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September 2021

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Guide for the Perplexed, 2021 Amb.(Ret.) Yoram Ettinger

https://theettingerreport.com/sukkot-feast-of-tabernacles-guide-for-the-perplexed-2021/

Sukkot (September 21-27) Commemorates the Exodus and is named for the first stop during the 40-year-Exodus from Egypt – the town of Sukkot – as documented in Exodus 13:20-22 and Numbers 33:3-5. This holiday underscores the gradual transition from the spiritual state-of-mind during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the mundane of the rest of the year. The construction of the Holy Tabernacle, during the Exodus, was launched on the first day of Sukkot (full moon).
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a national Jewish liberation holiday. It is the 3rd Jewish pilgrimage holiday (following Passover and Shavou’ot – Pentecost), which highlights faith and optimism, commemorating the transition of the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt to liberty and sovereignty in the Land of Israel.
The roots of the Hebrew word Sukkot (סוכות) are wholeness and totality (סכ), shelter (סכך) and attentiveness (סכת). The numerical value of סכך (every Hebrew letter has a numerical value) is 100 (ס=60, כ=20, ך=20), representing the totality/unity of the Jewish people, history, roots, education and legacy.
The 7 days of Sukkot are dedicated to 7 monumental principle-driven leaders, who were compassionate and brave shepherds, representing leadership qualities in the pursuit of ground-breaking initiatives: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David. They were endowed with faith, reality-based-optimism, humility, compassion, tenacity in the face of daunting odds, courage and peace-through-strength.

Sukkot expresses gratitude for the 7 species of the Land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8).

Sukkot accentuates the 7 weeks between the beginning of the Exodus (Passover) and the receipt of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Shavou’ot – Pentecost).

Sukkot features (Leviticus 23:40) 1 citron (representing King David, the author of Psalms), 1 palm branch (representing Joseph), 3 myrtle branches (representing the three Patriarchs) and 2 willow branches (representing Moses and Aharon), which are bonded together, representing the unity-through-diversity of the Jewish people.

GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

 The new Jewish year 5782 is a Sabbatical year when observant Israeli farmers allow their fields to rest. However, as this newsletter shows, there is certainly no rest for Israeli researchers, medics, scientists, aid volunteers, social activists, inventors, designers, entrepreneurs, writers, musicians, or archaeologists. Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Learning from Israel’s Covid boosters. The Chair of UK’s Health and Social Care Select Committee, MP Jeremy Hunt, stated in Parliament that Israel shows that a booster program reduces Covid hospitalizations in just two weeks. Israeli research also shows that the booster gives 10 times more antibodies than the second jab.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313170
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-research-3rd-vaccine-dose-produces-10-times-more-antibodies-than-2nd/
 
Israeli vaccine gives longer protection. The Brilife vaccine, developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research, appears to give long-term defense against the coronavirus. The 230 trial volunteers who received the highest dosage of the vaccine were still fully protected six months after vaccination.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tv-high-dose-of-israeli-made-vaccine-appears-to-give-long-lasting-protection/
 
A “super cork” for Covid. (TY WIN) Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed a small molecule that stops the coronavirus spike protein from attaching to the lungs’ ACE2 receptor. But it doesn’t damage ACE2’s normal function. (See also here for similarities with opaganib from Israel’s Redhill).
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/putting-super-cork-coronavirus
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-021-00954-4
 
Unlocking cancer immunotherapy. (TY UWI) More details on the breakthrough technology of Israel’s Nectin (see here previously). Monoclonal antibodies, with toxins attached, are sent directly to the cancer cell to break its ability to immobilize the body’s immune system. Clinical trials are expected to start in early 2022.
https://www.israel21c.org/new-drug-candidate-could-boost-potential-of-immunotherapy/
 
Using white blood cells to fight cancer. (TY UWI) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered that a type of white blood cell (eosinophils) can be utilized to fight cancer. They have a double effect, producing destructive proteins, while at the same time summoning the immune system’s cancer-fighting T-cells.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-scientists-aim-to-mobilize-allergy-causing-cells-to-fight-cancer/
 
Remove succinate to treat IBD. (TY UWI) Recent studies show that the metabolite succinate, secreted by gut bacteria, can cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University and in South Korea have developed therapeutic peptides to remove succinates from the body. Patents have been filed.
https://www.israel21c.org/novel-biological-treatment-for-inflammatory-bowel-diseases/
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(21)00952-9
 
Treatment for cystic fibrosis sufferers. Israel’s SpliSense (see here previously) uses mRNA to fix the root cause of cystic fibrosis – genetic mutations that create a non-functioning protein (CFTR). It not only treats patients with no current treatment but is also much cheaper than existing treatments.
https://www.israel21c.org/inhaled-drug-could-treat-rare-cystic-fibrosis-mutations/  https://splisense.com/
 
HBOT and Alzheimer’s. Tel Aviv University scientists have discovered more on the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT – see here). It significantly improved vascular function and blood flow to the brain, plus reduced and removed the build-up of amyloid plaque on the brain – a common symptom of Alzheimer’s.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/oxygen-therapy-may-slow-alzheimers-say-israeli-researchers-after-mice-study/
 
Voice analysis to aid mental health. Israel’s Eleos Health has developed an AI-powered voice analysis system to help behavioral health clinicians and care teams provide better personalized, care to mental health patients and reduce staff burnout.  It is deployed at Solvista Health, Achieve, Yeshiva University and ReachLink.
https://eleos.health/for-clinics/  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3917801,00.html
 
Unbelievable joy as twins separated. (TY UWI) Very Good news. Surgeons at Israel’s Soroka hospital used Israeli technology to separate the heads and major blood vessels of two conjoined Israeli baby girls, assisted by a UK Muslim specialist. The babies were visibly delighted to be able to see each other for the first time.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-israeli-1st-doctors-separate-heads-of-conjoined-twins-in-life-or-death-op/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-muslim-doctor-busts-boundaries-helps-separate-jewish-israeli-conjoined-twins/   https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313063
 
New York Life works with Empathy. The U.S.’s largest life insurer company New York Life has partnered Israel’s Empathy (see here previously) The Israeli app will help guide NYL customers navigate the complexities experienced with loss by offering logistics and emotional support.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915955,00.html
 

War on Terror: Not a Bad Record by Amir Taheri

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17775/war-on-terror

According to the Global Index of Terrorism, more than 57% of terrorism in the first 15 years of the Global War on Terror happened in four countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. In Syria, since 2011, most of the deaths in that category were the work of state terrorism.

