Yeshivat Nahar Shalom

A historic Kabbalistic yeshiva in the heart of Jerusalem, dedicated to Torah study, spiritual growth, and community support.

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Our Causes
  • Donate
  • Hebrew site
  • Shop

Contact

Yeshivat Nahar Shalom

6 Shilo Street (corner of Agrippas Street)

Jerusalem, Israel

For mail:

P.O. Box 1884

Jerusalem 9102701, Israel

02-622-2560 / 02-622-3001

Fax: 153-775001874

m6222560@gmail.com

Sun–Thu, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

© 2026 Yeshivat Nahar Shalom. All rights reserved.

Donations from the United States are received by Friends of Nahar Shalom Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 27-2007035), which supports Yeshivat Nahar Shalom in Jerusalem. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All ClassesDaily Mishnah
All LeafletsThe Weekly Treasure
All ArticlesMoadey IsraelSegulotEssaysWhat's NewThe Weekly Parasha
General DonationDedicate a Day of Torah LearningTikkun NiftarimHachzakat AvrechPidyon Nefesh
Contact the YeshivaAsk Our RabbanimRequest a Bracha
Donate
Yeshivat Nahar ShalomJerusalem
  • Donate
Pidyon Nefesh - A personal Pidyon Nefesh, for you and your loved ones, whenever you need it
Dedicate a Day of Torah Learning - Dedicate 24 hours of Torah learning at Yeshivat Nahar Shalom for blessing, healing, or success, or in loving memory of a loved one.

Currently Viewing

More in What's New

  • The Special Pidyon Nefesh on the Day of the Hilula of the Kabbalist, the Man of G-d, Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi

  • Shabbat Breishit in Meron, 5787 At [the site of] the man of G-d, the Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

    On Shabbat Breishit, a large public gathers in Meron from all over the country for a Holy Shabbat under the leadership of our teacher and rabbi, the Kabbalist Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, may he live for good and long days, Amen.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 23rd of Tishrei - Isru Chag

    As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai teaches: "Whoever makes a binding for the festival [Isrui Chag] through eating and drinking, Scripture accounts it to him as if he built an altar and offered a sacrifice, as it is said: 'Bind the festival offering with cords up to the horns of the altar.'"

  • The Holy Ark has been taken, Rabbi David Shalom Batzri

    With a broken and aching heart, we announce the passing of the righteous leader, unique in his generation in sanctity and his level of mourning over the Divine Presence and the entire Jewish people, who all his days was bound in a strong connection with Hashem, Blessed be He, and in His holy Torah

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 12th of Tishrei - Preparation for Sukkot

    Through these mathematical relationships, the word Sukkah directly hints at Noah’s Ark. Consequently, the Sukkah possesses that same protective spiritual force—expressed in the prayer "Spread over us the shelter of Your peace"—wherein a person is sheltered inside from all harsh external spiritual forces.

  • Ma'ot Ushpizin – Charity for the Poor on the Holiday of Sukkot

  • Invitation to the Simchat Beit HaShoeva Celebration at Nahar Shalom Yeshiva 16 Tishrei 5787 (Sept. 27, 2026)

    "He who has not seen the celebration of Simchat Beit Hashoeva has never seen celebration in his life"

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 11th of Tishrei

  • Pidyon Nefesh on Hoshana Rabbah

    Beating the Willow (Chavtat HaAravah) On Hoshana Rabbah, the Four Species are set aside, and the willows (aravot) alone are taken. Our Sages explain that the willow specifically—symbolizing one who possesses neither learning (taste) nor good deeds (scent)—demonstrates the power of every Jew to draw close, be included in the collective of Israel, and ask for heavenly salvation.

  • Not To Make A Mistake About The Task by Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva

    Says the Chafetz Chaim: The Holy One, Blessed be He, did not give the verse "Almighty G-d, merciful and gracious, slow to anger" just for you to read. Rather for you to do! So that you too will be gracious, you too will be merciful, you too will be slow to anger, you too will be abundant in loving-kindness! You need to do, not read! Why read? Do!

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 5th of Tishrei

    However, for transgressions between a person and their fellow human being, Yom Kippur does not atone. If a person shames or hurts another, no forgiveness is granted from Above until he personally approaches his neighbor and appeases him.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 4th of Tishrei

    The Gemara notes that since the destruction of the Holy Temple, an iron wall of sin separates us from Hashem. However, as the Rokeach explains, on the Sabbath all spiritual fog and accusers clear away. The worlds ascend, allowing prayer and Torah study to shine a thousand times brighter. Because the Sabbath represents the King's palace, desecrating it is akin to rebelling against the King inside His own home. If this is true of the Sabbath, it is doubly true of Yom Kippur—the "Sabbath of Sabbaths"—which resembles the World to Come. The Kabbalists and the Ari teach that a supreme light begins descending upon the world even on Erev Yom Kippur.

