OLD NEWS

ORDERS AGAINST ETZION STILL IN FORCE

Members of Chai Vekayam protested outside the home of General Gabi Ofir for the second straight day today. They demand the rescinding of the order against the head of their organization, Yehuda Etzion, forbidding him from entering the old city of Jerusalem. Gen. Ofir told Etzion that he would advise him to take his complaints to echelons other than the military.

19 ARRESTED FOR TEMPLE MOUNT PRAYER ATTEMPTS

Chai Vekayam leader Yehuda Etzion and 18 other members of the organization were arrested today, when they attempted to pray on the Temple Mount. Etzion was served with military restraining orders several days ago, which forbade him to enter the Old City of Jerusalem. He has said on a number of occasions that he will not adhere to the orders.

Arutz Sheva News Service Thursday, December 25, 1997 / Kislev 26, 5758

CHAI VEKAYAM MEMBERS RELEASED

Justice Rivkah Feldman ordered the release of all 19 of the Chai Vekayam activists who were arrested yesterday for attempting to pray on the Temple Mount. The prosecution asked that they be served with orders preventing them from entering the Old City for the next six months, but Feldman did not agree. The movement's leader, Yehuda Etzion, was ordered to spend the next five days in Eilat, for failing to adhere to a military order preventing him from entering the Old City.

Arutz Sheva News Service Thursday, January 7, 1998 / Tevet 10, 5758

PA PROVIDES JERUSALEM "SECURITY"

Yediot Acharonot reports today of new revelations that Palestinian security elements provide 24-hour a day "protection" to the Temple Mount and other sensitive areas in the Old City of Jerusalem. A secret security report reviews the activities of the various Palestinian security bodies, including the Preventive Security, General Intelligence, and Military Intelligence arms, and Arafat's Force 17. The various bodies employ agents to gather intelligence and establish lookouts. In addition, they track Israeli citizens, Arab collaborators with Israel, real-estate agents, and Palestinian opposition figures in the Old City. The report emphasizes that the sister of the Palestinian police commander in the "Jerusalem region" works in the Welfare Department of the Jerusalem Municipality.

RED HEIFER BECOMES UNFIT

Residents of the northern community of Kfar Hassidim announced with sorrow recently that the red heifer that they had been raising had become unfit for ritual use. Hairs on its tail were found to be whitening, rendering it not totally red, and therefore unfit to be used in the purification process for service in a future Holy Temple. The residents are hopeful that the cow will bear red calves that will be able to be used for this purpose.

CORRESPONDENCE

I hear alot of talk and see alot of text. But no temple!

Less talk - More action (non-talmudic advice!)

Regards

Jim

Jim,

Since Shammai says (Pirkei Avot 1:15), "Say little and do much," I would not consider your comments non-talmudic.

Nevertheless, the Beit HaMikdash cannot be built by one person. It needs to be a collective effort by multitudes of people. To do this, we need to do much talking to organize such efforts and bring this holy cause to our national agenda.

In any case, I do agree that we need more action, and this is as much up to you as it is up to me.

All the best,

yirmi

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.

While going through old messages ...

Since you posted my whole message, unedited, may I take it that your organization has no problems with the points that I made?

While I am happy you raised these important issues for Jews who ascend Har HaBayit, I cannot confirm or deny that the Tenu'ah holds by any or all of these halachic statements. Detailed halachic rulings need to be issued directly from the rabbis at the Tenu'ah, and this internet forum is to acquaint people with the issues - not a source of practical halachic decisions.

Additionally, I, being single, have not fully studied the women's issues regarding Har HaBayit, so I am not in a position to make any theoretical comments on this, either.

Yirmi: I have noticed in the weekly Mikdash-Build that there is a lot of >news about the Chai Ve'Kayam organization. What relationship does >your organization have with Chai Ve'Kayam and their activities? Paul

From the Guestbook

Yesshar Koach! A pleasure to see your new site and may Hashem grant that our dreams rise another level from the virtual world and become a reality. Leshanna Hazot BeYerushalim!

Yehuda Etzion

---

I am interested in the names and significance of the gates of the old temples and of the city of Jerusalem.

Byron V. Johnson

Byron,

Thank you for your question.

Since the upper part of the walls of the Temple Mount were destroyed (and you can see a different type of stone at the top of the Western Wall), the only gate that is still there today from Temple Times is the Hulda Gate, on the Southern Wall

The Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem were built by the Turks, and except for Jaffa Gate, which was built later, so were the gates.

All the best,

yirmi

• Mikdash-Build Index of Issues
• Mikdash-Build Next Issue
• Mikdash-Build Mail list

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

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page