Sichos Chullin: Rav Adin Steinsaltz, Shilta, on Shabbos

Attention. This picture was not taken on Shabbos.
And furthermore, the views presented below, though gleaned from nudging a great Torah scholar during davening, are a product of Betzalel Edwards memory and writing efforts. Some points may not precisely represent the views or exactly reproduce the words of Rav Adin Steinsaltz. Be aware that this blog is supported by a team of 64 lawyers and 70 angelic forces.

Rav Adin Steinsaltz Shlit”a (Even Yisrael) on Shabbas, Parshat Devarim, 5767
Tsemach Tsedek shul, Old City, Jerusalem

The Rav arrived before Barchu. There were three children of a chabad Shaliach (outreach emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Zts”l) sitting in Rav Steinsaltz’s makom kavuah (regular place). The Shaliach was standing next to his children. When the Rav arrived I signaled to the shaliach to take his children. Rav Steinsalz said, “no, let the children stay. They can sit here, but you can’t. You are a shaliach! You should be standing up there,” and he signaled to the front of the Shul by the holy Ark.

I asked the Rav about the “refaim”, who the parsha makes reference to a number of times. As Ruach Refaim means ghosts in modern Hebrew, I asked if they were spirits. He said no, they were Giants living in the land of Ammon (on the east bank of the Jordan River.) I asked him about the place where he lives, of Emek Refaim street in the German Colony of Jerusalem. He said that it used to be the border, and he used to tell his children when they were younger, “go out and see the border,” meaning Emek Refaim street. “A border between two peoples,” he said.

I told him that on thurdsay night and Friday morning I was in Tsefat, praying at the Grave of the Ari”zal, Rav Yitschak Luria. It was his Yahrtzeit, the anniversary of his passing in the year 5332. I told him that it was a strange experience, trying to push through the crowd while retaining some dignity, for me and those I was navigating through. And then right next to the grave, at two in the morning, a mass of arms and legs, laughing and crying. The Rav said that it would be good to redirect the plumbing to send a flow that would clean out the cemetery in Tsfat, or perhaps it could be done by creating another magnetic site, to pull the people away from the Ariza’ls grave. I asked him how that could be achieved, and he said that someone else would have to die. Clearly that Rav is critical of these “hillulot” (spiritual weddings) and Yahrtziet festivals fueled by the power of Tsaddikim. I tried to defend them, saying that there are places and times that have special significances and are more effective for prayer. He said that a man could pray in most other places and achieve the same thing. (He may have been referring to the Arizal’s own teaching that you do not have to be at the Grave of the Tsaddik in order to perform the meditations or cavanot of prostrating upon the graves of the Tsaddikim. You could do it a million miles away in your own armchair.) I mentioned that the Arizal wrote that it is an ancient Jewish custom to pray at the graves of the Tsaddikim. Truly, the Rosh Yeshiva of beit El, Rav Hadaya, Shlita, was against being a “tourist” of praying at graves, and said that it was a special event that should be done once or twice a year.

I tried to defend the power of simple Jews saying Tehillim, which needs no defense and he wholly accepts. He just seemed quite down on Yahrtzeit festivals, and being genius and one of the leaders of world Jewry today, I am inclined take his criticism seriously.

Rav Steinsaltz is under the impression that most people use the Arizal’s grave as a supermarket. “Imaging a crowded supermarket, where no one has any money to buy anything.” Then he told me a story about Rockefeller, the richest man in America in his day, who when he was quite ill would spend about a dollar a day to take care of his needs, such as food, and so forth. This was because he could barely eat or enjoy anything. The Rav called this, “a tremendous mussar heskel (ethical teaching).” The Rav suggested that an amulet could be more effective than praying at the Ari’s grave on his Yahrtzeit. But for me, the amulet that I would find most effective is the green one that says on it, ‘In God we trust.’