Rabbi Yosef Voltuch - "The Street Sweeper" - Tzadik Nistar

Rabbi Yosef Voltuch - "The Street Sweeper" - Tzadik Nistar Yahrzeit - 20 Iyar Resting place - Har HaZeitim, Jerusalem One of the 36 hidden tzadikim (Lamed-Vav). In the 1960s, a circle of kabbalist-craftsmen was formed in Israel, who studied the hidden Torah together. They bore names according to their profession: "The Shoemaker" – Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Rabikov, https://silatehilim.com/events/22-тишрея-йорцайт-илула-рабби-моше-яаков/ "The Artist" – Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ptilon, https://silatehilim.com/events/рабби-йеуда-леон-патилон-святой-худо/ "The Tiler" – Rabbi Avraham Fish, https://silatehilim.com/events/13-элула-йорцайт-рабби-йехиэль-авраам-фи/ "The Milkman" – Halban – Rabbi Chaim Avishalom Cohen Perachya. https://silatehilim.com/events/12-ава-йорцайт-илула-хальбан/ and "The Street Sweeper" – Rabbi Yosef Voltuch. At the age of 8, Rav Yosef Voltuch immigrated with his family to the Land of Israel, lived in the Old City of Jerusalem, and was orphaned at a young age, losing his mother. He studied at the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, learned Torah sometimes 14, or even 18 hours straight, and was never seen walking without a book in his hand. By age 13 he had already completed the book "Etz Chaim" and trained himself to behave with humility. Every day he secretly entered the "Beit El" Yeshiva and kept the customs of the kabbalists, and all his conduct followed the teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Goldman of Zvhil. Rav Yosef slept little, refused to sleep in a bed, and usually fell asleep while studying a book. He prayed "Vatikin" and put on 4 pairs of tefillin — according to Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, the Raavad, and the "Shimusha Rabba." He assigned different study partners for each subject, grasped and understood every question with incredible speed, and was known to be well-versed in all four levels: Pshat, Remez, Drash, Sod. In every kabbalah book he finished studying, he wrote his signature as "Yosef Voltuch, grandson of the Maggid of Latashov," since his father was a descendant of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov. Sometimes he signed "Yosef Voltuch, Man of Jerusalem," out of his great love for Jerusalem. Shortly after his marriage, his wife became ill, and he stayed in the hospital until her death, yet no sorrow showed on his face — in holiness and detachment from the affairs of the material world, he continued to study Torah. The Rav lived on Ussishkin Street in Tel Aviv. To earn a living, he worked nights as a street sweeper in the city, and on one of the streets boys would throw stones at him, yet every night he would turn to the boys and say, "Thank you very much." He would prostrate himself at the graves of tzadikim even when it was dangerous, and he reached the Western Wall [when it was under Jordanian control]. He traveled often, especially to the Tzion of Rashbi - Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, to pray or hold a meal in honor of the tzadik. Every week he visited the home of the kabbalist Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi, and he also often met with Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira - son of Baba Sali - and with Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Biederman of Lelov. To help uncover hidden tzadikim, he asked the kabbalist Ben-Tzion Moshe Yair Weinstock to record the addresses of every Jew who came seeking rare kabbalah books, and to give them the books. He always carried on his wrists two unassuming-looking baskets in which he hid ancient and rare kabbalah books, and he never rested the baskets on his palm, because he took great care never to lower his hand below his waist, just as Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi used to do, and so he had to keep his hands raised at all times so the baskets would not slip off his wrists. He loved that every diaspora community has its own special customs and form of prayer, and he was astonished by people who are ashamed of their origins and abandon the traditions of their ancestors. "Keep your eyes pure and stay away from sinners, accept wondrous revelations and revelations of the souls of the righteous, and at every brit milah, behold Eliyahu HaNavi." In his prayers for the imminent final redemption, he had the merit of seeing Rachel wrapped in black clothing. He became known as an expert in hidden matters; he would cast out "spirits" that had entered people — but he tried to conceal his actions and his righteousness. Despite great suffering from intestinal ailments, he served G-d with joy and enthusiasm. Every month he distributed money to the needy, and to those who asked for his blessing he would wish: "Kol Yeshuot"! After the passing of Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira on 17 Nisan, he said he could not manage without Rabbi Meir. On Friday night he took part in a meal in honor of Rashi, and after a mention of a feast of tzadikim held the previous week, he said that on Tuesday, the 35th day of the Omer, there would be a great yahrzeit. On Tuesday he went to bow at the graves of tzadikim in the Galilee; when he left the grave of Rashbi in Meron, he began to feel unwell, and when he arrived at the Idra cave, he again said he was not feeling well and asked for something soda to drink. The following morning he was buried on Har HaZeitim. When the Rosh Yeshiva of "Bnei Tzion," Rav Bentzion Mutzafi (shlita), was asked to speak about Rabbi Voltuch in order to elevate the tzadik's soul, he said with longing: "I was close to him. He passed away suddenly in 5773, on the way from Meron to Tzfat." Rav Bentzion Mutzafi continued: "I had the merit of learning from him. He had a full vessel of all kinds of delicacies of Torah, Talmud and Midrashim, Zohar and Kabbalah. Everything fit in his mind. There was no sage, no author of a book, that he — Rabbi Yosef Voltuch — did not know about. He suffered pains, he had illnesses, but he was silent and accepted them quietly. He wandered from place to place, and his books, his tallit and tefillin were always with him. He became acquainted with many of the great men of the generation, especially those who were hidden. He lived in a very modest room. For most of his days he was alone, because he was not with us — his wife was ill and lay in the hospital, and he was with her all the time. He spent the festivals and Shabbatot alone with his wife. He was holy, he was a giant, but he would not agree to be spoken of."

