Grave

Chaim Pinto HaGadol

Essaouira

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

26 Elul — Yahrzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Chaim Pinto HaGadol

Rabbi Chaim ben Shlomo Pinto HaGadol Yahrzeit – 26 Elul Resting place – Mogador In the city of Agadir, on Shabbat, Parashat Pinchas, on the 15th of Tammuz in the year 1749 (5509), the whole household was filled with joy at the birth of a son who was named Chaim. He became the renowned Gaon and Mekubal, the tzadik Rabbi Chaim Pinto. The Psalm the Other Side Fears When Chaim was only 12 years old, Rabbi Shlomo departed for the Heavenly Yeshiva on the first day of the month of atonement, Nisan — may his merit protect us. At that time a powerful earthquake shook the city of Agadir. The port, which had been the main source of income for its residents, was destroyed. A new port was built in its place in the city of Mogador. As a result, many Jewish families, including the Pinto family, relocated to Mogador, where they eventually managed to secure a decent livelihood. Rabbi Gedalia Yaakov worked tirelessly to help the immigrants streaming into Mogador. He sent the young Chaim Pinto to his relative, Rav Meir Pinto, who served as an official at the French consulate in Mogador. Rabbi Meir Pinto warmly welcomed his young relative and extended him hospitality. Eventually, he sent Rabbi Chaim to study at the yeshiva of the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Bibas, who was the Rosh Av Beit Din of Mogador. He was exhausted from the journey, hungry and thirsty, but his bag held neither food nor drink. He took shelter in the synagogue of Rabbi Meir Ben Attar. He was completely worn out, and his head slowly drooped until he fell asleep. At that time, Rabbi Meir Pinto, one of the charitable residents of Mogador, was peacefully asleep in his bed. Two tzadikim appeared to him in a dream: Rabbi Shlomo Pinto, Chaim's father, and Rabbi Moshe Tahuni. Both tzadikim began to rebuke him in the dream, saying that while he slept in comfort, the young orphan Chaim Pinto was in the synagogue, hungry. "You should know," they said, "that although he is still young, in days to come a great light will emanate from him. Rise quickly and bring him into your home. You must see to it that a teacher is hired to teach him Torah." The two tzadikim also appeared to the young Chaim Pinto in the synagogue, informing him that Rabbi Meir Pinto would soon arrive and that he should go to his home. So that the youth would believe the dream was genuine, the tzadikim woke him and stood before him until he was convinced. They also blessed him and shook his hand. Rabbi Meir awoke with a start and immediately hurried to the synagogue in search of Rabbi Chaim. He knocked on the door. – "Who is there?" asked the young Chaim from behind the door. – "It is I, Meir Pinto." – "Recite the psalm 'Vihi Noam', so that I may know it is truly you and not a messenger of the Sitra Achra." [Mazikim fear this psalm, as is known to those who study the hidden secrets of the Torah.] Rav Meir Pinto recited Psalm 90, and only then did Chaim let him in. He told him in detail of his father Rabbi Shlomo's visit. Rabbi Meir trembled upon hearing his relative's account. He brought the young Chaim into his home and provided for all his needs, spiritual and physical. Every day Rabbi Meir accompanied Chaim to the home of Rabbi Yaakov Bibas, where he studied Torah diligently until he became a great Torah scholar. When his esteemed teacher, Rabbi Yaakov Bibas, passed away, the members of the community turned to Rabbi Chaim HaGadol and asked him to take the position of rabbi of Mogador. At first Rabbi Chaim refused out of humility. However, since the community leaders insisted, Rabbi Chaim agreed to accept the position. He took upon himself the burden of the people in all matters, communal and personal. In his rabbinic duties, Rabbi Chaim was assisted by his close friend Rabbi David Chazan, who served as his deputy in leading the community and was also a member of the special beit din established under his auspices. The Sefer of the Rif One night, while he was engaged in the study of the holy Torah, his eyelids grew heavy and he dozed off. His foot happened to fall upon the holy book of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto — the Rif. When Rabbi Chaim awoke from his sleep, he realized what he had done and suffered greatly over it, even though it had been unintentional. What had happened distressed Rabbi Chaim deeply, and he could not be consoled. He called his attendant and asked him to come to his room with a leather strap. When the servant brought the strap, Rabbi Chaim instructed him to whip the foot that had stepped on the Sefer of the Rif. The servant was shocked at the thought: "How can I whip the noble rav? I cannot bring myself to do such a thing!" However, Rabbi Chaim was not deterred. He ordered his servant to carry out his wish and do as he commanded, and to whip him hard until he told him to stop. Having no other choice, the servant struck Rabbi Chaim's foot with all his strength. He delivered blow after blow, as the rabbi had commanded, until the foot began to swell. The pain intensified with each strike, until Rabbi Chaim finally told him to stop. The Gilgul of Achiyah HaShiloni and Israel Najara That night, Rabbi Chaim HaGadol was unable to rise to recite Tikkun Chatzot in the synagogue, as he usually