Har Habayit Visitor Guide

Must one tear his clothing when he visits Har Habayit?

According to Jewish Law, one who sees the cities of Judea in their destruction is obligated to tear when those cities are under the rule of other nations (even if Jews live there). Most poskim say that now, even though there is Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, one is obligated to tear, since as long as we can't eat kodshim kalim and maaser sheni there, it's still considered "in its destruction" (see Sefer Har Hakodesh pp. 25-6). Seeing Jerusalem begins from the surrounding hills, and includes any area from which you can see Jerusalem well (accroding to the Baalei Tosafot). And when you see the area where the Temple stood, you should tear again, such that each tear is greater than a tefach (about 4 inches). All this only applies if you haven't seen the place in 30 days. The Radvaz rules (chelek 2 siman 646) than one who lives in Jerusalem and has not seen Har Habayit in 30 days must tear; although, in the "Birkei Yosef" (Orach Chaim siman 561), it says that among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the custom is not to tear (see Har Hakodesh pp 70-2). Thus, there is a custom among the Rabbis of Jerusalem not to go 30 days without seeing Har Habayit.

Translator's note: the custom is not to tear on days when Tachanun is not said. More laws of tearing clothing can be found in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 561.

Do we fulfill any mitzvot by going up to Har Habayit?

These are the mitzvot that one fulfills (in our time) by going up to Har Habayit: 1) The mitzva of prayer. King Solomon asked at the dedication of the first Temple that the people pray to God in that house. The Rambam explains in the Sefer Hamitzvot (positive commandment 5) that the mitzva of prayer is preferably done in the Temple; if this is not possible, it is done facing the Temple. The Sefer Hachinuch explains similarly in mitzva 95. 2) The commandmanth of fearing the Temple. It is a mitzva for a Jew to approach the Temple in fear, and to bow and pray before God there. Someone who refuses to go up shows a lack of respect for God's house, since this is an obligatory mitzva which is only possible to do by ascending to Har Habayit. The Rambam in Sefer Hamitzvot (positive commandment 21) says that this mitzva applies always, even when the Temple is not standing. 3) Some say that going up to Har Habayit fulfills the mitzva of conquest, since we are demonstrating our control over Har Habayit. See R' Ariel's "Beit Hashem Nelech."

Is it permitted for a woman to go up to Har Habayit, and under what conditions?

First we'll define the parameters for a married woman to go up; since the issue is complicated, there are some Rabbis who say that women should not go up in order to avoid mistakes (like Rav Lior), and other Rabbis encourage women to go up (like Rav Yisrael Ariel). A pure woman may go up under the following conditions: 1) After the end of her niddah days and mikva immersion, but before having sex. Some add a stringency of waiting an extra day, since we are concerned about her being a zava gedola. 2) A woman who has sex is considered "poletet shichvat zera" (emitting semen) for 72 hours after sex (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 197:11). Therefore, a woman has to wait 3 days, go to the mikva (without a bracha), and then she can go up to Har Habayit. 3) A bride can go up before her chuppah, after going to the mikva. There are those who say to wait an extra day because of zava gedola. 4) A woman who has just given birth (yoledet) - after a week after the birth of a boy, or two weeks after the birth of a girl, if she stops bleeding, she can count 7 clean days, go to the mikva, and go up to Har Habayit. Here too there are those who add an extra day. It is worth mentioning that there are those who say that a woman should do a bedika right before going up, just like a woman who eats terumah. Regarding an unmarried woman: Since chazal forbade single women to go to the mikva, there are those who forbid single women to go, so as not to violate this rule, and there are those who permit due to the importance of Har Habayit, and since chazal permitted single women to go to the mikva on Erev Yom Kippur. Many issues regarding women going up to Har Habayit are still subject to debate, and we hope that the Beit Din that will meet next to Har Habayit will soon decide on this issue.

Translator's note: even if a single woman is permitted to go to the mikva to ascend Har Habayit, it seems that she would still be required to do a hefsek tahara and sit shiva nekiim just like a married niddah. Check with your Rabbi if you'd like to go.

