21 Elul · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz
Rabbi Yonatan bar Natan-Neta Eibeshitz (1690-1764) – a great halachic authority and Kabbalist.
Yahrzeit - 21 Elul
Resting place - Altona, Germany
A direct descendant of King David. He was born near Krakow. His father, Rabbi Natan-Neta of Krakow, was the grandson of the famous Kabbalist Rabbi Natan-Neta Shapiro, author of "Megaleh Amukot" (Revealer of Depths).
As a child, he was a "shovav" – mischievous.
Sipurei Tzadikim - When Adar Arrives
One time in the month of Adar, little Yonatan, having learned the passage from the Mishnah in cheder: "mishenichnas Adar - marbin be'simcha" - (when Adar arrives, we increase joy), came home and began making noise, banging sticks on pots.
His mother, seeing this behavior, asked him: "Son, what's going on, why are you behaving like this?" To which Yonatan replied: "The month of Adar has arrived – we must increase joy, I am doing as it is written."
He carried on like this until his father came home, but as soon as his father arrived, he grew quiet.
His mother then asked him: "Why did you stop? Aren't you fulfilling what the Sages said?"
Clever little Yonatan answered: "Because it is written: 'mishenichnas Av - memaatim be'simcha' - (when the month of Av arrives, we decrease joy) – when 'av' (father) arrives (a play on words) – we decrease joy."
In his famous work "Ya'arot Dvash" (honeycombs) - one can find interesting hints and segulot.
Sipurei Tzadikim - Two Stories About Roosters
1. Once a machloket (dispute) arose with the chief rabbi of Hamburg and Altona, Chacham Tzvi. The dispute concerned the kosher status of a rooster in which no heart was found upon slaughtering. Although, according to Torah law, the absence of such a vital organ renders an animal unfit for consumption (treif), Chacham Tzvi ruled the rooster's meat kosher. In his view, since a rooster cannot function without a heart, it must have had one, which was simply lost due to careless handling during slaughter. However, another respected Hamburg rabbi ruled the rooster treif, since the heart was indeed not found. The two rabbis then turned to the leading halachic authorities of Europe to resolve their dispute – and it was the twenty-year-old Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz who responded to this call. He turned to physiologists for clarification. It emerged that cases had already been documented of birds born entirely without a heart, in which a compensatory organ developed over the course of the bird's life to perform the heart's functions. Such a bird could survive, but according to halacha, it is not fit for consumption – and Rabbi Eibeshitz ruled the Hamburg rooster treif. This opinion prevailed, and Chacham Tzvi was forced to leave his community. (Perakim Betoldot Yisrael, part 2)
2. Another story tells how Rabbi Eibeshitz was once received at the imperial court of Charles VI in Vienna. One of the courtiers asked Rabbi Eibeshitz in the emperor's presence: "I have heard that your books state that the Mashiach will appear in the form of a poor man riding on a donkey. How will this poor man manage to overcome the mighty kings who, as you claim, will ultimately submit to him?"
Instead of answering, Rabbi Eibeshitz asked the king to arrange a rooster fight in one of the halls of his palace. According to the rules of the contest, each courtier was to bring his own fighting rooster to the palace – and Rabbi Eibeshitz also arrived, with a small rooster. At the king's signal, all the courtiers released their mighty roosters into the hall designated for the fight, locked the doors – and pressed against the windows to watch the battle. As a result of the fierce struggle, all the fighting roosters fell one by one, and then Rabbi Eibeshitz's little rooster, which had hidden in a corner during the fight, came out into the middle of the hall and pecked one of the fallen "champions." All the spectators burst out laughing, and
Rabbi Eibeshitz explained: "This is exactly how it will be in the days of Mashiach. The mighty rulers will clash with one another in battle and will fight until they all fall from their thrones. And then our righteous Mashiach will reveal himself and subdue all the nations." (Ma'asei Avoteinu, Parshat Balak)
Segulot of Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz
1. Shacharit. The most important thing for a Jew is prayer – and the most important prayer is the morning prayer – Shacharit.
