Many prayer requests are written in notes and carefully placed in the wailing wall. It can be hard to find an empty space to place a note. Well, it’s not a small thing to pay a visit to Israel for most people. But interestingly, where do all these notes go? Do they stay here forever?
Actually…. some people from “Geniza” come to clean it on Passover and on Rosh Hashanah, and some other dates too. This is a video from previous years:
The cleaners wear a coat with words גניזה (Geniza) in the back, it means “the hidden place”. The notes will not be thrown away and will be gathered in this hidden place. When it’s filled, the notes will be removed and buried in Mt.Olives. Yes, “bury”.
Why should the notes be buries?
Because the notes and religious books have God’s name written in it, so it will not be burned and must be “buried” in the land. When the old books are replaced, they are to be placed in geniza first. When the number is too many, then they will be buried in a grave together.
How old has this practice been? It can at least been traced back to the 1st century. In the synagogue of Masada from that era, a Geniza was found there that preserved fragments of Torah about Ezekiel’s vision on dry bones! How cool is that!
So now we know all the notes sent to the Wailing wall are treated with such respect, like religious books!
