Thinking about Yerushalayim today…
These are a few lines from the book we’re learning:
“To the world at large, the history of Jerusalem opens with its conquest by King David. For the Jew, Jerusalem is the place where man was created. Jerusalem is the city of King Malkizedek, the city in which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshiped, the city chosen by G-d to radiate direction and spirituality to all mankind. Jerusalem is the gateway through which all of mankind’s prayers rise to Heaven. Jerusalem is the place where the Shechinah, the very presence of G-d, is felt more intensely than anywhere else on earth…
“Jerusalem is the beating heart of Jewish life. It is literally the eye of the universe; it is the spot on earth where the presence of G-d is most evident and most concentrated. It is from Jerusalem that human fulfillment and the ultimate Redemption will flow.”
(excerpted from “Why Do We Still Mourn?”, Living Beyond Time: The Mystery and Meaning of the Jewish Festivals, by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper)
What do you love about Yerushalayim? What do you miss?
