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Where is the grave of Mordechai and Esther – in Persia (Iran) or in the Land of Israel?
- The different traditions about their graves
- Rav Berland’s view on the subject
The burial location of Mordechai and Esther is commemorated by pilgrims and Jewish travelers in the city of Hamadan in Persia (today Iran) and even in several places in the Land of Israel; in the Upper Galilee in the forest near Kfar Baram, where to this day a grave marker is found. Additionally, their burial place being in Shomron, Awarta, Tzfat and Tiveria is mentioned, only that in these places there is no grave marker.
Pilgrims who bring their burial place as being in Hamadan, Persia
In the city of Hamadan, Persia (today Iran), there is an ancient and magnificent structure, and inside it are found two grave markers for Mordechai and Esther. This place is sanctified for prayer for around 850 years. The first traveler who mentions the place of the grave is Rabbi Binyamin of Tudela (Masa’ot Binyamin) in the year 4939 (1179 C.E.), and Rabbi Yaakov, the messenger of Rabbeinu Yechiel of Paris. After them, this place was known over the course of years until this very day. In the last month, our Rebbe, Rav Berland shlit”a said that the burial place of Mordechai and Esther is in Persia near Tehran.
In the year 5595 (1835), the “Chibat Yerushalayim” writes: “Behold, several kosher people that I know related to me that they were in the country of Persia and there is one city called Hamadan and there are Jews there; there is a house built with a dome and inside the house there are two grave markers of the graves of Mordechai and Esther. And every Purim they read the Megilah there and come from faraway lands to pray there.”
It should be noted that these three travelers also bring the place of the burial as Hamadan, and also in the Land of Israel in Baram (Masa’ot Binyamin also notes that there are those who say that their grave is in the Shomron).
According to those who hold that they are buried in Israel, where is it mentioned that they brought them up?
In the year 4975 (1215), Rabbi Menachem bar Peretz the Hevroni relates that he served as prayer leader in Hevron for around eight years: “And from there, I went to the land of Baram and saw a rock, and inside the rock the grave of Queen Esther who, in her lifetime, commanded her son Koresh to bring her up to there.”
“Gelilot Eretz Yisrael,” from the year 5384 (1624) writes: “Mordechai and Esther are buried in Baram. They brought them from the land of Eilam (Persia).” (the “Seder HaDorot” also brings this in his name).
Pilgrims who bring their burial place as being in Baram, Israel
In the depths of the forest next to the village of Baram, there is a large, ruined structure. In this place is marked the burial place of Mordechai and Esther. Already the first travelers who publicized the order of their travels for remembrance for generations for some 850 years – it should be noted that in most of the records of travelers, only the grave of Queen Esther is mentioned as being in Baram. The grave marker in Baram on their burial site was erected by students of our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a and with his encouragement.
Their place of burial in Baram is already mentioned from the year 4905 (1145) (Kivrey Avot), and afterwards in 4939 (Masa’ot Binyamin), 4970 (Rabbeinu Yehonatan of Luniel and his colleagues, 4975 (Rabbi Menachem bar Peretz, the Hevroni), 4995 (Rabbi Yaakov, messenger of Rabbeinu Yechiel of Paris), 5000 (students of the Ramban), 5060 (Seder Kivrey Avoteinu, manuscript), 5200 (manuscript, Moscow), 5203 (Rabbi Yitzchak ben Alfera), 5282 (Rabbi Moshe Baasula).
In the year 5297 (1537), “Yechus Avot” writes: “Kfar Baram… and there is the grave of Queen Esther, may peace be upon her, and it’s about a parsah and a half from Tzfat. On every Shushan Purim, a minyan walks from Tzfat to her grave and they read the Megilah there and eat, drink and rejoice there.”
And so her grave is mentioned in Baram in the years 5321 (Yechus HaTzadikim), 5384 (Gelilot Eretz Yisrael), 5386, 5460 (Seder HaDorot, 5494 (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Kafsuto), 5504 (Zichron Yerushalayim), 5529 (Yedei Moshe), 5595 (Chibat Yerushalayim, 5709 (Eden Tzion).
Pilgrims who bring their burial place as being in Awarta, Tzfat, and Tiveria in Israel
Awarta: Rabbi Yitzchak bar Musa. Tzfat: Rabbi Yosef of Montanaya. Tiveria: Rabbi Natan of Breslov (Yemei Moharnat, Section 2, 151, brings only Queen Esther as one opinion).
Stories from the travels of Breslovers to the grave of Mordechai and Esther in Baram
On 12 Av, 5760, a young Breslover came to our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a, and told him that a group of young man from our people purchased a grave marker in order to place it on the burial site of Mordechai and Esther in Kfar Baram. The Rav was very happy at the news and gave his blessing to the matter.
In the year 5771, a group of Breslovers traveled to the graves of Tzadikim, and when they reached the graves of Mordechai and Esther in Baram, the cellphone of one of them rang and on the line was the Rav shlit”a. He told the Rav where they were found, and when the Rav heard this, he rejoiced and told them to pray for him there and to say the Tikkun HaKlali for him. Of course, the prayer was already something else, with fiery enthusiasm and vitality.
