The first destruction of the temple. Jerusalem temples
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What do we know about angels, and how do we know this? How and when did they appear? How many are there, and what do they do? How are they "arranged" and where do they live? Are there any differences between angels? Why do we never see them? These and other questions of the brother and sister - Vera and Thomas - will be answered by the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich. Over a cup of hot tea with the "signature" doctor's jam. And Mikhail Gavrilovich will be helped by his faithful dog - the wonderful Altai shepherd dog.
Andrew the First-Called
The apostle who was first called by Christ. One of the twelve closest disciples of the Savior. He is considered his patron in Russia and Romania, in Scotland and Sicily. He traveled around many lands, carrying the light of Christ's truth. With whom and what did the Apostle encounter, why did he receive from Mother of God and Her miraculous image, as "re-educated" people with dog heads, which connects him with the Russian fleet and whether he liked the Russian baths, Vera and Thomas will recognize, having gone along with Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich and his faithful Altai on a journey in the footsteps of Andrew the First-Called.
As soon as you start talking about the Apostle Thomas, the frivolous interlocutor will surely pick up: “Ah! This is the one who is the unbeliever! " And it will be wrong. After all, the whole life of Saint Thomas is an example of sincere and ardent faith, many deeds accomplished in the name of Christ, faithfulness to His Teachings. And this can be confirmed ... by the inhabitants of distant India. Some of them still call themselves "Thomists" or "Christians of the Apostle Thomas."
What miracles did the saint perform in this distant, fabulously beautiful country, how he managed to build a palace without a single stone, whom and how he turned into Christian faith? The curious boy, named after the Holy Apostle Thomas, and his younger sister Vera are to learn about this and many other things. And their companions and guides in amazing travels and extraordinary adventures will be Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich and his true friend- Altai the dog.
Apostles Peter and Paul
We often call these names together: Peter-Paul. This is so natural and familiar that we do not even think about why two such different people in Christianity they stand side by side. Character, age, history of coming to faith - everything is different for them. A proud young Pharisee scientist who did not even meet Jesus, and an elderly fisherman who loves the Teacher with all his heart, hot-tempered and doubting - how exactly did these two disciples become the supreme apostles, the pillars of the Church and the faith? The acts of the apostles Peter and Paul are, as they say now, a real "action" with exciting adventures, travels, miracles, shipwrecks, escape from dungeons, battles with powerful and terrible sorcerers. Here you and miraculous healings, and the resurrection of the dead, and snakes, and black enchanted dogs, and the intrigues of demons, and pain, and suffering, and pure, all-conquering Faith, which is not afraid of even death itself! Together with the Chief Apostles, brother and sister, Vera and Thomas and their good friend and mentor, Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich, will pass through all adversity and trials. And the smart dog Altai will help them in their travels.
Who are the Archangels? Why exactly are they at the throne of the Most High? What secret secrets does the Lord reveal to them, what important missions does he entrust? What do we know about the most famous Archangels - Michael and Gabriel? The wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will tell his friends Vera and Thomas about the Archangels' service to God, about their help to people and great miracles, and about many, many other things. And his wonderful shepherd dog - Altai the dog will help him in this!
Blessed are the gracious
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy" ... This commandment is so clear - and yet it raises so many questions! Why were some saints called merciful and others not? And are only the saints the merciful? Can there be merciful sinners? It turns out that mercies are physical and spiritual! How do they differ? And what does it mean to show mercy? To understand these issues, Vera and Foma, together with Dr. Mikhail Gavrilovich and his faithful dog Altai will have to visit ancient Egypt, survive the attack of robbers and visit Moscow in the 19th century ...
Introduction to the temple Holy Mother of God
Who do many little girls want to be? Of course, princesses! Beautiful and kind, affectionate and beloved ... But there lived more than two thousand years ago one Girl, Who became higher than all princesses in the world, higher than queens and queens. Who is she? Why did the Jerusalem high priest take Her, a three-year-old baby, forever from Her righteous parents? Why did you bring Her into the most sacred place on earth, where he himself could appear only once a year? Why did you allow me to live and pray here? How did this wonderful girl grow up, what did she do? ..
The heroes of the program, brother and sister Vera and Thomas, will learn that for two millennia the best girls have taken an example from little Mary, will be able to compare how the young pupils grew up at the Jerusalem Temple and at the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens, will look into the village near Murom, where the childhood of Juliana Lazarevskaya, and even visit a real castle with real princess sisters!
Palm Sunday. Great post
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Lazarev Saturday. The events are bright and joyful. Behind is the Holy Forty Day. Ahead - Passion Week. With the help of the wise and good doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich's brother and sister Vera and Thomas will sum up the path they have traveled, remember every week of Great Lent, and learn a lot of new things. And, of course, they will once again make an amazing journey into “possible reality” - to Ancient Jerusalem. And the faithful friend of the children and the doctor, the dog Altai and his wonderful collar, will help them in this.
National Unity Day. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
What kind of holiday is this - National Unity Day? Under what circumstances did the people unite and why? And how did not only weapons and strength help the brave commanders, but also the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God? If you are also impatient to find out the answers to these and other questions about the holiday, rather join Vera and Foma over a cup of hot tea with jam! And Mikhail Gavrilovich will tell us about the Day of National Unity. Of course, we cannot do without the help of Altayka and his magical green collar - we love so much to travel to a possible reality! Legendary battles await us today and deeds of prayer, heroic battles and unprecedented wonders! We will get to know such historical figures as patriarch Germogen, Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, with abbots and monks, with boyars and peasants, and also ... with one little girl. Well, are you ready to get acquainted with Russia of the XVI-XVII centuries? Then grab the collar and ... fly!
Dimitrievskaya Saturday
On Dimitrievskaya Saturday, it is customary to commemorate all the soldiers who died for the Faith and the Fatherland. But how many there were, those warriors! Do you really need to remember everyone? Or only those who are in church calendar? And what can be in common between the heroes of the Kulikov field and the soldiers who gave their lives for their Motherland in the Great Patriotic War? And what about the commandment of God "Thou shalt not kill" - can a deadly battle be pleasing to the Lord?
