300,000 attend Rabbi Kaduri's funeral [world's greatest Kabbalist Rabbi]

The Jerusalem Post ^ | January 29, 2006 | Matthew Wagner and Jpost Staff

[ChicagoHebrew]

Famed Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri was laid to rest at Har Hamenuhot in Givat Shaul late Sunday afternoon.

Over 300,000 people, including rabbis and public figures, took part in the funeral procession. The eulogies and procession began from the Nahalat Yitzhak Yeshiva in Jerusalem's Bukharian Quarter at 12:00 p.m.

Among those who eulogized Kaduri were Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and President Moshe Katsav. Former foreign minister Silvan Shalom and his wife Judy were also in attendance.

Magen David Adom provided 10 ambulances and 22 motorbikes to secure the funeral procession, and had also positioned a number of ambulances throughout the city to minimize response time in light of the heavy traffic congestion caused by the procession.

Kaduri passed away Saturday evening due to complications caused by pneumonia.

Nobody knows precisely how old Kaduri was at the time of his death at Bikur Holim Hospital in Jerusalem. Estimates range between 106 and 115.

Legend has it that when Kaduri was 16 years old, Rabbi Yosef Haim, known as the Ben Ish Chai, one of the most influential Sephardi rabbis of the 19th century, blessed Kaduri with a long life.

Kaduri came to Israel from Baghdad at age 17 and studied under several legendary kabbalists, including Rabbi Yehuda Petaya, author of Beit Lechem Yehuda, and Rabbi Efraim Cohen, head of a group of kabbalists who studied at Porat Yosef Yeshiva. Other rabbis included in that study group were Rabbi Ezra Atia, head of Porat Yosef, Rabbi Mansour Ben-Shimon and Rabbi Salman Eliyahu, father of former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.

Kaduri later studied at Rabbi Yehuda Hadaya's Yeshivat Beit El in Jerusalem's Makor Baruch neighborhood. Rabbi Shmuel Darzi, one of Kaduri's last students and study partners passed away in January. Darzi was in his eighties.

Kaduri, known as "the senior kabbalist," is the last of a generation of Sephardi Jewish mystics. His close circle of friends and family say he was one of the few known living kabbalists who used "practical kabbalah," a type of Jewish magic aimed at affecting a change in the world.

They say Kaduri learned from the great kabbalists of previous generations the practice of writing amulets which heal, enhance fertility and bring success.

Also, according to his son David, Kaduri was involved in the removal of at least 20 dybbuks, lost souls that stray into the hapless bodies of living people to torment them.

However, according to sources close to the ancient mystic, even Kaduri never dabbled in the most dangerous types of Kabbalah that included forcing oaths on demons and evil spirits. Kabbalists believe that it is possible, in theory, to use holy names to trap demons and harness their powers. But those who do risk heavenly retribution.

More rational schools of Judaism are skeptical about Kaduri's powers. In contrast, in certain Sephardi circles Kaduri is considered a miracle worker. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of testimonials by Kaduri's faithful back up this claim to supernatural power. But even in the Sephardi yeshiva world, rabbis such as Rabbi Ovadia Yosef discounted Kaduri's ability to work miracles.

Nevertheless, few doubted Kaduri's righteousness and vast knowledge of both conventional and more esoteric Jewish thought and law. For most of his life Kaduri was unknown to the general public. He led a modest life of study and prayer and worked as a bookbinder. During the past decade and a half he served as the head of Nahalat Yitzhak Yeshiva in Jerusalem's Bukharan quarter.

Kaduri's reputation as supernatural mystic began during and after the Yom Kippur War. Families of soldiers missing in action came to Kaduri to ask him to use his powers to determine whether their loved ones were dead or alive.

Kaduri's popularity reached an all-time high in the 1996 elections when the centenarian kabbalist's amulets helped Shas achieve an amazing electoral success. At the time, Shas was at an electoral low point. Shas managed to distribute 100,000 amulets before chairman of the Elections Committee Theodore Or prohibited their use. Soon after Ophir Paz-Pines drafted a bill ratified by the Knesset that anchored Or's prohibition in legislation. But the amulets did the trick: Shas mustered 10 mandates.

In the 2003 elections Kaduri's grandson Yossi, who had demanded and been refused a realistic spot on the Shas list, attempted to use his grandfather to rekindle the electoral success of 1996 with his own political party called Ahavat Yisrael. But the party failed to gain the minimum votes needed to enter the Knesset.

Kaduri's son David claims his father passed on to him the secrets of amulet-writing. However, others claim that Kaduri's metaphysical powers cannot be inherited.

"He is the last of a lost generation," said one source close to the Kaduri family.

Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and the Shas council of Torah sages issued a statement mourning the loss of Rabbi Kaduri. "All of the people of Israel today are one family in mourning that the man who all of Israel was praying for went heavenward," Shas chairman Eli Yishai said on their behalf.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger called Kaduri a great tzaddik, and said that he was the last survivor of the great Kabbalah giants.

Kaduri is survived by two children, Rachel and David, and his second wife Dorit, in her fifties, who married Kaduri 12 years ago. Sarah, Kaduri's first wife, passed away 17 years ago.

[sasportas]

I bet they tend to be more conservative.....am I wrong?

According to the Karaite I talked to, the Karaites are the more conservative...of course they would say that.

The difference is Karaite conservatism is based strictly on the Bible only, while the conservativism of the Talmudists is based on the Talmud. Which on many points differs from the Bible.

[wardaddy]

Thanks for explaining...I never knew that and thought for a Mississippi Goy that I was pretty familiar with Judaism

[ChicagoHebrew]

They call themselves Jews and Karaites, just as a Chabanik calls himself both a Jew and a Chabadnik, and a Sephardi calls himself both a Jew and a Sephardi. They don't see a contradiction. The State of Israel considers them Jews, and Karaites are eligible under the law of return, but they are listed as Karaites on their ID cards. Orthodox rabbinic Jews don't obviously consider Karaites Jewish (although that requires a tortured interpretation of Jewish law, given that Karaites descend from clearly identifiable Israelite populations), but that doesn't mean Karaites don't consider themselves Jewish. You might be thinking of Samaritans, who forcefully deny that they are Jewish.

Yes, I am Jewish, and not a Karaite. Although I sympathize somewhat with Karaites on certain issues.

[ChicagoHebrew]

The Karaites, on the other hand, have only 10 principles of faith:

1. Creatio ex nihilo; (Creation from nothing)

2. The existence of a Creator, God; (Elohiym)

3. This God (Elohiym) is an absolute unity as well as incorporeal; (indescribable)

4. Moses and the other prophets were sent by God; (Elohiym)

5. God (Elohiym) has given to us the Torah, which is true and complete in every respect, not wanting the addition of the so-called Oral Law;

6. The Torah must be studied by every Jew in the original (Hebrew) language;

7. The Holy Temple was a place elected by God (Elohiym)for His manifestation;

8. Resurrection of the dead;

9. Punishment and reward after death;

10. The Coming of the Messiah, the son of David.

From a Karaite website: http://karaites-beth-shalom.org/karaites_on_resurrection.htm

[Alouette]

The Noda Beyehudah (Rabbi Yehezkel Landau) wrote some tshuvot on Kar'aim, from a halachic perspective their status as Jews is complicated. For example, if a Jew married a Kara'ite woman, and they separate, is he required to give her get?

[ChicagoHebrew]

I've read a lot about Karaism. I actually think they make excellent points on some things -- such as waiting until the Abib (barley) ripens before celebrating Passover (because the Torah prescribes that Passover is in "the month of Abib"). And that, in general, much of Karaism is -- in theory -- more logical than rabbinic Judaism.

On the other hand, Karaites are hypocrites because they have their own Oral Law and interpretations (although they deny doing so), such as their ridiculous interpretation regarding fire on the Sabbath.

[sasportas]

1. Creatio ex nihilo; (Creation from nothing)

This sounds like the Karaites are creationists (creation from nothing) not evolutionists. If so, three cheers for the Karaites!

[sangrila]

"Ok. So, Torah is the bible. Why not call Bible then?"


