First Thought

וַיַּסֵּ֧ב חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ פָּנָ֖יו אֶל־הַקִּ֑יר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Adonai (Isaiah 38:2)

Today in Jerusalem, the Western Wall is considered the holiest spot in Judaism. It is said to be the closest spot one can get to the Holy of Holies. While this wall was built in King Herod’s time (well after Hezekiah), modern Jews and God-fearing gentiles consider it an honor to be able to follow in the tradition of Hezekiah and pray at the wall.

Many of us may be physically removed from Jerusalem and the Western Wall. Like Daniel who was also hundreds of miles away, we can still turn towards Jerusalem and bring our petitions to HaShem just as Hezekiah did centuries ago.

Why don’t you stop what you’re doing and pray towards Jerusalem right now?

Figure 34.1: Men Praying at Western Wall. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands