“If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill; may my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” (Psalm 137, 5-6)
“If I forget you Jerusalem”, is one of the most loved and well-known verses in the Bible. It signifies the longing of the Jewish people to the holy land while in exile for more than 2,500 years.
Between Past and Future, Tradition and Evolution
These beloved verses reveal one of the thoughts hidden in the Bible, namely the tensions and duality between past and future – tradition and evolution. They are customarily recited by the groom during the Jewish wedding ceremony shortly before breaking a glass, a symbolic act of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, as well as at the Brit Milah, when a Jewish newborn is circumcised.
While these verses are read aloud on one of the happiest, most sacred occasions in a man’s life, they also commemorate one of saddest days in the Jewish calendar – Tisha B’Av, the day commemorating the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. It is here that the Bible unveils how history, its sacred traditions, customs, and principles must never be forgotten, while at the same time, we must move forward, struggle for the greater good, and never falter.
These verses also illuminate the rigidity in our lives, in that what is instilled in us forever, cannot be changed, and those which are transient, we can influence. This is the paradox between eternal suffering, and that which is fleeting. It is here that we experience the divine – that our exile is never permanent, and that there is always hope.
We commemorate the verse, “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…” It obliges us to be thankful for all that is good, to realize that the Babylonian exile was but a mere episode, and after 2,500 years, we can walk as free men in the streets of Jerusalem.
If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem – “Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim” (in Hebrew)
At Jerusalem Artists Company, we strive to create jewelry and art for those who hold the tales of the Bible, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, close to their hearts. All of our collections are inspired by the soul and spirit of the Bible and the Land. We reproduced this verse for all those who hold the Bible, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, close to their hearts, in an exquisite stainless steel free-hanging wall plague, “If I Forget You Jerusalem” in Hebrew, as it appears in the Bible.
“Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace”. (Num. 6:23b–26). The Oldest Authentic Evidence of Bible …
What immediately happens when you think of Israeli food? For starters, your mouth waters, your eyes sparkle and your other senses… are on fire (literally!). But for most of us, especially food lovers raised in Jerusalem like myself, “falafel” is what comes to mind. So, what is it about this round little ball of deep-fried …
“You shall charge the sons of Israel that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.” Exodus 27:20 Today, when night falls, to illuminate our homes, we simply switch on the lights. But how did people in the time of the Bible light their their homes …
If I Forget You Jerusalem: The Duality of Remembering Jerusalem
“If I forget you Jerusalem”, is one of the most loved and well-known verses in the Bible. It signifies the longing of the Jewish people to the holy land while in exile for more than 2,500 years.
Between Past and Future, Tradition and Evolution
These beloved verses reveal one of the thoughts hidden in the Bible, namely the tensions and duality between past and future – tradition and evolution. They are customarily recited by the groom during the Jewish wedding ceremony shortly before breaking a glass, a symbolic act of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, as well as at the Brit Milah, when a Jewish newborn is circumcised.
A Jewish Wedding by Jozef Israëls, 1903
While these verses are read aloud on one of the happiest, most sacred occasions in a man’s life, they also commemorate one of saddest days in the Jewish calendar – Tisha B’Av, the day commemorating the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. It is here that the Bible unveils how history, its sacred traditions, customs, and principles must never be forgotten, while at the same time, we must move forward, struggle for the greater good, and never falter.
The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, Francesco Hayez, 1867
Looking Forward
These verses also illuminate the rigidity in our lives, in that what is instilled in us forever, cannot be changed, and those which are transient, we can influence. This is the paradox between eternal suffering, and that which is fleeting. It is here that we experience the divine – that our exile is never permanent, and that there is always hope.
We commemorate the verse, “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…” It obliges us to be thankful for all that is good, to realize that the Babylonian exile was but a mere episode, and after 2,500 years, we can walk as free men in the streets of Jerusalem.
If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem – “Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim” (in Hebrew)
At Jerusalem Artists Company, we strive to create jewelry and art for those who hold the tales of the Bible, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, close to their hearts. All of our collections are inspired by the soul and spirit of the Bible and the Land. We reproduced this verse for all those who hold the Bible, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land, close to their hearts, in an exquisite stainless steel free-hanging wall plague, “If I Forget You Jerusalem” in Hebrew, as it appears in the Bible.
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