MIKDASH-BUILD

20 Kislev 5758
Volume II, Number 6

Table of Contents

1. WHAT IS CHANNUKAH
2. ON THE NET
3. IN THE NEWS
4. CORRESPONDENCE

WHAT IS CHANNUKAH

by Akiva Bernstein

The Talmud (Shabbat 21b) asks a very simple question:

What is Channukah?

We can say right away what it is not. It is not eating sufganiyot, cheese blintzes, or potato latkes, and it is not playing dreidle or similar activities.

Channukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabi family (a family of Kohanim who served in the Beit HaMikdash) against the Syrian Greeks. It was a physical as well as spiritual war fought against a perverse culture which had four main targets in mind. The first target was the Beit HaMikdash -- to change it from the House of G-d into a Greek temple, complete with total idolatry and the worst kind of immorality. The three other targets were: to abolish the observance of Shabbat, to abolish the observance of the covenant of circumcision, and to abolish the proclaiming of the new mood every month by the Sanhedrin. One may ask: do the last three have any connection with the Beit HaMikdash itself? The answer is: definitely yes! Let us start with Shabbat. The verse "My Shabbatot you shall observe and My Sanctuary you shall revere" which appears twice in the Torah (Vayikra 19:30 and 36:2) shows the very strong connection between the Mikdash and Shabbat. As far as the covenant of circumcision is concerned, only a Kohen who was ritually circumcised could perform the various sacrifices and other services of the Mikdash. Someone who was not a Kohen would only be allowed to eat of such sacrifices if here were circumcised (see Shmot 12:48). Concerning the proclaiming of the new moon, it was done by the Sanhedrin of 71 sages who sat in a special chamber *right next to the Beit HaMikdash*. The proclaiming of the new moon was necessary for knowing when each of the three pilgrim festivals would take place , on which all the males of Israel were required to go to Jerusalem and stand inside the Temple. Thus we see that the purpose of the Greek attack on these four major targets was in order to completely remove from the nation of Israel, both mentally and in practice, the concept of holiness, since the root of "Mikdash" is the word "kodesh", which means holiness.


Table of Contents

ON THE NET

Please check out our site at

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3969/

There, you can learn how to ascend the Temple Mount according to halachah (Jewish Law), read back issues of Mikdash-Build, and find out about upcoming events. And don't forget to sign our guestbook.

We have over 20 Mikdash related links. Here are our most recently discovered links:




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IN THE NEWS

SNS News Headlines November 16, 1997..16 Cheshvan 5758..Volume III, Number 209

Administrative Orders Issued Against Jewish Temple Mount Activists

(IINS News Service -Israel-11/16-VIF)

OC IDF Home Front Command issued administrative orders restricting the free travel of several Jewish Temple Mount activists.

Among those who received the orders, banning their travel in the area of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, were Itamar Ben-Gavir, Benny Aharoni and Noam Federman.

SNS News Headlines November 20, 1997..20 Cheshvan 5758..Volume III, Number 219

Western Wall Owned by Moslem Wakf

(IINS News Service -Israel-11/20)

According to a study conducted by attorney Dr. Shmuel Berkovitz for the Jerusalem Institute for Israeli Studies, there may be some legitimacy to claims by the PLO Authority (PA) that the Western Wall is the property of the Moslem Wakf.

The PA, in the past, has stated that a Syrian document dating back about 150-years indicates the ownership of the Western Wall belongs to the Moslem Wakf.

According to the legal experts involved in the study, Israeli leaders failed to requisition the Western Wall following the June 1967 Six Day War.

The study shows that Israeli officials only requisitioned what is now known as the Western Wall Plaza- but not the wall itself.

Dr. Berkovitz is regarded to be a leading authority on the legal status of Jewish, Christian and Moslem holy sites.

Arutz Sheva News Service Wednesday, December 3, 1997 / Kislev 4, 5758

COURT TURNS DOWN TEMPLE MOUNT SUIT; CHAI VEKAYAM REACTS

On the other hand, the Chai Vekayam movement for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount suffered a loss in the Supreme Court today. It demanded that the illegal construction work being carried out at the site by the Waqf - in this case, the building of a large fountain - be stopped. The organization claimed that the construction is in violation of the antiquities law. The attorney for the municipality admitted to the Court that the Waqf never requested a permit for the construction, nor did the city ever take steps against the construction. The judge noted this with some astonishment. Despite this, the petition was later rejected by the Court.

Yehuda Etzion, head of Chai Vekayam, released a statement after the decision was announced. Its main points: "The Supreme Court has adopted the position of the State not to take measures against admitted illegal activity on the Temple Mount. This is the first real official expression of the loss of Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount. Now that the State authorities have announced that the State's laws do not apply to the Islamic Waqf on the Temple Mount, we announce that we claim for ourselves the same status as that given to the Waqf. We see ourselves as free from the burden of the law in everything connected with our entry to the Temple Mount in order to pray. From now on we will no longer adhere to restraining orders, and we will come again and again to the Temple Mount gates demanding that we be allowed to pray there."

