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June 18, 2026 / 3 Tamuz 5786
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Buttercup Festival in Israel (Shutterstock)
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Shalom -, Please enjoy today's Daily Inspiration from Israel.
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She oversees the activities of her household And never eats the bread of idleness.
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צוֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת לֹא תֹאכֵל
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TZO-fee-YAH (hi-LAKHOT) [ha-lee-KHOT] BEI-tah v'-LE-khem atz-LOOT lo to-KHEL
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Solomon's Tribute to His Great-Great-Grandmother
By Sara Lamm
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One of my children, a daughter, is named Tsofia. She was born just before Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, and also on Shabbat. The name Tsofia was not on our baby name short list at all. We had spent months considering all sorts of beautifully Biblical and Zionistic names, trying to make the choice feel meaningful. In the end, the timing of her birth made the decision for us. Hours before she arrived, we had been sitting at our Shabbat table singing Eishet Chayil, the woman of valor, the 22-line poem that closes the book of Proverbs, and the word tsofia was right there in verse 27: "She oversees the activities of her household and never eats the bread of idleness." (Proverbs 31:27) Combined with the line from Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, "ayin letzion tsofia," an eye turned toward Zion, the combination of Biblical and Modern was perfect. But there was more. We wanted our daughter's life in Israel to carry both of those meanings: the one who tends to the details of her household with the same intentionality she brings to the grand gestures, and the one whose eyes are always turned toward home.
Every Friday night when we sing Eishet Chayil at our Shabbat table, we shout "Tsofia!" for our four year old when we reach that verse. And yet despite having her name woven into this poem, despite having sung it hundreds of times, when I sat down to study it carefully alongside my colleague Shira Schechter, Editor of The Israel Bible, for our Bible Month conversation on the book of Proverbs, I realized I did not know it nearly as well as I thought I did. Let me share one piece of what we uncovered, because it has changed the way I understand one of the most famous poems in all of The Bible.
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Open Every Book of the Hebrew Bible
Join the Bible Month Challenge and watch 24 FREE videos, one for each book of the Hebrew Bible. Discover the original language, the story of Israel, and the life-changing ideas woven through Scripture from Genesis to Chronicles.
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The Seed in the Feed Trough: How Common Fodder Disqualifies Temimah
With safeguards in place, the next red heifer can emerge fully temimah, ready to provide the ashes that purify the nation and advance the redemption.
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Buried 2,700-Year-Old Pillar in Judean Mansion May Confirm Hezekiah's War on Idol Worship
Archaeologists working at Tel ‘Eton in the Judean Shephelah did not realize, at first, what they had found. They thought the layer of stone was simply rubble from a collapsed wall.
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Unveiled! How Trump’s Iran Deal Just Blew Up in His Face
A ceasefire was supposed to end the war with Iran. Instead, it has raised a host of new questions.
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The War Against the Bible
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Feeling disoriented in a world that attacks faith and truth? The War Against the Bible uncovers the spiritual battle beneath today’s headlines. Rabbi Elie Mischel reveals how ancient prophecies explain modern chaos — and how you can stand strong for Israel, for truth, and for God’s Word.
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Use code INSPIRATION20 to get 20% off!
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Blessings from the land of Israel,
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Outsourced images collected from Shutterstock
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