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45-537: The name Beit Yisrael is taken from the verse in Ezekiel 36:10 , in which Ezekiel prophesies to the hills and mountains of Israel, "I shall make numerous on you the people, the entire House of Israel; the cities will be reinhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt." According to tradition, the neighborhood is built on the location on which the sacrificial remnants of the Second Temple were disposed. Beit Yisrael

90-574: A place for prayer , but also a place for community gathering. Due to the prominence of a Hasidic rebbe , the shtiebel served as a medium for being near to him. A shtiebel would be host to the shaleshudes , the ritual third meal of Shabbat . The shtiebel attracted newcomers through the inviting atmosphere it created by allowing prayer, eating, drinking, and community activities. Shtiebels were common in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe before

135-613: A portrayal of "the establishment of the new temple in Zion as YHWH returns to the temple, which then serves as the center for a new creation with the tribes of Israel arrayed around it" in chapters 40–48. The vision in chapters 1:4–28 reflects common Biblical themes and the imagery of the Temple: God appears in a cloud from the north – the north being the usual home of God in Biblical literature – with four living creatures corresponding to

180-454: A purificatory sacrifice upon the altar, made necessary by the abominations in the Temple (the presence of idols and the worship of the god Tammuz ) described in chapter 8. The process of purification begins, God prepares to leave, and a priest lights the sacrificial fire to the city. Nevertheless, the prophet announces that a small remnant will remain true to Yahweh in exile, and will return to

225-533: A rebellion against Babylon, Ezekiel was among the large group of Judeans taken into captivity by the Babylonians . He appears to have spent the rest of his life in Mesopotamia . A further deportation of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon occurred in 586 when a second unsuccessful rebellion resulted in the destruction of the city and its Temple and the exile of the remaining elements of the royal court, including

270-409: A wealthy resident often lent money to local businessmen. Once, after forgetting that one of his debtors, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush, the administrator of the city's charity fund, had already repaid his loan, he asked for payment. Rabbi Porush insisted that he had already paid, so they went to Rav Shmuel Salant. In such a scenario, under Jewish monetary law, the debtor must swear that he repaid the loan to

315-653: Is a major source, there is very little allusion to the prophet in the New Testament; the reasons for this are unclear, but it cannot be assumed that every Christian or Hellenistic Jewish community in the 1st century would have had a complete set of (Hebrew) scripture scrolls, and in any case Ezekiel was under suspicion of encouraging dangerous mystical speculation, as well as being sometimes obscure, incoherent, and pornographic. • The angelic creatures and accompanying wheels seen by Ezekiel in Chapter 1 are referred to by

360-415: Is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue , a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large as a small-sized synagogue. It may or may not offer the communal services of a synagogue. Traditional shtiebels are not only

405-664: Is called the Masoretic Text (meaning passing down after a Hebrew word Masorah ; for Jewish scholars and rabbis curated and commented on the text). The Greek (Septuagint) version of Ezekiel differs slightly from the Hebrew (Masoretic) version – it is about 8 verses shorter (out of 1,272) and possibly represents an earlier transmission of the book we have today (according to the Masoretic tradition) – while other ancient manuscript fragments differ from both. The first half of

450-581: Is in marked contrast to the Deuteronomistic writers, who held that the sins of the nation would be held against all, without regard for an individual's personal guilt. Nonetheless, Ezekiel shared many ideas in common with the Deuteronomists, notably the notion that God works according to the principle of retributive justice and an ambivalence towards kingship (although the Deuteronomists reserved their scorn for individual kings rather than for

495-610: Is specifically mentioned by Ben Sirah (a writer of the Hellenistic period who listed the "great sages" of Israel) and 4 Maccabees (1st century). In the 1st century the historian Josephus said that the prophet wrote two books: he may have had in mind the Apocryphon of Ezekiel , a 1st-century text that expands on the doctrine of resurrection. Ezekiel appears only briefly in the Dead Sea Scrolls , but his influence there

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540-637: Is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and one of the major prophetic books in the Christian Bible, where it follows Isaiah and Jeremiah . According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet Ezekiel , exiled in Babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 BC. It is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve

