Wail at the Western Wall
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and perhaps the most contested plot of land in the world. According to Jewish tradition, it was here that the world expanded into its present form and it is where God gathered the dust with which he created Adam, the first man. Jewish people also believe that somewhere on this mountain God’s Divine Presence dwells on Earth. However, they are not quite sure of the exact spot and therefore many Jews will not set foot on the Mount itself. I guess they don’t want to step on God.
A great deal of importance is also placed on the Temple Mount by followers of Islam for they believe it was here that the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven. After the destruction of the first two Jewish temples, they erected the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock to mark the site.
A great deal of importance is also placed on the Temple Mount by followers of Islam for they believe it was here that the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven. After the destruction of the first two Jewish temples, they erected the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock to mark the site.
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The Dome of the Rock was completed in 691 making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The intent of the building was to protect Muslims from the elements and be a shrine for pilgrims as opposed to a place of prayer. It is formally owned and maintained by the Ministry of Awaqaf in Jordan, who keep a watchful eye protecting it from those who would love to flatten it and make way for a third Jewish Temple. After being closed to non-Muslims for a number of years, the Temple Mount compound was reopened to the general public in 2006, free of charge between 7:30-11:30am and 1:30-2:30pm, however, non-Muslims are prohibited to enter the mosques and Hebrew prayer books and musical instruments are not allowed.
THE DIVINE PRESENCE NEVER MOVES FROM THE WESTERN WALL
Jewish tradition teaches that the Temple Mount is the focal point of allcreation. In the center of the mountain lies the “Foundation Stone” of the world where Adam came into being and he along with his two sons Isaac and Jacob served God. The Ark of the Covenant was set upon the Foundation Stone itself. According to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), King David longed to build a temple on this site but the first was built by his son Solomon in the 10th century BC. Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC then a second temple was constructed in 516 BC and expanded by Herod the Great in 19BC. During the renovation, Herod enlarged the platform of the temple mount by constructing large retaining walls but this temple, along with the rest of Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the First Jewish-Roman War. All that remained of the temple were parts of the retaining wall. Jews have prayed in its shadow for hundreds of years, as an expression of their faith in the rebuilding of the Temple. It is said that “The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall”and therefore it continues to be the focus of prayer for Jews around the world. Worshipers often place slips of paper containing written prayers into the crevices of the wall believing that the prayers will be answered. The practice is so popular that the Israeli Telephone Company established a fax service to the Western Wall where petitioners can fax notes to be placed on the wall. Twice a year the millions of prayers are collected and buried in the Mount of Olives. In July of 2008, while he was still a presidential candidate, Barak Obama visited the wall as part of his European tour. He placed a prayer on the wall which was removed by an orthodox seminary student and leaked to the Maariv newspaper. Even though it is taboo to read someone else’s prayer, because the prayers left on the wall are between a person and his maker, the newspaper printed the contents of Obama’s note. It read: "Lord, protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will. |
Rules of etiquette are posted at the entrance to the Western Wall
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Western Wall Timeline
70 CE – Herod’s Temple is destroyed along with the rest of Jerusalem in the Jewish-Roman War.
135 CE – After the Kokhba revolt the Jews were banned from Jerusalem and it was not until Constantine became emperor of Rome that the Jews were allowed to return to the city once a year on the ninth day of the month of AV to mourn the loss of the temple at the Wall.
425 CE – The Jews of Galilee wrote to Byzatine empress Aelia Eudocia asking for permission to pray by the ruins of the temple and were granted official permission to resettle in Jerusalem.
1560– Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire gives the Jews official rights to pray by theWall.
1917–1948 - Jerusalem came under British Rule and they pledged "that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of the three religions will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred".
1948-1967 – During the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Old City and the Wall was captured by Jordan and was off limits to the Jewish people for the next 19 years.
1967 – The Wall came under control of the Israelis following their victory in the Six-Day War and within 48 hours the military starts to destroy the entire Moroccan Quarter which stood a mere four meters from the wall creating the Western Wall Plaza that can accommodate over 400,000 people.
1989 – An activist group called Women of the Wall petitioned the court to secure the rights of women to pray at the wall in organized groups and publicly read the Torah while wearing a prayer shawl called a tallit.
2008 – Teresa the Traveler visits the Western Wall.
70 CE – Herod’s Temple is destroyed along with the rest of Jerusalem in the Jewish-Roman War.
135 CE – After the Kokhba revolt the Jews were banned from Jerusalem and it was not until Constantine became emperor of Rome that the Jews were allowed to return to the city once a year on the ninth day of the month of AV to mourn the loss of the temple at the Wall.
425 CE – The Jews of Galilee wrote to Byzatine empress Aelia Eudocia asking for permission to pray by the ruins of the temple and were granted official permission to resettle in Jerusalem.
1560– Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire gives the Jews official rights to pray by theWall.
1917–1948 - Jerusalem came under British Rule and they pledged "that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of the three religions will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred".
1948-1967 – During the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Old City and the Wall was captured by Jordan and was off limits to the Jewish people for the next 19 years.
1967 – The Wall came under control of the Israelis following their victory in the Six-Day War and within 48 hours the military starts to destroy the entire Moroccan Quarter which stood a mere four meters from the wall creating the Western Wall Plaza that can accommodate over 400,000 people.
1989 – An activist group called Women of the Wall petitioned the court to secure the rights of women to pray at the wall in organized groups and publicly read the Torah while wearing a prayer shawl called a tallit.
2008 – Teresa the Traveler visits the Western Wall.
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The entrance to Western Wall has a list of proper etiquette for visitors
The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock
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During the Shabbat many Jewish peole pray at the Western Wall
Entrance to area where Dome of the Rock is
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The Western Wall is separated into mens and womens area
Even though sideburns are enough to satisfy the Torah requirement of peyos, many Jews grow their peyos long as a way of emphasizing the commandment
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WHERE I STAYED...
A Little House in Bakah 1 YehudaSt., Jerusalem 93627 Tel: 972-2-6737944 Email: [email protected] www.jerusalem-hotel.co.il Check them out on Trip Adviser 
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HOW TO GET THERE
There is no airport in Jerusalem so you must fly into Tel Aviv then take a cab, rent a car or take a bus to Jerusalem. |
