The lifetime of Sarah consisted of one hundred years, twenty years and seven years. These were the years of Sarah’s life.

The Midrash, Breisheet Rabba 58:4, comments on the number 127:

Rabbi Akiva was once lecturing and the congregation became drowsy. Wishing to wake them up, he remarked: Why did Ester deserve to reign over 127 countries? The reason is this: Let Ester, the descendant of Sarah, who lived 127 years, come and reign over 127 provinces in Sarah’s merit and she will save the Jewish people.

Firstly, it is interesting to see that the phenomenon of people falling asleep in shul is not something new, and even took place during a speech that was given by Rabbi Akiva!

Secondly, even back then, rabbis had to find something really interesting to grab the attention of the public.

Rabbi Hanoch Teller brings the teaching of Rabbi Yitzchak Meir of Gur:

Rabbi Akiva wished to stress the value of time. How was Ester able to rule over 127 countries? Because Sarah’s years were free of sin. Sarah’s well spent time meant that every moment of her existence earned a reward.

Rabbi Akiva’s insightful teaching woke up his congregation and his words should wake us up too. We must consider how to make better use of our time. How we use our time well vs. if we waste our time can have repercussions in the future.

Avraham sent his servant (known in the midrash as Eliezer) to find a
wife for his son, Yitzchak. Eliezer brought gifts with him (Breisheet 24:22):

When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring,
weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her arms, weighing ten gold
shekel.

The nose ring and the two bracelets were not the only gifts that Eliezer
brought. Once they got back to her house and Eliezer met Rivka’s parents and
her brother, he brought out more gifts (Breisheet 24:53):

The servant took out articles of silver, articles of gold and garments,
and gave them to Rivka. To her brother and mother he gave “migdanot”.

What are migdanot?

Breisheet Raba 60:11 explains that the word “migdanot” comes from the
word “megadim”, sweet fruits that the soul is drawn to. In other words, fruits
from the Land of Israel. Which types of fruits were these?

According to Rav Huna, they were “koonabei”, fruits that were cooked in
honey or sugar.

The rabbis interpreted “megadim” to be parched ears of corn as well as
nuts, both of which keep well for a long journey.

Why was “migdanot” mentioned last? Was the food that he brought more
important than silver, gold and garments?

The Torah teaches here that practically speaking, if someone sets out on
a trip without enough food, they will suffer.

Similarly, we find that before the exodus from Egypt God told Moshe (Shmot
3:22):

Every woman shall borrow from her neighbour and from the woman living in
her house, articles of silver and gold and clothing. You shall put them on your
sons and daughters…

Does this mean that clothing was more important than the silver and gold
since it was mentioned last?

If a person sets out on a journey without proper clothing, they will
suffer whether it is by freezing if it is too cold or sweating if it is too
hot.

We find this concept in Ezra 1:6 as well, when B’nai Yisrael returned
from the exile at the time of the Second Temple:

And their neighbours supported them with vessels of silver, gold,
supplies, beasts of burden and “migdanot”…

We see from here that packing food for a journey proves more valuable
than silver and gold and proper clothing comes in a close second.

When the soldiers were called up for miluim last month, they went with
the clothing on their backs. Some didn’t even have a uniform with them.
Arrangements later had to be made to get them the clothing and uniforms that
they needed. The soldiers didn’t even have a chance to take food with them and
the army had not yet made arrangements for proper meals. All of Israel took
over, sending non perishable snacks as well as sandwiches, hot meals and even barbeques
in order to make sure that the soldiers were taken care of.

At the end of the day, food that will last for the journey and functional
clothing that is appropriate for the climate are more important than fancy
jewelry.

May we return to the days when we can peacefully travel around Israel
and enjoy all of the beauty that the land has to offer, while carrying lunch
and a sweater in our backpacks.

Parshat Chayei Sarah (Breisheet, Chapter 24:1-7) tells the story of how Avraham’s
servant helped arrange Yitzchak’s marriage to Rivka. This story was
traditionally read at the Aufruf (Shabbat before the wedding in Ashkenazi
communities) or the Shabbat Chatan (the Shabbat after the wedding in Sephardi
communities) when the groom was publicly honored by the congregation.

While Ashkenazi grooms stopped reading this portion at their Aufrufs
already in the 1700s, some North African grooms still have the custom to read
Breisheet 24:1-7 from the Torah. Other communities read these seven verses from
a Chumash.

