Uplifting Update

Friday, August 19, 2005 8:32 AM Subject: [jerusalemdiaries] Uplifting Update



This morning I went to a hotel near me where many of the settlers of
Neve Dekalim are being housed in the meantime, to see if I could help
with anything.

I walked in and I saw tons of people who were there to help. There was
a room full of stuff that people just kept bringing - diapers, food,
medecine, clothes...anything and everything. Many of the residents of
Neve Dekalim left with a large backpack at most. There were people
there to babysit and help with the kids, there were people helping
others to settle in, etc...It was an unbelievable site.

Just as I got there a family arrived and I helped them with their bags
to their hotel rooms. I asked them if they needed anything as I was on
my way to the shuk. They couldn't think of anything off hand - they
needed time to settle.

I spoke to the people in charge and one thing they said they might
need was chumashim for Shabbat. I called my Rabbi and asked if I could
lend them our chumashim from the yeshiva. He said - without a doubt.

I went to the shuk and bought some nuts and other stuff like that and
a friend came with his car and we brought the chumashim to the hotel.
When I entered for the second time today, the place was ten times as
full. What had started basically in one room, now filled the lobby.

There was a huge pile of diapers as I walked in. There was a whole
section of brand new children's books and games in another corner. In
another side there were piles of clothing so they would have clothes
for Shabbat! And people just kept pouring in. There was a whole group
of people outside arranging flowers with little notes of support for
each family. It was simply an overwhelming site. I found the family
that I had helped move in. The wife and 2 of her kids. And I sat down
and I pulled out some nuts, some rugelach, some balloons for her
kids...she said to me, she never thought it would be like this. She
too, was overwhelmed by the outpouring of chesed.

Our Rabbis teach us that once the Temple was destroyed, all of the
gates of prayer are closed. Except one. The gate of tears. In the past
week, and especially in the past couple of days, I have cried at least
a small river. And I know that oceans of tears have been shed. If that
gate is still open, and these tears are going through that gate, I can
only imagine that Moshiach is around the corner.

Today's tears were mixed with tears of joy to be part of such an
unbelievable nation.
MI K'AMCHA YISRAEL.
WHO IS LIKE YOUR NATION ISRAEL!

Shabbat Shalom!
Yitz Motzen, Jerusalem: E mail: Yitzm2@aol.com