Page 20 - Core Beliefs For Intentional Community

Did God in fact speak to Abraham and make the promise reported (in Genesis 12: 1-

Did God in fact speak to Abraham and make the promise reported (in Genesis 12: 1-
3)? To biblical man and to believers today the matter was and is clear: God did speak,
and his relationship to Abraham’s children and to the land of Canaan was secured by
3)? To biblical man and to believers today the matter was and is clear: God did speak,
and his relationship to Abraham’s children and to the land of Canaan was secured by
his promise. Many interpreters, however, would understand God’s challenge as
his promise. Many interpreters, however, would understand God’s challenge as
something Abraham believed he had heard and that consequently he acted in
something Abraham believed he had heard and that consequently he acted in
accordance with this belief.
accordance with this belief.
from The TORAH: A Modern Commentary, W. Gunther Plaut, Union of American
from The TORAH: A Modern Commentar
Hebrew Congregations, 1981, pp 91,93. y, W. Gunther Plaut, Union of American
Hebrew Congregations, 1981, pp 91,93.
Excerpted from Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858-1922)
The Dream and its Realization (1918)
Excerpted from Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858-1922)
Translation: Ori Saltes
The Dream and its Realization (1918)
Translation: Ori Saltes
In 1880, when I was a student in the Russian college in the city of Dvinsk, and the

Russians were battling the Turks for the freedom of Bulgarians, and all the Russian
In 1880, when I was a student in the Russian college in the city of Dvinsk, and the
newspapers were unanimously praising the holy war that Russia was fighting for the
Russians were battling the Turks for the freedom of Bulgarians, and all the Russian
liberation of the Bulgarian nation from the Turkish yoke and for the restoration of
newspapers were unanimously praising the holy war that Russia was fighting for the
its ancient glory – it was then that the heavens seemed to open, and a bright light, a
liberation of the Bulgarian nation from the Turkish yoke and for the restoration of
pure and glowing light shone before my eyes, and a great inner voice cried in my ears:
its ancient glory – it was then that the heavens seemed to open, and a bright light, a
The revival of Israel in the Land of the Fathers!
pure and glowing light shone before my eyes, and a great inner voice cried in my ears:
The revival of Israel in the Land of the Fathers!
And by that voice, which from that moment on rang ceaselessly in my ears day and

night, all my thoughts and all the schemes I had made for my future life were shaken.
And by that voice, which from that moment on rang ceaselessly in my ears day and
As dreams fade away at the morning light, my visions of devoting my life to the
night, all my thoughts and all the schemes I had made for my future life were shaken.
Russian people’s struggle for
As dreams fade away at the morning light, my visions of devoting my life to the
freedom and to the advancement of
Russian people’s struggle for
all mankind, like most of my
freedom and to the advancement of
comrades in the middle and upper
all mankind, like most of my
schools in Russia then, faded away,
comrades in the middle and upper
and after an inward struggle in my
schools in Russia then, faded away,
soul, the new idea got the upper
and after an inward struggle in my
hand and a new phrase took over my
soul, the new idea got the upper
thoughts: Israel in it’s own land…
hand and a new phrase took over my
thoughts: Israel in it’s own land…
…As my political feelings burgeoned,

I felt more and more what a
…As my political feelings burgeoned,
language means to a nation… Just as
I felt more and more what a
the Jews cannot be a living nation
language means to a nation… Just as
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858-1922) without returning to the land of
the Jews cannot be a living nation
without returning to the land of
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858-1922) their fathers, so they cannot be a
living nation without returning to the language of the fathers. They must use it not
their fathers, so they cannot be a
only in books and in matters of holiness and wisdom alone… but rather by speaking it,
living nation without returning to the language of the fathers. They must use it not
only in books and in matters of holiness and wisdom alone… but rather by speaking it,

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