A Shabbat Story: A Heavenly Message at Midnight: Respect for the Western Wall

About 150 years ago, a deep and terrifying silence hung over the streets of Jerusalem. The year was 1866, and a deadly cholera epidemic had swept through the city, taking many precious lives. The suffering was unbearable, and the people were desperate for salvation.

One of the great Torah scholars of the time, Rabbi Meir Auerbach of Kalish author of the sefer Imrei Binah, felt they could no longer remain passive. Something had to be done.

He quietly sought out his holy friend, Rabbi Yedidya Rafael Abulafia, head of the “Beit El” Yeshiva, known as HaYaRE’A, a nickname formed from the initials of his name and also meaning “the one who deeply respects Hashem.” The two rabbis shared a deep spiritual connection and a mutual concern for the people of Jerusalem.

Rabbi Abulafia suggested something rare and deeply spiritual: a dream query (she’elat chalom). This is a sacred practice used by great Torah sages. It involves several days of spiritual preparation, immersing in a mikveh (ritual bath), fasting from sunrise to nightfall, and writing a personal question with a special quill on parchment. The note is then placed under one’s pillow before sleep, and if the person is worthy, a message may be revealed from Heaven, often through a verse.

Following Rabbi Abulafia’s guidance, Rabbi Auerbach undertook this holy process. That night, in his dream, he saw black fire dancing upon white fire, Hebrew letters glowing and alive. The moment was heavy with meaning. The verse that appeared before him came from Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs):
“Behold, He stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, peering through the lattice.”

Awakening in awe, Rabbi Auerbach washed his hands and hurried, even at that late hour, to Rabbi Abulafia’s home. It was midnight, the hour of Tikkun Chatzot, when holy souls rise to mourn the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple). He hoped not to interrupt his friend’s prayers.

To his astonishment, Rabbi Abulafia was already awake in the study hall, deep in thought. Before Rabbi Auerbach could speak, Rabbi Abulafia looked up and said:

“Tonight I heard a heavenly voice, soft like a dove’s cry. They recited to me a verse from Shir HaShirim—” and here both men recited the same exact verse together, word for word:
“Behold, He stands behind our wall…”

They understood they were being guided from above but the full message was still unclear.

Then Rabbi Abulafia spoke again. “In the Midrash, our Sages teach that ‘He stands behind our wall’ refers to the Kotel Ma’aravi, the Western Wall. The Divine Presence has never left it.”

He looked deeply at his colleague. “My heart tells me, Rabbi of Kalish, that we have neglected the holiness of the Kotel. People pass by it, even gather near it, without the proper awe. Perhaps the people of Jerusalem are sinning by not giving it the respect it deserves.”

Rabbi Auerbach accepted these words and immediately called a secret nighttime meeting of the city’s Torah scholars and leaders. They debated, discussed, and finally made a historic decision.

From that day forward, all Ashkenazi weddings in Jerusalem would follow a new rule, one that still exists to this day: no more than one musician would be allowed to play at a wedding. It was a symbolic act of humility and remembrance, meant to honor the holiness of Jerusalem and the still-mourning Shechinah (Divine Presence) over the destruction of the Temple.

A few days after this decision was put into practice, the cholera epidemic completely ceased.

The people of Jerusalem soon understood that it was the Western Wall, silent and holy that had cried out for respect. And it was the wisdom and sensitivity of these great Torah leaders that saved the city from disaster.