Wall of Har HaBayis or the Azara?
14. The early poskim were uncertain about and differed as to the nature and status of the Kosel HaMaaravi that stands before us today. Is it the western wall of the Azara itself or of Har HaBayis? If it is the wall of Har HaBayis, is it the original wall, which has the kedusha of Har HaBayis, or is it a wall that was built after Har HaBayis was extended by Herod, in which case it is an addition to the true walls of Har HaBayis, which are further in?
Please do not read during davening or Krias HaTorah
15. Wall of the Azara. Some hold that today’s Kosel HaMaaravi is the wall of the Azara (שו''ת רדב''ז ח''ב סי' תרצ''א, ספר ארף חיים יו''ד סי' רי''ז סל''ט, חיבת ירושלים עמ' רנ''ו, חכ''א בס' שערי צדק שער משפטי הארץ פי''א ס''ח, שו''ת שאילת דוד קו' דרישת ציון וירושלים ). Accordingly, the Kosel plaza adjacent to the Kosel where people daven is actually the area of Har HaBayis, and people tamei due to bodily emissions may not come close to the Kosel without undergoing a tahara process.
16. Wall of Har HaBayis. Many hold that the Kosel HaMaaravi is the wall of Har HaBayis. Accordingly, the Kosel plaza area in front has no kedusha at all, as it is outside Har HaBayis (כפתור ופרח פ''ו, מהר''ם חאגיז בס' אלה מסעי ). After many measurements and analyses in recent times, nearly all poskim agree with this opinion (פאת השלחן, משכנות לאביר יעקב ח''ב סי' א', ח''ב דף ז', שו''ת אבני נזר יו''ד סי' ת''נ תנ''א, שו''ת תפארת צבי יו''ד סי' כ''ז, מועדים וזמנים ח''ח ליקוטי הערת לח''ה סי' ש''נ ).
Coming Close to the Kosel
17. Due to several concerns about the kedusha of the Kosel plaza, as mentioned, some people do not come directly up to the Kosel HaMaaravi. They remain at a bit of a distance, as will be explained.
18. Two amos. Some are careful to keep a distance of two amos from the Kosel (שו''ת בית רידב''ז סי' ל''ח ), based on the opinion that the Kosel is the wall of the Azara (15). Thus, one must stay two amos away from the Kosel so as not to enter Har HaBayis without tahara ח"ו . The Mishna says that the wall of Har HaBayis was just a short distance from the wall of the Azara (מדות ב, א ). For whatever reason, they interpret that “short distance” as just two amos (הר הקודש ).
19. Some are careful to keep a distance of two amos from the Kosel even according to the opinions that it is the wall of Har HaBayis (16) due to a concern that over time, the rows of stone shifted somewhat (מועדים וזמנים שם ).
20. Another reason is because the thickness of the wall has the kedusha of the area within the wall (פיה''מ להרמב''ם פ''ו בית הבחירה ה''ט ). There are more stone rows in the Kosel underground than rows we see aboveground. The way to build a wall is by making it wider at the bottom and narrower on top. If so, when one stands directly up against the Kosel, he is likely standing over the rows of stone beneath him. Since the thickness of the wall has kedusha, it turns out he is standing without tahara on an area of Har HaBayis that has kedusha (הגרי''י פישר, אבן ישראל ).
21. Some explain that the reason for keeping a slight distance from the Kosel is due to a concern one will put his hand or finger between the stones, which some are careful not to do (שו''ת צי''א ח''י ס''א ), as will be explained (below, 29).
22. Eighty amos. Some hold that if the Kosel is the wall of the Azara, one must keep a distance of eighty amos from the Kosel. This is the maximum distance there could have been between the walls of the Azara and the walls of Har HaBayis (מהרי''ט, הר הקודש עמ' רל''ו ).
23. 155 amos. Others hold one must keep a distance of 155 amos from the Kosel, as that is the maximum distance there could have been between the walls of the Azara and the walls of Har HaBayis (תויו''ט מדות פ''ב מ''א, הר הקודש שם ).
24. In practice. Since the poskim have concluded that the Kosel is certainly the wall of Har HaBayis, not the Azara, everyone comes close to the Kosel without worrying that the area before him is part of Har HaBayis – this is the widespread custom (אג''מ או''ח ח''ב סוף סי' קי''ג, וכך נהגו החזו''א, הגר''ח קנייבסקי והרבה צדיקי וגאוני הדור ). However, there are still people who are machmir to keep a slight distance away, e.g., two amos, even if we assume it is the wall of Har HaBayis. This is due to the reasons mentioned above: perhaps the stones shifted somewhat (19) or perhaps the stones hidden underground are wider, and one who stands next to the Kosel is standing over the stones that have the kedusha of Har HaBayis (20).
25. Minhag of Brisk. It is known that the minhag of Brisk is not to come near the Kosel at all. They stand on the Kosel plaza, far from the Kosel. This was the practice of the Maharil Diskin and the Brisker Rov. People say this was out of concern for tumah in case the area is Har HaBayis (אג''מ הנ''ל ). However, some relate and explain the Maharil Diskin’s minhag as follows: The first time he went to the Kosel after he left the town of Brisk, his whole body began shaking and trembling upon seeing the Kosel, while he murmured “’והשימותי את מקדשיכם’ – they even have kedusha while they are desolate.” His hands were shaking so much that he was on the verge of fainting. This repeated itself multiple times. Out of concern for sakanas nefashos, his family prevented him from getting anywhere close to the Kosel (בשם הגרי''מ חרל''פ ששמע מאביו, ס' בזכרנו את ציון עמ' ת''ב ).
