Har Habayit: Hashem Working in Mysterious Ways

Last Friday, there was a terrible terrorist attack committed by Israeli Arabs against policemen on Har Habayit in which 2 Israeli policemen from Druze villages were unfortunately killed and another policeman was wounded.  In the wake of this attack, Israel temporarily closed off Har Habayit to investigate the incident.  Closing it off produced Arab rage - from the Jordanians to the Saudis.

Israel on Sunday reopened Har Habayit, albeit with the "unacceptable change to the status quo" whereby metal detectors were installed.  To anyone with common sense, this is a common sense measure in light of what occurred.  Unfortunately, a common sense mentality is not the forte of the Benei Yishmael.  They are therefore boycotting their supposed third-holiest site in the world.

(Now, imagine if there never were metal detectors at the entrances to the Kotel, and they decided to install them.  Jews, first of all, would understand it and support it.  Secondly, would Jews ever boycott their own holy site?  But I digress...)

So, something that we all thought would require an act of G-d to remove the Yishmaelim from Har Habayit in fact was accomplished via a hidden act of G-d that came about in a typical trick-the-Satan kind-of-way.

Meanwhile, the Druze and Muslims are experiencing rising tensions.

The Druze revere Yitro and consider him their ancestor.  What do we know about Yitro at the End of Days?  Luckily, we have once again, the prophecy of Bil'am:

כ  וַיַּרְא, אֶת-עֲמָלֵק, וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ, וַיֹּאמַר:  רֵאשִׁית גּוֹיִם עֲמָלֵק, וְאַחֲרִיתוֹ עֲדֵי אֹבֵד.	20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction.
כא  וַיַּרְא, אֶת-הַקֵּינִי, וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ, וַיֹּאמַר:  אֵיתָן, מוֹשָׁבֶךָ, וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע, קִנֶּךָ.	21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;
כב  כִּי אִם-יִהְיֶה, לְבָעֵר קָיִן--עַד-מָה, אַשּׁוּר תִּשְׁבֶּךָּ.	22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
כג  וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ, וַיֹּאמַר:  אוֹי, מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵל.	23 And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God hath appointed him?

Who is Amalek in this context?  Likely the terrorists from Yishma'el.  They are destined to be destroyed.

Who is the Kenite?  Descendants of Yitro - the Druze.  As Rashi points out, and as we see with Sha'ul's battle against Amalek, these descendants of Yitro lived near the Amalekites (which we mentioned were the terrorists from Yishma'el).

The Israeli Druze are very helpful to Israel and deserve support.  They have heeded the warning and their men serve in the IDF and the police force with Israel.  Some were stationed at Har Habayit where there is a famous rock called the אבן שתיה.  This is located under the Dome of the Rock, which, in Hebrew, is called כיפת הסלע.  So, they have not only lived with Jews (איתן מושבך), but they have also served as policemen in their holiest places (ושים בסלע קנך).

What did Bil'am say about them?  The Ramban explains that Bil'am was giving them advice: "איתן מושבך - live among the Jewish people and although you'll be exiled, you'll return with them.  However, if you stay among the Amalekites (כִּי אִם-יִהְיֶה, לְבָעֵר קָיִן), you will be destroyed along with them (עַד-מָה, אַשּׁוּר תִּשְׁבֶּךָּ)."

Then, Bil'am said, "אוֹי, מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵל" - woe to all who live in the days of Yishmael, whom Hashem placed His name therein.  (See Pirkei deRibbi Eliezer and Rabbeinu Bahye.)

So, it seems the animosity between the Druze and their Amalekite Yishmaelite murderers was prophesied.  If this prophecy came true, we can be assured that the other End of Days prophecies will also occur.

I will conclude with Betzalel Smoritch's tweet from yesterday (h/t Kikar and Life in Israel):

רץ ברשת ומזכיר את נבואת ישעיה: "והלכו אליך שחוח בני מעניך והשתחוו על כפות רגליך כל מנאציך וקראו לך עיר ה' ציון קדוש ישראל" (ישעיה ס, יד). pic.twitter.com/MQTLhISmKl

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) July 16, 2017

The verse from Yeshaya 60:14 is surely apropos.

May the Har Habayit remain cleansed of those who defile it and may we return there in purity speedily in our days, Amen.