29 Tevet · Yahrzeit

Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri

Rabbi Yitzchak ben Kadhouri Kaduri - a mekubal, a student of Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya, born in Baghdad. Yahrzeit - 29 Tevet Resting place - Har HaMenuchot His father, Kadhouri Diba ben Aziza, was a spice merchant. In his youth, Kaduri excelled in his studies and began learning Kabbalah while still a teenager. He was a student of Rabbi Yosef Chayun and studied at the Zilkha Yeshiva in Baghdad. He moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1923 and changed his name from Diba to Kaduri. In Israel, he went to study at the kabbalistic yeshiva "Shoshanim LeDavid" - for immigrants from Iraq. There he studied under the leading kabbalists of the time, including Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya, author of "Minchat Yehuda," and Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, author of "Kaf HaChaim." Later, he studied Talmud at the "Porat Yosef" Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem, where he also studied Kabbalah with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Ezra Attia, as well as with Rabbi Salman Eliyahu (father of Rishon LeTzion Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu). In 1934, Rabbi Kaduri and his family moved to the Old City, where the "Porat Yosef" Yeshiva provided him with an apartment nearby, where he was to bind the yeshiva's books and copy rare manuscripts in the yeshiva's library. The books remained in the yeshiva's library, while copies of the manuscripts were kept in Rabbi Kaduri's personal library. Before binding each book, he would carefully study it and memorize it. It was believed that he had a photographic memory, and that he knew the entire Talmud by heart, including the commentaries of Rashi and Tosafot. Later, his children helped him establish the "Nachalat Yitzchak" Yeshiva. He taught and practiced the kavanot of the Rashash. The Blessing of the Ben Ish Chai When the great Sephardic Rabbi Ben Ish Chai received the young prodigy from Baghdad, Yitzchak Kaduri, none of those present expected the famous rabbi to devote so much time to the young man. Their private conversation lasted several hours. Ninety years later, Rav Kaduri, the oldest and most respected of the kabbalists of the Holy Land, told the Chief Rabbi of France, Rabbi Sitruk, that the Ben Ish Chai had given him three blessings: that he would live a very long life, that he would remain healthy until his very death, and that he would merit to see the arrival of Mashiach. As for the secrets and mysteries of the Torah that were transmitted to him during that meeting, Rav Kaduri chose to remain silent. All the blessings came true: Rav Kaduri passed away on January 29, 2006, at the age of 108, not needing the help of doctors until the final weeks of his life. Before his death, he regained consciousness and asked to be left alone with his four closest students. Then he said the following: "If kabbalists study what I have said in recent months regarding the coming of Mashiach, they will find his name hidden within my words, which was revealed to me on the 9th of Cheshvan, 5764 (November 11, 2003). On that very day, I merited to meet him face to face. He is here, he is among us, but he will not come forward and say: I am Mashiach, follow me. The kabbalists must discover him among the 'hidden' words, and after that the people of Israel must ask Mashiach to become King." Then he fell unconscious again, but awoke a few minutes later and whispered into the ear of one of his students the esoteric code for revealing the name. The students refuse to disclose to whom exactly he gave the code. In Israel, the name of Rav Kaduri is shrouded in an atmosphere of mystery and reverence. And although many Ashkenazi rabbis view his miracles with a certain degree of skepticism, among the common people, especially among those from the countries of the East, his authority as a miracle-worker is unquestioned. Countless legends and remarkable stories are told about him. Miracle Worker At a Moroccan synagogue, one of its colorful congregants, the stout and loud-voiced Avner, would come to prayers accompanied by three daughters. Three more waited at home with his wife, just as statuesque and loud-voiced as her husband. Avner greeted his first and second daughters with adoration, the third with some concern, and after the sixth he became truly agitated… "A girl," he would complain, "is known to be a sign that a boy will be born after her. But how many signs can there be - where is my heir?! Who will say Kaddish for me after I die, who will carry on my family name?!" I tried as best I could to comfort the inconsolable father, but explanations and persuasion had no effect on Avner whatsoever. He greeted his wife's seventh pregnancy with wary anxiety, and when a test performed due to the expectant mother's age showed that she was carrying another girl, he fell into complete despair. And then someone advised him to turn to Rav Kaduri. "Why?" his wife objected. "The child won't become a boy now anyway - why stand in a huge line for nothing and bother the venerable elder with an empty request?" "Empty for you, maybe," Avner flared up, "but for me it's very much full! That's it, tomorrow I'm going to Jerusalem." He stood through the entire line, told Rav Kaduri his problem, and the rabbi, placing his slightly trembling hand on Avner's head, blessed him that in six months' time Avner would invite him to a brit milah. The happy father flew home as if on wings. "Nonsense," his wife scolded him. "As always, you got everything mixed up and explained something wrong to the Rav. Or maybe he meant a year and a half, not six months - it can't happen any sooner than that." "Be quiet, woman," Avner said sternly. "Whatever Rav Kaduri said, that is how it will be." "We'll see," his wife chuckled ironically. Six months later, just before Yom Kippur, she gave birth successfully and almost painlessly to… a boy. When asked to explain, the doctors answered evasively and cautiously, attributing what happened to equipment inaccuracy, statistical probability of error, and other elaborate medical phrases. Avner's joy knew no bounds. He went to invite Rav Kaduri to the brit accompanied by a crowd of relatives and friends. The Rav listened to the invitation and blessed the boy, but did not come to the brit. In his place, Avner hung a huge photograph of the kabbalist on the wall in front of the mohel. (Yaakov Shechter, "Lechaim") Kameot (Amulets) It is known that Rav Kaduri was an expert in kameot (amulets) - he learned the kabbalistic secrets of amulets from his teacher, Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya. Thanks to his amulets, thousands of Jews were saved. Rav Kaduri was once asked whether there exists an amulet against cancer. He replied that he had searched and not found one, since this is a "gezeirah mi-Shamayim" (a decree from Heaven). But he added that a very good remedy to protect against it, and against other troubles, is to recite "Pitum HaKetoret." This is written in the holy book of the Zohar, in the portion "Vayakhel." Tikkun HaKesher (rectification of the groom's binding) https://silatehilim.com/тикун-а-кешер-с-теилим/ (https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/278-HaRav-Yitzhak-Kaduri)

Pilgrimage site: Grave: Yitzchak Kaduri