 From the city of Yerushalym, the city of tears
and of joy, the city of broken stones, broken
hearts and the city of bliss and utmost completeness,
the city which connects us to everything
past and where we hear the echoes of the future--
the great future. The city every Jew is ready
to die for and which gives life to every Jew.
The city where the gates of prayer are open and
the city which opens every heart -- the city where
the holiest Jew knows "I haven't begun yet being
Jewish" and where the lowest Jew knows, "I am still
the holiest Jew... " I am sending you, my dearest, most
precious brothers and sisters, all my love and best wishes.

The holy Maggid of Trisk and the holy Rebbe of Gorlitz corresponded
with each other for ten years. Each of the Rebbes began his letters
with the greeting, "To My Great Friend" and signed it with his name,
"Avrehemle" or "Boruchl". But in between the greeting and signature
the page was entirely blank. The Maggid was asked why he
and the Rebbe sent such letters to each other. He replied,
"When you write with ink, you have words. When you write with your
blood, there are no words."

Every Jew receives a letter from Yerushalyim, a blank page that begins
with the words, "To My Great Friend", and is signed "Yerushalayim". But
that one blank paper is so deep, so holy. On the one hand, it gives you
hope, on the other, it breaks you into pieces...

I write to you, my dear brothers and sisters, holding this blank letter
in my hand and in my heart. We all love Yerushalayim and the Holy Land
so much. But since the paper is blank, everybody puts their own words
into it. I know that the words which every Jew puts on the paper come
from love for Yerushalayim. But to tell you the truth, I wish that the
broken stones of the Holy Wall and the broken spirits of our people,
broken for two thousand years, could reveal to me what Yerushalayim
really wants.

I bless you and me that tomorrow morning or tonight in our dreams, we
receive another letter from Yerushalaym, a letter not covered in blood
any more, only covered in sunshine and the great light which will shine
out from Yerushalaym into Israel and into the whole world.

Your brother and friend,
Shlomole ben Pesiya
who is madly in love with every Jew,
madly in love with Yerushalayim and,
crazily, still in love with the entire world.