The poets of North Africa also sang songs to the groom based on these
seven verses. We have four of these songs which were written by Rabbi Mussa
Bujnach who lived in Tripoli in the 17^th century.

In his songs, Rabbi Bujnach connects the wedding with the theme of
redemption. Just as Avraham sent his servant abroad to find a wife for his son,
Yitzchak, and then brought Rivka back to the Land of Israel, so too should
those who are in exile return.

There was a time when the groom read the Haftara from Yishayahu 61 as
well:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with
the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as
a bride adorns herself with jewels.

Although this Haftara was no longer read when there was a Shabbat Chatan
in Tripoli, one of Rabbi Bujnach’s poems incorporated some of the themes
preserving that tradition.

When the groom publicly read the story of how Avraham’s servant was able
to successfully find a wife for Yitzchak, the congregants were reminded to
tirelessly continue to help those who wanted to get married.

May we have the opportunity to celebrate with many brides and grooms
while not forgetting those who are still looking for their bashert (intended).

In the Torah and Haftara readings for Parshat Chayei Sarah, we see the
leaders of the Jewish people living to a ripe old age. Our parsha begins with
the death of Sarah at 127 years old (Breisheet 23:1) and ends with the death of
Avraham at 175 (Breisheet 25:7). The Haftara (Melachim I 1:1-31) tells the
story of the end of King David’s life when he is about 70 years old.

There are a few common themes between the parsha and the Haftara:

In the parsha, Breisheet 24:1 we read: “Now
Avraham was “zaken, ba bayamim” old, advanced in years, and God had blessed
Avraham with everything.” Avraham, who is already about 137 years old sends his
servant to find the perfect match for Yitzchak so that the leadership will
continue to the next generation. The perpetuation of Avraham’s mission will not
be through Yishmael, his older son, rather it will be through Yitzchak, his
younger son. Despite his advanced age, Avraham is very aware of what needs to
be taken care of and he makes all of the arrangements.

The Haftarah, Melachim
I 1:1 states: “King David was “zaken, ba bayamim” old, advanced in years. They
covered him in garments, but he did not become warm.” King David is about 70 years old, yet he
already lost a lot of strength. He is not involved in the family politics. He
is not even aware that Adoniya, his older son is trying to steal the kingship
from Shlomo, the son of BatSheva who the monarchy was promised to. Natan the
Prophet is the one who has to tell BatSheva to tell David what is going on in
order to ensure that Shlomo becomes the next king in the dynasty. Radak
explains that due to all of the wars that King David fought, he lost his
strength at a much younger age.

In both families, it was imperative that the leadership go to the right
son. When Yishmael was still at home, Sarah had to convince Avraham that the
inheritor would be Yitzchak, even though God had already made Avraham aware of
this. When Avraham was still unsure, God told him to listen to Sarah.

In King David’s case, Shlomo was the son who was supposed to take over
the throne, yet Batsheva had to remind David while Natan the Prophet backed her
up.  

In Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) I 22:8-10 David tells Shlomo: “The word
of God came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars;
you shall not build a Temple for My Name’s sake, for you have shed much blood
upon the ground before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you; he will be a man
of rest, and I shall grant him rest from all his enemies all around. His name
will be Shlomo and I will bestow peace and tranquillity upon Israel in his
days.’”

In the end, the correct leaders take over, Yitzchak is Avraham’s
inheritor and King David ensures that Shlomo is crowned as king.

When Avraham passed away, he was buried in Chevron. David was buried in
Ir David (The City of David).

This past week, Rav Dovid Feinstein, the son of Rav Moshe Feinstein
passed away at the age of 91. Rav Dovid took over the leadership of his
father’s Yeshiva, Mesivta Tiferet Yerushalayim on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan when Rav Moshe passed away in 1986. Following in his father’s
footsteps, Rav Dovid was one of the most prominent poskim (authorities in
Jewish law) of his generation. May his memory be a blessing.

After Sarah’s death, when Avraham
goes to buy a burial plot in Chevron, he tells the sons of Chet (Breisheet
23:4): “I am a foreigner (ger) and a resident (toshav) among you.”

