The Rambam's Visit to Har HaBayit

UPDATE: Watch the conference live on A7.

(click image to enlarge)

Yesterday, the 6th of the Jewish month of Heshvan, marked 843 years since the Rambam -- Maimonides, went up to the Temple Mount -- Har HaBayit, in the old walled city of Jerusalem, and prayed. In 1166 C.C, the Rambam made a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount, as well as visiting other areas around Jerusalem and Hevron.

The event was so special to the Rambam, that he vowed to make a special holiday and commemorate it annually.

The Rambam (Moshe, son of Maimon, otherwise known as Maimonides) was the physician to the Sultan of Egypt in the 12th century. His most well known work is the 14 volume Mishna Torah, (literally, The Repetition of the Torah), which was the first attempt to systematically codify the entire body of Jewish law, (halachah). This work became the basis for later codifications, most notably, the Shulkhan Arukh, written by Rav Yoseph Karo in the 16th century.

In 1166 C.E. the Rambam made a pilgrimage to Israel:

"We left Acco for Jerusalem under perilous conditions. I entered into 'the great and holy house' [the term used to refer to the Holy Temple] and prayed there on the sixth day of the month of Cheshvan. And on the first day of the week, the ninth day of the month of Cheshvan, I left Jerusalem for Hebron to kiss the graves of my forefathers in the Cave of Machpela. And on that very day, I stood in the Cave and I prayed, praised be G-d for everything. And these two days, the sixth [when he prayed on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem] and the ninth of Mar-Heshvan I vowed to make as a special holiday and in which I will rejoice with prayer, food and drink. May the Lord help me to keep my vows...." (translation, courtesy of the Temple Institute)

Tonight, Sunday evening, there will be a convention at Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem to discuss the connection of the Jewish people to Har HaBayit. (Schedule and Agenda to be posted shortly)

So far, the list of participating rabbis includes Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, head of the Birkat Moshe hesder yeshiva in Maaleh Adumim, Rabbis Dov Lior, Re’em HaCohen, Yuval Cherlow, Yisrael Ariel, and others. MKs Uri Ariel, Aryeh Eldad, Uri Orbach, Michael Ben-Ari and Otniel Shneller (Kadima) will also be on hand.

Meanwhile, as the Arabs refuse to acknowledge any Jewish claim to the Temple Mount, they are continuing to riot. You can watch live rioting here via the channel 2 news live feed.

Note: I have personally never gone up to Har HaBayit, but I will be attending the lecture series this evening.


Update: 7:00 PM, Heichal Shlomo.


Jewish Rights and Responsibilities on the Temple Mount

• Why are Jews discriminated against on the Temple Mount?
• Why are religious Jews profiled and singled out for body-searches before being allowed on the Temple Mount?
• Why are religious Jews not allowed to carry prayerbooks or to pray on the Temple Mount?
• Why are Jews on the Temple Mount kept in small groups and accompanied constantly by the Israeli police and hired "security agents" of the Moslem Wakf?
• How come when Moslem preachers incite against Israel and the Jews, and as a result Moslems riot on the Mount and stone policeman and Jews, the Jews are prevented from entering the Mount, and some Israeli politicians blame the very Jews whose rights have been violated?
• Why does the Supreme Court of Israel refuse to uphold the law and the basic human rights of Jews on the Temple Mount?

Jews have the G-d-given right and the responsibility to be on the Temple Mount. On Sunday, October 25, the 843rd anniversary of Maimonides historic ascent to the Temple Mount, Temple Mount activists will be meeting in Jerusalem to discuss these issues, and much more. The conference will take place at 7:00 PM in the Heichal Shlomo Hall. Click here to learn more.

Sourced from The Temple Institute

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