In July of this year, YWN broke the news of the visit of Rabbi Moshe Tendler to the Har Habayis – causing a fury of comments to be submitted to YWN (Click HERE for story). Now, Haaretz reports the following:
Israel’s leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis are waging a new offensive against Jews visiting Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and Chacham Ovadia Yosef sent a letter recently to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, the overseer of holy places in the Western Wall complex, urging him to reiterate the religious decree signed 40 years ago by most rabbis in Israel forbidding Jews from entering the Mount.
The rabbis’ efforts follow the publication in Haaretz last month of the visit of Rabbi Moshe Tendler, the son-in-law of prominent U.S. rabbi Moshe Feinstein, to the Temple Mount.
Rabbi Tendler was photographed visiting the plaza atop the Mount (posted HERE on YWN), where the Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine now sits, igniting a firestorm of controversy in the ultra-Orthodox community. Several other prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis have ascended the Mount in recent years, including Rabbi Dov Kook of Tiberias, the husband of Rabbi Elyashiv’s granddaughter.
The rabbis’ statement calls for a complete ban on entering any part of the Temple Mount complex for fear of compromising the “purity” of the area.
The declaration stated that “as time passed, we have lost knowledge of the precise location of the Temple, and anyone entering the Temple Mount is liable to unwittingly enter the area of the Temple and the Holy of Holies,” referring to the inner sanctuary of the Temple tabernacle.
Rabbi Elyashiv urged Rabinovich to place notices and guards around the complex to warn the faithful of the prohibition.
Rabbi Kanievsky wrote that “entrance to the Temple Mount, and the defilement of the Holy of Holies, is more severe than any of the violations in the Torah.”
After Israel gained control of the Temple Mount in the 1967 Six-Day War, the chief rabbinate placed signs around the complex informing visitors that entering the area would result in divine punishment, namely death.
But recent years have seen a change in position among national-religious rabbis, many of whom have made efforts to lift the ban on visiting the Mount. The change in position is due partly to damage caused to Jewish antiquities at the site, and the denial by Muslim authorities of Jewish links to the area. Kiryat Shmona chief rabbi Zephania Drori, chief rabbi of Judea and Samaria Dov Lior and Ma’aleh Adumim yeshiva head Nahum Rabinovich are among the religious authorities calling for a review of the ban.
Visits by religious Jews to the site have also increased significantly. Some rabbis have cited the principle of the “law of conquest,” according to which territories in the Holy Land must be wrested from “foreign” control.
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39 Responses
and for the arabs it is ok?
You forgot to mention the Edah haChareidis.
This week’s HaEdah (the Edah’s weekly news-magazine) contained a *very* strong letter by the Badatz, of this week, signed by all of the members of the Badatz and the Gavad. HaEdah devoted an entire page to the story.
If you mention Rav Eliashiv, Rav Kanievsky and Rav Yosef, I think you should mention the Edah also…
All know that he is a religious scoundrel,dressed in a Yeshivisha malbush, but is the world leader of the Religious Zionists.The biggest disgrace to Rav Moshe Ztzal. Father and son NO sechel yeshorah
note to editor: comment #3 is regular loshon hora and i know that ur the boss but i dont think it belongs on this site let him keep his loshon hora to himself
Hochaiach ToChiach (constructive criticism):
The Ehrliche Yidden who edit the Yeshiva World News should remove objectionable language — like “ultra-Orthodox” — when quoting Chiloni and Goyishe sources, and replace it with nicer terms, like “Chareidi.”
Koreis and Meesa biday Shomayim are very serious spiritual concepts which we do not really understand,except that we must warn our fellow Jews. Goyim are not affected.
its a disgrace that someone who calls himself orthodox can do such a big sin to go on such holy place which is forbidden for us since the destruction of the temple
tendler is a disgrace for orthodox jews
Why is the moderator approving LH comments?
Does rabbi Tendler have a rationale, did he make a mistake, or does he not care?
Started with Metzitza, now this. Then he’ll claim he was never there, just like he did by Metzitza. It didn’t matter that it was all recorded on tape at YU, he is a big fat liar; just like Bill Clinton. Oh, and he’s also a big fat MOISER.
I have no idea who Moshe Tendler is, but if he indeed went on Har HaBayis, then is in nidui now.