Rav Voltuch studied Torah 14-18 hours a day. He completed the entire Shas more than 30 times.

The Rav knew all the hidden tzadikim of the last generation.

When visiting the graves of tzadikim, Rav Voltuch merited to see tzadikim: the Arizal, standing at his own grave, who had an "itgalut" (revelation) with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

At the grave of Dan – he saw Dan ben Yaakov Avinu standing nearby, while Rav Voltuch and Rav Shmuel Shmueli were performing tikkunim at his tzion. Noticing that Rav Voltuch had been looking upward for a couple of hours already, Rav Shmueli asked him, "Where are you looking?" Rav Yosef answered that Dan ben Yaakov had already been standing and watching them perform the tikkunim for two hours, and that he liked it.

Once Rav Voltuch went with students to the grave of Rabbi Yom Tov Algazi – teacher of the great Rashash at the "Beit El" Yeshiva. Rav Voltuch looked right and left and told the students: "We are the first ones to come to his grave today." The students asked him how he knew. Rav Voltuch answered that he did not see the neshama of Rav Algazi at the grave, meaning that no one had come before them that day.

Then Rav Voltuch took out 3 perutot from his pocket and said: "May these perutot be, in the merit of the souls, [a way] to convey to Rav Yom Tov Algazi that Rav Voltuch and his friends are waiting for his neshama at his grave," and he gave that money to charity.

He again looked right and left, and suddenly saw the soul of the tzadik Algazi descending from above, and then the Rav told the students that they could begin learning.

 

Tzedakah at the Grave of a Tzadik

Rav Ravid Neger says that from this we learn that it is good to give 3 perutot at the graves of tzadikim:

The 1st peruta, in the merit of the souls who will convey to the tzadik that someone has come to his grave;

The 2nd peruta, l'iluy nishmat of all the tzadikim resting in that cemetery, so that they should not feel jealous that people did not come to them;

The 3rd peruta, to be given l'iluy nishmat of the tzadik one has come to visit.

 

A Meal in Honor of the Tzadik

A couple who had no children came to Meron to pray at Rashbi's grave and saw a rav weeping and praying at the Tzion of Rashbi. The couple decided to ask [for a blessing] on their behalf, in the merit of the tzadik, and gave their names.

