As reported on Matzav.com, the Rishon Letzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef, in his weekly shiur, criticized MK Itamar Ben Gvir for going on the Har Habayis in violation of the psak of the greatest gedolim and poskim.
Ben Gvir said, in response, that he respects the Rishon Letzion, but he follows the ruling of his rabbi, Rabbi Dov Lior, a well known religious Zionist rabbi.
Rabbi Lior and Ben Gvir point to various rabbis who ostensibly claim that certain parts of the Har Habayis are permitted to be visited. They seem to be unperturbed by the fact that the greatest Torah leaders of this and previous generations have stated unequivocally that Jews are not to go on the Har Habayis, period.
On Sunday, Rabbi Lior addressed the tumult for the first time and came out in defense of his student: “There is reason to fear that the motivation for the chief rabbi’s words is political and not halachic.”
He added: “My position regarding the Temple Mount is well known. It is no secret. I say that there are places where it is forbidden to be and there are places that are allowed, and it is important that the people of Israel go up [to the Har Habayis].” He added: “There is reason to fear that things are [being said] for a political reason. I cannot be one hundred percent sure, but there is room for fear. ”
“Think for a moment, ya ahabal (fool),” Rav Yosef had chided the Otzma Yehudit Chairman during his weekly shiur at the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim. “Everybody forbids entering the Har Habayis,” Rav Yosef said. “But there’s one fwllow named Ben Gvir, who enters the Temple Mount in a public way. Such blasphemy, to go against the great rabbis of Israel. Think for a moment ya ahbal (fool), does your rabbi match all of those rabbis?”
He added: “A Knesset member comes to stir up trouble and also violates every order of the great teachers of Israel – we must stay away from him and all his behaviors.”
Ben Gvir released a response, saying, “I respect the chief rabbi. I should also emphasize that I follow the opinion of my teacher and rabbi, Rabbi Dov Lior, who ruled that he is commanded to ascend the Temple Mount, especially when the Waqf controls the place. In any case, I wish Rabbi Yosef longevity and many years and I respect him.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
We need shalom now more than ever. Let’s not get mired in machlokes. Do we really want Moshiach to come or not?
We need the Torah to be followed now more than ever. Let’s not get mired in the Chilul Hashem of permitting idolatry and heresy. Do we really want Moshiach to come or not?
What chutzpah. To say the Halachic ruling not to go on Har Habaiis is politically motivated when his ‘mitzvah’ to go on to Har Habaiis is completely political.
What chutzpah to use such terminology on a Rav.
Why? What did you see as wrong in saying “Think for a moment, ya ahabal (fool),”? Isn’t the Talmud full of similar language?
You’ve read Rav Lior’s halachic writing on these matters?
I have seen his writing on other halachic matters . They are COMPLETELY dominated by political consideration, far , very far away from the approach of centuries of faithful Rabbinic Responsa of our truly Great. Chazaka al … SheEino Motsi MiTachas Yodoi …. .
That, besides the fact that the Greatest of the previous Generation prohibited ascent to Har HaBayis , is more then enough .
Kol Hakavod to Rav Yosef !! A real leader !!
For being steadfast on Laws of the Torah and safeguarding the rules of the Torah. We support you, for standing up against political pressure.
Rabbi Lior, with all due respect! Are you of stature to disagree with Rishonim too? Are you able to take on the Ramban too? Forget Rav Moshe Feinstein, Forget Rav Ovadiah: The Ramban!!!
while i of course do follow the position of the vast majority of the gedolim of the current and previous generatioN it is simply not true that all gedolim held that going on any part of har habayis is assur. And realy even most of those that say its totally assur now are NOT because they hold its inherently assur but rather because of the kilkul that would come about from people doing it given that most people would likely not do it properly. Given that Im very surprised that Chacham Yosef would have started an argument over this and i would assume he must have felt a need to comment on it to discourage more people from going and following ben-gvirs example.
Actually, it is a vital point that the majority of the current great sages of our generation are still more strict on this matter, as there is a chance there could have been a change of circumstances since the classical opinions were written. Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Ovadiah Yosef and many others, remind us that the words of the Rishonim still apply even in today’s circumstances.
As per Deut. 17:9-11
“…and to the judge __>>who will be in those days<<__, and you shall inquire, and they will tell you the words of judgment. And you shall do according to the word they tell you, from the place the Lord will choose, and you shall observe to do according to all they instruct you. According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left."
Also, I would avoid using the language of forget this or that great sage, even as a mere mode of speech. As per Lev. 19:32 "You shall rise before a venerable person and you shall respect the elder, and you shall fear your God. I am the Lord."
You would surely be misleading everyone in an attempt to imply that Rav Lior is acting against ALL Rishonim. Before you write on these topics, instead of name-dropping with the usual confected outrage, read the Teshuvos on the matter and see precisely what Rav Lior allows and does not allow.
Kol Hakavod to Rav Yosef !! A real leader !!
You are being steadfast on Laws of the Torah and safeguarding the rules of the Torah. We support you, for standing up against political pressure.
The majority opinion is to avoid going on the Har Habayis in any area not universally accepted. One can be nationalistic and proactive in their hasbara, without relying on heterim/dispensations, on a risk of so vital and severe of a Torah prohibition.
All the Rishonim allow it.
Rav Shlomo Zalmen did not know about them . You apparently do ….
Please re-read Rambam, Bias Mikdash 3:12
It’s no surprise that the Zionist Rabbis and their followers think that they know better than the Gidolim.
R’ Dov Lior – כל הפוסל, במומו פוסל.
ודאי לחכימא ברמיזא…
“They seem to be unperturbed by the fact that the greatest Torah leaders of this and previous generations have stated unequivocally that Jews are not to go on the Har Habayis, period.”
They are unperturbed by every gadol calling out “Religious Zionism” as idolatry, so this is really almost nothing, relatively speaking.
Every Gadol has NOT called out religious zionism. Rather, your Gedolim may have. Please, can we have comments that are NOT clearly ignorant or biased? Why do people reduce everything to “my Rabbi/Rav/Gadol is taller than yours” instead of actually studying the issues at hand?
A Rav is not only Boki Be Shas and Poskim . He has to be an Amkan too. And a Yerei Shamaim too . And have Shimush from someone who fits all the above criteria too
This has nothing to do with my Godol is taller then yours . This has to do with a REAL understanding of what Yiddishkeit is all about.
This faces a faced turn off.
We daven to be close to Hashem. We find the best minyan.
Who dares ascend has not ascended Torah. Grade the bedlam as unorthodox discouraged climate to be a smear.
Rav Lior: With all my respect; surely you recognize the authority of all of the Gedolei Haposkim who have forbidden walking on Har Habayis nowadays. But for some reason, in this case, you are following the few that these Gedolei Haposkim are not following. Why? Is it purely a halachic hachra’ah? Or is there perhaps a preexisting bias that may be influencing this “hachra’ah?”