Midnight in the Western Wall

For: Ricardo Coarasa (text and photos)
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Already dark when we entered the Holy City. We almost two hours of road from the Galilee Northern. Thousands of lights glowing in the dark. Jerusalem is larger than I imagined. The hotel Moriah Gardens, a skyscraper in years, cries a legion of handyman. The faucet is old and the furniture looks stuffed in the seventies. There are days ahead to explore the old city, but after some dinner we are in a taxi path Jaffa Gate, by the Tower of David. Few places in the world weighs as much as the story here. I am an outsider peering into an old engraving Bible. And that the restored walls have a certain air museum, a thousand times restored citadel, a stone washed carefully.

Descend at this time through the maze of alleys in the Arab quarter towards the Wailing Wall, with the souk stalls already closed, is to walk through the marrow of a sleeping city where, however, its millennial past is pounding. It's a night of absent-minded cats and fast-paced rabbis. It's easy to get lost, so soon we accept the help of a teenager to get there as soon as possible, tip by, to our destination.

Descend at this time through the maze of alleys of the Arab quarter, with the souk stalls already closed, is to walk through the marrow of a sleeping city

At the turn of a bend, after descending a flight of stairs, Down below the venerated wall of the times of Herod, the cloth of tears of the chosen people (where to mourn the loss of Jerusalem), Stone nostalgia temple disappeared Solomon. I feel really overwhelmed. The esplanade is mostly empty, but a group of rabbis is praying at his feet, as if he wished to leave him alone. Before you get there you pass a security check, where Israeli soldiers they search thoroughly. A pinch of reality that reminds us that we are about to enter the heart of the disputed city of history.

The stone, illuminated by the lights, further accentuates the roundness of the moment. Jerusalem is silent. It is perceived that intangible aura that surrounds the sacred places, that the proximity of the Al Aqsa Mosque only heightening. The wall and the mosque. Who is watching who?

At the turn of a bend, after descending a flight of stairs, comes down below the wall revered the days of Herod

The rabbis bisbisean the Psalms with devotion, approaching sus-heads in a rhythmic sway- hold with both hands while the prayer book, lamenting a loss still so painful. This is one of those places that you never get tired of admiring. The evening atmosphere, also, feels good.

The difference between the large blocks of the time of Herod, in the base, and smaller stones, almost bricks, Muslim restoration in the eighth century is evident. Coexistence between Jews and Muslims always seems a river to overflow, but it should be remembered that whoever caused this western part of the temple's retaining wall to become a place of worship for the Jews was, precisely, Suleiman the Magnificent, who in the 16th century - in full Muslim domination of the city- issued an edict allowing the Jewish community to place a place of prayer at their feet. Legend has it that Soliman himself cleaned the wall with rose water to purify it. Until that moment, The preferred place of the Jewish pilgrims who came to Jerusalem was the mount of olives, but not the current wailing wall (where was the market), as he points Karen Armstrong in his exceptional “History of Jerusalem”.

It was Suleiman the Magnificent who, Muslim rule in the middle of the city, prompted the wall became a place of prayer for Jews

It is already midnight and the absence of tourists further explains the foreign presence. We're the other and behave as such. Once down, a few meters of the wall, handwashing plays in a circular fountain several pipes, now with taps, aided by a plastic jugs. First a hand; then, the other. No dry. Comply with the liturgy of the place also requires to cover their heads with a cardboard yarmulke, to make matters worse white, capitalized underlining our status as interlopers on a stage full of black as soot yarmulkes. To make matters worse, light weight does not hold on the crown, so you have to keep it up continuously. That does not prevent prevention, however, that occasionally roll across the floor to the indifference of the rabbis praying, that as much as we would look askance us in the sun laying off by a foreigner with shorts and a glass of sangria.

Some rabbis look at us askance as we might do in the sun laying off by a foreigner with shorts and a glass of sangria

Only listening to the murmur of the faithful. The presence of stone is overwhelming. She is the real star. It's not just rock carved. Is, especially, shelter; spiritual grip; strength against adversity; Hebrew totem; embers of the old kingdom of the wise old king; a flag that would never be raised in a land of permanent demands where any gesture is a symbol and a square meter, a provocation. Is, also, living testimony of a pharaonic work, that of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, that went on for almost 80 years and in which they were employed 18.000 workers and that only Herod's efforts managed to complete (although he did not live long enough to see the completed works). Just the western wall, in front of whose remains we are now, almost measured 500 meters long.

The closed night brings out the best of these stones that radiate spirituality and are a page in the history of humanity

In broad daylight, the crowd of tourists may subtract emotion from the meeting. I do not know; I was careful not to check to not spoil the intimacy of this nocturnal encounter, when night closed out the best in these stones that radiate spirituality and are a living page of history. Left, indoor, the rabbis comment, surrounded by young, Torah (the Pentateuch). Only if the ve alguien dress Paisano. The shelves are full of books. A young student records his teacher's lesson with a video camera and download images in real-time Network, spreading his teachings to faithful Jews worldwide. This almost seems inappropriate display technology with the naked truth of the stone.

Leaving, Rabbi beard cane addresses chapurreando join me words in Spanish balbuceante. "My grandfather is Spanish, the Barcelona”, smile proud. And in case there is any doubt, ends: "I really like flamenco". It costs me a world, truth, imagine him ripping off bulerías.

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Comments (8)

  • Ann

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    I love the endings of your stories…

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  • Ricardo Coarasa

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    I have always been very clear that you have to take care, especially, the first and last paragraph of a report. The first because few will continue reading from there. And the last, as a reward for those who have reached the end. Thanks for not giving up Ana!

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  • Juan Antonio Portillo

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    Earned move to the sumptuousness of those walls and make me feel the spirituality that describe your lyrics….. I had not been wrong, made guiris ratify your status, you feel after having booted for a Sevillanas, accompanied, course, by pat of Rabbi catalino!!!!!! A hug and thanks Ricardo. Jerusalem is one of the places I like to visit…

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  • Daniel Landa

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    Brave, Ricardo!! Sounds like a great story. Jerusalem is one of those points that I keep in red on the map of illusions and this post is not only fuels the desire to face the Wall of Lamentations, I now know, Visit him at midnight. Great text and as said Ana, a surprise ending.

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  • Lydia

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    Really inspiring the beginning and the end great, a surprise. I did not know anyone who had done the night tour. I fully understand you back from day abstuvieras.

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  • diego

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    Ricardo,
    is one of those trips that you sometimes difficult to tell if it is myth or reality, ¿no?
    I was over there two years ago and remember what accounts. Jerusalem has these two distinct exaggerated viertientes, the religious and the modern, the historical and the rest of the city. Regardless of the position of each, is a great place to see and learn and look.
    A hug and thanks for the story. We want more of the area!

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  • ricardo Coarasa

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    Thanks to the five. Lydia, I also planned to see the wall at night, but upon arrival it was clear, and that it would be a week in Jerusalem. Diego, I have written another article in VaP. about the area, Without going any further: https://www.viajesalpasado.com/lohamei-hagetaot-la-voz-de-los-supervivientes-del-gueto-de-varsovia/ . Juan Antonio, what to rip sevillanas not see, I would not dare not to jot, I find more nearby. And you are no longer to finish the video section haha ​​Dani youtube geeks, if you tell me you set out to see the Wailing Wall and evening you will know why I'm not completely sure that it will. Abzs

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  • Daniel Landa

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    And four years later, in fact, there we were, evening, as you had predicted. And it was something as special as you had described.

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