I went to Har HaBayit today with a small group of people. The weather was cold and wet, allowing us to expect a quiet visit. When it is wet there are usually only small crowds, and the police bother us less. I guess it was warm and dry enough that the police and the Waqf representative stuck close enough to us that we could not get away with much.
I will let my selection of pictures do the talking...
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| The view of the Kotel from the ramp leading up to Shaar HaRambam/Mugrabim |
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| Looks like a daf yomi shiur. there were a few of these groups around the southern side of the Har |
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| Our police escort. He was busy most of the time checking out his ringtones on his cellphone |
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| Our Waqf escort. He kept a keen eye on us. |
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| a video crew filming footage for a video about Har HaBayit for Yehuda Glick (supposedly). At some point they were thrown out, but I dont know why as I did not see them do anything provocative. At first we thought they were undercover agents following us. |
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| the view towards the "azara" area, from the eastern side. piles of rubble all over the place on this side. |
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| had to do a double take. when I first saw this guy it was from the backside of him, and I thought he was a hassidic rebbe. his head wrapping looked like a shtreimel. Then I noticed the skirt (at first glance it looked like a bekishe), and then he turned around to seal it. Not a hassidic rebbe. |
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| cleaning the paths of Har HaBayit |
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| the past and future spot of the kodesh kadashim |
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| past and future spot of the mizbei'ach |
my 5 year old son spotted your photo of the kosel, so i showed him the rest of the pictures. he was very excited and said "that's where the beis hamikdosh is going to be - on top of that arab church!"
ReplyDeletesmart boy
ReplyDeleteIsn't there halachic complications with going to the Har Habyit?
ReplyDeleteyes there are, though as with most of life the halachic issues are reasonably easily solvable
ReplyDeleteHow is it solvable in this particular case?
ReplyDeletemany rabbonim have delineated where one can walk and where a person should avoid going. tumas meis is not a problem, as one who is tamei meis can be on har habayit, just not in the azara area.
ReplyDeletetumas keri (and nida for a woman) (really all tumah hayotzei min haguf) is a problem, but if one goes to a kosher mikva (not a drabanan mikva), one is ok for har habayis.
one has to prepare properly one has to know where to go and where not to go, and it can be done. and it is done by frum Jews regularly.
Thank you so much for clarifying that for me, it is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDelete