Miracle at the Western Wall: Psalms Lead to Safe Return of Missing Israeli

Jerusalem, 10 October, 2023 (TPS) -- A new line for people to have Psalms recited at the Western Wall for the safety and recovery of Israeli terror victims claimed its first success on Monday.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which administers the Jerusalem holy site, set up the line on Sunday for people to send the names of Israelis wounded, missing, taken captive or killed during Hamas’s surprise attack on communities near the Gaza Strip. The public can also send names for the well-being of residents forced to take shelter or for safety and success of soldiers.

A dedicated minyan, or quorum of Jewish men recite Psalms in the merit of those individuals.

Yohanna Bisraor, a spokesperson for the foundation, told the Tazpit Press Service that 1,800 names have so far been sent to the foundation through its website, and that the Psalms have already helped one distraught Israeli family.

“Yesterday the mother of someone who was at the rave in the south and was missing called us, said they couldn’t find [her son]. She was crying and begged to read a Psalm to return home safely,” Bisraor said.

She was referring to the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival on the beach of Kibbutz Reim, adjacent to the Gaza Strip. Hamas terrorists attacked the festival, killing at least 260 people and taking captives back to Gaza on Saturday.

“Today, the mother called crying happy tears because it was discovered that he was hiding with other people in Kibbutz Ein Shlosha, and they were finally rescued a few hours ago and he contacted her. We believe Psalms make it happen,” said Bisraor.

The special line for Psalms is not new, but is only set up periodically.

Updated lists of names are printed out every hour and passed along to the minyan, Bisraor explained.

The Book of Psalms is attributed to King David and various chapters are often recited in times of trouble or joy. Some of its 150 chapters are associated with certain holidays, daily prayers, or success in various personal matters.

The Western Wall is the only remnant of a retaining wall encircling the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great in the first century and is the holiest site where Jews can freely pray. The Temple Mount, where the First and Second Jewish Temples were built, is the overall holiest site in Judaism.