Irv Jacobs is a retired medical doctor who delights in Torah analysis. He often delivers a drosh at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, and at his chavurah.
Haftorah is I Kings 18:1-39 relating to Torah reading of Ki Tissa (Ex. 30:11-34:35) By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California –This tale exclusively in prose tells the famous story of the Prophet Elijah’s encounter with Baal priests. They and Queen Jezebel had lured the Hebrew Northern Kingdom’s King Ahab (873-852 BCE) and his priests […]
Haftorah Reading for March 6, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionModern scholars easily detect that they refer to events in at least three widely separated chronological times. This leads to the conclusion that the package called the Book of Isaiah had at least three major authors, and likely many more minor contributors. [1] These three are called by modern scholars, respectively: Isaiah I (Chapters 1-39, c. 730-701 BCE), Isaiah II (Chapters 40-55, c. 586-539 BCE), and Isaiah III (Chapters 56-66, c. 5th Century BCE). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Notes on the Haftorah Reading of January 9, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers Joseph’s oath to Jacob of his burial in Machpelah; Jacob’s ‘adoption’ of Joseph’s two sons; Jacob’s crossed arms preferential blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh; Jacob’s testament to Judah. I have chosen four passages, for hoped-for comparison via the internet with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Torah (Va-Yehi) Compared with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis parasha covers Judah’s emotional soliloquy appeal to the Vizier (Joseph) to not enslave Benjamin, which would threaten their father’s death; Joseph’s emotional breakdown, and revelation of himself to his brothers; the brothers’ generously supplied trip back to Canaan to bring their father Jacob; an enumeration of the Jacob family of 70 persons; settlement of the family in Goshen of the eastern Nile delta, as skillful herdsmen; Jacob’s introduction to the Pharaoh; finally an enumeration of Joseph’s shrewd management of the famine, resulting in the Pharaoh’s ownership of the entire Egypt farmland mass, and its citizens as sharecroppers. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Comparing Torah (Va-Yiggash) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers: dream interpretations in ancient societies; search of ancient stories of seven good, then bad years; ancient evidence of an outsider rising to ‘vizier’ in Egypt; extensive famines. I have chosen three passage groups, for comparison, via the Internet, with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors. [Irv. Jacobs, MD]
Comparing Torah (Mikkets) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers ancient stories of murder of a sibling; pagan stories of widows acting as whores; pagan stories of married society women seducing outsider men. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Torah (Va-Yeshev) Compared to Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers: Jacob’s anxious strategy for meeting Esau after 20+ years; Jacob’s wrestling with an ‘angel’; the circumcision and double-dealing against the Schechemites by Jacob’s sons. I have chosen three passages, for comparison, via the Internet, with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Comparing Torah (VaYishlah) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThe parasha covers; Jacob’s escape to Haran; his stop at Beth El, where he had a dream of a stairway to heaven with angels on it; his conditional vow to subject himself to God if he received certain survival measures; his arrival at Haran where he meets and falls in love with Rachel; his stay with his uncle Laban and a work deal for her hand in marriage; Laban’s deception, ending in a twice-long work period for both his daughters; the birth of eleven children over time between Leah and Rachel and their maids; a mandrake (aphrodisiac) dispute between the sisters; Jacob’s outfoxing Laban to accumulate herds; Jacob’s escape from Laban with a final peace agreement between them. I have chosen three passages, for comparison, via the internet, with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Comparing Torah (Va-Yetsa) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers: In Utero ‘fighting’ between twins; selling of a birthright; adultery punishment; contention over water; competition for father’s blessing. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Comparing Torah (Toledot) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThis essay covers: Abraham’s negotiation to buy Cave of Machpelah; Abraham’s servant’s pledge to find a wife for Isaac in Abraham’s land of origin; the custom of nose-rings. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Comparing Torah (Hayyei Sarah) with Ancient Practices Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionVa-Yera shows Abraham’s hospitality toward strangers, who turn out to be messengers of God. The messengers’ report that Sarah will have a child in a year. It also includesGod’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gemorrah; Abraham’s plea to save those cities if a small number of righteous persons lived there; the encounter of Lot with Sodomites while he hosted two visitors; the destruction of those cities and Lot’s escape with two virginal daughters; incest between the daughters and Lot; Abraham’s further travels and encounters with King Abimelech of Gerar; Sarah giving birth to Isaac; the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael from the family; the Akedah of Isaac; and lastly more genealogy of Abraham’s kin. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Comparing Torah (Va-Yera) with Ancient Practices Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion, Middle EastLekh Lekha (Genesis 12-17) is about the aging Abram’s blessing and chosen status by God, followed by his travels, exploits-both good and bad, rescue of Lot, concern for an heir with Sarai, and the group circumcision of his entourage.
Ancient Practices: Misidentifying Wives; Determining Heirs Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionThere are over 500 collected non-Biblical flood stories from around the globe. The most famous is contained within the epic legend of Gilgamesh. He may have actually been a historical person, a wise Sumerian king on an adventure to win fame. He encountered Utnapishtim, the actual flood figure, who survived in a vessel, a Great Deluge that destroyed mankind. Gilgamesh learned the details from Utnapishtim. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Ancient Flood Stories and The Tower of Babel Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Travel and FoodThe two-hour program kicked off with a review of Ashkenazi history by UCSD clinical Urology Professor Dr. Franklin Gaylis. He explained how the shtetl-confined Ashkenazi communities of Eastern Europe, complicated by consanguineous marriages, concentrated the incidence of BRCA 1 and 2 mutant genes in their population, to a rate of 1 in 40 persons. Eighty percent of modern Jews have Ashkenazi ancestry.These genes cause a predilection for breast and ovarian cancer. [Irv Jacobs, M.D]
SAJAC hosts forum on Jewish genetic risks Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education