שִׂמְחוּ אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם – Rejoice you with Jerusalem

This Shabbat we will mark the start (Rosh Chodesh) of the new month of Elul,

This time is supposed to bring us all to a calm and self-searching mood. This is not easy at all when each one of us is busy with life, minor and major problems, thinking about holiday meal planning and the like. We all think that we have so much on our plates.

Meanwhile, my people in Israel are hurting. THEY have so much on their plates – indeed, life itself! My family lives in the South, and even if they didn’t. It’s everyone’s family. It’s you cousin’s best friend or a childhood playmate, it’s your friend’s son that is forced to help toddlers run for cover in all of the 15 seconds that they have to reach a bomb shelter. It’s home. It’s my heart that is hurting today. And all I can do is scream here, or on the social media, all I can do is cry and pray!

!!!ריבונו של עולם

When will we see the words of the prophet come true? We are going to read these words from Isaiah over Shabbat, when will we see the whole of Israel rejoicing?!

י שִׂמְחוּ אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְגִילוּ בָהּ, כָּל-אֹהֲבֶיהָ; שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ, כָּל-הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ.	10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her;
יא לְמַעַן תִּינְקוּ וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם, מִשֹּׁד תַּנְחֻמֶיהָ; לְמַעַן תָּמֹצּוּ וְהִתְעַנַּגְתֶּם, מִזִּיז כְּבוֹדָהּ.	11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations; that ye may drink deeply with delight of the abundance of her glory.
יב כִּי-כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה, הִנְנִי נֹטֶה-אֵלֶיהָ כְּנָהָר שָׁלוֹם וּכְנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף כְּבוֹד גּוֹיִם–וִינַקְתֶּם; עַל-צַד, תִּנָּשֵׂאוּ, וְעַל-בִּרְכַּיִם, תְּשָׁעֳשָׁעוּ.	12 For thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream, and ye shall suck thereof: Ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees.
יג כְּאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר אִמּוֹ תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ–כֵּן אָנֹכִי אֲנַחֶמְכֶם, וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם תְּנֻחָמוּ.	13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
יד וּרְאִיתֶם וְשָׂשׂ לִבְּכֶם, וְעַצְמוֹתֵיכֶם כַּדֶּשֶׁא תִפְרַחְנָה; וְנוֹדְעָה יַד-יְהוָה אֶת-עֲבָדָיו, וְזָעַם אֶת-אֹיְבָיו.	14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like young grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward His servants, and He will have indignation against His enemies.

All I can do is pray, indeed. And educate people as much as I can about the story, the history, the truth.

כב כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים וְהָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה, עֹמְדִים לְפָנַי–נְאֻם-יְהוָה: כֵּן יַעֲמֹד זַרְעֲכֶם, וְשִׁמְכֶם.	22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
כג וְהָיָה, מִדֵּי-חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ, וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת, בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ; יָבוֹא כָל-בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְפָנַי, אָמַר יְהוָה.	23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD.

May peace come to pass now, speedily, in our days! Amen.

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!!!ריבונו של עולם

י שִׂמְחוּ אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְגִילוּ בָהּ, כָּל-אֹהֲבֶיהָ; שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ, כָּל-הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ.

יא לְמַעַן תִּינְקוּ וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם, מִשֹּׁד תַּנְחֻמֶיהָ; לְמַעַן תָּמֹצּוּ וְהִתְעַנַּגְתֶּם, מִזִּיז כְּבוֹדָהּ.

יג כְּאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר אִמּוֹ תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ–כֵּן אָנֹכִי אֲנַחֶמְכֶם, וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם תְּנֻחָמוּ.

יד וּרְאִיתֶם וְשָׂשׂ לִבְּכֶם, וְעַצְמוֹתֵיכֶם כַּדֶּשֶׁא תִפְרַחְנָה; וְנוֹדְעָה יַד-יְהוָה אֶת-עֲבָדָיו, וְזָעַם אֶת-אֹיְבָיו.

כב כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים וְהָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה, עֹמְדִים לְפָנַי–נְאֻם-יְהוָה: כֵּן יַעֲמֹד זַרְעֲכֶם, וְשִׁמְכֶם.

כג וְהָיָה, מִדֵּי-חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ, וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת, בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ; יָבוֹא כָל-בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְפָנַי, אָמַר יְהוָה.

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