EXCEPT: 3829 (69 CE)*

I came home from the marketplace today bursting with indignation. My thoughts were churning so I decided to write them down to try and make sense of my emotions and alleviate my frustration.

Some people are just born pessimists. Everywhere I walked this morning I heard their worried whispers about our future.

Why is everyone getting so worked up? You’d think we’ve never seen armies before. Sure the Romans are a threat. But we’ve been threatened before. We’re talking about Yerushalayim — our heavenly city! Yerushalayim that can never be destroyed.

I have confidence and love for my city. It’s incredible to be living in the center of the universe the pinnacle of creation. All those lucky enough to live here are united by the resplendence of the Beis HaMikdash — the core of our existence. It pulsates with power and draws us close.

The scenes of tens of thousands of Kohanim performing their sacred service and the rivers of people traveling to Har HaBayis are an integral part of my life. There are banquets every day of the year with 80 types of food each with its complementary wine. Yerushalayim boasts of personal financial and spiritual affluence unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

So I say to the pessimists: “You want to worry? Pick something else to worry about!” Even if enemies threaten — do they have the power to uproot this prosperity? What could they possibly do? Draw a siege? Twenty-one years’ worth of food supplies are buried in central storage houses.

Could they break into the city? Three huge impenetrable walls and immovable iron gates protect us.

Could they scale the walls? Our warriors will fight them off one by one.

This shadow of fear is temporary. Soon this cloud will vanish and we’ll enjoy sunny skies again. 

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