We had a first this year in our shul - our Yom Yerushalaim prayers had  musical accompanyment.

I visited the Temple Mount in the afternoon, and showed a group around that included several women whose husbands had fought in the 6 Day War.

I received a short video about a group that visited the Mount that morning, including several Knesset members: mikdash.tv/video.php?video_id=9033

The important thing to notice is that their visit included prayers and one (Knesset member) even bowed down and prostrated himself - something that the police forbid, fearing that this will lead to Muslim rioting. I heard that one person was arrested after the visit for "disturbing the peace" - praying or bowing down. 

I believe that the status-quo is slowly changing and that Jews visiting the Mount and praying there is becoming more accepted. The Arabs will eventually get used to this and calm down.

Shavuot is almost here. There is a run on buying dairy products and the newspapers are full of milchik recipes. My boys would probably prefer a barbeque, but we didn't ask. Come to think of it, they probably will get together later with their friends to enjoy a barbeque after  having a dairy lunch.....

We have shiurim (Torah lectures) prepared throughout the night. Since Shavuot comes out on Saturday night, we'll likely be much more rested than usual and not conk out by midnight. When I was in yeshiva I always enjoyed learning throgh the night on Shavuot - but either I've lost my stamina or seem to be chronically sleep deprived for the past couple of decades. But sometimes I still manage to get up on Shavuot morning for "Vatikin" - prayers that begin before dawn and zenith with the Amida at sunrise. Once, wen I studied at Yeshivat HaKotel ( a long time ago!) we danced down to the Western Wall and joined the multitudes there for Mussaf (the additional festival service) around 5:30 in the morning. Truly an experience...

We read the Scroll of Ruth from a parchment scroll and make the appropriate brachot (Al Mikra Megillah, Sheheheyanu) , just like on Purim. This is the custom of the Vilna Gaon, whose followers settled here about 200 years ago. The story of Ruth emphasizes the cenrality of Eretz Yisrael in many ways. First - the tension between Beit Lehem (literally " home of bread") and the fields of Moab - Naomi, afer the death of her husband and sons(many sources suggest that this was punishment for abandoning their brethren in the Holy Land to seek greater prosperity in Moab). In addition, the seasons described (barley harvest to wheat harvest) describe the agricultural year in spring in Israel. Also we have gleaning in the fields, a mitzva that is characterisatic of the Land of Israel. The book ends with the lineage of King David - our once and future king.

The theme of Ruth is kindness (Hesed) - the selfishness of Elimelech who abandoned the Land because he could not bear to share his wealth, the kindness of Ruth to Naomi whom she accompanied back to Beit Lehem, the lack of kindness of the residents of BL who did nothing to help the destitute women, the kindness of Boaz who encouraged Ruth to glean in his fields and the kindness of Ruth to marry an old man (Boaz) and to continue her late husband's line. From three widows standing at a crossraods in the opeing scene, we have a mother and a grandmother holding a baby as the curtain goes down - to show us how Hesed can turn life around. And what is th Torah if not the greatest Hesed....

Sabbat Shalom v'Hag Sameah - a peaceful Sabbath and a joyous festival!

We enjoyed the Jerusalem Light Festival the other evening - here's much of what we saw and a little more: allaboutjerusalem.com/event/jerusalem-li...

We actually arrived on the new Jerusalem Light Rail, after parking our car at Ammunition Hill. I prefer to park there and then take the train downtown, rather than to search (and pay) for parking.

The festival was beautiful - especially by Jaffa Gate where they erected a fantastic colored dome. It required a lot of walking and it was very crowded.

But the real story here is the fact that tens of thousands of people were in the streets - Jews, Arabs, tourists from all over - and enjoying the attractions. We walked throughout the Old City and everyone was safe, reasonably polite and happy. Jerusalem is an open city where we all live together - most of the time in peace. Journalists rarely write about this kind of thing - but that's the real story here.

The night before we went to a house warming (Hanukkat haBayit) for our cousin who used to live in Gush Katif, until she and her community were expelled from their homes and all the Jewish communities there were destroyed in the summer of 2005. They have rebuilt their community in the Ashdod area, and their new houses are lovely - but purchased with a lot of grief and aggravation.

I've mentioned this in past years, but it's worthy of mention once more.

The neighborhood chapter of Bnei Akiva, a religious Zionist youth group, is running a one week camp for handicapped children. They raised the money (close to $15,000!) to run the camp, and take care of all the logistics - as well as the daily care of these children. Many are in wheelchairs, some are developmentally disabled mentally as well as physically disabled. This entails changing diapers, washing them, dressing them and sometimes lifting and carrying them. Each disabled child has two caretakers, and there are quite a few others that rotate for extra help.

I think that these kids are absolute tzadikim. I know that I could not have done this at their age.  I am amazed at what they do and the sweetness with which they do it. I know that my son preferred to volunteer this week - and passed up a number of job prospects so that he could.

Of course, there is the group dynamic - all the kids volunteer. But the readiness to do such a difficult and sometimes unpleasant job with a smile is beautiful.

Today we mark the fast of 17th of Tammuz (which actually fell on Shabbat). This is the beginning of of a period of mourning that culminates with the 9th of Av, commemorating the destruction of both Temples.

5 sad events occurred on this date: the breaking of the two tablets by Moshe, the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem, the cancelling of the daily sacrifice, the burning of a Torah Scroll by Apostomus (probably a Roman soldier) and the setting up of an idol in the Temple.

Here are some more details: www.ou.org/yerushalayim/17betammuz/

Rabbi Abraham Issac Kook, an early 20th century mystic and the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the Land of Israel said that the 2nd temple was destroyed because of causeless hatred - and the 3rd temple will be rebuilt through causeless love.

What is going on now in our neighborhood is a wonderful example.....

Tish'a B'Av is over - so now mashiah can come!

Seriously, this day of national mourning is quite poweerful here in Israel. How could it not be? In some ways, it's a paradox - we live in the rebuilt Land of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital, but we still mourn the absense of the Beit HaMikdash. It's a symtom of everything we lack - the ability to feel G-d's presence in our everyday lives, brotherhood between Jews, peace with our neighbors. In many ways we are so close - yet so far....

We had a scholar in residence in our community for Shabbat - a rabbi and teacher whose field of expertise is Jerusalem and the Temple. We had two excellent lectures on Shabbat, and an impressive slide  show and lecture after reading Eicha (Lamentations) on Saturday night. I had studied with him a few years back, and often go up to the Temple Mount with him - always an inspiring experience. We hostd him and his wife for a Shabbat meal and it was really delightful. 

He spoke to us about the connection between serving G-d and social justice (that's the theme of the Haftara for the Shabbat before the 9th of Av - Shabbat Hazon), and how it is impossible to compartmentalize our lives. It is comparitively easy to bring a sacrifice or recite prayers - but much more difficult to channel all aspects of our personalities into becoming what G-d wants of us. He spoke about children who quarrel and  fight - and a father who destroys his house but yearns to return - a parable about the destruction of the Temple and its rebuilding. He spoke of the disgrace that Jews are not permitted to pray on the Temple Mount and of the wholescale destruction and desecration carried out by the Muslim Waqf (religious trust) that takes place there.  I'm sure that this made Tish'a B'Av that much more meaningful for all of us.

Thanks, Buns.

And now for something completely different:

Israeli medical research with stem-cells has led to an apparent breakthrough in treating ALS, a degenerative disease. A prominent Jerusalem rosh yeshiva was treated. Before treatment he was unable to walk and his speech was very unclear.

See this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImcvUbCPdQ&feat...