The Churva: A Preview of Things To Come

By Jason Gold

Standing in the middle of the newly re-built Churva Shul in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City this Shabbat Chol HaMoed many thoughts play across the mind. I stand in awe of the beauty of this magnificent structure, as well as its grandeur and majesty with the previous commerative arch now built into the structure. I recall the people standing in line for hours, the line stretching across the Rova, to look and to pray inside. I also recall how perfect the date of the Chanukat HaBayit was, Rosh Chodesh Nissan and how this is the third version, so to speak, of this shul. Twice before, the Churva shul was destroyed. The first time was after the followers of Rav Yehudah HaChasid ran out of money to pay back the Arab landlords in the 18th century. The second time was during the 1948 war of independence by the Jordanian army following the re-building of the Churva by the students of the Vilna Gaon. And so it is this beautiful shul that has enraged the Arabs and Obama at the audacity of the Jews to re-build a place of worship in their own section in their own capital city. And yet powerless to stop the building or the dedication despite their rage, they vent their wrath on the Israeli Prime Minister, continuing the humiliation of his Washington visit by decreeing he dare not attend the Chanukat HaBayit but rather send taped greetings and make sure that his Chief Rabbi absolutely deny any intention to build the third Beit HaMikdash. And still the people come by the thousands, to look, to be awestruck, and to pray. On the surface one has to wonder what the fuss is all about. After all, the Jews did not build this in the Arab Quarter. They did not expand out of the Rova to do this. This was not Ramat Shlomo, this was not the territories. So why would one re-built shul cause such consternation? The answer lies under the surface. Despite a weak and disconnected-from-faith Israeli leadership, the Arabs and the world know on a collective and perhaps subliminal basis that the Jews are not going anywhere. That inexorably, slowly and perhaps even against the will of the current leadership, Israel will do what it takes to maintain a semblance of sovereignty in its own land and not become a banana republic. That this is the last gasp of the anti-Israel forces before things begin to change. And make no mistake, the winds of change are blowing. Bibi is fighting for his political life within his own party. The Likud high-ranking nationalists will not let him give in so easily despite his lack of backbone, causing him to try and bring in leftists to dilute the nationalist influence. The left can see that their days are numbered as the Labor and Meretz parties begin their journey to political irrelevancy. All of this sets the stage for the coming of the faith-based revolution and leadership that will restore the pride of the Israeli nation and Am Yisrael. Chazal tell us that all shuls contain a spark of the Beit HaMikdash; a "Mikdash M'aht". On its third and Gd willing, final iteration, perhaps nothing exemplifies this better than the Churva Shul. A Mikdash M'aht indeed. And if you think the screaming was loud now, just wait until the first shovel goes into the ground on Har HaBayit for the third and final iteration of the Beit HaMikdash. The cacophony of the world - be it an Obama, be it the Arabs, be it the Europeans, will be deafening. Their actions? Impotent in the face of the power and faith of Am Yisrael. Buckle up. It gets bumpy from here on in.