“Im eshkachech Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini” – “if I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its skill”.
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) takes place on the 28th of Iyar (Hebrew date) which falls out this year on the evening of May 25th and on the 26th.
Unlike many other chagim, Yom Yerushalayim is not referenced in our Torah nor is it a date of significance prior to 1967.
Yom Yerushalayim is an Israeli national holiday which commemorates the “reunification” of Jerusalem following the Six Day War in June, 1967.
Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli control on June 7, 1967 – during the Six Day War. Prior to the war, Jerusalem was a divided city. The western part of the city was controlled by Israel and the eastern parts, including the Old City and its holy sites including the Har Habayit were under Jordanian rule.
Due to the heroic efforts of the IDF who battled tirelessly to overtake the Jordanian enemy, the entire city of Yerushalayim was once again reunited and eventually it became recognized as the official Capital of the State of Israel.
Although King David considered Yerushalayim the Capital of the Jewish nation, it wasn’t until decades later (December, 2017) did the world recognize the city as such. Indeed a very long time for Jerusalem to become the official sovereign capital of Israel.
As the holiest ancient city known to acheinu bnai yisrael, Jerusalem’s rich history is inspired and imbued with a level of kedusha due to its physical location including the two Batei Midrash that were destroyed.
Yerushalayim is indeed the spiritual and religious epicenter of our Jewish world – having weathered very difficult and harsh wars, destruction as well as occupation by our enemies in order to survive, and thrive.
The daunting, emotional, moving and at times heartbreaking history of Yerushalayim and its historical and religious significance are undeniable as reflected in the Torah and evidenced by archeological finds.
Yerushalayim is in fact mentioned 600 times in TaNach and the city was besieged 23 times and captured 44 times. This is in addition to the brutal wars and conflicts we endured in order to retain and maintain Jerusalem as our spiritual capital. This reality is truly undeniable from a historical perspective.
It is for this very reason that Jerusalem represents the most precious, respected, honored and cherished city for our Jewish people throughout the globe.
No matter where we live, or where we stand, we all pray in the direction of the holy city of Yerushalayim.
Our tefillot which include the hope and promise of shana haba b’yerushalayim habinuya – “next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem” is an aspirational expression of hope and promise that has been dreamt about for generations ….. that one day, we will all be blessed to live together in Yerushalayim in peace and in tranquility as we witness and experience the rebuilding of the holy Beit HaMikdash.
In an amazing book entitled “A Stone Speaks: The Voice of the Kotel” authored by Israel Rubin, (Mosaica Press, 2014), we begin to truly understand and appreciate the rich history of Jerusalem throughout the ages and the outpouring of passion, love and emotion we have for the city and in particular for the Kotel.
The book is a highly recommended read for the entire Jewish community. To be sure, it would be impossible for me to do justice to the book by detailing the facts, dates, emotions and passion expressed in this book, given the limited space allotted in this blog. I do however urge everyone to please read it. I promise that it will provide all readers with a very meaningful perspective regarding the historical significance of Yerushalayim, and more significantly, the Kotel in the old city of Yerushalayim.
A Personal Reflection
Whenever my family and I have the tremendous opportunity and good fortune to visit Israel, our very first stop is the Kotel. In fact, I cannot imagine a trip or visit to Israel without first visiting the Kotel where we are joined by hundreds and thousand of Jews who are reciting tehillim as well as communal and personal tefillot. It is an experience like no other.
As I commemorate and celebrate Yom Yerushalayim this year in the diaspora, my mind wanders off into space and I begin to imagine the spiritual and physical wonderment of Yerushalayim.
As I think about Yerushalayim, I am swept into a magical headspace and world of imagery, sights and sounds which can only reflect the beauty, splendor and significance of our beloved holy city of Yerushalayim he Golden.
When I imagine walking through the streets, alleyways and neighborhoods of Yerushalayim – whether it be in the Rova, or throughout the old Jewish quarter, I feel a profound level of kedusha like no other. This is particularly the case when I stand at the entrance to the Kotel with splendor and astonishment.
For centuries, our ancestors and families cried and prayed to HaShem to be privileged to see, feel, and witness the wonderment and awe of Yerushalayim and the Kotel. And, today, we are just a 12 hour plane trip away. Truly a dream come true.
As I sit at home on the eve of Yom Yerushalayim, I envision myself approaching the Kotel and eventually touching and kissing the wall while reciting special tefillot. I can imagine feeling and experiencing a very special and profoundly unique spiritual connection when praying for the good health and welfare of my family, friends and for klal yisrael.
With every step I take, I imagine feeling the ancient sands of history and antiquity moving beneath my feet; I imagine the the golden reflective brilliance of the special stones and walls which are very unique to Yerushalayim; and, I imagine the centuries of sacrifice, war, destruction and celebration that Yerushalayim and its inhabitants experienced throughout the ages.
Jerusalem the golden city is indeed a bright and shiny beacon of illuminating light, hope and promise for our future.
As the sun rises and sets over the beautiful city of Jerusalem, we are blinded by its beauty and golden hue of hope and promise. We pray to HaShem for the future of Yerushalayim and for the Jewish nation throughout the world.
The one final memory and thought I have while praying at the Kotel are the imagined rivers of tears that people bring with them to the Kotel. Their cries for geula are overtaken and overshadowed by the beautiful melodic sounds of birds flying in circles and chirping above us at the Kotel. It is as if they were singing the praises of HaShem in unison with our tefillot.
So, as we commemorate the significance of Yom Yerushalayim, we continue to hope and pray for the release of the precious hostages still being held by Hamas and for a true and everlasting IDF victory over our enemies.
With warm wishes for a Chag Sameach and B’sorot Tovot as we hope and pray for a Shana HaBa B’Yerushalayim Habinuya.
