Tag Archives: Second Aliyah

The Blood Libels

In this week’s parasha, the Torah devotes an entire chapter (Leviticus 17) to the prohibition of consuming blood. God first forbids idolatrous and improper sacrifices before declaring that “if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them partakes of any blood, I will set My face against the person who partakes of the blood; I will cut that person off from among kin.” (17:10) The Torah goes on to say that any land animal or bird that is slaughtered for food must have its blood entirely drained and buried under earth, before emphasizing again that “the soul of all flesh—its blood contains its soul. Therefore, I say to the Children of Israel: you shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the soul of all flesh is in its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off.” (17:14)

Because of this, Jews throughout history have been exceedingly careful not to consume any blood whatsoever, even a tiny speck in a chicken egg. It is therefore tragically ironic that one of the most grotesque antisemitic accusations leveled against Jews for centuries is the “blood libel”—that Jews consume the blood of gentiles or use gentile blood to prepare matzot, or engage in some form of ritual murder. Where did this disgusting accusation come from, how did it evolve over the centuries, and how did it shape Jewish history? Continue reading

1909: Start of the Redemption?

Was the year 1909 secretly prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the start of the Era of Redemption?

The video above is excerpted from the full-length class available here.
For more information and a written summary, please see here.
See also ‘A Secret History of Zionism‘.
For more on Don Joseph Nasi, who tried to re-establish a Jewish state in the 1500s, see here.

Russia’s Hidden Role in Hasidism & Zionism (Video)

How did events in the Russian Empire launch two transformative Jewish movements that changed the world? What role has Russia (particularly the KGB) played in the early years of the State of Israel, and the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict? And what does it all have to do with ancient prophecies of Magog, Edom, and the “Third Rome”?

Find out in this class where we conclude the “Third Rome” trilogy!
(If you missed Part 1, see here, and for Part 2, see here.) 

Further Reading:
The Secret, Secret Story of Stalin’s Purim Death
A Secret History of Zionism
The Arab-Israeli Conflict in 5 Easy Points
A Brief Biography of Haym Salomon
A Brief Biography of Wolf Wissotzky
The Changing Face of Hasidism