Silent Prayers

I always imagined my reaction to seeing the Kotel for the first time. I imagined myself against the wall, pouring my heart out upon the ancient stones. I thought of all the prayers I would pray, how connected I would feel to Hashem!
My reaction wasn’t that at all.
I approached the wall and prepared myself to pray, but instead I was silent. All I could hear was the bitter cries of the woman to my right. I found my own prayers stuck in my throat. So instead I silently prayed with my heart. I prayed for the woman standing next to me. I asked Hashem to answer her cries. I begged Hashem to answer every single one of the notes that were crammed into the cracks of the wall. Yes I did feel connected to Hashem, but more than that I felt connected to the people of Klal Yisrael!

Acrylic on clay board

30×40