did. When the shamash, who regularly joined the rav for Tikkun, arrived, he was astonished to find himself alone in the synagogue. He was even more astonished when he suddenly heard a voice coming from the Aron HaKodesh: "Where is Rabbi Chaim Pinto? Why has he not come, as usual, to recite the Tikkun Chatzot prayer? Why does he not sing praises to his Creator? All the heavenly hosts are waiting for his song and prayers." The attendant was very frightened. He gathered his courage and, trembling, asked: "Who is speaking?" "It is I," the voice answered, "Rabbi Israel Najara. Go quickly to Rabbi Chaim and tell him that he holds a spark of the soul of the prophet Achiyah HaShiloni. He must stop tormenting himself, for his sin has already been forgiven." The voice continued: "In my time I brought pleasure to my Creator through the songs I composed, but since the day I departed this world, only Rabbi Chaim Pinto possesses the depth of song." The attendant trembled at the sound of the voice. He hurried to Rabbi Chaim's house to repeat everything he had heard. However, before he could even open his mouth, Rabbi Chaim said: "You heard the voice of Rabbi Israel Najara in the synagogue. Blessed are you, and blessed is your portion!" The following night, the Rif — Rabbi Yeshua Pinto — appeared in a dream to Rabbi David Chazan and told him: "Tell Rabbi Chaim not to worry about what he did unintentionally. Instruct him to rise from his bed. His swollen foot has already healed." At the same time, the Rif appeared to Rabbi Chaim in a dream and told him the following: "You have received full forgiveness in every realm. Tomorrow, with the help of the Most High, you will awaken from your sleep and be healed." The next morning, when Rabbi David Chazan came to Rabbi Chaim to tell him about his dream, Rabbi Chaim beat him to it and said: "The one who came to you in a dream came to me as well." Just as had been promised him, he rose from his bed and stood on both feet, fully healed. (Shenot Chaim) 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 the word echad (אחד). Together they served on the rabbinical beit din of Mogador. Every Erev Shabbat, Rabbi Chaim and Rabbi David Chazan regularly studied the commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshich 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 so that they could continue to study the weekly parasha with the Alshich's commentary together. 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 order. He thought to himself that Rabbi Chaim knew perfectly well that Rabbi David was no longer among the living. Rabbi Chaim noticed the attendant's hesitation and repeated his request firmly. 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 evening. For this reason he had not come to study with Rabbi Chaim — he could not be in two places at once. Moreover, he informed Rabbi Chaim that from then on he would continue to appear to him in physical form, whereas to his wife he would appear only in dreams, since she had revealed his secret. A Gift from Rabbeinu Chida Rabbi David Elkayam once traveled from Mogador to Livorno, Italy. There he met Rabbeinu Chida. Before he left, Rabbeinu Chida gave him three books that he had written: "Rosh David," "Chaim Sha'al," and "Simchat HaRegel." He said to Rabbi David Elkayam: "Give the Sefer 'Rosh David' to Rabbi David Chazan; give 'Chaim Sha'al' to Rabbi Chaim Pinto; and 'Simchat HaRegel' is your reward for the journey on foot to see me." Even before Rabbi David Elkayam told anyone of his return to Mogador, Rabbi Chaim HaGadol already knew of his arrival and sent a messenger to fetch the Sefer of the Chida. Fish for Shabbat One year there was a great shortage of fish. Since, according to kabbalistic teaching, it was customary to eat fish on Shabbat, Rabbi Chaim HaGadol called a fisherman and asked him: "Please, go and catch some fish." "Rabbeinu! There has been no fish in the sea for weeks now." Rabbi Chaim told him: "Go to the seashore, and every time you cast your net into the water, say 'Chaim,' and the fish will come." The fisherman did as the tzadik commanded, and within moments he had gathered a large supply of good fish to honor the Shabbat. When people heard that the fisherman had a fine supply of fish, they came to him, begging him to sell them some. However, the fisherman refused to sell even a single fish, declaring that the fish did not belong to him but to Rabbi Chaim Pinto. Rabbi Chaim Pinto took the entire catch and distributed the fish to all the residents of the city, keeping only a small portion for himself. When his friend, Rabbi David Chazan, heard about this, he came to the rav's house on Friday evening and said: "Rabbi Chaim! I heard that you have 'Chaim' (life) in your house." "It's true," replied Rabbi Chaim. "I have 'Chaim' at home." The two of them sat together at the Shabbat table, enjoying special fish dishes. In this way, they were able to preserve this traditional custom, rooted in kabbalistic teaching. Eliyahu HaNavi Rabbi Chaim Pinto would wake up every night to recite prayers. Afterward he would study Torah until dawn. One night his daughter Mazal entered his room in the middle of the night and saw him studying with a certain man. In the morning he scolded her and said: "Why did you enter my room without knocking?" She had not been able to see that it was Eliyahu HaNavi. "Now you deserve a punishment, which is that on the day of your