Chief Rabbi David Lau and Rishon L’Tzion Yitzchak Yosef signed a psak renewing the prohibiting of visiting Har Habayis. The psak reminds the tzibur that Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook ZT”L banned Jews from visiting the holy site.

The chief rabbis point out that following the liberation of the Kosel and Har Habayis in the June 1967 Six Day War, 50 rabbonim signed a psak prohibiting one from visiting Har Habayis. The chief rabbis signed that psak along with gedolei hador.

Other former chief rabbis who prohibited visiting Har Habayis include Rabbi Avraham Kahane Shapira ZT”L, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ZT”L, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Rabbi Yonah Metzger, and Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar.

The renewed psak comes at a time of heightened activity by Har Habayis organizations which encourage Yidden to visit in accordance to Halacha based on piskei halacha from prominent rabbonim including HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)