Teachings from the Tzaddikim: The Arizal

Meron: Overlooking the valley near the Rashbi’s kever

The Arizal

The 5th of Av brings us to the teachings and memories of the Arizal who’s yertzite is on this day.

Compiled by Zlata Ehrenstein

Beginnings:

The father of the Arizal, Rabbi Shlomo Luria, lived in Yerushalayim. He didn't have children for quite some time and was very hurt by these thoughts. While he was sitting in shul and crying over this plight, Eliyahu Hanavi came to him and said that he will have baby boy and that he will have an outstanding neshama/soul. He told Shlomo that he should not make the brit/circumcision until he came and he would be the sandek to officiate the circumcision ceremony. Shlomo went home delighted with the good tidings, shared it with his wife, and awaited this event watching it become true.

The day of the brit came and everything was already prepared. All the guests waited but Shlomo just insisted that not all his family members had come yet. At first he began feeling that he was not zocheh (merit or privileged enough) for Eliyahu Hanavi to be the sandek. But all of a sudden Eliyahu appears and begins with the ceremony! He sat down on the chair which was set aside for Eliyahu the tzaddik, and it even seemed as if he held the baby even though no one else saw him. The baby was called Yitzchok and Eliyahu Hanavi told the father, “Rabbi Shlomo, watch over him as he will bring a huge light to all of Yisrael and the entire world.” And so it is to this day.

The Arizal’s youth:

Yitzchok grew up with an exceptional mind and so at the young age of 8 years old he already began having lengthy discussions in the Talmud. His parents managed to get him a private teacher but it didn't last for more than 3 months as he had surpassed the instructor’s ability to teach him anything new! He thus acquired the admiration of all the scholars of Yerushalayim.

At a young age, his father passed away and left him with his mother to fend for themselves. The scholars offered to support them but his mother refused. She preferred to be self-supportive instead of receiving charity. They reassured his family that they could always come to ask for whatever they desired.

One day his mother thought of going to her brother in Mitzrayim/Egypt. And so they did. Her brother greeted them warmly and promised to take care of all their needs. He was well off and was happy to take care of them.

Rav Yitzchak learned in the yeshiva of the Radbaz (Reb David ben Zimrah) who made a living from spreading the teachings of kabbalah. There were three students of the Radbaz with the name Yitzchak and each one had a different life mission. The Arizal viewed Reb Zimrah’s opinion about each student. The Arizal himself (1) would make a living from the teachings of Kabbalah. Rabbi Yitzchak Apimyado (2) would focus on the revealed parts of Torah and (3) Rebbe Yitzchak Piaso seemed to always find himself doing the very opposite of advice given to him. The Radbaz listened and was silent and put these thpughts aside while watching to see what would transpire. These pearls of wisdom actualized in the fullest measure.

The Radbaz excelled in the teachings of Kabbalah. All halachic questions which were sent to the Radbaz were forwarded to Rebbe Yitzchak, the Arizal. Rebbe Yitzchak Apimyado became a Torah scholar by the age of 18.

After the Arizal learned in the yeshiva of the Radbaz, he studied with Reb Betzalel Ashkenazi, the author of the Shitah Mekubetzet. This is a monumental piece of work explaining several tractates of the Shas, the six orders (Shisha S'darim) of the Mishnah and the Talmud.

The Arizal’s Marriage

Rav Mordechai Francis was the uncle of the Arizal who cared for the Arizal and his mother. As the marriageble age in those days approached Mordechai’s daughter was resolute in not marrying any rich or noble bochur (yeshiva student) but was set on marrying her cousin, the Arizal. So the Arizal married his cousin at the age of 15 and they lived at his father'-in-law (uncle)'s home in Egypt after the wedding. During the weekdays he would go inhabit a small hut along the Nile River and learn Torah in solitude. For six years, he would learn Torah and in particular, the secrets of Torah. He came home for Shabbos when he would only speak lashon hakodesh (pure and holy words of Torah).