Rabbi J. David Bleich points out that
the biblical commentators struggle with this contradiction. If one is a toshav,
then they are not a ger. If one is a ger, then they are not a toshav. If a
person is a stranger, they are not a permanent resident; if a person enjoys
rights of residency, they are not an alien. One may be a citizen or a
foreigner, a national or a stranger, but a person can’t be both at the same
time.

Rabbi Bleich explains that a Jew of
today who has visited Chevron knows exactly what Avraham meant. A Jew visiting
Chevron today knows what it means to be a ger and a toshav. A Jew feels at home
in Israel but in Chevron, one experiences another emotion as well. In Chevron,
particularly at Maarat HaMachpela (The Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs),
one has a strange feeling, “Here I am; these are our holy places. And yet I am
told when I may enter and when I may not enter, where I may pray and where I
may not pray. One experiences the dichotomy existentially: “This is mine. Yet
if it is mine, why do I feel as a ger? Why do I feel like a stranger?” There is
a tension in the air.

I completely understand what Rabbi
Bleich is talking about and I have felt that way every time that I have been to
Chevron considering how many soldiers need to protect us while we are praying
there.

Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever observed:

In purchasing this parcel of land,
Avraham paid more than the fair market value. According to the rabbis, the land
was not worth the 400 silver shekels which Avraham paid. So why does the Torah
record the exact purchase price?

Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever remarked:

The Torah here teaches us a lesson
of great significance. The Torah emphasizes that there is no price that is too
high for even the smallest portion of the Land of Israel.

I agree with Rabbi Mohilever and
part of the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael, Settling the Land is buying
property. However, in many areas of Israel today the cost to buy or rent an
apartment is prohibitive.

When you look at the population of
Kiryat Arba (the Jewish neighborhood next to Chevron) today, you will notice
that there are many new immigrants from different countries including the
former Soviet Union, the United States and India who may not be living there
for ideological reasons but rather moved there because the prices were
affordable.

May we all merit to own a piece of
the land of Israel.

 In Memory of
Stephanie Futterman

In Parhsat Chayei Sarah, the word
chesed, loving kindness is mentioned many times.

As Avraham is getting older, he asks
his servant to find a wife for Yitzchak. Avraham’s criterea are that she not be
C’naanite, rather she should be from the land that Avraham came from (Charan)
and if she is the right match, she must be brought to Yitzchak, as he may not
leave the land of C’naan.

Avraham’s servant vows to try his
best and he and his camels set out on the journey, eventually arriving at the
well (Breisheet 24:12-14):

He (Avraham’s servant) said, “HaShem,
God of my master, Avraham, be present before me today and do chesed (loving kindness)
with my master, Avraham. Behold, here I stand by this well of water, and the
daughters of the townsmen are coming out to draw water. Let it be that the
maiden to whom I say, ‘Please tip over your pitcher that I may drink’ and she
will say ‘Drink and I will also water your camels,’ will be the one whom You
have determined for your servant, Yitzchak. With her I will know that you have
done chesed with my master.”

According to Rashi, she will be the
right match, worthy of entering the house of Avraham if she does gmilut
chasadim (acts of loving kindness). If she will be from Avraham’s family and
the right match for Yitzchak, then I (the servant) will know that You (God)
have done chesed.

Rivka arrives at the well and rushes
to give the servant as well as his camels as much water as they need. She then
tells him that she is the daughter of Betuel, the son of Milka who is the
daughter of Nachor (Avraham’s brother) and she invites him, as well as his
camels to come over.

The servant is happy to see that she
is performing acts of lovingkindness and that she is from the family of
Avraham.

In 24:27 we read: “He said, ‘Blessed
is HaShem, God of my master Avraham, Who has not abandoned chasdo v’amito (his loving
kindness and truth) in dealing with my master. I am on the road and God has led
me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

Why does the servant need to mention
chesed, loving kindness and emet, truth?

Radak points out that emet, truth is
when someone works hard to succeed and God ensures that they will. Chesed, loving
kindness goes above and beyond what one would have expected. Emet: he met a
maiden who had good attributes and was suitable for Yitzchak. Chesed: she was
also from Avraham’s family.

After the servant explains to
Rivka’s family why he is there, he says (24:49): “Now if you (Lavan and Betuel)
want to do chesed and emet to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, and I will turn
to the right or to the left.”

