The Kotel also needs to be cleaned for Pesach. The difference is that the Kotel is being cleaned not from soup nuts and cheerios stuck in the crevices, but from the abundance of notes stuffed into its cracks.
Gotta make room for the new notes coming in.
Today began the biannual cleaning of the Kotel from its notes. Rabbi Rabinovich, overseeing the cleaning, said that it is performed with the utmost of care and respect for the holiness of the place. They remove the notes using wooden sticks, and not metal sticks - just like metal could not be used on the mizbeiach (altar) so they are not used on the stones of the kotel - and the laborers immerse in the mikva before sticking their fingers in the crevices.
It is all good by me, except for how compares the stones of the kotel to the מזבח. A little respect please. Whether you say the kotel was simply a retaining wall for the structure of the Temple, or it was actually part of the walls themselves, it is still not the מזבח.
(source: Ynet)
I think they use wooden sticks to as not to damage the stones. But that's not a "fun" reason, so he makes something up which: (a) teaches a bit of Torah to people who may not otherwise know it; and (b) stress to those who may not otherwise be aware of the sanctity of the place.
ReplyDeleteIt's called PR, and it's part of his job, just like it's his job to object to the Pope wearing a cross there when we all know there's no real reason to object, and nothing will come of it.
the shamir worm was used to cut the stones for the entire bhmk - not just for the altar! that was because metal was not allowed to be used on the stones of the holy site.... so it does refer to the kosel too, anyway we dont have the altar today, so we consecrate and respect wot we do have!!
ReplyDeletewhat does he do with the notes?
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ReplyDeletethe article says they bury them in Har HaZeisim
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