The questions are difficult, serious, but so interesting! Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich and his four-legged friend Altai will help the heroes of the program, brother and sister, Vera and Foma, to find answers to them. And again there will be amazing adventures, travels, the guys will learn about the holy great commander who did not suffer a single defeat, they will witness great battles, exploits and victories that became possible not only thanks to the power of arms, but also to the power of God's help!
Myrrh-Bearing Wives
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When Christ, tortured by the executioners, suffered, they were there. When the closest disciples betrayed and hid, they stood at His Cross. When the Body of Jesus was buried in a cave, they mourned for Him ... They hurried to the Sepulcher first. The first to receive the message from the Angel about the Resurrection. They were the first to announce it to the apostles. They were the first to meet Christ. Myrrh-bearing wives. The Church venerates them, they are glorified by the saints. We celebrate their day from year to year every second Sunday after Easter. But all further history tells us that in all ages, in all ages, it is women who bear the heaviest burdens, perform the most lofty deeds, willingly or unwittingly imitating the companions of Christ. On the wonderful day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, their good friend, the wonderful doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich, will tell their brother and sister, Vera and Thomas about this, and about many, many other interesting things. And his faithful dog Altai will help him in this.
Exaltation of the Cross (Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord)
Who was the world's first archaeologist? Do you think some professor, famous scientist? Or a great traveler? But no! The first archaeologist was ... my grandmother! And she was also ... a queen! And also ... she was the greatest saint! Equal to the Apostles! What kind of woman is this? What kind of research was she doing? What were you looking for on your world's first archaeological expedition? To answer these and many other questions, curious and courageous guys, brother and sister, Vera and Thomas will go on another journey through time and space. They will have amazing adventures - real battles and sea storms, extraordinary discoveries and amazing wonders! And here, of course, you cannot do without reliable companions - the wise mentor, Doctor Uncle Misha, and his faithful dog Altai will help the children solve all the riddles and learn a lot of interesting things about the wonderful holiday of the Exaltation of the Lord's Cross.
Epiphany
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Frost and sun - a wonderful day! And it is especially joyful if the feast of the Epiphany becomes such a day! Indeed, under the bright January sun it is much more pleasant to swim in an ice-hole and drink holy water right there. Well, those to whom health or age does not allow can go to visit on this day. The way two guys did it - brother and sister - Vera and Thomas.
Over a cup of fragrant tea, the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will tell them about the Epiphany and its traditions, about wonderful properties Epiphany water. With the help of a dog named Altai and her wonderful collar, children will be able to travel to those places where once, a very long time ago, the greatest prophet who ever lived, John the Baptist, performed his ministry, where God appeared for the first time in the history of the universe.
Maslenitsa
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What do Saint Anna of Novgorod and Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya have in common, grand duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and the Polish righteous woman Irena Sendler. What unites them and many other wonderful women with myrrh-bearing wives? Dedication? Love to motherland? Willingness to sacrifice yourself for the Great Purpose? Probably all of this, and much, much more. But the main thing, it seems to us, is Love for people, and the desire to save them at any cost and bring peace to the world. On the eve of the Great Victory, the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will talk about this with his brother and sister, Vera and Thomas. And his faithful dog Altai will help them make amazing journeys to ancient Kiev, to pre-revolutionary Moscow, to cities and villages during the Great Patriotic War.
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Resurrection of Christ. Easter of the Lord. The most important, the most great holiday... Feast of holidays and celebration of celebrations. The meaning and focus of all Christianity. For the sake of which God came down to earth, became a Man, lived among people, preached and healed, performed miracles, received Martyrdom on the Cross. But what is Easter for us? What does it give us? How does it relate to our life? What role does it play in our destiny? Is it true that this Feast is not only for Christians, but for all people? Not only for the righteous, but also for the sinners? Answers to these and many other questions of brother and sister Vera and Thomas will be given by the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich. And his faithful friend, the dog Altai, with his wonderful collar, will help him in this.
Transfiguration
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Did you know that every year on the same day in the same place in front of thousands of people miraculous phenomenon, for which science has not yet found an explanation? It happens on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the day when, two thousand years ago, before the astonished disciples he appeared in all His Glory in Divine Light Jesus Christ. And since then, on the Holy Land on Mount Tabor on the feast of the Transfiguration, in any weather, a blessed cloud descends! Marvelous? Still would! I wish I could visit this mountain and see everything with my own eyes! The inquisitive children Vera and Foma and their wise mentor Dr. Mikhail Gavrilovich succeeded. The faithful and intelligent dog Altai helped them make an extraordinary journey ... Apple Spas! What is a summer holiday without goodies? Ripe, juicy apples! And behind - Savior Honey, and in front - Nut ... Uncle Misha is happy to tell the children interesting details about these wonderful holidays and treat his friends!
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh
What does the hero of the program, the boy Foma, have in common with the greatest Russian ascetic Sergius of Radonezh? What was this saint of childhood and adolescence, youth and maturity? What miracles did you perform? What role did you play in the fate of our country? Why was he so revered by both princes and ordinary people? Why is he loved and revered no less today? All these and many other questions will be answered in the new issue of the "Questions of Faith and Thomas" program. Vera, Thomas, their wise mentor, Dr. Mikhail Gavrilovich and his wonderful friend - the Altai shepherd dog, are waiting for new adventures in time and space, in which there will be a dense forest with bears, and the great Kulikovo battle, and internecine quarrels of princes, and miraculous healings of the sick, and even ... "the first medieval TV broadcasts"! And the heroes, as always, will be able to discuss all these extraordinary events while visiting Uncle Misha, over a cup of fragrant tea with jam.
Protection of the Mother of God
Here is the Pokrova! The first autumn snow covers the ground, promising to protect and protect it from severe frosts in winter. It's a pity, it won't stay for long, it will soon melt, the snow cover will come off ...
