Yet once more will be heard....

" --עוֹד יִשָּׁמַע בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה, וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה, קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה"

"Yet again will be heard in the cities of Yehuda and the streets of Yerushalayim, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride..." (Jeremiah 33:11)

Here a Jewish wedding takes place in Sebastia in the Shomron and guests dance over the remains of ancient stone. Sebastia was once the capital of the kingdom of Israel of King Omri, after whom Sharon's son is named after, who introduced intermarriage into the royal household that produced the corruption of Ahav and Izevel and Ahaziah.

Sebastia was part of the second aliyah, the second return to the Shomron after its liberation in 1967 traveling even on Tisha Ba'av and in defiance of Rabin and the authorities who threatened to expell them by force. Like the expulsion of the Jews of Gush Katif last year, the expulsion of the Jews began after Tisha Ba'av resulting in clashes between the settlers and the IDF. And nearly 40 years later they are still here and song resounds in the hills of the Shomron and the gladness of bride and groom.

It is said that in the month of Nissan on Pesach we were freed and on Nissan we will be freed again, from exile to redemption and all the hills and valleys will resound with song.

Chag Pesach Sameach