It was not long ago when MK Moshe Gafne expressed harsh criticism against Minister Uri Ariel of the Bayit Yehudi party, stating that Ariel has been worse for chareidi Jewry than Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.
Gafne spoke of the fact that Ariel was visiting Har Habayis instead of attending an important session in a Knesset committee, attacking Ariel for his practice of visiting the holy site and failing to tend to his responsibilities.
In response to Gafne’s public attack against Ariel and visiting Har Habayis, prominent rabbonim sent him an open letter encouraging him to continue visiting the holy site during turbulent days when Am Yisrael’s claim to Har Habayis is under attack. The rabbonim stress that visiting the holy site must be done in accordance to halacha, as Ariel does.
Among the rabbonim who signed the open letter are Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Eliezer Nachum Rabinovitch, Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, and Rabbi Elyakim Levanon.
It is added that Gedolei Yisrael throughout the generations have ruled one may not visit Har Habayis. This is the ruling of Gedolei Yisrael today as well, in addition to being the position of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
You know, it’s kind of funny that YWN attached its standard disclaimer re: Gedolei Yisrael ruling that individuals may not ascend the Har HaBayis right after giving a list of heavyweight Rabbonim who do allow ascent if one has gone through the proper procedures to remove all Tum’os other than Tum’as Meis. I understand that YWN follows its own Poskim, and generally views Chareidi Gedolim as THE Gedolim, but several of those noted in the article are viewed as Gedolim by a large segment of Klal Yisrael that is Shomrei Torah uMitzvos.
MK Ariel follows his Rabbanim and Gedolim, as he has every Halachic right to do. Eilu v’Eilu can be applied to non-Chareidi Gedolim as well.
A G’mar Chasima Tova,
an Israeli Yid