Rav Mazuz was asked "today there are people who go up to Har Habayit and they obviously go to the Ezrat Yisrael and rely on immersion in the mikva and on saying that they know the spot of the Kodesh Kodashim, and thereby calculate the area of Har Habayit that it permitted to enter. It is known that Rav Ovadia was against this and claimed that people were going into the area of the Kodesh Kodashim and Ezrat Kohanim that bears a prohibition punishable by 'karess' according to the Rambam. Is it allowed today to ascend Har Habayit, obviously in the permitted places and on condition of immersion in a mikva kosher for nida and after also having immersed ones clothes? And, is there a mitzva in bowing down today in the Ezrat Yisrael?"
Rav Mazuz answered that according to the halacha it is permitted, but one must know the correct measurements according to instructions from a 'chochom'. Regarding bowing down in Ezrat Yisrael, it appears today as if one is bowing to the Omar Mosque.
1. is this another crack in the wall of haredi psak against ascending Har Habayit? More and more haredim have been ascending. I don't know if they are deciding on their own to do so, if they are relying on DL poskim who allow it, or if they are finding the small number of Haredi rabbonim who allow it, but it seems like more, and bigger name, rabbonim are joining the list of those who allow it.Also interesting is the question of immersing one's clothes. Rabbi Mazuz did not respond regarding that. I don't know anyone who does that. The only reason i can think of why one might need to is out of concern of being a 'zav'. If one is a 'zav', there are also other issues to be concerned about - such as immersion in a natural spring, immersion the day before rather than the same morning, and maybe others. the psak I was told is that nowadays we are not concerned about issues of 'zav' - unless someone has some particular illness, but not most people.
Also interesting, Rav Mazuz seems to be saying that one cannot bow on Har Habayit out of concern of appearingh to be bowing to the Mosque. It is almost irrelevant because the police are so strict about not letting people daven or bow - and they keep a much closer eye on jewish groups today than they used to. But, when the police were not keeping such a close eye on Jews, it was possible, and I have seen many people, including rabbis, bow, and I myself have as well. I have never heard such a concern as the one Rabbi Mazuz raises. The truth is, thinking about it, generally people bow down on the eastern side of the Mount, and in that area the Mosque cannot be seen. Maybe that is a solution to Rabbi Mazuz's concern.
source: YKR
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