JERUSALEM (JTA) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was joined by Israel’s two chief rabbis and several scholars for a Bible study session this week ahead of the Sukkot holiday.
The Tuesday afternoon session focused on why God did not allow Moses to enter the land of Israel, which is found in Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12.
The Tanach Study Circle is a tradition from the days of former prime ministers David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin that was revived by Netanyahu and organized in cooperation with the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. It is dedicated to the memory of Sara Netanyahu’s late father, Shmuel Ben-Artzi.
“Moses our Master could not enter the Promised Land and we are here in his merit and in the merit of our people’s struggle to be here, the heritage of our ancestors, and we welcome every moment. It is a very great privilege to read this great book and to know that we are carrying out what the Almighty has commanded our people,” Netanyahu said at the start of the study session.