JERUSALEM (VINnews) The Amshinover Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Yeshaya Milikowsky, said Jews who are ritually impure from contact with the dead may enter certain outer sections of the Temple Mount after immersion in a mikveh, according to a conversation published in the Amshinov Hasidic bulletin “Yirah veSimcha.”

The remarks, first reported by Dvir Amar of Arutz Sheva, addressed one of the most sensitive issues in Jewish religious law and Israeli public life: whether Jews may ascend the Temple Mount today.

According to the published exchange, the Rebbe distinguished between the broader Temple Mount compound and more sanctified inner sections known in halachic literature as the “cheil,” which he said remain forbidden to enter.

“It is permitted for someone tamei meis to enter the Temple Mount itself,” the Rebbe said, according to the report, adding that entry deeper into the site is prohibited.

The Rebbe also discussed the status of the Western Wall, saying it is connected to the retaining wall of the Temple Mount rather than the Temple itself.

The conversation further touched on theoretical questions surrounding the restoration of Biblical offerings, including the Shtei HaLechem, or “Two Loaves,” brought on Shavuot in Temple times.

The Rebbe reportedly raised several practical and halachic concerns, including the precise location of the altar, questions surrounding verified priestly lineage, and ritual requirements connected to the offerings.

He noted that the Korban Pesach differs from the Two Loaves because it is an obligation on individuals, while the latter is a communal offering that requires a functioning altar.

The discussion ended with a lighthearted remark about activists advocating renewed Temple-era offerings: “Are they also carrying a Mizbeach with them?”

The issue of Jewish prayer and visits to the Temple Mount has become increasingly contentious in recent years, with some Religious Zionist rabbis permitting limited access to designated areas, while many leading haredi and chief rabbinic authorities continue to prohibit entry altogether.