Someone made a silly claim that the people of Palestine are genetically related to Jews. I question the science of this mostly because it is a known fact that Haj Amin al-Husseini and others went to a lot of trouble to bring Muslims from all around the world to the Mandate of Palestine, but even if we assumed it were true...they are from the same region on earth. but that does not make them Hebrews. The Hebrews were a minority in the region before the Kingdom of Judea. genetically the Jews would be closely related to Amalekites, Canaanites, the Kennites... and all the other bad guys in the Torah.
the conversation is related to a previous post where Hamas is now saying they will recognize the 1967 borders.
http://networkedblogs.com/p25200537 Palestine: Hamas to Recognize Israel? or http://noahdavidsimon.blogspot.com/2010/01/palestine-hamas-to-recognize-israel.html ,but the conversation is ongoing on the Networked Blogs Version
It is within the tradition of Judaism to reject genealogy as being what defines a man's quality. On the contrary. The children of our greatest most demonic enemies become our leaders.
Sisera was the evil general for Yavin, the king of Canaan, and together they ruled with iron fists. Sisera oppressed the Children of Israel for 20 years. Some say he was the strongest man who ever lived who was able to destroy the walls of major cities with just his mighty voice. There is a special message hidden here for the gematria of Sisera סיסרא is 331, the same as, מאמר הגאולה, "secrets of the redemption."Sisera's mother cried when she realized that her son had fathered the ancestor of the "head of all the Jewish sages." Rabbi Akiva, for the first 40 years of his life was an unlearned, enemy of the Rabbis. But at the age of 40, he did tshuvah and while learning, placed himself at the feet of those same Rabbis he previously detested.
Devorah, on the other hand, was the good against this evil. She was the only woman to be both a judge and a prophetess. Her influence spread among the Jewish People who repented and returned to G-d. She summoned Barak Ben Avinoam to lead 10,000 men against Sisera. He hesitated from his fear of Sisera but finally agreed to go when Devorah consented to accompany him. He knew that it was only Hashem who determines victory, not the horses, army or chariots. Victory is to the one who fears G-d and follows His ways. Sisera's army was much larger than the one Barak formed, and the intimidation and fear of Sisera spread to Barak's soldiers. But the encouraging words of Devorah gave them strength and then Hashem took over. The Canaanites heard a terrible, loud noise and believed that a tremendous army was coming to attack them, while violent rain and hail bombarded them. By the time Barak's army had appeared, the army of Sisera was fleeing in a panic state. Barak's army killed many, and those that escaped, drowned in a small, tame stream that suddenly turned into a powerful river.
Sisera was really a coward without his men, and fled on foot to the tent of Yael. Poor choice on his part for she was also a judge, extremely brave, who began to make plans for his destruction. Yael, a righteous convert descending from Yisro, knew she couldn't kill him unless he was asleep, so when he asked for a drink, she gave him warm, sour milk to make him sleepy, and then seduced him several times until he fell asleep. Although this was thoroughly against her nature, she did this to save the Jewish People. Since she had no weapons, she took a simple tent pin and drove it into his temple and killed him. And so, the strongest man who ever lived was killed by a woman and a tent pin.
descendants of Haman learnt the Torah in Benai Berak; descendants of Sisera taught children in Jerusalem; descendants of Sennacherib gave public expositions of the Torah.
via comeandhear.com