  • The power of a righteous person for every single individual

    And right now, the repentance of an individual person— it is like the repentance of an entire congregation; so, writes the Rambam (Maimonides). The Rambam writes that the repentance of an individual is accepted during the Ten Days of Repentance just as when a whole congregation stands and cries out. Just like when the greatest righteous man (tzaddik) stands and cries out. Right now, during the Ten Days of Repentance!

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 3rd of Tishrei and Remembering the Passing of Rabbi Ephraim Cohen

    Once, on a Sabbath eve, Rabbi Efraim was warned in a dream that the Chamin (Sabbath stew) prepared for his family contained non-kosher meat and that he should not consume it. Perplexed, Rabbi Efraim noted that he had purchased the meat from a scrupulously righteous butcher. Upon investigating, it was discovered that a woman had secretly purchased non-kosher fat from an outside vendor and added it to the pot to enhance the flavor. Heaven intervened directly to preserve his spiritual purity.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Preparing for the Day of Judgment through True Repentance and Chizuk for the 26th of Elul

    The Chatam Sofer explained that this represents people who fall into the trap of the evil inclination. In the month of Elul, instead of performing genuine soul-searching to clean their lives and escape their problems, they attempt to partake in spiritual "delicacies" while remaining in a musty, unrepentant state. A person cannot properly repent while leaving his spiritual home in such decay. The evil inclination entices people to stay put, which is why a person must engage in daily soul-searching, morning and evening, to truly return.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: The Day of the Creation of the World and Chizuk for the 25th of Elul

    It is critical on Rosh Hashanah to avoid anger. While anger is forbidden throughout the year, getting angry on Rosh Hashanah is particularly damaging. A person is judged according to his state at that precise moment (just as was stated regarding Ishmael, "where he is"). If a person worked on himself all year but exhibits anger on Rosh Hashanah, that moment negates his previous conduct. One must overcome the Evil Inclination on this day by avoiding anger, unnecessary speech, and all traces of sin.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: The Sanctity of Elul, the Days of Kindness, and the Legacy of the Chafetz Chaim and Chizuk for the 24th of Elul

    Regarding spiritual struggles, the Chafetz Chaim taught that a person must never despair or delay spiritual growth by waiting for a more convenient time. Commenting on the verse, "The place on which you stand is holy ground," he explained that a person must not say, "Right now the struggle is too difficult; I will wait for a better time or higher spiritual state." The exact place and circumstance in which a person currently finds himself is the holy ground where he must serve Hashem and succeed.

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 22nd of Elul

    They made an agreement, and he took it upon himself not to lie, but to speak only the truth. That was all. Then something miraculous happened. In the evening, his companions came and said to him, "Listen, we have targeted a wealthy person; we tracked him, and today there is a huge loot there. Come with us." He thought to himself and told them, "Listen, I pledged to speak only the truth. Now, if we get caught, I will have to reveal the truth, and all of you will be caught!" They said to him, "Get away from us immediately! Do not come with us." They asked, "Did you swear?" He said, "Yes, to speak only the truth."

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 21st of Elul

    Standing on the storm-tossed ship, the young man cried out his confession: "What is my sin? For two full years, I lied to my mother every day, telling her that I had already eaten at school so that she would give my portion of food to my younger brothers and sisters! For two years I lied to her! That is the sin I am confessing!"

  • Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: Chizuk for the 20th of Elul

    We see this explicitly with King Menasheh. Menasheh engaged in every severe idolatry imaginable. The Talmud (Sanhedrin) notes that he erected massive idols requiring a thousand men to hold, crushing many in the process, and he erased Divine Names from Torah scrolls to write the names of pagan deities. Yet when he was placed inside a copper cauldron by his captors to be burned, he called out in repentance. Although the ministering angels tried to block his prayers, the Holy One, blessed be He, dug a secret tunnel beneath His Throne of Glory to accept Menasheh's repentance, miraculously delivering him.

What's New

The Hilula of Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah, ZYA"A by Rabbi Shmueli, Shlit"a - 27 M. Av 5786 - Wonders and Miracles

By Yeshivat Nahar Shalom Staff•August 11, 2026
Chacham Yehuda FatiyahMiraculous Cures and Holy Namescommentary on the Idra Rabba and Idra ZutaStopping Rommel’s Advance (World War II)drank the cup of tears

Though the spiritual decree was annulled, danger still loomed. Chacham Fatiyah decided to perform a daring spiritual act: a flight of atonement (Kapparot) over the Land of Israel. Marko Cohen (the father of Rabbi Menachem Cohen, from the Greek Synagogue) paid for a British plane. The Kabbalists boarded the plane with Chacham Fatiyah and circled the borders of the Land. According to the Rabbi's instructions, they recited intense prayers and supplications, and even performed the ritual slaughter of roosters (Kapparot) inside the airplane!