I’ll try to scan the relevant page from HaEdah.
tendler is no talmid chochom – he is at best a talmid chochom shein boi daas – he is a scientist first and perhaps his secular education includes the talmud
#8: “its a disgrace that someone who calls himself orthodox can do such a big sin to go on such holy place which is forbidden for us since the destruction of the tem
its a disgrace that someone who calls himself orthodox can do such a big sin to go on and say loshon hora about a talmid chochom who has every right to not agree with any other rov around, even if he is a das yachid.
according to your moronic theory, there would never ever be a das yachid ever in halacha, because if there was one, then he would be a sinner, a menuval, a am haaretz, etc. all this shows that you are indeed the am haaraetz, and if anyone kows you, they should not eat in your house ever again, as a am haaraetz’s food isnt kosher!
He is NOT in any way shape or form the leader of religious zionists.
No one here yet has addressed the issue itself of whether going up to Har Habayis is permissible. The disagreement really has little to do with Har Habayis, it is much more profound. Those who permit it are of the opinion that through painstaking analysis and investigation, we can say with absolute certainty where Har Habayis WAS NOT, and thereby all other places are permissible with certain precautions. Those who forbid it either do not believe that it can be adequately investigated, or posit that in our time, such investigations are misguided. This diagreement has ramifications for other halachos , an example being Tcheiles bizman hazeh .
Naharah naharah upashtei, both approaches are leshem shamayim. Those who denigrate either are expressing political opinions and not Torah opinions
For all those who didn’t know, talking about a moiser is LASHON TOV and not lashon hora. Be a tzadik in the right place.
breslauer,
how many people really care what the extremist ‘haedah’ says?
most yeshivish people follow rav shteinman and rav elyashiv period.
Daniel Breslauer: Wow!!! Is the YWN blog a valid vehicle for placing someone in Nidui? Regardless, the best I recall, is that you have to be at least on the same level of learning as the one you propose to put in Nidui. In this case the bar is quite high. We are talking about someone who got smicha from Rav Moshe Feinstein ZTL.
#15: Apparantly both Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein disagreed with your assessment.
When the national language of the world was Greek there was a sign in Greek saying that goyim aren’t allowed on Har Habayis
I don’t know what kind of site this is, but the Loshon Hora that has been going on is totally unacceptable. I’m totally embarrassed that a site that can call itself “Yeshiva” can allow such comments to be posted. If a website can not be controlled, then don’t have it. Just think about this: Is Loshon Hora going to bring us back to Har Habayis any faster? I’m really starting to see why the Rabbonim have been trying to put a ban on the internet. This is not the first site that I’ve seen terrible comments posted. Please, I beg of you to please check over the comments. Bad talk is not only the F word or the sort. If anything, Loshon Hora is ten times worse. In this case do you realize what you can be doing to R’ Moshe’s family? Loshon Hora is a bomb that destroys. How would you feel knowing that you possibly ruined a family? I think this is something really to think about. I hope that you take this note into serious consideration.
Did the Rambam ,and Ramban say its ossur to go to har Habayis? YES.So is that not enough to scare you maybe its Kores or at least Misa Byday Shmayim. Name one real Godol Hatorah who permits it! I dont mean even very religious Zionist ,I mean the real thing ,not Proffesors or doctors or politicians, I mean, emese yarai Elokim,not former Israeli Imployees.
# 4 and #7 One who goes against an issur 700 yrs old should not be scolded? If an Ashkenazi who eats Kitnios is Chaiv meesa Biday Shamayim, for only eating what is 100% mutor to Sfardim and is C.M.B.S. shouldnt this be even greator than a 400 yr gezarah?????? What he did is a legitamate public Chillul Hashem aqainst H. Vtorasoh. A Religious Z. opinion on this is worthless. U see R. Z. is like a a Kallah that is only a very very littlebit pregnant. a kosher chazer. Its all the way or no way.
Hey # 17 does he not fly the Israili flag in front of his shule ,daily yes or no????
#21 u put those 2 in the same sentence,shame on u, a Professor with a Godol Hador???????? ur brainless!!!!!!!!
#20, Daniel Breslauer is correct.
urging him to reiterate the religious decree signed 40 years ago by most rabbis in Israel forbidding Jews from entering the Mount———
READ CAREFULLY, even 40 yrs ago “MOST” rabbis forbid entry to the Mount not ALL. Has the oral law and its arguments for the sake of hashem become void and null?? There are difference of opinions now as there have always been on many halachic and hashgafa issues. It is not necessary to include examples, everyone can name a few eg. ‘difference bt the chazon ish and eda charedei verus kedushas shivis during shmittah’. Nice and lovely, do what is your pathway and let it be with the Temple Mount..
