JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In the wake of the recent tensions surrounding Temple Mount, UTJ leader Moshe Gafni sent a special request to prime minister Netanyahu asking him to maintain the ban on Jews ascending to Temple Mount.
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Gafni said that “due to our sins the Temple was destroyed and there is a punishment of Kareis ( excision of the soul) for ascending to the Temple Mount. We pray every day “may our eyes see when You return to Zion,” and our non-ascension to Temple Mount is the biggest proof of our association with this holy place.”
At the same time, Hamas issued a statement claiming that the fact that Israel had accepted their demands regarding Temple Mount and Sheikh Jarrah proves that they had achieved this during the Guardian of the Walls operation. Israel denied this and stated that the Temple Mount would be reopened to Jews.
Religious Zionism leader Betzalel Smotrich warned before the cease fire that he would not join a government with Netanyahu if the prime minister would give in regarding Temple Mount or Shimon Hatzadik (the Jewish neighborhood within Sheikh Jarrah).
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yossi Deutsch (UTJ) said that even though most halachic opinions prohibit ascending Temple Mount, it would be a mistake to close it at present in response to Hamas demands.
On Sunday morning the government indeed opened Temple Mount to Jews. In the meantime there has been no response from Hamas or other sources.
Well it’s a good ploy to keep Netanyahu in power as the more friction increases the less chance of the lefties forming a government with the four Arab seats. It also has another benefit. If riots occur close to June 3rd, the day the gay parade is scheduled for Jerusalem ,the police may have to cancel the filthy parade as they will be tied up fighting Arab rioters.
Gafni speaks for himself. Many gedolim and Hareidi Jews from all walks of life do permit and do walk in halachickly permissible mount areas.
There was an interesting article in the Jewish press this week showing how until recently there was no problem with Yidden ascending up onto har ha’bayes. The Rambam writes he himself went onto Har ha’bayes. There are many reports in history, that during Tisha B’av Yidden got permission for that day only, to go onto Har ha’bayes and they wept there.
History is full of Committed Jews going on Har ha’bayes. it was only sometime – about 500 years ago when the Ottoman empire wanted to accommodate the Yidden and told them – instated of shleping up onto Har ha’zasim to look down (as they did for hundreds of years), I will give you a space to go to the old retaining wall of the Har ha’bayes platform to daven there. Sometime during that period we started to accept not to go on to Har ha’bayes itself.
According to those who don’t allow it – I guess as I go up onto Har Ha’bayes I will go to the same gehenim as the Rambam. The Rambam lived before all those other poskim (how they paskined against the Rambam and many others is a question in itself). However I feel very confident to go along with the GREAT Rambam and ascend onto Har ha’bayes.
Every group has some bad apples. Look at those two black hatters who decided to join the knuckle draggers in pajama kippas to ascent the temple mound, and grab themselves some “kareis,” while angering their Arab neighbors and endangering Jews worldwide. What a shanda. Scurry off to your bomb shelters before the next salvo from Gaza.