Temple Institute's Rabbi Chaim Richman explains his group's latest initiative to revive the Temple Mount pilgrimage.
The Jewish festival of Sukkot will soon be getting underway, just a few days after Yom Kippur, capping off the festive Hebrew month of Tishrei.
In ancient Israel, whilst the holy Temples of Jerusalem still stood, a number of other Torah laws and customs were practiced as well, falling out of use following the destruction of the Temples (the first by the Babylonians and the second by the Romans), and the subsequent period of exile and persecution by a succession of foreign empires in the Holy Land.
Now, a group of Jewish activists is pushing for the reinstatement of one such practice, arguing that its performance is actually still incumbent upon Jews - regardless of the lack of a Temple in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Richman, who heads the Temple Institute's International Department, spoke to Arutz Sheva about his group's initiative to restart the "aliyah laregel," or pilgrimage to the Temple Mount, which for thousands of years was practiced by Jews en-masse - many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to do so - on each of the three main festivals of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot and Sukkot.
"Our aim is to connect Jews with the idea of aliya laregel," Rabbi Richman told Arutz Sheva.
"The Temple Mount is so important to the Jewish people - to all people really" as a universal house of prayer and peace, and visiting the Temple Mount is, in Rabbi Richman's words "a life-changing experience." He hastens to add that visits are conducted "strictly according to halacha (Jewish law)."
"The whole concept of the shalosh regalim (three pilgrimage festivals) has the holy Temple at the center of the experience. It is unfortunate that through two thousand years of exile we have become alienated from it - but there is an explicit Torah commandment to be 'seen by God' in the Temple," he says.
Rabbi Richman explains that despite the absence of a Temple, there are still a number of important Torah commandments which apply to the Temple Mount today - including a mitzvah (Torah command) to ascend and "show reverence" to the site - which is Judaism's holiest place.
Read More: Arutz7
