Korban Pesach: Almost!

Ron Ross
Bridges for Peace News
Email: ronrossbfp@hotmail.com

15th April 2007

Living in Israel at Passover is an experience. The people make feverish preparations for the holiday and in particular for the Seder, where the story of freedom from slavery in Egypt is retold from one generation to the other.

The New Sanhedrin Council which is gathering momentum believe one major ingredient is missing from Passover and that is the Paschal Offering.

On their website they speak about 'Korban Pesach' (Passover sacrifice) as `a biblical commandment of the highest order.' (Exodus 12: 3-12, Numbers 9, 1-13 and Deuteronomy 16) .

In fulfilment of their beliefs the New Sanhedrin planned this year to conduct live animal sacrifices at the Temple Mount.

Their preparations were meticulous. They found a Cohen (priest) whose heritage was traced back 1000 years. They located a butcher and made plans to quickly erect an altar. They planned to slaughter a sacrificial animal across from the Western Wall. The participants came from various groups.

They gathered for a spectacular procession to the Western Wall. They were joined by followers from The Temple Mount Movement and others from The Temple Institute which has for many years prepared the traditional holy tools for the Third Temple in careful Torah detail. .

Their plan was thwarted by a court decision which said ` the rights of the petitioners to practice their faith are outweighed by other considerations such as public order and safety.'

At KorbanPesach.org the say, "Just as circumcision, the first commandment imposed on an individual Jew, our forefather Abraham brought us into the covenant as individuals, the commandment of Korban Pesach, the first commandment imposed on the Jewish people as a collective - obligating men, women and even children - brings us into the covenant as a People."

There have been spectacular attempts to revive the ancient ceremony. One year the Temple Mount Movement hired a helicopter pilot to parachute a ready-made altar onto the Western Wall Plaza. That failed.

Even earlier, about 20 years ago, the right-wing group Kach planned to infiltrate the Western Wall Plaza at dusk with a lamb and a portable altar. That failed because Passover that year fell at the same time as the Muslim holiday, Ramadan.

In 1991 the court gave the same ruling as this year to halt proceedings. Keep an eye on this New Sanhedrin.

They say: 'The current attempt to re-establish the Sanhedrin is generally referred to as the `nascent Sanhedrin', or the "developing Sanhedrin."