Isaiah Said the Ruins Would Rise. They Did. | 10@9 | 2026.07.27

The weeks between Tisha B'Av and Rosh Hashanah are filled with the words of Israel's prophets. This Shabbat Isaiah declares that Jerusalem's ruins will be rebuilt. For centuries those words sounded like hope for a distant future. Then I walked into the Hurva Synagogue. Destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed again, and finally restored in magnificent beauty, the Hurva tells the story not only of one building but of the Jewish people themselves. Its history stretches back more than three hundred years, and today it stands in the heart of Jerusalem as something previous generations could scarcely imagine. When you stand inside its sanctuary, Isaiah's prophecy no longer feels abstract. It becomes visible. Not every promise has yet been fulfilled, and much remains to be rebuilt. But sometimes God allows us to see enough that hope becomes gratitude. The Hurva is one of those places. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.