Like a different world! Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath - My heart was shaken by the prayers at the Wall of Lamentation! The World Tour of Takahiro Ueda, a Buddhist Monk - Israel (9)
Friday, April 5.
For Jews, every Friday evening through Saturday evening is a special day called Shabbat or Shabbat.
No work of any kind is permitted on the Sabbath.
This does not stop at the level of simply taking time off work.
They are not allowed to ride in cars or cook.
Furthermore, they are forbidden to hold a pen or even turn on an electrical appliance.
Frankly, I can't imagine how they can make a living doing that.
This Sabbath provision is found in the Ten Commandments of Moses.
That is why the Jews in Jerusalem strictly observe the rule.
So what do people do when they take a break from labor?
They spend that time in prayer or with family and close friends as they see fit.
And on Shabbat night, or Friday night, prayers at the Wall of Sorrows reach their peak.
So I decided to visit the Wall of Sorrows that night.
He is not comparable to the last time I saw him.
And the ultra-orthodox people dressed in black stand out. Tourists, on the contrary, are sparse.
This is a zoom shot taken from a distance from the Wall of Sorrows.
Today is a holy day of prayer. I refrained from taking pictures from this point on.
That is how different the atmosphere was from the last time I was here.
Wearing a kippa, I also entered the building. Ordinary people are allowed to enter here. Of course, there must be a limit as long as they do not interfere.
Fearfully, they approach the wall of lamentation.
The number of people was tremendous. The closer I got, the more intimidated I felt.
Jewish ultra-orthodox people in black come here in droves to pray.
And the strange thing is that so many people are offering prayers at their own pace.
Shaking his head back and forth, he clucks at the Bible in his hand.
So many people are moving and speaking in their own ways.
But somehow, the disparate sounds of the voices merged together and sounded like a single throb.
The disparate movements of the heads somehow seem to be united.
A truly magical sight. I could do nothing but watch with bated breath.
I then proceeded to the indoor prayer area through the far left entrance of this wall of lamentation.
This photo was taken before dark, but see the hole on the left side of the photo? That is the entrance to the indoor prayer hall.
This interior is also prayed against a wall. The wall is obscured from the outside by the building, but it continues all the way to the end. You can touch the wall even when you are indoors.
The interior is then a large cave-like structure, with a rectangular space with a dome-shaped ceiling as you go deeper into the room.
The place was already full of Jewish ultra-orthodox people as well. They were lined up in front of the wall praying.
The other side of the wall was a passageway, and only here was it barely passable.
We walked there and entered near the dome and were allowed to visit among the ultra-orthodox people by the aisle. That was the only place we could stop.
This is a room. And the voices reverberate like a cave.
It sounds different from the voice of prayer heard outside. It sounds stronger and thicker.
It must have been a little after 7:00 p.m. when singing voices came out of nowhere.
One voice.
Then, the voices of the people who had been praying at their own pace ceased.
And one singer's voice echoes softly throughout the plaza.
I looked around in a daze, not knowing what had happened.
Then suddenly a chorus began!
The prayers that each had been reciting were suddenly consolidated into one.
It was also incomparably louder than ever before.
It was taken in an instant.
I couldn't stop getting goosebumps. I still don't know what is happening.
I was overwhelmed by the chorus that suddenly began!
This is a cave-like chamber. Prayer songs fill the enclosed space.
The voice expanded like a "substance" rather than a "sound". It was like a pillar growing thicker and thicker.
It was that much pressure!
The songs gradually changed rhythmically, making the audience want to shake their bodies unintentionally.
Some people started clapping.
It no longer looks like a festival. Even the singers have expressions of joy and ecstasy on their faces.
The air in the place is becoming more and more uplifting along with the rhythm.
Then, suddenly, the packed crowd all flipped their bodies in the opposite direction of the wall!
In other words, they were facing me, who was facing the wall.
I was amused by this. No, I was no longer afraid! I wanted to run away!
But the aisles are already packed with people and there is nowhere to run.
I meekly decided to follow my surroundings and reverse the process.
In this case, I am positioned on the front side. I feel pressure from my back.
As soon as it is reversed, the prayer song gains even more momentum.
Their voices are getting louder and more rhythmic, as if they might have reached a climax.
The sense of unity I felt here was tremendous.
The thought of doing this repeatedly here every week makes me feel like I don't know what's going on anymore.
But one thing I learned today.
Religion is alive and well here.
Clearly, he said, this must be a special place, a sacred place.
A few days ago, I had seen the Old City and the New City, and I was forced to think that Jerusalem is more of a tourist destination.
But through this experience, I have come to know painfully that this is a land where religion is alive.
The tourist aspect may indeed be an aspect of Jerusalem.
But there are so many people who face religion with sincerity in this way.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre could indeed have been full of tourists.
But there must be countless people who are praying with a serious heart.
I had seen a part of the tourists and assumed it was the whole.
It was a Shabbat night that made me realize this.
I left the Wall of Sorrows and walked down the road to the hotel.
A dark maze of streets.
It was a road that seemed to express my feelings toward Jerusalem.
I still don't know anything about this city.
Jerusalem was a much more profound and mysterious city than I had expected.
be unbroken
*October 8, 2020 addition.
I have always wanted to somehow give you a sense of the atmosphere of this Shabbat night, and I found a video of Shabbat on youtube, so here it is.
I was in these things.
This video was taken from the plaza a short distance away from the Wall of Lamentations, but I was in the midst of this song and dance near the Wall of Lamentations and inside its dome, where the atmosphere was even stronger.
I would be happy if you could feel the impact of that time.
It was a Shabbat night when I felt with all my being that religion is alive.
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