Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a prominent member of the Rabbanei Tzohar and the rosh yeshiva of the Petach Tikvah Hesder Yeshiva addressed human rights matters, explaining human rights also includes Jewish access to Har HaBayis, which is extremely limited at best.
In a recent article, the rav speaks of the basic right of freedom of religion, which is not granted to Jews regarding Har HaBayis, appealing to the champions of human rights and freedom causes to realize the hypocrisy surrounding the decision to bar and/or limit Jewish access to the Temple Mount.
Rav Cherlow is on familiar turf, being a lone/minority voice, seemingly ignoring the piskei halacha of the gedolei hador shlita, whom have come out passively or actively against Jews on the Har HaBayis, and he joins the nationalistic movement seeking to renew the Jewish presence on the Mount, insisting such a move can hasten the coming of the redemption.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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5 Responses
Uh IsraeliYid, my son is learning now in Israel. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein held the exact opposite along with Rav Elyashiv two individuals that one wouldn’t sneeze at.
This is an issue of Nationalism and Zionism. The gdolim of previous generations also knew that there are places where access is permitted. They all refrained from going there. today’s Rabbonim are smarter.
BTW al pi Halacha nobody is allowed on Har Habayis including bnei Noach
Israeli Yid, the next time you are in the Old City of Yerushalayim please go to the Ateret Cohanim Yeshiva. Right outside of the Bais Medrash there are copies of 2 Kol Korays hanging on a board. The first one was signed by HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok HaCohen Kook ZT”L prohibiting us from ascending to Har HaBayis. The second was dated just after the 6 Day War. It is signed by about 40 Rabbonim across the spectrum, from Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, Rav Zolty, the chief Rabbis to the well known Charedi Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim of the time. The Kol Korei was reminding us that even though the RBS”O gave us physical access to Har Habayis through open miracles; nevertheless we are still PROHIBITED from ascending.
In the 742 since the Ramban came to Yerushalayim, the unanimous opinion of the Poskim have been that it is prohibited from ascend even though there are places that definitely does not have the kedusha of the Beis HaMikdash.
In fact, the person who almost single handily supported the community in Yerushalayim in the late 1800s was Sir Moshe Montifore Z”L. When he went up to Har HaBayis in a sedan chair carried by Arabs, Rav Shmuel Salant ZT”L basically put his benefactor in Cherem!
No, Rabbi Rabinowitz and Rabbi Cherlow are tremendous talmidei chachomim and Manhigim of their communities, but are they greater than over 700 years of Gedolei Olom?
In the 742 since the Ramban came to Yerushalayim, the unanimous opion of the Poskim have been that it is prohibited from acsend even though there are places that definately does not have the kedusha of the Beis HaMikdash.
In fact, the person who almost single handly supported the community in Yerushalayim in the late 1800s was Sir Moshe Montifore Z”L. When he went up to Har HaBayis in a sedan chair carried by Arabs, Rav Shmuel Salant ZT”L basically put his benefactor in Cherem!
No, Rabbi Rabinowitz and Rabbi Cherlow are tremendous talmidei chachomim and Manhigim of their communities, but are they greater than over 700 years of Gedolei Olom?
My son learns in Israel not my grandson. I am not that old yet.
My point is just because I am in the good old U.S.A. doesn’t mean I am totally ignorant on what goes on in Israel. Anyone that ascends Har Habayis is violating directives given by greater men than you or I and are putting Israeli lives in jeopardy. They enrage and provoke unnecessarily the Arabs.
If you’re so concerned about the kedusha of Har Habayis, then don’t allow the Arabs to go there. They are definitely tomei. If the Arabs are allowed there, then Jews must be allowed too; no Jew is more tomei than them.