Date:
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Monday, October 06, 2014 | Israel Today Staff| Israel Today |
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hosted his sixth open Bible study at the official Prime
Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem since reestablishing the practice two years ago.
The event was attended by dozens of leading rabbis and academics, many of them members of
Knesset and the current government.
One of those participating in the round-table discussion was Education Minister Shai Peron, who spoke
on the topic of why the Bible begins with the story of creation, rather than jumping straight into God’s
relationship with and commandments to the Nation of Israel.
Peron cited the famous 11th century Jewish sage Rashi, who taught that the Bible begins with the story
of creation to demonstrate that the whole world belongs to God, and He gives this land or that to whom
He will.
Netanyahu noted that there are many in the world today who do not accept Israel’s divine appointment
to this particular land, and who seek to defame the Jewish people and deny their birthright.
The prime minister said that while these open Bible studies have only been held a handful of times, the
Word of God is studied in his home at least once a week. Netanyahu’s younger son, Avner, won the
National Bible Quiz for Youth in 2010, and, according to the prime minister, often leads their home
sessions.