וְשֶׁ֖מֶן עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ֥ אַל־יֶחְסָֽר

Let your clothes always be freshly washed, and your head never lack ointment. 

רְאֵ֨ה חַיִּ֜ים עִם־אִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֗בְתָּ כָּל־יְמֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חֶלְקְךָ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים וּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ

Enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you acquire under the sun. 

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9
 

Vida

A mandarin duck in Frankfurt, Germany

Prússia

This lithograph depicts the Kol Nidrei service performed on Yom Kippur 1870 for Jewish soldiers 

in the Prussian army stationed near Metz (Alsace region) during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71

Margot Frank

Margot Frank (right) with her Amsterdam rowing team (1941)

Ruth Wisse

"Socialism and the Jews: An Autopsy" (2019)

Leon Kass

"Why even Atheists should Applaud the Ten Commandments" (2008)

Philipp Schwartzerdt

Portrait of Philip Melanchthon (Philipp Schwartzerdt),  Lucas Cranach the Elder (1537)

Lachish

 

A pair of smiting gods uncovered at a 12th century BCE Canaanite temple at Lachish

Vida

A female glow-worm shining to attract her mate. 

Decimated by habitat loss and pesticides, fireflies are in deep trouble, with many species facing extinction, 

according to the first major review of their global status, published this week

וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ

Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 

וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים

and if I return safe to my father’s house—the LORD shall be my God. 

וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃

And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be God’s abode; and of all that You give me, I will set aside a tithe for You.” 

Genesis 28:20-22

Alexandria

 

180 Jewish guests from around the world visit the newly renovated Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue

 in the northwestern Egyptian city of Alexandria on February 14, 2020

Mar da Galileia

 

View of the sun set at Ein Pik overlooking the Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee, in the Golan Heights

Balthus

"The Salon II" (1942)

Joshua Berman

"Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth & The 13 Principles of Faith"

Meir Soloveichik

"Jews: The Case for God"

Vida

Nankeen Night Heron

Beatie Deutsch

"Ultra-Orthodox mother of 5 from Israel wins Miami half-marathon race"

George Steiner

 "On the History of Literacy" (2002)

Tu Bishvat

Saul Bellow

Kirk Douglas

"Spartacus", Trailer (1960)

Talya G. A Solan

"Shtu Haadarim" (שתו העדרים)

Vida

 

Common dotted border butterflies drinking nectar from flowers 

of an alien Australian weeping bottlebrush bush in Cape Town, South Africa

זֶ֣ה ׀ רָ֗ע בְּכֹ֤ל אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲשָׂה֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כִּֽי־מִקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וְגַ֣ם לֵ֣ב בְּֽנֵי־הָ֠אָדָם מָלֵא־רָ֨ע וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת בִּלְבָבָם֙ בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם וְאַחֲרָ֖יו אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים

That is the sad thing about all that goes on under the sun: that the same fate is in store for all. (Not only that, but men’s hearts are full of sadness, and their minds of madness, while they live; and then—to the dead!) 

כִּי־מִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יבחר [יְחֻבַּ֔ר] אֶ֥ל כָּל־הַחַיִּ֖ים יֵ֣שׁ בִּטָּח֑וֹן כִּֽי־לְכֶ֤לֶב חַי֙ ה֣וּא ט֔וֹב מִן־הָאַרְיֵ֖ה הַמֵּֽת

For he who is reckoned among the living has something to look forward to—even a live dog is better than a dead lion

כִּ֧י הַֽחַיִּ֛ים יוֹדְעִ֖ים שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּ וְהַמֵּתִ֞ים אֵינָ֧ם יוֹדְעִ֣ים מְא֗וּמָה וְאֵֽין־ע֤וֹד לָהֶם֙ שָׂכָ֔ר כִּ֥י נִשְׁכַּ֖ח זִכְרָֽם

since the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing; they have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died. 

גַּ֣ם אַהֲבָתָ֧ם גַּם־שִׂנְאָתָ֛ם גַּם־קִנְאָתָ֖ם כְּבָ֣ר אָבָ֑דָה וְחֵ֨לֶק אֵין־לָהֶ֥ם עוֹד֙ לְעוֹלָ֔ם בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ

Their loves, their hates, their jealousies have long since perished; and they have no more share till the end of time in all that goes on under the sun. 

Ecclesiastes 9:3-6
 

"Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea", Ivan Aivazovsky (1891)

Asmahan

Kirk Douglas ע״ה

George Steiner ע״ה

Motza

Figurine of a horse found in Tel Motza (900 BCE-600 BCE)

Vida

A yellowhammer in Wicklow, Ireland

Igreja Católica

"From Hatred to Friendship: Catholic Church and the Jews", Magda Teter (2016)

Tadeusz Borowski

"The Plot Against America"

Official Teaser | HBO

כִּ֡י גַּם֩ לֹֽא־יֵדַ֨ע הָאָדָ֜ם אֶת־עִתּ֗וֹ כַּדָּגִים֙ שֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙ בִּמְצוֹדָ֣ה רָעָ֔ה וְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔ים הָאֲחֻז֖וֹת בַּפָּ֑ח כָּהֵ֗ם יֽוּקָשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֔ם לְעֵ֣ת רָעָ֔ה כְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם פִּתְאֹֽם

And a man cannot even know his time. As fishes are enmeshed in a fatal net, and as birds are trapped in a snare, so men are caught at the time of calamity, when it comes upon them without warning. 

גַּם־זֹ֛ה רָאִ֥יתִי חָכְמָ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וּגְדוֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא אֵלָֽי

This thing too I observed under the sun about wisdom, and it affected me profoundly. 

Ecclesiastes 9:12-13