585-455: Is well known as the locale of Friday-night mussar talks which Rabbi Sholom Schwadron , the " Maggid of Jerusalem," delivered for more than 40 years. In the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, synagogues developed in which several rooms ( shtibelekh ) were concentrated to prayer minyanim . The purpose of the shtiblach is to allow a parallel prayer place and a more liberated atmosphere. Unlike

630-590: The Men of the Great Assembly wrote the Book of Ezekiel, based on the prophet's words. While the book exhibits considerable unity and probably reflects much of the historic Ezekiel, it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very words of the prophet. According to the book that bears his name, Ezekiel ben-Buzi was born into a priestly family of Jerusalem c.623 BC, during

675-569: The Yeshivat Beit Yisrael massacre in the neighborhood, where people had gathered for a bar mitzvah celebration. The neighborhood's main synagogue , Beit Yaakov ( Hebrew : בית יעקב ), was established in 1887 using funds donated by a donor who wished to remain anonymous . The marble plaque, which can still be seen on the wall, relates some of the background of the donation: For eternal remembrance in God's sanctuary, this study hall

720-682: The spiritual song Ezekiel Saw the Wheel . In the Command & Conquer video game series, the Nod Stealth Tank is sometimes referred to as the "Ezekiel Wheel", referring to the same passage. • The imagery in Ezekiel 37:1–14 of the Valley of Dry Bones, which Ezekiel prophesies will be resurrected, is referred to in the 1928 spiritual song " Dem Dry Bones ", the folk song Dry Bones and

765-705: The 20th century saw several attempts to deny the authorship and authenticity of the book, with scholars such as C. C. Torrey (1863–1956) and Morton Smith placing it variously in the 3rd century BC and in the 8th/7th. The pendulum swung back in the post-war period , with an increasing acceptance of the book's essential unity and historical placement in the Exile. The most influential modern scholarly work on Ezekiel, Walther Zimmerli 's two-volume commentary, appeared in German in 1969 and in English in 1979 and 1983. Zimmerli traces

810-615: The Holocaust . The shtiebel was distinctly characteristic of Hasidic Judaism and played a central and critical role in the life of the Hasidim . It continues to exist in contemporary Israel and the United States . The shtiebel was cost effective and assisted in the spread of Hasidism through a grassroots movement where individuals previously exposed to Hasidism could establish one in their local community. This characteristic of

855-471: The book describes God's promise that the people of Israel will maintain their covenant with God when they are purified and receive a "new heart" (another of the book's images) which will enable them to observe God's commandments and live in the land in a proper relationship with Yahweh. The theology of Ezekiel is notable for its contribution to the emerging notion of individual responsibility to God – each man would be held responsible only for his own sins. This

900-400: The broad threefold structure found in a number of the prophetic books: oracles of woe against the prophet's own people, followed by oracles against Israel's neighbours, ending in prophecies of hope and salvation: The book opens with a vision of YHWH ( יהוה ‎). The book moves on to anticipate the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, explains this as God's punishment, and closes with

945-465: The coming of Moshiach , and they should merit to see the rebuilding of the Temple speedily, in our days. The remaining funds for the building were taken from the Beit Yisrael community. Completed and established in the year 5647/1887. May My house be a place of prayer for Beit Yisrael for all eternity. There has been speculation as to the identity of this anonymous donor; a local legend holds that

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990-532: The creditor. The debtor, even after swearing, and now absolved from paying, paid a second time. When the creditor discovered his error, he immediately went back to the debtor in order to return the money. Rabbi Porush refused the money, saying he doesn't want to take money which he made an oath over. He instead donated the money to build Beit Yaakov. The Beit Yaakov synagogue also Known as Beis Yisroel Shtiblach has 6 smaller rooms, known as shteiblach , in which minyanim can be found at almost any hour. According to

1035-495: The famous Gog and Magog prophecy in Revelation 20:8 refers back to Ezekiel 38–39, and in Revelation 21–22, as in the closing visions of Ezekiel, the prophet is transported to a high mountain where a heavenly messenger measures the symmetrical new Jerusalem, complete with high walls and twelve gates, the dwelling-place of God where His people will enjoy a state of perfect well-being. Apart from Revelation, however, where Ezekiel