It has now been learned that not only did Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein visit the Temple Mount two weeks ago, but he also pulled out a pocket prayer-book and said a few prayers. This is apparently the first time since the liberation of the area in 1967 that an Israeli government official has prayed at the holy site.

Arutz Sheva News Service Thursday, December 11, 1997 / Kislev 12, 5758

COURT EXPLAINS RULING TO ALLOW ILLEGAL WAQF CONSTRUCTION

The Supreme Court released its explanation today of a decision it made last week to allow illegal Moslem Waqf construction on the Temple Mount. The explanation reads, in part, as follows: "There is no doubt and no one disputes that the construction works carried out the Moslem Waqf on the Temple Mount... were carried out without the required permits being sought or given. Despite this, the Attorney-General decided not to begin criminal or other proceedings on this issue, in light of the policy that has been... approved by this Court that 'in matters pertaining to the Temple Mount, with all of its emotional, religious, and political charges, an extra-special measure of caution is required.' In this case, the Attorney-General decided not to intervene [for various reasons]... I feel that we must not intervene in the judgment of the Attorney- General. True, the law was not adhered to in this case... But we must say most clearly that the Temple Mount is different than any other place, and the religious and diplomatic dispute surrounding the Temple Mount is beyond other disputes that can be adjudicated by the Supreme Court... It is the political echelons, and not the judicial, that must give content and significance to the historic cry, 'The Temple Mount is in our hands!'"

Yehuda Etzion, head of Chai Vekayam, released a statement last week in response to the ruling. Etzion stated, "This is the first real official expression of the loss of Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount. Now that the State authorities have announced that the State's laws do not apply to the Islamic Waqf on the Temple Mount, we announce that we claim for ourselves the same status as that given to the Waqf. We see ourselves as free from the burden of the law in everything connected with our entry to the Temple Mount in order to pray."

Arutz Sheva News Service December 18, 1997 / Kislev 19, 5758

ETZION FORBIDDEN TO ENTER OLD CITY

O.C. Central Command Gabi Ophir issued a restraining order against Chai Vekayam leader Yehuda Etzion, forbidding him from entering the Old City of Jerusalem. Etzion said in response that this is a new phase in the authorities' bid to prevent Jews from praying on the Temple Mount. "Up until now, they sufficed with preventing us from entering the Temple Mount, but now they're excluding me from the entire Old City," Etzion said. He said that he does not plan to adhere to the order, even if it involves a prison term, nor does he plan to file an appeal with the Appeals Committee, which he called "a committee of marionettes."


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CORRESPONDENCE

Is there an address in the United States where donations can be sent to?

Zei Gezunt!

Paul Ginsburg

Paul,

Thank you for inquiring.

For good or for bad, the Beit HaMikdash can only be built in Jerusalem, and we therefore must concentrate all our efforts there. Additionally, setting up an office abroad would mean that contributions abroad would be eaten up in administrative expenses. Although we will be happy to see if we can get a receipt from an organization recognized by the IRS for our American contributors, it does not make sense for us to set up an office abroad.

All the best,

yirmi

Dear Yirmi,

I have subscribed to your newsletter for nearly a year and find it very interesting. I was in Israel last week escorting a group of 38 Christian Pilgrims. This is a part time business for me and was my fourth trip. We visited the Western Wall Tunnel, Temple Institute and Temple Mount. One question, in the tunnel there is a sign on the wall that says "nearest point to 'Holy of Holies' ." Where does that correspond to on Temple Mount? It is directly west of the Dome of the Rock or more north in line with the eastern gate? Thanks for your help.

With respect,

Tim Cowles

The sign is according to the central, traditional, most widely accepted opinion that the Holy of Holies is located on top of the Foundation Stone, which is under the Dome of the Rock.

In last issue, the following story was reported:

Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein paid a short visit to the Temple Mount yesterday. He wanted to personally investigate the illegal construction being carried out by the Moslem Waqf at the site. Accompanying Rubenstein were his aide Atty. Noam Solberg, Old City Police Commander Meir Givati, and GSS representatives. The visitors were heavily guarded. Rubenstein, an observant Jew, immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) before he entered the Mount, as required by Jewish Law. Members of Chai Vekayam, a movement which encourages freedom of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, expressed satisfaction that governmental figures were taking interest in the goings-on at the Temple Mount.

Rubenstein sent a secret letter a month ago to Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which he warned that the Waqf construction on the Temple Mount constitutes a danger to Israel's sovereignty there. Netanyahu promised that he would convene an urgent meeting on the topic, but has not yet done so. On October 30, Arutz-7 reported that the Supreme Court had rejected a petition demanding that the Attorney-General be ordered to execute his authority against the illegal construction; Rubenstein claimed in court that the construction does not damage the site, and is not in "substantial" violation of the building code.

I am curious: the news report states that "Rubenstein, an observant Jew, immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) before he entered the Mount, as required by Jewish Law." BUT it also states that he was "heavily guarded." QUESTION? Did the guards also immerse in the mikveh? The report doesn't mention it. If they did not, and they entered because of Rubinstein, then he is responsible for causing them to commit a VERY grave sin. ..

