Going to Israel for Pesach? Don’t skip the most important place!

Many Jews from the diaspora will be visiting Israel this Pesach.  It is a mitzvah to go up to Jerusalem on the Shalosh Regalim, the three major holidays of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.  However, the majority of visitors will sadly come so close and yet so far, by neglecting to visit Har Habayit, the destination for 2500 years of pilgrims to Jerusalem, and the holiest place in the world for Jews.  I would like to encourage everyone to make time to visit Har Habayit this Pesach, with some practical guidelines of how to do so.

Why is it important to visit Har Habayit?  We are a year and a half into a war started by Hamas which they called the Al Aqsa Flood.  The stated goal of the October 7th massacre was to “redeem” the Temple Mount from the Jews.  Sadly this is not a new pretext for such atrocities; the same justification was given for the 1929 massacre in Hebron.

They are willing to fight for the Temple Mount, their third holiest site, but are we willing to even show up for our holiest site?  On the first Friday of Ramadan this year, 90,000 Muslims prayed on the Temple Mount.  Contrast this to under 30,000 Jews who visited so far this entire year.  They continue to flood the Har, while we stay downstairs at the Kotel, even on the days we are commanded to be there.  It is crucial that we show that our holiest site is important to us.  Of course, the way we do that is peaceful and spiritual, but powerful nonetheless.

When I talk to people about visiting Har Habayit, two main concerns come up.  One is a concern of either safety, or not wanting to cause a confrontation.  The other is a halachic concern, about whether it is permitted for Jews to ascend.  Let me address both concerns.

Visits to Har Habayit are peaceful and without confrontation.  The visits are allowed only during certain hours, and are coordinated with and escorted by the Israeli police.  There used to be groups of Arabs who would harass Jewish visitors, but a stop was put to this practice ten years ago.  The route is also not one that other people take.  It is now possible to pray there, and this is done on the far eastern side of the mountain, which is a private area where no Muslims go, but also the most meaningful to us, as it is in front of where the entrance to the Temple used to be.

On the halachic front, I will not go into great detail here, as there are many places to find an in-depth discussion of the issues.  A common misperception is that a tamei met (someone who has been in contact with a dead body) may not ascend.  But this is only inside the area of the cheil, the courtyard around the Temple.  On the Har but outside the cheil is permitted as long as you are not a baal keri or nida, which requires only immersion in a mikvah.  If you go, you will find a wide variety of religious Jews ascending, with Dati Leumi and Chareidi Jews, men, women, and children.  There is a consensus among all groups that ascend to follow a perimiter route considered to be well outside the area of the cheil.

The biggest reason to go now to Har Habayit is to see, be part of, and encourage the very real progress that is being made on Jewish access to our holiest site.  Even after 1967, Israeli police initially did not allow religious Jews to go up.  When I started going 20 years ago, religious Jews were often made to wait a long time, and followed closely and suspiciously by Israeli police and the Islamic Wakf.  Today, any time you go (when open to non-Muslims), there will be groups of religious Jews going up, and several guides and regulars who can show you around.  The Wakf is no longer involved, and the Israeli police are for the most part supportive.  Make sure to thank them!

The continued interest in religious Jews in ascending has resulted in increased freedom while there.  Until five years ago, you could be arrested for praying on the mount.  Imagine Jewish police arresting Jews for praying at the holiest Jewish site.  But five years ago, quiet prayer started to be allowed, and gradually became less quiet.  There is now a regular minyan, out loud, with kaddish, kedusha, and birkat kohanim (unfortunately no talit and tefillin yet).  There are some changes to the tefila on Har Habayit.  Before every bracha in shmoneh esrei, add “ברוך ה’ אלהי ישראל מן העולם ועד העולם”.  Instead of amen, answer brachot with “ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד”.

An additional change happened this past summer, when the police started allowing prostration (hishtachavaya).  This is a unique part of prayer specifically on Har Habayit.  Full prostration (lying down flat) on stone is only permitted in the mikdash.  The bowing we do on Yom Kippur is a remembrance of this, but we don’t fully bow down, and also cover the ground, to make several distinctions from bowing in the mikdash.  (There are different opinions about whether you can fully prostrate on stone on the Har but outside the mikdash, so some people will put something under their head.)  The main time for this is nefilat apayim (tachanun), but since we don’t say tachanun during Nissan, people will probably bow during Aleinu.  I had the privilege of doing this for the first time this past summer, and it was an awe-inspiring experience.

We are witnessing messianic changes happening right now, and have the opportunity not only to see for ourselves, but be part of that change just by showing up.  In musaf of Yom Tov, we say: “וְאֵין אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲלוֹת וְלֵרָאוֹת וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְפָנֶיךָ. וְלַעֲשׂוֹת חוֹבוֹתֵינוּ בְּבֵית בְּחִירָתֶךָ.” – We are unable to go up, and to appear, and to bow before you, and to fulfill our obligations (sacrifices) in Your House.  I have started to read this as a checklist.  For many years, we could not go up to Jerusalem.  Then, we could go to Jerusalem, but not appear on Har Habayit.  Then, we could appear on Har Habayit, but not bow.  Now, we can bow, but not yet bring sacrifices.  We are privileged to watch the gradual steps towards full redemption unfolding in our lifetimes – be a part of it!

Some practical details to know:

During summer hours (including Pesach), the Har is open Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM.  To get to the entrance, walk through Shaar Haashpot towards the Kotel, and stay all the way to the right.

There will be a minyan organized by Yeshiva Har Habayit at 7:00 AM, followed by Daf Yomi, and another minyan organized by Kollel Har Habayit at 9:30 AM.  Groups going up at other times may also have a minyan.  There will be a minyan for mincha at 1:30 as well.

You must go to the mikvah beforehand; see the guides below for details and locations.  Wear shoes that you would wear on Yom Kippur.  There are lockers before the entrance for anything you don’t want to or can’t bring up, which you can retrieve afterwards.

For details on preparations as well as tours (not necessary but available), I recommend the following sites:

https://beishashem.org/

https://beyadenu.org/

https://highonthehar.com/ 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions as well via the Contact Me link above.

I hope to see you there! בְּהַר ה’ יֵרָאֶה