A fringe group of Har Habayis activists, led by members of the “Returning to the Mount” movement, sparked renewed outrage this Shavuos after attempting to carry out a symbolic reenactment of the Korban Shtei HaLechem on Har HaBayis. The provocative act was immediately halted by Israeli police and Waqf officials.
Dressed in imitation bigdei kehunah, several activists — who self-identified as kohanim — rushed to what they believe is the site of the Mizbeiach and attempted to raise two loaves of chametz – which can only be performed in a rebuilt Beis Hamikdash. The group was reportedly acting under the direction of Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder of the Temple Institute and a longtime advocate for resuming korbanos on Har Habayis.
The group’s attempt was quickly shut down by security forces, but not before they reportedly managed to lift the loaves — though conflicting reports exist as to whether the full ritual was completed. Rav Ariel emotionally recited Shehecheyanu, and supporters answered “Amen” as police escorted the participants off the site.
Mainstream Torah authorities and Gedolei Yisrael have consistently ruled that ascending Har HaBayis is strictly forbidden. The vast majority of poskim — both past and present — have warned against such provocations, citing both halachic violations and the real danger of inciting violence and desecration of the Har Habayis.
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17 Responses
When your ego makes you believe that you love Hashem more He loves His children,
you can endanger other Jews in the name of Piety
This article appears to factually incorrect.
The Halacha doesn’t require a rebuilt Beis HaMikdash to bring Korbanos.
A friend of mine is a fan of Rav Ariel. He said that Rav Ariel holds that the Shtei HaLechem are kosher even without the mikdash and when the tzibbur is temei meis.
I don’t think they would have gone to where the Mizbeach was because that would be kares according to everyone…They would have stayed in the Machaneh Leviya which is muttar for tumas meis.
I understand that ywn decided to take an antagonistic viewpoint towards returning to out holiest place (cause why really, when we can just pay sterile lip service to beis hamikdash while living in huge apartments in NYC), but your characterizations have passed from yellow journalism criticisms to funny
1. “Fringe nut jobs” not very objective language, but on par for tabloid style that YWN takes. Let’s move on
2. “Imitation bigdei kehuna” what makes bigdei kehuna imitation? Are they not made from the right material? Was there not kavanah during their making? Is your tzizis also imitation
3. “who self-identified as kohanim” this one is the worst. Are you challenging their heritage? During benching on holidays do you also attack kohanim who go up to the duhan?
4. “what they believe is the site of the Mizbeiach” if only we had an entire maseches that tells us where the mizbeach and all parts of bait sheni were located
5. “which can only be performed in a rebuilt Beis Hamikdash” I am assuming you learned the sugia before posting right? No?
6. “and Waqf officials” you are so kannai for the holiness of Temple Mount, but couldn’t find any negative things to say about the Waqf? Suddenly you found your objectivity? If doing a ritual wrongly is desecration of the Har Habayis, what is the presense and control of Muslim Goim who play soccer, pray to Mecca, and declare that the Temple will never be built? Where is your outrage for them?
And why “self-identified” as Kohanim?
1. Raising doubts of a p’gam in a Kohein’s yichus is something that Halacha is very careful about.
2. Using “self-identified” in this day and age raises its own issues that decrease the credence of the writer’s words.
The video is a minute and 12 seconds long, yet after 8 seconds there is no movement.
It is wrong to call these Cohanim “fringe nutjobs”. They are performing the mitzva of Shtei Halechem which is a korbon tzibbur that can be done b’tumah in our time. It is one of the 613 mitzvos. And if “mainstream rabbonim” don’t do it and there is no sanhedrin yet, they are correct in performing this important mitzva on their own. They should be congratulated, not condemned.
Stupid murderous Zionists.
doom777 said – 2. “Imitation bigdei kehuna” what makes bigdei kehuna imitation? Are they not made from the right material? Was there not kavanah during their making? Is your tzizis also imitation
It is by no means פשוט how to make בגדי כהונה and even from what materials. We would need 100% positive identification of techeiles, argaman, and tola’as shani, and there are many details of the בגדי כהונה that are disputed or unclear in the Rishonim.
4. “what they believe is the site of the Mizbeiach” if only we had an entire maseches that tells us where the mizbeach and all parts of bait sheni were located
There is a Maseches Middos that you seem to be referring to, but to translate that into practical reality is not simple at all. There are six different שיטות where to begin measuring the location of the קודש הקדשים and מזבח, and we would need to be sure exactly how long an amah is. The Gemara in Maseches Zevachim says that in order to build the Mizbeach for the בית שני they needed Chaggai, Zecharyah and Malachi to tell them through Nevuah the exact location of the Mizbeach, even though only 52 years had passed, and there were still people alive who had seen the בית ראשון…
Also, the שתי הלחם do not become קדוש without bringing the two sheep of זבחי שלמי ציבור. For those who asked – the תנופה of the שתי הלחם, which must be done together with the sheep, can only be done inside the עזרה. They also have to be purchased from מחצית השקל.