1080-536: The globe settled there as well. By 1900, there were sixty houses and two synagogues. Throughout the years of Mandate Palestine , the neighborhood continued to grow, eventually expanding to the north. During the 1947–1949 Palestine war , from 1947 to 1949, Beit Yisrael was on the front lines, and from 1949 until 1967, it was situated right near the Armistice Line and the border with Jordan. On March 2, 2002, eleven people were killed and over 50 were injured in

1125-520: The last scribes and priests. The various dates given in the book suggest that Ezekiel was 25 when he went into exile, 30 when he received his prophetic call, and 52 at the time of the last vision c.  571 . The Jewish scriptures were translated into Greek in the two centuries prior to the Common Era . The Greek version of these books is called the Septuagint . The Jewish Bible in Hebrew

1170-436: The main synagogue , with small alleyways branching off on which houses were built. Another main street, which connected the neighborhood to Mea Shearim, was built later and named for Rabbi Dayan. Two-story houses lined the roads, with spacious courtyards behind them and a shared well for every two houses. The inhabitants were originally poor people who could not afford housing in other neighborhoods, though many olim from across

1215-631: The many Jews of various ethnic backgrounds who preferred to pray according to their local custom, including Jews from Dagestan , Kurdistan , Afghanistan , and others. There are also many synagogues of various Hasidic sects, including Pinsk-Karlin , Lelov , Lubavitch , and Zvhil . Also located in Beit Yisrael is the Mir Yeshiva , the largest yeshiva in the world, boasting over 9,000 students. 31°47′20″N 35°13′22″E  /  31.78889°N 35.22278°E  / 31.78889; 35.22278 Book of Ezekiel The Book of Ezekiel

1260-848: The office itself). As a priest, Ezekiel praises the Zadokites over the Levites (lower level temple functionaries), whom he largely blames for the destruction and exile. He is clearly connected with the Holiness Code and its vision of a future dependent on keeping the Laws of God and maintaining ritual purity. Notably, Ezekiel blames the Babylonian exile not on the people's failure to keep the Law, but on their worship of gods other than Yahweh and their injustice: these, says Ezekiel in chapters 8–11, are

1305-691: The period of destruction and exile. As a priest, Ezekiel is fundamentally concerned with the Kavod YHWH , a technical phrase meaning the presence (shekhinah) of YHWH (i.e., one of the Names of God ) among the people, in the Tabernacle, and in the Temple, and normally translated as "glory of God". In Ezekiel the phrase describes God mounted on His throne-chariot as he departs from the Temple in chapters 1–11 and returns to what Marvin Sweeney describes as

1350-498: The plot for a cheap price, after which they drained the water and began to build. The neighborhood book of regulations describes some of the difficulties of the time: Poverty and shortage spread their dominion over the holy city of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt. Her sons die on a daily basis, and the majority are poor and destitute. Even the measly stipend that served as a bit of relief for the poor of Jerusalem to pay their bills has, for various reasons, been reduced to almost nothing, and

1395-407: The process by which Ezekiel's oracles were delivered orally and transformed into a written text by the prophet and his followers through a process of ongoing re-writing and re-interpretation. He isolates the oracles and speeches behind the present text, and traces Ezekiel's interaction with a mass of mythological, legendary and literary material as he developed his insights into Yahweh's purposes during

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1440-417: The promise of a new beginning and a new Temple . Some of the highlights include: The Book of Ezekiel is described as the words of Ezekiel ben-Buzi, a priest living in exile in the city of Babylon between 593 and 571 BC. Most scholars today accept the basic authenticity of the book, but see in it significant additions by a school of later followers of the original prophet. According to Jewish tradition,

1485-428: The purified city. The image of the valley of dry bones returning to life in chapter 37 signifies the restoration of the purified Israel. Previous prophets had used "Israel" to mean the northern kingdom and its tribes; when Ezekiel speaks of Israel he is addressing the deported remnant of Judah; at the same time, however, he can use this term to mean the glorious future destiny of a truly comprehensive "Israel". In sum,

1530-465: The reasons God's Shekhinah left his city and his people. Ezekiel's imagery provided much of the basis for the Second Temple mystical tradition in which the visionary ascended through the Seven Heavens in order to experience the presence of God and understand His actions and intentions. The book's literary influence can be seen in the later apocalyptic writings of Daniel and Zechariah. He

