Extremist rabbis call for return of animal sacrifice

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JERUSALEM (AP) -- A fringe group of extremist rabbis wants to resume the biblical practice of animal sacrifice at an explosive religious site in Jerusalem, members said Wednesday.

 

The request defied centuries of religious bans and triggered a stiff protest from a Muslim leader.

 

When the Jewish Temples stood in the Old City of Jerusalem more than 2,000 year ago, animal sacrifice was a centerpiece of the religion. After the destruction of the Temples, sacrifices were banned and rabbinical teachings took their place as the focus of Judaism.

 

Now a group, called the "Re-established Sanhedrin" after the Temple-era religious high court, has decided to buy some sheep and try to find one that is ritually perfect for sacrifice, with an eye toward resuming the practice at the Jerusalem site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

 

The site is the most hotly disputed in the Middle East, home today to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

 

Israel captured the site in the 1967 war and turned day-to-day control over to the Muslim Religious Council, but Palestinians take the Jewish fringe groups seriously.

 

"Regrettably, there are many extremist Israeli groups who want to carry out their plans," said Jerusalem's senior Islamic cleric, Mohammed Hussein. "Let them say what they want, Al Aqsa is a Muslim mosque."

 

In recent weeks Muslims have protested an Israeli archaeological and construction project outside the compound, despite Israeli !@#$%^&*urances that they have no intention of harming the mosque.

 

Jewish prayer at the site is forbidden by most rabbis and by Israeli authorities -- the former for religious reasons and the latter to prevent Muslim riots.

 

The ban does not sit well with some small fringe groups -- notably the Temple Mount Faithful, who have constructed a cornerstone for the "Third Temple" and advocate destroying the mosque.

 

The 71 members of the "Re-established Sanhedrin" say they want to begin sacrificing animals again, despite the absence of the Temple, the ritual altar and all the required implements listed in the Bible. Rabbi Dov Stein of the group admitted that it won't be any time soon.

 

"We want to do the sacrifice, but we have political problems," Stein said. "We hope there will come a time when the government will agree. We will push for that to happen."

 

Other rabbis point out that ritual animal sacrifice has been banned since the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70.

 

"Around that time, animal sacrifice, as a mode of religious worship, stopped," said Rabbi Doniel Hartman of the Shalom Hartman Ins!@#$%^&*ute in Jerusalem. "Moving back in that direction is not progress."

 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/28/israel.animal.ap/

[L.C.]

That's wrong. Jesus' death on the cross was the event that ended the animal sacrifices. lol, noobed. Edited March 2, 2007 by L.C.

[Aileron]

Actually it ended the need for animal sacrifices (from the perspective of a Christian).

 

Truth be told, if the Israelis wanted to even go as far as to convert the entire mosque back into a synagague they have a right to. They fought and bled for the territory they now occupy, much like the former owners who converted the building into a mosque in the first place. I'm just saying that if they wanted to convert the mosque, nothing could stop them from doing so.

 

But, they decided to be enlighted and reasonable. They are being nice.

 

Those protesting should take to note this, and give the Israeli authorities the credit they earned. They didn't convert the mosque into a synagague, so they shouldn't be treated as if they did.

[rootbear75]

im a Jew... and that is just wrong...

 

thanks for the link tho... im going to print that out and use it tomorrow at my monthly post-con meeting

[Aileron]

Hmmm...I've thought about it. Actually the logic of these extremists is impeccable.

 

Why should the Israeli Jewish bend over backwards to keep the site a Muslim Temple?

 

It can't be to better relations with their muslim neighbors. Their neighbors are engaging in acts of terrorism and protesting the Jew's very existence regardless.

 

It can't be because its the "right" thing to do spiritually. From the Jewish point of view the spiritually right thing to do would be to convert the building back into a Jewish temple.

 

It can't be to protect freedom of religion. Those of muslim faith in Israel can practice their faith in a different building. They really only need a mat anyway.

 

It can't be to better their opinion the eyes of the world. The rest of the world doesn't really care about that building.

 

 

As mean as discomp!@#$%^&*ionate as these extremists are, I think they may have an idea here...if their enemies are going to play them out as an enemy of the Islamic faith regardless, there is little point in not playing the role.

[The Cubbies]

What exactly do you think is "wrong" about this rootbear? It seems to me that any practicing Jew would abide the Law of Moses which involves animal sacrifice at the temple. Why would they stop? Well the only reason it stopped was because there was no temple. Well except the Christians who stopped because the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was an infinite sacrifice that did away with the lesser law and provided a higher one. Anyway my point is that if you are truly "a Jew" then you should really have no problem with the this.

[rootbear75]

i am a Reform Jew who works at Petsmart....

 

ok?

 

and i never said i was a practicing Jew... i occasionally got to temple... but not often...

Edited March 5, 2007 by rootbear75

[AceSpades]

Can someone explain to me why they have been labeled extremists?

[SeVeR]

haha, i was about to ask exactly the same thing!

[11___________]

soldier's life vs goat's life??? thats a hard!! (dont tell PETA) Edited March 12, 2007 by 11___________

[Aileron]

Can someone explain to me why they have been labeled extremists?

 

Because less than 1% of the population agrees with them. (I'm not citing that as a statistical fact, but as a definition for 'extremist')

[rootbear75]

i'll try to get my rabbi to shed some light this...

let me remind you that those extremists are most likely Orthodox Jews...

 

PS: try to get a recording on it too (if possible)

Edited March 12, 2007 by rootbear75

[ThunderJam]

What exactly do you think is "wrong" about this

Besides animal abuse?

[AceSpades]

I wouldn't call it animal abuse if they're killed humanely like livestock.

[rootbear75]

i asked my rabbi to write a response to the news article on her view of it.

ill post it as sonn as i get it.