Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations spoke of various giant-like beings called Anunaki and Rapiu. These same terms (Anakim and Rephaim) are found in the Torah, also in reference to ancient giants. Where did they come from, and where are they now? What is their connection to angels, Nephilim, and the Bnei Elohim mentioned in multiple places in Tanakh? Find out in this mind-blowing class where we also explore UFOs and UAPs, God’s Divine Chariot, and the prophetic experiences of Ezekiel, Enoch, Isaiah, Eliyahu, and others.
Author Archives: Efraim Palvanov
A New Perspective on Rabbi Akiva, Rachel, and the 24,000
An illustration of Rabbi Akiva from the Mantua Haggadah of 1568
Now that Lag b’Omer is behind us and the mourning customs have been lifted, it may be a good time to reflect more deeply on the whole story of Rabbi Akiva and his 24,000 students. This story is very well-known, of course, and deeply ingrained in our psyches. But for me, like for many people, multiple aspects of the story never really made sense. So many questions emerge, each more troubling than the next.
First, how it is possible that 24,000 Torah giants—talmidei chakhamim and presumably very righteous people—were slaughtered in the span of just a few weeks? The students of the great and saintly Rabbi Akiva, no less? Why did he have to suffer such a horrendous loss? And all because the students “didn’t honour each other properly”? Since when does lack of honour incur mass execution? And what does it even mean, anyway, that they didn’t “honour” each other? How so?
Another question: why specifically 24,000 disciples? How did Rabbi Akiva even get such an astronomical number of students in the first place, at a time following the Great Revolt when the Jewish community in the Holy Land was decimated? And why does the number 24 keep coming up in the story? Recall that Rabbi Akiva left his home and was away from him wife for 24 years, returning with 24,000 students. Surely this is not coincidental. I believe it might actually hold the key to answering all of the perplexing questions above, as well as another big mystery:
Why is it that the mourning period for the 24,000 students specifically requires abstaining from weddings. As explored in the past, the earliest mention of “mourning” during the Omer is from the times of the Geonim, and suggests to only avoid weddings. (The first halakhic code to officially speak about it, the Arba Turim, notes a universal custom to avoid weddings, and only a local custom among some communities to avoid haircuts.) Why is the essence of mourning for the 24,000 specifically observed by prohibiting weddings? Continue reading
The Cosmic Jubilee (Video)
How do we make sense of archaeological evidence of advanced ancient civilizations going back 12,000 years? Who really built the Pyramids and the Sphinx? And who produced the Lascaux Cave Paintings that date back 20,000 years? Find out in this eye-opening class where we explore the mystical notion of cosmic Sabbaticals and Jubilee cycles. Plus: revealing the incredible secret concealed in the first letter of the Torah, and where in the Cosmic Jubilee are we currently situated?