[Avodah] Har Habayit

[Yisrael Medad]

ET writes:
While his statement is true, it is also irrelevant to the
discussion, since those currently visiting the Har Habayit are not
engaged in the building of the Beis Hamikdash.

Well, this is a bit problematic.
a)  I don't know (does anyone?) exactly how the rebuilding process will
begin (if it hasn't already).  Flash of light, white donkey, victory in
1967?  See below.
b)  rebuilding also might mean simply dealing with an Islamic presence
bimkom hamikdash (see the Tzuf Dvash, "Sha'ar HeChatzer", Para. 339).
c)  already in 1969, Rav Shmuel Hacohen Weingarten, at the Kinnus Torah
Sh'B'al Peh at Mossad HaRav Kook, suggested that a state of war exists and
every ascent is part of reclaiming our ownership of the place similar to the
Gemara on "halicha b'shvil".
d)  would preventing the building of additional mosques or a fifth Minaret
as now proposed by Jordan constitute engaged in rebuilding the Temple?
Would membership in machon HaMikdash?
e)  or, to paraphrase the Chofetz Chaim, "what are you doing today to
rebuild the Mikdash?"  Some are learning Seder Kodshim, others belong to the
Dr. Eilat Mazar's Committee of Archeologists to Prevent Destruction of
Temple Mount Artifacts or digging up Ir David to maybe find out how long an
Ammah is and others are creating a new norm: Jews ascending the Har
Habayit.  Not every step forward is in the Bet HaMidrash.  There's plenty to
do, and plenty a'doing.
We can skim through Ezra 3 and see how others dealt with it, even though
they had 3 ne'vi'im to help, true:

"the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem Then stood
up Jeshua the son of Jozadak...and his brethren, and builded the altar of
the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon...And they set the altar
upon its bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of the
countries [ah, they do were tembling], and they offered burnt-offerings
thereon unto the LORD, even burnt-offerings morning and evening [before the
comple Temple was constructed]...From the first day of the seventh month
began they to offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD; but the foundation of the
temple of the LORD was not yet laid...They gave money... Now in the second
year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem...[they]appointed
the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the
work of the house of the LORD....

-- 
Yisrael Medad
Shiloh
Mobile Post Efraim 44830
Israel
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20070611/acbfb075/attachment-0002.htm>