Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Midrash on why Kosel remains standing for eternity

Does anyone know the source for the Midrash that the Kosel remains standing because it was built with gifts from the poor? My wife raised the same question here. I have found Midrashim that associate west with the place of the Shechina and give that as a reason for the wall escaping destruction, but have not found the source associating it with gifts from the poor.
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous8:29 PM

    Eretz Chemda 28 says that the Western Wall / Kosel HaMaaravi was originally built by King David.

    I sent an e-mail to Aish and received the following response.

    As for the story about the angels saying "This Wall, the work of the poor, shall never be destroyed" -- a book called “Agadot Eretz Yisrael” by Ze’ev Vilnai records and notes that it is "a legend." Three other books mention this story -- see "HaBayit Hayehudi" by R' Aharon Zakai (IV pg. 310), "HaRovah HaYehudi" by Ahron Bir (pg. 1), "Yerushalayim" by Yitzchak Shapiro (p. 183). On the website page, I have noted that this is "a popular Jewish legend."
    So there is no legitimate source that the Kosel HaMaaravi was built by the poor.

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