Senior Chabad Rabbanim in Israel sent a letter to Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir this week, condemning his visit to Har HaBayis last week on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
Ben-Gvir has received many Chabad votes over the years as many see him as the candidate who will most preserve “shleimus Eretz Yisrael.” As is well known, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl instructed his chassidim in Eretz Yisrael to vote for the most Chareidi candidate who will preserve sheleimus ha’eretz.
“We were greatly pained to hear that you publicly entered Har HaBayis, something that has been forbidden by all Gedolei Yisrael,” the Rabbanim wrote.
The Rabbanim also quoted the Lubavitcher Rebbe who was adamantly against even discussing the question of a heter to go up to Har HaBayis “‘since the very discussion will cause more and more people to go there, and to places that are definitely forbidden, rachmana litzlan, and their numbers will increase, rachmana litzlan.'”
The Rabbanim continued by asking Ben-Gvir to refrain from visiting Har HaBayis in the future. “We request that you do not repeat this and we’re warning you and the public against this very serious prohibition. Don’t view this matter lightly. You should know that Tumas Mikdash is exceedingly serious.”
“In the language of the Tosefta (פ”א דשבועות ה”ב): Reb Shimon would say: ‘Tumas Mikdash v’kodshav is more severe than all the aveiros in the Torah, for all the aveiros in the Torah are atoned for with one goat, and tumas Mikdash v’kodshav is atoned for with 32 goats.'”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Are these rabbanim ignorant of an explicit mishna, which says Tunas Meis is muttar on har habayis?
He did nothing wrong.
Perhaps if he was caught trying to sneak in with 32 goats, the reaction might have been different. We’ve actually had arrests reported here several years ago from some of these moishichist zealots trying to sneak goats up to har haabyis to revive korbonos as part of their agenda for preparing for the rebuilding of bayis shlishi.
Yeshivish you may be a rockstar but a chochom you’re not. Ask yourself if all these rabbonim and talmidei chachomim say it’s assur and you’re deciding he did nothing wrong – what are the chances you’re the one who’s ignorant?
The more the subject of ascending to Har HaBayit is studied, the more talmidei chochomim say that not only is it permitted to go up, but it definitely a mitzvah to go up.
Remember all the rabbonim and talmidei chochomim who said not to leave Europe in the 1930s,and definitely not to go to Israel??? Hmmm. Sounds familiar.
Learn about the actual reality on Har HaBayit today, learn halacha. Then we can have a proper discussion on the subject.
When one
Golfer: below zero. It’s a halacha. Rabbanim ca be wrong – that’s why we have a par helem daver.
NO sympathy for these Chabbad Rabbonim – they should not have voted for this mizrochnik under false pretend of inaccurate interpretation of the “Rebbes” instructions decades ago.
You are chareidy you vote for chareidim!
Yeshivishrockstar and Jewinisrael- it’s completely Assur. You’re wrong. Go ask any competent Rav!
And Yeshivishrockstar – Oy. Your rationale is scary. Daas Torah cannot be taken lightly.
@Jewinisrael 1930s Rabbis have to do with with this like apples have to do with wrenches
JewInIsrael:
According to the Chazon Ish, there are two types of people who are nowadays considered heretics: those who celebrate Yom HaAtzamos and those who (wrongly) blame gedolim for the deaths of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust (in which the evil Zionists were, of course, at terrible fault through the Zionists’ both action and inaction during WW II).
On a practical level, gedolim have pointed out why it was foolish to go to Palestine during WW II. In addition to the Zionist wars there (against both the Arabs and British), Hitler YM”Sh came pretty close to invading Palestine, too. Hashem did save Klal Yisrael there, but that wasn’t at all a known sure thing.
WHY is YWN, allowing these ignorant anti-Gedolim to post comments – yeshivishrock and “jew”in israel- you have the whole internet to post your poison – why is YWN allowing this?
If we do not go to Har Habais, it will de facto be as though it is turned over to the Arab population. Rav Salman Nechemia Goldberg gave heterim to go on the Har and to stay outside the area that could cause Karais.
If we do not go we are denying ifkesa de moshcha and are forestalling the coming of moshiach.
Going is tantamount to staking our claim to all of eretz yisroel and is a critical responsibility. May we continue to go up to Har Habais, to see the coming of Moshiach and the geula shalema.
@Doug.rabin
No doubt by you saying ifkesa, you meant ikviseh…as klal yisroel is the heel, and the chachomim are the head, don’t make cheshboinos about where one may go. There may be one rabbi who decided he can argue on multitudes if chachomim before him – it only shows he’s in a spot lower than the head (hameivin yavin).
The point of the letter sent should be obvious for those who have a mind that can do addition and subtraction. If the mk in question goes against his ‘constituents’ desires, he may find himself without a voting bloc in the next election.
Update :
The chareidi news site – Chadrei Chareidi posted today that 43 chabad rabbis were asked to sign the letter. Only 3 did.
In simple numbers – only 7% of chabad rabbis who were asked to sign, actually signed.
93% chose not to sign!!!
HaKatan – the mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisrael is a mitzvah every day of every year. But maybe the Rambam isn’t, חלילה, considered enough of a gadol but some people.
Yes! Hashem prevented the murderous germans ימ”ש to enter Eretz Yisrael. It would seem that Hashem said that jews who chose to live in Eretz Yisrael will be protected. Like the Navi Ovadiya said – ובהר ציון תהיה פליטה.
And there is still time to come and join us, and see the daily miracles Hashem does here.
Not everyone holds like the Chabadnikim, and those that go up certainly have what to rely upon.
@takahmamash: No, those that go have certainly NOTHING to relay on – it’s pure nationalism apart from AL SOGURU BOAMIM!
Echoing Adam April 22, 2021 7:38 am at 7:38 am:
WHY is YWN, allowing those ignorant of basic halacha to post comments – “golfer” and “eirlich” and “hakatan” and “Adam”- you have the whole internet to post your poison – why is YWN allowing this?
Thank you. YWN, for balancing those posts with those of people who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to the CURRENT status of going up to Har Habayis today — that Rabbonim who understand both the halachos and the cuurrent metzius both permit and encourage it. (Rav Mazuz, for instance.)
Shlomo 2: I do not believe Rav Mazuz permitted to go onto the Har Habayis and he certainly is no greater than Rav Alyashiv, Chazon Ish and many many more Gedolim from yesteryear and today.
ALL the Gedolim throughout the generations paskened unequally it is ASSUR to ascend onto the Har Habayis.
Apart from that, Rav Alyashiv and others stated the danger to Jews around the world if we provoke the Arabs like this.