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Priestly Blessing on Temple Mount [Jews defy Waqf, pray openly]
Israel National News ^ | Oct. 21, 2007 | Hillel Fendel

Posted on 10/21/2007 7:32:48 AM PDT by Alouette

(IsraelNN.com) A historic first: Last week, during a special visit to the Temple Mount, the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) was recited there, for arguably the first time since the 1st-century destruction.

The Blessing is recited daily in synagogues in Israel by descendants of Aaron the Priest, and only on festivals in the Diaspora.

The special visit was held to commemorate the 842nd anniversary of Maimonides's famous visit to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. A group of some 25 Jews, organized by the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, marked the special day with a commemorative visit. Giving extra-special meaning to the occasion was a spontaneous Priestly Blessing delivered to the group by Yehuda Katz, the lead singer of the Reva L'Sheva band, and Eliezer Breuer, originally of the former Soviet Union and now from Kiryat Arba.

Rabbi Chaim Richman, one of the organizers of the trip, said, "This was probably the first time since the destruction of the Temple [1,928 years ago] that the Priestly Blessing was delivered on our holiest site. At times like these, when there is talk of giving away our precious places, and when despair is sometimes in the air, events of this nature serve to remind us that G-d has not forgotten about us, and that He still has big plans for both us and the Holy Temple - and that the Temple will yet become the focal point of the world once again."

Another notable aspect of the visit was the welcoming attitude of the police. "In an unusual departure from standard procedure," one participant said, "we found that the police were particularly sympathetic to our needs. At one point, when the Moslem Wakf guards started yelling that we were praying, one of the policemen took our side and even threatened to remove them if necessary."

Maimonides, also known as the Rambam, made his historic visit to the Temple Mount on the sixth day of the month of MarCheshvan in the year 1166 (4926 in the Jewish calendar). Unanimously considered one of Judaism's greatest figures, the Rambam wrote that he put himself in danger to make a trip to Jerusalem, where he entered "the Large and Holy House [the Temple Mount] and prayed." Three days later, he also visited the Machpelah Cave in Hevron, and vowed to commemorate the anniversaries of those days as his personal festivals for years to come.

Last week's visit was also led by Rabbis Yisrael Ariel and Yehuda Glick. Rabbi Ariel is a former Yeshiva head, founder of the Temple Institute, and one of the paratroopers who took part in the 1967 liberation of the Temple Mount. Rabbi Glick made news briefly over two years ago when, as Director of the Absorption Ministry's Ashkelon region, he became the first public official to resign in protest over the plans to withdraw from and destroy Gush Katif.

Though the Chief Rabbinate disagrees, the Yesha Rabbis Council has ruled that one who ascends and visits the Temple Mount while adhering to three conditions - prior immersion in a mikveh; keeping the laws of Awe of the Temple (no leather shoes, proper respect, etc.); and knowledge of the precise permitted areas - is fulfilling a "great mitzvah [Torah commandment]."

"The more Jews who visit this holy site," Rabbi Richman told Arutz-7, "the more cooperative the police are with us and the more respectful they are of our needs - as some police officers have indicated to me. And the more we encourage Jews with stories like what happened last week, the more they will come."


TOPICS: Extended News; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: jerusalem; templemount
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1 posted on 10/21/2007 7:32:50 AM PDT by Alouette
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To: 1st-P-In-The-Pod; 2ndDivisionVet; A_Conservative_in_Cambridge; af_vet_rr; agrace; Aiko; ...
FReepMail to be added or removed from this pro-Israel/Judaic/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

2 posted on 10/21/2007 7:33:26 AM PDT by Alouette (Vicious Babushka)
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To: Alouette

Good.


3 posted on 10/21/2007 7:35:57 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Be deranged in a consistent manner. Manson was nuts, but at least he was always on message." --dead)
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To: Alouette

Good. But let’s not stop there. I want that demon-worshiping eyesore Al-Aqsa cleaned off the top of the Temple Mount.


4 posted on 10/21/2007 7:38:12 AM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: Alouette

Wonderful!


5 posted on 10/21/2007 7:39:47 AM PDT by netmilsmom (To attack one section of Christianity in this day and age, is to waste time .)
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To: ccmay
I want that demon-worshiping eyesore Al-Aqsa cleaned off the top of the Temple Mount.

