[Avodah] There was no mechitzah at the Kotel

[T613K at aol.com]

From: Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org>
: 
 
 
>>RAB already brought to Avodah the discussion of whether the  current
plaza has more qedushah than the area had in 1918.

There was  also a second thread of discussion in the general topic:

The local  gov't's didn't allow a mechitzah to be put at the kotel,
for fear it would  trigger riots. (Rather than trying to contain the
criminals. <sigh>)  And in fact, the British finally allowed a mechitzah
in 1929, which did  indeed led to rioting across EY -- most notoriously
in Chevron,  Hy"d.

Does this qualify as she'as hadechaq or ein danin es ha'efshare  mishe'i
efshar?

Others, including myself, argued that since there is  no chiyuv to
daven at the kotel, or for the women to be there during minyan,  with
all those other shuls Y-m had at the time (how far away are the  four
shuls of the rova?), had davening without a mechitzah been a  problem,
they simply wouldn't have davened there. The presence of  alternative
locations removes the dochaq-ness.  <<

--  
Micha  Berger              
micha at aishdas.org         




>>>>>
 
 
1. Davening at the kosel, when the population was tiny in comparison to  
today's, was considered like davening at a kever.  There was no mechitza at  
Kever Rochel or at Me'aras Hamachpela when I first visited those places, and  
there is to this day no mechitza at the kever of any tzaddik buried on Har  
Hamenuchos.  I don't know the halachos of what makes a place a bais  
knesses but certainly there is some critical mass where the sheer numbers  of 
people davening at a place make a mechitza necessary.  IIRC there was  
originally no mechitza in the BHM'K even, but the crush of people on yom tov  
eventually necessitated that a balcony be installed for the women.
 
2.  We cannot allow the goyim to keep us away from the kosel, our  holiest 
site.  That alone is she'as hadechak.  It doesn't matter how  many shuls 
there were in Yerushalayim when the Turks ruled E'Y, it was  critically 
important that we maintain our ties to our own holiest site.  We  could not and 
cannot allow the goyim to sever our ties to the kosel.   Saying "you don't 
/have/ to daven at the kosel" is like saying you don't /have/  to love your 
mother.  Where is your Jewish heart?!
 

--Toby Katz
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