In the accompanying video, we see Muslims using the shul in Ben-Gurion International Airport for their prayer, as well as laying taleisim on the floor as prayer mats. It is reported the persons are Muslims arriving in Israel from Turkey.
When told their actions were inappropriate in the shul, they left immediately, albeit without picking up and/or folding the taleisim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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16 Responses
While it makes me quite sick seeing this (and I don’t believe for a moment they thought it was right to use a shul as a place of prayer but were motivated by some other ideals), it is quite astonishing how they treat prayer-time compared to us yidden. Bet you wouldn’t see talking or use of mobiles in their mosques or during their prayers. It is a terrible kitrug against us! We need to wake up and treat tefilla and our shuls with more respect!!!
Unfortunate (though, I imagine, unintended) misuse of taleisim – maybe they should provide korim mats – but otherwise what’s wrong?
כי ביתי בית תפלה יקרא לכל-העמים
@comfortablyheimish Pischon peh: Children of the king are heimish in their fathers house. Not to say that it’s right to talk in shul, but don’t come with a kitrug from these guys they are not children.
Dear ‘comfort…’ Yes, we should be more careful with our conduct in ‘shul.’
On the other hand in some Muslim countries they beat and punish those that don’t go to pray.
Why didn’t the ‘Moslim’s respect the ‘talleisim?’ Because they think they are the future, Judaism is a thing of the past. (Many Xristians also believe this.).
Seems there are conflicting reports about what happened when they were asked to leave. This according to Times of Israel:
…as soon as the Muslims realized this was not a mosque and that the shawls were of religious importance in Judaism, “they immediately apologized, folded the shawls and explained that they’d just looked for a place to pray.”
While the airport said it was “learning what happened,” a source close to the airports authority told the (NRG) website that “although the stomach churns, it was an innocent mistake.”
@comfortablyheimish – See Maharal, Nesiv HaAvodah (I believe Perek 1). Their “tefilos” are considered to’eivah, so don’t worry. Secondly, their cell phones are too busy setting off pressure cookers to use during davenning.
DearRs9 – unfortunately their very name shows that they have the koach hatefilla as is mentioned in many seforim. To cancel their koach we need to daven at the very least with some modicum of respect. It’s certainly not a kitrug from someone who mentions this point as following the second world war as was mentioned by many gedolim regarding the destruction of many shuls in Europe. (What’s the”so the taking on shul” campaign for if it wasn’t such a serious issue).
I certainly can’t imagine people on their phones and talking about sports and business in front of the melech malchei hamelochim is being heimish. I do take your point about children in their father’s house but let’s do it properly (as I do with boruch 770- good points!).
Agree with RichardM. Last time I was at Ben Gurion, outside the shul on a tiny piece of carpet between the shul and the toilets, there were some frum Muslims praying on the floor. We have this beautiful shul that is empty half the time while nebach they were reduced to praying by the bathroom.
I can certainly understand what it’s like to be in an unfamiliar environment looking desperately for somewhere calm and respectful to daven to the ribono shel olam.
To those who wish to exploit any opportunity to bash muslims, yasher koach. Both the article here and other media reports all make clear this was an innocent error on the part of the muslim “mispallalim” and the responsibility rests with the gaaboim of this “chapel” in Ben Gurion for not monitoring the facility and its users.
Is that any worse than ‘Muslims Use Place of Kodesh Hakedashim for their Mosque’? Or have we already gotten used to that fact so it doesn’t bother us as much.
So the NY Times said it was “an innocent” error and look who believes them….
#1
While I totally agree that Talking by Davining and texting while davining is terrible, and MUST be stopped, the Muslims use their so called holy sites for BOMBS and inciting MURDER… not to mention it is a place of Znus….
But to our fellow yidden, We all know the Tosfos Yum Tov wrote about when he asked in shomayim (Taanis Chalom) why so much innocent blood was spilled B’Gzeiros TACH V’TAT…. They answered because people spoke in shul…
Which means someone who talks in shul may be accused in shomayim of Gram MURDER C”V. would you consider a person talking by davening a NICE guy if you know that with his talking he is hurting and possibly the cause of death to other yidden??? Just imagine the person Talking or texting in middle daving as holding a KNIFE and chasing other yidden??? Because that what it looks like in shomayim????
Something to think about!!!!
let’s open the u.s. borders as much as possible. I’m sure anything that happens afterwards will also be an innocent mistake.
First though that came to my mind was “ki beisi beis tefillah yiareh l’chol ha’amim.”
So what is the problem?
First though that came to my mind was “ki beisi beis tefillah yikareh l’chol ha’amim.”
So what is the problem?
I see absolutely nothing wrong with what they did.
They are frum, yiray Shomayim, who davened in a shul, and used a tallis to daven.
Two years ago I davened in a shul with a tile floor for Yomim Noraim. It is ossur to fall korim on stone/tiles. So many of us used Talleisim for Alaynu and the avoda.
We should be praising their behavior. Not criticizing them.