So as we have done for ages…
We pray.
We weep.
We bless.
We request.
We thank.
We only control what we say and do.
The rest is in G-d’s merciful, blessed hands. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Category Archives: Western Wall
Israel 2020: Day 7
Today, we went to the Kotel (Holy Western Wall) in Jerusalem.
We went on a special tour of the Kotel Tunnels.
Got to see the foundation stones under the Temple Mount where legend has it that G-d created the world from and where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.
This is also the place where the first and second Jewish temples stood.
We literally got to see so much of the ancient underground building stones, pillars, arches, bridges, waterways, and even learned how they think that these mega limestones (weighing over 520 metric tonnes) were moved into place so many thousands of years ago with pulleys, gears, and levers.
It was a fascinating and fun tour.
Thank you to my son-in-law and daughter for getting us tickets to this.
Lovely time by all. 😉
(Credit Video: Andy Blumenthal, and sorry about turning it sideways once it gets to the underground waterway)
Hearts and Stones
I love the saying by Rav Zvi Yehudah Cook:
There are people with hearts of stone, and there are stones with hearts of people.
The people know who they are, and the stones reside where has G-d set them.
In the final redemption, the peoples’ hearts will turn back to Hashem and the stones with hearts will rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Israel – Day 3 – Jerusalem
(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal
Source Video: Dossy Blumenthal)
Trump Is Right On The Border Wall
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “We Need To Stand Strong On The Wall.“
By themselves, walls do not work to fill us spiritually or protect us physically. Rather, they are a necessary component in a normal and healthy toolbox for living our lives. Spiritually, we need to not just pray toward the holy wall in Jerusalem, but we must augment this with following G-d commandments–doing good in our service to Hashem and in how we treat others. Likewise with protecting us physically, we need a strong mix of “gates, guards, and guns.” A wall is a critical component of our overall spiritual and physical well-being and protection.
Until Mashiach comes and the temple is rebuilt and there is peace on earth, we need to pray to the Western Wall (Kotel) for our spiritual well-being and have border walls to protect us physically.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
An Arrogant Model Who Defiles The Holy Temple
Please see my new article, Naked Before G-d, in The Times of Israel.
“In such a G-dly place [as the Kotel], where we are all spiritually naked for our actions before our Maker, [Belgian model,] Ms. Papen displayed not soul, but her haughty flesh.”
And like the Sotah in the bible, who drinks of “the bitter waters” for defiling the sanctity of her marriage, Ms. Papen will most certainly come to see the consequences for her defilement of the most sacred place of Judaism.
I wouldn’t want to be her, seriously! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
@The Great Kotel in Jerusalem
So we made it to the Kotel in Jerusalem yesterday.
What an amazing experience.
It’s been too many years.
Definitely, one of the top moments of my life.
As we entered the old city and walked through the narrow ways toward the Western Wall of the Temple, my heart and breathing was racing and I could feel the spiritualness getting closer and closer.
When we finally arrived at the Holy Wall, I was just completely overwhelmed and saying over and over, OMG!
We took some photos, and then immediately when to pray at the wall.
I think I got lost in prayer and didn’t realize how long I had been standing and clutching the Holy Wall of G-d’s ancient Temple.
I truly believe that our prayers ascend to Heaven at this special spot of G-d’s earthly abode.
I wanted to fall to my knees, but stopped myself repeatedly as this is not generally the Jewish custom.
But in my mind, my body, and soul was prostrated completely before G-d Almighty.
I put myself in His hands.
We can only do our best, and the rest is all in His control.
We can try to make the best decisions we can, but the real guidance in life comes from Him and His will for us.
We learned in Yeshiva, not to ask in prayer for specific things in life to happen for us, but rather to ask G-d to do what is right in His eternal mind for us.
This is right…submit to the King of Kings and let Him show us the way for us.
What are the right words to say to G-d?
At the end, thank you and please continue to help us, your children. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Western Wall 1000
About 20 years ago, we took on a little family activity to put together this 1000 piece puzzle of the Western Wall (“The Kotel”) in Jerusalem.
We all sat around the dining room table in my parent’s house working to put the puzzle together.
It was a pretty tough puzzle, since the pieces of a large part of the puzzle, The Wall, looked so similar.
But it was something we all rallied around, had fun with, and figured out as a family.
The only problem we couldn’t readily solve, came down to the last piece of the puzzle, and almost smack center–it was missing.
A 1000 piece puzzle with only 999 pieces.
My dad, ever the innovative one, took out a marker and colored in the missing piece.
He framed the picture of the holy Kotel and hung it in their living room.
I was amazed that he took such great pride in the puzzle we worked on, since it was imperfect.
But it taught me that while nothing in life is perfect, it is our bonding together in love that creates a type of spiritual perfection.
It was also interesting to me that like Jews now-a-days put little pieces of paper (“Kvitels”) with their deepest prayers into the crevices of the Western Wall, my dad put the families last piece into the representative puzzle picture of it.
Finally, the Western Wall is itself just a piece of the destroyed (twice) holy Temple (“Beit Hamikdash”) that stood in Jerusalem, and one day hopefully it will be rebuilt with all the pieces through the loving bonding of the people that yearn for that special connection to the Almighty again.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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