A song of ascents. When Hashem restores the fortunes of Tzion —we see it as in a dream.Psalms 126:1 (The Israel Bible™)שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת בְּשׁוּב יְהוָה אֶת־שִׁיבַת צִיּוֹן הָיִינוּ כְּחֹלְמִיםHear the verse in HebrewSHEER ha-ma-a-LOT b’-SHUV a-do-NAI et shee-VAT tzi-YON ha-YEE-nu k’-kho-l’-MEEM
What Is a Dream?
Psalm 126 refers to Tzion (Zion), one of the Bible’s names for Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), which is also used in a more general sense for the entire Land of Israel. This name is related to the word for ‘special’ m’tzuyan. This teaches that God’s holy city is more than a location. According to former British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “Tzion is not just a place. It is a way of life. Jews are called to moral excellence, to be different…” God created a special place on earth which would be the ideal incubator for spiritual growth. The word Tzion, therefore, describes not only where we live, but how we must live. When Hashem(God) finally returns His people to Israel, they will be “as in a dream,” as the actual redemption and heightened spirituality will be even greater than imagined, beyond our wildest dreams.
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