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Showing posts from September, 2014

3,500-year-old Hittite tablet to be deciphered with 3D scanning system

A tablet found on a rock during excavations in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite civilization in the central Anatolian province of Çorum, will be deciphered with a 3D scanning system.  See picture & read article at -- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hittite-tablet-to-be-deciphered-with-3d.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72324&NewsCatID=375

What Does God Value the Most?

A lawyer, who was a Pharisee, asked Jesus this question -- “Which commandment is the greatest commandment.” Below is Jesus’s answer:  You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Torah and the Prophets . (Matthew 22:36-40) The lawyer asked for one commandment, but Jesus combined parts of two commandments. Jesus not only answered the question, he revealed something much more important – God’s highest value and a foundational principle of His kingdom . Read the complete article at -- http://biblicalheritage.org/DTB/0914_DTB_What_Does_God_Value.pdf

The Power of Collective TOV Creativity -- Ubuntu

One of the most important concepts that Jim Myers and I teach through the Tov Center is about the importance of "Community." We live in a society of individuals. Everyone is a "ME." Individual rights, needs and wants take priority over those of community. Essentially, the "WE" is disappearing from America, the nation famously known as “WE the people!” This creates a problem that most people do not seem to be aware of -- without a "WE" there is no "ME ." Without a “WE” there is no righteousness; there is no kindness; there is no justice; there is no Tov; and, there is no community without others! And, very importantly, there is no shared Values Standard we can use to guide and measure human relationships. Every “ME” is running around with his or her own “self-created standard” measuring the world with it. Read Rabbi Leynor’s latest blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-power-of-collective-tov-creativity.html

Builder unearths vast treasure trove of 22,000 Roman coins

An amateur metal detectorist has unearthed one of the largest hoards of Roman coins ever found in Britain. Laurence Egerton, 51, made the discovery as he explored land near Seaton, in East Devon - and he was so concerned someone would steal it, he camped out for three nights while archaeologists excavated the site. Dubbed Seaton Down Hoard, the collection of 22,000 copper-alloy coins is thought to have been buried by a private individual or soldier for safe keeping, but was never recovered. See picture and read article at -- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2770576/Builder-unearths-vast-treasure-trove-22-000-Roman-coins-spends-three-nights-sleeping-site-guard-hoard.html

Why the US bombed “Khorasan” last night.

This week the US, France and a few Arab countries started bombing ISIS targets in Syria, in addition to the attacks on ISIS in Iraq. In response, ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad AL-Adnani released a statement Monday urging Islamist militants to kill American and French citizens around the world. But is ISIS really the biggest Islamic-jihad danger to the US? After all, the Obama administration has repeatedly said that ISIS does not present an “immediate threat” to America. And they could be right. Intelligence officials say the U.S. needs to be on the alert for terror threats from a militant group in Syria --   and it's not ISIS. Last weekend several US media outlets reported on “Khorasan” an Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization based in Syria, that most analysts say is far more dangerous to the US and Western countries than ISIS. Read the complete report by Gil Elan at -- http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1825091/5193c7d9a6/591947869/c8aec7c0be/

Rosh HaShanah Begins at Sundown Today

In Hebrew, Rosh means “ head ” and HaShanah means “ the year ,” so the name of the holiday literally means “ Head of the Year .” It is the Jewish new year, even though it takes place in the seventh month – Tishrei – of the Jewish calendar. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nisan  which takes place in t he spring.   Rosh HaShanah is a time of celebration and introspection.  The two days of Rosh Hashanah usher in the  Ten Days of Repentance  ( Aseret Yemei Teshuvah ), also known as the Days of Awe ( Yamim Noraim ), which culminate in the major fast day of  Yom Kippur , the Day of Atonement . Below are links to websites that will provide much more information about Rosh HaShanah. (1) My Jewish Learning -- Basics, Traditions & Rituals, Food and Prayers – CLICK HERE . (2) Judaism 101 – CLICK HERE . (3) HAARETZ – The history of Rosh Hashanah, which wasn't always the 'new year' – CLICK HERE . (4) About Religion – The 8 Most Important Thin

A real man doesn't hit women (or children) – ever!!!

Alright! I'm coming clean! I don't care for sports, (cause I suck at them), I don't have tattoos, I don't hunt nor do I like  camping and hiking the great outdoors,(though I am inspired by all the amazing places I've seen), I don't drink beer, I don't drive a pickup. OMG! Do you think I'll be drummed out of the ranks of " Malehood?" It's interesting to see and hear so many perceptions of what being a "real man" means. Advertising and professional sports in particular bombard us with images of males with rippling muscles smashing and crashing into one another -- on a field, slab of ice, etc . Real men smash & crash into others! But, it is very disturbing to see so many reports of domestic violence committed by professional athletes.  Read Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor’s blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-real-man-doesnt-hit-women-or-children.html

Whipped, ears cut off, fined & banished by Massachusetts Christians

When the Founding Fathers separated “church and state” they had a very good reason – placing a barrier between religious authorities and the use of state force. History records many events in which religions used state judicial and military force to punish “unbelievers, heretics and blasphemers.” With all of the media focus on ISIS/ISIL, we should remember the lessons we learned from our Christian heritages. Read account at -- http://fromonejesus.blogspot.com/2014/09/whipped-ears-cut-off-fined-banished-by.html

Funeral home offers drive-thru viewing.