That rav was Rav Voltuch — he nodded his head, and when he finished praying and turned around, the couple was already gone. The Rav went outside, found them, and told them that Rashbi had said they would have 7 children.

Some time later, Rav Meir Gur Aryeh recounts that when he was at the Tzion of Rashbi, he saw people preparing a meal. He asked what the occasion was, and that very same couple told Rav Meir that it was the brit of their son, for whom Rav Voltuch had prayed.

From this we learn from Rav Voltuch how good it is to hold a meal at the grave of a tzadik and in his honor.

The Maggid Mesharim, the angel who taught Rabbi Yosef Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch), said to Rabbi Yosef Karo: "Know that it is not by chance you were given the name Yosef. All those who are named al shem tzadik (after a tzadik) and are called Yosef will be "shomer brit" (keepers of the covenant), or else will be wealthy and will give money to the poor. Everyone named Yosef will have "hashpa'ah le'tzibbur" — influence on the community.

Rabbi Voltuch was a "nitzotz" (spark) of Yosef HaTzadik.

Rav Voltuch knew this secret and, before his passing from this world, told the Maggid Mesharim that a person with this name will see everything "be-ruach hakodesh" (through the spirit of prophecy), if he is a "shomer brit hakodesh" — if he keeps the holy covenant.

 

Visions of the Tzadikim

When Rav Voltuch would go to the Arizal, he would see him already standing at his own grave. When asked how he knew it was indeed the Arizal, Rav Voltuch answered that he had seen the Arizal in a dream, and the Arizal confirmed that it was he, and when he came to him at the grave — he looked just as he had in the dream.

Rav Voltuch followed in the footsteps of the Arizal, walking the same paths the Arizal had walked, and would mark the graves of tzadikim.

Rav Voltuch walked among the graves of tzadikim, and wherever he saw a tzadik at his grave, he would mark that spot with a kippah.

Once Rav Voltuch fell asleep at Rashbi's grave, and in his dream someone appeared and said: "Get up — did you come here to sleep?" Rav Voltuch woke up and gave himself his word never to sleep at the graves of tzadikim again.

Rav Voltuch had already seen Rashbi at the entrance to Meron, and when he was returning home, people would ask him, "Rabbi, aren't you going up to the Tzion?" He would answer, "I have already seen Rashbi at the entrance — why go up?"

When Rav Voltuch went to visit his friend the "Holy Artist" in Jaffa — Rabbi Yehuda Leon Patilon — Rav Patilon would tell him: "Or gadol naga becha, zachita lir'ot mar'im gedolim" (a great light has touched you, you have merited to see great visions — Rabbi Shimon came to you in a dream) — and then Rav Voltuch understood that the one who appeared to him in his dream at Rashbi's grave, when he fell asleep, was Rashbi himself.

Once, at the grave of the Rashash, he saw the Rashash.

When a group came to the grave of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai and other tzadikim (the Rambam grave complex in Tiberias) — suddenly Rav Voltuch said: "I see Rabbi Akiva waiting for us at his grave — let's go to him" — they replied that it was already late and they needed to head home.

On the way, a little while later, their car overturned. Everyone was unharmed, but they all understood that they needed to go back and visit Rabbi Akiva.

Here we learn from Rabbi Voltuch that if there are several tzadikim [nearby], it is better to visit them all, since we do not know exactly which one has called us.

Rav Shmueli recounts that once Rav Voltuch asked him to come with him to Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes, and when they arrived, Rav Voltuch told Rabbi Shmueli: "Wait for me in the car, I'll be back soon."

When he returned, Rav Shmueli asked him to explain why they had come there at all, since he hadn't even gotten out of the car. Rav Voltuch explained that he had had one pilpul (a difficulty) regarding a certain chapter, and he had come for help; the neshama of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes came down to him and helped him, and the two of them studied that passage together.

Rav Shmueli and Rav Voltuch were good friends, and when Rabbi Voltuch passed away, he left his kippah to him.

