Aherd of camels in the Negev desert
“Sojourn in this Land and I will be with you and bless you; for unto you and your offspring will I give all these lands, and establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.”
GENESIS (26:3)
גוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְאֶהְיֶה עִמְּךָ וַאֲבָרְכֶךָּ כִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ
(Transliteration of Hebrew below)
Hebrew Lesson
Gur ba’aretz hazote ve’eheye eemcha va’avarechecha kee lecha u’lizarecha eitayn et kol ha’artzot ha’el.
The Hebrew word for camel is גמל “gamal” which also means “to be independent”: “And the boy grew up, and was weaned ויגמל (vayigamal)” (Genesis 21:8); “And the almonds ripened (vayigmol – i.e. became independent of the stalk)” (Numbers 17:23). This connection “refers to the camel being able to survive in the absence of water for many months.” From “Nature’s Song” by Rabbi Natan Slifkin. http://gefenpublishing.com
About Today’s Photograph
Photograph of a herd of camels in the Negev desert by Ilan Rosen. Camels have been an important part of the Holy Land’s landscape from Biblical times as described by Isaiah, “they carry their wealth…and riches upon the camels’ hump” (30:6). Visitors to Israel today can enjoy a camel safari in the footsteps of the patriarchs.