Signs of the Times. The Zodiac in Jewish Tradition

Horoscopes are decidedly un-Jewish; the Zodiac is not. This fascinating, Torah-true book explores astrology and the "mazalot", examining the power and limits of the Zodiac in classical Jewish sources. Enhances our understanding of the course of Jewish history and its impact on our lives. An English translation from the popular Hebrew work.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface to the Russian edition
from the author
introduction
Astrology and Jewish tradition
Heavenly bodies : their effect and purpose
Zodiac in the Talmud and Midrash
Aries - the month of Nisan
Aries ( Tala ) - a sign of growth
Lunar and solar years. The consecration of the month
and the definition of a leap year
Passover sacrifice
Egypt . The definition of the concept : the essence of Mizraim
Pesach . The name of the holiday and its meaning
monthly updates
Torah reading in the month of Nisan
Taurus - the month of Iyar
The commandment to keep the Sabbath
Man - food from heaven
The first war - the battle with Amalek
Disclosure of secrets of the Kabbalah
Torah reading in the month of Iyar
Gemini - the month of Sivan
The giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai
How do we define the Divine Revelation
The prophet and prophecy
Public recognition of the prophecy
The revelation of the Torah - the story of the events
Understand and fulfill
Faith in Israel - a hard fact
What was given in the book of Revelation at Sinai ?
tradition
Anti-Semitism : the definition and causes
Cancer - the month of Tammuz
Relativity against the Absolute - the golden calf sin
Event report
The daily sacrifices
Breach of the city wall and the installation of an idol in the Temple
The burning of the Torah - the attempt to destroy the people of Israel
Leo - month of Av
Relativity against Absolute - sin of the spies
The destruction of the First Temple
The destruction of the Second Temple
Ploughing up the Temple Mount
The fall of Betar (suppression of the Bar Kochba revolt )
Virgo - Elul
Repentance - the bridge between worlds
The secret tradition of loyalty
Torah reading in the month of Elul
Libra - the month of Tishrei
Rosh Hashanah
Creation of the World - a mixture of spirit and matter
data
the age of the universe
How and why did this happen?
Yom Kippur and Sukkot
Scorpio - Cheshvan
Blinding of the last king - Tsidkiyagu
Matriarchs of the Jewish people
Flood : Causes and Results
The uniqueness of the falling rain
Final disposal: consecration
third Temple
Torah reading in the month of Cheshvan . Abraham reveals the Creator
Sagittarius - Kislev
Archery in the Torah. Joseph and His Brothers
Joseph and wife Pogifara . Rejection of mixed marriages
The period of the prophets, Revelation and concealment
The rise of Greece : logic, theater, sports
Culture Wars : the attack on the holy commandments of Israel
Hellenization of the Jews and the war Maccabees miracle happened with oil - Hanukkah
Arrow hits the target
Life after death : the logic and fact
Capricorn - the month of Tevet
tenth of Tevet
Capricorn ( HDI) in the Torah : Isaac blesses
Jacob
The role of Ezra the Scribe
Establishment of procedures for prayers - Siddur Holy language - the unity of the internal and external
The traditional procedure for prayers
miscegenation
death of Ezra
Translation of the Torah into Greek
Torah reading in the month of Tevet
Aquarius - the month of Shevat
Aquarius in the Torah. Moses draws water and sends the Children of Israel the Torah Moshe accurately reflects the whole tradition Fifteenth Shevat - New Year for Trees Torah reading in the month of Shevat . dissection
Sea - a source of perpetual peace
Pisces - the month of Adar
Pisces - a model way of life
Death of Moses - the secret of his birth
Purim
The historical background
The story of Purim
manners
Moshe , Esther . Mordecai and Haman
Eclipse and the falsification of history
afterword
apps
The names of books of the Bible / Tanakh
The Jewish calendar
Jewish holidays and selected dates
The authors mentioned in the book
References cited
Glossary of terms and expressions

INTRODUCTION

Today's life of Jewish communities , mostly urban , does not provide information about how the Jews lived only two hundred years ago.

