 |
| Amihai Ariel performing Priestly Blessing on Temple Mount |
BIN Exclusive: Priestly Blessing Takes Place on Temple
Mount, Under Muslims’ Watchful Eyes
“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge and they should seek
the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 2:7 (The Israel Bible™)
Amihai
Ariel, the father of Hallel Ariel, a
13-year-old Israeli girl who was brutally murdered on June
30, held a memorial ceremony for her
on Tuesday on the Temple Mount. In an unmitigated act of bravery, he defied the
Muslim religious authority and performed a powerful Temple ritual, right under
their watchful eyes.
A group
of 50 close friends and family surrounded Amihai, and his wife Rina, as they
prepared to enter the VIP entrance to the Temple Mount compound,
accompanied by Israeli police.
Before
ascending, Amihai Ariel blew a silver trumpet created to be used in the Third
Temple. He also blew a shofar (ram’s
horn), of the kind used in the Temple service.
Guards
from the Waqf, the Muslim religious authority, joined the Ariels and the 200
others who were with them in order to ensure that the Jewish visitors adhered
to all the specified conditions for non-Muslims at the site. These restrictions
include a prohibition against all non-Muslim prayer, including any motions that
could resemble praying or speaking to God.
Upon
arriving at the exact location where the Kohanim, Jews of
the priestly caste, used to
stand and give the special blessing over the
people, the group halted.
Amihai
Ariel is a Kohen, and the
spot has a special significance for him.
Kohen or cohen (or kohain; Hebrew: כֹּהֵן, "priest", pl. כֹּהֲנִים kohanim) is the Hebrew word for priest used colloquially
in reference to the Aaronic priesthood.
While bored Waqf guards and Israeli
police looked on, Amihai gave a short lesson on what used to occur at that
spot, but his explanation contained a hidden message.
“He is the one who gives us this blessing,” Amihai
explained. “He blesses, and he will bless
you. He guards and he will also guard you. He will protect this blessing, and
the entire nation that stands here at Zion, and will be blessed by the entire
world. He will rise up with us. His face will shine upon you, and he will be gracious
unto you, he will give you grace. And not only that, he will choose you. The Lord will lift up His face unto you and give you peace. He will
choose you so that Israel will be the one to spread his light in the
world, spread the peace and the completeness. That is the truth, with no lies.
Peace and completeness to us, from here, and out to the entire world.”
A guest
then explained, “At this point, in
synagogues we say, ‘Amen’, but in the Temple, we would say, ‘Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto L’Olam Va’ed’ (May His name be blessed forever and ever).”
The
onlookers recited the final verse in unison.
What Amihai had accomplished was simply astounding: a Kohen blessed Jews
on the Temple Mount articulating the prescribed Biblical verses hidden within
what sounded like a regular speech.
May
the LORD bless
you and guard you –
יְבָרֶכְךָ יהוה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
May
the LORD make
His face shed light upon you and be gracious unto you –
יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
May
the LORD lift
up His face unto you and give you peace –
יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם Numbers 6:23–27
Even more
incredible was that the blessing was said outright in front of the Islamic
Waqf.
When Breaking
Israel News asked Amihai if that was indeed
his intention, he answered unequivocally, “Yes,
of course. As a Kohen, I blessed Israel.”
By
violating the rules for entering the Temple Mount, he may be banned from
visiting the site, or face even worse consequences. When asked if he was
concerned about possible repercussions, his response was powerful and to the
point.
“After my daughter is murdered, what more can they
do to me?” he asked.
“Ban me from the Temple Mount? Arrest me? What more can I possibly lose by
blessing Israel? A Jewish man goes up to God’s mountain. I was trying to
connect to God. So what are they going to do to me for doing such a thing?”
Ariel
explained what he felt was the absolute need for such actions.
“It is clear that Israel needs to learn a lot about
these things and what it really means for them, what the Temple really is,” Ariel
explained. “I have heard people object to
the idea of the Temple. These are people who buy meat and cook it, just to eat
it for their base desires. They call me primitive because I think that eating
meat is a powerful thing that should be sanctified.”
“I grow grapes in the Hills of Hebron. I want to
bring my wine to the Temple and include God in what I do.”
Surprisingly,
Ariel does not consider himself to be overly religious, despite his overt
devotion to the Temple Mount.
“I think of myself as a very rational and realistic
person. I am grounded, not mystical in any way,” he stated. “But when I look
around and see the condition the world is in, I come to the conclusion that the
world needs a place for God, his Temple in Jerusalem.”
Ariel
understandably has little patience for politics or nuance.
“We need to start doing the work of building and so
many people, for the wrong reasons, are stopping that from happening.”
Related
Posts:
Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz is a features writer
for Breaking Israel News. He made Aliyah to Israel in 1991 and served in the
IDF as a combat medic. Berkowitz studied Jewish law and received rabbinical
ordination in Israel. He has worked as a freelance writer and his novel, The
Hope Merchant, is available on Amazon. He lives in the Golan Heights with his
wife and their four children.
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/71920/bin-exclusive-father-slain-girl-performs-priestly-blessing-temple-mount-video/#6Dar9jtMqWZEDHEi.97
No comments:
Post a Comment