On one of the final days of the Six Day War the Israeli troops pierced
through enemy fortifications and forged their way through the ancient
passageways of Jerusalem. As if Divine gravitational force was pulling
them, one group of soldiers dodged the Jordanian bullets and proceeded
until there was no reason to continue. They had reached the Kotel
HaMaravi, the Western Wall, the holiest place in Judaism, the site of both
the First and Second Temples. The young men, some of whom had yeshiva
education, others who came from traditional backgrounds, stood in awe and
began to cry in unison. The Kotel had been liberated!
One young soldier, who grew up on a totally secular kibbutz in the northern
portion of the state gazed at the sight of his comrades crying like
children as they stared up at the ancient stones. Suddenly, he, too began
to wail.
One of the religious soldiers, who had engaged in countless debates with
him, put his arm around him and asked, "I don't understand. To us the
Kotel means so much. It is our link with the Temple and the holy service.
This is the most moving experience of our lives. But why are you crying?"
The young soldier looked at his friend, and amidst the tears simply stated,
"I am crying because I am not crying."
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