In all of the earlier verses, the
servant spoke about God doing chesed and emet. The terms chesed and emet are
not used to describe Rivka, but we see her going above and beyond when she
helps a stranger and his camels. Now, we see the servant asking Lavan and
Betuel if they are willing to go above and beyond or not.

Radak suggests that the emet, truth
is that Rivka should marry Yitzchak because she is the right match for him and
she is also Avraham’s relative. The chesed, going beyond, would be the family
having to send her far away.

At first Lavan and Betuel agree to
send Rivka. However, shortly after, Lavan and their mother get cold feet and
try to delay her journey. The servant explains that he has to go back. They ask
Rivka if she wants to go and she states that she does want to go.

We see from here that in the end, Rivka’s
brother and parents did not want to do chesed and emet with a full heart.
Rivka, on the other hand stated that she wanted to go along with the servant to
the land of C’naan. Earlier, we saw the chesed that she did with the servant
and his camels. Rivka wants to do chesed and emet, become part of Avraham’s
family and emulate God.

Although chesed and emet were not on
Avraham’s original list of character traits for his servant to look for,
Avraham’s servant understood that the right match would be someone who had
these qualities. The way that Rivka ran around filling up the water reminds us
of Avraham dashing to get the food prepared for his three guests. Rivka leaving
her family and homeland behind reminds us of Avraham embarking on the trip to
follow God’s path. Rivka was the right woman to become Yitzchak’s wife,
Avraham’s daughter in law.

May we merit to perform acts of
loving kindness, going above and beyond what may be expected of us. 

Sponsored by Judith & Kenneth Sternfeld in memory of Ruth F.
Sternfeld z”l. Ruth was a humanitarian, educator and guidance counselor. She
was dedicated to family, Judaism, creativity & the arts. Ruth was a
wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. She always strove for
excellence and saw the glass half full. Ruth loved dance, music, literature,
theater and art as a vehicle for bringing joy to the spirit

Chayei Sarah, literally the lifetime
of Sarah, opens with her death at the age of 127.

If we look back at Sarah’s life, her
struggle to conceive a child specifically stands out:

The first time we are introduced to
Sarai (Breisheet 11:29-30) we learn that she is married to Avram and that she
is “akara”, “she is barren, she has no child.”

Ibn Ezra explains that Sarai’s barrenness
is emphasized to make it clear that Avram was not sterile (which becomes
apparent later when Avram fathers Yishmael through Hagar).

Radak points out that Sarai’s bareness
is mentioned specifically to show that when she did finally conceive it was a
miracle.

God’s promise that Avram would
become a great nation would only be fulfilled once they were living in the Land
of C’naan. Radak states that the words “I will make you a great nation” (Breisheet
12:2) infer that even though your wife is barren, I will heal her and she will give
birth in the land that I will show you.

When Sarai saw that she still could
not have a child after they were already living in the Land of C’naan for ten
years, she considered having Hagar serve as a surrogate mother (Breisheet 16:2)
“Sarai said to Avram: ‘See now, God has restrained me from having children;
come to my handmaid perhaps I will be built up through her.’”

According to Radak, Sarai already
gave up hope of having her own child as she was already elderly (she was 65
years old when they left Charan). She was hoping that the child that Hagar
would give birth to would be considered hers. This plan did not work out well
for Sarai as when Hagar saw how quickly she was able to get pregnant (Breisheet
16:4), Sarai “became slighted in her eyes.”

When Avraham was promised that Sarah
would give birth at 90, he couldn’t believe the news and didn’t even pass on
the information to Sarah. Since Sarah had not yet been informed, she was surprised
at age 89 when the angel announced that she would be having a child.

We see from here that Sarah had a difficult
time dealing with infertility and did not have a lot of support from Avraham.
He was under the impression that his servant, Eliezer or his son Yishmael could
be the heir, leaving Sarah out of the picture.

Although Sarah was hoping that Hagar
would serve as a surrogate mother, it didn’t work out that way.

In the end, Sarah was blessed to
spend the last 37 years of her life with her son Yitzchak as she was 90 when
she finally gave birth. However, it was not an easy road for her.

We must learn from Sarah’s life the
lesson to reach out to those who are fertility challenged and give them the
support that Sarah could have benefited from. To join a fertility chavruta workshop please contact 058-656-3532.

In Parshat Chayei Sarah, Breisheet
24:63 we read: “Yitzchak went to speak (lasuach) in the field towards evening.
He raised his eyes and suddenly saw camels approaching.”

