Jerusalem, April 3, 2020
Photo: timesofisrael.com
Thanks to the coronavirus and President Donald Trump, Jewish authorities are hopeful that they will be able to sacrifice a Passover lamb on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem this year.
If the state allows, it would mark the first time the ceremony has been performed on the Temple Mount in 2,000 years.
Interestingly, the Jewish Sanhedrin has hopes of performing the sacrifice, in line with Biblical requirements, because Israeli Health Ministry restrictions relating to the coronavirus led to the Passover offering reenactment being canceled for the first time in 9 years, reports Breaking Israel News.
The Sanhedrin has formally requested the Israeli and U.S. authorities to allow their sacrifice to take place on the Mount.
Rabbi Hillel Weiss explained that the reenactments originally served to educate and raise awareness for the ritual, and to allow the people to experience the practical details of the ritual.
“Both of these goals have been achieved to as great a degree as possible at this time,” Rabbi Weiss said. “For this reason, our goal is now to prepare for the reinstatement of the Temple service.”
Most of the elements are ready for the sacrifice, including the necessary vessels, vestments, wine and oil prepared to the strictest requirements, and a red heifer is being raised and a lamb has already been acquired and stands ready. At this point, the only thing preventing the rite is the Israeli government, Rabbi Weiss commented.
The sacrifice also requires an altar, built to Biblically-mandated measurements and design, which was already constructed last year.
However, in the wake of the coronavirus, Rabbi Baruch Kahane, who is participates in most of the reenactments and is active in training prospective priests, has requested that stones be gathered for a new altar adhering to more stringent requirements for a permanent altar.
The Sanhedrin also emphasized that the plan to bring the altar to the Temple Mount is consistent with President Trump’s recently revealed Deal of the Century, which recognized Israel’s full sovereignty over the holy site.
“People of every faith should be permitted to pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in a manner that is fully respectful to their religion, taking into account the times of each religion’s prayers and holidays, as well as other religious factors” the text of the deal reads.
Accordingly, the Sanhedrin sent a request to President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to be permitted to offer a sacrifice for the sake of the world and for the purpose of ending the pandemic.
“Mr. President, you and Mr. Netanyhu can immediately install the right values and laws for the entire human race and all of creation in this world by letting Israel obey the laws of the Torah of Israel which requires us to sacrifice the Passover lamb,” the request reads.
