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Korban Pesach in our time: Questions and Answers


Interview with Rabbi Dov Stein

Would it be possible to say a few words about the "Committee concerning the Korban Pesach"?

What is the committee's purpose?
To offer the Korban Pesach (passover sacrifice) in our day

When was the committee established?
5754 (2004)

What legal decisions or declarations have been made so far?
That it is possible to bring the Korban Pesach. The have published and distributed a booklet on the subject.

What is the connection between the "Committee concerning the Korban Pesach" and the "Committee for the exact site of the Holy Temple and Altar"?
On this matter a committee was formed of the leading religious and historical experts concerning the Temple Mount. After a year of research and deliberations it was ruled by a court of 17 justices who were experts in this matter. They ruled that the "Holy of Holies" was located exactly under the Dome of the Rock.

What did the committee do last year?
They tried to obtain authorization and permission to bring the Korban Pesach.

What are they intending to do this year?
To try again, and this time even arrange various educational lectures and a instructional demonstration of the Korban Pesach.

What are the main problems that they face?
The agreement of the authorities and the solution to various problems in Jewish Law, particularly since this year Erev Pesach falls on a Shabbath.

How can we help?
People can help by registering as interested or in favor of offering the Korban Pesach at the website KorbanPesach and to protest against those who would prevent the Korban Pesach.

Do they really believe that they can succeed? Or is this an act of pure faith?
There is a chance that they can succeed. It is dependent on the determination of the public, and a change in the political climate in the middle east, and the world in general.

How can we bring the Korban Pesach when we are all ritually impure?
It is permitted by Jewish Law to bring sacrifices on the part of the public even when we are ritually impure.

How can we ignore the rabbinic ban not to enter the Temple Mount?
We are not ignoring the ban. For this specific matter a religious court of religious and historical experts was set up. The deliberated on the subject and gave a ruling. There is no rabbinic authorities who are greater in expertice than those who sat on the rabbinical court who ruled on this matter.

How do we know the exact place of the Altar? Is it important?
"To know" has specific meaning in Jewish Law. It was researched, and a conclusion was reached.

How do we know that we have someone who is really a Cohen (Priest)? Is it important?
There are alive today Cohanim with a documented tradition of lineage that is both reliable and verified.

Is the plan really feasible?
Yes

What is the minimum that must be done in order to offer the Korban Pesach?
The minimum is to create enough portions. Meat from the sacrifice the size of an olive is sufficient for each portion. For a year old lamb that weighs 10 kilograms, it would be possible to make enough portions for 100 people.

How much time is needed on the Temple Mount?
Just a few minutes to slaughter the lamp and sprinkle its blood.

How many people need to ascend to the Temple Mount 1 ,3 ,10 ,30 50?
50

Will anything be left behind that may be profaned by the Muslims?
We will perform what we must, if the Muslims profane what remains it is their sin.

[When erev Pesach falls] on the Sabbath, the Korban Pesach must be roasted and eaten on the Temple Mount. What can we do this year?
It is possible to make an Eruv or to wait on the Temple Mount until Shabbat has ended.