“One who comes to purify himself, Heaven helps him” (Shabbos 104a). The idea of this dictum is that whenever a person looks to perform a mitzvah or when he travels along the road engrossed in study, although he is alone, he is joined by numerous souls [of the righteous]. Thus the Zohar relates (Bereishis, Introduction 5a):
Rabbi Elazar once went to visit his father-in-law Rabbi Yose ben Lakonya, accompanied by Rabbi Abba. Meanwhile another man loaded their donkeys and came after them. Rabbi Abba said, “Let us begin studying Torah, for it is time to prepare for the way.” So they began exchanging Torah insights. Then the fellow leading the donkeys revealed to them a number of esoteric Torah insights and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba came and kissed him, saying, “Who are you that you walk around with all this wisdom in your hand while leading the donkeys after us?” He answered, “My masters, do not ask me who I am. Let us just go along engaging in study.” And he continued revealing to them esoteric insights into the Torah. They said to him, “Who compelled you to come here and load donkeys?”… Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba rejoiced and wept, saying, “Go ride and we will lead the donkeys after you.” Then they said to him, “See here, you have not even told us your name nor where you home is located!” He said to them, “My home is in a good place. It is in a certain tower in which the Holy One Blessed is He resides along with a certain poor man (an allusion to the Moshiach who is called “A poor man riding upon a donkey”). This is my home. But I went up from that place and now I am loading donkeys.
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba wept and kissed him and then went on, while he continued revealing to them additional insights. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba fell upon their faces and when they arose they no longer saw the man. They look in every direction but did not see him. They sat and wept and were unable to speak to one another for a long time. Finally Rabbi Abba said, “Surely this is an illustration of what we learned, that whenever the righteous travel along the road speaking words of Torah, tzaddikim come to them from the upper world. Surely this was Rabbi Hamnuna the Elder who came to us from that world to reveal to us these things and afterwards he disappeared from our sight.
From here we have a proof that the souls of the righteous join with those involved in the performance of a mitzvah or in Torah study. It is worth remembering that every meritorious reflection or thought has the effect of eliciting holy illumination from On High. But meritorious speech, such as engaging in study while on the road, has an even great effect. It even brings benefit to banished souls. Some of these souls are banished to such an extent that they are reincarnated in the form of vegetation or the fruits of the earth and the trees. When a person recites a blessing over that fruit or engages in study, those souls are clothed in his meritorious words and in this way they are released from the cycle of reincarnation.
Another principle to be derived from the passage from the Zohar is the importance of clinging to scholars and accompanying them along the way to listen to their words of Torah, for the Shechinah dwells among the upright while they are alive and even after their deaths. Thus we see that in earlier generations people were very concerned about the site in which they would be buried. Yaakov Avinu, for example, instructed, “And I will lie with my father and you shall bury me in their burial place” (Bereishis 47:30). The reason for this is that the souls of the dead hover over their graves and are taught each night esoteric insights from the Heavenly yeshiva. Seifer Chassidim (705) relates an incident involving a certain tzaddik who was buried among the wicked. Every night he would appear to his friends and relations, crying out to them in a tearful voice and begging to be moved from there. He explained that because he was buried among the wicked the Heavenly yeshiva refused to reveal to him any secrets of the Torah. As a result his soul was becoming increasingly desiccated until no moisture remained. He gave his relatives no rest until at last they were forced to exhume him from his grave and bury him elsewhere.
This was why the pious of earlier generations in Eretz Yisroel were accustomed to purchase a plot in the cemetery during their lifetimes, in the vicinity of individuals whom they knew to be righteous. They would then come to that spot from time to time to pray and to recite a few words of Torah and make a pledge of charity. In this way they purified and sanctified the spot, preparing it to serve as their grave. The sanctity with which they imbued it also prevented the Sitra Achra from being able to approach them after their deaths. Another illustrative account in this same vein is that of the pious Rabbi Amram.*The following story is not in the original Kav HaYashar. It appears in the Yiddish version, and is cited in M’orei HaEish, a commentary on Kav HaYashar.
