In the wake of the visit of over a thousand Jews to Har HaBayis on Tisha B’Av and the comments of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about increased Jewish sovereignty over the site, a video of leading Rabbanim in Jerusalem expressing opposition to visiting the site was published on Wednesday.
The video was produced at the request of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion who was asked by security officials to organize the video, with the goal of calming tensions by showing that the spiritual and religious leadership in Jerusalem is opposed to Ben-Gvir’s provocations.
The Rabbanim who appeared in the video were HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzhal, the Rav of the Old City of Jerusalem, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Betzalel, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Porat Yosef in the Old City, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Chevron, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, the former Rishon L’tzion, and HaGaon HaRav Simcha Rabinowitz, a leading posek and the ba’al Piskei Teshuvos.
Gedolei HaPoskim throughout the ages including Gedolei Hador Shlita today have ruled it is absolutely forbidden to visit Har Habayis, even if one does so in line with Halacha including tevila. This is also the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. This is an Issur Kares.
Fifteen years ago on Sukkos, then President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukka of the late Posek Hador, Maran HaGaon Rav Elyashiv ZATZAL, where Rav Elyashiv called on the President to prevent Jews from visiting Har Habayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. Maran stated everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire.
Maran is quoted as explaining to the president that Halacha forbids going onto Har Habayis but today, it is more than this, it is an act that may lead to a religious war and bloodshed.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
I don’t understand this at all. Won’t this give them even more of an excuse to attack and outrage them even more as they can give proof that even the Jewish rabbis are saying it’s not allowed and that it’s causing a provocation? How is it different than the neutral karta cause of being against the Israeli state and saying it’s wrong?
Without “admitting” that wgag was done was wrong maybe nobody would notice or think to retaliate, but admitting Jews are wrong now will make everyone realize oh wait maybe we should react!! Oy
Rightwriter: that’s one way of looking at it. But the reality is, the muslims fear, Jews want to take over the Har Habayis [and build the Beis Hamikdosh]. by displaying highly regarded spiritual leaders saying NO WE ARE NOT ALLOWED THERE, that may give them hopefully the assurance, that it’s only a minority of lunatics who come up there, but in practice they have nothing to fear.
I think the Rabonim are afraid, they won’t get a position in Har Habayis. What will they do for parnasa?
All these Rabbis here are all Palestinians Muslims in Jewish garb. They’re aren’t Jewish at all.
May they all die quickly.
Sound familiar??
Anyone who speaks against Neturay Karta, but supports these Rabbis, is a faker. The true zionist colors come to light.
You don’t care about Torah. Only zionism.
Neturay Karta have the SAME shita regarding the entire zionist state.
Now you guys know how we feel.
Do you really care about Eretz Yisrael? Or only zionism?
Cuz the Bes haMikdash is the MAIN point of everything.
Bklyn,
It’s fine they’re getting a big position in עולם הבא
Whereas the person who the comment is directed to…..
Do any of the Chareidi rabbonim speak Arabic (the target audience for these recordings)?
I watched the video and wondered how many Issurei Torah these rabbis transgressed.
לא תחנם
לא תחניפו
חילול השם
מדבר שקר תרחק
ואהבת לריעך כמוך
בטול קרבן פסח
לא תגרעו
ועוד ועוד
MODERATOR: PLEASE REMOVE THESE HERETIC DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTS AGAINST CHOSHEVE RABBONIM WHO JUST CONFIRM WHAT ALL GEDOLIM SAID DECADES AGO.
THESE MOST CHOSHEVE RABBONIM JUST REPEAT WHAT ALL GEDOLIM SAID DECADES AGO.
Its clear that Ben Gvir is headed “downstairs” for leading others up to har habayis against centuries of admonitions of gadolei yisroel that doing so is chayava kores. Its sad that he is leading many younger right wing zealots to the same tragic fate. If all these gadolim are wrong, which I doubt, than perhaps we need to rethink many other long-held positions
I agree with Mr. Kanai IT’S MINDBOGGLING how people can write such disgraceful comments.
I would like to start by saying that I have absolutely nothing against these rabannim and that they are tzaddikim who should be respected. The issue here is that the video is politically motivated with the hope to pacify the Arabs. Why else would there be Arabic subtitles? When a rav feels that his community might violate halacha he will go out and address them as he feels necessary. He should NOT pasken because the local politicians told him to. There are very few Jews who speak Arabic as their only language. English subtitles would be more appropriate. The fact that this was done at the behest of a politician with Arabic subtitles proves that this has nothing to do with halacha and is only politically motivated.
rachmone litzlon what people can say about rabonim
may they all have charote and to teshuve