|
|
 |
![1967]()
by aish.com
|
|
Liberation of the wall in 1967 |
Liberation of the
Wall in 1967
When the Western Wall was liberated in 1967, Jews from all over the World felt an electrifying excitement, as once again the Wall was in our hands.
The following two stories of Israeli soldiers, who participated in the liberation, exemplify how the Wall has touched the hearts of Jews throughout the ages.
Moshe Amirav, a paratrooper,
describes his first minutes at the Wall:
 We ran there, a group of panting soldiers, lost on the plaza of the Temple Mount, searching for a giant stone wall. We did not stop to look at the Mosque of Omar even though this was the first time we had seen it close up. Forward! Forward! Hurriedly, we pushed our way through the Magreb Gate and suddenly we stopped, thunderstruck. There it was before our eyes! Gray and massive, silent and restrained. The Western Wall!
Slowly, slowly I began to approach the Wall in fear
and trembling like a pious cantor going to the lectern to lead the
prayers. I approached it as the messenger of my father and my grandfather,
of my great-grandfather and of all the generations in all the exiles who
had never merited seeing it - and so they had sent me to represent them.
Somebody recited the festive blessing: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God,
King of the Universe who has kept us alive, and maintained us and brought
us to this time." But I could not answer "Amen." I put my hand on the
stones and the tears that started to flow were not my tears. They were the
tears of all Israel, tears of hope and prayer, tears of Chasidic tunes,
tears of Jewish dances, tears which scorched and burned the heavy gray
stone.
Abraham Duvdevani also describes his
first encounter with the Wall:
"Narrow alleys, filthy passageways, garbage at the entrances of shuttered shops, the stench of dead legionnaires - but we paid no attention. Our eyes were fixed on the golden dome which could be seen from a distance. There, more or less, it had to be! We marched faster to keep up with the beating of our hearts. We were almost running. We met a soldier from one of the forward units and asked him the way and hurried on. We went through a gate and down some steps. I looked to the right and stopped dead. There was the Wall in all its grandeur and glory! I had never seen it before, but it was an old friend, impossible to mistake. Then I thought that I should not be there because the Wall belongs in the world of dreams and legends and I am real.
Reality and legend, dream and deed, all unite here. I went down and approached the Wall and stretched out my hand towards the huge, hewn stones. But my hand was afraid to touch and of itself returned to me. I closed my eyes, took a small, hesitant step forward, and brought my lips to the Wall. The touch of my lips opened the gates of my emotions and the tears burst forth. A Jewish soldier in the State of Israel is kissing history with his lips.
Past, present and future all in one kiss. There will be no more destruction and the Wall will never again be deserted. It was taken with young Jewish blood and the worth of that blood is eternity. The body is coupled to the rows of stones, the face is pushed into the spaces between them and the hands try to reach its heart. A soldier near me mumbles in disbelief, 'We are at the Wall, at the Wall...' "
From "The Western Wall," published by the Israeli Ministry of Defense
Aish HaTorah is an international network of Jewish educational
centers, where Jews from all backgrounds can explore their heritage in
an open, non-judgmental atmosphere. Aish HaTorah operates programs in
over 100 cities on 5 continents. Our World Center is located in
Jerusalem, directly opposite the Western Wall.
If you would like to receive "Aish Weekly Update" or other features via e-mail, please enter your email address here:
Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on support from readers like you to enable us to provide inspiring and relevant articles. Click here to support Aish.com.
|
|
|
If you would like to receive "Aish Weekly Update" or other features via e-mail, please enter your email address here:
|
Hear related audio on this topic
