MY VISIT TO THE YAD VASHEM

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

yad-vashem-jerusalem-tel-aviv-israel-february-main-entrance-to-israel-s-official-memorial-to-jewish-victims-39705930[1]

“At the entrance to the museum, the origin of Nazism was summarized on a large board. At the beginning, Nazism was illegal, and Hitler was imprisoned. While he was in jail, he wrote the book Mein Kampf, which became the ideological basis for the ascent of the Nazism. Maybe the words contained in that book vibrated harmfully, polluted the air, and later they triggered a wave of anti-Semitism, I thought.
“At that moment, I thought of Erez. In my mind I saw him at his kibbutz by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He cast a stone against the trunk of a tree and said, ‘Look at this stone. First it hits the tree, then it bounces and strikes the grass, and finally it lands on the ground. Three effects derive from one action. The same is true of words. Words have vibrations. They trigger a chain reaction when they pass from mouth to mouth or from ear to ear.’
“I went around the museum with Anne, who looked a little bit less pale. ‘Do you know that words can give rise to life or death?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I heard about that in a lecture. It was held in Hebrew, and I couldn’t understand everything, for my Hebrew wasn’t good, but I caught the gist of the lecture. Yes, words can create or destroy something.’ ‘Anne, do you think words can cause bad events?’ ‘Yes, I do. If we speak negative words all the time, it can create bad situations in our life, and vice versa. So, to be happy we need to speak positive words.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

VISITING GORDON’S CALVARY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

garden-tomb-jerusalem-entrance-to-israel-71048397[2]

“When I got to the Garden Tomb, I was surprised at the silence in that place. I turned to the right and headed for the skull-shaped rock. It was a cliff with two big holes and a nose-shaped stone between them. To my eyes, it didn’t look like a skull. On the railing was a picture of the cliff. Looking at it, the whole cliff seemed to be skull-shaped.
“I turned left and walked to the tomb. Entering it, I saw three stone beds. One of them was a bit higher than the others. The ceiling of the tomb and the right wall had been plastered. I was alone inside the tomb. Turning my eyes to the wall on the right, I thought I saw Jesus’s face slightly imprinted on the wall. It was similar to that on the Shroud of Turin. I didn’t see the whole face but only some features like the eyes. At that time I felt that the real Holy Sepulcher was there.
“I got out of the tomb and looked for the winemaking press. I couldn’t spot it. So I asked a lady who was sitting on the bench. She got up and pointed out a pool where in the past the grapes were pressed by feet and the juice flowed into a smaller basin. ‘Do you want to see the real place where the Lord was crucified?’ ‘Yes, of course!’
“She led me to a rocky wall on one of the sides of the garden. ‘This cement covers the  crack in the rock caused by the earthquake that happened when Jesus passed away. Underneath our feet there is no rock but a wooden floor. The rock is hollow. Digging is in progress. Jesus’s blood fell from his bleeding body into the Ark of the Covenant. He established a new covenant between God and humans.’
“I was puzzled by her words. How is it possible that the Ark of the Covenant was below the cross when Jesus died? I thought. She noticed my doubtfulness, so she took out a pen and a postcard from her purse and wrote something. Then she gave me the postcard. ‘Do your research, and then you’ll find out that I am right.’
“Later, I checked her information. Actually an archeologist had been digging under the rock of Gordon’s Calvary. The aim was to bring into the light what was once called Zedekiah’s Cave, a vast underground quarry which supplied the stone for the Temple of Solomon. Therefore, nothing can be excluded. I still keep the postcard the lady gave me. Besides the name of the archeologist, she wrote, ‘Jesus loves you.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

