Curiosities

The term “Kabbalah” is a Hebrew word derived from the verb “lekabel”, which means to receive or accept. The knowledge of Kabbalah was first acquired by the patriarch Avraham and transmitted, from generation to generation, to the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people.

Initially, the center of the Jewish community in Europe was Germany, whose name in the Hebrew language is “Ashkenaz”. Therefore, even after the Jews were scattered throughout Eastern Europe, they continued to be called Ashkenazim.

Lake Kineret is the only freshwater lake in Israel. It is located in Eastern Galilee and is shaped like a harp. The Hebrew word for harp is kinor; hence the name of the lake. Some secular sources refer to the lake as the “Sea of ​​Galilee”.

Moses was 120 years old when he left this world. This lifespan is considered ideal. In Jewish tradition, one way of blessing a person is by saying: “May you live to be 120 years old”.

In Judaism, it is forbidden to eat meat and milk together. But the milk of a mother who breastfeeds her baby is foolish – it is considered neither milk nor meat. One explanation for this is that breast milk is considered sacred in Judaism and cannot be compared to the milk of an animal.

The Tsars treated the Jews so abominably that many of them were leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The Jews of Russia founded and participated in many socialist organizations. One of Lenin's most important advisors was Jewish. However, over time, Russian communists turned against Jews, banning the practice of Judaism and promoting anti-Semitism.

During the years 1840-1880, the Jewish population in the United States grew from 14.000 to 200.000. Most of these Jewish immigrants originated from German-speaking countries; many of them had been leaders of failed revolts in Europe. These Jewish immigrants settled in different cities across the United States, forming large communities in New York, Cleveland, New Orleans, Albany and Buffalo.

On the 17th of Sivan, Noah's ark stopped on the peak of Mount Ararat. This occurred seven months after the beginning of the great Flood that killed all living beings that were not on the Ark (with the exception of the fish). 17 days after the flood waters began to recede, the Ark stopped on Mount Ararat.