Israel – On the eve of the 43rd Jerusalem Day, 43 rabbis, mainly from the Religious Zionism movement, visited the Temple Mount on Monday, in the largest group of rabbis to visit the site since 1967. The event was coordinated with the Jerusalem Police and was held under security.
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The rabbis to visit the site include Kiryat Arba rabbi and chairman of the Yesha Rabbinical Council Rabbi Dov Lior, head of the Har Etzion Yeshiva Rabbi Yaakov Meidan, Otniel rabbi and head of the community’s yeshiva Rabbi Ram Hacohen, Ofra Rabbi Avi Gisser, Yitzhar Rabbi David Dudkevitz, and Knesset members Uri Ariel and Michael Ben-Ari (National Union).
This is the third time in recent years that a group of rabbis gathers to visit the Temple Mount, and the event has become a tradition since the 40th anniversary of Jerusalem’s liberation.
The rabbis visited the site after holding morning prayers at the Western Wall. Earlier, the rabbis immersed themselves in a mikveh, and were careful to walk only in areas permitted by halacha on the Temple Mount.
The El Har Hamor organization and the Temple Mount Heritage Fund, which organized the event, explained its purpose: “An expression of the deep bond with the holy site.”
The organizers added, “It is also of significance in terms of public awareness. The presence of rabbis visiting the site together shows the students in particular, and the public in general, the value and importance of visiting the Temple Mount in sanctity and in purity.”
MK Uri Ariel, who is active in encouraging Jews to visit the Temple Mount, said, “The rabbis’ visit is meant to remind us of the essence of Jerusalem Day: It is not the Western Wall that is our souls’ desire, but what lies beyond it – the Temple Mount, the site of our Temple.”
Yehuda Glick, chairman of the Temple Mount Heritage Fund, said, “Thank the heavens, the Jews’ visit to the sacred Temple Mount is not just for a few Jews, but is a widespread custom among a broad avenue of the religious and ultra-Orthodox public.
“We thank the Israel Police for allowing this visit and securing the rabbis throughout their visit to the site, and hope that this is the start of the fulfillment of the prophets’ words: ‘In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of G-d shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it… for the law shall go forth from Zion, and the world of G-d from Jerusalem,’ and these will be the real proximity talks.”
What a kiddush hashem. When the rabbanim do it first and do it properly it shows the people how to do it so they don’t ascend impure.
nebach….
Good move. Show the world that this site is just as holy and important to us. The world only sees Muslims and Christians making ceremonial “pilgrimages,” so they forget how fundamental these sites are to us. If you want a claim on Jerusalem, do the same things Muslims do to convince the world that this parcel of land is non negotioable.
Since when do we play games with something like this?! Would you walk 7.5 feet in the Reshus Harabim carrying an object in an area that doesn’t have an Eruv?! Would you eat something that “might” be pork?! What’s with “Rabbis” today Heaven help us!
I don’t get it, is there a heter to go there? What’s their reasoning exactly?
Just for clarification – All OUR Gedolim (vehamayvin yovin) have repeatedly stated that it is ossur to ascend ANYWHERE on the Har Habayis, including the places where these Rabbonim went. They have paskened like this from a pure Torah perspective and are not motivated by nationalistic non-Torah ideas.
They are all “Chavei Kruses” R”L.
As the old joke goes, “… but don’t let me catch you praying.” Let’s hope they managed to daven up there. I don’t see any mention of that.
HaAhava mekalkeles hashura
The main part of the avoda on Yom Kippur was to be mechaper on tumas mikdash ukedashav & they think the average Joe can be careful in that .
It should be noted that:
1. Majority of poskim today don’t allow you to go anywhere on Har Habayis because of the safek.
Even according to the ones who allow, you have to:
2. Go to a mikva before.
3. Go close to the walls so that you will not enter the Makom Hamikdash.
Preferably those who will go should go with a knowledgeable guide.
They are demonstrating who it belongs to, they should keep doing it.
i dont understand this
all the poiskei hador both litvish and chasidish have said unequivocally that it is assur to go
why this desire to be moired in them
i hope and pray that they dont end up like the yidden that did not listen to moshe when he told them dont go up because hashem is not with you
its a shame that we have lived to see this day of pure chutzpah and humiliation of daas torah
There is a book called yemei Shmuel Horowitz, written in the 1920’s by a Torah Jew. He says that all the God fearing Jewish visitors in the early 1920’s who made it to the kotel for the 3 festivals would ascend to Har HaBayis. He says it many times and since the book is like a journal that spans a few years, he mentions several times where he saw this, and then he says ” because of our many sins, the practice stopped in the late 1920’s.. The Muslims stopped letting them go up.
1. don’t forget that the second intifada started when fat sharon riled up the arabs by provoking them by visiting the Har Habayis.
2. this dov lior is the same clown who converted the lady from troppergate
3. these bozos are making a chilul Hashem by flaunting halacha and by placing all jews everywhere in danger by raising the ire of the arabs.
4. Even if they call themselves rabbis, they are definitely nowhere near as knowledgable as Rv Ovadya Yosef and Rav Eliyashiv and every great gadol who forbade going. These guys are jokers and publicity hounds.
Nebach.
These rabbonim seem not to care much for halacha….aside from walking around on the kadoshim, they are entering through the varbeshe section (see photo above) which also is assur.
I get the problem here. All of the “yeshivisha” bunch are judging this group of Rabbonim because they are not wearing hats. Or jackets… Thats the fundamental problem here. If they would, the frummies who know it all would be bowing down to them. And yes, I do wear a hat and jacket, and know people who do not who know WAY more than I will ever know.
Harav Kook wrote a very harsh warning against those who dare to go up there, I tought these rabbis follow his rules?
Anyone who has a basic understanding of the topography of Har Habayit knows that it’s very evident where you can and can’t go. The Chareidi gedolim mostly paskin against because, as is often the case, they don’t trust their followers to adhere to the most basic instructions. These rabbanim understand that the people in their world are more intellectually savvy and are capable of going up without a problem.
Eilu V’Eilu
Why does this issue become another case of “Gadol A versus Gadol B” . Elyashiv and some other rabbonim with valid credentials have held this to be assure given the uncertainty of locations etc. while other equally knowledgeable rabbonim (including several in this group who made the visit) said it is OK. Its not such a big deal that we cannot simply disagree with respect.
The headline is misleading….these rabbonim did not “flock” to the har habayis like a bunch of crows to their roost. This was a political event that was well thought out (43 rabbonim for 43 years etc.) There was nothing spontaneous about it.
Only on VIN could a such a minor ceremonial event upon which there is legitimate disagreement deteriorate into name calling and questioning of the legitimacy of some of the gadolei yisroel whose yiras shamayim and mesiras nefesh for klal yisroel is beyond challenge. Even those so called gadolim who might question their actions would never question their yiddiskeit.
“were careful to walk only in areas permitted by halacha ” whats going on here?! the rabbis of previous genrations unanimously banned a yid to go up there. Why do we allow people who care more about a political agenda then about issurim be called “rabbis”. the term orthodox and rabbi has become so hefker ! why do we go on calling them rabbis. its becoming like the anti religous secular press that bestowes smicha on any corrupt black wearing jew involved in coruption calling them rabbi !!
What about Maaris Eyen ?
what a chillul hasham! what a hisgaros b’eimos! what a rtzeecha!
remember whan PM shron was a “oiber-chuchem” and want up there, what heppened that time? how much jewish nfushes did it cost? what a shame! those are rabbis? I don’t know what of rabbis! I don’t know what make them for rabbis!
I hope it will not “shuten” for yidden, amen.
WOW, I want to go there on my next trip to Israel !!!
Kol HaKavod to these Holy Jews who are the only ones protecting Har Habayis. All your so called Chareidim who assur everything under the sun will assur this also. It’s no kuntz to assur everything, it takes a real posuk with a vision to know how to make things mutar. These rabbonim deserve out respect and our support. They are the true leaders who will be able to lead us to the Geula. Happy Yom Yerusahlayim and we should all take time out to thank HKB’H for the wonderful gift of Yerushalayim that he bestowed upon OUR generation. Let’s show HKB’H that we deserve to keep it.
The fact is its muter see rambam hilchos mikdosh 3rd payrik even a dead body is allowed on the har habyis its only the beis hamikdosh footsteps that’s forbidin
Have you ever noticed that the same posters who slam Jews for ascending the Har Habayit NEVER protest the continual presence of goyim, which is ASUR, on the Har Habayit.
Where is their frumkeit when it comes to the goyim on the Har Habayit.
Where are the gedolim/poskim they quote about yidden shouldn’t go up to the Har Habayit meshum sefekus when goyim are vadai not allowed on the Har Habayit?
They are guilty of bad judgement. Many other ignorant Jews will not be as careful as this group.
There is a reason why it is called mora mikdash.
There is a reason why on Yom Kippur the focal point of the avoda is to be mechaper on tumas mikdash ukdashav.
Ezezhu Chacham HaRoeh es HaNolad
1. According to the Raivad, it’s not Assur to go up to the Mount.
2. When Ezrah went up and built the Second Bais Hamikdash he was getting the same “lashing out” as these Rabbanim. Maybe we should be Dan l’Caf Zchus on all Jews, especially these Rabbanim, and we wouldnt have to worry about these issues.
The Har Habayis always and will forever belong to the Jews!!!! It is a chillul that the Israeli police will not let Jews daven there. Jews can’t go to our makom kadosh only the arabs can.To the comment about how the rabbis are dressed, these people have more kavonah when they daven then the phoney frumacks.
it`s about time to rebuild the beit hamikdash , install the sanhedrin and proclaim the end of medinat israel and the beginning of eretz hakodesh israel besrad Hashem.
somehow the beit hamikdash has got to be build and these people are just taking measurement where to put their furniture , what a kiddush Hashem .
becoming impure for the sake of rebuilding the beit hamikdash for the next generation .
we can argue the halachah back and forth, but the main problem is that it upsets the arabs – if chas v’shalom there is any backlash because of this, these well-meaning rabbis will have blood on their hands – we have to be very careful and remember that we are still in galus