Emergency Ward again

Man holding the 4 species
at the Wailing Wall

Yesterday was one tiring day with so much work to be done. Towards evening I was a little hungry (no appetite when I'm tired) so I ate some biscuits. Unknown to me there were nuts ground into the biscuits. Immediately I couldn't breathe, eyes swollen ... typical signs of an allergy. It's the 3rd time in a year that I got this attack. Managed to slowly walk to the taxi stand in Damascus Gate with the help of an arab friend who met me along the road. Went to the emergency ward at St Joseph's Hospital in East Jerusalem. I was gasping for air and my face was all swollen. The nurse and doc there saw me and rushed to get 3 types of injections jabbed into my butt. Fell asleep almost instantly. When I woke a hour later I wanted to go home and the doc kept restraining back to bed, saying I was too dizzy to walk. He refused to let me go home, insisting I need to stay 3 days treatment. Anyway I got what I wanted, against his advice. Walked out to the main road to grab a taxi ... stumbling 3 times as I was still very giddy from the strong anti-histamine injection. And stumbled another 500 meters from Damascus Gate to home. Slept through the night.

Waving the 4 species
before the Priestly Blessing

Still feeling very weak today. But I had to leave the hospital because this morning was the annual national Priestly Blessing at the Wailing Wall. I missed it last year because I was sick and this year I was determined to go, sick or not. At 9.30 tens of thousands of Jews had gathered at the Wailing Wall despite massive security. There had been arabs rioting in the adjacent Al Aqsa Mosque the past 2 days so the govt. was taking no chances. The cantor called out "Kohanim" meaning "priests" ... to take their places at the Wall and prepare to bless the people. Then word by word, the cantor sang the blessing of Aaron, the priests repeating after him. It was and is always an impressive and touching event. Jews who were waving the 4 species (citrus, willow, myrtle, palm frond) in the 4 directions during Shaharit (Morning Prayers) all remained in solemn silence as the ancient priestly tribe raised their hands in blessing. It was wonderful. It was worth escaping hospital for.