The Fall of the Rock

It was breaking news a week ago: a huge, ancient stone (about 100 kg!!) had fallen from the Wailing Wall (Jerusalem Western Wall) in the mixed gender prayer area. It almost hit a 79- year old woman who was praying there.

Man looking over the divider at the women's praying section

This unusual matter is under investigation. The mayor of Jerusalem, the chief of police, the chief archeologist, the city engineer  and other professionals have arrived fast at the scene of the fallen stone (according to the Media).

men's section 

The fall of the rock  could have been  caused by natural erosion and/ or lack of proper engineering supervision  (I opt for the second possibility). 
The ultra-orthodox, claim this is a red light, a message of warning from God regarding the area of mixed gender prayer established after heavy pressure from the Reform leaders. 

The Reformists , claim the opposite; the message of warning is addressed to the orthodox who practice 'sinat chinam' (senseless hatred). On T'isha b' Av, 'sinat chinam' is  the main topic of discussion and prayer, as according to talmudic sages this is what led to the destruction of the first and second temple.

mother, girl, and baby coming from the Wall

I don't belong to any religious camp. I'm not for organized religion anyway.  I believe in God and pray to God  as my heart, thoughts, and traditional background guide me.

Having said that , the  detachment of the stone from the Wall cannot and does not leave anyone indifferent. It  came as a big surprise, at a specific timing (on Tisha b'Av, just a few hours after the fast of the mourners at the Wall ended), and in a specific place - the controversial temporary platform of no segregation between men and women, in use since about 2013.
So, all that makes one ponder....or, as the rabbi of the Western Wall has put it- 'this calls for soul-searching'. It certainly does.


*  (the above photos were taken during my visit there in December. See the post on the visit by typing 'Wall' in the search box). 

The Chain of Being

'The great chain of being' - this is what they call the hierarchical life structure  of humans, animals, plants. Humans on top, plants at the bottom, animals in the middle. Humans (except those with disabilities) can take care of themselves; not so animals, and certainly not plants.

I often think about that on my way to shopping at one of our local grocery stores, located on the edge of the town. To get there, I have to pass by a small park, a tiny garden for dogs, and a  bed of various flowers.

The park is for humans of all ages ; it has metal benches to sit on,  two  wooden tables and benches for picnics, gym devices, a water facility, tree shade (  across the street there's a children's playground too).

the park with the things enumerated above

gym devices

people with disabilities on wheelchairs and their caregivers in the park

two girls and a doggy

guy with dog on his way to the dog garden

Further on, a tiny dog garden. It is for dogs and their owners only. There's sand, playing devices for the dogs, a bench for the owners,  a water facility, a box with poop bags, fence . It is the owner who cares for his dog's various needs: gives it water, washes it, plays with it.. He's supposed to collect the poop, but not all of the dog owners do that. There was brown feces in several spots of the sand.

the little dog garden

dog between the fence and the water facility

box with poop bags

Nearby, there's a  beautiful  bed of flowers.
That's how I love the flowers, in their bed, not in our vases. The sight is, sometimes, pitiful. The spot , at the corner of the street, does have a water system, but I don't know how often it's operated by the gardener of the municipality. We won't have rain until winter, and the flowers need water. I hope they won't be  the little orphans in the great chain of being.

flower bed at the corner of the street