Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan

Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan - the greatest Chacham, the most powerful pilgrimage site in Morocco, with an incredible number of miracles!   Yahrzeit - 15 Av - also celebrated on Lag BaOmer Burial place - Ctre Asjenn, Ouezane, Sidi Kacem Tanger-Tétouan   Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan was born in Jerusalem and later settled in Hevron. In 5523 (1743), he was chosen by the rabbis of Hevron as an emissary to Morocco, with a mission to collect money for the yeshivot of the Holy Land. After ten productive years of teaching Torah in Wazzan, Morocco, Rabbi Amram felt a strong longing for the Land of Israel. He decided to settle in the Moroccan city of Wazzan, where he founded a Talmud Torah and a yeshiva, which many students attended to quench their thirst for learning by drinking from the wellspring of his words. When he returned to Hevron, he became friends with Rabbi Chaim Bagayo and Rabbi Avraham Gedalia. Together they studied Torah and many of its secrets. However, Rabbi Amram's stay in Hevron was short-lived. At that time, Jews were not permitted to enter the Tombs of the Patriarchs. However, for Rabbi Amram, this prohibition did not in the least diminish his burning desire to pray at the resting place of our forefathers. So he disguised himself as an Arab and slipped into the cave together with the other Muslims who had also come there to pray. Imagine his emotions as he approached the grave of the Patriarchs! With his face streaming with tears, he quietly recited his prayers, beseeching the Creator of the world to hasten the final Redemption. No one suspected that this "Muslim," absorbed in his prayer, was actually a Jew. However, as Rabbi Amram was about to leave, one of the Arabs recognized him and immediately ran to the pasha to report the Jew. For this "sacrilege," Rabbi Amram suffered greatly. A friend of Rabbi Amram's, who was also a servant of the pasha, warned him that he was about to be arrested. In the middle of the night, Rabbi Amram, accompanied by his young son Rabbi Chaim, left his home. They were afraid to return to Jerusalem or a neighboring country, because at that time Turkish rule dominated the entire region. So he decided to return to Morocco. After arriving, Rabbi Amram and his son Rabbi Chaim traveled through all the cities of Morocco to spread the teachings of the Torah. They arrived in Sefrou, where they settled in the home of the Elbaz family. Having no children of their own, the Elbaz couple asked Rabbi Amram for a blessing to have a son. Rabbi Amram blessed them and promised that the following year, at the same time of year, the wife would give birth to a son who would later become a great Torah scholar. The Tzadik's blessing came true. The son born into the Elbaz family was named Amram after the tzadik, and this Rabbi Amram of Sefrou would later become known as a Gaon and a great Torah scholar. While Rabbi Amram was living in the Elbaz home in Sefrou, his son Rabbi Chaim fell gravely ill. The doctors gave no hope for recovery. Rabbi Amram prayed to the Creator of the world to take his own soul instead of his son's. His son, Rabbi Chaim, indeed recovered from the illness, and they continued their journey through all the cities of Morocco. But when they arrived in Wazzan, Rabbi Amram himself fell gravely ill and shortly afterward gave up his soul to the Creator. According to Issachar Ben-Ami's book "Saint Veneration Among the Jews in Morocco" (Wayne State University Press, 1998), before his death Rabbi Amram "asked to be buried next to his tree" (according to another tradition, the tree grew after the rabbi was buried on that spot). Rabbi Amram's grave became a place of pilgrimage for all the Jews of Morocco. Every year on Lag BaOmer, thousands of Jews travel to Wazzan to make a pilgrimage to the tzadik's grave. It is said that many miracles have occurred at his grave: incurable diseases have been healed, the blind have regained their sight, the mute have found their voice, the paralyzed have walked home on their own, and barren women have borne children after praying there. It is told that a non-Jewish French army sergeant had a son who was left paralyzed after a severe illness. This sergeant had a Jewish friend who advised him to bring his son to the grave of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan in Wazzan. The sergeant was skeptical at first and refused, but then promised that if a miracle occurred and his son recovered, he would build, at his own expense, a road to make it easier to reach the tzadik's grave. A miracle occurred: as soon as his son approached Rabbi Amram's grave, he was healed. The happy father kept his promise and built the road leading to Rabbi Amram's grave. The great poet Rabbi David Ben-Hassine specially composed a liturgical poem in his honor, a song that the Jews of Morocco sing on the day of the Rabbi's Hillula on Lag BaOmer. His son, Rabbi Chaim Ben Diwan, continued his father's work. He died at a ripe old age and rests in the village of Anrhaz, south of Marrakesh. His grave, too, became a place of pilgrimage for all the Jews of Morocco.   One Who Reveres the Yahrzeit of Tzadikim Yosef Azulai was a righteous man known for his readiness to help many needy families in his town of Ouazzane, Morocco, and he always treated the Yahrzeit of Tzadikim with great reverence. One time, while working in the countryside, far from the main city of Ouazzane, he became so absorbed in helping the poor before 15 Av that he forgot to contribute to the Hillula of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan. A week before the Hillula, while far from home, he fell seriously ill and had to stay in an Arab's house. On the night of 15 Av he was gravely ill and suffering great pain. According to the local Arabs, that night a gray-bearded man walked around him, and the Arabs did not know who he was. It seemed that the elderly man was protecting Mr. Azulai. By morning, Mr. Azulai felt better and was able to set out on his way. The Arabs said to him: "Last night, an elderly gray-bearded man was beside you, who looked like a holy man and kept watching over you the whole time, circling around you as you lay in bed. Do you know who that was?" Yosef Azulai was stunned, immediately realizing it had been Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan. Rabbi Amram had appeared to him in a dream that night when he was ill and told him: "I am watching over you. In the merit of your caring for the poor of Ouazzane and taking part in my Hillula every year, you shall live long. The angels wanted to take you to Heaven that very night, but I told them you were not yet ready to leave this world - the people still need you." Mr. Azulai asked the Arabs to urgently prepare the horses, and immediately set off for the tzadik's grave, and from that day on he treated both the Yahrzeit of Tzadikim and helping the poor with even greater reverence. Before his death, he gathered his four sons and instructed them never to forget the Hillula of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan - 15 Av - and that Ha-Shem would help them through all of life's trials. Prayer at the Machpelah Rabbi Amram's son was very ill, and Rabbi Amram fasted for three days in a row, hoping he would get better. After the fast, his son came to him in a dream and said: "If you pray at Me'arat HaMachpelah (the Tomb of the Patriarchs), your prayers will be accepted." Rabbi Amram realized he needed to find a way to enter Me'arat HaMachpelah, which at that time was forbidden to Jews under Muslim law. Disguising himself as an Arab, he entered Me'arat HaMachpelah together with all the Muslims. With great emotion, he walked toward the grave of our holy forefathers and poured out his heart in prayer. Tears streamed from his eyes as he pleaded with the Most High to hasten the Geulah and heal his sick son. No one suspected that the "Muslim" standing in prayer was actually a Jew. When Rabbi Amram came out, one of the Arabs noticed him and recognized him as the leader of the Jewish people in Hevron. The Arab quickly went and informed the pasha. Rabbi Amram was guaranteed severe punishment. One of the pasha's servants knew Rabbi Amram and held him in great respect. He informed Rabbi Amram that if he were caught, he would face imprisonment. Rabbi Amram decided to flee to Morocco with his young son. May the merit of the Tzadik protect our people!     (From the book "A Legacy of Leaders 2")