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Rabbi Amram was originally from Maintz, a large city on the Rhine. At some point Rabbi Amram left Maintz to help strengthen the yeshiva of Cologne. When he was very old he instructed his students that after his death they should bury him in the cemetery of Maintz where his fathers were buried, next to the grave of Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid.
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His students replied that such an undertaking would involve great danger and risk. Therefore, Rabbi Amram said to them, “Just purify me and place my body in a coffin along with a letter stating that the deceased was the great Rabbi Amram.” Afterwards they were to place the coffin upon a small raft on the river and allow it to drift on its own.
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Upon his death the students fulfilled their master’s request, placing his body on a pram on the river. The boat immediately began drifting with the current until it came to the vicinity of the city of Maintz, whereupon it stopped still in the water. This sight astonished the townspeople, who informed the lord mayor. The lord mayor commanded some boatman to go out and fetch the pram and bring it in. But when the sailors reached the boat with the coffin it lurched backward so that they were unable to grab hold of it.
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The lord mayor then told his servants that it appeared that the boat contained the body of a Jew wishing to be buried in their country, so he commanded that some Jews be summoned to fetch it. When the Jews reached the bank of the river the boat immediately began to draw nearer. They opened the coffin and found the letter that had been placed there by Rabbi Amram’s students. However, in it they found written the following message:
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My brothers and friends of the holy community of Maintz,
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Know that I have come to you because I have passed from this world in the city of Cologne. I request of you that you bury me alongside my fathers in the city of Maintz. May all of you be blessed with life and peace. Thus says, Amram
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When the Jews from the town saw this letter they unloaded the coffin from the boat, intending to bury him in his family plot as per his instructions. However, the lord mayor instructed his servants not to allow the Jews to take the corpse to burial. Instead all the non-Jewish residents of the town gathered to take the body away from the Jewish community by force and they posted guards to prevent any Jews from coming near the coffin. Afterwards they built over it an edifice for their own false worship, which is called to this day, “the House of Rabbi Amram.”
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When the Jews saw this they were filled with sorrow and expended lavish sums in attempts to retrieve the coffin. But their efforts were in vain and at last they knew of no further avenues to try. Every night Rabbi Amram would appear to a number of his disciples and plead, “Take out me of here and bury me with my fathers!”
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So the disciples took counsel together and went out of the city limits that night to the place where a thief had recently been hung. They took down his body and wrapped it in burial garments. Then they secreted out the body of the pious Rabbi Amram and replaced it with the body of the thief. Meanwhile Providence caused a deep sleep to fall upon the guards so that they did not notice a thing.
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At last Rabbi Amram was buried with his fathers. Hashem was with them and nothing was known of the matter to the people of the town until this day. (Until here is taken from the Yiddish version.)
If it is true that the place of a person’s burial is so important after his death, as illustrated by the accounts above, consider how important it must be that a person situate himself among good company while he is alive. Thus in former times it was the custom of the men of Jerusalem that they would refuse to sit either in a court or at a feast until they knew with whom they would be sitting (Sanhedrin 24a). For the celebrations of frivolous people lead to many evils such as tale-bearing and mockery, especially among the gluttonous and intoxicated.
A person should also recite this prayer: “May it be Your will to save me this day from an evil person, from evil happenstance and from an evil companion.” This is in order that he will not join with the wicked or with sinners or with groups of the treacherous, who gather to engage in bickering and quarreling. Their mouths are sharp swords and their curses, insults and blasphemies are like hot coals. The fire of Gehinnom burns within them enflaming their quarrels and contentions. Their thoughts are entirely for evil, even when they are in shul. They are filled with deceit, inventing pretexts against the upright who adhere to Hashem’s ways, in order to do them harm. Woe to them and woe to their souls! For the day will come suddenly when the wheel will turn against them and Heaven’s judgements will overwhelm them, stripping them of all their possessions. They will become objects of contempt and disgrace but no one will have pity upon them because of Heaven’s harsh decree. Let those who fear Hashem and who tremble at His word distance themselves from such people and from their gatherings and their tumult. Let the upright not heed their advice nor accompany them and certainly not join with them. Instead let them cling to love of Hashem and to the God-fearing and to those who tremble at His word. From such individuals they can learn the path of life. Concerning this was it written, “And as for you who cling to Hashem your God, you are all alive this day” (Devarim 4:4).
הַבָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין אוֹתוֹ (שַׁבָּת קד, א). הָעִנְיָן הוּא, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם הוֹלֵךְ לְהַמְצִיא אֵיזֶה מִצְוָה לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ, אוֹ כְּשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, אַף שֶׁהוּא יְחִידִי, אֲזַי אֵיזֶה נְשָׁמוֹת מִתְחַבְּרִים עִמּוֹ, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּזֹהַר בְּרֵאשִׁית (בָּהַקְדָּמָה, דַּף ה, א):
“One who comes to purify himself, Heaven helps him” (Shabbos 104a). The idea of this dictum is that whenever a person looks to perform a mitzvah or when he travels along the road engrossed in study, although he is alone, he is joined by numerous souls [of the righteous]. Thus the Zohar relates (Bereishis, Introduction 5a):
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזֵיל לְמֶחְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן לָקוֹנְיָא, חֲמוֹי דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְרַבִּי אַבָּא בַּהֲדֵי, וַהֲוָה טָעִין חַד גַּבְרָא אַבַּתְרַיְהוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: נִפְתַּח פִּתְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, דְּהָא שַׁעְתָּא וְעִדָּנָא הוּא לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא בְּאוֹרְחִין. וּפָתְחוּ פִּיהֶם בְּחִדּוּשֵׁי תּוֹרָה, וְהַהוּא גַּבְרָא טָעִין אַבַּתְרַיְהוּ, וְגִלָּה לָהֶם כַּמָּה רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא. אָתוּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ לֵיהּ, וַאֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: מָאן אַנְתְּ דְּאָזִיל וְכָל חָכְמְתָא דָּא אִית תְּחוֹת יָדְךָ, וְאַתְּ טָעִין אַבַּתְרָן? וְהֵשִׁיב לָהֶן: רַבּוֹתַי, לָא תִּשְׁאֲלוּן לִי מָאן אֲנָא, אֶלָּא נֵזֵיל וְנִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְתָא. וְגִלָּה לְהוּ סוֹדוֹת וְרָזִין. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: מָאן יָהִיב לְךָ לְמֵיזַל הָכָא וּלְמֶהֱוֵי טָעִין בְּחַמְרֵי וְכוּ' חֲדוּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וּבָכוּ וַאֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: זִיל רָכִיב, וַאֲנָא נִטְעֹן אַבַּתְרָךְ. אָמַר לְהוּ: פְּקֻדָּא דְּמַלְכָּא אִיהוּ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: הָא שְׁמָךְ לָא אָמַרְתְּ לָן, אֲתָר בֵּית מוֹתְבָךְ מַאי אִיהוּ? אָמַר לְהוֹן: אֲתָר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי הוּא טָב, וְאִיהוּ מִגְדַּל הַר, שֶׁדָּר בְּהַהוּא מִגְדְּלָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְחַד מִסְכֵּנָא (רָצָה לוֹמַר: הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמָשִׁיחַ, שֶׁנִּקְרָא "עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל הַחֲמוֹר"), וְדָא הוּא אֲתָר בֵּית מוֹתְבִי, וּסְלֵיקְנָא מִתַּמָּן, וַאֲנָא טָעִין חַמְרָא.
Rabbi Elazar once went to visit his father-in-law Rabbi Yose ben Lakonya, accompanied by Rabbi Abba. Meanwhile another man loaded their donkeys and came after them. Rabbi Abba said, “Let us begin studying Torah, for it is time to prepare for the way.” So they began exchanging Torah insights. Then the fellow leading the donkeys revealed to them a number of esoteric Torah insights and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba came and kissed him, saying, “Who are you that you walk around with all this wisdom in your hand while leading the donkeys after us?” He answered, “My masters, do not ask me who I am. Let us just go along engaging in study.” And he continued revealing to them esoteric insights into the Torah. They said to him, “Who compelled you to come here and load donkeys?”… Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba rejoiced and wept, saying, “Go ride and we will lead the donkeys after you.” Then they said to him, “See here, you have not even told us your name nor where you home is located!” He said to them, “My home is in a good place. It is in a certain tower in which the Holy One Blessed is He resides along with a certain poor man (an allusion to the Moshiach who is called “A poor man riding upon a donkey”). This is my home. But I went up from that place and now I am loading donkeys.
בָּכוּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ וְאָזְלוּ, וְגִלָּה לָהֶם עוֹד סוֹדוֹת, עַיֵּן שֵׁם בַּזֹּהַר (דַּף ו, א — ז, א), וְנָפְלוּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי אַבָּא עַל פְּנֵיהֶם. אַדְּהָכֵי וְהָכֵי לָא חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְהַאי גַּבְרָא, וְאִסְתַּכְּלוּ לְכָל סִטְרִין, וְלָא חָמוּ לֵיהּ. יָתְבוּ וּבָכוּ וְלָא יָכְלוּ לְמַלָּלָא דָּא לְדָא שַׁעְתָּא חֲדָא. לְבָתַר הָכֵי אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: וַדַּאי הָא דְּתָנִינָן דְּכָל אוֹרְחָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אָזְלִין וּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְתָא בֵּינַיְהוּ, אָז צַדִּיקִים אַתְיָן מֵעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן לְגַבַּיְהוּ, וַדַּאי דָּא הוּא רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, דְּאָתָא לְגַבָּן מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא לְגַלַּאי לָן מִלִּין אִלֵּין, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אִתְכַּסֵּי מִנָּן. עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba wept and kissed him and then went on, while he continued revealing to them additional insights. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba fell upon their faces and when they arose they no longer saw the man. They look in every direction but did not see him. They sat and wept and were unable to speak to one another for a long time. Finally Rabbi Abba said, “Surely this is an illustration of what we learned, that whenever the righteous travel along the road speaking words of Torah, tzaddikim come to them from the upper world. Surely this was Rabbi Hamnuna the Elder who came to us from that world to reveal to us these things and afterwards he disappeared from our sight.
אִם כֵּן הָא רְאָיָה, שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מִתְחַבְּרִין לְעוֹשֵׂי מִצְוָה וְעוֹסְקֵי בַּתּוֹרָה. וּכְלָל זֶה נְקֹט בְּיָדְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הִרְהוּר טוֹב וּמַחְשָׁבָה טוֹבָה עוֹשֶׂה פְּעֻלָּה לְעוֹרֵר עָלָיו הֶאָרַת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּדִבּוּר פֶּה טוֹב, כְּגוֹן הַהוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, אָז יֵשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת לְהַנְּשָׁמוֹת הַנִּדָּחוֹת, כִּי יֵשׁ נְשָׁמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֵן נִדָּחִים, וּמִתְגַּלְגְּלִין וּמִתְדַבְּקִין בַּעֲשָׂבִים וּבְפֵרוֹת הָאָרֶץ וּבְפֵרוֹת הָאִילָן, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָאָדָם מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַפְּרִי אוֹ עוֹסֵק בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּרוֹ הַטּוֹב, הַנְּשָׁמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ מִתְלַבְּשׁוֹת בָּהֶן, וְיוֹצְאִים מִמַּאֲסַר הַגִּלְגּוּל.
From here we have a proof that the souls of the righteous join with those involved in the performance of a mitzvah or in Torah study. It is worth remembering that every meritorious reflection or thought has the effect of eliciting holy illumination from On High. But meritorious speech, such as engaging in study while on the road, has an even great effect. It even brings benefit to banished souls. Some of these souls are banished to such an extent that they are reincarnated in the form of vegetation or the fruits of the earth and the trees. When a person recites a blessing over that fruit or engages in study, those souls are clothed in his meritorious words and in this way they are released from the cycle of reincarnation.