If we remove arguments lshem shamayamim then you have voided one of the 13 ikurim.
This dispute about the Har Habayis is being conducted by Talmedei Chachamim whose learning is well above the YWN blogger level. They have strong opinions, but they respect each other. No denigration of each other is seen in their writings. In the past generation our leaders had respect for each other, even when they had disputes about secular education.
To all those complaining about Loshon Hora, you should learn the halacha of mefasemim hachanofim, publicizing the phonies and the evil ones.
Someone who has violated daas torah to this degree deserves no consideration as far as Loshon Hora is concerned.
#27, by you R Yoshe Ber Soloveichik is a “professor”?
Whatever you think of either one of them, there can be no doubt that RYBS and RMF do belong in the same sentence. And one who says otherwise has no business criticising anyone for ignoring gedolei hatorah.
#22, that sign proves exactly the opposite of your claim. Goyim WERE allowed on Har Habayis, until the cheil; that’s why there was a sign at that point, to warn them not to go further. Teme’ei meis are also allowed until the cheil (and mid’oraysa they’re allowed all the way until sha’ar Nicanor). Therefore in those places that we know were outside the cheil, we are allowed to go, so long as we’ve been to the mikveh.
If the signers of the proclamation don’t know which areas are allowed, let them not go anywhere up there, but they don’t have the right to forbid it to those who believe they do know.
Rav Yosef Ber Soloveichik was a Talmid Chochom otzim, far above the level of the average YW reader (as another commenter rightly pointed out) and to cast aspersions on such a gadol is beyond the pale. One should learn from Rav Soloveichik himself about Kavod Hatorah and repsecting a different opinion even if one doesn’t agree with it.
Rav Yosef Ber was once offered the post of Chief Rabbi of Israel but he turned it down BECAUSE he did not want to cause any bad feeling to the Israeli branch of the Soloveitchik family- most of whom are ardently opposed to the Chief Rabbinate.
Blue shirt #18, you are explaining well but since you are a newcomer got to let you know that people have their opinions till geihanoim will freeze over. This is not a learning site or a place for deep introspection……
Diversification and variety is great at DOUGIE’s and does not work successfully among the bloggers. Nice to meet you.
i’m not sure what to say about this whole argument as my history and halachic knowledge are not so up to par with most of you but all i can say is that if three of the greatest poskim of our generation said not to go on har habayis,or even if any one of those three told me to do anything i would do it,no questions asked.l’mashal if a doctor said “if you continue to eat a certain food you MIGHT die”and another doctor said youll be fine.i dont think anyone would be so stiff and take a chance and only listen to the more lnient one.hey guys…..it may be a chiyuv misah beday shamayim…what are you arguing about????
To Stan the Man # 36,
You made me laugh, thank you. I am well aware of the intellectual limitations of this site and that it is highly unlikely that I will change many opinions out there. However, I am not the only one who tries, there are others. Two, if a few out there start thinking at all about these issues, that makes it worth it. There are many out there who read but don’t write in, so you never know. True, often when I read the stuff that people put out I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, both are appropriate.
Heard about Dougie’s , never been there.
Nice to meet you too.
May I politefully request that we stop this thread. When the original story was posted a month ago it caaused a great deal od Sina among the posters.In fact I am bemused as to why YWN decided to post the story again.
Rabosi,Tisha Bav has just passed and Hodesh Elul is a week away lets try and prevent sina of our fellow jew and lack of Derech Eretz for a Talmidei Chachamim
I am very disapointed to read the shmutz that people have written and thrown at others. How is it that people who call themselves frum can feel so much at ease to write these words between Tisha bAv and Rosh Hashanah?
EXPLANATION
The Gedolei HaDor do not need my support. However, as one who has researched the various Shitos (Rabbinical opinions), the following is my simple explanation:
(a) Setting foot on the Mekom HaMikdash while a Tmei Meis is an Issur Kares (capital offense)!
(b) Lacking the Parah Adumah to purify us, we are all Safek Tmeii Meis (as a result of possibly having come into contact with a dead body, or possibly having been under the same roof with one [Tumas Ohel]).
(c) The numerous conflicting opinions regarding location of the Mekom HaMikdash render nearly the entire Har HaBayis off-limits, as a possible Mekom HaMikdash and, therefore, a Safek Issur Kares (a possible capital offense)!
Does anyone have this supposed link to this Haaretz story. I searched their site and found nothing. Of course YWW “broke” a story that was not hidden and did not need to be broken.