The Day The World Shook

Some videos for an inspiring Shavuot!

Courtesy of Aish.com

Yom Yerushalyim

Today is a really special day in Jewish History because it was on this day in the 1967 War when we recaptured Yerushalayim and we were able to daven at the Kotel for the first time in years. Now, thank Gd, there are so many Jews living in and visiting Yerushalayim, who can all go to the Kotel whenever they want! Thousands of Jews go to the Kotel today to sing and dance in gratitude for having Yerushalayim. 

Here is a video showing the Kotel throughout the years:

(Stories taken from Aish.com)

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...' "

Counting Up

Before we answer this question, we need to ask another question: Why didn't Gd give the Torah to the Jews as soon as they left Egypt? Why did He wait 50 days? 

The answer is that when the Jews left Egypt they were on the 49th level of impurity and they weren't spiritually ready to receive the Torah. If Gd had given the Jews the Torah too early, they wouldn't have known how to handle such a precious gift.

We can use this to understand why we count up during the Omer to Shavuot, the 50th day. The time of the Omer has a special potential to help us in our growth process. In fact, each week and each day has a special characteristic that we are supposed to focus on. Each day of the Omer signifies another step in our growth, where we are removing a layer of dirt and revealing our spiritual beauty. Each day moves us closer to our ideal self to make us ready to receive the Torah on Shavuot. So we count up because each day is signifying a higher step on our growth ladder.

The Omer also teaches us that spiritual growth needs to be one step at a time. Only by setting realistic goals and becoming encouraged by our success will we have the stamina to continue growing.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (19th century Europe) took upon himself to lead an entire city back to Torah observance. He set up a weekly class and began by telling them, "If you have to work on Shabbat, at least try to minimize the violation." Today this would mean walking instead of driving, or setting your TV on a timer. With this approach, Rabbi Salanter was able over a few years to turn the community around to full Shabbat observance ― one step at a time.

The Kabbalists say that spiritual growth is "two steps forward and one step back." We will inevitably have setbacks. What's important is that we pick ourselves up and keep on trying.

Ideally, at the end of the Omer process on Shavuot we will be ready to receive the Torah through our work in self-improvement. "Shavuot" literally means "weeks," which in and of itself tells us that without the weeks of preparation beforehand, there is no Shavuot. So don't just count the Omer ― make the Omer count.

Happy counting!