Far from the Middle East of the state of ancient Israel lies the Old City of Jerusalem, where holy sacraments, temples, and the birth of Christianity flourished to dominate with the holy spirit. In the western part of the city, a towering, tough, and respected wall remained unaltered for centuries after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple and held significance to the modern Israelites.
Under scorching daylight, where the radiation was enough to burn us like grilled beef, I traveled with my co-workers to a tropical, full-of-infrastructure, and deserted city. While the vehicle was moving, I couldn't contain my astonishment as we pondered the beauty of this city in Jerusalem. Religious temples, beautiful people, culture, and life are the features I initially saw as greatly meaningful. Holding the sandwich and my favorite cookies I had made in Germany, my stomach acid couldn't burn a piece of bread at all, as my excitement and anxiety became friends for a moment.
After an hour or two, I just then found myself standing in front of a very majestic wall: the Wailing Wall.
As I came to think of the Wailing Wall today, which is currently called the Western Wall, I thought of the Greek mythology of Eurydice and Orpheus—a tragic fateful love between them. Due to the underlying temptation of turning back, Orpheus lost Eurydice forever in the Underworld.
Well, the Western Wall is not for Orpheus, because turning your back on the wall is not a part of Jerusalem's religious customs.
The Western Wall is a highly suggested attraction in Jerusalem, where tourists and worshippers visit to contemplate and worship every day, it is dubbed the most religious site on the globe for the Jewish people, where the Holy of the Holies sanctuary lies behind. It is a place of worship and prayer and a site for preserving the sacredness of Christianity through the centuries.
The Western Wall is very significant to the history of Israel, as it serves as the last remaining wall on the outer facade of an ancient Jewish temple. The beautiful part of what this monumental wall holds is that it connects Christianity among Jewish people and other worshippers from generation to generation. Each prayer and uttered hope of the people visiting remains on the very corner of the site. And witnessing tradition and dedication of the people make one see how faith connects the hands of everyone and builds a strong relationship with God above.
When visiting the Western Wall as a holy place, always adhere to religious protocol and etiquette. In visiting for prayers, women should have the responsibility to cover their legs and shoulders, and men should cover their heads. In your reference, scarves are provided in the area, and the wall is split into two, one for the male and one for the female part. Prayers are either spoken or written and later placed on the cracks in the wall. Moving to the most important protocol of the site, one should remind one to leave without turning their back. It is another custom to walk backward away from the wall and show commitment to your prayers. Locally, it is considered disrespectful, and withdrawing yourself from walking backward simply means turning your back on God and being unfaithful to Him.
Interestingly, it is an eye-opening tradition.
The Western Wall holds various milestones of celebrations for the Jewish people as well as the visitors. Military ceremonies, bar mitzvahs, and weddings are some of the memorable Jewish celebrations occurring on the site. Thinking of this when visiting the wall makes sense as you meet militaries from divergent continents performing prayers, where sometimes you can find them sticking their foreheads on the wall to show deep gratitude and faith. In some Jewish families, marking the full adulthood of their child during their 13th birthday includes celebrating the bar mitzvah in the Western Wall. In this festive event, reading the Torah from a synagogue is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration that will stay etched throughout the life of the child. But a special consideration is set by the site. Reading from the Torah can only be done on Mondays and Thursdays and should be pre-set by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
"It shall be heard in the cities of Judah, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, and the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord" (Jeremiah 33:11).
Moreover, wedding ceremonies can also be celebrated in a specific area near the Western Wall. It is highly prohibited to perform the ceremony on the actual compound of the wall. Regardless of that, actualizing a wedding in the Western Wall is a unique kickoff to start the pure and blessed love of the married couple that will surely last 'til death do them apart. Some of the married couples can be seen praying on the Western Wall before their wedding. In doing so, it adds to the sanctity of their marriage and ignites faith in the words of God in the intimate event.
Indeed, the Western Wall is a sanctuary of hearts and homes.
Amazing activities are also to be expected when exploring Jerusalem's Old City's charms. The Old City's captivating charm and beauty can be experienced by tourists and visitors, who can also immerse themselves in the site's sacred atmosphere, observe the distinctive tradition of placing prayers, explore the details of ancient tunnels and archaeological discoveries, and invite themselves to communal prayer. Jerusalem's spring and fall seasons give the finest of its enchanted atmosphere, making them the best times of the year to visit. Jerusalem shines brightly because of this environment, which also makes it enjoyable for visitors to feel the realm's holiness.
Embarking on a journey to the soul of Jerusalem is like wandering in a heaven-like paradise, with decent spirits and holy words creating a new testament through Jewish experiences.
And speaking of experiences, I cannot ridiculously forget the taste of dates in Jerusalem. Personally, I did not favor the taste of the dates—like a raisin deflating at its best.
However, it was a good experience to keep my ignorance away from the food. And I swear I tried it twice.
When the light was fading and the sun was below the horizon, we found ourselves squeezing into the vehicle again, ready to travel before the ship left us funnily. Whilst driving to the track we took, I was on a quest for knowledge of where my prayers would go after leaving them on the crack. I knew it was periodically removed by the Jewish authorities and buried in a Jewish cemetery to treat the prayers with respect and importance.
But I still asked myself at that time, where would it go? "Would it reach Him?" was the specific question I asked.
Today, as I wrote down these words for Jerusalem, I reminisced about the days I have been there. The sacredness, beauty of the people, different lives, and biblical practices always never disappoint me, even in my memories. Even the dust and scorching heat of the city has a warm place in my heart. Even the cracks in the wall and backward walks left a spot in my hypothalamus. Even the dates and the sandwiches. Even love...
Simply because it was one of the days when my dreams came true.
And to ask again if my prayers reached Him.
It did. And it always will.
Jerusalem, I will reach Him again.