The Talmud, Brachot 26b teaches that
from here we learn that Yitzchak established the Mincha (afternoon) payer:

The Talmud brings the opinion of
Rabbi Yossi the son of Rabbi Chanina:

Avraham instituted the Shacharit
prayer as it is stated (Breisheet 19:27) “And Avraham arose early in the
morning to the place where he had stood (amad).” Standing (amida) refers to
prayer as it says (Tehilim 106:30) “And Pinchas stood up and prayed.” Yitzchak
instituted the Mincha prayer as it is stated (Breisheet 24:63) “Yitzchak went
to speak (lasuach) in the field towards evening.” Speech (sicha) in this verse
refers to prayer as it is stated (Tehilim 102:1) “A prayer for the afflicted
man when he swoons, and before God he pours forth his speech.” Yaakov
instituted the Maariv prayer as it is stated (Breisheet 21:11) “And he
encountered (vayifga) the place and spent the night there.” The term pegiah
refers to prayer as it is stated (Yirmiyahu 7:16) “And you, do not pray for
this people, and do not take up from them a cray and a prayer, and do not
entreat (tifga) me.”

In his book, Holistic Prayer, Rabbi
Avi Weiss explains what made each of the Patriarch’s prayers spontaneous:

Avraham was an innovator, a
trailblazer, a “morning person.” Avraham introduces the world to God and
monotheism and therefore he prays at dawn, when the sun rises.

Rabbi Weiss characterizes Yitzchak as
a meditator who evaluated and transformed Avraham’s ideas. He was a passive
figure who followed in his father’s footsteps. He was taken to the Akeda
(almost sacrificed), had a wife chosen for him and dug his father’s wells. He
prays in the late afternoon, as the sun sets, a time suitable for contemplative
thought.

Yaakov is considered by Rabbi Weiss
to be the most tragic. He went through many trials and tribulations including
having to run away from his brother. Maariv suits Yaakov as he prayed at night,
when one is often overcome by fear and loneliness.

We see from here that all three of
our main prayer services were founded spontaneously by the Patriarchs. We too
each have a distinct personality. It is natural that particular people will feel
closer to God at different times of day. Some connect to one Patriarch’s life
story more than another’s. Others feel differently each day as well as at
various points in their lives. The Patriarchs teach us that all of these paths
are valid and although we now have set prayer, we should not lose the spontaneity
through which the prayers were originally established. 

Sponsored
by Sharona, Josh, Dov and Yehuda Halickman in Honor of Moshe Nachshon’s Bar
Mitzvah

At the beginning of Parshat Chayei Sarah, we see the
first purchase in the Torah.

In Breisheet 23:9, Avraham says: “Let him (Ephron)
give me the Machpela cave, which belongs to him, which is at the end of the
field. Let him give it to me for its full value, as a grave site among you.”

Ramban comments on Avraham’s wording. Avraham does
not say “let him sell me the Machpela cave”, rather he says “let him give me
the Machpela cave”. Let him give it to me in such a way that I will consider it
as a gift even if I will buy it from him for its full value. It is for this
reason that Avraham didn’t mention the word “selling”.

 According to
Breisheet Rabba 58:9, Ephron set an exorbitant arbitrary price and Avraham, out
of the willingness of his heart listened and did according to his will and magnified
himself.

Avraham buys Maarat HaMachpela, literally a double
cave in Kiryat Arba, Hevron for its full value, he is not looking for a sale or
a bargain. When Ephron offers him the land for free (sentence 15), Avraham
insists on paying the full amount of 400 silver shekels.

Why was Avraham in such a rush to pay the full
amount? Why wasn’t he looking for a bargain? Why didn’t he accept the land as a
gift?

Avraham did not want to have any dispute later on as
to whether the land belonged to him. He wanted to make sure that he and his
descendents would be able to be buried there without anyone contesting their
rights to the cave. It was worth it to Avraham to quickly be able to complete
the business transaction and bury Sarah in a timely manner rather than have it
hang over his head and by paying full price (or even more than the going rate)
Avraham ensured that the plot of land which included the burial cave would
remain with his family forever.

There are some things that are worth bargaining for
but when it comes to the burial plot of our forefathers and foremothers no
price is too high.

In Parshat Chayei Sarah we read about Avraham buying Maarat
HaMachpela (The Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs) in Chevron.