Who is not permitted to go up to Har Habayit? May a baal keri go up to Har Habayit?

The Torah only forbids a zav to enter machane levia (Bemidbar 5:1-4), but chazal also apply this to zava, niddah, and yoledet (Kelim 1:8). An additional impure person is the baal keri (someone who had a seminal emission), about whom the Torah says that he must leave the camp (Devarim 23:10-11). This is referring to the war camp, but chazal learn that it also applies to machane levia (Pesachim 68a). A baal keri who goes to the mikva is allowed to go up to Har Habayit immediately (he is a tvul yom). It is worth mentioning that the Mishna is Kelim does not list a baal keri among those who cannot go up to Har Habayit, and also the Rambam doesn't list him (Hilchot Biat Hamikdash 3:3, and Hilchot Beit Habechira 7:15). However, it is possible to understand from elsewhere in the Rambam that a baal keri is forbidden to go up.

What is the permitted path to take on Har Habayit?

The Mishna in Middot (beginning of perek 2) explains that the size of Har Habayit is 500 x 500 amot. Today, Har Habayit is much larger. For example, the Western Wall is more than 480 meters long, more than double the length stated in the Mishna. This addition was made in the time of Herod. It seems that this addition was not sanctified at the time, since some of the conditions necessary for sanctification were missing (such as Urim v'Tumim); what was separated from the mountain (like the southern wall) does not have the holy status of Har Habayit. From this is makes sense to say that the Ezrat Nashim is close to the eastern wall of Har Habayit. Because of this, we try when touring the mountain to walk as close as possible to the walls of Har Habayit. Based on the tradition that we have, the Temple stood in the place where the Dome of the Rock is now (many gedolim have said this, including the Radva"z and others), and the raised platform that surrounds it is the area of the Azara, and below it to the east was the Ezrat Nashim. If so, you should maintain a distance of about 12 meters from the raised platform to avoid entering the Ezrat Nashim or the Cheil, which was the area surrounding the walls of the Azara. Entry into these areas is forbidden to temei meitim by Rabbinic decree.

How can one prepare himself before ascending to Har Habayit?

Everyone who goes to Har Habayit must immerse in the mikva beforehand. This is because of "serach tumah." Aside from this, there are many laws relating to the mitzva of fearing the Temple, in which those ascending are obligated. For example: 1) You must wear non-leather shoes. 2) You many not spit. 3) You must walk with a heavy head (with seriousness). 4) You may not use it as a shortcut to get to somewhere else. 5) You may not go with a walking stick or a bag (i.e., as a traveler would).

Aren't you violating a prohibition by going up to Har Habit, like some Rabbis have said? Isn't someone who goes up liable for karet?

To our dismay, many people who have spoken about ascending Har Habayit are not exploring the issue itself, but rather viewing the issue through other concerns. Let's first explore the source of the problem of ascending Har Habayit. In Jerusalem, there are three biblically defined levels of holiness: The walled city is called the "Camp of Israel," and a metzora is banned from this area. Har Habayit is called the "Camp of the Levites," and a niddah, a zav, a zavah, a yoledet, and a baal keri are not permitted to enter this area. Finally, the Azara (the area inside the inner walls on Har Habayit) is called teh "Camp of the Divine Presence," and a temei meit (one who has been exposed to a dead body) may not enter this area. Since we are all considered by default to be temei meit, any entry into the Azara is prohibited (expect for special cases, such as conquering, building the Temple, and public service). Anyone forbidden to enter the Azara is liable for karet if he enters. So, the problem nowadays is with entering the Azara. The problem is that we don't have exact demarcations of where the Azara used to be. However, there is a large area of Har Habayit which it is certain was not part of the Azara. It is not possible now for a temei meit to purify himself now (since we don't have the para aduma), but all the other types of impurity are reversable now.

Do you have any pictures of Har Habayit?

Here!

What times can you go up to Har Habayit?

You can go up any day, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM. You can go up alone or with a group. The entrance is at the Mugrabi Gate, next to the entrance to the Kotel. Translator's note: there are three more questions at the end of the Hebrew page which are not relevant practically, so I am leaving them out.