1575-521: The reign of the reforming king Josiah . Prior to this time, Judah had been a vassal of the Assyrian empire, but the rapid decline of Assyria after c. 630 led Josiah to assert his independence and institute a religious reform stressing loyalty to Yahweh , the God of Israel. Josiah was killed in 609 and Judah became a vassal of the new regional power, the Neo-Babylonian empire . In 597, following

1620-633: The selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee." Shtiebel A shtiebel ( Yiddish : שטיבל , romanized :  shtibl , lit.   'little room or house', pl. שטיבעלעך shtibelekh )

1665-529: The shtiebel allowed for Hasidism to reach more communities on the local and regional level throughout the 18th and 19th Century. In Israel, minyans are held in storefront shtiebelekh in major business areas around the clock; whenever ten men show up, a new minyan begins. The Zichron Moshe shtiebel in the Zikhron Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem (near Geula ) is located in a proper synagogue , with many rooms for round-the-clock minyans. This shtiebel

1710-411: The song Black Cowboys by Bruce Springsteen on his 2005 album Devils & Dust . • In the movie Pulp Fiction , the character Jules recites a fictional biblical passage just before executing someone. Although he claims that it is Ezekiel 25:17, the text is made of references from both the original passage and other sources . "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of

1755-428: The sons of Zion will soon have to search for another place to live. Lest it be too late and they find themselves, God forbid, compelled to sleep outside in the fields, on the stones and in the caves...they have, with the help of God, succeeded in gathering about a hundred members...to buy field and vineyard on which to build houses... Beit Yisrael originally consisted of one central street by the same name, which contained

1800-550: The synagogue administration, more people pray there daily than in any other synagogue in Jerusalem, including the famed Zikhron Moshe shteiblach . The entire complex was refurbished and modernized in the last few years. To the west of the synagogue building is the Machane Yisrael Yeshiva for baalei teshuva (returnees to religious observance). Many other synagogues can be found in Beit Yisrael, owing to

1845-688: The two cherubim above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant and the two in the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the Temple; the burning coals of fire between the creatures perhaps represents the fire on the sacrificial altar, and the famous "wheel within a wheel" may represent the rings by which the Levites carried the Ark, or the wheels of the cart. Ezekiel depicts the destruction of Jerusalem as

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1890-608: The words of the prophet. The visions and the book are structured around three themes: (1) judgment on Israel (chapters 1–24); (2) judgment on the nations (chapters 25–32); and (3) future blessings for Israel (chapters 33–48). Its themes include the concepts of the presence of God , purity, Israel as a divine community, and individual responsibility to God. Its later influence has included the development of mystical and apocalyptic traditions in Second Temple Judaism , Rabbinic Judaism , and Christianity . Ezekiel has

1935-607: Was built in the 1880s as an extension of Mea Shearim; it was originally called "Mea Shearim HaHadasha" ( Hebrew : מאה שערים החדשה , lit. the new Mea Shearim). A number of prominent community activists of the Old Yishuv , looking for a solution to the skyrocketing costs of living quarters in Mea Shearim, came up with the idea to purchase the adjacent plot of land, a dirty and infested area nicknamed "the pool" because of its severe drainage problems. Rabbi Aryeh Leib Dayan purchased

1980-539: Was built with the donation of a single donor, whose identity is hidden and mysterious, who donated 110 Napoleons with the help of Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov, son of Yosef Shabtai from Kherson , thus the synagogue shall be named "Beit Yaakov." The donor has stipulated that it be prohibited to change this synagogue to be used for any purpose other than a study hall for the Beit Yisrael community. May God command His blessing to rest on them, and they and their descendants should reap their full reward, both physical and spiritual, until

2025-778: Was profound, most notably in the Temple Scroll with its temple plans, and the defence of the Zadokite priesthood in the Damascus Document . There was apparently some question concerning the inclusion of Ezekiel in the canon of scripture, since it is frequently at odds with the Torah (the five "Books of Moses" which are foundational to Judaism). Ezekiel is referenced more in the Book of Revelation than in any other New Testament writing. To take just two well-known passages,

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