20 Tevet · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon – the Rambam
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon - Maimonides - the Rambam - the most famous Jewish Sage, Rav, and physician.
Yahrzeit - 20 Tevet
Place of burial - Tiberias, Israel
The Rambam was born in 1135 in Cordova, Spain. The city was then under Muslim rule. Maimonides' father, Rabbi Maimon, was a dayan of Cordova's flourishing Jewish community. He gave his son a brilliant education: besides Torah and Talmud, the young Maimonides studied Arabic, mathematics, logic, philosophy, and other sciences.
When Moshe turned 13, the Almohads invaded southern Spain from Africa — Muslim fanatics intolerant not only of Jews and Christians, but even of "less devout" Muslims.
After this, a period of wandering began for the Rambam's family, first through Spain and then through North Africa. Despite the hardship and constant relocation, the Rambam never stopped studying, and during this time wrote his first book — a commentary on the Mishnah.
In 1165, Maimonides sailed to the Land of Israel together with his relatives. The journey through the Holy Land made a tremendous impression on him. He visited the main holy sites: the place where the Second Temple had stood, and the Cave of Machpelah, where the Patriarchs are buried. But life in the Land of Israel was very dangerous, since a fierce war for the holy places was raging between the Crusaders and the warriors of Islam.
Half a year later, Maimonides moved with his family to Egypt, settling in a suburb of Cairo.
For a long time, the family's main breadwinner was the Rambam's brother, David, who traded in precious stones. But tragedy struck: David perished in the Indian Ocean in a shipwreck, and the family's entire savings went down with the ship. The Rambam took his brother's death very hard, unable to rise from his bed for a whole year. Yet the responsibility for the family's welfare fell upon him. After much deliberation, he decided to take up medicine.
Maimonides earned a reputation as one of the finest physicians in Egypt. He became the court physician, first to the chief vizier, and later to the ruler of the country - the renowned warrior Saladin. Maimonides' fame as a physician resounded even beyond Egypt: according to tradition, the English King Richard the Lionheart, while in the Land of Israel, repeatedly invited Maimonides to attend him, but the great Rambam refused to treat a hater and persecutor of the Jews.
When the Halacha Follows the Rambam
Once a chassid who had been childless for many years came to the Alter Rebbe to request a blessing for children. The Baal HaTanya said he could not help him, but if the chassid managed to reach Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin (may his merit protect us) before shkia and the tzadik blessed him, then the chassid would have children.
The Rebbe spoke - the chassid obeyed. The chassid listened and set out for Karlin, managing to reach the Rebbe of Karlin before sunset. He entered, pleased, to Rabbi Shlomo, who said to him: "I am ready to bless you for 130 rubles."
In those days this was an enormous sum. The chassid, realizing what sum was being discussed, said he needed to consult his wife. By the time he traveled home, discussed the sum with his wife, and returned - the sun had already set; it was shkia. He came to Rabbi Shlomo and said: "My wife and I are ready to give this sum."
To which the Rebbe replied that it was already too late - shkia, the time had passed, and he could no longer help.
The chassid asked in horror: why, what had changed, could a mere 10-20 minutes really change anything?
Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin answered: "Before shkia, it was still the 20th of Tevet, the yahrzeit of the Rambam.
On the day of a tzadik's hilula, the Halacha is decided in the Heavens according to his opinion, even if not everyone follows his view; on the yahrzeit of a tzadik, the Halacha follows only him.
At some point you insulted a talmid chacham. According to the Halacha, there is no forgiveness for this. And Above, a gzeirah (decree) of childlessness was issued against you. But according to the Rambam's opinion, there is atonement for this sin — equivalent to a sum of 130 rubles. Had you given this money on the Rambam's yahrzeit, then, according to the Rambam's view, you would have atoned for this sin, and I could have blessed you with children. But since you were late, come back next year."
(From Rav Shlomo Deutsch, head of the Tzemach Tzedek Kollel, with gratitude to Ora Z.)
A Segula for Complete Healing (Refua Shelema) on the Rambam's Yahrzeit
We know that this great Healer and Physician left behind very few segulot. But the Mekubalim bring a beautiful segula for the Rambam's yahrzeit.
One should take a bottle of pure olive oil [Extra Virgin] and say:
"Ribono Shel Olam, You know that Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (may his merit protect us) was a great healer of people, and on his yahrzeit, in the merit of this tzadik, I am dedicating and intend, on the advice of the great Mekubalim, to send this olive oil (shemen zayit) to be used for lighting candles at his resting place, and I ask You that in the merit of this segula, complete healing come to... (state the name)".
Then send or personally bring this bottle to the Rambam's resting place for the lighting of candles.
The Rambam's Segula for Success with Tehillim 118
If a person needs success and is in doubt as to whether some matter will succeed (business, buying an apartment, etc.), he should read Tehillim 118, 7 times, from verse 5 through verse 14 - and if he reads these verses smoothly without mistakes, this will be a sign that success will come; if not, he should continue to pray.
If the Rambam (who almost never gave segulot) gave this segula - it means it is "badukin u'menuseh" (tried and tested). (From the teaching of Rav Yisrael Yakobov on Tehillim 118)
From a Trip to Morocco to the Graves of the Tzadikim - the Rambam's Commentaries
The Sages of Marrakesh pass down a story connected with Rabbi Yosef Karo in Morocco.
Before he moved to the Land of Israel, he stayed for some time in Morocco.
Rabbi Yosef Ben Naim tells of a meeting between Rabbi Shlomo Tamtzut and Rabbi Yosef Karo - when Rabbi Shlomo was a small boy, Maran Rabbi Yosef Karo came to them in Marrakesh, and he was the equal of their teacher Rabbeinu Yitzchak Delouya.
Together with the other rabbis of Morocco, they studied the Rambam's commentaries, and together they analyzed and pondered verse after verse. And one time there was a commentary that no one understood, and Maran made them think it over.
Little Shlomo went to the Beit Midrash, opened the book with the Rambam's commentary to the question the rabbis were pondering, and, understanding nothing, began to cry. At that moment the Beit Midrash filled with Light, and the Rambam himself suddenly appeared before him and said: "I am the Rambam, and the meaning of this teaching is such and such."
Little Shlomo went to the Chachamim, who were still sitting over this commentary, and revealed the meaning to them. Maran Yosef Karo approved, and said that this young man deserved to become a rabbi.
Morenu ve-Rabbeinu Yitzchak Delouya took this to heart, while Maran noticed nothing - he did not see that he had been offended.
When Rabbi Shlomo went to the kollel and told Maran his opinion, that Rabbi Yitzchak Delouya had been offended, Maran Yosef Karo said he would go to the Morenu and ask his forgiveness.
When Maran entered the courtyard of Rabbi Yitzchak Delouya, he first went to the well to wash his hands and wanted to draw water from it, when suddenly the water rose up by itself toward Maran.
Seeing this holiness and greatness of Maran, Rabbi Yitzchak Delouya hurried out to meet and receive him, and Rabbi Yitzchak said to Maran: the Rambam has just appeared to me and said: "Why are you so sad, because of the commentary of the boy Shlomo Tamtzut? It was I who appeared to him and revealed my own commentary."
(https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/153-Rabbi-Moshe-ben-Maimon-Rambam-Maimonides)
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Grave: Rambam