Shavuos - The Giving of the Torah
Hello All from the Holy city of Jerusalem!
Shavuos was amazing! Gorgeous! Wonderful!
If you haven't guessed by now I had a great time. Shavuos night I stayed up in order to walk to the Kotel/Western Wall. I did get about an hour, thankfully, but I was awake before that to listen to a couple teachers at Neve speaking about Shavuos.
I walked to the Kotel with a couple girls from Neve (they were so nice). It was amazing. You think that there are only a few people and they're walking...next thing you know, there are people behind you, in front of you, everywhere. You're all walking to the Kotel.
When you get to the Old City, instead of walking around through the Jewish Quarter, you follow the crowd through the Arab shuk (which on a normal day you would not do) and through the Arab quarter to the Kotel. You arrive at the top of the stairs which lead to the Kotel and you look down toward the Kotel...and what a sight. The entire Kotel and the area in front are totally filled with Jews. Amazing and beautiful. It is impossible to get in that area.
We walked around to the other side of the Kotel and up some of the stairs to the overlook where I davened Shachris and Hallel. Hodu LaShem Kee Tov! Amazing sight. This is one of the holidays that must be celebrated in the Holy City. There's that feeling that when you're walking into the Old City and walking through the alleys that there's going to be a Temple sitting there on the Mount waiting for you. That's a feeling that cannot be felt anywhere else in the world.
Shavuos was amazing. For me and other people who don't live in Israel it was a two day affair. For Israelis it was only one day. I walked to the Kotel both days (and back). It is a real honor for me to be able to do such a thing. I wanted to take advantage. I'm also trying to make it to the Kotel for the majority of time that I'm here as well.
Thank G-d all is well here with me. Loving every moment.