I would [also] appreciate your addressing a few additional points as well.

1) The need to do a proper immersion in a kosher mikve, one under constant rabbinical supervision, such as for the mikvaot used by women after their niddah period.

2) The need for a proper and thorough washing and combing before the immersion.

3) In the case of married women, If the immersion is done after their niddah period, they should specifically have in mind that the immersion is for entry into the sanctified precincts, as well as to permit them to have relations with their husbands. If they did not have this in mind, they should repeat the immersion.

4) Married women who perform a special immersion for this purpose during the time that they are otherwise "clean" must abstain from relations with their husbands for seventy-two hours prior to the immersion. They should preferably perform an internal examination before the immersion (if they forgot, or if this is difficult for them, they should ask a sha'aloh from a qualified rav).

5) Unmarried girls should ask a sha'aloh from their rav before an immersion, because there are some communities where the practice is to forbid unmarried girls to immerse in the mikve (most communities do allow it for special reasons, such as on erev Yom Kippur). Also, they must make the proper internal examinations, and count seven clean days (they do not have to wait the usual five days before doing so). They should have their mother or older sister, or some other married woman instruct them as to the proper procedure, as kallah about to be married would do.

6) One may not wear leather shoes. Also, one may not have the undergarments exposed, and may not enter carrying a knapsack or other bundle, nor with a money purse. I have seen a posting somewhere saying that a money wallet hidden in one's pocket is permitted. If that is so, I wonder if you know the source for this psak din?

7) One must be absolutely sure of the places one may walk on the Har Habayit, and the places where one may not (including those areas where it is questionable). Is there a map of the Har Habayit areas? It would be VERY helpful if you could, in a future issue, include a link to such a map, showing roads and/or paths, and the areas where it is permissible to go, along with detailed written instructions.

(not signed by author)

Yasher koach on your interest in the halachic aspects of Har HaBayit.

Regarding your concern about the security guards ascending Har HaBayit, I have to make the point, that it is probably not such an issue in this case because the police guards on Har HaBayit are generally Arabs, who do not require going to the mikvah to enter the permissible locations, and they would be up there in any case at their regular stations. Additionally, although Jews really should go to the mikvah before ascending Har HaBayit, security measures involve "pikuach nefesh" (danger to life), which would set aside the prohibition of entering the Mikdash area in any state of defilement. If government officials do not enter Har HaBayit, what is to stop the Waqaf from stationing tanks there? Therefore, under the circumstances, Rubenstein's ascent was indeed proper.

And if you want to argue that it would be better that we do not control Har HaBayit so that Jews do not transgress the prohibition of entering the Mikdash (Temple) in state of defilement, you will have to question if would be better if the Beit HaMikdash were not built in the first place. Certainly, over the period that the First and Second Temples stood, there were people who unscrupulously entered in a state of defilement. Does that mean we are better off without a Mikdash so that we do not transgress the prohibitions involved?

If you still think the answer is yes, you will have to reconsider whether it might be better that Jews do not live in Eretz Yisrael so that we may not transgress the laws of tithing produce. If you take such a position, than you are forced to say our being in Eretz Yisrael and having a Beit HaMikdash during the First and Second Temple periods was a big mistake.

Regarding questions, 1-5 in your second letter, I suggest contacting the Rav of the Tenu'ah for practical questions. Nevertheless, for general information on these subjects I suggest you look at the book "El Har HaMor" or Rav Kroizer's series of halachic books on the subject.

Regarding question 6, the source is Tosafot Pesachim 7a "BeHar..."

Regarding question 7, please see http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3969/ascent.html

In any case, it is recommended to go up the first time with someone who knows where to go, so if you want a guided ascent, please email me.

All the best,

yirmi

Yirmi,

If we are really supposed to be building the beis hamikdash now, WHO is supposed to do it, just any random group of Jews or is it supposed to be a national effort? Also, what would happen if we were to complete the building?

Aviva

Aviva,

Yasher kochech on your question which will hopefully help inspire Jews to work for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash.

The mitzvah to build the Beit HaMikdash is incumbent upon the entire Jewish People. If there are Jews who do not take part in this mitzvah, it does not exempt other Jews from their obligation to build. In fact, if one Jew were to build the entire Beit HaMikdash by himself, he would have fulfilled the mitzvah for the entire Jewish People. Once more than one Jew want to build the Beit HaMikdash, they are required to cooperate with each other, since the privilege and obligation to build the Beit HaMikdash belongs to them equally. In the ideal situation, where such a multitude of Jews, or hopefully the entire Jewish People, want to build the Beit HaMikdash, and it is not feasible for all of them to go up and build together, they would have to chose representatives to build on their behalf.

Chazak ve-ematz,

yirmi

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HaTenu'ah LeChinun HaMikdash

Gathering en masse to arouse consciousness among the People, its rabbis, and its leaders to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash and return the Kohanim to their Service

P.O. Box 31336, Jerusalem, ISRAEL
Telephone: +972-2-5371904
Email: Yirmiyahu Fischer


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