Can you write an article without the bias? At least try to explain the halakhic issue normally, with the sources etc. Clearly, they held that it is mutar based on their sources. What I do not understand is how they were not tmei meis – clearly they would not go into the area that one is hayav kares, at least according to their shita.
Whether you agree or not, the korban was brought for you, in the name of the Tzibur. Too late. Now the Torah is not just thumb twisting but it’s is in our lives in the world and bringing the world past the stalemate of the galus of mankind. We are on the way out, even the Rambam says we don’t know how it will develop until it does.
couldn’t care less what you all think about YWNs headline or whether u can bring a korban nowadays but the fact remains that there is a issur kares to go onto the har- habayis batamei tumas meis as we all are nowadays even if they are kohanim meyuchosim and furtermore all the Gedoilei Hador said its asur to go on to the har- habayis mking tese meshugoyim an avaryon
רשע מה הוא אומר מה העבודה הזאת לכם
Saying that this is incitement, while supporting zionism, and state of Israel, is MIND boggling.
Pick and choose. If you’re against “incitement”, then be Neturay Karta all the way. Not a stupid zionist, but against Torah fulfillment.
It’s much more important to bring Korbanos, then to sit in kollel, according to the Torah.
One more thing: in the holocaust, people ate matza that was really chometz, and chayav cares. But everyone talks about how AMAZING and HOLY it was, because they were Moser Nefesh to keep the Mitzvos, even in an impossible situation.
Seeing a lot of heat directed at YWN here, so i will throw my 2 cents in as well..
YWN is 100 objectively correct that these idiots are fringe nut jobs.
True, its an opinion. But its the established opinion of the Yeshiva World… Duh.
No Mainstream posek of today, nor yesteryear ever proposed, in action, that this be done.
Yes, making a mock up of Bigdei Kehuna is a joke. Mesorah is a real necessity.
The idea that some have to be “docheik es hakeitz” is fringe, extreme, and frankly just nuts.
Lets not forget that it was the same types who were the cause of Churban Bayis sheini. They caused the jews to starve, instead of following the Chachamim of the time in not trying to overthrow the romans.
People who think they can do all sorts of wild acts in the name of Hashem are a VERY big problem.
Oh, yes, and btw, I DO question their yichus. Doing “avoda” where a Zar is punishable by death is quite different from Birchas Kohanim.
Let’s be real. This is not some “nutjob” circus act.
Klal Yisrael has a mesorah that the Shtei HaLechem can be brought even b’zman hazeh, even b’tumah, and even without a Beis HaMikdash. The Rambam in Hilchos Temidim u’Musafim (1:1) is clear, and the Minchas Chinuch in mitzvah 302 says it straight out. This isn’t some new-age shtick—it’s a serious inyan with serious mekoros.
Not every posek agrees? Fine—there’s a machlokes. That’s normal in Torah. But to dismiss it as “not halachic” is simply misleading.
People are nervous it’s a sakanah or me’orer kina? So what’s the alternative—let the Waqf run the Har forever? Arabs walk around freely, daven whenever they want. But Yidden who are tohorim b’guf and lehavdil try to do a mitzvah—and suddenly we’re the ones at fault? Let’s be honest: if we don’t stand up for kedushas HaMokom, who will?
And those mocking the bigdei kehuna or questioning the makom haMizbeach—nu, do you also hold we shouldn’t eat matzah because maybe it’s not the right shiur? Halacha doesn’t require absolute certainty, it requires hishtadlus with rov and chazakah. That’s what these yidden are doing.
Instead of making leitzanus of ovdei Hashem, maybe stop and ask: What am I doing to revive literally half the Torah & Mitzvos that we have been ignoring for so long?
Some more thoughts:
The Shtei HaLechem have to be baked in a Kli Shares inside the Azarah. If they are taken out of the Azarah they become posul מדין יוצא.
The Mishna in Menachos says explicitly that the sheep of the זבחי שלמי ציבור are מעכב the Lechem.
It is impossible to bring any Korban without a kosher Mizbeach, which is basically impossible to build now for many reasons, both Halachic and practical.
The only good thing these people do actually accomplish is to increase awareness and discussion of ענייני קדשים. Learning about the Korbanos is the most kosher way available nowadays (recommended by the Gemara itself!) to invoke the special Zechus and Bracha they bring, and to show Hashem we really want them back. Reminder – Daf HaYomi starts Maseches Zevachim in Elul…