Paradise Funeral Chapel Saginaw, Michigan has installed a window that displays a body set up in a special area inside the building with a raised and tilted platform for the casket. Curtains over the window automatically open when a car pulls up, and mourners get three minutes to view a body as music plays overhead. There also a deposit opening for leaving donations, cards or memory items. And behind a door is a retractable guest book that drive thru mourners can sign. Read complete article at -- http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/09/15/funeral-home-drive-thru-viewing/15693543/

Today is US Constitution & Citizenship Day.

On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created.   Take a moment to celebrate this very important day by listening to this amazing song by a group of children – “We the People.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIf7uFAKkJc

Remember, Repair and Re-Create!

The Hebrew month of Elul, which comes before the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is known as “the days of transformation.”  We are supposed to review our acts and actions in the past year. What have our actions and choices created? This can be a painful time for thinking people. We are to remember during this season. Read Rabbi Leynor’s complete blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/remember-repair-and-re-create.html

From Church Bells to Cannons

The Chinese were the first to use an explosive powder. Eventually, the Chinese did develop a crude cannon, probably about the same time as knowledge of the Chinese explosive arrived in Europe, sometime between 1300 and 1310. In Europe the application of this technology was immediate – cannons probably were first used in battle during a siege of Metz in 1324. What is certain is that by 1325 cannons were in use all over western Europe. And in European hands, the cannon revolutionized warfare. The nobility no longer could retire to their castles, safe from any enemy not willing to undertake a long siege, while on the battlefield even expensive suits of armor gave no protection against artillery fire. Cannons could spread so rapidly because the capacity to cast them already existed all over Europe in the church bell industry . SOURCE: The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success By Rodney Stark © 2005; Random House Trade Paperbacks, New York

LIFE at Lascaux: First Color Photos From Another World

On September 12, 1940, four boys and their dog, Robot, walk along a ridge covered with pine, oak and blackberry brambles. Robot begins digging near a hole beside a downed tree. The youngsters begin to dig, widening the hole, removing rocks—until they’ve made an opening large enough for each to slip through, one by one. They have discovered not merely another place, but another time. In the cool dark beneath the sunlit world above, the boys found themselves in “a Versailles of prehistory”—a vast series of caves, today collectively known as   Lascaux , covered with wall paintings that, by some estimates, are close to 20,000 years old. In 1947, LIFE magazine’s Ralph Morse went to Lascaux, becoming the first professional photographer to document the breathtaking scenes. Now in his late-90s, Morse shared his memories of that time and place with LIFE.com, recalling what it was like to encounter the strikingly lifelike, gorgeous handiwork of a long-vanished people: the Cro-Magnon. See pictur

Baptists have lost a quarter of their market-share

Baptists are on the decline in America. New research finds that Baptists have lost a quarter of their market-share, and this is likely going to continue (or even accelerate). Baptists, like all religions, are losing members who are leaving religion altogether. But this isn’t the major source of Baptist losses. Among those who have left a Baptist church, only one-in-five are no longer religious. The other 80 percent of former Baptists have simply moved to similar Christian churches. Read complete article at -- http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/09/11/baptist-decline-simple-move-churches-reverse/

America is Good for Religion

There are a number of people who are very involved in trying to make sure that their "religious" views should be everyone's religious views. They feel that " Religion is good for America .” But this is open to debate because in my opinion -- “ it is America that is good for religion .” Did you know that there are estimated 40,000 Christian Protestant denominations in America? Judaism is split into Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, as well as Secular Jews. And then there is the Roman Catholic Church and a Reformed Catholic Church. Of course, we should not forget the Greek Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Zoroastrians, and Muslims. Read Rabbi Leynor’s blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/america-is-good-for-religion.html

Shepherding-Leadership -- a New Very-Old Model

What do call the people you work for -- bosses, managers, owners?   ● What kind of people are they? ● How do they treat others? ● How do they treat you? ● How do they treat themselves? I have heard, and I feel, that the leaders of many companies, especially big corporations, have place “ Value ” ( money and wealth ) over “ Values ” ( the timeless ideas of what it means to be moral and ethical people who value the common good ). Have corporate leaders sacrificed concerns over the well-being of their workers in the name of more profits?  Read Rabbi Leynor’s latest blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/shepherding-leadership-new-very-old.html

National Grandparents Day – Sunday, September 7, 2014

Another blessing for which I am eternally grateful was to know my grandparents. Their unconditional love, kindnesses, and sharing of their stories of coming to America touched my life. And then, there were the trips to the zoo, Coney Island, the circus, the toy stores, the fantastic food, and their company around the holidays. I was blessed to learn their values and receive their encouragement. Read Rabbi Leynor’s complete blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/09/national-grandparents-day-sunday.html