Why did Avraham need to buy land to bury Sarah (and
eventually the other patriarchs and matriarchs) when God promised Avraham that
the entire land would be his?

Rabbi Yudan bar Simon in Breisheet Raba 79:7 comments: This
is one of the three places about which the nations of the world cannot taunt Israel saying these are stolen lands: Maarat
HaMachpela, Har HaBayit (Temple Mount) and Shechem (the
burial place of Joseph). We see the purchase of Maarat HaMachpela in Breisheet
23:16 “And Avraham weighed to Ephron the silver”. The purchase of the
Temple Mount is recounted in Divrei HaYamim I
21:25 “So David gave to Ornan for the place 600 shekels of gold by
weight”. The purchase of Shechem is detailed in Breisheet 33:19 “And
Jacob bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of
the children of Chamor, Shechem’s father for 100 keshita (pieces of
money).”

Midrash HaGadol explains that we can learn about Avraham’s
humility from the story of Avraham’s purchase of Maarat HaMachpela. Even though
God promised him the entire land, the only suitable burial place that he found
was expensive yet he paid for it and did not complain in order to make sure
that the plot would remain his.

King David purchased the Temple Mount
just as Avraham purchased Maarat HaMachpela. King David probably could have
taken any piece of land that he wanted, yet he purchased the land which at the
time was a threshing floor so that his son King Solomon would be able to build
the Beit HaMikdash (Temple)
there without any problems. We learn from here that the Temple
Mount belongs to the Jewish people whether
the Temple is
standing there or not.

There are different opinions as to the state of holiness of
the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in our times. Some
Rabbis maintain that the Divine Presence rests there just as it did while the Temple stood there,
others do not. Some have the opinion that nobody should ascend the Temple Mount
while others feel that with the proper spiritual precautions (immersion in a
mikva, not wearing leather shoes and only walking in certain areas) Jews may go
up.

As the saying goes, two Jews three opinions.

That being said, I was very disappointed to find two signs
outside of the Temple Mount signed by the Chief Rabbinate stating that it
is against Torah law for people to ascend the Temple Mount.
For anyone familiar with Jewish law this is an extremely complex topic and
can’t just be dismissed in one sentence. How do they explain the fact that
Rabbi Akiva went up to the Temple Mount after the
destruction of the Beit HaMikdash? What about Rabbi Shlomo Goren (former Ashkenasic
Chief Rabbi) who ascended the Temple Mount many times after
the Six Day War?

If the signs say in Hebrew that it is forbidden for every
person (lechol adam) to go up then why are those words omitted on the English
signs? Why are the Arabs permitted to be there? Why are non-Jewish tour groups
welcome?

This past week, while speaking at a funeral of a seventeen
year old boy who was killed in a terror attack while riding his bicycle near
the light rail, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef stated that all of the
problems that Israel is
facing right now can be blamed on the Jews who have been ascending the Temple Mount.
I hate to break it to him but Jews have been ascending the Temple Mount
throughout the ages and in the Modern State of Israel since 1967.

On the other hand, Rabbi David Chai Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of
Netivot Shalom in Bat Yam says: “Non Jews should
not be allowed on the Temple Mount and Jews should ascend the Temple Mount.
The reason that the Arabs don’t want us to ascend is because they know that by
Jews going up and praying we are staking claim to the Temple Mount.
The Arabs don’t have a problem with their kids desecrating the holy site by
playing soccer there. They also don’t have a problem with non Jewish tourists
who are often dressed immodestly. It is unfathomable that non-Jews are telling
us who can and can’t pray on the Temple Mount and that the
government is going along with it. First we need to establish the fact that the
Temple Mount belongs to the Jews. At that point
if some rabbis decide that Jews should not go up that is their prerogative. The
non Jews should not have more rights than us to the Temple Mount.
The reason that they built their mosque there was because they knew that it was
our holy place. They knew that the Temple
stood there. They shouldn’t be the ones to hold us back.”

Avraham bought Maarat HaMachpela for his family and for most
of history people of all religions have been able to pray there. King David
bought the Temple Mount, the future site of
the Beit HaMikdash, Judaism’s holiest site. It must be the decision of the
Jewish people to allow members of other religions to visit and pray there. It
certainly should not be decided by the Arabs that the Jews are not welcome.