[Communicated]
For many years, the subject of Har Habayis was viewed in much of the yeshivah world as a closed discussion. The prevailing attitude was simple: the area is overwhelmingly forbidden to enter, the dangers of כרת are severe, and the matter was not something the average frum Jew involved himself with.
But quietly, beneath the surface, something appears to be changing.
Over the last few years, increasing numbers of visibly Chareidi Jews have been seen ascending Har Habayis in accordance with carefully mapped halachic guidelines established by rabbanim and researchers who maintain that certain peripheral areas may be entered after proper preparation. Organized groups, shiurim, and halachic discussions surrounding the topic have become far more common than they once were — even within circles where the subject was rarely spoken about at all.
Now, a recently circulated video featuring Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz has added another layer to that ongoing conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXI9G_m6GDQ
See around minute 32:00 in the video
In the video, Rabbi Breitowitz discusses the complexity of the sugya and acknowledges that, according to many shitos, there are areas on Har Habayis that are not part of the מקום המקדש itself and may be permissible to enter under specific halachic conditions. While emphasizing the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue, his comments were widely viewed by listeners as reflecting a more nuanced approach than many in the frum world may have previously assumed.
To be clear, many Gedolim and major poskim over the decades strongly opposed ascending Har Habayis, citing both halachic concerns and the fear that public ascent could lead to confusion regarding prohibited areas. Those concerns remain significant and continue to shape the views of large segments of the Torah world.
At the same time, however, there is a growing sense among some Bnei Torah that the topic itself may deserve more serious examination than it has traditionally received. Much of the newer discussion focuses on the distinction between the areas universally understood to be forbidden and other sections which some authorities argue were never included within the boundaries of the Azarah or Makom Hamikdash.
Perhaps most striking is not necessarily the halachic debate itself, but the fact that the discussion is increasingly taking place openly and respectfully within Torah circles.
For decades, many frum Jews associated any discussion of Har Habayis with political activism or ideological agendas far removed from the עולם הישיבות. Today, however, the conversation is increasingly being framed around the halachic sugya itself: the geography of the Har, the locations of the original boundaries, the requirements of taharah, and the broader question of how Jews should relate to the site of the Beis Hamikdash in our generation.
Whether this shift remains limited or eventually grows into something broader remains to be seen. But one thing is becoming harder to ignore:
A discussion once considered entirely outside the mainstream of the frum world is no longer being dismissed quite so automatically.
Only the completely ignorant thought that there aren’t mapped out places that l’kulai alma are permissible. There are more nuanced reasons for not permitting Jews to go up and that’s why it’s not a question for talmidei chachomim but for the Gedolei Yisroel.
hashem yerachem
“Perhaps most striking is not necessarily the halachic debate itself, but the fact that the discussion is increasingly taking place openly and respectfully within Torah circles.”
That is krum and wrong. The Gedolim have unequivocally stated that it is assur to go on the Har Habayis, and this article is a clever (ai written) deception piece making it seem like it’s ok to have another opinion. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Rav Elyashiv): Stated that halacha forbids it, and called it a potential cause for religious war and bloodshed. The majority of the gedolim held that it was totally assur.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
Rabbi Shmuel Wosner (Shevet Halevi)
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (The Rav)
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (Senior Rav Kook)
The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson) all held that it was forbidden.
I wonder who’s behind this “article”….
This is what’s going to bring the final redemption
Thank you for publishing this.
I would add that the concerns of previous generations, that someone might unknowingly stray to the forbidden areas, are no longer relevant.
Today, physical barriers (made of iron) and police watchfulness prevent this.
Everyone who goes up is cordoned into the safe areas and there is no possibility of unknowingly “wandering” elsewhere.
Feh. NOT due to the absence of a halachically permissible method of ascending har habayis, because such a method certainly exists.
It’s Feh because we’re not “Modern Orthodox” Jews who decide on our own what’s right.
We proudly follow the directives of our gedolim, FULL STOP.
Feh on the Erav Rav
Lol my Rav said it is a Issur Daraisa
Okay. Why don’t you throw me another fast ball right down the middle, heh? 1984, game 5
Why are those people lying flat on the ground? Is there something wrong with them? They don’t care about getting their clothes dirty?
that is the mitzva deoriassa of Hishtachavaya. if you listen to the shiur from Rav Breitowitz, he talks about it
Rabbi Breitovitz has said that Hesder bochurim are the best. That he’s never seen such dedication to Torah.
Obviously he has no contact with the mainstream Yeshiva world….like Chevron and Ponevitch and Ateres Shlomo etc etc
He is a half Zionist
His views are not in keeping with the da’as Torah of Gedolei Yisroel
Be careful. We don’t insult rabbanim who WE are too ignorant to understand. Your chelek in olam haba might be lost.
I have not seen the alleged quotes here, so this is only hypothetical.
If a rabbi ever said something to the effect of the Nazarene is the most godly character ever born, then we know that he is simply “off” – if not worse.
“Religious Zionism” is idolatry and heresy according to all gedolim. Therefore, anyone who claims that their boys are “the best” is obviously following something other than Torah.
How do some in the Chareidi world reach a point that they became more lenient about an issue like this than even the secular Zionists? Even they only assign Druze or other non-Jewish soldiers to the guard duty on the Har Habayis due to the halacha issues involved in sending Jewish soldiers there.
That is completely false. Many of the police today on the Har, including the senior leadership, are frum yidden who care deeply about the halachos of Moreh Mikdash and are all well versed in the laws of ascension. Don’t be motzei shem ra on the holy officers who safeguard this holiest spot
TAKING A SIMPLE BASIC SHIUR THAT HE IS OBVIOUSLY GIVING IN A SMALL CLASS IN HIS YESHIVA AND TRYING TO BLOW IT OUT OF PROPORTION AS SOME SORT OF MAJOR SHIFT IN POLICY FROM ANYONE! ALL FOR A FEW CLICKS, VERY SAD. SHAME ON YOU
“A discussion once considered entirely outside the mainstream of the frum world is no longer being dismissed quite so automatically.”
What nonsence just because a few kofrim dressed like frum jews think they are smarter than the rabbanim doesn’t mean that it is normal in the frum world to go up the har habais.
Yes there is a big chance that there are areas that are permitted according to some poskim but there is a clear lav of “lo sasir” one must listen to the gedolim of his generation no matter what.
Dasan and Aviram were also dressed as frum jews but rotten from within and dissobeyed Moshe Rabeinu.
Lo Sasur only applies to the Sanhedrin Hagedola, not to the Gedolim of any generation. We definitely should listen to the Gedolim, but don’t assign a chiyuv where there is none.
People are not afraid of Issur Kares people are more afraid of another type of Judaism which they are not familiar for the last two thousand years, they are afraid of a Bais Hamiksosh.
Thank you, Matzav, for having the courage to publish this article. Halachic nuance is very important and you have demonstrated that you are willing to be mekadesh shem shomayim by not cowtowing to the mob and instead stand up for the truth. Tizku lemitzvos and may this be the first of many such articles dedicated to the geula!!