Rav Shlomo Amar Warns Against Ascending Har HaBayis: “We Do Not Know the Exact Boundaries”

Rav Shlomo Amar Warns Against Ascending Har HaBayis: “We Do Not Know the Exact Boundaries”

Former Rishon LeTzion Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar delivered an in-depth shiur on the halachos of the Beis Hamikdash, arguing that the halachic prohibition against ascending Har HaBayis remains firmly in place because the precise boundaries of the sacred areas cannot be determined with certainty today. Rav Amar visited Yeshivas Shuvei Nafshi in Yerushalayim, headed by the mekubal Rav Azriel Mansour, where he delivered an extensive shiur on the laws of the Beis Habechirah. During the shiur, Rav Amar examined the question of whether korbanos could theoretically be offered in the absence of the Beis Hamikdash, before turning to what he described as the grave prohibition against ascending Har HaBayis in contemporary times. The Rishon LeTzion challenged those who claim that the exact measurements and permitted areas of Har HaBayis are known well enough to allow visitors to enter without violating halachah. Among the proofs he cited was the Rambam’s ruling in perek 2 of Hilchos Beis Habechirah, which states that during the construction of the Second Beis Hamikdash, the testimony of Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah was needed to establish the precise location and dimensions of the mizbeiach. Rav Amar noted that this was so even though many elders who had lived through the destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash were still alive and could seemingly have identified the location themselves. According to Rav Amar, this demonstrates the extraordinary precision required in determining the sanctified areas of Har HaBayis and underscores why contemporary claims of certainty regarding its exact boundaries cannot be relied upon. The shiur was attended by the roshei yeshiva and rabbanim of Yeshivas Shuvei Nafshi, including Rav Azriel Mansour; Rav Shlomo Tam; Rav Nesanel Mansour; Rav Yehuda Maaravi, head of the Kollel Hora’ah; and Rav Boaz Yochanan, head of the Kollel Dayanus. {Matzav.com}