But there is another Veil that will never disappear! He is extended over each of us, even over the most desperate, over the most seemingly lost sinners. And everyone can turn for help and protection, for patronage and intercession before the Lord. And believe and hope for a quick and strong help of the Mother of God. After all, it is She who heals the sick and consoles the weak, turns back the most vicious conquerors, saves countries and cities.
The heroes of the program, brother and sister Vera and Thomas, will learn about this and much more. They will go through many adventures together with their wise mentor Uncle Misha and his faithful friend Altai, but everywhere and always they will know that the mercy and protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Light Protection, is invisibly over them.
Pentecost. Feast of the Trinity
Green branches, fragrant grass, birch leaves, the smell of a summer meadow - this is what the day of the Holy Trinity is. But besides this, such a dear, such a close to us image in this holiday there are many other levels and meanings. This is the day the ten commandments were given. The day when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles. Birthday of the Church. Tell about the feast of the Holy Trinity, Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit to brother and sister, Faith and Thomas, will help the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich deep knowledge... And the faithful dog Altai will help him to show how everything was, or rather, how everything could have been.
Nativity
Russian missionaries
From the end of the earth to the end ... From cold ice to hot deserts of Africa - where Orthodox missionaries have never been! Bringing light to the peoples Christ's faith, they did not forget to educate them, taught literacy, crafts, helped build houses. But most importantly, the missionaries kindled the hearts of people with love for God, taught them to love their neighbors and help them. This difficult science is to be mastered by our heroes, brother and sister, Vera and Thomas. With the help of the wise doctors Mikhail Gavrilovich and his faithful friend, the Altai dog, the children will visit Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, take boats across the cold Yukon, learn how prayer can stop the flood ... missionaries. Well, let's hope this is just the beginning of our acquaintance!
The Holy Trinity
Who is God? What is He like and where does He live? Why does He see us, but we do not see Him? Is it true that God is One in Three Persons? How can one be equal to three? Why is it said that God is love? Does He really love each of us? And if we have sinned, what must we do so that He forgives us? Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will talk about this and many other things in a leisurely conversation with Vera and Foma over a cup of tea and jam. True, he is already retired, but there are no former doctors! And, of course, next to the guys will be Mikhail Gavrilovich's faithful friend - Altai the dog.
world creation
Who arranged it and why " Big Bang"? Why did light come before the sun? Who "revived" animals and fish? Is it true that man is the "crown of creation"? The wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will answer these and other interesting questions of the inquisitive Vera and Thomas. And his faithful dog will help him in this - the wonderful (literally!) Shepherd Altai. Of course, you can't do without fragrant tea with sweets and jam!
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most amazing, most mysterious church holidays. Its name mentions the Lord, but it is dedicated to the Mother of God. The word "Meeting" in translation means "meeting". But who is dating and with whom? Virgin Mary, Joseph and the Christ Child with the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess? Old Testament with New Testament? Or maybe God and man meet? It turns out that this holiday has many levels, many meanings. And each of them is interesting in its own way. The wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will tell brother and sister Vera and Foma about all the secrets, all the mysteries of this wonderful holiday over a cup of fragrant tea. And with the help of a dog named Altai and her wonderful collar, children will be able to see many exciting events of the sacred history.
Holy Week
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It is easy to talk with children about holidays and happy events. About Christmas and Easter. About Presentation and Baptism. About Shrovetide and even ... about Great Lent. But how can we talk to them about Holy Week? About the cursed fig tree and the expulsion of the merchants from the Temple? About the betrayal of the disciples and the torment of Christ? How not to hurt children's hearts with all this? It is such a difficult experience for the wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich. He will lead the children, brother and sister Vera and Thomas through the "canopy of the mortal", reveal to them the secrets of the "power of darkness." He will tell them about the last days of the Life of the Savior, His suffering and Death on the Cross. But it will definitely give you hope! After all, the darker the night, the brighter the stars! And ahead is the Easter of Christ!
Assumption Fast
There is a Great post. There is a post of Petrov. There is a Christmas post. And there is the post of Assumption. The shortest, but very strict. Why is it needed? What is its meaning? What Event is this post dedicated to? How is it connected with the confession and the posthumous fate of every Christian, and most importantly, with the great twelveth feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos? The wise doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich will try to answer these and many other questions to brother and sister Vera and Thomas. But for this they all together will have to go on a very difficult and even dangerous journey. This time, not into a possible reality, but ... into someone else's dream! And so that they are not very scared on the way, they, as always, will be guarded by the faithful dog Altai.
Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
Bobiks and murziks, fluffs and hunks, savras and cows ... God's creatures, our smaller brothers, helpers and friends. Fluffy, tailed, toothy, so funny, smart and loyal - we attach ourselves to them with all our heart, love them, we don't find a place for ourselves, if they get lost or get sick, cry and worry when they leave us ... The language does not turn to name a pet " soulless creature". But what does the Church say about this? Does an animal have a soul? Is it okay to pray for a cat or dog? Will we meet them in a new life, in the Kingdom of Heaven? And how true is the opinion that Christians treat animals and birds ... how would that be ... disdainful? The questions are difficult and controversial! The heroes of the program, the curious children Vera and Foma, will have to understand them. Together with their mentor, Dr. Mikhail Gavrilovich and his wonderful shepherd dog Altai, the children will see how ferocious predators become meek and obedient next to the holy fathers, they will make sure that they are truly friends. last day even a lion is capable and will learn that a sincere real prayer can heal not only a person.
Faith and the children of the apostle Thomas
Olga Nemchikova tells about the life of the famous unbelieving apostle.
