26. There is a machlokes Amoraim (גמ' זבחים דף ל''ג ע''ב ) and poskim whether or not partially entering is considered entering. In other words, if part of a person, e.g., his hand, enters a forbidden area on the site of the Beis HaMikdash, is it considered like he entered, in which case he violated an issur kareis, a lav, or just an issur d’rabanan? Some rule that partially entering is not called entering (רמב''ם פ''ג ביאת מקדש הי''ח ). Thus, someone tamei who sticks his hand into the Beis HaMikdash does not violate the issur d’oraisa. However, he gets malkus d’rabanan. Others hold it is called entering and he is chayav kareis (הראב''ד שם ).
27. Putting fingers between the stones. Based on this, the poskim discuss whether one may put his fingers or hand into the cracks and crevices of the Kosel HaMaaravi or between its stones. The thickness of the Kosel is considered like the area enclosed within, which is Har HaBayis; all of us our tamei; and perhaps partially entering is called entering (משכנות לאביר יעקב ח''ב תמיד פ''א ).
28. Mutar. Some allow one to stick his fingers between the stones for multiple reasons. Only the thickness of the wall level with the ground of the Azara has kedusha, not higher up, and the Kosel before us today is higher up. Also, perhaps there is no issur of partially entering in Machaneh Leviya. Also, the issur of partially entering only applies to an entrance, not to an area that is not an entrance (שו''ת אבני נזר יו''ד סי' ת''נ תנ''ב ).
29. Assur. However, some are concerned for the above opinion that partially entering is called entering and thus do not permit one to stick his fingers between the stones unless he did a halachically meticulous tevila d’oraisa in a mikva (משכנות לאביר יעקב שם, חזו''א והסטייפלר, ארחות רבנו ח''ב עמ' קמ''ט ). Some also require one to wait until sunset after his tevila (ס' באר יצחק קדשים דף צ''ז ע''א, ארחות רבנו ח''ב עמ' קנ''א ). Some completely forbid putting the fingers or hand between the stones since today we are not fully careful to do a proper tevila with all the preparations and the chafifa necessary for a tevila d’oraisa.
30. Placing notes between the Kosel stones. Many people insert notes with tefillos between the stones of the Kosel as a segula to be remembered in a holy place (שו''ת צי''א ח''י ס''ה ). There is a tradition that the Or HaChaim HaKadosh sent a note to be placed in the Kosel for his talmid [the Chida (ע''פ מסורה )] with a tefilla for parnassa for his talmid, and his request was fulfilled (ס' פדה את אברהם להר''א פאלאג''י מערכת ב' אות ט''ו דף ס''ו, ס' מסעות ירושלים מאמר יום שני עמ' צ''ד ).
31. According to the opinions who hold one must be careful not to put his fingers between the stones, one should be careful not to put the note between the stones with his fingers. Instead, he should insert it with a stick or the like (ס' הרבי והמונקאטשער ) so that he does not violate on a potential issur of tumah in the Mikdash while yearning to be answered by Hashem and have his heart’s requests fulfilled.
