…from the four corners of the Earth

…from the four corners of the Earth

מארבע כנפות הארץ...

At least four times every weekday (not  on Shabbat) in our Jewish prayers, we ask G-d to gather us from the four corners of the earth and return us to our land of Israel. Although I have been saying these words for years, I only recently started to realize that those words are coming true right now. It has been slowly happening over the millennia, but I can actually see it happening now.

Our move to Israel is one personal example of those words being fulfilled. The fulfillment of those words has really been happening on a larger scale during my lifetime. It just really hit home for me this week.

This week Irma and I attended the wedding of a young couple in Jerusalem. The groom is a son of Suzie and Chaim, friends of ours from Denver, who made aliyah about seventeen years ago. They now live in Efrat and we have spent a few happy occasions with them.

The wedding was beautiful – beautiful bride, good food, about 600 people – all the great trappings of a fine, first class wedding. For me, though, all that was overshadowed by the people. Two things really stood out for me.

First, there was Suzie and Chaim’s family. Here was four happy generations, from Suzie’s parents to Suzie and Chaim’s children and grandchildren enjoying this happy event, in Israel, where the three younger generations live in peace and happiness, among the people of Israel. My favorite moment at this event was when generations three and four (kids and grandkids) were performing a program – dancing and singing in honor of the newlyweds. Watching the proud, happy expressions of the grandparents and great grandparents was worth the price of admission. Wow!

But there was more, and it was this “more” that brought it all home to me. Many of the guests were people that I had known back in Denver, two home towns ago for me. Some of these Denver people had made aliyah at a young age and had seen their families – children, grandchildren - grow in Israel. Others made aliyah after they retired – some came to join other family members who had made aliyah.

All around us - at the table, in the room - it was the same story. There were other people who picked up and moved to Israel from America, England and who knows where. Since, arriving here, I’ve met people from all over the world who have moved here; North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia and New Zealand – everywhere except Antarctica (haven't met a Jewish penguin, yet).

G-d may work His plan in a timeframe that seems too slow for us to comprehend, but He is working His plan. I am thankful to be here in Israel to see part of it unfolding. I hope to still around when Moshiach finally arrives.

Thank you, Suzie and Chaim for being our friends and inviting us to share in your simcha. May HaShem bless you and all of your family with health, happiness and all the best that this world has to offer and beyond.

Thank You, HaShem, for bringing us back to the land You have given us. May we all merit to see the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our time.

Shabbat Shalom, Y’all
Mel

P.S. I won't use a wedding picture here, because I haven't asked permission. Instead, here is a model of the Holy Temple – which sits on the awe-inspiring rooftop terrace  at Aish HaTorah overlooking the site where the real Temple stood for 1,000 years before being destroyed by the Romans.

Scale Model of the Holy Temple