Tens of thousands took part this morning in the second Priestly Blessing ceremony during the prayers for the Passover holiday held at the Western Wall Plaza.
The ceremony was attended by the rabbi of the Western Wall and the holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, government ministers, members of Knesset and public figures, the families of hostages Segev Kalphon, Uriel Baruch, and Yosef Chaim Ohana who remain in Hamas captivity, the heroic Rachel from Ofakim, Nova Festival survivors, hundreds of Kohanim, and tens of thousands of worshippers.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz led the prayers, and afterward, together with the massive crowd, offered heartfelt prayers for the swift return of the hostages, the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, the recovery of the wounded, and for peace and security in Israel.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation expressed great satisfaction with the holiday events, reporting that over half a million worshippers and visitors have come to the Western Wall Plaza since the start of the holiday to fulfill the mitzvah of pilgrimage, including rabbis, public figures, many tourists from abroad, and countless members of the Jewish people from Israel and around the world who chose to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, the holy city. The highlights were the two traditional Priestly Blessing ceremonies, with tens of thousands coming to bless and be blessed with Aaron’s priestly blessing, alongside the hostages’ families, survivors of captivity, and Nova Festival survivors.
The Priestly Blessing is three verses from Numbers included daily in the morning prayers.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation commented: "We conclude the holiday with deep appreciation for the Israel Police and security forces who worked tirelessly day and night to protect the citizens of Israel and those who visited the Western Wall. Despite these challenging times, many from Israel and around the world chose to come to the Western Wall and to the Western Wall Tunnels, which were packed to capacity throughout the holiday."