Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber has issued a formal document reiterating the longstanding halachic prohibition against ascending Har HaBayis, warning against a growing trend of Jewish visitors going up to the site and prostrating themselves on the ground during their visits.
The document describes a new phenomenon spreading among segments of the religious public, in which groups make the climb to Har HaBayis and bow down on the floor of the mountain as part of their ascent. Rav Ber stated unequivocally that the act of ascending itself is strictly forbidden according to the position of all gedolei Yisroel. Should someone nevertheless go up against that ruling, he added, prostration on the ground there is itself an additional prohibition.
The position laid out in the document follows the path the Chief Rabbinate has held since well before the establishment of the state, grounded in the rulings of the gedolim that no Jew today possesses the level of taharah required to enter the area of the Mikdash. Because the precise boundaries of the assur areas are not known with certainty in our times, the accepted halachic conclusion among virtually all of the major poskim has been that the safe and obligatory path is to refrain from entering the Mount entirely.
That ruling has been the consistent voice of the Brisker mesorah, the Chazon Ish, Rav Shach, Rav Elyashiv, Rav Chaim Kanievsky and the leading roshei yeshiva and admorim of the Torah world, who have repeatedly issued kol korehs over the decades warning against any aliyah to Har HaBayis.
Rav Ber’s document arrives as the question has taken on renewed public prominence. Over the past several decades, a growing number of rabbis affiliated with the Religious Zionist camp have advanced alternative halachic interpretations, arguing that ascent to certain delineated portions of the mountain is permitted, and in some formulations even encouraged. Those views remain firmly outside the position held by the gedolei haposkim and have not been accepted across the broader Torah world.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has made repeated, highly publicized visits to the site, including instances in which he and members of his entourage have engaged in tefillah on the grounds. Those visits have drawn condemnation across the religious spectrum, including from gedolei Yisroel who have stressed that political symbolism cannot override a clear-cut halachic prohibition.
Beyond the halachic question, tefillah on Har HaBayis is also prohibited under what is known as the status quo, the set of arrangements governing the site that has been in place since 1967 under the administration of the Jordanian Waqf.
The document urges the public to be vigilant against the spread of the practice and to follow the unambiguous guidance of the gedolei haTorah, which is to remain off Har HaBayis entirely until the coming of Moshiach and the building of the Beis HaMikdash.
Gedolei HaPoskim throughout the ages including today’s leading rabbanim have ruled it is absolutely forbidden to visit Har Habayis. This is also the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. This is an Issur Kares.
Sixteen years ago on Sukkos, then President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukkah of the late Posek Hador, Maran HaGaon Rav Elyashiv Zt”l, during which Rav Elyashiv called on the president to prevent Jews from visiting Har Habayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. He said everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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6 Responses
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We know that we should avoid going up the Har Habayis. But all those leaders screaming ASUR which it is forgot that in Yerushalayim this Thursday is the mishkav zochor immoral parade. Why don’t they scream about that. That’s worse. Now they mention Rabbi Chaim Keniefsky as being against going on Har habayis. But did they listen to Reb Chaim when he asked to bring out a hundred thousand protesters 22 years ago to protest the first gay parade in Jerusalem. No. Who led the protest at that time. It was mostly Ben Gevirs followers. The police captain at the time said had there been a hundred thousand protesters they would have canceled the immoral parade. Then there is a motivation by the tziyonim who fear the Arabs causing trouble if Jews go up on the har habayis. But they don’t fear organizing in every Israeli city these evil gay parades which inflames every Arab worldwide. That they don’t fear. It’s gotten so bad that now they are also organizing a four day takeover by the Dead Sea next week with turning Sodom into the modern day Sodom. For sure we should avoid going up on har habayis but we must stop Yerushalayim from becoming Sodom. Who knows why all these attacks are happening.
All the “online gedolei torah” seem to know better than the chief rabbi it’s always amazing how the most noise comes from the most ignorant. People that don’t know basic hilchos shabbos and use questionable eruvs come to lecture us about the zones of the Har Habayis and their self made mesoros. Laughable
Zionism itself is a provocation. There’s a reason October 7th is called “Al Aqsa Flood”.
They don’t see the difference.
And prostration, in the place that Hashem Chose, is a Mitzvah min haTorah.
Prostration OUTSIDE the mikdash is Assur min haTorah.
That’s why we use a prayer rug and even then, we only bow on our knees and forehead. Not flat as a pancake.
And even that, a thousand years ago, we stopped doing, except on yom Kippur, because it’s a loophole, and we don’t wanna rely on loopholes every day. (Instead, by tachanun, we just put our head on our arm, to remind us of the original Prostration of Nefilas Apayim).
This is the TRUE reason Ashkenazim don’t say Birchas Kohanim every day. Only by mussaf of yomtov (when we remember the mikdash more than usual:
שאותך לבדך ביראה נעבוד).
Because we don’t wanna rely on loopholes every day (only say ADNY instead of YKVK; and splitting the bracha into 3)
“Over the past several decades, a growing number of rabbis affiliated with the Religious Zionist camp…arguing that ascent to certain delineated portions of the mountain is permitted, and in some formulations even encouraged.”
Except that “Religious Zionism” is idolatry and heresy, as per those same gedolim, so their “rabbis” and their views aren’t relevant to Torah Judaism.
Can you please post a link to the actual document referenced? I have never visited the Har haBayis, but according to every Rav and Rosh Yeshiva (Chareidi included) that I’ve ever spoken to, there are areas on the Har haBayis that, from a purely Halachic perspective, would be Muttar for one who is only Tamei Meis, though many (perhaps even most) opposed going there for other reasons – so I’d be interested in seeing the reasoning for the stated conclusion. I also question YWN’s statement about going on the Har being an Issur Kares – there are places that are, but places that are not if one prepares properly, and it’s important to be precise when dealing with Halachic matters, and not let political matters enter into the equation.
an Israeli Yid