This week marks 59 years since the Six-Day War and the moment when the Jewish people returned to the Western Wall and the heart of Jerusalem.

Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who served as Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, was in Australia when he heard that war was imminent. He immediately returned to Israel, worked to persuade government leaders to support military action, and once the decision was made to capture the Old City, joined the first soldiers entering it.

Holding a shofar in his hand, he ran under fire toward the Western Wall. When he arrived, he and the soldiers forced open the locked gate, recited chapters of Tehillim, and sounded the shofar. That image became one of the most moving and iconic symbols of the Six-Day War and of the Jewish people’s return to Yerushalayim.

The Torah states: “When you sound the trumpets… you will be remembered before the Lord your G-d and you will be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9). Rabbi Goren believed with all his heart that the sound of the shofar expressed the faith, confidence, and ultimate victory of the Jewish people.

The Rebbe often taught that Yerushalayim is not only a physical city, but also a spiritual state. The word Yerushalayim can be understood as Yirah Shleimah—complete awe of G-d. Every Jew is called upon to transform his home, heart, and personal life into a miniature Yerushalayim.

Our sages taught unique laws regarding Yerushalayim, and each carries a profound lesson:

• “No garbage dumps may be made there.” We must not allow “spiritual garbage” to accumulate in our minds—unnecessary negative news, fears, and anxieties over matters beyond our control.
• “No furnaces may be built there.” We should not allow anger and resentment to burn within us.
• “No gardens or orchards may be planted there.” Yerushalayim must always emit a pleasant fragrance. Spiritually, this means treating others with warmth, kindness, and sharing the beauty of Torah and mitzvot.
• “A corpse may not remain there overnight.” We should never allow feelings of despair and lifelessness to linger, even for a single night.

Yerushalayim is not only a destination; it is a way of life. When we clear our hearts of fear, anger, and despair, and fill them with faith, joy, and love for our fellow Jews, we transform our lives into Yerushalayim.

May we merit to make our homes and hearts into holy Yerushalayims, and may we soon witness the rebuilding of Yerushalayim in its complete glory with the coming of Moshiach.