In Parshat Re’eh we are told not to worship idols
and when we worship God it has to be in “The Place” that God selects as we see
in Dvarim 12:5-7:
Rather at “HaMakom”, “The Place” that HaShem, your
God chooses from all your tribes to set his Presence there, will you seek His
Presence and come there. You are to bring there your burnt offerings (olot) and
your sacred offerings (zvachim), and your tithes (maasrot) and the elevation of
your hands (trumot) and your pledges (nedarim) and your donations (nedivot) and
the firstborn (bechorot) of your cattle and your flocks. You are to eat there
before HaShem, your God and you will be happy with the sum of your handiwork,
you and your households as has blessed you, HaShem, your God.
Where is “The Place”?
Chizkuni points out that the name of “The Place” was
not listed since the Shechina, Divine Presence rested in a few places such as
Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, Givon and finally “Beit Olamim”, the eternal home, the
Temple Mount.
The Kotel, the Western Wall, which was a retaining
wall is not listed there as it is not “The Place.”
Unfortunately, many leaders, most recently, Yair
Lapid, Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs have
made statements leading the public to believe that the Kotel is our holiest
site when in fact our holiest site is the Temple Mount.
Immediately after Tisha B’Av, Lapid said that “Jews
have visitation rights at the Temple Mount and that Muslims have freedom to
worship at the site. A Jew who wants to pray can do so at the Western Wall, the
holiest place for the Jews.”
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a similar
statement eight years ago on August 4, 2013 when the Barcelona soccer players
visited Israel: “You just visited the holiest site for the Jewish people, the
Western Wall.”
If you log on to the website “Tourist Israel” the
first words that you will find are: “The Western Wall or the ‘Wailing Wall,’ is
the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website did get it
right and does not try to hide anything. Their site says straight out: “The
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the two Jewish Temples were located, is the
holiest site in Judaism. Called Haram Al Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) by
Muslims, the site contains the al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third
holiest site in Islam, the iconic Dome of the Rock and many other small
structures.”
The site continues: “After Jerusalem’s reunification
in 1967, Israel chose to uphold the existing status quo on the Temple Mount.
Out of respect for Muslim sensibilities, it allowed the Islamic Waqf to
continue to administer the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Non-Muslims
(Israelis and tourists) are allowed to visit the Temple Mount at fixed times
but do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque itself. They visit other parts of the site
and usually walk around the large open spaces. In addition, Jews and other
non-Mulsims are not permitted to pray on the Temple Mount.”
On the one hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
saying that the Temple Mount is our holiest site yet on the other hand, out of
respect for Muslim sensibilities Jews are not permitted to pray there.
Why are so many people, including our leaders
getting it wrong?
In order to deflect the Jews from wanting to pray on
the Temple Mount, in 1967 the Kotel was built up into a holy site and tourist
attraction. However, for our leaders to say that the Kotel is our holiest site
is deception by those who know better but prefer to try to avoid conflict.