Rav Voltuch recounts that every Friday at 1:15 PM our Avot — Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov — come to the Kotel and pray Mincha Gedola. Rav Voltuch saw them there several times.

Rav Voltuch saw the Shechinah, dressed all in black, yet very beautiful, with "panim me'irot" — an unusual light on her face.

When Mashiach Will Come

Rabbi Yosef Voltuch said that, starting from the year 5770, Mashiach has already been approaching in small steps.

The Rav said that on the 35th day of the Omer — after Lag BaOmer — there would be a hillula. He foresaw the date of his own passing.

Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Rabikov, the Sandlar HaKadosh (the holy shoemaker) — was the Rosh of the hidden mekubal tzadikim. The Chazon Ish himself would come to study Torah with him.

Rav Voltuch was very close friends with Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira — son of Baba Sali — and they met and studied together every day.

Once Baba Sali called Rav Voltuch and told him that he would soon leave this world, and that there was a certain hidden tzadik in Tel Aviv — Rabbi Avraham Fish — a construction worker (po'el binyan) — whom he should meet.

It is told about Rav Voltuch that a month after he married, his wife lost her mind because of her husband's holiness, and she spent her entire life (40-50 years) in a psychiatric hospital. Rav Voltuch visited his wife every day and so remained alone.

Rav Voltuch believed one should place a petek (note) in the Kotel wall.

Rav Voltuch saw Eliyahu HaNavi, and wherever there was a brit, he would go, just to see Eliyahu HaNavi — he asked everyone to tell him wherever a brit was taking place, no matter in which city.

This was in the year 1981. Once, on Sukkot, Rabbi Avraham Shani, upon entering the mikveh, saw Rav Voltuch swaying and praying in the mikveh with the 4 minim.

Rav Voltuch later explained to him that he hated Anwar Sadat for what he had done to the Jews on Yom Kippur, and that just now, in the mikveh, he had "killed" him.

Everyone present was astonished, and two hours later they heard that Anwar Sadat had been killed in Egypt.

Rav Voltuch told how once Rav Chacham Menachem Menashe took him to a synagogue where all thirty-six hidden tzadikim were sitting and studying Torah.

After that incident, Rav Voltuch returned to that same place several times, but could not find the synagogue there — it had disappeared somewhere.

Rav Voltuch would perform "kfitzat haderech" (a miraculous shortening of the way), just as the Baal Shem Tov did, in order to study Torah with the tzadik "The Shoemaker" - Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Rabikov in Bnei Brak, or with another tzadik in Tzfat.

Rav Voltuch was a favorite of the mekubal Rabbi Chaim Sinuani.

 

Baba Sali and Rav Voltuch

Rav Voltuch was riding a bus to Netivot, and since there was no seat, he sat on the steps. When they arrived, everyone went to the courtyard of Baba Sali, where he received visitors, while Rav Voltuch went toward Baba Sali's house reciting Tehillim. There were about 50-60 people, and Baba Sali was blessing everyone, when suddenly he stopped and asked: "Where is the Ashkenazi who came with you?"

People answered that they had seen someone sitting on the steps. Baba Sali asked that he be brought to him. Baba Sali asked Rav Voltuch to place his hands on Baba Sali's head and bless him — he knew that Rav Voltuch was a hidden tzadik, a pure and holy man whose blessings carried great weight.

For many years Rav Voltuch suffered from an intestinal illness. In tractate Shabbat 112 it is said that "most tzadikim die of intestinal illnesses," and Rashi explains that these are sufferings that atone for wrongdoings. The Midrash Rabbah also states in chapter 62 that this happens in order to remove from the intestines the memory of what was eaten, so that a person can be holy and pure like the ministering angels. Every time he came to Ashdod, to the home of Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira, who knew well of his condition, he would receive healing, and feeling relief, would return home.

When Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira passed away, Rav Voltuch suffered greatly for a long time, and then, out of grief, said that he had nothing left to do in this world, and a month later he too left this world.

  May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael! (https://www.hidabroot.org/article/220784)