Dozens of mispallalim arrived at the kever of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L in Yerushalayim on erev Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sara 5774 but were shocked to learn they were not permitted to approach the gadol hador’s kever. When some of the mispallalim insisted, they were threatened by security personnel with pepper spray.
Since the petira of Maran ZT”L, the flow of mispallalim at the kever has been steady and for reasons that remain a mystery at the time of this report, security personnel was stationed at the kever on erev Shabbos, instructed to prevent mispallalim from reaching the kever.
When dozens arrived before Shabbos, chareidim and non-chareidim alike, they were told by the security persons “If you try to get to the kever we will use pepper spray against you.” The mispallalim were at a loss, unable to understand why they were being prevented from davening at the kever before Shabbos.
The security personnel left the area at 17:00, about 20 minutes before candle lighting in Yerushalayim, and mispallalim entered and jumped the fence to get to the kever.
When asked to comment, sons of Maran told the press on motzei Shabbos that they had nothing to do with ordering security or distancing mispallalim from the kever.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Who paid they to be there?
I don’t know about the Minhag among Sefaradim, but the Minhag Ashkenaz is that one does not pray at a kever for the first 12 months, because everyone goes through Din by the Beis Din shel Maalah for the 1st 12 months and the niftar is busy and it is a Tirchah for him then.
Attention Comment # 2.
FYI: That Minhag does not generally apply to Kivrei-Tzaddikim.
I suspect that malchei shamayim will grant a waiver for Rav Yosef, Z’tl, from having to litigate his position with the Beis Din shel Maalah. I think that lawyers would call it “summary judgment an dismissal”.