Author Topic: Upon Hearing or Seeing the Al-Aksa Mosque Destroyed-What Blessing to Make?  (Read 2172 times)

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Offline edu

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The Mishna in the Talmud Brachot page 54 Soncino Translation states:
Quote
MISHNAH. IF ONE SEES A PLACE WHERE MIRACLES HAVE BEEN WROUGHT FOR
ISRAEL, HE SHOULD SAY, BLESSED BE HE WHO WROUGHT MIRACLES FOR OUR
ANCESTORS IN THIS PLACE. ON SEEING A PLACE FROM WHICH IDOLATRY HAS BEEN
EXTIRPATED, HE SHOULD SAY, BLESSED BE HE WHO EXTIRPATED IDOLATRY FROM
OUR LAND.
[ON WITNESSING] SHOOTING STARS, EARTHQUAKES, THUNDERCLAPS,
STORMS AND LIGHTNINGS ONE SHOULD SAY, BLESSED BE HE WHOSE STRENGTH
AND MIGHT FILL THE WORLD. ON SEEING MOUNTAINS, HILLS, SEAS, RIVERS AND
DESERTS HE SHOULD SAY, BLESSED BE HE WHO WROUGHT CREATION. R. JUDAH
SAYS: IF ONE SEES THE GREAT SEA ONE SHOULD SAY, BLESSED BE HE WHO MADE
THE GREAT SEA, [THAT IS] IF HE SEES IT AT [CONSIDERABLE] INTERVALS. FOR RAIN
AND FOR GOOD TIDINGS ONE SAYS, BLESSED BE HE THAT IS GOOD AND BESTOWS
GOOD. FOR EVIL TIDINGS ONE SAYS, BLESSED BE THE TRUE JUDGE. ONE WHO HAS
BUILT A NEW HOUSE OR BOUGHT NEW VESSELS SAYS, BLESSED BE HE WHO HAS
KEPT US ALIVE AND PRESERVED US AND BROUGHT US TO THIS SEASON. OVER EVIL
A BLESSING IS SAID SIMILAR TO THAT OVER GOOD AND OVER GOOD A BLESSING IS
SAID SIMILAR TO THAT OVER EVIL, BUT TO CRY OVER THE PAST IS TO UTTER A
VAIN PRAYER. IF A MAN'S WIFE IS PREGNANT AND HE SAYS, [G-D] GRANT THAT MY
WIFE BEAR A MALE CHILD, THIS A VAIN PRAYER. IF HE IS COMING HOME FROM A
JOURNEY AND HE HEARS CRIES OF DISTRESS IN THE TOWN AND SAYS, [G-D] GRANT
THAT THIS IS NOT IN MY HOUSE, THIS IS A VAIN PRAYER. ONE WHO [IN THE COURSE
OF A JOURNEY] GOES THROUGH A CAPITAL CITY SHOULD SAY TWO PRAYERS, ONE
ON ENTERING AND ONE ON LEAVING. BEN AZZAI SAYS, FOUR, TWO ON ENTERING
AND TWO ON LEAVING- HE GIVES THANKS FOR PAST MERCIES AND SUPPLICATES
FOR THE FUTURE. IT IS INCUMBENT ON A MAN TO BLESS [G-D] FOR THE EVIL IN THE
SAME WAY AS FOR THE GOOD, AS IT SAYS, AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY
G-D WITH ALL THY HEART ETC. ‘WITH ALL THY HEART, MEANS WITH THY TWO
IMPULSES, THE EVIL IMPULSE AS WELL AS THE GOOD IMPULSE; ‘WITH ALL THY
SOUL’ MEANS, EVEN THOUGH HE TAKES THY SOUL [LIFE]; ‘WITH ALL THY MIGHT’
MEANS, WITH ALL THY MONEY. ANOTHER EXPLANATION OF ‘WITH ALL THY MIGHT
[ME'ODEKA]’ IS, WHATEVER TREATMENT HE METES OUT TO THEE.
ONE SHOULD AVOID SHOWING DISRESPECT TO THE EASTERN GATE BECAUSE IT
IS IN A DIRECT LINE WITH THE HOLY OF HOLIES. A MAN SHOULD NOT ENTER THE
TEMPLE MOUNT WITH HIS STAFF OR WITH HIS SHOES ON OR WITH HIS WALLET OR
WITH HIS FEET DUST-STAINED; NOR SHOULD HE MAKE IT A SHORT CUT
[KAPPANDARIA], AND SPITTING [ON IT IS FORBIDDEN] A FORTIORI.
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE BENEDICTIONS SAID IN THE TEMPLE THEY USED AT
FIRST TO SAY SIMPLY, ‘FOR EVER’. WHEN THE SADDUCEES PERVERTED THEIR
WAYS AND ASSERTED THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE WORLD, IT WAS ORDAINED
THAT THE RESPONSE SHOULD BE, FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. IT WAS
ALSO LAID DOWN THAT GREETING SHOULD BE GIVEN IN [G-D'S] NAME, IN THE
SAME WAY AS IT SAYS, AND BEHOLD BOAZ CAME FROM BETHLEHEM AND SAID
UNTO THE REAPERS, THE L-RD BE WITH YOU; AND THEY ANSWERED HIM, THE
L-RD BLESS THEE; AND IT ALSO SAYS,THE L-RD IS WITH THEE,THOU MIGHTY
MAN OF VALOUR; AND IT ALSO SAYS, AND DESPISE NOT THY MOTHER WHEN SHE
IS OLD; AND IT ALSO SAYS, IT IS TIME TO WORK FOR THE L-RD; THEY HAVE MADE
VOID THY LAW. R. NATHAN SAYS: [THIS MEANS] THEY HAVE MADE VOID THY LAW
BECAUSE IT IS TIME TO WORK FOR THE L-RD.
Do we say the same blessing of uprooting idolatry from our land when the Al-Aksa is uprooted? Or because Islam claims to be monotheistic even though they hold many evil ideas, maybe that blessing would not be recited? Anyone have any sources one way or the other?
Would we have to say any other blessings, such as, Hatov Umaytiv or Hallel?
Does it depend if the destruction was done with the approval of the government or against their wishes?

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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My first quess would be Hatov VeHametiv. That was the first thing that popped up in my mind, but who knows?
.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Offline edu

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The Talmud as translated by Soncino in Brachot page 58 states:

 Our Rabbis taught: On seeing the houses of Israel, when inhabited one says: Blessed be He who
sets the boundary of the widow
; when uninhabited, Blessed be the judge of truth. On seeing the
houses of heathens, when inhabited, one says: The L-rd will pluck up the house of the proud; when
uninhabited he says: O L-rd, thou G-d, to whom vengeance belongeth, thou G-d, to whom
vengeance belongeth, shine forth
.

One would have to clarify with their individual rabbis, if one or both of the underlined passages would be applicable to the destruction of the El Aksa mosque, and if so, does this apply only when there is strong reason to believe that the mosque will be permanently removed, or maybe even a temporary removal will require some type of blessing or prayer.
I myself, have not heard so far, a clear answer.

Offline edu

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Although he didn't mention the El Aksa mosque by name I saw a Hebrew internet article
at http://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/shiur.asp?id=9080 that Rabbi Eliezer Melamed holds that upon seeing Mosques of Gentiles that are not lovers of Israel, when inhabited (or settled), one says: The L-rd will pluck up the house of the proud; when uninhabited (destroyed) he says: O L-rd, thou G-d, to whom vengeance belongeth, thou G-d, to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.

If someone knows of additional Rabbis who have addressed this issue, please add.