Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The Kever Of The Rashash

Kever of the Rashash zt"l - Jerusalem
(Picture courtesy Yeshivat Tikun Ha'midot)


When I saw the above picture of the large stone on top of the kever of the Rashash, I instantly recalled a story I had once heard about it. Tonight, when I located the story I found that it was not a story about the Rashash at all, but about Rabbi Klonimus Haberkstein whose kever was later known as "the mound of Rabbi Klonimus" because of all the stones piled atop it. He had written in his will:

"Since I was forced to desecrate a Shabbos to write on that holy day, when the recent disaster threatened the Jews of Jerusalem, I deserve the punishment of stoning, for such is the law for anyone who violates Shabbos in public. I, therefore, request of the residents of Jerusalem that whenever they pass my tombstone - they throw a stone at it. This is to be done for one hundred years after the day of my burial."

Now that I see that the story I recalled was not about the Rashash afterall, if anyone knows a story about the kever of the Rashash, please e-mail me and I will add the story to this posting.

6 Comments:

At April 24, 2007 at 10:19:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

who was Rabbi Klonimus Haberkstein? pleas giv us more info and what was the story with the threat to the Jews of Jerusalem? thanks

 
At April 25, 2007 at 6:11:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

There is almost a whole chapter about him in the book "The Arizal: The Life and Times of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria" by Nechemia Piontac

 
At April 25, 2007 at 7:19:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

I saw this on Nehora.com:

"The Rashash was buried at Har HaZeitim (Mount Olives). He made a promise before his death that whoever will visit his gravesite and will pray with a pure heart, his prayer will not go unanswered."

 
At April 25, 2007 at 2:38:00 PM EDT, Blogger yitz said...

I asked R' Yisrael Avichai (Rav Getz' successor) the head of Bet El in the old city of Yerushalayim. He said the original kever exploded (I didn't ask why/when but I assume it happened in one of the wars.) And the large rock is a chunk from the original kever.

 
At April 26, 2007 at 6:17:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, they no longer publish "The Arizal: The Life and Times of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria".

 
At April 26, 2007 at 6:19:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yitz.. - thanks for the info. on the Rashash's kever. I actually am reading a book about the Rashash now and found this very interesting.

 

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