Many things can be said about the Temple Mount - the holiest place in Judaism, a barrel of explosives, a source of humiliation for the Jewish people, a halachic complication - but it is impossible to remain indifferent to its existence and importance to the Jewish people and the entire Middle East.<\/p>\r\n
\u00a0The period of the Return to Zion was accompanied by quite a few controversies. One of the main ones was the dispute surrounding the issue of Jews ascending the Mount, and their right (or lack thereof) to pray there. Already in the time of the Rishonim, opinions were divided regarding the sanctity of the place after the destruction of the Temple, with Maimonides ruling that it was, and Ritva and Rashi claiming that it was not. This halachic controversy is still active today, with some forbidding it, some permitting it, and some adding broader considerations of political and diplomatic interests, such as the danger of provoking nations or, on the contrary, control of the Mount as a symbol of sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel, or vice versa.<\/p>\r\n
\u00a0If I were to present the full spectrum of opinions on the matter, I could point out that after the conquest of ancient Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, the Chief Rabbinate banned ascent to the mountain, with the main reason being a lack of accurate information about the places where it is permissible to set foot. Visiting the mountain in the wrong places carries a severe penalty of excommunication, hence the unequivocal prohibition.<\/p>\r\n
\u00a0In general, the eminent Haredi generation adheres to a halachic position against going to the Mount of Olives in absolute terms, while the rabbis of Religious Zionism are divided into three groups \u2013 some rule that it is permitted and even a mitzvah, some align themselves with the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate that prohibits it, and some allow it in principle, but for broader reasons of political influence prohibit it in practice.<\/p>\r\n
\u00a0Where are Jews forbidden to pray?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \u00a0Beyond the halakhic opinions, there is also a legal-constitutional aspect. In fact, the State of Israel is ultimately the sovereign on the Temple Mount. The very prohibition by the state authorities on Jews praying there is a serious violation of freedom of worship. Ironically, beyond the halakhic issue, the only place in the world where the law prohibits Jews from praying is at their holiest site.<\/p>\r\n \u00a0In recent years, there have been circles, mainly within religious Zionism, that have been working to prepare the ground for mass pilgrimage to the Temple Mount and are waging a political struggle on the matter. Within this line, there is a mixture of religious, even messianic, desire, and a cocktail of national and even nationalist elements that see the Waqf's activity in the place as brazen behavior that receives the approval of the Jewish government.<\/p>\r\n On the other hand, the Palestinians know how to exploit the religious element to leverage the Temple Mount for their political needs when, in an irrational way, they managed to instill in the Western world the recognition that there is a status quo according to which only Muslims are allowed to stay on the Mount, and certainly to pray there. The Arab rhetoric does not stop with this message, but rather escalates its statements that become violent, which led to the attempted assassination of Rabbi Yehuda Glick by a terrorist member of the Islamic Jihad.<\/p>\r\n It is worth remembering: We have not yet reached redemption.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Following the attempted assassination of the rabbi, here are a few thoughts and personal insights:<\/p>\r\n A. The assassination attempt on Yehuda Glick is extremely serious, and we all pray for his recovery.<\/p>\r\n B. Anyone who knows this man knows that he is a man who acts in peaceful ways, and only according to the opinion of his elders.<\/p>\r\n C. The heart demands an appropriate "Jewish" response - i.e., to immediately ascend the Temple Mount.<\/p>\r\n D. But the head demands that we act with discretion.<\/p>\r\n E. It should be emphasized that although there are opinions here and there regarding the halachic possibility of ascending the Temple Mount, there is no doubt that in terms of human rights there is no reason in principle not to ascend the Mount and even pray.<\/p>\r\n F. It is important to say out loud even to those who long to ascend the mountain: There is no "obligation" to ascend the mountain.<\/p>\r\n G. It is not certain that a religious war between Judaism and Islam is what we need, especially since those who are trying to drag us there are doing so out of utter cynicism [listen to Abu Mazen's speeches].<\/p>\r\n H. In considering the response, it is worth thinking carefully about whether the right thing to do is also the wise thing.<\/p>\r\n 9. Although there are people who behave this way, it is important to remember that we have not yet reached complete redemption.<\/p>\r\n J. Life is complex. Certainly in the Land of Israel.<\/p>\r\n Daniel Goldman is the chairman of Gesher, and a businessman living in Beit Shemesh.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ironically, beyond the halakhic issue, the only place in the world where the law prohibits Jewish prayer is in their holiest place. Despite this, Daniel Goldman wants to tell those who yearn to respond in an 'appropriate' way: There is no 'obligation' to climb the mountain.","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[1955,2487,3213,7605,551],"class_list":["post-99021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-138","tag-1955","tag-2487","tag-3213","tag-7605","tag-551"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n