Section 1: Torah Greatness and the Secret Commentary

Today marks the yahrzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah, peace be upon him. May his merit protect us, you, and all of Israel. Amen, Amen.

I told them yesterday: What was Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah like? First and foremost, he possessed an extraordinary knowledge of the Torah. He himself writes that during the First World War in 5674 (1914)—"when the earth trembled"—they were in Baghdad. Rabbi Yosef Chaim had already passed away, as had other great rabbis, and they didn't know what to do.

He relates that he was running all day from one righteous man to another with intense weeping and prayers, night and day. Then, messengers came to him from Heaven and instructed him:

"During the day go to prayers; at night sit and study."

That is precisely what he did. At night he studied, and during that period he authored a commentary on the Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta—and no one in the world knew about it!

Section 2: Aliyah to Jerusalem and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s Dream

When he reached the age of 45, (some time) before the Holocaust, he immigrated to the Land of Israel from Baghdad.

The day before he arrived, Rabbi Avraham Ades—a holy Kabbalist—met with Rabbi Ben-Zion Hazan, who was the Rabbi of the Iraqi community and the gabbai (administrator) of Yeshivat Porat Yosef in Jerusalem.

  • Rabbi Avraham Ades: "I want to ask you a question. Tomorrow a certain Rabbi is scheduled to arrive here, I don't know anything about him, they call him an Iraqi named Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah."
  • Rabbi Ben-Zion Hazan: "Exactly so! How do you know?"
  • Rabbi Avraham Ades: "It doesn't matter how. Tomorrow he will arrive, and I want to go visit him."
  • Rabbi Ben-Zion Hazan: "Nonsense, I will bring him to you!"
  • Rabbi Avraham Ades: "No, I want to go visit him."

The next day, Rabbi Avraham Ades went directly to Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah's home. Chacham Fatiyah said: "What... I would have come to your honor!"

Rabbi Ades replied: "Is it true that you have a work, Yein Rekach, on the Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta, where you explained everything and revealed great secrets?"

Chacham Fatiyah was amazed: "True, but no one in the world knows. How do you know?"

Rabbi Ades answered:

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) came to me in a dream! He said to me: 'Tell him, today Yehuda Fatiyah will come; tell him that I said it is good for him to publish it to the light.'"

Rabbi Ades offered: "I want to have the merit of giving you the money for the printing." But Chacham Fatiyah declined: "No! If so, it is my privilege. I am returning to Baghdad where I have money, and then I will return here to print it." And that is exactly what happened—he returned and printed it.

Section 3: Property in Jerusalem and the Burial Caves

Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri told me that Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah sent money to Jerusalem to purchase land. He paid a large sum for the entire Schneller area—owning the land even before it became the Schneller Compound.

However, he later backed out of the purchase and requested a different site. When asked why, he explained:

"I dreamed at night and saw Divine Names (Havayot) rising from the ground, and great lights coming out of the earth. It is not advisable to live there."

They sold the land back for him. Today, the Schneller Compound stands there, but underneath it all is a burial cave. My home is right opposite it; when they were digging, I saw that the entire subterranean area consists of burial caves—arches built over arches—upon which the modern buildings stand. He didn't just casually refuse it; he said: "I don't want it."!

Instead, Chacham Fatiyah bought a smaller building nearby in Mahane Yehuda, where the Minchat Yehuda synagogue stands, purchasing that entire surrounding area.

Section 4: Miraculous Cures and Holy Names

Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah lived near here. Rabbi Eliyahu Chamad told us that he came to Israel from Egypt as a youth and saw him. Other rabbis recall him as well—one rabbi mentioned playing ball as a child and accidentally throwing the ball into Chacham Fatiyah’s home!

1. The Young Man in the Egyptian Asylum

A family received word from Egypt that a relative had gone insane and was placed in an asylum. Hearing that a Kabbalist at Yeshivat Porat Yosef knew how to cure such afflictions, they came with Rabbi Eliyahu Chamad’s father to Chacham Fatiyah.

Chacham Fatiyah instructed: "Go buy me Mansouri cloth from the market." They brought a piece of cloth the size of a large handkerchief. The Rabbi tied its four corners, shaped it like a skullcap (kippah), whispered incantations over it, and instructed:

"Put it in an envelope, send it to Egypt, and tell them to place it on the insane person's head."

