The 7th of Adar marks both the birth and death of Moshe Rabbeinu. Since no one knows the site of Moshe’s grave, the 7th of Adar has become a date of mass pilgrimage to the grave of Rashbi in Meron.
The special date is celebrated in Meron with a seudas hilulah, prayers and emotional dancing, as well as the upsherin for children who have reached the age of 3 then.
The 25th of Elul is the hilulah of Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rashbi, who is buried next to Rashbi in Meron. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rashbi, was one of the greatest Tanaa’im and the greatest student of his father, Rabbi Shimon, and is frequently praised in the Zohar.
Rabbi Eliezer was in hiding from the Romans with Rashbi in the secret cave for 13 years, studying Torah with him. His grave has also become a place of pilgrimage, and many have experienced yeshuos there. The special date is celebrated in Meron with a mass seudah and tefillos next to the holy tziyun.
Zos Chanukah is an auspicious time, on which the decree regarding a person which began on Rosh Hashanah, is sealed in Heaven.
This special date has become a day of mass pilgrimage to Rashbi’s grave in Meron, for tefillah and chessed, to sweeten the judgments in Heaven.
In recent decades, entire communities from all over Israel and the world have chosen to hold a Shabbos together – men, women, and children – close to Rashbi’s grave in Meron, b’tzeila demehemnusa.
An inseparable part of Shabbos in Meron are the joint seudos for the entire community, with exhilarating song, learning, and inspiring tefillos at the tziyun of Rashbi.
In recent years, there has been massive development of the entire area, and the construction of comfortable and inviting accommodations. Because of this, on most weeks of the year the facilities are occupied by various communities spending their Shabbos in Meron.
A list of the community Shabbosim in Meron according to the parshah:
Bereishis: Pinsk-Karlin
Lech Lecha: Hamasmidim
Vayeitze: Lelov
Vayeishev: Be’er Ha’Emunah, headed by Rav Elimelech Biederman
Vayechi: Tiferes Yerushalayim
Va’era: Sanz
Beshalach: Breslov
Hours of activity:
Sunday-Thursday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Shabbos – all Shabbos seudos