The desire to run up on to the Temple Mount, to demolish a mosque and a shrine, and to force our temple in to its place, is the desire to force the end; it is the desire to insert messianic notions of peace into our pre-messianic world. It can only result in evil and bloodshed and runs against the probing insight of the Talmudic sages. So, I can agree with readers of Haaretz if they conclude that Littman’s subjects are dangerous, fringe and extreme.There is actually historical precedent for a Judean temple cult that eschews animal sacrifice. The rebuilt Judean temple at Elephantine, Egypt, was founded with such a system in the late fifth century BCE as agreed by the Persian authorities.
But I cannot agree that the very notion of a third temple is outmoded and absurd, nor is it extreme. In fact, it is mainstream. Every Jew who ever says the central Amida prayer, or recites a traditional Grace After Meals, prays for the rebuilding of the temple. To jettison the idea is to place yourself outside of the mainstream, and onthe extreme.
That said, I am opposed to any building or excavation (except future non-invasive/non-destructive scientific archaeological excavation) on the Temple Mount for practical reasons that I have explained repeatedly and at some length, if not tedium. I am also extremely wary of utopianism in any of its myriad forms.
Background here and links. Cross-file under "Politics."