וְגַם יֵשׁ לִלְמֹד מֵהַזֹּהַר הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, כִּי גָּדוֹל הוּא מִצְוַת הִתְחַבְּרוּת תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, לְהִתְלַוּוֹת עִמָּהֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְלִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה מִפִּיהֶם, כִּי שְׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה בֵּין אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶן וּלְאַחַר מִיתָתָן. וּכְבָר מָצִינוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ מַקְפִּידִים בִּקְבוּרָתָם, אֵיזֶה מָקוֹם יִהְיֶה מְקוֹם מְנוּחָתָם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם (בְּרֵאשִׁית מז, ל): "וְשָׁכַבְתִּי עִם אֲבוֹתַי וּקְבַרְתַּנִי בִּקְבוּרָתָם". וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם מְעוֹפְפִים עַל הַקֶּבֶר, וּבְכָל לַיְלָה מוֹדִיעִין רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא לְהַנְּפָשׁוֹת מִלְּמַעְלָה, מִישִׁיבָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה. וְאִיתָא בְּ"סֵפֶר חֲסִידִים" (סִימָן תשה), בְּצַדִּיק אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה קָבוּר בֵּין אֲנָשִׁים רְשָׁעִים, וְהָיָה בָּא בְּכָל לַיְלָה בַּחֲלוֹם לְאוֹהֲבָיו וּקְרוֹבָיו, וְצָעַק לָהֶם בְּקוֹל בֶּכִי שֶׁיּוֹצִיאוּהוּ מִשָּׁם. וְאָמַר אוֹתוֹ הַצַּדִּיק טַעַם לָזֶה, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתָיו הֵן רְשָׁעִים, מוֹנְעִים מִלְּהוֹדִיעַ לוֹ סוֹדֵי הַתּוֹרָה, וְנַפְשׁוֹ יְבֵשָׁה בִּלְתִּי לַחְלוּחִית. וְלֹא הָיָה לִקְרוֹבָיו מְנוּחָה מִמֶּנּוּ, עַד שֶׁהֻכְרְחוּ לְהוֹצִיא אוֹתוֹ מִן אוֹתוֹ הַקֶּבֶר וְלִקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
Another principle to be derived from the passage from the Zohar is the importance of clinging to scholars and accompanying them along the way to listen to their words of Torah, for the Shechinah dwells among the upright while they are alive and even after their deaths. Thus we see that in earlier generations people were very concerned about the site in which they would be buried. Yaakov Avinu, for example, instructed, “And I will lie with my father and you shall bury me in their burial place” (Bereishis 47:30). The reason for this is that the souls of the dead hover over their graves and are taught each night esoteric insights from the Heavenly yeshiva. Seifer Chassidim (705) relates an incident involving a certain tzaddik who was buried among the wicked. Every night he would appear to his friends and relations, crying out to them in a tearful voice and begging to be moved from there. He explained that because he was buried among the wicked the Heavenly yeshiva refused to reveal to him any secrets of the Torah. As a result his soul was becoming increasingly desiccated until no moisture remained. He gave his relatives no rest until at last they were forced to exhume him from his grave and bury him elsewhere.
וְעַל כֵּן הַחֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ נוֹהֲגִין לִקְנוֹת לָהֶם קֶבֶר בְּבֵית הַחַיִּים, בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּחַיִּים חַיֵּיהוֹן, אֵצֶל אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים הַיְדוּעִים לָהֶם שֶׁהָיוּ צַדִּיקִים. וְגַם הָיוּ נוֹהֲגִין, שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְפַּלְּלִין שָׁם בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם, וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים עָלָיו קְצָת דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, וְהָיוּ נוֹדְרִין שָׁם לִתֵּן צְדָקָה, וּבָזֶה הָיוּ מְטַהֲרִין וּמְקַדְּשִׁין הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁהָיָה מוּכָן לָהֶם שָׁם לְהִקָּבֵר. וּמֵחֲמַת קְדֻשָּׁה הַהִיא הָיוּ גּוֹרְמִין שֶׁלֹּא לְהִתְקָרֵב הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא אַחַר מוֹתָם שָׁם. וְגַם מָצִינוּ בֶּחָסִיד רַבִּי עַמְרָם, כִּדְאִיתָא כָּאן בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז (וְהוּבָא בְּמַעֲשֶׂה בּוּךְ. עַיֵּן שָׁם).