How did the Torah secrets become revealed to the Arizal?

One day he saw a simpleton with a prayer book. He peeked into this sefer and his eyes lit up. After the man finished davening, he asked him what is written in it. He replied that he is only a simple person and does not really understand it. “It is written in loshon hakodesh and he received it from one of the Marranos who escaped Spain.” “If so,” the Arizal asks, “Will you please sell me this sefer?” The simple man answered that he has basically everything he needs in life and is not lacking much but if the Arizal insists to compensate him for the sefer then he would ask the Arizal to intervene on his behalf and ask the minister of finance to cancel all the taxes he owes. Soon the simple man had all his debts withdrawn with the help of the Arizal’s father-in-law.

The Arizal received this sefer and when he would go to his hut at the banks of the Nile River, all the gates of heavens opened to him and the secrets of creation were revealed to him. He actually aspired to the extent the he achieved ruach hakodesh (Gdly holy spirit) and also learned these secrets with Eliyahu Hanavi. One day, Eliyahu Hanavi told him that the time has come for him to go to Eretz Yisrael and that there he would be able to spread all these teachings.

Reb Karo and the Arizal in Eretz Yisrael

At the age of 36, the last two years of the Arizal’s life, he lived in Zfas (Tfat/Safed), Israel. In Zfas, the Jews who lived there were mainly descendants of those who escaped Spanish Inquisition and were able to get to Turkey. Later on, they came to Zfas. Most were self-sufficient with trades of weaving fabrics, spices or making dairy products. They would go to sell their products in Damascus (now Lebanon) or to the coastal cities. The less fortunate immigrants were supported by the affluent of community of Zfas.   

Reb Yosef Karo was born in Toledo, Spain and was also forced to flee at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. His family reached Turkey, as many others had. When he grew older, he came to Zfas and learned from Reb Yaakov Beirav (Berab), who renewed the semicha (process of rabbinic ordination) in Eretz Yisrael. Reb Yosef Karo was an excellent student and was ordained. He wrote the Shulchan Aruch (the fully accepted code of Jewish law) so that learning halacha would be much easier to grasp instead of learning straight from the Talmud and its various and differing opinions. Reb Yosef Karo’s most famous students were Reb Moshe Cordovero (better known as the Ramak), Reb Moshe Alshich (Alshich Hakadosh) and Reb Avraham Galanti. The Ramak had a brother-in-law who is known as Reb Shlomo Alkabetz, the author of the famous Lecha Dodi, which all Yiden sing on Moitzi Shabbat, Friday night, to this very day.

The Third Yitzchak:

Rebbe Yitzchak Piaso was presented with a choice of two offers for marriage. One was a young girl who had 500 golden coins and the other one was a divorcee who had 1000 golden coins. The Arizal preferred the marriage to the young girl, but Rav Yitzchak Piaso married the divorcee because money was enticing. However, in the middle of the wedding ceremony, the chosson (groom) began quarreling with the kallah (bride) and she ran for her life. The chosson regretted his actions and asked her forgiveness. They decided to remarry but then, too, they got into a second fight and annulled the marriage.  This repeated itself a third time and when the kallah's brother’s saw what was going on, they decided to marry them anyway, hoping that afterwards things will straighten out. Again, he fought with her and the brothers told the kallah to demand a divorce. The chosson, Reb Piaso, went to the Arizal to ask whether he should give her a divorce. The Arizal said – no, he didn’t agree for the divorce. Again, he didn't listen and gave her a divorce. Afterwards, he regretted it and wanted to remarry his ex-wife. He proposed to the kallah again but her brothers agreed to speak with him about it before the re-marriage went through. Their intention was to get him to come to their home and “teach him a lesson.” He arrived and they gave him a terrible beating. This particular Yitzchak was known to do the opposite of his given advice.

For a continuation and complete booklet from this collective work on the Arizal, please send your email address and we will be happy to send you these fascinating and less known stories about the Arizal.