We also had a lecture today by Rivkah Fishman, professor at Hebrew University, about Abraham from the Jewish perspective along with a short introduction to the Shabbat. Then we put our feet in the direction of the old city to the Western Wall where we joined Jews from all over the world for the beginning of Shabbat prayers. The men prayed separately from the women. I found a Jewish prayer book with English and Hebrew and prayed the prayers. There were young people everywhere joyfully singing and dancing. Instructions for the prayers included words: "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." It was an experience of Divine Presence that ended this day as we shared the Shabbat time. Even the soldiers were coming down for prayers without their weapons. Mighty prayers for the peace of Jerusalem this night.
There's a legend about Lot that is connected to Abraham. Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah there's a story in Genesis 19:30-38 of Lot's daughters seducing him. The daughters got Lot drunk and slept with him in order to have descendants. After the terrible act Lot was filled with remorse and sought God's forgiveness and Abraham's counsel. The three angels that visited Abraham and Sarah had left their staffs with Abraham. Abraham gave the three staffs to Lot to plant outside Jerusalem with instructions that they be watered from the River Jordan. If the staffs blossomed, it would mean that God forgave Lot's sins. If not Lot would not be forgiven. The devil tempted Lot not to water the staffs but that didn't work. In time the staffs blossomed into a single tree of pine, cypress, and cedar. The wood from the tree was to be a beam in the Temple but was rejected. The Legend reveals that the rejected wood from this tree was used for Christ's crucifixion. Today we visited the site of where this tree may have grown--the Monastery of the Holy Cross which contains many icons and frescos including Lot watering the tree, Abraham's binding of Isaac. I learned this legend today. Who knows the truth? We also had a lecture today by Rivkah Fishman, professor at Hebrew University, about Abraham from the Jewish perspective along with a short introduction to the Shabbat. Then we put our feet in the direction of the old city to the Western Wall where we joined Jews from all over the world for the beginning of Shabbat prayers. The men prayed separately from the women. I found a Jewish prayer book with English and Hebrew and prayed the prayers. There were young people everywhere joyfully singing and dancing. Instructions for the prayers included words: "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." It was an experience of Divine Presence that ended this day as we shared the Shabbat time. Even the soldiers were coming down for prayers without their weapons. Mighty prayers for the peace of Jerusalem this night. Icon of Lot watering his tree. The Western Wall at Shabbat time with the Dome of the Rock in the background.
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