The Torah is only the first five books of what Christians call the Old Testament and Jews call the Tankh. I am not sure if they are exactly the same collection of books, but they are basically the same thing as far as I know. The Christian Bible is comprised of the entire Old Testament (or Tanakh) and the New Testament. The Torah is only the first 5 of the 60+ books in the Bible, so they really aren't even close to being the same thing.

And I believe the Talmud is Jewish commentary on the Tankh that came many years after the scriptures were written.

I am not Jewish or a religious scholar, so anyone can feel free to correct my descriptions of the books.

[sasportas]

Apparently, from what I have read, the Torah has narrow and more broader meanings. The first five books of the Bible, the Penteteuch, are the Torah in its strictest sense. Yet, some use it in a more broader sense inclusive of the Tanakh...and sometimes even broader, the Talmud...and sometimes even the Kabbalah.

The broader uses of it are probably due to divine revelation. That is, they hold them to be revelations from God and ought to be called "Torah" also.

Other than the Penteteuch, I believe the only broader use of the term would be the Tanach since it is also the revelation of God...which Christians call the Old Testament.

[wardaddy]

many a cold hearth on Friday evenings in the Karaite home I gather?

[Cinnamon Girl]

You've just demostrated once again that Karaites are NOT Jewish. If they have their own principles of faith, then are have their OWN FAITH. And no, they are not considered Jews by any Jews. How do they explain "an eye for an eye" since they reject Oral Law? Judaism is Judaism. I seriously don't get where you are coming from. Do you think Christians are actually Jewish? Or that Jews are actually Christian? Are Muslims actually Christian? Are Bahai actually Muslim? Just wondering.

[Cinnamon Girl]

The Talmud is the Oral Law and that was given at Mount Sinai along with the Written Law to Moses at the same time.

[Cinnamon Girl]

They call themselves Jews and Karaites, just as a Chabanik calls himself both a Jew and a Chabadnik, and a Sephardi calls himself both a Jew and a Sephardi. They don't see a contradiction.

This analogy is WAY off. Have you discussed your theories with any rabbis? Sephardim, Lubavitch, Misnagdim, Ashkenazim-- all believe in the 13 principles of faith, and believe in the Oral and Written Law. They are ALL Jews. The Karaites do not believe these things. They are NOT Jewish.

[sasportas]

You are not one of those Madonna types, devout Kabbalists, are you, Cinnamon?

[ChicagoHebrew]

They call themselves Jews and Karaites, just as a Chabanik calls himself both a Jew and a Chabadnik, and a Sephardi calls himself both a Jew and a Sephardi. They don't see a contradiction. This analogy is WAY off. Have you discussed your theories with any rabbis? Sephardim, Lubavitch, Misnagdim, Ashkenazim

No, the analogy is perfect. I wasn't speaking about what Orthodox Jews think. I was speaking about what Karaites THEMSELVES think. Just as a Chabanik thinks he's both a Chabadnik and a Jew, a Karaite thinks of himself as both a Karaite and a Jew.

Are you just dense? I've never claimed that Orthodox Jews consider Karaites to be Jews. I've claimed, and my analogy went to show, that the Karaites think of THEMSELVES as Jews.

[ChicagoHebrew]

As to what I think . . . the Karaites are a lot closer to Judaism than Reform, Reconstructionist, or Chabad Judaism is.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Madonna thinks she's practicing Kabbalah. Does that mean she is, ChicagoHebrew? Orthodox Jews aren't the only ones who know Karaites aren't Jews and don't practice Judaism. It's a free country. If people want to say they are Jewish even if they aren't, no one can stop them. And again, your analogy to the Lubavitch is WRONG. Lubavitch are Torah Jews. Karaites are KARAITES. I do not care what a website group of believing Karaites says about their religion. It's NOT Judaism.

[Cinnamon Girl]

the Karaites are a lot closer to Judaism than Reform, Reconstructionist, or Chabad Judaism is.

?????????? What?

[Alouette]

the Karaites are a lot closer to Judaism than Reform, Reconstructionist, or Chabad Judaism is.

Rabbi Kaduri (the subject of this thread, remember?) visited with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I don't recall that he ever visited with Karaites.

[Ciexyz]

Hmmm, I thought this thread would be about the life and passing of a respected and revered Rabbi.