The moment they placed the cloth on his head in Egypt, he was completely cured!

2. Rabbi Yaakov Towfik’s Childhood Fear

Rabbi Towfik, one of the rabbis at Porat Yosef who passed away, told me himself that as a child he suffered from severe anxiety—he was terrified of riding the bus and afraid to sleep.

Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah said: "Yes, he is right to be afraid. I will write a Holy Name for him, and from today onward, he will not be afraid." He wrote the Holy Name, and from that day forward, the child felt no fear.

3. Ending Superstitions and Idolatrous Practices

Back then, when people had sick children, some would pour water for demons or offer food—practices forbidden by Torah law. Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah told the public:

"Anyone who abstains from doing this—let him come to me, and I will heal them completely! There is no need for this. I am the healer; do not go pouring water, for it is forbidden like idolatry!"

Section 5: The Story of Rabbi Yehuda Choresh’s Family

Yesterday, I mentioned the righteous Rabbi Yehuda Choresh. His father, Abu Shmael, was named Chacham Naji (his eldest son was Shmael/Shmuel).

  1. First Wife: Chacham Naji married a Baghdadi woman. A year later she became pregnant, gave birth to a daughter, and both the baby and the wife passed away.
  2. Second Wife (First Sister): Devastated, he went to Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah, who advised: "Take her sister, Farha!" They married, she became pregnant, but tragically died during childbirth along with the baby girl.
  3. Third Wife (Second Sister): Displaying boundless faith in the Rabbi, Chacham Naji returned to Chacham Fatiyah. The Rabbi told him: "Take the third sister! Take her, and now watch. I will write an amulet (kami'a) for her. Place it on her, and she will give birth to six sons and two daughters. On one condition: you must name the sixth son Yehuda!"

Ben Porat Yosef! Exactly as foretold, she gave birth to six sons and two daughters. The sixth son was named Yehuda after Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah. That is why he hosted this grand feast today, and why he will light the candle in honor of Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah!

Section 6: Stopping Rommel’s Advance (World War II)

Chacham Yehuda Fatiyah, peace be upon him, played a crucial spiritual role in stopping General Rommel's Nazi army in Egypt from advancing to the Land of Israel.

The Fast at Rachel's Tomb

Chacham Fatiyah organized a day of public fasting and prayer. He took the entire congregation to Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, where they wore sackcloth and put ashes on their heads.

It is related that Chacham Fatiyah filled a cup with his own tears, drank the cup of tears, and fainted. Upon reviving, he asked the people:

  • Chacham Fatiyah: "Did you see Matriarch Rachel?"
  • Congregation: "No."
  • Chacham Fatiyah: "I saw Rachel! She put on her garments and ascended above, and everything is alright. Let us leave—everything of the enemy's plans will fall!"

The Flight of Atonement (Kapparot)

Though the spiritual decree was annulled, danger still loomed. Chacham Fatiyah decided to perform a daring spiritual act: a flight of atonement (Kapparot) over the Land of Israel.

  • Marko Cohen (the father of Rabbi Menachem Cohen, from the Greek Synagogue) paid for a British plane.
  • The Kabbalists boarded the plane with Chacham Fatiyah and circled the borders of the Land.
  • According to the Rabbi's instructions, they recited intense prayers and supplications, and even performed the ritual slaughter of roosters (Kapparot) inside the airplane!

This event was documented in The Jerusalem Post on August 14, 1953, featuring an interview with the pilot, Wynn Van Loud (who was himself of Jewish descent). The pilot recalled wondering what was happening, not understanding what the Rabbi was doing inside the plane.

Three weeks after this flight, Rommel's forces retreated and were defeated, saving the Jewish people in Israel.

Section 7: Final Days and Spiritual Legacy

A few days after these events, at the age of 84, Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah passed away.

Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri’s Testimony

At the time, General Rommel—the Nazi commander—had reached Egypt. Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri was at Yeshivat Porat Yosef and announced to those present: "That's it, Rommel is gone."

They didn't believe him initially, saying: "What happened to you? Do you know what these Nazis are?!" But soon after, they saw he was right.

A non-Jewish observer who witnessed the intense prayers during that era remarked: "If people had performed such prayers over there in Europe, everything would have worked out."

The Soul of Adam and Kabbalistic Works

When asked if he was afraid of the immense spiritual dangers, Chacham Fatiyah explained that his soul's root originated from the eye of Adam (Adam HaRishon), giving him unique strength to handle such decrees with holiness.

What immense spiritual powers they possessed! Today, people continue to study his holy books. His commentaries on the Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta are incomparable—as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai attested, he encapsulated the entirety of Kabbalah (including the Etz Chaim and Sha'ar HaKavanot) within them.