The Risen Christ invites the Apostle Thomas to make sure that His wounds are real
Only the lazy does not know the expression “Unbeliever Thomas”. The idea that Thomas is just the most faithful apostle is also very often transmitted to the Christian world in recent decades. This idea is completely logical: for example, let's remember, because when Christ goes to Bethany to resurrect Lazarus, and He is already "hunted", then it is Thomas who exclaims: "Come on, let us die with Him!" Thomas was not with the other apostles on those terrible and joyful days of Easter, so he will find out the main news of the Christian world a little later. He survived these days alone, without the support of friends - and, of course, now he is humanly trite scared that everything will turn out to be a mistake, and then the disappointment will be even worse. Therefore, he needs this material confirmation: to see, to hug, to put fingers in. Thomas not so much did not believe, but simply grieved very much. This is the same as later: according to the lot, which the apostles cast, it was he who got to go missionary to a distant, unknown and "barbaric" India. Thomas is quite worried about this and suffers. Christ appears to him, Thomas is strengthened in faith and sets off on a journey. In India, by the way, he converted to Christianity five families of the highest caste: they made up the backbone new Church and Indian believers still call themselves "Christians of the Apostle Thomas." What kind of disbelief can we talk about?
In the life of Thomas there is a huge, incredible set of connections "with that world." Some of them look frankly apocryphal stories, some do not. However, they all seem completely logical: it was this man who exclaimed: "Come and die with Him", it was he who demanded "to see the Risen One in order to believe."
What is it about?
As is usual with almost all apostles, especially the first twelve, Thomas was a hereditary fisherman. However, at the same time, he seemed to be a carpenter as well: this is known from the life of the apostle, which says that he was hired to build a palace for the real historical person, to King Gundofar. Why "sort of like"? The fact is that Thomas did not build any palace, and distributed the money received for the construction to those in need. The king, predictably, became enraged, but a late brother named Gad appears to him and says that there is a palace, do not be angry, brother. He's just there in underworld, you will see after death, but for now, just believe: the most luxurious palace that can be in the world. And your builder Thomas built all this for you, so know it. Gundofar was so impressed that he received holy baptism and became a Christian. Thomas ordained elders and deacons, and he himself went further: India is big (especially India of those times - then these words were called not only the usual modern territory, but also Afghanistan, where Gundofar ruled, and Mesopotamia), the ministry is not over yet.
In the south of India (already geographically the one that is more familiar to us today), he converts those very five families, and other multitudes of people. And then, like many apostles, he takes a martyr's death. The two editions of his lives, the Syrian and the Indian, differ in the causes of death, but converge in time and space: the city of Melipur near Madras, 72 A.D.
We are interested in the "afterlife" in the life of the apostle - and we will return to it.
Tsar Mazdei is extremely unhappy with the fact that his relatives and subjects are converting to some kind of new faith. He summons Thomas, asks the missionary a series of questions, and predictably turns out to be dissatisfied with the result. The apostle is sentenced to death, although the people actively ask for mercy on him, because he is kind and good man... The tsar is adamant, Thomas is killed with a spear and buried. And after a very short time, one of the sons of Mazdeus falls ill, and the king decides that this is the punishment for the murder of the saint. He goes to the apostle's grave - he wants to take his remains, bring them home and attach them to his son: that is, with all the Indian traditions of cremation and other alternative burial options, we suddenly have an almost traditional Christian veneration of relics. Surprisingly, there are no remains of Thomas in the coffin. The king does not get upset and does not start searching, treats the loss with a truly Buddhist calm and, following the rules of a real Christian pilgrim, takes "land in a bag" from the grave. He brings it to the palace, applies it to his son, he is healed. It's funny that in the process of all this event Thomas appeared to Mazdey in a dream at night and asked: “What, you don’t believe me when I’m alive, but do you believe in a dead one?” Mazdeus humbly accepted the reproach, as well as Christianity.
The "posthumous adventures" of the apostle do not end there - his relics from an empty grave take long ways literally on their way back to their homeland and to a number of other countries, and now their particles are found all over the world.
In India, famous for its singing and dancing, there is a cycle of songs about the deeds of the Apostle Thomas. They were an exclusively oral tradition until the 17th century! Some of these songs and dances are still performed today. Christian holidays... Indian and Syrian Christians, who have sincerely loved this tradition for many centuries, as if they are fulfilling two of Christ's commandments at once: “be like children” and “you<Фома>believed because he saw me; blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. "
In its April issue of this year, the Orthodox magazine for doubting Thomas presented the Children's Christian Audio Encyclopedia, a joint project of the Thomas Publishing House and the Vera radio, entitled Questions of Faith and Thomas or Tea with Jam. This project aroused great interest, both among children and parents, due to the attractive form of disclosing the basics for young listeners. Christian teaching.
Doctor Mikhail Gavrilovich answers the questions of curious kids Vera and Foma over a cup of tea with currant leaves and strawberry jam, and his dog Altai helps him. With the help of the Altaika magic collar, children fabulously move in time, and, thus, go several millennia ago to “see” and understand the Gospel stories.
Thomas and Vera are living children, brother and sister, there is no unreal correctness in them, which is very often present in Orthodox stories for kids. You believe them.
The song, which precedes all the stories of curious children, has a peculiar purpose of this unique project - “to seek the truth together”. And one of the most serious tasks is to find the right language for talking with children about God and faith in the age of information technology.
Very few Orthodox media outlets are truly child-oriented, since they contain excessive moralizing material that is not perceived by children due to age characteristics.
"Questions of Faith and Thomas" is not a simple program, but, according to the parents' opinions, the children themselves (and this is the main thing) are the initiators of listening to it. This is facilitated by the correct finding - the presentation of the material in the format of conversations between an adult and children over tea. Information with this approach is easier to digest. This is not just a retelling of the Bible, but a conversation with explanations of meanings, emphasis, examples of moral actions and the path to faith, which is not just knowledge. Holy Scripture, but Life itself.
An audio CD with Questions of Faith and Thomas is attached to the April issue of Foma magazine. The audio material from this disc is surprisingly easy for kids to perceive. It will also reveal many interesting things to an adult audience.
Dear Parents! Do not miss the opportunity to give your children a chance to get acquainted with the basics of Christian teaching in an accessible form, as well as spend time with benefit in a joint family circle!
