Two Articles: Rabbi Eli Mansour on Praying at Graves
David Shasha
Visiting the Graves of Sadikim and Family Members
By: Rabbi Eli Mansour
We recently took a close look at Rabbi Eli Mansour’s understanding of prayer as a magical petition to receive things from God:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/davidshasha/pA6ia_9avLI
A few days after Rabbi Mansour’s post on prayer came these posts on visiting the graves of saints.
Once again we see in Rabbi Mansour the tension between the Maimonidean approach which strongly censures what in Hebrew is called “Doresh ‘el ha-metim,” making requests of the dead and that of the Ashkenazi tradition which is strongly in favor of such visits with the dead.
Maimonides sees great danger in visiting cemeteries for spiritual purposes:
http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Judaism/Ask-the-Rabbi-A-grave-matter
On the other hand, the Ashkenazi Hasidic tradition has very much encouraged this practice:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/281633/jewish/Grave-Visitations-and-Prayers.htm
http://www.jta.org/2011/07/06/news-opinion/united-states/tens-of-thousands-visit-rebbes-grave
There is even an area near the grave of CHABAD leader Rabbi Menachem Schneersohn equipped with a fax machine to take prayer requests:
http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/1191/rebbe-s-gravesite-draws-1-000-prayers-each-day-by-fax/
It is clear that Rabbi Mansour’s post on grave-visiting is connected to the prior post on prayer. The common thread in the two posts is the magical efficacy of the unseen world and the belief that physical communion with the corpses of saints is propitious.
For the Maimonidean tradition this is quite dubious and although Rabbi Mansour is extremely careful to limit what Jews can do in the cemetery, the overall impression is closer to that of the Ashkenazi tradition than the Sephardi.
DS
There are some sources which indicate that visiting the
graves of Sadikim is considered a Misva. The commentators draw proof to this
concept from a ruling of the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 568:10), citing the
Maharil, that if a person took a vow to visit the grave of a Sadik, and he
delays fulfilling the vow until he happens to be taken to the site, he fulfills
the vow, even though he did not pray or do anything at the site. The context of
this ruling is the subject of vows taken to perform a Misva, and thus the
indication is that visiting the graves of righteous people constitutes a Misva.
The Halachic authorities debate the question of whether one may live Eretz
Yisrael in order to visit the graves of Sadikim. It is forbidden to leave Eretz
Yisrael – even temporarily – for no valid reason, and there is thus some
discussion as to whether visiting the graves of Sadikim justifies leaving the Holy
Land. Many authorities conclude that since it is permissible to
leave Eretz Yisrael for business, it is also permissible to leave to visit the
graves of Sadikim.
Certain days are especially auspicious occasions for visiting the graves of
Sadikim: the Yahrtzeit of a Sadik’s death, Ereb Rosh Hodesh, Ereb Yom Kippur
and Tisha B’Ab. The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that
the most auspicious times are Ereb Rosh Hodesh and the 15th of the month.
One should not visit a cemetery on Shabbat, Yom Tob or Rosh Hodesh. If a family
member’s Yahrtzeit is Rosh Hodesh, the family members should visit the grave the
day before, on Ereb Rosh Hodesh.
One should only go to a cemetery for the purpose of praying and earning the
merit to advance in Torah and Yir’at Shamayim. It is improper to go to a
cemetery just as a “tour” to see who is buried there. The Arizal in particular
warned against visiting cemeteries for no reason, noting the forces of impurity
that are present there.
Summary: It is considered a Misva to visit the graves of Sadikim. The most
auspicious times for such visits are the Sadik’s Yahrtzeit, Ereb Rosh Hodesh,
the 15th of the month, Ereb Yom Kippur, and Tisha B’Ab. One should not visit a
grave on Shabbat, Yom Tob or Rosh Hodesh, and one should not visit a cemetery
for any purpose other than praying.
From Daily Halacha, July 21, 2013
The Significance of Visiting Graves of Sadikim
By: Rabbi Eli Mansour
The En Yaakob in Masechet Sota (14) presents an interesting
Girsa (version) of the Talmudic text that provides an authoritative source for
the common custom to pray at the graves of Sadikim. According to this Girsa,
the Gemara raises the question of why G-d saw to it that nobody would know the
site of Moshe’s burial (“Ve’lo Yada Ish Et Keburato” – Debarim 34:6). The
Gemara answered that G-d, who of course foresees all future events, knew that
He would have to destroy the Bet Ha’mikdash and exile Beneh Yisrael from their
land. If they knew the location of Moshe’s burial site, they would go there and
pray, urging Moshe to beseech the Almighty on their behalf. The Sages teach
that “the righteous are more beloved in death than during their lifetimes,” and
thus Moshe’s prayer would have succeeded in annulling the decree of destruction
and exile. G-d, who, for reasons known only to Him, wanted to destroy the
Mikdash and send the Jews into exile, therefore concealed the whereabouts of Moshe’s
grave, so that the decree of exile would not be annulled.
This account demonstrates the unique power and significance of prayer at the
gravesites of the righteous, through which the soul of the Sadik comes before
G-d to advocate on our behalf.
Another basis is the Torah’s account of the spies who were sent to Eretz
Yisrael. The Torah (Bamidbar 13:22)
tells that when the spies reached the Land
of Israel, “Va’yabo Ad Hebron” –
“He came to Hebron.” As Rashi cites
from the Midrash, the Torah speaks here in the singular form because it was
specifically Kaleb Ben Yefuneh who went to Hebron
in order to visit the gravesites of the patriarchs and matriarchs in the Machpela
Cave, where he prayed that he be
saved from the evil plot of the other spies. Indeed, Kaleb opposed the other
spies who spoke negatively about the land, and this was in the merit of the
Sadikim by whose graves he had prayed. This account, too, demonstrates that
there was an ancient custom to visit the graves of Sadikim, and that these prayers
are immensely valuable.
Likewise, the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that the
primary residence of the Shechina nowadays is at Keber Rahel, the gravesite of
our matriarch, Rahel, and thus for centuries Jews have been going to the site
to pray, both for the Shechina, that it should come out of exile, and for their
own personal needs.
The Ner Le’siyon (p. 96; listen to audio recording for precise citation)
discusses this time-honored custom, and explains that the purpose of visiting
the graves of Sadikim is to ask that their souls pray on one’s behalf, as in
the case of Kaleb. The Ner Le’siyon also cites the Gemara’s comment in Masechet
Ta’anit (16) that during periods of severe drought, people would go to the
cemetery to pray. Furthermore, the Zohar (Shemot, p. 16b; listen to audio
recording for precise citation) writes that if the souls of the deceased would
not pray on behalf of the living, the living would not survive for even half a
day. And the Sefer Hasidim (450) comments that the soul of a deceased person
experiences great pleasure when his or her loved ones come to pray at the
gravesite. These prayers provide immense benefit for the soul in the next
world, thus prompting them to pray to G-d on behalf of the living.
All these sources demonstrate the value and significance of praying at the
graves of Sadikim, and the benefit this provides to both the deceased and the
living.
From Daily Halacha, July 22, 2013