Page 21 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition

ual Pilgrimage
A Bar Mitzvah boy puts on tefillin for the first time at ancient Shiloh A young girl guides her guests at ancient Shiloh as part of her Bat Mitzvah celebration.
“For this child I prayed” (I Samuel 1:27)
Shiloh, in the hill country of the
tribe of Ephraim, was the central
Israelite worship location prior to about Elkanah and his family making a
the establishment of the monarchy.
It was the site of the Tabernacle, to where
spiritual pilgrimages were made to seek out
God’s blessings.
And Shiloh remains a spiritual site for the
young and the old alike as well as for those
interested in archaeology and history of the
Land of Israel. With excavations ongoing,
visitors are witnesses to almost 4,000
years and more of human endeavor and
accomplishment of various cultures and
peoples. We also have the opportunity to
learn about the Tabernacle and experience
the unique atmosphere that pervades Shiloh.
With special educational activities for
youngsters, including Biblical-period arts and
crafts, terrain bicycling and hiking as well as
on-site event facilities and catering, Shiloh
is prime place to hold a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
celebration, a class or family-and-friends trip
Above: A moving musical experience at the site where the Tabernacle once stood
or an adventure outing. Nearby wineries and Hannah, blessed with a son after years of
oil producers add to Shiloh’s uniqueness. barrenness due to the fervency of her prayers
at the Tabernacle, returns with offerings and
In the Bible, we read in the Book of I Samuel places her son in the care of Eli, the High
Priest. He matures and becomes Samuel, the
pilgrimage to Shiloh. Seer, a prophet, a judge and a leader of his
people.
The Rabbis’ midrashic interpretation relates
that each holiday Elkana would take his Visiting Shiloh provides insight into the
family and ascend the mountains to Shiloh, place where he grew up. Walking through
a journey that would also teach those who the ruins while viewing the hillside country,
were lax in making the pilgrimage a lesson the vineyards that have been replanted, the
concerning the command to appear before valleys, the springs and walking out to the
the Lord at his house (Exodus 23:14-17). probable Tabernacle courtyard area is not
only a learning experience, but one that
Elkana would take a different route each time invigorates the spirit.
and sleep in the village square at various
locations. This piqued the curiosity of the The prayer of Hannah was unique among
townspeople in villages along the alternating prayers, as it was but a whisper no one could
routes, and they would ask him why he did hear for “only her lips moved…but her voice
not avail himself of their hospitality. Informed could not be heard.” The haftarah portion
that he was on his way to serve God at the recited on Rosh Hashana recalls this moving
spiritual center of Shiloh, they accepted his and emotional episode. Yet it was granted
invitation to join him. almost immediately, even if Eli’s first reaction
was abrupt, thinking her perhaps drunk.
You, too, can symbolically relive the pilgrimage Thus, the custom of praying at Shiloh has
of Elkana, as well as that of Hannah. become a tradition, and many come to speak
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