The April issue with audio recordings can be borrowed from our parish library. The materials can also be downloaded free of charge from the official website. http://deti.radiovera.ru/
Lyubov Lvova, head of the parish library
Judaism is the fairest religion. Her worldview is based on many laws, for all occasions - the literal fulfillment of these laws is justice.
The space of Judaism is the whole world. In the most literal sense. And in the center of the world, in Jerusalem - the Temple, the only one, now destroyed, but still - irreplaceable. Therefore, all over the world there are synagogues - just houses for prayer. And this is true - nowhere else in the Temple can there be.
The worldview of Judaism is very romantic. Special selectivity - from God, longing for the lost homeland, "the promised land", "age-old sadness in the eyes", the dream of unification. back side such romanticism - attitude towards foreigners. Judaism is an exclusively tribal religion. Other peoples are quite benevolently recognized, but sometimes revered as potential slaves or actual enemies. Samoi the isolation of believing Jews, due to their God-chosenness, has become one of the most important features of Judaism; however, it was later recognized that circumcision and following the Laws were enough to enter into a "covenant" with God, regardless of origin.
Judaism can be safely called the most literate of religions. It was not for nothing that Mohammed called the Jews “the people of the Book”. On the site of the sanctuary in the Temple, a large cabinet is installed in the synagogues. Such a cabinet is called an ark and corresponds to the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple, in which the tablets with the Ten Commandments were kept. The closet contains Torah scrolls - the most sacred property of the synagogue. So it is: the bookcase is like a sanctuary ... And all the men of the Jewish community were charged with the obligation to be literate; this rule persisted throughout the Middle Ages! Well, literacy is to write and read and count, of course)
Book
The book is, of course, about love. But anyone who has opened history books Old Testament, knows how much blood there is, how many blessings for murder and plundering of pagan cities: “ And in these cities ... do not leave a single soul alive ... lest they teach you to do the same abominations that they did for their gods, and lest you sin before the Lord your God
(Deut. 20, 16-18) .
Old Testament atrocities sometimes seem terrifying
Love
The Torah says - "Do not do to your neighbor what you do not want to be done to you." It is, of course, about love ... but here the question is who is worthy of it, there are also prescriptions on this score. And the Law of the Torah indicates that a person has no right to give his life, to go to certain death in order to save another.
« And although the woman is rewarded, nevertheless, our sages commanded that no one teach his daughter the law, for the reason that most of women does not have enough sense to understand the law, and due to the limitations of their minds they can get confused in the words of the law. That is why our sages said: whoever teaches his daughter the law is the same as teaching her crimes "(Gilhot Talmud Torah, chapter 1; treatise Ioma, fol. 66, pag. 2) And who can argue that this is not fair?) ))
Maimonides rightly writes in the Laws of Personal Relationships, ch. 21, h. 7: “In total, there are five jobs that any wife does for her husband: she spins, washes his face, hands and feet, fills his bowl, makes his bed, and serves him. There are also six jobs that some wives do and some do not: flour grinding, baking, cooking, washing, caring for children and feeding livestock. ”And ibid., H. 10:“ Any wife who refuses to do the work she is obliged to do, forced, even to the point of using whips. ”Raavad writes in his remarks:“ I have never heard of a woman being whipped. The husband simply cuts her ration until she gives up. ”So, the husband should not flog her - enough to starve her until she
will serve him.Art... With this, in our understanding, it is difficult. The attitude of the Jews to the fine arts was formed under the influence of the second commandment of the Torah: “Do not make yourself any image, neither what is in the sky above, nor what is on the earth below, nor what is in the water below the earth. Do not worship them and do not serve them ... "(Exodus, 20: 4-5). Thus, without metaphors, the artist's task was limited to decorating ritual objects and interiors of synagogues.
Temple
Yahweh had no images or temples; and in general his appearance is "non-atropomorphic", a tent ("tabernacle") and in it a chest ("ark"), considered to be the earthly abode of God, who was invisibly present in the whole world, was dedicated to him. In 960 BC. e. King Solomon erected on Mount Moriah the First Temple of Yahweh, which was destroyed in 586 BC. e. King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar. Returning from Babylonian captivity, the Jews built the Second Temple, which existed for over 500 years and was completely rebuilt by King Herod (34-7 BC). This greatest Jewish shrine was completely destroyed in 70 by the Roman emperor Titus.
The main feature The natural landscape of the Temple area is a large rock outcrop, which can still be seen under the Dome of the Rock. Probably, the altar was erected on the rock itself, and the Temple was located strictly to the west of it. It took Solomon seven years to build the Temple, a cedar was brought from Lebanon for its construction, and the king of Tire Hiram sent craftsmen. The palace of Solomon, the construction of which took 13 years, was located strictly to the south of the Temple, as was the palace of the daughter of Pharaoh, wife of Solomon. According to Judaism, the Temple will be rebuilt in its original place, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and will become the spiritual center for the Jewish people and all mankind. However, for the construction of the Temple of the size indicated in the prophecy of Ezekiel, significant topological changes will be required to expand the area of the Temple Mount.
Wall of Tears- on the first photo here. Today, the Western Wall is a place of prayer, where Jews mourn the destruction of the Temple and pray to God for the revival of the people of Israel in their country, a place symbolizing the former greatness of Israel and hope for its future ... At present, 19 more rows of significantly smaller stones rise above the Herodian masonry Roman, Byzantine and later masonry.
Synagogue
I removed them to the nations and scattered them throughout the countries, but I became a small sanctuary for them in the countries where they came.(Ezek. 11:16)
A synagogue is any room intended for the public prayer of the Jews, which has always been and remains its main purpose and main difference. Outwardly, it can look very diverse. And is it worth worrying about when space is the whole world? I repeat that the synagogue is not a temple, but Jewish Temple can only be built in one place - on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
The functions of the synagogue are very broad. Synagogues often have schools in which children and adolescents study the Torah. By tradition, synagogues provide the community with a library. It is considered very pious to buy books for such a library. Any member of the community has the right to use them. The synagogue celebrates birth, coming of age, first-born ransom and other religious rites.
