An Athenian came to Jerusalem and found a discarded mortar

Midrash Rabbah Eikhah Rabbah 1:8

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 15, 2025

An Athenian came to Jerusalem and found a discarded mortar. He took it and brought it to a tailor. He said to him: ‘Sew this broken mortar for me.’ [The tailor] took out a handful of sand and said to him: ‘Spin threads for me and I will sew it.’26Just as one cannot spin thread from sand, one cannot sew together a broken mortar. See Etz Yosef and Rabbi David Luria, who interpret this passage allegorically as a debate as to whether Israel can again experience redemption.

Themes

Redemption Holy Land Jerusalem

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