The Temple and the Temple Mount
Hello!
It seems to be fairly agreed that the Temple occupies a very important place in the Torah and throughout the Tanakh, in the Gemara, the Midrashim, in prayers, in the Poskim, etc.
If I diagnose correctly, the rabbi is relatively “indifferent” to this issue, and perhaps as a result also to activities related to its promotion and strengthening of Temple consciousness, such as ascending to the Temple Mount, the Temple Institute, turning the gates, various exercises, and the like.
A. I would love to understand your approach.
on. Specifically regarding the ascent to the Temple Mount – do you not accept the additional reasons for ascent, besides promoting the Temple, such as sovereignty over the place, entering the place with the presence of the Divine Presence, fulfilling the commandment of prayer in a dignified manner, fulfilling the commandment of reverence for the Temple, preventing the desecration of God, and strengthening Jewish historical consciousness?
I intentionally marked the question in the ‘halakha’ category because I don’t think it’s just an ideological question (even before the question of identifying the place and the various concerns). And by the way, after 400 posts, maybe the Temple/Temple Mount deserves a post too 🙂
Thank you very much.
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- I personally connect less with this issue, and a person deals with what his heart desires. At least on a psychological (and also moral) level, it is very difficult for me to desire the return of the situation in which priests walk up to their stirrups in blood and slaughter hundreds of animals there. That does not mean that it will not return and that it has no value. I assume that if and when it returns, we will be able to see the value of this and then I will understand more. In the meantime, in my current situation, I do not desire it at all.
- The political goals don’t speak to me (because the general public is not ready for it and doesn’t want it. These increases don’t improve the situation or bring the results closer. Therefore, none of this really applies right now). Although I completely agree that freedom of worship should be allowed to Jews as well, and it’s a scandal that they don’t do this. I’ve written about this more than once.
- I am not sure that in the future the Temple will return to the way it was. The Lord has already spoken about animal sacrifices, but it is possible that this should be expanded upon further. There is a process of simplification that the Torah in general is undergoing (and perhaps this is the essence of the rule of nullity of commandments in the future), and it is possible that the Temple will also undergo simplification and will not be dependent on the place and will not return to functioning as it was in the past. But we will wait and see about that.
- Regarding the post, maybe you’re right (and not on your own behalf). Here’s the gist of it. 🙂
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1. This immediately reminded me of Chazal's statement, "Let no man say, 'I cannot do this,'" which suggests that there is no need to create an artificial reprieve for transgressions, and the same applies to our case, an artificial connection to the commandments. Is that really your opinion?
2. As someone who has relatively lived the issue, it seems to me that the Aliyahs promote the consciousness of the Temple among the immigrants and connect them to the issue, and also project it outwardly to those who have not yet made Aliyah. This has become an issue that is no longer ignored (both in the religious public and in general news). Traditionalists are also strengthening their connection to Judaism through this place.
Regarding the promotion of sovereignty, I see (in simple terms) a direct connection between the increase in Aliyah and sovereignty in the place.
3. It may happen in the future (but how? Prophecy? A prophet is not allowed to innovate...), but right now we have a commandment to build the Temple, and from what I've seen in your other answers, you agree with that. It's simply our duty to do what's possible right now, even if most of the public isn't really into it yet.
1. Not entirely accurate. Maimonides, in the sixth of eight chapters, writes that there is an interest in promoting mental identification, the reservation (in the conclusion of the book of Kings) is only that identification should not be the motivation for existence. But this is said about moral-intellectual commandments. In the Shemaic commandments, he writes there that there is also no interest in promoting identification itself.
2. True, but my feeling is that in the broadest strata, the issue of sovereignty overshadows the religious issue.
3. Not in the current composition of the Jewish people who are not interested in this. There are previous stages (to return people to their religious commitment).
3. Since when are there such and such restrictions on the observance of a mitzvah? Should I put on tefillin only in a proper spiritual state or only when I feel obligated to the mitzvah?
It must be said that your understanding is divided. Maybe because it is a public mitzvah? But if so, at least what is possible for now should be done. A public mitzvah of course does not exempt individuals from their homes.
Or do you believe that the ‘previous stages’ are an essential part of the definition of the mitzvah? That is quite new.
“The Temple occupies a very important place in the Torah and throughout the Bible”
The Temple has no meaning in the Torah.
The Temple is a political, royal, priestly creation based on idolatry, meaning that man does not believe in God and needs a leader, a king, a priest, and the slaughter of animals in order to feel like a slave to them and to meaningless rituals.
In conclusion, the Temple expresses apostasy from God and man's inability to get out of the desire for idolatry.
If you do not accept this, it is because you are immersed in idolatry and are unable to reject idolatry, like the majority.
This is not a question of a limitation on the mitzvot. This mitzvah is imposed on the public and today there is no public. Just as the mitzvah to offer sacrifices is conditional on the existence of a temple.
https://mikyab.net/posts/73396
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