Grave

David Chazan

Marrakesh

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

16 Av — Yahrzeit/Hillula of Rabbi David Chazan

Resting Place of David Chazan - Marrakesh Yahrzeit - 16 Av Burial place - Marrakesh, Morocco Rabbi David Chazan Three outstanding tzadikim: Rabbi Avraham Coriat, Rabbi Chaim Pinto HaGadol, and Rabbi David Chazan, studied together every day as chavrutot. The first letters of their names spell out the word echad (אחד). They served together on the rabbinical Beit Din of Mogador. Every Erev Shabbat, Rabbi Chaim and Rabbi David Chazan would regularly study the Alshich's commentary on the weekly parasha together. This custom was very dear to them. They both wanted it to continue uninterrupted. So they agreed between themselves that whichever of them died first would appear to his partner in order to study the parasha of the week together with the Alshich's commentary. On the Shabbat following Rabbi David Chazan's passing, Rabbi Chaim HaGadol waited for him to come. However, Rabbi David did not appear. Rabbi Chaim called his attendant and asked him to go to Rabbi David's house and ask his widow why her husband had not kept his promise to study the Sefer Alshich with him on Erev Shabbat. The attendant did not understand his rabbi's request and was in no hurry to carry out his instruction. He thought to himself that Rabbi Chaim knew perfectly well that Rabbi David was no longer alive. Rabbi Chaim noticed the attendant's hesitation and firmly repeated his request. The attendant finally understood that this was an extraordinary request, beyond his comprehension. He hurried to Rabbi David's house and asked his widow why her husband had not kept his promise to study the Sefer Alshich with Rabbi Chaim on Erev Shabbat. The widow was stunned by the question. "How does Rabbi Chaim know that my husband is home right now?" she asked the astonished attendant. It did not take Rabbi Chaim long to receive an explanation. Rabbi David Chazan appeared to his friend and told him that he had also sworn to his wife that he would come home to make Kiddush for her every Friday night. For this reason he had not come to study with Rabbi Chaim; he could not be in two places at once. He also told Rabbi Chaim that from that point on he would continue to appear to him physically, whereas to his wife he would appear only in dreams, since she had revealed his secret. The Prophet Son The great tzadik Moreinu ve-Rabbeinu Rabbi David Chazan, beloved friend of Rabbi Chaim Pinto HaGadol, was unable to have children for many years. At every opportunity he prayed to Ha-Shem to grant him sons who would serve Him and fear Him. His prayers bore fruit, and after some time, to his great joy, a son was born to Rabbi David. However, his joy was short-lived, as this only child died while still very young. The following story is told. Rabbi David Chazan devoted himself to the study of Kabbalah, uncovering the secrets of the Torah. One day, while he was studying, his son, who was about seven years old at the time, came up to him and began studying the hidden secrets of the Torah with him. The boy quickly grasped everything his father taught him. After that, he began passing on mystical secrets to his father's students (Shenot Chaim and Mekor Chaim). From then on, everyone called the boy "the prophet," because every word he spoke was true. His father, Rabbi David, feared this turn of events and pleaded with Ha-Shem to take his son from this world, so that he would not frighten people by revealing what was on their conscience. His prayers were answered, and his son died in the prime of his youth. He had surpassed his limits because of his lofty neshama. He was buried in the cemetery of Mogador, near the place where Rabbi Chaim Pinto HaGadol would eventually be buried (Shevach Chaim). The Secret There is a remarkable story describing what happened on the day of Rabbi David Chazan's passing: Rabbi David came to Marrakesh together with Rabbi Chaim Pinto HaGadol at the request of the city's governor, who wanted the holy tzadikim to serve as judges in the court case of a wealthy man, Rabbi Chaim Ben Bahas. When they arrived in the city, the time came for prayer. In the midst of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, Rabbi David Chazan's neshama departed in holiness and purity. The members of the Chevra Kadisha approached the body to begin the purification process and bury him. However, to their surprise, they could not proceed. Anyone who approached Rabbi David's holy body was immediately knocked off his feet. This happened to the first, the second, and all the others. The members of the Chevra Kadisha realized that there were mysterious circumstances preventing them from burying Rabbi David Chazan. They hurried to Rabbi Chaim HaGadol to tell him about the chain of strange events. He thought for a moment, and then said to them: "Rabbotai, you should know that I shared a deep secret with Rabbi David Chazan. Now that he has departed to the Heavenly Spheres, I can reveal it to you. Whoever approaches his body will immediately fall. However, there is only one way to perform the tahara and arrange his burial. His body must be washed with his own tears, the tears that flowed from his eyes as he wept every night during the Tikkun Chatzot prayer, out of grief over the destruction of the Temple. "These tears," Rabbi Chaim explained, "are in a special jar in his house in Mogador. Go quickly to Mogador and bring back the jar, and then you will be able to properly arrange the tahara." The members of the Chevra Kadisha were puzzled by the tzadik's suggestion. "How can we get something from Mogador? It is very far from here, and the round trip would take several days. Leaving the body unburied for that long is a desecration of the deceased." Rabbi Chaim agreed that the deceased could not be allowed to remain unburied for such a long period. He went into his room to consider the situation once more, and then came out and announced: "Wait a little, and the jar will come to you on its own." Rabbi Chaim approached the Beit HaKnesset Alazama in Marrakesh and reverently opened the Aron HaKodesh. When he came out, he was holding a jar filled with Rabbi David Chazan's tears. To their astonishment, Rabbi Chaim Pinto handed them the jar. The members of the Chevra Kadisha first immersed in a mikveh to purify themselves in honor of the deceased. After that, they washed Rabbi David's holy body with his tears. Miraculously, the tears in the jar were enough for the entire washing process. Then Rabbi David Chazan's body was finally brought for burial. Crowds of people came to accompany him in Marrakesh, from which he had departed suddenly, fulfilling the verse: "He shall come in peace; they shall rest on their beds - those who walk in their uprightness." A small structure was built over Rabbi David Chazan's grave, and the following words were inscribed on the tombstone: This is the grave of the Exalted Rav, the Divine Mekubal Moreinu ve-Rabbeinu Rabbi David Chazan, of the city of Mogador, who studied and reviewed the Torah with Eliyahu HaNavi. He was called up to the Heavenly Yeshiva here, in Marrakesh. 16 Menachem Av 1833 (5593)