| And Rabbi Akiva Laughed... | | |
 | | Chabad House of Gush Katif in ruins |
Once a group of chachamim were on their way up to Yerushalayim. When they reached Har Hatzofim they tore their clothes. When they reached the Har Habayis they saw a fox going out of the place of the Kodshei Kodoshim, and they started to cry. R. Akiva laughed. They said, why are you laughing? He said, why are you crying? They said, in the place were the Torah says that "A stranger who approaches it will die" a fox is now roaming. Should we not cry? He said to them, because of this I laugh. It says: "Trustworthy witnesses have borne witness for me, Uriah Hakohen and Zecharia ben Yevrechya. What is the connection between Uriah and Zechariah? Uria lived during the time of the first Beis Hamikdash and Zecharia during the second. But the passuk is making a relationship between the nevua of Uriah and the Nevuah of Zecharia. By Uriah it is written "Tzion will be plowed lik! e a field." In Zecharia it says "Old men and women will once again sit in the streets of Jerusalem." Until Uriah's prophecy was fulfilled, I was afraid that Zecharia's prophecy would not be fulfilled. Now that I see Uriah's prophecy fulfilled, I know that Zecharia's prophecy will be fulfilled as well. At this, the sages said: Akiva you have comforted us; Akiva you have comforted us.
Picture by Yisroel Bardugo
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