Letters to God from Russia and the whole world were delivered to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

The Israel News portal said that a similar ceremony is repeated every time on the eve of the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah. This year the holiday falls on September 6th. Special employees on this day put letters into the Wailing Wall.

"Letters to God" are sent by representatives of different religions and confessions from all over the world - from Kenya to Russia and from Ecuador to Japan. According to the Israel Post, this year the number of letters addressed to the Creator has increased by 30%. The postal company attributed this to the pandemic, which made it impossible for foreigners to visit Jerusalem personally.

By the way, a significant part of the letters contains a request to put an end to dangerous viruses. Popular appeals include requests for health, peace and well-being. But there are also requests to grant victory to your favorite team, to receive a new iPhone as a gift from your parents, or to say hello to deceased loved ones.

The Wailing Wall is the surviving part of an ancient fortification in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is located on the western side of the Temple Mount and overlooks the spacious square of the Jewish Quarter. This building is Israel's greatest religious monument.

The wall, which reaches a length of 450 m, consists of 45 rows of masonry, 17 of them are located underground, and 28 are on the surface of the earth. Its total height is estimated by experts at 32 m, and the open fragment reaches a height of about 19 m.

There is an underground tunnel along the entire Wall. It passes under the Muslim Quarter, goes to the ancient aqueducts and ends in front of the Skrutyon basin, in which rainwater was collected for the needs of the townspeople under the Emperor Hadrianorom.

But why is this structure also called the Wailing Wall?

When the Temples were destroyed, the Jews began to gather there and mourn their loss. According to Jewish law, visiting the Wailing Wall and contemplating the devastation reigning around, every believer is obliged to cry and tear his clothes. The Arabs, who repeatedly watched the Jews weep here for the destroyed Temples, called the ruins of the ancient structure the Wailing Wall.

However, there is another version why the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is so called. Sometimes droplets of moisture similar to tears appear on the stone. The last time "tearing" was recorded on the Wall in Israel in 1940.