I absorbed the story of the walls of Jericho tumbling down as one of my favorite bedtime stories, so, my first reaction in 1967 to seeing a picture of Rabbi Goren blowing the shofar at the recaptured Western Wall during the Six Day War was to wonder if it too, came down. Now, almost fifty years later, I realize that in some ways, it did.
The tiny section of the Western Wall visible from a short distance, was, for nineteen years, a sign of that which was just beyond our reach, blocked by walls of Jordanian soldiers. Its other name, "The Wailing Wall," was more appropriate when that glimpse of the Wall triggered tears for something so precious yet unattainable. Two thousand years of exilic dreams of returning to Israel began with an image of the Wall, an image that was blocked by impassable walls immediately after the establishment of the State of Israel. That unreachable Wall fell at the blast of the shofar and became a new wall, a powerful symbol of the attainable, of dreams realized.
Our view of the Western Wall is a boundary that prevents us from crossing onto the Temple Mount. The other side of the Wall is to keep things in - it's a retaining wall. Yet, we touch its chilled stones and, with our prayers, merge with it, slipping between its molecular bonds, and immediately emerge from the other side to a place beyond time, the Temple that once was and will be again. The giant stones easily disappear at the light touch of our spiritual reach. The laws of physics are suspended as the place within the retaining wall finds its way into our hearts and lives. We don't need a shofar to get beyond the wall. We pass through the Wall each time we pray and, so mastered the art of overcoming walls, that our souls have breached countless ghetto walls and other barriers to our survival.
So why have we, who have found our métier in breaching walls, so often stymied by them? When I hear parents, frustrated by the educational system, complain that there is nothing they can do, "There are too many barriers," I want to pull out my shofar and blast away those barriers. Every, "We know we should participate in a marriage/parenting workshop, but we are stopped by the walls of community perception and responsibilities," needs the shofar's fortissimo to shatter those walls. Each plaint of, "I can't seek answers to my questions beyond the walls imposed by my community," is a cry for the shofar that sank the walls of Jericho and celebrated the liberation of the Western Wall.
The portion that begins, "God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai (Vayikra 25:1)," extends its reach beyond time with, "You shall sound a blast of the shofar...and proclaim freedom throughout the land (Verses 9-10)," and then lists the restrictions of living in a walled city (Verse 29). We began at a mountain in middle of a vast open desert, without walls, with a shofar blast of freedom, a blast that continues to sound each time we explore the universe of Torah that allows us to materialize through any wall or barrier.
When did the infinite space of Torah become restrictive? When we began to use Torah as a barrier to hide from, rather than engage, the world. The sound of the wall breaching shofar dissipated in the clang and clamor of our battle to keep the world out.
The shofar sound of Sinai extended to Jericho, and then, far into the future when it merged with the shofar blown before the liberated Western Wall. It continues to merge with our voices when we pray and study, and, when we carefully listen, we can still hear its message that shatters all barriers and limitations so we can continue the journey that began with, "If you will move forward with treasuring the infinite power of My commandments (26:3)," you will be showered with unlimited blessings, a boundless life beyond any and all walls.
Shabbat Shalom! The Foundation Stone extends heartfelt condolences to Sarah Rachel Weintraub on the passing of her beloved mother. May she be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. We wish a hearty Mazaltov to Elliot and Rivka Falk on the forthcoming marriage of their son Aryeh to Maayan Dauber. Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg President If you are interested in sponsoring our  winning Newsletter, please email info@thefoundationstone.org Go to our Blog  Follow us on Twitter   Become a Fan  |