A MESSIANIC JEW EXPLAINS KABBALAH

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“I asked Daniel, ‘What is Kabbalah?’ ‘Kabbalah is the power of words. Words have vibrations. Through a word, you can even create things or life. Jesus was a great Kabbalist. He could perform all those miracles because he knew Kabbalah well,’ he answered.”
“Uncle Salvatore, it sounds strange to my ears that a person can perform miracles if he knows a secret. How can one create things or life by knowing the power of some words? It is absurd! If it is true, I want to learn Kabbalah.”
“Benedetto, to learn Kabbalah well, you have to know Hebrew first. A word in the original language has a different meaning than a word translated into another language. Nevertheless, I’ve never studied Kabbalah, so I can’t answer your question properly.
“I asked Daniel, ‘What are the threads dangling from your shirt?’ He looked at the threads, put his hand on them, and showed some knots to me. ‘These are called tzitzit. They symbolize the word of God. As you see, there are knots along the tzitzit. The knots mean that you have to hold on to the word of God, you shouldn’t let it go away.’
“I asked, ‘How do you pray in the synagogue? Can I visit a synagogue on the Sabbath?’ ’Unfortunately, I can’t go to the Synagogue of Nazareth Illit because I believe that Yeshua or Jesus was the real Messiah. In the synagogue, they don’t approve of my point of view. A short time ago, they damaged my car. So I go to the Synagogue of Afula, a town near Nazareth. There are Messianic Jews throughout the world and also in Israel, even though they are a minority, who believe that Jesus was the Messiah. You can come to the Synagogue of Afula, if you don’t mind. But I don’t think the Sabbath is right for you. The ceremony is too long. It takes almost three hours. Do you want to visit my house?’ ‘Sure!’
“While we were walking to his home, he showed me some houses that had been abandoned by the Jews as soon as some Arab families had settled in the area. The Jews didn’t like to live flank and flank with the Palestinians.”
“Do you think the Jews are racist, Uncle Salvatore?”
“I don’t think so. If they don’t want to live next door to the non-Jews, they have the right to do so. Individuals have freedom to stay with whomever they want. In Isola, the Jehovah’s Witnesses marry within their religious group. They can’t marry those who have a different religion from theirs. In society it happens the same. The rich tend to live next door to those of the same social class, and the poor next door to the poor. This is the landscape of the world.

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE LAST SURAH OF THE KORAN

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

muslim-woman-son-reading-koran-muslim-family-child-mother-mosque-90031863[1]

“As I kept walking, I caught sight of two armed guards in front of a building. I went in their direction. Pretending indifference, I tried to pass beyond them. But they stopped me. ‘You can’t get in!’ ‘Why not?’ I asked with eyes full of surprise. ‘You can’t enter if you are not Muslim.’ ‘I am Muslim. Including Islam, I follow many religions, therefore, I have the right to pass.’ ‘You must prove us that you are Muslim. Show us your passport, so we can see what your religion is.’ ‘In Italy, where I come from, we don’t declare our religion on our passport, but I’ve read the Holy Koran. I’ve been to the mosque of Catania twice, to the mosque of London once, and I can say the last surah of the Koran entitled ‘The Men.’
“I recited the last surah, which I loved. On listening to me, one of the guards seemed to be convinced. He was about to let me pass. But the other intervened. ‘Show us how Muslims pray.’ At that point I gave up entering because I didn’t know how Muslims pray. ‘If you want, you can come here from seven to eleven o’clock in the morning. You can visit the Esplanade, but you can’t go inside the Dome of the Rock. This is the third holiest place of Islam after Mecca and Medina,’ one of the guards said.”
“Uncle Salvatore, I want to know the last surah of the Koran. It must be very beautiful if one of the armed guards was about to let you in after listening to it.”
“Yes, Benedetto, I learned that surah by heart. Here it is: ‘In the name of compassionate and merciful God, say I seek refuge in the Lord of humans, the King of humans, the God of humans; from the evil of the whisperer, who slinks off, who whispers into the hearts of humans; from jinn and men!’ Can you understand?”
“No. What does it mean?”
“It means, seek refuge in God whenever the devil comes into your heart and pushes you to be a bad man. When the devil blandishes you and pushes you in the wrong direction, invoke God, and then the devil will become smaller and smaller.”

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

JERUSALEM SEEN FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

jerusalem-old-town-cityview-view-dome-rock-mosque-mount-olives-israel-33532266[1]

“At the orientation meeting, I was given information about my volunteer work and how to visit the Mount of Olives. Between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem was a valley called the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The Jewish cemetery was located along the slope. The walls of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount with its amazing gilded dome stood out, and the valley resounded with the melodious voice of the muezzin who announced the prayer.
“I spotted the Golden Gate. It is said that Jesus passed through this gate when he triumphantly entered Jerusalem. But Jewish tradition is different. They say that when the Messiah comes, he will pass through the Golden Gate. Fearing it might happen, the Turks blocked it. So, now the Golden Gate is not a real gate. It was blocked with stones and turned into a wall. According to another tradition, which interests Muslims, Jews, and Christians, the area around the Golden Gate will be the place of the Last Judgment. In Hebrew, Jehoshaphat means the place where God will judge. Watching the valley, I imagined a tremendous number of souls from all over the world. They stood fearfully near the Golden Gate, waiting for the judgment of God. In that area there were many graves, both Jewish and Muslim. They believe that on the Last Day, those who are buried in the valley will be resurrected first.

