When we haven’t been at the soup kitchen, we have been learning about the Torah (the first five books of the old testament)from reading commentaries about the Torah and discussing it with our Orthodox Jew- friend. It has shed some new light on the old testament texts, because we are reading them directly from the Hebrew translations.
This past weekend we had the privilege of participating and celebrating Shabbat with him. In the Jewish faith, Shabbat begins the night before the Sabbath day, and continues throughout the whole Sabbath day.
It can be an intensely restful day (unless you are the ones preparing the meal). All the food that will be eaten on the Sabbath has to be prepared Friday, before 4 pm, because cooking is not allowed on the Sabbath. For the Orthodox Jew, you are not allowed to work at all. You cannot even start a fire, use electricity, or drive a car! It seemed a bit extreme at first, but it is truly a brilliant idea! Everyone must rest.
This week we have also gotten to explore the old City of David. The Dome of the Rock is there, as well as the Wailing Wall. Also, the upper room, where the disciples ate the last supper with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit descended on them for Pentecost. Right outside the city is the garden of Gethsemani, where Judas betrayed Jesus. And on the other side of the Garden is the mount of Olives, where Jesus is expected to return.
Yesterday, we also visited city of Bethlehem. We saw the Shepherd’s field where the Angels appeared to the shepherds, and we got to see where Jesus was born.
