How the Beis Yisroel neighborhood in Jerusalem was salvaged
from swampland, over a century ago.
Our visitor, Uncle Levi, left for the U.S.A. and life
returned to its usual pace. A while later, a letter arrived,
and it contained many good wishes and thanks for the
wonderful hospitality. Uncle Levi expressed regrets for not
settling in Yerushalayim, but hoped that eventually he would
come and settle in the holy city . . .
Abba Shimony was happy to read these words, and decided to
keep on writing and telling Uncle Levi how Yerushalayim was
built. He sat down and wrote about the the Beis Yisroel
neighborhood.
*
Forty houses were built in the Meah Shearim neighborhood, but
in 5638, most of them stood empty . . . Many settlers left
the place; no one wanted to live there. It was considered a
cursed place, and rumors were spread that all those who lived
in those houses became ill and were destined to die soon . .
. Many of the early settlers did become ill and died of
yellow fever.
A committee of several wise men was established, including R'
Yoseph Chaim Sonnenfeld (later to become the rov of
Yerushalayim), R' Yoseph Rivlin, and other important
askonim. They had to come up with a plan to overcome
this terrible disease and encourage the people to stay in
Meah Shearim. They put their heads together and figured out
the cause of the plague . . .
A swampy lot adjacent to Meah Shearim was infested with
disease-bearing mosquitos. This place was much lower than
Meah Shearim, and was surrounded by many hills, an enclosure
which prevented excess rainwater from draining, resulting in
a noxious swamp, a veritable death-trap which was shunned
even by birds and animals . . .
*
The askonim gathered and made plans. There must be a
way to drain the contaminated water, and this must be done
immediately! But how to do it? Plans were drawn and canceled,
and finally, they had something that seemed like it might
work.
First, in order to pump water, they needed pipes. These must
be very long pipes that could be pushed into place from a
distance without endangering anyone by getting too close.
This was done.
The next step was to examine the area from a safe distance;
the lowest hill was found on the east corner. It had to be
leveled, but this did not solve the problem because the water
didn't flow freely, and many obstacles prevented the pipes
from being positioned in the right direction.
"What is to be done?" asked R' Yoseph Rivlin.
The eminent R' Chaim Sonnenfeld was not discouraged. Many
plans were put forth but none was feasible. Finally, they
contrived a complex idea involving pipes, water, cords, a
long stick, and a dog . . .
Donkeys carried large quantities of clean water, and soon
many barrels of water (a dear commodity) stood on the west
side of the swamp. Two long pipes were brought, together with
several balls of long, strong cord, both thin and thick. The
askonim didn't want to risk human lives, so a strong
dog was cajoled into service.
The thick pipe was tied to its body, and at the end of this
pipe, another long pipe was attached. A long thin cord was
tied to the dog's neck. Someone climbed to the top of the
hills, holding on loosely to the other end of the thin cord.
As the man reached the east corner, he tugged the rope
tightly, and managed to forcefully drag the dog in the
direction of the swamp.
All along, someone, from a hill at a safe distance, prodded
the dog with a long stick. At last, the dog with the pipes
reached the swamp, and then walked on to the east hill. By
this time, two long pipes were resting on the ground,
connecting the east and the west hills, with the swamp in the
center.
As soon as the dog reached the lower east hill, it was freed
from the grip of the cords, and both pipes were dropped to
the ground. Each had one end in the swamp, while the other
ended on the hills, east and west. Into the end of the pipe
on the west, clean water flowed profusely, and the water in
the swamp became diluted and thus less noxious.
To let the water flow in the eastern direction, the hill and
the surrounding area were dug and made even lower. Now, more
water flowed into the swamp, and at last the clearing of the
entire body of water gradually took place. It was a great joy
for everyone, as they stood watching the water of the swamp
flow freely out of the swamp and into an open area.
The place was washed again and again and eventually
completely cleared and dried . . . Soon birds came flying
by, and some of them landed on dry ground.
On this very area of the swamp, the new neighborhood called
'Beis Yisroel' was soon built, and the Meah Shearim
neighborhood flourished once again.
