“And he came to Chevron” (Bamidbar 13:22)
“Calev alone went there and prostrated himself upon the graves of the Patriarchs, praying that he would not be drawn after his companions and join in their counsel.” (Rashi)
One of the strongest questions people ask is answered by this verse:
What is the significance of visiting the graves of tzaddikim?
Why not simply remain in the synagogue, study their teachings, and thereby connect ourselves to the spirit and path of the tzaddik?
And in general, what remains at the grave of a tzaddik after his passing?
The secret is that the unique spirit of the tzaddik rests specifically in the place where he is laid to rest. At times, it is not enough merely to know that the tzaddik once lived or to study his teachings. Sometimes a person must physically travel and pour out his heart at the tzaddik’s resting place.
Calev ben Yefuneh is one of the earliest sources for the practices of prayer, hitbodedut, and prostrating oneself at the graves of tzaddikim. As Rashi emphasizes, he went alone. Despite the tremendous danger involved—he could have been killed for separating himself from the other spies—he nevertheless went.
(This also sheds light on another common question: How can people travel to Uman during times of war and danger? However, that discussion is beyond the scope of this article.)
The holy Zohar teaches that when a person feels genuine distress, especially when his entire spiritual future is at stake, he does not allow fear to stand in his way. Instead, he does what he knows he must do.
May it be HaShem’s will that we strengthen ourselves in prayer, in hitbodedut, in traveling with faith to the graves of tzaddikim, and in receiving from them a pure and holy spirit.
And may we be saved from the counsel of the spies who spoke negatively about the holiness of the Land of Israel, about HaShem, and about His Torah. Amen.
Shabbat Shalom
Chaim Kramer |
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