Chareidim United In Shas “Kotel Bill”

A new “Kotel Bill” was introduced to the Knesset today by MK Michael Malkieli. The bill was drafted by ‘Shas’ and is meant to affirm and protect the Kedusha and sanctity of the kotel. The bill has gone through several modifications in order to meet the approval of the Knesset ‘s legislatives bureau and was then laid before the Knesset.

The proposed law enjoys wide support from the chariedi parties as well as MK’s from the Likud and Bayet Hayehudi parties.

Although the kotel has been recognized for generations as a Makom Kadosh and Srid beis Elokeynu, it does not have any official status in Israeli law. The lack of status leaves the door open for various none religious groups to infringe on the kedusha of the place and cause a deplorable confrontation at the Kotel. The new bill aims to institute the Kotels official status as a holy place, thereby falling under the Jurisdiction of Rabbanim and the Rabbanut harashit.

The Bill calls for customs practiced at the kotel to be according to Halacha and all questions that arise to be decided by either the kotels Rav or the Rabbanut harashit. It is Interesting to note, until today the requirement of having a mechitzah and not being mechalel Shabbos at the kotel are not recognized as laws.

The bill also address’s things that are prohibited from practicing at the kotel such as ‘’ceremony’s, including religious ones that are not according to the customs practiced and offend the misspalelim of the Kotel”. Also prohibited is ‘’anything that may disturb the misspalelim and holding mixed minyanim, men and women together without a mechitzah”.

Regarding the ezras nashim the law forbids “Torah readings, shofer blowing and donning tallis and teffilin”.

MK’s from ‘shas’ responsible for drafting the law say that the bill is meant to establish an essential order to the holiness of the place and affirm halachic status to it. “It’s unacceptable that the place the Shechina never departs from and generations of Jews yearned for, will turn into a spot of deplorable confrontation”.

Translated by Eli B.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!