Synagogues are completely independent. Any group of believers can organize a synagogue. The believers choose their own leaders to run the synagogue. Any synagogue, modest or luxurious, must be appropriately equipped. There must be:
cabinet or niche where the Torah scrolls are kept. It is usually placed against the wall facing Jerusalem. It must be covered with a special curtain.
an eternal fire, a lamp that must constantly burn, symbolizing the commandment: "kindle the eternal fire before the tablets ..."
the dais, on which the table stands, where the Torah scroll is placed during the reading of the weekly chapters.
compartment for women, sometimes a balcony, sometimes a side or rear chapel. There was also a section for women in the Jerusalem Temple.
It is also allowed to decorate the synagogue according to the tastes and possibilities of the community: stained glass windows, frescoes, wood carvings, etc. The restrictions apply only to images of people.
And here - these are such different synagogues ...
Since the time of Solomon, Jerusalem has had three temples one after the other that must be distinguished. The first temple built by Solomon existed from 1004 to 588 BC. When David decided to build a house for Jehovah, God, through the prophet Nathan, restrained him from doing so; then David gathered material and jewelry for the construction of the temple and bequeathed this business to his son Solomon when he reigns. The value of the property collected and prepared by David for the construction of the temple reached 10 billion rubles. Solomon immediately got down to business on accession; He made an alliance with the Tire king Hiram, who supplied him with cedar and cypress wood and stone from Lebanon, and also sent the skilled artist Hiram to supervise the work, so that the temple began to be built already in the 4th year of Solomon's reign, 480 years after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, or in 1011 BC, on the hill of Moriah in the eastern part of Jerusalem, in the place that David, after the cessation of the plague, had designated for this purpose, having set up an altar there and made a sacrifice.
was ready after seven and a half years in the 11th year of the reign of Solomon, i.e. in 1004 BC, after which the temple was consecrated with great triumph. The celebration in honor of the opening of the Temple lasted 14 days and the heads of all the tribes of Israel were invited to it. At the opening ceremony, King Solomon (and not the high priest, as was customary), said a prayer and blessed the people. For the construction of the temple and its parts, David left Solomon, given to him by God, a pattern: “all these things are in writing from the Lord” (1 Chron. 28:11 and gave.): In general, the temple was built according to the model of the tabernacle, but only in a much larger the size that is seen from detailed descriptions in 1 Kings. 6; 7:13 etc .; 2 Chron. 3: 4 et seq.
The temple itself was a rectangular building made of hewn stones (30 m long, 10 m wide and 15 meters high in its inner part, with a flat roof made of cedar logs and boards. Through an intermediate partition made of cedar wood, the house was divided into 2 rooms: the outer one - the Holy , 20 m long, 10 m wide, 15 m high and the inner one was the Holy of Holies, 10 meters long, wide and high, so that from the top of the Holy of Holies 5 meters remained to the ceiling of the temple, this room was called the chambers. carved images of cherubs, palms, fruits and flowers, all overlaid with gold.The ceiling was also sheathed with cedar wood, and the floor - cypress: both were overlaid with gold. olive tree, decorated with images of cherubim, palms, flowers and overlaid with gold, represented the entrance to the Holy of Holies. In front of this entrance, like in the tabernacle, hung a curtain of skillfully made multicolored fabric, attached, perhaps, to those golden chains that were stretched out before the entrance to the Holy of Holies (Davir). The entrance to the Holy Place was a double-leaf cypress door with doorposts made of olive wood, the doors of which could be folded and were decorated like the door to the Holy of Holies.
In front of the building of the temple there was a vestibule 10 meters wide and 5 meters long, in front of it or at the entrance to it there were two copper pillars named Jachin and Boaz, each 9 m high, with capitals, skillfully made with recesses and bulges, and decorated with pomegranate apples , braided nets and lilies. The height of these pillars was 18 Heb. cubits, not counting the capitals of 5 cubits (2.5 m); their height, not counting the capitals, was 35 cubits. The height of these pillars was probably the same as that of the narthex; it is not mentioned in the book of Kings, but in 2 Chronicles 3: 4, it is indicated in 120 Heb. cubits (60 m); some see this as an indication of a tower high above the pillars; others suggest a mistake here. Around the longitudinal rear wall of the temple itself there was an extension of three floors with rooms for worship supplies and supplies; it was connected to the temple in such a way that the ceiling beams of the extension were reinforced on the protrusions of the temple walls; these protrusions in each floor made the walls of the temple one elbow thinner, and the rooms just as wide; therefore the lower storey of the extension was five cubits wide, the middle six, and the top seven. The height of each floor was 2.5 m; therefore, the walls of the temple itself rose significantly above the side annex and there was enough space on them for windows through which light penetrated into the Holy. The Holy of Holies, like the tabernacle, was dark. The side annex was entered through a door on the south side, from where a spiral staircase led to the upper floors.
Temple plan
Further, porches were built around the temple, of which the closest to the temple, the inner courtyard for the priests, was built of 3 rows of flagstone and one row of cedar beams; around it was an outer porch, or a large courtyard for the people, closed by a gate lined with copper. It is believed that this is the porch that was enlarged by Jehoshaphat and is called the new court. Jeremiah 36:10, where the inner courtyard is called the “upper courtyard,” shows that it was higher than the outer one; in all likelihood, the temple itself was located above the upper courtyard, so that the whole building was built with terraces. From 2 Kings 23:11 and the book of the prophet Jeremiah 35: 2,4; 36:10 shows that the large courtyard was equipped with rooms, porticoes, etc. for various needs. The Bible says nothing about the size of the outer courtyard; it was probably twice the size of the courtyard, which was 500 feet. 100 m long and 150 ft. (50 m) wide, hence the yard was 600 feet. long, and 300 feet. Width (200 x 100 meters).
