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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jews and Israel (8/12)
Previous Document: Question 14.14: I want to move to Israel. Can I become a citizen?
Next Document: Question 14.16: Questions on aliyah, military service for olim and more
Question 14.15: What is the Wailing Wall and why is it so important?
Answer:
The term "wailing wall" is not used by Jews, who instead prefer the
term "kotel/kosel hamaaravi," Western Wall.
The Western wall is a remainder of the wall on the outer perimiter of
the mountain (although some people mistakenly believe it was the only
remaining structure from the second temple left standing after the
Roman destruction). Since the Jews are currently considered to be in a
state of "ritual impurity" until a special ritual/procedure can be
performed (notably the ashes of the red heifer), the traditional view
is that no Jew may set foot on the actual site of the temple and this
is the closest they can come to praying at the temple site. [Note:
According to Rav Shlomo Goren, Jews can go on the southest 120 meters
of the temple mount. This is the result of intersecting all the ideas
of all the POSKIM.]
Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jews and Israel (8/12)
Previous Document: Question 14.14: I want to move to Israel. Can I become a citizen?
Next Document: Question 14.16: Questions on aliyah, military service for olim and more
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Last Update October 22 2009 @ 05:26 AM