Irv Jacobs, MD

Irv Jacobs

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 Reading for May 29, 2021

This poetic prose extract from Zechariah, a minor prophet (one of 12 in the Tanakh) was composed circa 520-510 BCE in Judea. His total writings consist of only 14 chapters. He lived in Judea, following the release of the Judean exiles by the Persian Emperor Cyrus, who had conquered the Babylon Empire (539 BCE). The then ruling emperor of Persia was Darius I (522-486 BCE). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for May 8, 2021

This poetic text of this week’s Haftorah reading indicates Jeremiah’s commitment to God, despite his failures to successfully correct Judea’s wayward behaviors. The background is the coming destruction of the Southern Kingdom and Solomon’s Temple, with exile of their leaders by Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophesy career is experienced as repeated rejection. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for April 24, 2021

This short, entirely poetic message is from the writings of Amos, one of the 12 ‘minor’ prophets. He was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but his preaching (760-755 BCE) was against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, notably its cities of Samaria and Bethel. This was during the reign of Jeroboam II (788-747 BCE), a time of foreign conquests, thus internal peace and prosperity in the North. [1] Amos’ preaching coincided with the reign in the Southern Kingdom of King Uzziah (785-733 BCE), considered one of the ‘good and righteous kings.’ [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for April 3, 2021

This is a short, entirely prose, sequence of events during the early reign of King David. It involves the ups and downs of moving the desert Ark to Jerusalem, to be housed in a tent at the City of David. The Temple, the ultimate house for the Ark, was to be built later by King Solomon. There are episodes of intrigue and hostility in this story, including within David’s relationship to Michel, daughter of the deceased King Saul, who is David’s wife. God, who punishes actors in these scenes, for innocent unavoidable setbacks, does not come across as loving or reasonable, though he ultimately blesses David and promises loyalty to his throne and successors. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion