Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Shmona Rabbi Tzefanya Drori Shlita, an outspoken advocate of visiting Har Habayis, told the dati leumi Kippa website that he encourages Jews to visit the holy site. He rejects the notion that doing so is responsible for Islamic violence, explaining the Muslims simply looks for an excuse. Rabbi Drori is viewed as one of the leading poskim in the dati leumi community advocating visits to Har Habayis.
Clearly the issue of Jews visiting Har Habayis has topped the nation’s agenda as the Jews and Arabs and Jews and Jews are at odds regarding the right of Jews to visit and daven on Har Habayis. YWN-ISRAEL reminds our readers once again, that the Gedolei Hador throughout the generations have been and remain opposed to ascending to Har Habayis, as is the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
“Visiting Har Habayis is a mitzvah Min Hatorah and for many years after the churban leading rabbonim including the Rambam and Ramban did so. When we are there we are close to the place of the Mikdosh and even now that it is gone, the kedusha remains. This has not changed for thousands of years and it will not change today. It is a mitzvah to visit Har Habayis” states Rav Drori.
Rabbi Drori explains that those rabbonim who forbid visiting Har Habayis have two reasons. They fear visitors do not know how to prepare properly and secondly, there are boundaries, areas that are halachically off limits and one who transgresses is punishable by karess.
The rav adds that in recent years there is an additional reason is that we are uncertain regarding the boundaries of the permitted areas and therefore, one may transgress unintentionally. Rav Drori explains this is not so and that we are aware of what areas are and are not permitted.
“The measurements of Har Habayis have not changed throughout the ages. We are aware of the size of the Azarah and there are clear signs demarking where it is permissible to go. Hence there is no basis for this view. If there is a problem, then one simply refrains from entering those areas. Therefore, today, there is no problem to come close to al-Aqsa Mosque since this is the area that King Herod added. If one enters further, one must toivel in a mikve and of course one cannot be carrying bags or shoes of leather. It is a great merit to be able to ascend Har Habayis”.
Rabbi Drori feels that if one does not visit Har Habayis today one is guilty of a serious transgression for we must yearn for the Mikdosh. “If we do not go others will usurp control as we are abandoning the site. Every person that ascends is considered a Shomer HaMikdash from occupation. This carries many heterim. Every person has this right and B”H there are many exercising this right” he adds.
Rav Dror then addresses those rabbonim who fear that some who visit will not properly prepare themselves and they will be tamei and this would have an adverse effect. “At the time we did not visit Har Habayis tourists did so in large numbers. Today, because of the religious worshipers visiting, they are learning to prepare themselves properly to prevent the prohibitions associated with ascending with preparing oneself as one must. Once upon a time persons visited without concern for areas and boundaries. I recommend that anyone with Yiras Shomayim to protest the unrestricted visitation by tourists to prevent compromising our holy site. There are very prominent rabbonim like Rabbi Dov Lior who is a profound talmid chacham, and other leading rabbonim, who permit visiting. There are people were are expert in Torah Law who permit ascending.
“Anyone who rejects ascending Har Habayis appropriates our rights to walk about freely at the Kosel and in the Old City” states the rav. “We are not going to fight the Arabs and they is no provocation. This has become normative Muslim behavior and require no stimulation to act as they do. The Arabs claimed in the past that visiting the Kosel was the cause of the violence and today, it is Har Habayis. When the Knesset was built they knew the world would resist but came to understand Yerushalayim is the basis of our neshama. If people do not understand this then they do not understand the history or the Torah and have no understanding of the People of Israel. They do not achieve more Yiras Shomayim by opposing ascending to Har Habayis but rather they strengthen our enemies.
“The violence did not begin with Har Habayis. The violence began with Yerushalayim with other matters entirely. What connection does this have with the place of the Mikdosh? These are lies and everyone is aware of this. They are not concerned with Har Habayis rather they object to the establishment of the State of Israel. They are unwilling to recognize the fact that Am Yisrael has a foothold in Eretz Yisrael”.
“Rav Kook explained to Rav Tzvi Yehuda when he met with the wise men of Islam the latter knew we would return to Har Habayis and that is our right. That is what Rav Tzvi Yehuda told me. All of the excuses and disturbances of Islam stem from the hated of Israel that we have returned home”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Oy, oy, oy!
So YWN became a stage for the liberal mizrachi “rabonim”… that’s much more interesting news than the great lengths you explain their stand on har habayis…
By the way the have alot of other “interesting” psakim in Yore Deah etc. That would be very interesting for many readers.
