Halachic Guide When visiting Jerusalem

Dear Rabbi, I plan on visiting Jerusalem, I know it’s a holy city so are there any specific halachot that applies when I visit this holy place?

Thank you for your question.

Yes, Jerusalem is a very holy place, and it is said that the Shechinah never leaves the Western Wall, which is the only remnant of the Beis Hamikdosh. The Shulchan Aruch provides specific halachos regarding visiting Jerusalem.

As an overall thought, the way Halacha approaches visiting the holy city differs from how the world views it. To the common tourist, it’s a very touristic and enjoyable day out. However, for Jews visiting Jerusalem, it is a deeply emotional experience. One sees the destruction of what used to be the epicenter of grandeur, a place where one comes closer to his creator and one was able to bring a sacrifice to Hashem, either as a sacrifice of thanks or a sacrifice of atonement. Besides the sacrifices, there was also the beautiful singing of the Leviim, which upon hearing, would awaken a person’s soul with a yearning and longing for Hashem. Then, one would smell the sweet scent of the incense that would spread far out of Jerusalem, creating a spiritual, magical experience. Now, when one visits Jerusalem, it is very sad and invokes in one’s soul, sadness and pain at the desolation that now stands in its place. This is illustrated by the Halacha that when seeing Jerusalem and the Western Wall for the first time in one's life one should not eat meat or drink wine that day as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh. (Mishnah berurah 564, seif 4)

We will categorize the Halachos into two sections: first, the prayers one should recite when approaching and entering the holy city; second, the Halachos concerning Keriah (tearing of garments).

The walls of the old city:

The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall called חומת ירושלים. Part of the wall from the northeast of the Lion's Gate that extends all the way north to Sha'ar Shechem. Upon seeing this section of the wall, one should perform Keriah as a sign of mourning. (One doesn’t need to obligate a person who prefers to wait until arriving at the Western Wall to perform Keriah at this point. However, it would be best for him to avoid looking at the wall. When he later performs Keriah at the kosel, he should have in mind not only the Kotel but also the old city.)

When seeing the wall, one should say before doing Keriah:

"ערי קדשיך היו מדבר, ציון מדבר היתה, ירושליים שממה"

“Your holy cities have become a desert, Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem a desolation."

When seeing the Al-Aqsa Mosque :

When seeing the Al-Aqsa Mosque which was built on the Temple mount one should say:

בית גאים יסח ה', ויצב גבול אלמנה

“The house of the proud will be overthrown by Hashem, and he will establish the boundary of the widow.”

When seeing the Makom Hamikdosh:

One should first bow and then recite the following prayers followed by Keriah (one who already did keriah earlier when seeing the walls of the old city may do keriah again on the same garment just 7.5 centimeters away from the first keriah.

“בית קדשינו ותפארתינו אשר הללוך אבותינו היו לשריפת אש ולא מחמדינו היה לחרבה. ברוך אתה מלך העולם דיין האמת.

כי כל משפטיו צדק ואמת ה.’

הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט אל אמונה ואין עול צדיק וישר הוא.

ואתה צדיק על כל הבא עלינו כי אמת עשית ואנחנו הרשענו.

And then to recite chapter 79 of Tehilim with great emotion :

תהלים פרק עט, א-יג

(א) מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֱלֹהִים בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ טִמְּאוּ אֶת הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ שָׂמוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְעִיִּים: (ב) נָתְנוּ אֶת נִבְלַת עֲבָדֶיךָ מַאֲכָל לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם בְּשַׂר חֲסִידֶיךָ לְחַיְתוֹ אָרֶץ: (ג) שָׁפְכוּ דָמָם כַּמַּיִם סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְאֵין קוֹבֵר: (ד) הָיִינוּ חֶרְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ לַעַג וָקֶלֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ: (ה) עַד מָה ה' תֶּאֱנַף לָנֶצַח תִּבְעַר כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ קִנְאָתֶךָ: (ו) שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל מַמְלָכוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ: (ז) כִּי אָכַל אֶת יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ: (ח) אַל תִּזְכָּר לָנוּ עֲוֹנֹת רִאשֹׁנִים מַהֵר יְקַדְּמוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד: (ט) עָזְרֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ עַל דְּבַר כְּבוֹד שְׁמֶךָ וְהַצִּילֵנוּ וְכַפֵּר עַל חַטֹּאתֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ: (י) לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם יִוָּדַע בגיים בַּגּוֹיִם לְעֵינֵינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדֶיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ: (יא) תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר כְּגֹדֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ הוֹתֵר בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה: (יב) וְהָשֵׁב לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ שִׁבְעָתַיִם אֶל חֵיקָם חֶרְפָּתָם אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּךָ אֲדֹנָי: (יג) וַאֲנַחְנוּ עַמְּךָ וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ נוֹדֶה לְּךָ לְעוֹלָם לְדֹר וָדֹר נְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶךָ:

The laws of Keriah

1. The Shulchan Aruch writes that one has to perform keriah as one would mourn one's parents, which means one has to tear both one's jacket and shirt. However, the custom follows the opinion of the Ra’avad that it is sufficient to tear just the uppermost garment one is wearing. Therefore, if one is wearing a jacket and does not want to tear it, one should remove it. Then, when approaching the wall, one tears the upper garment, which is now the shirt. Later, one can put the jacket back on. Bedieved, one can remove the jacket even after seeing the wall and then perform keriah on the shirt. This halacha applies to both men and women, but not to children.

2. One may start doing keriah by cutting the garment with a knife or scissors (one can even start the keriah at home and then continue upon arriving at the wall), but must continue to tear with one's hands, the keriah is until 10 centimeters.

3. One should perform keriah on the left side of the garment; bedieved, one can do it on the right side.

4. It is best to perform the tear from the top of the garment downward; bedieved, one can do the opposite, from the lower part upward.

5. It is important to note that one must stand when performing keriah. Kriah done whilst sitting is not valid.

6. After keriah, one does not have to wear the torn garment for the entire time there, but may take the shirt off and put on another one.

Exceptions to the rule

· If however one is wearing clothing that is borrowed then he is exempt from this mitsvah. However a person who transfers ownership of his clothing to someone else through using (קנין סודר ), and then the new owner says “I don’t let you do keriah!” it is not clear that this will exempt him from the obligation of keriah.

· All the above doesn’t apply to one visiting on Shabbos Yom Tov or Rosh Chodesh.

· All the above only applies if one hasn’t seen these places for the last thirty days.

Mishnah Berurah 564, seif 4