In the Holy of Holies of the temple, the Ark of the Covenant is placed between the images of cherubim, which were 10 cubits (5 m) high and made of an olive tree overlaid with gold, with wings 2.5 m long, spread so that one wing of each cherub touched the side walls, two the other wings were joined at the ends above the ark. Cherubim stood on their feet with their faces turned to the Holy One. The following objects stood in the Holy One: an altar for incense made of cedar wood covered with gold, 10 golden lamps, each with 7 lamps, 5 on the right and 5 on left side in front of the rear compartment of the temple, and a table for offering breads with their accessories. According to some, there were 10 tables for offering breads in the temple.
Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
On the courtyard there was a brass altar of burnt offering 5 meters high with its accessories: basins, shovels, bowls and forks; then a large sea of copper, or a reservoir, which stood on 12 copper waters and on 10 skillfully made bases with 10 copper sinks for rinsing the sacrificial meat.
When the temple was ready, it was consecrated with a magnificent solemn sacrifice. Since the brass altar was not enough to accommodate the sacrifices, Solomon consecrated the sacrifice in front of the temple as a larger place for the sacrifice. The king sacrificed 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep here. Kneeling on a dais of copper, he invoked the blessing of God on the temple and on all those praying in it. After the prayer, fire came down from heaven, consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
The Temple of Solomon was plundered already during the reign of his son Rehoboam by the Egyptian king Susakim, and the rest of the silver and gold, King Asa sent as a gift to the Syrian king Benadad to persuade him to conclude an alliance with him against Baasa, the king of Israel. Thus, the glory of the temple, both internal and external, disappeared. Subsequently, the destruction of the temple alternated with its restoration: Jewish king Ahaz to bribe Tiglaffellasar, then Hezekiah to pay tribute to Sennacherib. The restorations were carried out by Joash, Jotham. Manasseh finally defiled the temple, placing in it the image of Astarte, idols' altars and horses dedicated to the sun, and placing harlots there; all this was removed by the godly Josiah. Soon after that, Nebuchadnezzar came and took out all the treasures of the temple, and finally, when Jerusalem was destroyed by his troops, the Temple of Solomon was also burned down to its founding in 588 BC, after 416 years of existence.
Temple of Zerubbabel.
When the Persian king Cyrus in 536 BC urged the Jews who lived in Babylon to return to Judea and build a temple in Jerusalem, he gave them sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon; in addition, he promised them support and ordered his subordinates to help the Jews in every possible way in this matter. Then Tirshafa, i.e. The Persian ruler of Judea, Zarubabel and the high priest Jesus, immediately after returning to devastated Jerusalem, began to build an altar of burnt offering in its former place and restored the sacrificial service. They got the workers, brought a cedar tree from Lebanon and thus laid the foundation for the temple again in the second month, the second year after returning from Babylon, 534 BC. Many of the old people who saw the first temple cried loudly, but many also shouted joyfully. At this time, the Samaritans intervened and, with their intrigues, achieved that the work on the restoration of the temple was suspended for 15 years, until the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes in 520 BC. This king, having familiarized himself with the command of Cyrus, gave a second order regarding the construction of the temple and the necessary material support. Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zachariah, the princes and people hastened to continue the work, and the temple was ready in the 12th month of the 6th year of the reign of Darius 516 BC, after which it was consecrated with a burnt offering consisting of 100 oxen, 200 rams and 400 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 goats. After that, they killed the Passover lambs and celebrated
By order of Cyrus, this temple had to have 60 cubits in height "60 in width, therefore it is much larger in size than Solomon's temple, but from Ezch 3:12 and Hag. 2: 3 it can be seen that it seemed to many to be insignificant in comparison: the first, although it should not be understood that here its external dimensions are meant. In luxury and glory, it could not be compared with the first temple, for it did not have the ark of the covenant and, therefore, also lacked the “shekinah”, as visible mark divine presence. The Holy of Holies was empty; in the place of the ark a stone was laid, on which the high priest placed the censer on the great day: atonement. In the Holy One there was only one golden lamp, a table for the offering loaves and an altar of incense, and in the courtyard there was an altar of burnt offering made of stone. Haggai consoled the people that the time would come and the glory of this temple would surpass the glory of the previous one, and that here the Lord would give a moment; this prophecy came true in the third temple (which was an enlarged copy of the second. The second temple also had vestibules with rooms, colonnades and gates.
This temple was plundered by Antiochus Eliphan and defiled with idolatry, so that even the "abomination of desolation" - an altar dedicated to Olympian Jupiter, was erected on the altar of burnt offering in 167 BC. The brave Maccabees fought for freedom, expelled the Syrians, rebuilt the Sanctuary, after 3 years of humiliation, re-consecrated the temple and fortified the temple mountain with walls and towers. In memory of the restoration of the temple was
established on December 25, 164 BC new holiday renovation (of the temple), Heb. Hanukkah, and it was supposed to be celebrated within 8 days after December 25th. It was celebrated even in the time of Jesus Christ and is mentioned in John. 10:22.
Subsequently, this temple befell new blows, for example, when Pompey, after a three-month siege, took it on the very day of purification and in its courtyards made a terrible bloodshed, although without robbery; or when Herod the Great with Roman troops took it by storm and burned some of the outbuildings.
Temple of Herod.