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE TUNNEL TO THE STAIRS OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“While waiting for the opening of the Garden Tomb, I strolled about the area. I crossed the street and bought a ticket to visit the archeological area. I entered there. A few ruins were scattered here and there. Then I arrived at the entrance to a cave. There was also a group of tourists guided by an English-speaking guide at the entrance. A lady from Australia came close to me and asked me to join the group. How strange! Whenever I was in need, someone appeared and helped me. I joined them and listened to the guide. ‘We’ll cover a distance along a narrow underground tunnel with shallow water, which can sometimes rise up to the height of your trouser pockets.’
“Actually, at the entrance the water was high up to the pelvis. Then, it shallowed. The tunnel was narrow and low. Sometimes we had to bend ourselves forward. If I had suffered from anxiety and claustrophobia as before, I couldn’t have walked through the tunnel. I was happy that I could walk underground without fear. The tunnel was long and seemed to be never ending. How many laborers left the marks of their pickaxes on this tunnel! Three thousand years ago they were alive and worked to dig the tunnel. But they disappeared like a dream. Did they vanish into thin air? Were they reborn? Did they go to heaven or to hell? Nobody knows, and maybe we will never have an answer to such questions. Only saints and enlightened ones can know the truth.
“Walking through the tunnel, I compared it to the tunnel of my life. I had spent my life without seeing the light of joy, like a fish swimming in the water of a dark cave. I didn’t know that the tunnel was connected to the stairs of the Temple of Solomon, a place where Jesus had been definitely, but, to my surprise, it led me there! How mysterious it was! After about ten minutes, the tunnel ended. We kept walking underground and gathered in a place with several stairs. I sat on one of those steps and listened to the guide. ‘According to more than one archeologist, these are the stairs of the Temple of Solomon. As you can see, the stairs are neither too distant from each other nor too close. So at that time, people could go up to the temple easily, and in the meantime, the sacrificial animals could walk up without difficulty.’
“Were these the real stairs of the Temple of Solomon on which Jesus had walked? I can say only one thing: I was attracted to these stairs by a mysterious energy. When I came to Israel, I didn’t know about this place, nor had I a map to locate this spot. I arrived there naturally. I think those were the real stairs of the Temple of Solomon.
“Beyond the stairs was an open space with a pool that could be the Pool of Siloam where Jesus performed the miracle of healing a blind man, according to John’s Gospel. At the Siloam Pool I left the group. It was almost three-thirty in the afternoon, and I had to hurry to get to Gordon’s Calvary in time…

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition

Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MY VISIT TO THE WAILING WALL

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

cut-out-wailing-wall-3318602[1]The Western Wall is what remains of the Temple of Solomon. The first temple was built by Solomon in the tenth century BC and was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Then, it was rebuilt upon the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile in the fifth century BC. This second temple was remodeled and enlarged by King Herod and finally destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
In front of the Western Wall, there is a wide square. The combined wall and square were enchanting. The houses, which looked onto the square, didn’t spoil the environment. They fit in the urban context. Everything there was white from the Wall to the limestone of the houses. Entering the square, I noticed a fountain with many water taps. Plastic jars were tied to each faucet with strings. At first, I thought it was drinking water, but then I saw people washing their hands. In fact, they filled the jars and poured the water on their hands before and after they touched the Wailing Wall. I poured a jar of water on my hands too. I rubbed them and went to the wall.
On the external part of the wall there were some scattered bushes of wild herbs. They looked like capers. I saw only men praying in front of the wall. While they were praying, they shook their bodies back and forth, bending their heads. On the left side close to the wall, I noticed a wide table with many books on it. Upon reading the books, the Orthodox Jews besides shaking their bodies, uttered a kind of gibberish, but different from that I heard in India and in the Protestant Church. This gibberish was much shriller.
The square was divided into two by a barrier. I peeped through it and saw women praying in the other side of the wall. The part of the square reserved for them was smaller, so they crowded in front of the wall.
When I entered the square, there was a stand on my right. A man sitting behind the table gave me a white-colored kippah. He said to me, “Talk with God! You have nothing to do but talk with God. Confine yourself to talking with God!”
I wore the kippah and headed for the wall. I took a seat on one of the many white chairs in the square, raised my head and admired that majestic wall that seemed to touch the sky. In my mind I relived its history and pictured the Temple of Solomon. How gorgeous it was! It had been built to house the Ark of the Covenant.
People prayed with one arm against the wall and their head against their arm. They were talking with God. I stood up, put my arm against the wall as well, and set my head against my arm according to Jewish custom. I talked with God, saying everything I felt at that moment. I loved that kind of prayer. Talking with the divinity is deeper than reciting an absent-minded prayer.
On the right side of the Wailing Wall, there were indoor vaults. I entered the hall beneath the vaults. I saw the original foundations through a glass floor. There were many shelves with plenty of books on them.
I went out and headed for the man from whom I had borrowed the kippah. He wanted to give me a leather black strap with a small leather black box in the middle of it.
“What is this for?” I asked him.
“Oh, you are not Jewish. Move on!”
I washed my hands one more time at the fountain and left the square for Jaffa Gate.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo