Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Jerusalem Day
And then I went into a swoon. When I came to, I found myself at the same spot, but the scene was far different. Now there was screaming & crying & people laying on the stone floor; praying. There was smoke & fire beyond the Wall & I think that I heard the sound of chariots & horses nearby. A man in white came running by; his clothes were disheveled and he was holding a beautiful golden box; everyone bowed down as he passed. I reached out to touch the box, & I blacked out.
A few moments passed, & I opened my eyes to a horribly similar scene. Again, there was fire & thick smoke, & fierce battles were taking place right in front of me, as men in metal clothes were striking everyone around me. No one was spared, not even the young children. I tried to help, but I couldn’t move; I was frozen with terror. And then I, too,was struck, & I collapsed to the ground.
When I came to, I was standing among a group of men, several of whom looked vaguely familiar. One of them was helping a young boy put on his Tefilin, & I laughed because the boy’s Tefilin bag had the same initials as my own name. The people began to dance, & an older man pulled me into the circle. "Hurry," he said, "let us celebrate while we can!" And I danced around & around until I became so dizzy I couldn’t stand up straight.
When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by men in green. Most of them were quite young; they had tired, but happy faces. I recognized the sound of a Shofar, & the people were cheering & singing & crying, all at the same time. A huge flag was raised upon the Wall & a mighty roar went up, to the highest heavens it seemed. I felt exhilarated & I wanted to dance forever, but my legs gave out, & I leaned against Wall until I finally collapsed.
It seemed like eternities, but I awoke once more. Now I could sense a mood of total tranquility & peace, as huge numbers of people – men, women & children - began to gather. I heard those trumpets yet again, & I saw that same man - at least he looked the same - wearing the gold crown and reading aloud from his scroll. I said a prayer of thanks; the dreams had finally become a reality.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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