The temple of Zorovbabel seemed to the vain Herod the Great too insignificant and he decided to rebuild it, giving it large dimensions. He began this work in the 18th year of his reign, approximately 20 BC, or in 735 Rome. The very building of the temple was ready after a year and a half, and the courtyards - after 8 years, but the external extensions were built over a number of years. During the nationwide speech of Jesus Christ, the term for the construction of the temple was determined at 46 years, that is, from 20 BC. to 26 A.D.). The entire work was completed only during Agrippa 2. (64 A.D.) - hence only 6 years before the final destruction. Since the Jews did not allow the temple of Zorubbabel to be immediately destroyed, Herod, yielding to their desire, removed parts of the old temple as new ones were built, which is why this temple was called “the second temple” for a long time, although enlarged and decorated. This temple of Herod, however, requires special attention, as it adorned Jerusalem in the days of our Savior. He taught in his courtyards and foreshadowed his death when the disciples pointed out to him the luxury and jewels of the temple. This temple, which with its courtyards, occupied an area equal to one stage or 500 sq. cubits, i.e. 250 m2 (Talmud), that is, almost the same space as the present area of the Temple, was built by terraces, so that each of the inner courtyards was located higher than the outer one, and the temple itself rose on the western side and viewed from the city and its environs was a magnificent sight. “Look at what stones and what kind of buildings,” one of His disciples told Jesus. The outer court, which was also accessible to the Gentiles and the unclean, was surrounded by a high wall with several gates; it was paved with multi-colored slabs; on three sides there was a double column, and on the fourth, southern side - a triple colonnade under a cedar roof, which was supported by marble columns 25 cubits high. This southern colonnade, the best and largest, was called the royal portico. The eastern one was named by Solomon's porch, probably as it has survived from more ancient times. In this outer courtyard, oxen, sheep and pigeons were sold, and money changers sat offering money for exchange. WITH inside this courtyard was separated from the inner courtyards of the temple by a stone parapet 3 cubits high and a terrace 10 cubits wide. On this parapet in several places were placed boards with Greek and Latin inscriptions, which forbade non-Jews - on pain of death - to pass on. Such a plaque from Herod's temple was recently found in Jerusalem with the following Greek inscription; “No foreigner has access to the inside of the fence and stone wall around the temple. Whoever is caught in violation of this rule, let him bear responsibility for the death penalty that follows. ” Even the Romans themselves respected this prohibition. The extent to which the Jews displayed fanaticism towards those who transgressed this prohibition is indicated by the case of Paul and Trofim. The very place of the temple inside this barrier was surrounded on all sides by a wall, which on the outside was 40 cubits (20 meters) in height, and on the inside only 25 cubits (12.5 m) due to the slope of the mountain, so there should
The main gate that led to the women's courtyard was the eastern or Nikanor gate, covered with Corinthian copper, which was also called the Red Gate. (Some believe that this gate was in the outer east wall.) From the courtyard, women entered through several gates to the large courtyard located above the temple building - 187 cubits in length (from east to west) and 135 cubits in width (from north to south). Part of this courtyard was fenced in and called the courtyard of the Israelites; its inner part was called the courtyard of the priests; here stood a large altar of burnt offering 30 cubits long and wide, and 15 cubits high and a laver intended for priests, and further, in the western part with an entrance from the east, was the temple building itself. The size and splendor of these courtyards with their extensions, walls, gates and colonnades, except for the Talmud, were brilliantly described by Josephus. About the royal portico, which stretched along the southern edge of the temple mountain from east to west, he says: “It was the most wonderful work of art that ever existed under the sun. Those who looked down from its top were dizzy from the height of the building and the depth of the valley. The portico consisted of four rows of columns facing each other from end to end, all of the same size. The fourth row was half-embedded in the wall surrounding the temple and consisted, therefore, of half-columns. Three people were required to grab one column; their height was 9 meters. Their number was 162 and each of them ended with a Corinthian capital, an amazing work. Between these 4 rows of columns there were three aisles, of which the two outermost ones were of the same width, each 10 meters long, having 1 stage in length and more than 16 meters in height. The middle passage was half as wide as the lateral ones and 2 times higher than them, rising high above the lateral sides ”. Supposedly Solomon's porch in the east is meant in Mat. 4: 5, as the “wing of the temple”.
The outer wall, which surrounded all the courtyards and rose high above the ground, presented, especially from the western and southern sides, the most remarkable view of the deep valleys at the foot of the mountain. Excavations recent years showed that the southern wall of the temple, which rises 20-23 meters above the current surface, stretches through the masses of ruins up to 30 meters deep underground - therefore, this wall towered 50 meters higher than the mountain on which it was built. It is quite understandable what tremendous efforts it took to erect such walls and plan the temple mountain, especially when you think about how huge the stones from which these walls were formed. If you look at large stone slabs, for example, in the "Wailing Wall" or on the "Robinson's Arch" and think that here the wall goes deep underground until it reaches a monolithic rock, then you are not surprised by the amazement expressed by Josephus and his disciples Christ.
Omar Mosque on the site of the Jerusalem Temple
The care of the temple and its protection lay with the responsibilities of the priests and Levites. At the head of the guard was an honorable person who was called the "chief of the guard" at the temple. Flavius Josephus reports that 200 people were required daily to close the gates of the temple; of these, 20 are only for the heavy copper gates on the east side.
The fortress of Anthony (Acts 21:34), located in the northeastern corner of the temple, just where the northern and western colonnades joined, also served to protect and guard the courtyards of the temple. According to Josephus, it was built on a rock 50 cubits high and faced with smooth stone slabs, which made it difficult to capture and gave it a magnificent appearance. It was surrounded by a wall 3 cubits high and provided with four towers, of which 3 were 50 cubits high, and the fourth in the southeast was 70 cubits, so that the entire location of the temple was visible from there.
This magnificent temple, in the porches of which Jesus and the apostles preached the gospel, was not given to maintain its glory for long. The rebellious spirit of the people filled its courtyards with violence and blood, so that the Jerusalem temple was a true den of robbers. In 70 A.D. it was destroyed in the capture of Jerusalem by Titus. Titus wanted to spare the temple, but the Roman soldiers burned it to the ground. The sacred vessels were taken to Rome, where their images can still be seen on the triumphal arch. On the former site of the temple, the Omar Mosque now rises, approximately where the royal portico was. The Omar Mosque is a luxurious octagonal building, about 56 m in height and 8 sides of 22.3 m in circumference with a majestic dome; it is also called Kubbet-as-Sahra (rock mosque), because of the fragment of rock inside it, about 16.6 m long and wide, which, according to legend, was the threshing floor of Orna, the place of sacrifice of Melchizedek, the center of the earth, etc. with the foundation of the temple below the surface of the earth, one can still walk along huge corridors with arches and colonnades of ancient times; but from the temple itself there was not even a stone upon a stone.
