O Hashem, as befits Your abundant benevolence, let Your wrathful fury turn back from Your city Yerushalayim, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers,Yerushalayim and Your people have become a mockery among all who are around usDaniel 9:16 (The Israel Bible™)אֲדֹנָי כְּכָל־צִדְקֹתֶךָ יָשָׁב־נָא אַפְּךָ וַחֲמָתְךָ מֵעִירְךָ יְרוּשָׁלִַם הַר־קָדְשֶׁךָ כִּי בַחֲטָאֵינוּ וּבַעֲוֺנוֹת אֲבֹתֵינוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַמְּךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לְכָל־סְבִיבֹתֵינוּHear the verse in Hebrewa-do-NAI k’-khol tzid-ko-TE-kha ya-shov NA a-p’-KHA va-kha-ma-t’-KHA may-ee-r’-KHA y’-ru-sha-LA-im har kod-SHE-kha KEE va-kha-ta-AY-nu u-va-a-vo-NOT a-vo-TAY-nu y’-ru-sha-LA-im v’-a-m’-KHA l’-kher-PAH l-khol s’-vee-vo-TAY-nu
Praying for the Return to Jerusalem
In the above verse, Daniel lists three reasons as to why Hashem (God) should accept his prayers and redeem the Children of Israel from their Babylonian exile: For the sake of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), for the sake of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and for the sake of the Children of Israel themselves. Daniel points out that is is an embarrassment to Hashem that His holy city lie in ruins and that Yerushalayim and the Children of Israel are one. When Yerushalayim lies in ruins, the Children of Israel become the subject of international mockery. Daniel's prayers for the return of the Children of Israel to Yerushalayim was echoed in the hopes and prayers of Jews around the world for three thousands years during the Jewish exile from the land. With the miraculous reunification of Yerushalayim in 1967, Hashem finally answered the prayers of His children as they once again filled the streets of Yerushalayim.
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