Stories about the Western Wall

“hearts of stone”

“There are men with hearts of stone. There are also stones with hearts of humanity. The Kotel is those stones.” (Chief Rabbi Abraham Issac Kook OBM)

“Yuli Edelstein”

Yuli Edelstein, one of the most famous Russian Refuseniks and currently the Speaker of the Knesset told the following story at the annual International Tanach-bee event: “I was released from prison and granted permission to make Aliyah in 1987. I arrived in Israel shortly after. I was greeted on the runway by a respectable delegation from the Ministry of Absorption who provided me and my family with a large vehicle. We made our way directly from the tarmac to the Kotel. This, before officially registering as a citizen. The driver of the van was a recent Russian immigrant himself and we spoke Russian between ourselves – although he didn’t know the difference between “Kotel” and “Cottage”. As we approached Jerusalem, we could see the first lights of the Ramot neighborhood revealing themselves. With all of that history leading up to this moment, I started crying with my family. At the first traffic light in the city the driver stopped to ask the driver in the next lane how to get to the Kotel. He too was new in the country and he broke his teeth trying to understand the directions. The light turned green and the person helping us sped off. I took it upon myself to figure this out. I’m only in the country two hours and I’m already negotiation with passersby, trying to locate Agron Street. What’s an Agron? By the look of the flags and the ancient walls rising up above the city I understand that we’ve made it. Now, all we need to do is figure out which gate to go through. I had studied about the various entrances in my studies at home, but that was all theoretical. And as time passed my anxiety around the issue intensified, I new that a thousands of people were waiting at the Kotel for a reception ceremony, and here I am, getting later by the moment and lost without a map. I told the driver to stop, we’d walk the rest on foot. Before stopping he sees three teenagers walking past and he jumps out of the van to call out to them, “Kotel! Kotel! Kotel! Where’s the Kotel?” They reply, “We’ll show you, if we can hitchhike with you.” They get in the van and they’re so excited about how nice it is. One punches my shoulder and asks, “I heard Yuli Edelstein is coming to the Kotel, did he get there yet?” I laughed and said, “Don’t worry, he won’t get there before you!”

“Lionel Messi”

When Lionel Messi visited Israel and made his way to the Kotel with the rest of the Barcelona team, he was barely able to make it to the wall. He was totally overcome by the swarms of fans, suddenly faced by the footballing icon.

“Vladimir Putin”

For security reasons, Vladimir Putin visited the Western Wall at two in the morning. Even at that late hour, a entourage of rabbinical and security personnel accompanied him on his tour through the ancient tunnels. Before he left Putin said, “The walls, the stones here, they are screaming with holiness.”

“Prime Minister José María Aznar”

Upon his visit and an in-depth tour to the Kotel, then President José María Alfredo Aznar López opened a book of Psalms and read chapter 23, “The Lord is my shephard, I shall not lack.” He candidly revealed that he shares a moment with his family each day, reciting this particular passage in unison.

“Donald Trump”

In may of 2017, the ever newsmaking president Donald Trump landed in Israel and took a direct helicopter to the holy city, making the Kotel his very first stop. He was accompanied by top aides and representatives, as well as his daughter Ivanka. With a large Kippah proudly on his head, he approached the Kotel and recited two chapters of Psalms (Tehilim).

After the visit he revealed to the press that the visit was profoundly inspiring and it would leave a mark on his soul forever.

If you didn’t know, the President is hugely influential on Twitter, and his account is amongst the most followed in the world. Following his visit, the profile banner associated with his account featured the leader of the free world in a moment of meditative prayer at the Kotel. What a message!

“Barrak Obama”

Undoubtedly, the Kotel is focal point of all spirituality of the world, and dignitaries, politicians and celebrities all embark on pilgrimages to this historic sanctum. President Obama made a trip during his 2008 presidential run. He planned to visit at five in the morning, before the visit would disrupt the Jerusalem hustle bustle. However, this tactic avoided one traffic issue and created another logistical complication in its stead. Dozens of precious Jews – “Vatikin” – come and offer their morning prayers just as the sun pokes its first rays over the wall. This custom has been continued without interruption for generations. Technically speaking, the swath of personnel and these saintly petitioners wouldn’t be able to coexist.