Most of the active terror groups are located in what is known as ungoverned territories. These include Syria, part of Iraq beyond the control of Baghdad, the Sahel region, parts of Horn of Africa and parts of Yemen.

The last terror attacks by Hezbollah in Western Europe and the seizing of Western hostages took place in the 1980s. Even occasional action taken against Israel comes at the behest of Tehran in the form of state-sponsored terrorism.

The crushing defeats suffered by Islamist parties, most recently in Morocco, indicate the end of an era in which reference to faith could justify the worst postures.

Has the war on international terrorism been lost? Have the US and its allies dropped out of the war on terror that they declared two decades ago? These are some of the questions raised by commentators across the globe last week as the US marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Many commentators answered both questions in the affirmative.

Yes, they said, terror groups are still operating in no fewer than 20 countries, while start-up terror outfits have been able to carry out attacks in a number of Western countries, including the United States. At the same time, the US has reduced its footprint in a number of countries that continue to shelter terrorist groups.

In some cases, the “yes” answer came from professional America-bashers who miss no opportunity to portray the “Great Satan” either as an earth-devouring monster or a wet mouse looking for shelter from a hailstorm of unpopularity.

A closer look, however, may offer a different picture.

A Hinge Moment of History by Mark Steyn

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17695/hinge-moment-history

I have lived in countries that have real domestic terrorism movements…. No country blessed enough not to have a domestic terrorism movement should be inventing one.

We are living in a blizzard of lies.

[W]e are more dependent on a handful of woke billionaires to tell us what reality is. They are far more open than ever that they get to determine what are the agreed facts. Google made an explicit announcement about this recently. They said that sometimes they would put warnings on things that are factually accurate because, even though they are true, they do not think it is in society’s interest for people to be seeing it.

[N]ow you will be banned or deleted or blocked or silenced simply for disagreeing with the official version of events. For example, the Great Barrington declaration, which was written by three of the most prominent epidemiologists in the world from Harvard, Oxford, and I think it was Stanford. That was basically deleted from YouTube, banned from Facebook, simply because it contradicted the WHO, CDC official version of events.

It is just groupthink enforced by a cabal of woke billionaires, who have more power than anyone else on the planet.

The other thing that emerged during this year very quickly is that we are at a hinge moment of history. We were told a generation or two back that, by doing trade with China, China would become more like us. Instead, on issues such as free speech, we are becoming more like China.

American companies are afraid of offending China. American officials are afraid of offending China. We are adopting Chinese norms on issues such as free speech and basic disagreements with the government of China.

We’re living in the early stages of a future that is the direct consequence of poor public policy over the last couple of generations. We are not even aware of that….

Right now, we are witnessing a non‑stop continuous transfer of power to a country that is serious about using that power. This is China’s moment. Take it as someone who grew up, in large part, in a great power in decline. There’s no real explicit handover day. People, in hindsight, expect to pinpoint the day that the baton was passed…. My great worry is that actually, the transfer to China has already happened. The baton has already been passed. We just haven’t formally acknowledged that yet.

I’ll say it straight out loud. I do not think that Joe Biden “won the election.” I don’t think it is a question of “widespread fraud.” I think the way the system works with the Electoral College, you only need actually to spread fraud in six key cities in six key states.

I would like some of these genius jurists, including [US Supreme Court Chief Justice] Mr. Roberts and his colleagues, to then give us a figure on what is the acceptable level of fraud in American elections. Denmark, in its history, has never actually had a plausible accusation of any kind of electoral fraud. As we know, in the United States, in cities like Philadelphia, this is a tradition that has long roots and goes back 150 years.

If you have no basic election integrity, essentially, all the other issues are irrelevant.

Big Tech has essentially wrecked the internet.

Now Facebook is working with state power. The first place these Big Tech guys learned to do this was with China…. I’m in favor of breaking these companies up as soon as we can.

Standard Oil was broken up because of its control over the oil business. Facebook and Google and Apple have far more control over their business than Standard Oil did 110 years ago. The difference is that their business is knowledge and the access to knowledge, which is more important even than oil.

At some point, if we’re not prepared to stand up… My whole thing, in all the years, is that Western civilization is sliding off a cliff and most citizens of most Western nations are not even aware of it.

There is a moral component that we are overlooking. We live in an insane world where moral narcissism attaches to whether or not you rampage around some statue of a Confederate general who died 150 years ago. The fact that you’re rampaging around the Confederate general while wearing shoes made by child labor somehow does not impact on your moral virtue at all.

We are the civilization that built the modern world. If you do not like us, we can go back to what it was 500 years ago. Basically, the world functions because of the world we built.

I take Iran seriously. Not so much because of the Iranians, but because of the promises and the expectations in places like Sudan that Iranian nuclear technology will basically be shared with some of the most lethal basket-case states on Earth. Iran is in some sense like Russia and China. These are all, in a certain sense, great civilizations that have become perversions of themselves in a relatively short time.

What we ought to be trying to do is connect the Iranian people with their great glorious past, which actually is a platform on which you can build a future.