The Temple Mount Part 1.

The entire world is focused on the Temple Mount. But what is the Temple Mount? Why is it important?  Why do some rabbis urge Jews to go there and pray? Why do others (actually the majority) forbid setting foot on the Holy Mountain? I shall try to present all sides of this issue.
The Land of Israel is sacred. But not all places are equally sacred. Jerusalem, the place which the L-rd has chosen, is more sanctified than the rest of the Land. Mount Moriah, where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, where King David built an altar, where his son King Solomon built the Temple of G-d; destroyed by the Babylonians, rebuilt by Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubabel, totally renovated by Herod, but destroyed by the Romans, is far holier than the rest of Jerusalem. All Jews pray facing the Holy Mountain. On the Temple Mount itself, there are varying degrees, until we get to the Holy of Holies, where only the High priest may enter, and only on the sacred day of Yom Kippur. The rabbis taught that even when in ruins, the Temple Mount is the center of the Universe, the place from where all prayers ascend. The Kotel, the Western Wall, is merely the retaining wall of the Temple Mount, which we venerate because it is the last remnant of G-d's House.
The Torah makes clear that one may not enter the Temple when unclean. Various types and degrees  of uncleanliness are described in Leviticus. Most of them only apply in relation to the Temple and consecrated foods, such as sacrificial food and priestly tithes. According to nearly all classical authorities (other than RAAVAD), these rules apply even when the Temple is not standing. Entering the Temple when unclean carries the punishment of Karet (Excision) which is a type of spiritual death, reserved for only the most severe sins.
But are these rules uniform for the entire Mount? No. The original sacred precinct measured 500 cubits by 500 cubits (about 750 feet). Herod added on a large section of land to the South, which has no greater sanctity than any other part of Jerusalem. The consecrated are of 500 cubits square, only requires immersion in water to be able to enter. However, the Temple area itself, including the Temple Courtyard, may not be entered without the ceremony of the Red Heifer, described in Numbers 19. As we have not had the Red Heifer in nearly 2,000 years, and we have all, at one time or another, come in contact with the dead, we are precluded from entering this area nowadays, other than for actually building the Temple. So, it would seem that there is no problem to ascend the Temple Mount after proper immersion, just avoiding the area of the actual Temple structure. Ah, but where is that? Most rabbis accept the tradition that he Dome of the Rock is the place of the Holy of Holies, from which we can easily calculate the area which we are forbidden to enter. It is on this that those who ascend the Mount rely.However, are we sure of this identification? Not really. If archaeologists and scholars were allowed to study the Mount in detail, this could be easily verified. However, the political authorities do not allow this. Therefore most major rabbis forbid entry to the Mount, lest we tread upon that which is too sacred, and, instead if performing a sacred act of worship, are actually sinning, and desecrating the holiest spot on earth. Many other rabbis feel that we CAN figure out, within a few feet, where the forbidden area is. Others question that.
Beyond the issue of PERMISSIBLY is the issue if spiritually and ideologically is this a good idea. This is interwoven with different ideas of how the redemption will take place, and under what circumstances the Temple will be rebuilt; and by whom.  That will be my next installment.