No matter how hard it may be to get in the right frame of mind, it is important for a good day to pray in the morning. If a person cannot pray with kavana, let him pray that Ha-Shem help him attain kavanot.
2. Tehillim 13 for good fortune. If a person needs good fortune, they should do a particular thing for 13 days – and it is best to read Tehillim 13 for 13 days, setting aside one coin each day, and lighting a candle for King David.
3. For a Shidduch – 7 Seudot before Yom Kippur.
https://silatehilim.com/7-сеудот-перед-йом-кипур-кенегед-шева-бр/
(Based on a lesson by Rav Israel Yakobov, "Tzadikim in Elul," from the website "Imrei Noam")
Sipurei Tzadikim - Two Stories About Roosters
1. Once a machloket (dispute) arose with the chief rabbi of Hamburg and Altona, Chacham Tzvi. The dispute concerned the kosher status of a rooster in which no heart was found upon slaughtering. Although, according to Torah law, the absence of such a vital organ renders an animal unfit for consumption (treif), Chacham Tzvi ruled the rooster's meat kosher. In his view, since a rooster cannot function without a heart, it must have had one, which was simply lost due to careless handling during slaughter. However, another respected Hamburg rabbi ruled the rooster treif, since the heart was indeed not found. The two rabbis then turned to the leading halachic authorities of Europe to resolve their dispute – and it was the twenty-year-old Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz who responded to this call. He turned to physiologists for clarification. It emerged that cases had already been documented of birds born entirely without a heart, in which a compensatory organ developed over the course of the bird's life to perform the heart's functions. Such a bird could survive, but according to halacha, it is not fit for consumption – and Rabbi Eibeshitz ruled the Hamburg rooster treif. This opinion prevailed, and Chacham Tzvi was forced to leave his community. (Perakim Betoldot Yisrael, part 2)
2. Another story tells how Rabbi Eibeshitz was once received at the imperial court of Charles VI in Vienna. One of the courtiers asked Rabbi Eibeshitz in the emperor's presence: "I have heard that your books state that the Mashiach will appear in the form of a poor man riding on a donkey. How will this poor man manage to overcome the mighty kings who, as you claim, will ultimately submit to him?"
Instead of answering, Rabbi Eibeshitz asked the king to arrange a rooster fight in one of the halls of his palace. According to the rules of the contest, each courtier was to bring his own fighting rooster to the palace – and Rabbi Eibeshitz also arrived, with a small rooster. At the king's signal, all the courtiers released their mighty roosters into the hall designated for the fight, locked the doors – and pressed against the windows to watch the battle. As a result of the fierce struggle, all the fighting roosters fell one by one, and then Rabbi Eibeshitz's little rooster, which had hidden in a corner during the fight, came out into the middle of the hall and pecked one of the fallen "champions." All the spectators burst out laughing, and
Rabbi Eibeshitz explained: "This is exactly how it will be in the days of Mashiach. The mighty rulers will clash with one another in battle and will fight until they all fall from their thrones. And then our righteous Mashiach will reveal himself and subdue all the nations." (Ma'asei Avoteinu, Parshat Balak)
Segulot of Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz
1. Shacharit. The most important thing for a Jew is prayer – and the most important prayer is the morning prayer – Shacharit.
No matter how hard it may be to get in the right frame of mind, it is important for a good day to pray in the morning. If a person cannot pray with kavana, let him pray that Ha-Shem help him attain kavanot.
2. Tehillim 13 for good fortune. If a person needs good fortune, they should do a particular thing for 13 days – and it is best to read Tehillim 13 for 13 days, setting aside one coin each day, and lighting a candle for King David.
3. For a Shidduch – 7 Seudot before Yom Kippur.
https://silatehilim.com/7-сеудот-перед-йом-кипур-кенегед-шева-бр/
(Based on a lesson by Rav Israel Yakobov, "Tzadikim in Elul," from the website "Imrei Noam")
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Yonatan Eybeshitz