Western wall, wailing wall

Wailing Wall

                Talking about walls....  No visit to Jerusalem would be complete without a visit to the Western (Wailing) Wall. Why, you may well ask. Assuming that I am a Hindu, or a Christian or an atheist, why should I want to visit the Wailing Wall? That's for Jews, isn't it? I must admit that I did visit this wall, but I didn't visit it as a follower of Judaism but as a Christian. Why? Merely because it was on our itinerary? Had it not been on the official listings, and our guide had not taken us there, would I still have visited it?

                And I didn't just view it from afar, but I took the time to go right up to it and touch it. So why, you may well ask again. By doing this, i.e. standing and touching the wall, did I experience some spiritual insight, some inner feeling that somehow I was closer to God?

                Many questions. And answers? All visitors must surely have their reasons for taking time out to see the wall and their answers would mostly depend on their religious position.  I venture to suggest that each person there would probably respect every individual's attitude towards this monument.

I paid my respects at the Western Wall.

The Western Wall (Wailing Wall) is really one part of the massive retaining wall structure that King Herod the Great had constructed around the Temple Mount to enlarge the flat top area. It was on this area that his great Temple complex was built. Looked at purely in this historical light it can be regarded simply as the visible part of an ancient, stone retaining wall. This in itself is interesting and grabs one's attention. That's what one of Jesus'  disciples had in mind when he said (in Mark 13:1), "Look Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificant buildings!" Today people can still wonder at the workmanship seen in the wall. To Judaism, however, these "massive stones" are more than just part of a retaining wall. They have deep religious significance. They are part of the religious experience of these people. Being close to the original site of the temple building many still perceive God's presence residing here, and this makes it a most important pilgrimage and prayer site. This is a place where these believers can come close to God's presence.

                This concept of a divine presence takes us to the heart of  how one perceives God. My understanding of a divine presence probably influenced my attitude towards the wall. I see God as a sacred presence not dwelling in a specific place but present everywhere. Remember the Psalmist who asks of God (Psalm 139: 7-10)? "Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." 

                And the words of Paul in Athens, quoted by Luke in Acts 17:28 makes God's presence even more personal: "in him (i.e. God) we live and move and have our being."  So I can honestly say that I felt no closer to God here than at any other place or time when my thoughts turned "heavenward".

                While there I did see evidence of how many people regard the wall as a sort of divine post box. I saw firsthand the practice of placing prayers on paper and leaving them in the wall. Writing prayer points on pieces of paper and pushing them into cracks in the wall appears to be a cute custom to me and I read that more than one million pieces have to be removed yearly. My brief, silent prayer was not written down and left behind.

                Its importance to many was easily seen. How thrilling it was to see next to the so-called Wailing Wall, groups exhibiting the joy of religious belief. I am referring to the groups which were celebrating the bar mitzvah/ bat mitzvah of a family member. The square was packed with happy, carefree followers of their Lord, those who were dancing and singing for joy to the Lord.

                When I really think about it all, my attendance at the Western Wall was probably prompted by an interest in history, a curiosity as to the mature of those "massive stones" and a show of solidarity to those who regard the wall as something much more than inanimate stones. And yes, it was on our official itinerary.

Experiencing joy and excitement next to the Wailing Wall.