Written by Ori Ohayon

The legend of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi tells that despite living in Yemen, he would appear in a different city in Israel every Friday night – until Saturday night, when he would return to Yemen (this story is told in the well-known song “Between the Evenings, on the Temple Mount, Coming to Pray, in Jerusalem…”). He was the greatest of poets, a symbol of longing for Zion and its redemption, and he passed away at the age of 100, 305 years ago this week.

On the day Rabbi Shalom Shabazi passed away, a child named Shalom Mizrahi was born in the city of Sharab in Yemen. He immigrated to Jerusalem alone, and no one could guess who was hiding behind the quiet Yemeni youth. In Jerusalem, a small Kabbalist yeshiva, Beit El Yeshiva, was established by Rabbi Gedaliah Hayon. This was a significant innovation. For the first time, Kabbalah was no longer whispered in secret from teacher to student but was taught in a large study hall with structured lessons and schedules. Shalom (Mizrahi) Sharabi took a small job as the yeshiva’s sexton (maintenance, cleaning, etc.).

Whenever the rabbi and students encountered difficulties understanding one of the deep secrets of the Torah, the rabbi was surprised to find small notes left for him in his place in the study hall with answers to all the questions. The stunned rabbi swore all the yeshiva students to reveal who the writer was (‘who should be the head of the yeshiva!’), but no one identified themselves. Finally, one evening, Chana Hayon, Rabbi Gedaliah’s daughter, saw the Yemeni sexton leaving notes for her father in the study hall and revealed the secret to her father. In this legend, as in legends, they married, and the next head of the yeshiva was indeed the Rashash, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, perhaps the most famous Kabbalist since Rabbi Isaac Luria – The Ari Hakodosh.

The Rashash turned Beit El Yeshiva into an event of trans-historical significance. Consider that the very existence of a yeshiva in Jerusalem almost 300 years ago was a joyous event and not taken for granted. Under fascinating circumstances of redemption just beginning to blossom, several great scholars from various parts of the world gathered at the yeshiva. At a time when Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities sometimes operated almost like two different nations, an unusual meeting occurred here between great sages from all communities, including Chaim Yosef David Azulai (one of the greatest sages of Israel and the East), Rabbi Gershon of Kitov (the brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov and one of the most important figures at the beginning of the Hasidic movement), and Rabbi Yom Tov Algazi, who exposed and disseminated the book “Chemdat Yamim” – a book that introduced hundreds of customs to Judaism as you know it today, such as the singing of “Shalom Aleichem” and “Eshet Chayil,” the Tu Bishvat Seder, the blessing “Shabbat Shalom and Mevorach,” and many others (we previously discussed the strange connection of this book to the Sabbatean movement). From the four corners of the earth – how did they even understand each other’s accents?!

The most incredible thing is that all these sages didn’t just sit for coffee. They had a secret covenant. The “Ahavat Shalom” group, including signing a bond for this world and the next, in “great love, with soul and body, and all to bring pleasure to our Creator with the unity of one spirit.”

It was a nuclear reactor. They studied deep issues together, rose at midnight, cried over the suffering of the Shechinah, and performed tikkunim (spiritual rectifications) to bring redemption. One night, the Rashash, with a minyan of righteous men, reached far with their intentions, and a stormy wind began to shake the building they were in. Some of them fled outside, the storm passed, and the Rashash cried out that if they hadn’t fled, they could have brought redemption.

The yeshiva faced very difficult times. During the siege of the War of Independence, the elders never stopped studying, while the yeshiva served as a forward position for the young fighters. When the yeshiva fell, along with the entire Old City, the Jordanians made sure to blow up the building to purify Jerusalem of Jewish symbols. The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya, a descendant of Kabbalists (and the teacher of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) decided after a few years that the yeshiva could not cease to exist. He re-established it on the roof of his house in the Geula neighborhood, but he never stopped dreaming of returning it to its natural place, within the walls.

1967, the Six-Day War, the Old City of Jerusalem is in our hands. The elderly Rabbi Hadaya began planning the yeshiva’s return home, but he passed away before he could accomplish it (20th of Shevat, this evening 55 years ago). The mission was entrusted to the next generation: his student, Rabbi Meir Yehuda Getz, who lost a paratrooper son in the battles for the city, became the rabbi of the Western Wall, and also dreamed of returning the yeshiva to its place.

On the 18th of Elul, 1995, in an emotional ceremony, Rabbi Getz inaugurated the new-original building and spoke about the yeshiva being a nuclear reactor of unity. The attendees listened and were moved, not knowing these would be his last public words. Five days later, he passed away, but Beit El Yeshiva is still alive and thriving. Quiet and modest scholars study there in the very early hours of the night, married and making a living by the work of their hands (these are the acceptance conditions!), and its special door in the Hurva Square reminds everyone of the story.

The note that was found in the pocket of Rabbi Getz and is recommended for everyone:
A. Always maintain an awareness of “I have set the Lord always before me.”
B. Always be internally and externally joyful.
C. Never say anything bad about anyone.
D. Be extremely cautious with your speech, as it is the word of God.
E. Always judge others favorably and do not be easily offended.
F. Honor my wife very much.
G. Be patient with the children and always assist them, both physically and spiritually.
H. Reduce eating.
I. Exercise every day.
J. Regularly practice deep breathing.
K. Limit and shorten phone conversations.
L. Make a consistent effort to practice the Torah and mitzvot (commandments) during the day as much as possible.
M. Deepen and expand my study of the writings of Rashfei Esh (a specific scholar or text).
N. Always remain in a state of joy from fulfilling mitzvot (commandments).

Thank you for reading. May God bless you all.
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