The stones of the Kosel Hama’aravi were cleaned and disinfected on Tuesday morning in preparation for the Pesach. This year extra precautions were taken due to coronavirus.
By Anash.org reporter
On Tuesday morning, the stones of the Kosel Hama’aravi were cleaned and disinfected, in preparation for the Pesach.
Millions of people visit the Kosel every year from Israel and all over the world, and many of them place notes into the cracks between the stones. These notes are customarily removed twice a year, before Pesach and Rosh Hashana.
This week, the notes were removed by workers wearing protective gloves and using disposable wooden tools not metal, so as not to defile the holy stones. The notes were gathered into sacks and will be buried on Har Hazeisim.
In the last half year alone, more than 18,000 prayers were sent to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation’s website, to be printed out and placed between the stones, with requests coming from all over the world. This number isn’t even representative of the notes placed by the hundreds of thousands of worshipers that visited the wall in person.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Kosel and holy sites, accompanied the note removal personally and davened for the recovery of all those who have fallen ill. “During these difficult days in which the plague is spreading around the world and threatening our lives, we collect prayers from around the world at the remnant of our destroyed Temple, prayers to the Creator of the Universe that He should send us a complete healing and good health and redeem us from this difficult virus that has attacked the world.”
As per the new regulations, the only place that minyanim – even outdoors – may be held is one minyan at the Kosel, thrice daily.