Maybe it’s wortrh changing the name of the site altogether to Mizrachi World news….
Have never heard of this rabbi until this article, have heard of the Gedolim who paskin that it’s assur. Korach said that everyone was equal and could paskin on their own, he was proven quite incorrect.
Does he think he knows how to learn better than RAV KOOK ZT”L?? Drori gives many hashgachos on chicken etc
Now that we know what kind of phoney lomdus he utilizes then his hashgachos have zero credibility.
I don’t usually post here but I feel there is a terrible trend I’m noticing amongst most of the commentators on this site.
I won’t compare this Rov to Bais Shammai, however, since when are we allowed to bad mouth a Rov just because his opinions are of the minority? true, we don’t hold like him , rather follow our gedolim, but to use such derogatory terms about a Rov whom which we know so little about????
This I say is arrogance that we in the “yeshivishe” community must work to stop immediately.
Anyone that has learned mishna knows that only a zav, zavah, niddah, and yoledes are asurim from entering har Habayis. All of these people are mt’taher through tevilah in a mikvah. A tmei meis — who cannot be mitaher today without mei chatas — is assur from entering the cheil. It is absolutely amaratzus to say that a tmei meis cannot go onto the har habayis — this is literally a “dvar mishna”.
Both the Chief Rabbis, and this rabbi, are distorting halachah, bringing discredit on all rabbis everywhere.
1) To M: This is why you don’t pasken from a mishna. It is a machlokes rishonim whether there is an issur m’drabbonon for a t’mei mes to go on har habayis.
2) If the Al Aqsa area was only added by Herod and has no kedusha at all why would anyone want to go there more than the kosel whose shechina has never left?
3) What exactly is the mitzva min haTorah?
4) There does not seem to be any more chashivus in davening in a place that has more kedusha. The proof is that every day the kohanim left the azarah to dven in the lishkas hagazis – because this is where Torah was disseminated from. Better to find a yeshiva to daven in.
good stuff: 100% correct!!
Chote umachati
Finally some correct perspective. And to #2 this website has mostly been one sided. Why is having someone whom you disagree with such a threat to you? You cant handle any debate so you just wish to silence those who do not fit your Haskaffa.
Why bring ignorant drivel from a Mgaleh Ponim BaTorah like this. MITZVA???? If it’s an aveira to keep Shabbos then it”s a mitzva to ascend the Har Habayis. Shoteh!
israeli charedi gut gezokt pls comment more on these amaratzusdike posts
lbj
I generally prefer to stay out of these useless discussions – unless I have something useful to contribute. You can’t change someone’s heart which is already decided with a few inconvenient facts.
#5
did you just wake up or were you born recently?
are you aware that till about 1 or 2 years ago most of malignations of the commentors were anti charedi?
And how about a little checking the rest of internet and media?
the dear erliche commentors are trying to redress the unbalance
Want proof?do a YeshivaworldNews on BarryLS1
To 8, an Israeli Chareidi — no, the rishonim are cholek about makom hamikdash, the azarah, the cheil. According to the Raavad there is no kdusha even there after the churban, though the Rambam, the baalei haTosfos and others are cholek, and some think even according to the Raavad there’s still an issur there. But no one thinks there is an issur drabana for a t’mei mes to go on har habayis. If there are, please let me know.
This is why you don’t pasken from an internet post.
yishmael does not need an excuse to slaughter us …. his mother hagar told him, after they were both expelled by our holy ima Sara Imeinu, that Avrohom is not Yitzcok’s father … his real father is elimelech from the time Sara was kidnapped … i heard this on Shabbos by a kollel rav who filled in for R. Shapiro of Shaarei Tefillah … this was a brilliant shiur and the first time i heard this …. the reason yishmael wants us out of Israel and off Har Habayis is because they truly believe we are not entitled to Avraham’s inheritance because we are not Avraham’s child ….. this is because of hagar …. from the beginning they were told this …. nothing can instigate this …. it is in their very fabric … it was the teaching of their original mother and they don’t feel we are entitled to anything that Avrahom was promised …. they believe Ishmael was the only decendent of Avrohom and all the blessings for inheritance of Israel belongs to them …. I don’t want to contradict the Holy Rabbeim who don’t feel it is time for us to go to Har Habayis, and I would not challenge this …. but I feel since this shiur that there is nothing that can encourage them to harm us … to them, we are not part of Avrahom’s inheritance … to them, we are imposters ….. to them, Ishmael was Avrohom’s only child …..