Blessed is the True Judge - Rabbi Shimon Chirari zt"l

Listen to the words of the eulogy by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a for Rabbi Shimon Chirari zt"l

https://www.shuvubanimint.com/audio/HaravHariri.mp3

The elder of the Kabbalists, one of the hidden righteous ones (tzaddikim) of the generation, and the greatest of the sages of Tunis, Rabbi Shimon Chirari from Kfar Shalem in Tel Aviv, who authored forty-eight books on all subjects of the Torah, passed away this morning, Tuesday.

A year ago, Rabbi Chirari's wife passed away, and all the sons of Maran, our Rebbe, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l, came to comfort him. During the consolation visit, they related that their father, Maran, almost never examined new books of compilations released in this generation. However, regarding Rabbi Chirari's books, he would not give up reading them; he would always study them deeply and praise them, and even quoted from them in his own works.

Rabbi Chirari used to pay every child and young man 200 NIS for completing a tractate (masechet), and in this way, he increased Torah learning among the Jewish people, and specifically in the city of Tel Aviv.

Below is the transcript of the eulogy by Rabbi Berland:

"Rabbi Shimon! He is a spark of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. 'The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places.' His entire life was Emunah (faith). He knew the entire Shas (Talmud) by heart, Etz Chaim by heart, Zohar by heart, the Rishonim (early commentators), the Acharonim (later commentators), Rambam, Shulchan Aruch—there was not a letter in the Torah he did not know by heart. He reviewed everything a thousand times. 'Happy is he who comes here [to the World of Truth] with his learning in his hand.' 'The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places! How have the mighty fallen... Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you... for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.' King David curses the mountains of Gilboa: How could you witness the passing of Saul? How did you not rise up? How was there no earthquake to swallow all the Philistines? Heavens be appalled! Heaven and earth are weeping! Heaven and earth are weeping! Over the great loss, a loss unlike any since the creation of the world. There has never been such a tzaddik, such a genius (gaon), such a holy one since the creation of the world. He is the spark of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. [The name] Chirari—for Rashbi said, 'Do not read it charut (engraved) on the tablets, but rather cherut (freedom).' For anyone who merits attending the funeral of a tzaddik has all their sins atoned. Whoever was at Sarah's funeral merited to live longer; Shem lived to 600 in the merit of being at Sarah's funeral. And Og lived another 400 years—from Sarah's funeral until the passing of Og is 400 years, until they entered the Land at the end of the 40th year. Anyone who now merits being at this holy funeral merits receiving a double portion (pi shnayim) of Rabbi Shimon Chirari and of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, as it is written [in Likutey Moharan], Torah 66: 'When he sees wise men die, he shall not see the pit.' A person can effect the resurrection of the dead; a person who was at a tzaddik's funeral can merit to live past 120, past 140, and like Isaac, past 180—everyone who was at the current funeral. Because the tzaddik has not passed away! In Torah 66, it is written that the tzaddik receives a double portion. When the soul ascends on high, it is not considered that he has passed away; rather, he receives double what he had until now. Everything that was hidden from him is revealed on the day of passing, like Rabbi Akiva: 'And every precious thing his eye saw.' This is the secret of the letter Shin of the Tefillin. 'The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.' We are within the seven days of Purim, for it is written in the Zohar (153) in Parashat Va'etchanan that all seven days continue the light of the holiday. On Pesach, the light continues for another 30 days, which is the secret of the 14th of Iyar [Pesach Sheni], but with every holiday, the seven days are within the holiday itself—both Purim and Shavuot. Just as there is a completion period for Shavuot, so too on Purim, it continues within Purim itself, when 'it was turned upside down,' 'they confirmed and accepted.' For Purim is the secret of the resurrection of the dead, when 'Rabbah arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira.' For Rabbi Zeira would enter the fire every 30 days. Rabbah said, 'That is not enough; entering the fire is not enough. I will slaughter you by the two signs [trachea and esophagus] and you will see that you will live.' Through the power of a tzaddik's funeral, even if one slaughters the two signs, it is possible to revive the other. Anyone participating in the funeral of this tzaddik will merit right now to see the light of the Geulah (Redemption), the light of Mashiach, the light of the resurrection of the dead, and will merit to serve like the High Priests in the Holy Temple that will be built speedily in our days, Amen.

May his soul be bound in the bundle of life (T.N.Z.B.H.), and may he advocate good on behalf of the entire Jewish people.