The question was brought before the eminent Halachic decisor of the generation, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l. He ruled that the United states is a kingdom of grace and kindness and for a one-time exception, preference must be given to Obama.

He arrived at dawn and, as is customary, inserted a note of prayer between the ancient cracks. Hours later, a curious local dug deep and found the note. This is what it said, “Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.”

“A place of joy”

One winter night, well after midnight, two friends walked into the Kotel plaza. One was a hospital administrator and a famous doctor, the other a well-known philanthropist. As they approached the wall the pair witnessed a man with cheeks stained by an eternity’s-worth of tears. The streams flowed into his wispy beard, making it glisten. The agreed between themselves to help this man in whatever way necessary. When the emotional waves persisted they approached and offered their help. The doctor said, “If you or a loved one is ailing, I can help.” The philanthropist mirrored the sentiment, “If you or a loved one is in financial distress, I can help.” He replied, “Thanks, but no thanks. I didn’t arrive at this enchanted place because of pain or strife. I’m actually coming from a wedding. Tonight I was lucky enough to marry off my youngest son. I’ve raised my family and I’m overburdened with endless gratitude. The tears you see are simply the appreciation and thanks flowing from my soul. I had to bring this moment, these feelings, these tears straight to the source”

“The Legend (MUST read!)”

Two brothers – one single, the second married with a growing family – split an inheritance from their father. They each received a wheat field on opposite sides of a mountain to support themselves. They would work all day and often spend the night under the stars.

One such night, the single brother lay awake, thinking. “My brother and I have equal sized fields and produce yields of identical measure. But I only need to support myself, while he needs to feed a wife and children. I’ll take ten bushels over to his storehouses.” So in the thick of night he gathered his gift and tip-toed over the mountain.

But when he awoke the next morning he tallied his storehouse and found that no produce was missing. The ten bushels he gave away seemed to still be present. He scratched his head and went on with his day.

That night, on the other side of the mountain, the married brother was reviewing his day. 24 hours before he had realized that while he had no problem supporting his family with his yield, perhaps what was holding his brother back from marriage was a lack of funds. “I’ll take ten bushels of mine and place them in his silo.” He too tiptoed in secrecy, shrouded by the night to deliver his secret gift. But, in the morning, he too found his silo full, as if the gift was never given.

To make sure the whole thing wasn’t a dream both brothers set up similar experiments: to re-attempt the gift giving. And yet, they still found their silos just as full in the morning. Both brothers arrived at the same conclusion: it must be a heavenly sign of approval.

One night, as the married brother carried his gift on his shoulders, he saw a figure – mirroring himself, coming over the peak of the mountain towards him. From the distance, the moonlight was not enough to make out who it was, but he was strikingly familiar. Only when they were nearly face-to-face did the brothers, each bearing gifts, recognize each other.

In that magical moment, everything was understood. Each had thought only about the wellbeing of the other. The outpouring of love and understanding between them at that moment rattled the heavens and reached God’s throne. It was this place that would eventually be selected to the home of the Temple in Jerusalem and its Western Wall, the Kotel.

“The Wall and the Trash”

Salim the Resolute was a fascinating Ottoman conqueror and sultan who brought the entire middle east under his rule. In the year 1516 He set up his main offices in the center of the recently captured Jerusalem.

One day he noticed a woman dumping garbage in a massive heap right below his window.

As a ruler of most of the known world, this brazen act of disrespect flared his anger. He ordered her in for questioning. After some pressure she divulged her secret: “I come from Bethlehem. My family is of Roman descent. My ancestors were among the destroyers of Jerusalem and the exilers of the Israelites.”

“One thing irritated my forefathers more than anything. They had succeeded in destroying nearly every last trace of the Jews. Yet, no matter how hard they tried they couldn’t destroy the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.”

“So my family has a tradition. From time to time we haul our collected trash to Jerusalem to this spot. It has become a massive heap, and we can’t see what’s underneath, but apparently we’ve buried the Wall… which is the best we can do, seeing as the stones have proven indestructible.”

The Sultan saw an incredible opportunity. He took dozens of gold coins and personally buried them deep in the pile of garbage. He then send messengers throughout Jerusalem to spread the news: Take the garbage home. Sift through it. The gold you find is yours.

And within days the Kotel emerged whole and pristine after sleeping in dirt for more than a millennium.