Dreams of a Future Temple: The 9th of Av and Dispelling Hatred With Love

On a trip to Israel, when I was 21 years old, I had my first religious experience. I was standing on a balcony overlooking the Western Wall (aka "The Wall") in the in the Old City of Jerusalem when it happened. At that point in my life I was not very fond of religion (I looked at religion as an irrational throwback to humanities primitive and fearful past), and I wasn't planning on having a religious experience. In fact, moments before as I was descending the steps to the Western Wall Plaza, where the Wall is located, I said to myself, "I am going to see a really big wall, made of really big bricks, that is really old, and nothing is going to happen." Upon entering the plaza I had decided I didn't even want to buy into the silly "religious" tradition of going up to the Western Wall, which is why when I got there I went only to the balcony. So what came next was a surprise to me.

Read complete article at -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eitan-press/tisha-bav-dispelling-hate-with-love_b_1706634.html?utm_hp_ref=religion&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

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