Page 25 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳א הרז הדובע תוכלה · 23

In contemporary times, Rav Eliezer Waldenberg rules in accordance with the Ran that entering into a
mosque is equivalent to entering a house of idolatry and is completely forbidden, whereas Rav Ovadia
Yosef is lenient, relying on the opinion of the Rambam.

p Responsa Tzitz Eliezer 14:91 אצ:די | רזעילא ץיצ ת”וש 4 .

We have learned explicitly from the words of the Ran that תדובעל םגד ן”רה ירבדמ שרופמ ונדמל ירה
the worship of the Ishmaelites and their bowing to a false רקשה איבנל םתיוחתשהו םילאעמשיה
prophet is considered idol worship in all respects. Therefore, כ”או ,רבד לכל םהישדקל שי א”ע ןיד םהלש
it is clear a mosque where their worship is performed is םה ובש םהלש דגסמה תיב םגש ז”יפל רורב
considered a house of idolatry and it is forbidden to enter it. א”ע תיב לש ןיד כ”ג ול שי םתדובע םיעצבמ
Blessed is G-d who has separated us from those who err and וניקלא ךורבו ,םשל סנכיל רוסאו רבד לכל
gave us His true Torah.
.תמא תרות ונל ןתנו םיעותה ןמ ונלידבהש

p Responsa Yabia Omer 7, Yoreh Deah 12 בי ד״וי ,ז קלח | רמוא עיבי ת”וש 5 .

4) It seems that the mosques of the Arabs do not have ןיא םיברעה לש םידגסמהש הארנ התעמו… )ד
the status of a house of idol worship, and it is permitted .םכותב סנכהל רתומו ,הרז הדובע יתב ןיד םהל
to enter them. Even [with regard to] the Ran who stated that םיוחתשמו ליאוהש רמאש ן”רה וליפאו
“since they bow to them in a manner of worship of a deity, they ,םהל שי ז”ע ןיד תוהלא לש הדובעכ םהינפל
have the status of idol worshippers”, one could argue that if the ם”במרה ש”מ לכ היל עימש הוה וליאש ל”י
Ran were to have heard about all that the Rambam wrote in ם”במרה יאדובש .ןכ רמוא היה אל הבושתב
his responsa, he would not have held that way. For certainly
the Rambam was a much greater expert regarding them and …היל סינא אל זר לכו .רתויב םהב יקב היה
no secret was hidden from him. …and that which the Tosafot השקש ,תואיטרט ה”ד ).ו( הליגמ ’סותה ש”מו
wrote (Megilla 6a) that it is difficult to say that it is permitted והז ,םש דומלל םילוכי תומוקמ םתואבש רמול
to learn [Torah] there, that is only with regard to [actual] םילאעמשי לש םידגסמב לבא ,ז”ע יתבב קר
houses of idol worship, but [with regard to] the mosques רתומש םידומ ’סותה ףא ללכ ז”ע םש ןיאש
of the Ishmaelites, where there is no idolatry whatsoever, ד”עלנהו .רקיע ןכו .ש”ע .םש דומללו ללפתהל
even Tosafot would agree that it is permitted to learn and .יתבתכ
pray there. This is the primary opinion and I have written
what I believe is true.

Other poskim, including Rav Chaim Dovid HaLevi (Aseh Lecha Rav 1:59) and Rav Yaakov Ariel (Responsa
B’ohola shel Torah 5:1), also agree that a mosque is not considered a place of idol worship. Consequently, the
practical halacha is that one should not enter a mosque simply for the sake of enjoyment, as it is preferable
for a Jew not to portray it as having significance for him, but one who does so with good reason has sufficient
basis upon which to rely.

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