In Eastern Europe, the majority of Jews lived in small towns - shtetl . A tailor, a shoemaker, a small trader ... - These were the most common profession. Cultural life was focused around the synagogue and beit mid -rush - home teaching. The concept of " social life " in its modern sense , did not exist .

In the shtetl discussed mainly local news : the coachman horse fell , the milkman 's daughter is engaged to the son of a tanner of leather ... Visiting people told what is going on in other communities.

According to eyewitnesses and documents from that period is known that life in the shtetl was emotionally and spiritually rich . People were content with the humblest jobs, but their existence was meaningful and even , surprisingly, joyful.

Jewish life in the urban centers and in rural areas did not differ substantially . Towns in many ways resembled the village , which are greater in size only . Instead of one or two merchants there were , say , ten , and they've joined the competition in the market .

The industrial revolution of the 19th century marked the beginning of a process that completely changed this life . The development of communication and transportation , and later - electronics and aviation, pull together a variety of cultures . There are new ideas, others became a lifestyle, any other sources of wealth.

Automation and specialization driven person beyond a narrow professionalism. The competition has grown , prompting acquire new knowledge and skills. Seniors had to compete with young people , in addition, to compete with the men and women involved . So that the traditional family structure is under threat . For generations public appearance dramatically changed and became more complex . Today, many people are looking for things to do in the release of exhausting daily routine. But modern leisure culture , designed to give a person a chance to relax , do not bring the desired peace. Speculative sensation of privacy idols of the public is not able to fill the void that gnaws at the soul of our contemporary.

The desire to try something new , the unusual has become much sharper, at the same time trying to satisfy the spiritual hunger "here and now" do not bring nothing but devastation. Everyone is busy " searching for themselves." Sea of benefits to ensure the salvation of self-improvement and learning in all areas of life , only shows that to find peace and harmony becomes increasingly difficult.

One of the notorious and very common way of resistance to materialism and technocracy - reject all at once and with open arms to accept communism or fascism . It is known that these movements have led to disastrous consequences, the likes of which they did not know before .

Another method of escapism offer popular fiction novels about life on Earth and other planets. The interest in extraterrestrial life is also reflected in the passion to daily horoscopes , astrology 's obsession , which, according to popular opinion, is able to predict the future.

Fiction and astrology attract the very fact that complement traditional science. Science explores the specific phenomena of life . A beauty of moonlight , for example, or the originality of the sunset are expressed in the language of science wavelength or the speed of the particles. Science bases its findings on a statistical probability , be reduced to formulas.

What happens with the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions?

Many people hit the phenomena of nature, its changes and contrasts - night and day , light, followed by darkness , the majesty of sunrise and sunset. The change of seasons : fall of the leaves , winter blizzards , summer heat ... All this arouses curiosity , delight in the diversity of nature and evokes thoughts of the mystery of growth, decay , renewal.

Can the stars in the sky affect the natural phenomena or on the life of an individual ? The researchers meticulously recorded information collected satellites and spacecraft. This factual material available to scientists , are often used to extrapolate the earthly laws on other planets , and to reflect on the nature of cosmic forces. They also enjoy the representatives of astrology and the occult in their "scientific" justification .
Celestial map changes all the time . Each month, the sky is dominated by one of the constellations. In the hope that astrology is able to shed some light on the qualities of human nature and predict the future, many people are starting to learn it , or listen to predictions of astrologers. With the help of horoscopes they hope to get into that which is hidden , crawl through the narrow slit of the present in order to gain knowledge of the future .

But is linked to astrology, the relationship between theory and practice, as they wanted to believe astrologers and their customers? Can we rely on a model lined up in order to relate the information from space with the lives of millions of individuals ? Perhaps this is just speculation ? ..

It's time to sort out these issues .

The book " Signs of the Times " is dedicated to the study of the influence of the zodiacal constellations on human life and the boundaries of this influence . It does not rely on science as a supreme authority - rather, examines these issues in the most astrological model.

We base our judgments on traditional Jewish sources . They have immeasurable value, revealing the amazing , but often misunderstood the role of astrology in the life of mankind in general and Jews in particular.