wedding you will go blind." His daughter humbly accepted the decree. Several years later, the grandson of Rabbi Halifa Malka came from Agadir to Mogador and went directly to the home of Rabbi Chaim Pinto. When he saw Mazal, he fell in love with her and asked Rabbi Chaim Pinto to give him his daughter in marriage, but the rabbi refused. He insisted, but Rabbi Chaim Pinto categorically refused. The grandson of Rabbi Halifa Malka returned to Agadir saddened and hurt that the rabbi had refused to give him his daughter in marriage. Later, Rabbi Chaim Pinto had a dream in which he saw Rabbi Halifa Malka, who said to him: "I sent my grandson to you happy, and you returned him to me sad." Rabbi Chaim Pinto replied: "Your honor knows that my daughter Mazal saw Eliyahu HaNavi, and a decree was issued: on the day of her wedding she will go blind. That is why I refused to give her to your grandson." Rabbi Halifa answered that his grandson would accept everything as it was. All of this took place in the dream. The next day, Rabbi Chaim Pinto sent a special messenger to Agadir to bring Rabbi Halifa Malka's grandson to him. When Rabbi Chaim Pinto saw him, he explained what would happen to his daughter on the day of her wedding, and the young man agreed. However, thanks to their merit and honesty, this harsh decree was annulled, and they had children together and lived for very many years, even passing away in the same week. Coffee for Two Whenever Rabbi Chaim Pinto got up each night to study Torah, his shamash (attendant) Rabbi Aharon Ben Chaim would get up and prepare him a cup of coffee. One night the shamash woke up a bit late and hurried to prepare a cup of coffee for the rabbi, when suddenly he heard two voices coming from the room. So he went and prepared an extra cup for the unexpected guest. In the morning, Rabbi Chaim Pinto asked his shamash: "Why did you prepare two cups of coffee tonight?" The shamash replied: "I heard two voices and thought to prepare a second cup for the guest." The rabbi told him: "Happy are you, my son, for you merited to hear the voice of Eliyahu HaNavi. However, I command you not to tell anyone this secret." After Rabbi Chaim Pinto's passing, the shamash told the residents of the city about this incident. Seeing Eliyahu HaNavi Rabbi Machluf Ben Lisha came to Rabbi Chaim Pinto's house on important matters concerning the community of Mogador. Because it was a serious matter, he went straight to Rabbi Chaim Pinto in the middle of the night. He entered his room and saw the rabbi, his face "radiant," together with someone who resembled an angel. He wanted to come closer, but he was seized with such great fear and terror that he fled to his own home. The next day the rabbi told him: "Very happy are you, my son, that you merited to see the face of Eliyahu HaNavi." Rabbi Machluf lived a long life, to the age of 110, and described this incident in his prayer book. A Hidden Secret There is a wondrous story describing what happened on the day of Rabbi David Chazan's passing: Rabbi David traveled 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, it was time to pray. In the middle of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, Rabbi David Chazan's soul 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 astonishment, they could not proceed. Anyone who approached the holy body of Rabbi David was immediately knocked off his feet. This happened to the first man, and the second, and to 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 this strange chain of events. He thought for a moment, and then told them: "Rabbotai, you should know that I shared a deep secret with Rabbi David Chazan. Now that he has departed for the Heavenly Realms, I may 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 every night during the Tikkun Chatzot prayer, as he grieved over the destruction of the Temple." "These tears," Rabbi Chaim explained, "are kept in a special jar in his home in Mogador. Go quickly to Mogador and bring the jar, and then you will be able to perform the tahara properly." The members of the Chevra Kadisha were baffled by the tzadik's suggestion. "How can we obtain something from Mogador? It is very far from here, and the round trip would take several days. Leaving the body unburied for that long would be 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 went to the synagogue of Alazama in Marrakesh and reverently opened the Aron HaKodesh. When he emerged, he was holding a jar filled with Rabbi David Chazan's tears. To their amazement, Rabbi Chaim Pinto handed them the jar. The members of the Chevra Kadisha first immersed themselves in the 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 sufficient for the entire washing process. Rabbi David Chazan's body was then taken for burial. Crowds of people came to accompany him to Marrakesh. 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 veRabbeinu Rabbi David Chazan, of the city of Mogador, who studied and reviewed Torah together with Eliyahu HaNavi. He was called up to the Heavenly Yeshiva here, in Marrakesh. 16 Menachem Av, 1833 (5593)." Rabbi Chaim Pinto departed this world on 26 Elul, 5605 (September 28, 1845), at the age of 96. On the day of his passing, he promised his students that those who invoke his name on the day of his hillula will see their prayers answered. May his merit protect us. Amen! (https://beitelchai.com/rabbi-chaim-pinto-hagadol-17491845)