Returning to the Mountain, a group dedicated to the redemption of the Temple Mount, on Wednesday, the eve of Rosh Chodesh Nissan and two weeks ahead of Passover, posted on Facebook that it plastered the walls of eastern Jerusalem with posters in Arabic offering local folks money to take care of their lambs, which they intend to sacrifice come Wednesday afternoon April 5, the time for offering the Paschal Sacrifice at the site of two Jewish holy Temples.
In past years, Jerusalem police were on the lookout for Jewish youths with very long earlocks suspiciously walking their goats on the city streets leading to the Temple Mount, and every year several of those faithful were arrested, goats and all. The new strategy, it appears, is to meet up with those goats at the appointed site and receive them from the amply-paid Arab co-conspirator.
So, if you’re Arab and read the Jewish Press, and happen to live in close proximity to the Temple Mount – this could be a nice payday for you.
Returning to the Mountain Chairman Raphael Morris said “the mitzvah of the Passover sacrifice is a commandment from the Torah that we are obligated to fulfill.”
Morris adds that “the right-wing government would do well to allow anyone who wishes to offer the Passover sacrifice this year to do so.”
He pointed out that “given the lack of a response to our requests from government officials and the police to fulfill the mitzvah imposed on us in a coordinated and orderly manner, we are forced to turn to other avenues and create alternative solutions that will help us fulfill this important mitzvah.”
Bat Zion Wasserman commented that a Jewish person must watch over his or her sacrifice to prevent it from becoming blemished. I checked it out, and she is right: according to the Pninei Halacha (Passover 1:8), the reason we learn the laws of Pesach starting 30 days before the holiday is, among other things, so that we’ll know how to check for blemishes the animals slated for the Paschal Sacrifice.
Of course, all this means is that the Returning to the Mountain folks––presuming they manage to evade the Jerusalem Police––will have to run a thorough check of their lambs after they pay the nice Arab man.
Maybe do it with the same feather and candle you used the night before looking for chametz?
Have a sweet holiday free from incarceration.
