The Lion of Mysticsm – Arizal
Posted by Linda | Filed under Kabbalah
Soaking up Spirituality from the Spirit of the Ari
Some people hate crowds, preferring to have their spiritual experiences in private. Yet, I love the spirit of unity that is found amidst the chaos of Israeli spiritual gatherings. I especially love the madness of crowded bus rides and journeys with throngs of other Jews who are all traveling on one specific journey. Of all such gatherings, my favorite is the 
yartzeit, or death anniversary for the Ari (the Arizal or Rabbi Issac Luria.) I have faithfully attended it for the past three years in a row, finding that, although I spend half the time crowded for space and pushed about, it is again and again a mystical experience I simply can’t miss. Which is why two weeks ago I traveled to Tzfat (also known as Safed or Zefat), in order to visit the grave of the Ari on his yartzeith. This year, his yartzeit fell on July 25/26, the 5th of Av.
The Lion of Mysticsm
Knicknamed “the Ari,” which literally means “the lion,” the Ari was the one of the leading kabbalists in . He lived in the mid 16th century, during the golden age of kabbalah in Tzfat. Having studied the Zohar for years and meditated intensely on mystical secrets, he gave many lessons on kabbalah. Most of his teachings were complied into a series of books by his foremost student, Rabbi Chaim Vital. His books include secrets of reincarnation, how to achieve a prophetic state, and other sorts of mystical wonders. These teachings branched into a whole school of kabbalah, called “Lurianic Kabbalah.”
The Grave Hoppers
In Israel, it is common to see flocks of religious people flocking to the gravesites of Tzaddikimm, people who are widely recognized to be righteous and holy, on their yartzeits. Jewish mysticism teaches that there is always a minute percentage of a person’s soul that is connected to their grave. On the day of the yartzeit, a larger percentage of the soul can be accessed at their burial site. Thus, on such special days, people feel like they can access some aspect of the energy and spirit of Tzaddiks, and in the merit of the Tzaddiks, have their prayers answered by G-d. flocks of religious people flock to the gravesite of the tzaddik.
The Reverence and Rituals of the Ari’s Faithfuls
There is a special crowd drawn to the Ari on his yartzeit. It is a group of people, from all different religious sects, many of which practice more “traditional” and less “halachic” Judaism. Most of them are called by a personal connection either to the Ari’s teachings, or to his spirit.
As soon as the Shabat was over on July 25th, people hurried over to the Ari’s grave. Although it was dark and on a regular night, I would’ve been scared to walk through the old graveyard, there were so many feverent people gathered there that I couldn’t think of being scared. All night, people sat by the grave, praying, reciting tehilim, or meditating on the special energy. Around 3 in the morning, many of the men began a special ceremony, chanting specific verses together, many of which are related to the Selichot services that take place during the Hebrew month of Elul. At certain points, the shofar was blasted. As I was not quite sure what this ceremony was about, I felt in awe as I listened, enchanted by the mystery of what was enfolding.
The entire next day, the Ari’s grave continued to be full of visitors until nightfall. There were several prayer minyans for the 3 designated prayers a day. And busses kept driving in and out of the parking lot, bringing more and more loads of faithful pilgrims.
There was a strong feeling of unity amongst the many people gathered for the yartzeit. Free drinks and refreshments were available in mass, so that everyone who was there could make a blessing and enjoy a taste of nourishment in the Ari’s merit. At the bottom of the graveyard (which is situated on a hill), many different groups had set up tables, offering books, jewlery, or other Judaica items. Since the yartzeit took place during the 9 days of Av, no music was being played. Nonetheless, there was a holy spirit of festivity. For, the anniversary of a tzaddik is supposed to be a joyous event, celebrating the tzaddik’s merits and their elevation to heaven.
My Personal Connection to the Ari
For me, the Ari’s grave is one of the places where I feel most spiritually connected. When I first came to Israel a few years ago, I spent a few days going from one holy grave site to the next. Although I prayed at each site, I found it hard to connect. It was only on the last day of my little tour that I went to the grave of the Ari. And there, in the midst of the old graveyard of Tzfat, I felt as though I was being embraced by more warmth and understanding than I’d ever felt before. It was an extremely emotional experience, allowing me to open up to the realization that Jewish spirituality was a path I truly wanted to follow. Since then, I have visited the Ari’s grave many times, always to be comforted and find some sort of guidance.
Thus, I left Tzfat truly inspired this past yartzeit, feeling blessed to have had the opportunity to connect with so spiritually high of a soul.
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