Jerusalem’s fertility issues

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Many of us are familiar with this
verse from Tehilim 113:9 (part of the Hallel service which we say on most holidays
including Rosh Chodesh as well as in Religious-Zionist circles on Yom Haatzmaut
and Yom Yerushalayim) “
Moshivi akeret habayit, em habin smeacha, Halleluya”,
“He transforms the barren wife
  into a
glad mother of children. Halleluya.”

The midrash, Psikta deRav Kahana 20
teaches:

There are seven women who are called
akara (barren): Sarah. Rivka, Leah, Rachel, Manoach’s wife (Shimshon’s mother),
Chana and Zion (Jerusalem).

The midrash then goes through the
different verses which show us how each of these women made the transition from
being childless to having children:

Sarah (Breisheet 11:30) is described
as akara, “Sarai was barren, she had no child” and later (Breisheet 21:7)
after the birth of Yitzchak “She said ‘Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah
would nurse children? For I have given birth in my old age.’”

Concerning Rivka we read, (Breisheet
19:21) “Yitzchak prayed to God opposite his wife for she was barren. God
granted his prayer and Rivka, his wife, conceived.”

Breisheet 29:31 states that “God saw
that Leah was the hated wife and opened up her womb…” In Breisheet 30:20, Leah
declares “…Now my husband will make his main home with me, for I have borne him
six sons.”

In Breisheet 29:31, Rachel is called
an akara, “…and Rachel remained barren.” Later, (Breisheet 35:24) we
read in the listing of the tribes: “The sons of R
achel were Yosef and Binyamin.”

Manoach’s wife, Shimshon’s mother’s
story is found in Shoftim 13:3, “An angel of God appeared to the woman and said
to her, ‘Behold now- you are barren and have not given birth, but you shall
conceive and give birth to a son.’”

We read about Chana in Shmuel Alef
1:2 “…Pnina had children but Chana had no children.” In Shmuel Alef, 2:21, we
see that not only did Chana give birth to Shmuel, but she had other children as
well: “For God had remembered Chana and she conceived and gave birth to three
sons and two daughters (in addition to) the boy Shmuel who grew up with God.”

Concerning Zion (Jerusalem), Yishayahu
54:1 states “Sing out of barren one who has not given birth,  break into glad song and be jubilant, you who
have not been in birth’s travail.”  And
in Yishayahu 49:21 we read “And you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten
me these? For I have been bereaved and alone, an exile and a wanderer- so who
has reared these? Behold, I had been left by myself; where are these from?”

Why is Jerusalem on the list of the
barren women?

Just as our foremothers who were unable
to conceive were blessed to give birth to the leaders of Israel, so too should
Jerusalem no longer be desolate, but rather filled with her children.

On Yom Yerushalayim, this Saturday
night and Sunday, we will see how true this prophecy has become. Jerusalem will
be crowded with her children, the Jewish people who will fill the streets
singing and dancing, thanking God for the opportunity to live in and rebuild
Jerusalem.

In the Sheva Brachot (seven
blessings) at a marriage ceremony we recite, “Sos tasis v’tagel ha’akara,
b’kibutz baneha l’tocha b’simcha
”, “Bring intense joy and exultation to the
barren one through the ingathering of her children amidst her in gladness.
Blessed are you God, who gladdens Zion through her children.”

May all those who are waiting to
have a child be blessed like our foremothers and the City of Jerusalem.

Shabbat Shalom & Yom Yerushalayim
Sameach,

Sharona Margolin Halickman

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