Walking in the Footsteps of Abraham

4:46 am
I didn't get a chance to write yesterday. We were on the bus by 5:00 yesterday morning. We drove about half an hour across the valley to Elon Moreh, the spot where the Lord spoke to Abraham about this land. It's always an awesome place to visit, and we had an experience I never have before- watching the sunrise on the mountain. It was a little brisk, but a beautiful sight as the sun rose over the Jordan Valley to the East. The early morning haze tinged the ravine in various shades of pink, orange, and tan.

We had breakfast up there, then a teaching session and a time of worship which began with Lord God of Abraham, and progressed to Agnus Dei. Everyone's voices blended in a harmony that sounded awesome in the morning stillness.

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When we left Elon Moreh we headed into the community to a winery owned by a man who is also a scribe. He explained to us the rigorous process of writing Torah scrolls, how the quills are made, how they produce the ink. It was fascinating to see.

We continued from there to the factory that produces the animal skin parchment that the Torah scrolls are made of. The tanning process is actually quite disgusting and smelly. I didn't even think to take pictures because I was holding my nose the whole time.

Last night we had a former Knesset member speak to us. It was a very full day. I was in bed by 8.