Is a Wall Built by a Murderer Holy?

Illustration: The Massacre of  the Innocents

In the Old Testament there are basically three stories about “holy” places:

1)    Jacob sleeps at Beit El and God sends him a dream.

2)    Moses approaches the burning bush and God speaks to him.

3)    Joshua Ben Nun approaches a man after entering Israel and is told the man is: “The Commander of the Lord’s Host”.

The common elements to these three stories are:

a)     None of the three men knew by themselves that the place was holy (i.e. they were told it was holy).

b)    All three places were where God spoke to men, NOT where men prayed to God (i.e. there is no connection to praying and the holiness of a location).

So now, let’s take a look at the wall built by an Edomite murderer using slave labor, shall we?

Has God or an angel or a prophet ever told anyone, at any time, that the wall built by Herod was holy?

The simple answer is: “no”.

Has God ever communicated to anyone at this wall built by an Edomite murderer?

The simple answer is: “no”.

People like to say that the Children of Israel are: “a holy” people and the Old Testament actually says that the function of the Children of Israel is to be: “a nation of priests”.

 What is a priest exactly? Well, the function of the priest is to serve as an intermediary between the people and God; hence the function of the Children of Israel is to serve as an intermediary between the peoples of the earth and God.

So, again, a holy place is where God communicates to man.

Therefore, a holy people are those who communicate God’s message to mankind.

Another name for the Children of Israel is: “The People of the Book”.

What is so special about this book?

Well, according to the Rambam, his 7^th principle of faith is that we must believe that The Torah was dictated by God to his prophet Moses.

In other words: The Children of Israel are holy because, through the Torah which was given to them as: “the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob”, they are to serve as intermediaries between God and men (they are to communicate God’s word to man).

So, for example, we are told the reason God selected Abraham was:

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.'

And later we are told that Isaac inherited the land:

 and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands, and by thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves;

because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'

Therefore:

A holy person, place or thing is something which is associated with communications from God.

So now we must ask:

Is King Herod a person who was associated with communications from God?

Well, let’s just look at what Wikipedia says:

The study of Herod's reign includes polarizing opinions on the man himself. His critics have described him as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis",^[84] "the evil genius of the Judean nation",^[85] and as one who would be "prepared to commit any crime in order to gratify his unbounded ambition."^[86]

 His extraordinary spending spree is cited as one of the causes of the serious impoverishment of the people he ruled, adding to the opinion that his reign was exclusively negative.^[87] Herod's religious policies gained a mixed response from the Jewish populace. Although Herod considered himself king of the Jews, he let it be known that he also represented the non-Jews living in Judea, building temples for other religions outside of the Jewish areas of his kingdom.

But, let’s go back to our original characteristics of a “holy” site:

We observed that neither: Jacob, Moses or Joshua Ben Nun realized by themselves that they were on holy ground (i.e. there were no physical characteristics or any other indications suggesting that these three locations were any different or more special than any other place).

If that is true, then:

How did the rabbis determine that the wall built by an Edomite murderer was holy?

In short: the ONLY reason anyone thinks this place is holy is because some rabbi arbitrarily decided all by himself that it was holy and all the other rabbis followed suit.

Second: we noted that a holy place is where God communicates to people.

Today, what are: “The Orthodox Jews” and “The Women of the Wall” really arguing about?

The “right” to conduct a prayer service….

In other words:

None of these rabbis are claiming that: "If changes were made at the Edomite Wall, it would be impossible for us to hear when God speaks".

Neither side is at all interested in listening to God speak. What they are all arguing about is: Which rabbi has the right to speak…

“A madman who murdered his wife and a great many rabbis” (it should also be noted that Herod murdered a great many priests as well).

And it should also be recalled that Herod was granted the title: “King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate…he was not anointed by a priest or a prophet as were: Saul, David or Solomon.

And that is why no one has ever heard God speak at the Edomite Wall, nor will they ever hear God speak there in the future.

The Edomite Wall is NOT a holy place.

The Edomite Wall was built by an egocentric man who ONLY wanted to glorify himself, not God. 

The Edomite Wall is today controlled by egocentric men who also ONLY want to glorify themselves, not God…