Page 15 - HaMizrachi YmYm 2020 FLIPv3

Dr. Yael Ziegler Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi

Mother Yerushalayim

y soul is inextricably Like a queen whose king and sons replace the champion who walked
bonded with the soul of and sons-in-law traveled to a foreign with her in her youth.
MYerushalayim. I was born land. People came and told her, “Your
immediately after the great victory sons are coming!” She said, “What “I have adjured you, my daughters,”
in the Six-Day War and my parents do I care?” Let my daughters-in-law she will say to us, “if you see my
started packing their cases, making rejoice!” When her sons-in-law came, beloved, what will you tell him?” That
their way to Eretz Yisrael, and calling they told her: “Your sons-in-law are I am strong and happy and I have
their baby “Yemima,” in honor of the here!” She said, “What do I care? Let wonderful sons and daughters, sons-
Yamim, the days, the six wondrous my daughters rejoice!” Then they in-law and daughters-in-law, and on
days in which Yerushalayim was told her, “The king, your husband, is my walls, they have appointed guards
liberated. all day and all night so I should not
coming!” To which she replied, “That
Since that day, I have two mothers: I is complete joy!” fall sick, but I am sick. “I am love-
run excitedly to my mother to tell of sick,” until my husband returns to the
my joys and disappointments, to the So it will be when the Prophets will palace.
Kotel I pour out my deepest thoughts come and say to Yerushalayim: “Your Perhaps, when we cared so much for
and feelings… and I part with a sons are coming from afar!” (Yesha- Ima, we were caring for ourselves, so
kiss. From these two strong women, yahu 60) and she says to them, “What that we would have a wall of protec-
I received a blessing when I was do I care?” “And your daughters will tion around us… and did we forget
dressed in my bridal gown and they be raised at their side.” (Ibid.) “What Ima?
were looking at me, fortified walls, do I care?” But when they told her,
bestowing unlimited power upon me. “Behold your King is coming to you, Only once do Chazal describe a
To them, I brought my babies for a righteous and victorious” (Zechariah chupa of someone whose partner had
blessing, and my grandchildren too – 9), she said, “That is complete joy!” left her. Amram returns to his wife
“boys and girls playing in her streets.” And at the same time, she says, “… Yocheved and their children, Miriam
my soul will rejoice in my G-d!” (Shir and Aharon, dance around them at
For two months now I haven’t been HaShirim Rabbah, 1:2).
able to visit them: Ima and the Kotel. their chupa, playing stringed instru-
I cannot kiss them. I’m showing them In this amazing Midrash, Yerusha- ments (Shemot Rabbah).
the children from afar, “from atop the layim is depicted as a very mature And in these unusual times, Corona
peak of Mount Scopus,” seeing them woman – with sons and daughters- days, I find myself praying a different
on Zoom. in-law she has cared for – and all are prayer for you, Yerushalayim… “If I

And it is only during these two sure that the thing that will cause forget you,” I promise you that when I
months that I now understand that her the greatest happiness is when see you flooded in true and complete
this towering woman, this liberated they come back to her and tell her joy, loved like you knew how to love
one, this Wall, is so desperate for about everything that happened to us, I will be a bridesmaid for you…
love. Not only for health, for the food them during their long absence. But “Yerushalayim of gold and of copper
we leave her by the door, but for love! this liberated woman gives them a and of light, I am a violin for all of
After all, it was she who gave love and great surprise. She explains to them your songs.”
strength to all of us, she who encour- that while they are sure the reunion
aged us and prayed for us. Who with them is the peak of joy, for her,
thought she would be waiting for her the joys of motherhood and grand- Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi is a popular
beloved to return to her? motherhood cannot in any way Israeli teacher, speaker and writer

| 15