The Issur Remains in Force
1. In the previous issue (337), we wrote at length about the issur to go onto Har HaBayis today, which is agreed upon by all well-known poskim. It is primarily due to the issur of tumah in the Mikdash, stemming from uncertainties regarding differing and contradictory opinions as to the precise location of the Azara, where a tamei meis – which we are all assumed to be – may not enter (ibid., 14). It is also due to lack of clarity as to the location of Machaneh Leviya, where people tamei due to bodily emissions may not enter (15), considering the difficulty of strict adherence to hilchos tahara (16). All poskim of the previous generation, as well as today’s poskim, held one may not enter any area on Har HaBayis, and that has been the accepted practice of all chareidim and people with yiras Shomayim since earlier times.
2. Since putting out that issue, we received many reactions from many people of various types and circles who came armed with sources from lone opinions, novel reasoning, and various calculations and practices of peculiar individuals who entered different areas of Har HaBayis. There are some individuals who permit themselves to go onto Har HaBayis, against the poskim of our generation, out of lack of restraint and disregard, basing their actions on questionable calculations and reasoning. They also encourage others to go up [but to go downward spiritually], as if it were a mitzva and what Hashem wants. Because they were very disappointed by the last issue, which completely denounced going onto Har HaBayis, they requested that we correct things by including their views and opinions in a future issue.
3. In response, we come again to double down and reinforce the issur of going onto Har HaBayis. The issur agreed upon by all the poskim of our generation remains in force. We will not ח"ו be persuaded by frivolous people to get into questions of an issur kareis and the serious issur of “ומקדשי תיראו.” All emotions regarding drawing near to the place of the Shechina notwithstanding, it is our duty to fulfill the holy Torah’s commandment of “ועשית ככל אשר יורוך,” which relates to the rulings of the gedolim who trained under well-known rabbanim, not to those who fabricate novel ideas and act based on them.
4. Being that we are in exile from our Land and distant from our Beis HaMikdash due to our sins, it is our duty to just do teshuva and daven for the Shechina to return to Tziyon; not to pile on more sins ח"ו. Then, and only then, will we be zocheh, after proper tahara, to present ourselves in our Beis HaMikdash – may it happen speedily in our days.
Cause Others to Sin by Entering without Tahara
5. In the last issue, we mentioned that sadly, some people are irresponsible and go to certain areas on Har HaBayis after a perfunctory tevila in a mikva, claiming that most opinions hold there is no way those areas are classified as Machaneh Leviya. However, this claim ignores an important detail: For security reasons, many secular security personnel and police officers must also be assigned to the area to enable Jews to go onto Har HaBayis [as well as photographers to publicize the scenes; otherwise it isn’t worth it to them...]. They are certainly not careful about tahara whatsoever; they go up tamei. Hence, by going onto Har HaBayis, these people cause others to sin.
6. לפני עוור לא תתן מכשול. Claiming that they are there regardless on the government’s orders is not valid, as when Jews go onto Har HaBayis, many more police officers than usual are required [let’s see them go up without police...]. Hence, those who go up cause others to enter Har HaBayis without tahara and thereby sin, in violation of “לפני עוור וכו'.” They are liable for their aveira.
7. Non-Jewish police. Even if the officers protecting those going onto Har HaBayis are non-Jews, e.g., Arabs or Druze, there is still an issur even today of non-Jews entering the area that is from the Cheil and inward, the precise location of which is unclear. They are certainly not careful about this. Thus, one who causes them to go there violates the lav of “לפני עוור לא תתן מכשול” (הר הקודש עמ' שכ''ט, דרך הקודש דף י' ע''א בשם המהרי''ט ).