I think you mean the Dome of the Rock though I would have no problem removing Al-Aqsa along with it.

ML/NJ

6 posted on 10/21/2007 8:19:47 AM PDT by ml/nj
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To: ccmay

Muhammad was a false prophet so case closed. You cannot build a religion around a false prophet. Maimonides called him Ha Mesgugga. The crazy one

_________

Our greatest theologian of the last millennium, Maimonides, wrote in his famous Epistle to the Jews of Yemen that Mohammed was “a madman”

(”ha-meshugga’”). The Rambam also noted the depth of Muslim hatred for the Jews, but, most importantly for our era, he also remarked — 835 years ago! — on the Jewish tendency to denial, a feature that this sage of sages insisted would hasten our destruction.

http://newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/8237


7 posted on 10/21/2007 8:26:02 AM PDT by dennisw (France needs a new kind of immigrant — one who is "selected, not endured" - Nicholas Sarkozy)
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To: Alouette
This is what I don't understand. They took it in 1967 and they still can't go up their and pray whenever they want?

one of the paratroopers who took part in the 1967 liberation of the Temple Mount.

8 posted on 10/21/2007 8:38:22 AM PDT by DManA
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To: Alouette
The Blessing is recited daily in synagogues in Israel by descendants of Aaron the Priest, and only on festivals in the Diaspora.

This certainly isn't correct. We recite Numbers 6:24-26 daily and twice on Shabbat mornings in NJ and most places I have visited, and recitation is not restricted to descendants of Aaron the Priest. My recollection is that it is a part of the wedding ceremony too (including Christian wedding ceremonies). There is a more elaborate recitation on festivals that is performed only by Kohanim.

ML/NJ

9 posted on 10/21/2007 8:40:31 AM PDT by ml/nj
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To: DManA

Their=there


10 posted on 10/21/2007 8:40:48 AM PDT by DManA
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To: Alouette

This was probably the first time since the destruction of the Temple [1,928 years ago] that the Priestly Blessing was delivered on our holiest site. At times like these, when there is talk of giving away our precious places, and when despair is sometimes in the air, events of this nature serve to remind us that G-d has not forgotten about us, and that He still has big plans for both us and the Holy Temple - and that the Temple will yet become the focal point of the world once again.”
________________________________________________

Gives me chills.


11 posted on 10/21/2007 8:44:17 AM PDT by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: ml/nj
Here it is:

24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

The paster in our Lutheran Church recites this at the end of the service.

12 posted on 10/21/2007 8:44:42 AM PDT by DManA
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To: Alouette
Praise!!!!

When does the abomination of desolation come down?

13 posted on 10/21/2007 8:49:44 AM PDT by rawcatslyentist (Hey Jessie, how much melanin do you have to have to form a socially acceptable lynch mob?)
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To: dennisw
You cannot build a religion around a false prophet.

Tell that to AlGore.

14 posted on 10/21/2007 8:52:41 AM PDT by airborne (Proud to be a conservative! Proud to support Duncan Hunter for President!)
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To: Alouette

Excellent !!!!!!!


15 posted on 10/21/2007 8:53:21 AM PDT by Dustbunny (The BIBLE - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)
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To: Alouette
At one point, when the Moslem Wakf guards started yelling that we were praying, one of the policemen took our side and even threatened to remove them if necessary."

If I were an Israeli, I would not tolerate a Muslim telling me where I could not pray within my own country

16 posted on 10/21/2007 9:05:13 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty)
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To: ml/nj
There is a more elaborate recitation on festivals that is performed only by Kohanim.

This is done in Israel every day.

17 posted on 10/21/2007 9:05:23 AM PDT by Alouette (Vicious Babushka)
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To: Alouette
This is done in Israel every day.

I have to say, I don't recall this. Maybe I didn't think anything about it the times I've been there (incl twice at the Great Synagogue). I'll be sure to pay closer attention next time.

ML/NJ

18 posted on 10/21/2007 9:14:31 AM PDT by ml/nj
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: Alouette
G-d has not forgotten about us, and that He still has big plans for both us and the Holy Temple - and that the Temple will yet become the focal point of the world once again.”

God said it and 'Thy Word Is Truth'...

Even so, Come Lord Jesus...

20 posted on 10/21/2007 9:53:57 AM PDT by Iscool (What if Jesus meant everything that He said...)
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