This was why the pious of earlier generations in Eretz Yisroel were accustomed to purchase a plot in the cemetery during their lifetimes, in the vicinity of individuals whom they knew to be righteous. They would then come to that spot from time to time to pray and to recite a few words of Torah and make a pledge of charity. In this way they purified and sanctified the spot, preparing it to serve as their grave. The sanctity with which they imbued it also prevented the Sitra Achra from being able to approach them after their deaths. Another illustrative account in this same vein is that of the pious Rabbi Amram.*The following story is not in the original Kav HaYashar. It appears in the Yiddish version, and is cited in M’orei HaEish, a commentary on Kav HaYashar.
Rabbi Amram was originally from Maintz, a large city on the Rhine. At some point Rabbi Amram left Maintz to help strengthen the yeshiva of Cologne. When he was very old he instructed his students that after his death they should bury him in the cemetery of Maintz where his fathers were buried, next to the grave of Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid.
His students replied that such an undertaking would involve great danger and risk. Therefore, Rabbi Amram said to them, “Just purify me and place my body in a coffin along with a letter stating that the deceased was the great Rabbi Amram.” Afterwards they were to place the coffin upon a small raft on the river and allow it to drift on its own.
Upon his death the students fulfilled their master’s request, placing his body on a pram on the river. The boat immediately began drifting with the current until it came to the vicinity of the city of Maintz, whereupon it stopped still in the water. This sight astonished the townspeople, who informed the lord mayor. The lord mayor commanded some boatman to go out and fetch the pram and bring it in. But when the sailors reached the boat with the coffin it lurched backward so that they were unable to grab hold of it.
The lord mayor then told his servants that it appeared that the boat contained the body of a Jew wishing to be buried in their country, so he commanded that some Jews be summoned to fetch it. When the Jews reached the bank of the river the boat immediately began to draw nearer. They opened the coffin and found the letter that had been placed there by Rabbi Amram’s students. However, in it they found written the following message:
My brothers and friends of the holy community of Maintz,
Know that I have come to you because I have passed from this world in the city of Cologne. I request of you that you bury me alongside my fathers in the city of Maintz.
May all of you be blessed with life and peace.
Thus says,
Amram
When the Jews from the town saw this letter they unloaded the coffin from the boat, intending to bury him in his family plot as per his instructions. However, the lord mayor instructed his servants not to allow the Jews to take the corpse to burial. Instead all the non-Jewish residents of the town gathered to take the body away from the Jewish community by force and they posted guards to prevent any Jews from coming near the coffin. Afterwards they built over it an edifice for their own false worship, which is called to this day, “the House of Rabbi Amram.”
When the Jews saw this they were filled with sorrow and expended lavish sums in attempts to retrieve the coffin. But their efforts were in vain and at last they knew of no further avenues to try. Every night Rabbi Amram would appear to a number of his disciples and plead, “Take out me of here and bury me with my fathers!”
So the disciples took counsel together and went out of the city limits that night to the place where a thief had recently been hung. They took down his body and wrapped it in burial garments. Then they secreted out the body of the pious Rabbi Amram and replaced it with the body of the thief. Meanwhile Providence caused a deep sleep to fall upon the guards so that they did not notice a thing.
At last Rabbi Amram was buried with his fathers. Hashem was with them and nothing was known of the matter to the people of the town until this day. (Until here is taken from the Yiddish version.)
וְזֶהוּ רְאָיָה אִם יֵשׁ קְפֵדָא אֶל הָאָדָם לְאַחַר מִיתָתוֹ בְּמָקוֹם חֲנָיָתוֹ וּשְׁכוּנָתוֹ, קַל וָחֹמֶר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּחַיִּים חַיּוּתוֹ בַּחֲבוּרָה טוֹבָה, כְּמִנְהַג אַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (סַנְהֶדְרִין כד, א), שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בְּדִין וּבִסְעֻדָּה, עַד שֶׁיָּדְעוּ מִי מֵסֵב עִמָּהֶם, כִּי הַרְבֵּה רָעוֹת נִמְשְׁכוּ בִּמְסִבַּת הַקַּלִּים, כִּי שָׁם הֵם מְדַבְּרִים רְכִילוּת וְלֵיצָנוּת, וּבִפְרָט בֵּין זוֹלְלִים וְסוֹבְאִים אֲשֶׁר אֵינָם הֲגוּנִים.
If it is true that the place of a person’s burial is so important after his death, as illustrated by the accounts above, consider how important it must be that a person situate himself among good company while he is alive. Thus in former times it was the custom of the men of Jerusalem that they would refuse to sit either in a court or at a feast until they knew with whom they would be sitting (Sanhedrin 24a). For the celebrations of frivolous people lead to many evils such as tale-bearing and mockery, especially among the gluttonous and intoxicated.
וְיֹאמַר: "יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתַּצִּילֵנִי הַיּוֹם מֵאָדָם רָע וּמִפֶּגַע רָע וּמֵחָבֵר רָע", כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לְהִשְׁתַּתֵּף עִם אֲנָשִׁים רָעִים וּמֵחֶבְרַת קֶשֶׁר בּוֹגְדִים, הַמִּתְחַבְּרִים יַחַד לֵילֵךְ בְּדִבְרֵי רִיבוֹת וּקְטָטוֹת, וְהֵמָּה מְלֵאִים חֲרָבוֹת חִצִּים שְׁנוּנִים וְגַחֲלֵי רְתָמִים, בִּקְלָלוֹת וַחֲרָפוֹת וְגִדּוּפִים, וְאֵשׁ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם בּוֹעֵר בְּקִרְבָּם לְחַרְחֵר רִיב וּמָדוֹן, וְכָל מַחְשְׁבוֹתָם הוּא לְרַע, וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, הֵם מְלֵאִים מִרְמָה עַל אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים הַהוֹלְכִים בְּדַרְכֵי ה', אֵיךְ לְהַמְצִיא טַצְדְּקָאוֹת וְתַחְבּוּלוֹת לְהָרַע לָהֶם. אוֹי לָהֶם וּלְנַפְשׁוֹתָם, כִּי פִּתְאֹם יָבוֹא יוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֵהָפֵךְ עָלָיו הַגַּלְגַּל, וְהַדִּינִים יִתְגַּבְּרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶם, וְיִהְיוּ לְבוּז וְלִכְלִמָּה, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ חוֹנֵן וְחוֹמֵל בַּעֲבוּר גְּזֵרוֹת רָעוֹת מֵה' יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְהַיָּרֵא וְהֶחָרֵד לִדְבַר ה', יִרְחַק מֵהֶם וּמֵאֲסֵפָתָן וּמִקּוֹל הֲמוֹנָם, וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל עֲצָתָם, וְלֹא יֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁלֹּא לִדְבֹּק עִמָּהֶם, רַק יִרְאֶה לִדְבֹּק בְּאַהֲבַת ה' וְלִדְבֹּק בַּאֲנָשִׁים יְרֵאִים וַחֲרֵדִים לִדְבַר ה', אֲשֶׁר מֵהֶם יִלְמְדוּ דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים, וַעֲלֵיהֶם נֶאֱמַר (דְּבָרִים ד, דֹ): "וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם".
A person should also recite this prayer: “May it be Your will to save me this day from an evil person, from evil happenstance and from an evil companion.” This is in order that he will not join with the wicked or with sinners or with groups of the treacherous, who gather to engage in bickering and quarreling. Their mouths are sharp swords and their curses, insults and blasphemies are like hot coals. The fire of Gehinnom burns within them enflaming their quarrels and contentions. Their thoughts are entirely for evil, even when they are in shul. They are filled with deceit, inventing pretexts against the upright who adhere to Hashem’s ways, in order to do them harm. Woe to them and woe to their souls! For the day will come suddenly when the wheel will turn against them and Heaven’s judgements will overwhelm them, stripping them of all their possessions. They will become objects of contempt and disgrace but no one will have pity upon them because of Heaven’s harsh decree. Let those who fear Hashem and who tremble at His word distance themselves from such people and from their gatherings and their tumult. Let the upright not heed their advice nor accompany them and certainly not join with them. Instead let them cling to love of Hashem and to the God-fearing and to those who tremble at His word. From such individuals they can learn the path of life. Concerning this was it written, “And as for you who cling to Hashem your God, you are all alive this day” (Devarim 4:4).