Yurzeit of the Ohr Ha'Chayim Hakodosh

I personally feel very connected to The Ohr Hachayim Hakodosh; I had the privilege to give a well attended Ohr Hachatim Hakodosh Shiur in Monsey for over 12 years .....

Rav Chayim ben Moshe Ibn Attar (1696-1743) was called "The Ohr Hachayim" after his sefer on chumash, ...he was one of the most prominent Kabbalists.

He was born in Morocco, and in 1733 settled in Ottoman Syria.

Rav Chayim married his cousin Fatzonia, but was not blessed with children, so Fatzonia encouraged him to marry a second wife, Esther.

In 1742 he tried to settle  in Yerushalyim .. but was forced to live in Akko instead,  due to an epidemic in Yerushalyim.

On the 15th of Ellul 1742, Rav Chayim finally entered Yerushalyim but sadly was niftar less than a year later.

Rav Chayim departed the world at Mincha time, Parshas Pinchos 15th of Tammuz and was only 47 years old.

It is related that during Shalosh Seudas, the Baal Shem Tov who lived in Europe, thousands of miles from Yerushalyim, sensed that the Ohr Hachyim had died, and exclaimed

 " The light from the West has been extinguished."

During the period of Jordanian control of Har Hazeisim between 1948 and 1967, there was mass desecration of the Jewish graves. The Arabs even decided to build a road through this ancient cemetery which would pass directly over the grave of the Ohr Hachayim.

When the bulldozer came within inches of the grave, however, something strange happened. The engine sputtered and died. Another attempt the following day failed in a more spectacular way. As the bulldozer rushed towards the grave at full speed, it suddenly flipped over and plunged into the adjoining Valley of Kidron, killing its driver.

The Arabs thereupon abandoned their plans for desecrating this holy grave and rerouted their road to pass much higher on the mountainside. Visitors to the grave can clearly see how the original clearing went straight in the direction of the Ohr Hachayims grave.

Both of his wives passed away within a few years after R' Chaim's death, and were buried next to him.

His famous disciple was the Chidda. 

Ke'dai to light a candle for his neshama...

Yehi Zichro Baruch!

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES!