The Hellenist degeneracy can only be equaled by the lowest manisfastation of the goetic pits of depravity of Efrat Weiss!

In the third part of the Hebrew Bible, in English called Hagiographa, in Hebrew, Ketuvim. In Arabic, Ayyub. I would recommend "The Book of Job" Commentary, new translations, & special studies by Robert Gordis (Chicago Press, 1965) as an excellent analysis, an amazing work of scholarship, not from a religious view-point. Just as background, you might like "Ancient Mesopotamia" by A. Leo Oppenheim (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1964). Ideas of divine retribution, the suffering of the righteous, etc. trace their origins to the religious beliefs of the ancient Sumerians reinterpreted by the ancient Babylonians which form the foundation of Hebrew religious thinking. Their conception was based on magic - that ritual infractions (not moral) were punished by illness. They had lists of these ritual "taboos" & the appropriate sacrifice or gift to the offended diety. The idea behind our Temple sacrifices was that the blood would "wipe clean" the sin. It is I suppose, human nature to want justice, some sense of fairness, hence the relatively new idea of punishment in some afterlife. But the Torah itself sees retribution in the here & now.

I'll look into them. I already have a Tanach, but the book on ancient Mesopotamia look really interesting. Thanks again.

You write :".. important and well-known Rabbis, declaring that they (i.e. Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, Haim Ramon, Dan Halutz) were ... punished by God ". Michael, if you want to understand the real meaning of "punished by God" you should approach those Rabbis -- and ask them for an IN-DEPTH explanation. Michael, regarding your article at hand -- it is simply speculation !! IN matters pertaining God -- a speculative mind, like yours, will ALWAYS be baffled ; will always be baffled by the material energy of God, the Supreme Lord.

and so am I!

I am not religious nor am i a leftist but rather a free thinking intelligent person who likes to read articles. my opinion (below) is not coming from a political agenda but rather one of being able to distinguish between a valid, intelligent articles/opinions and those whose Author's assume that you are already brain washed to their ideas and therefore relive themselves of any responsibility to validate their ideas or at least demonstrate that they have actually thought through the idea before writing it. So, this is my opinion:Due to the Writers indulgent intoxication with hate, he/she forgot to appear to be normal and forgot the need to have the article/opinion make any sense.The author "deuced" that Gd is a leftist through a thought process that if one were to try to follow would either give up trying with the thought that to continue would be too demeaning to ones intelligence or by the end of having followed the train of thought would be as intelligently impaired as the Author himself/herself.The opinion/article was simply too much the product of emotion for it to have any real validity and its intensity clearly shows that the Author has an involuntary, kneejerk reaction of hate in this matter, that any self respecting Leftist or Rightist would have to dismiss any future opinions by this writer as being credible.To this writer the saying "so open minded his brains felt out" truly applies.

...God has kept his distance from the Prime Minister is because He can't bear the stench. Time to go, Mr Olmert.

Many people have been so spiritually rebellious that their rebellion is now seen as "normal" or "conservative". The God of Abraham is truly conservative and mostly everybody else have been liberal in terms of respect to His torah!

I'm by no means a student of Kabbal, but I will say that I find it interesting. As a Druid my spiirtual path has showed me that the Gods do not punish people for being who and what they are. After all they made us this way. Humans are given free will by the Gods, so by using that free will we are doing as the Gods intend.

for one thing, humor is at a chronic shortage around the Israeli religious right (unless you like Dry Bones), so any humor is to be welcomed. for another, I think I understand Michael's method. Every time you think you have grasped the logic of his reductio ad absurdum, he gives it another wtist, just to drive it further from anything you could possibly have wished or hoped for or even made sense of. He obviously loves making certain types of reader really irritated.

Since you appear to display a fondness for the term "bullshit," I will reply simply by saying that this article is exemplary of that term.

Deuteronomych 7 v16 "and you shall consume the nations....thine eye shall have no mercy on them for if you do they will be a mokesh [bomb ] to you this proves that the peace process is the cuase of the terrorism .Thus as a reward for bombing Shehadeh and his wife and kids Dan Halutz was elevated to chief of staff .Netanyahu was only removed after the WYE ACCORD The army faiure to obliterate Gaza after the abduction of Shalit led Hezbolloh to abduct thrre more soldiers and the failur of the Army to obliterate South Lebanon has led us into the present dangerous situation in Lebanon.The rule is concessions cause negative consequences which damage Israel but strong action lessens terror and strengthens Israel .These negative consequences are not punishments but as tools to push Israel leaders to take the correct course and that is to obliterate the threat .Michael's essay is typical left wing inversion of the truth ascribing negative events to our leaders to the positive actions that they did. The talkbacks have totally refuted his innaccurate essay .He has taken the two plus two and made them ten.