Yesterday I told of the holy Rabbi Yirmiah. A few feet from his unassuming tomb, there is a small road going up a hill. At the top, there are two synagogues, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi, each overlapping a small catacomb containing the remains of the second century Talmudic rabbi, Rabbi Meir, often refereed to as "the Master of Miracles" (baal hanes). He was one of the keenest scholars of the Mishnah. He was the perennial optimist. In a debate as to when a person who had come to danger should be assumed dead, he argued that we never assume death until it actually presents itself His sister-in-law was taken prisoner by the Romans, who placed her in a brothel. She refused all pressures and threats to compromise her virtue.Rabbi Meir went to the brothel, and pleaded with the Roman official in charge to free her. His pleas did, in fact, move the official. However, the official was answerable to higher officials, and he feared for his life. Rabbi Meir told him not to worry. If he got into trouble, to simply say "G-d of Meir answer me, G-d of Meir answer me." The official did this, and great miracles occurred so that he came to no harm. Since then, it is customary in many Jewish communities, that a person experiencing difficulties either gives a coin to charity, or lights a candle, and says "G-d of Meir answer me!". Many (including yours truly)do this every day before morning prayers. Renovations were conducted (about a hundred years ago) at the synagogues over his grave, and the actual burial cave was discovered, filled with ancient clay lamps. The custom is very, very old.
When I lived in Israel, I went to Tiberias (Teveria) each month. Once our kids were old enough to take care of themselves for a few hours, my wife, Sima, would accompany me. The tomb of Rabbi Meir was always a major part of our journey. We prayed there for many things. of course, it is not Rabbi Meir, or any other person who performs the miracle; it is G-d. We are asking G-d for miracles in the merit of the righteous.
When our oldest son, Nachman, was in High School, he suddenly got a fever which had no obvious cause. After a few days, his Yeshiva sent him home. We took him to doctors, who performed every conceivable test. No explanation, no change...for an entire month. Finally, my wife and I decided to take make the trip to Teveria. We felt that we needed a miracle. We arrived at the tomb of Rabbi Meir at two in the afternoon. We prayed for an hour. At the end of the hour, we called our son to check how he was doing. He said "Fine! My fever broke at two o'clock!" Even before we prayed, as our feet took us into the presence of the Tzaddik, G-d sent healing!
My G-d heal all of our wounds, all of our worries, in the merit of all the righteous! G-d of Meir, answer us!
When I lived in Israel, I went to Tiberias (Teveria) each month. Once our kids were old enough to take care of themselves for a few hours, my wife, Sima, would accompany me. The tomb of Rabbi Meir was always a major part of our journey. We prayed there for many things. of course, it is not Rabbi Meir, or any other person who performs the miracle; it is G-d. We are asking G-d for miracles in the merit of the righteous.
When our oldest son, Nachman, was in High School, he suddenly got a fever which had no obvious cause. After a few days, his Yeshiva sent him home. We took him to doctors, who performed every conceivable test. No explanation, no change...for an entire month. Finally, my wife and I decided to take make the trip to Teveria. We felt that we needed a miracle. We arrived at the tomb of Rabbi Meir at two in the afternoon. We prayed for an hour. At the end of the hour, we called our son to check how he was doing. He said "Fine! My fever broke at two o'clock!" Even before we prayed, as our feet took us into the presence of the Tzaddik, G-d sent healing!
My G-d heal all of our wounds, all of our worries, in the merit of all the righteous! G-d of Meir, answer us!
No comments:
Post a Comment