Thursday, March 01, 2007 by Staff Writer
Rabbis attempt to resume animal sacrifices on the
Temple Mount
The present-day Sanhedrin Court along with a group of extremist
rabbis announced their plans on Wednesday to resume ancient Temple
practices of animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem,
despite religious bans by Moslems and Jews.
The court purchased herds of sheep for ritual sacrifice, which they
have planned for the eve of Passover, depending on the situation at
the controversial religious site.
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 Aksa is a Moslem
mosque.
The 71 members of the Sanhedrin have all the required elements
necessary for Temple sacrifice, including the ritual altar, and
said they want to begin sacrificing animals again, despite the
absence of the Temple. Professor Hillel Weiss, a member of the
Sanhedrin, said it is an important step to show that its not only
talk.
Rabbi Dov Stein, secretary of the new Sanhedrin Court, believes
Temple sacrifices wont happen 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.
Not all religious Jews are in favor of the sacrifices
however.
Animal sacrifice, as a mode of religious worship, stopped for
Jews, Christians and Moslems, said Rabbi Daniel Hartman of the
Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Moving back in that
direction is not progress.