Rock on Akiva!

ByMordechai Lewis

ויקרא י״ט:י״ח

(יח) וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יקוק׃

Leviticus 19:18

(18) Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD.

רש"י על ויקרא י״ט:י״ח:ב׳

ואהבת לרעך כמוך. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה (ספרא):

Rashi on Leviticus 19:18:2

ואהבת לרעך כמוך THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS THYSELF —Rabbi Akiba said: “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 12; Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:3).

When entering any profession, one doesn’t get promoted automatically to a new position. He needs to work hard to get it.
If that’s the case, how did Rebbe Akiva earn the title of tanna, which means teacher?

כתובות ס״ב ב:ט״ו-ס״ג א:א׳

ר"ע רעיא דבן כלבא שבוע הוה חזיתיה ברתיה דהוה צניע ומעלי אמרה ליה אי מקדשנא לך אזלת לבי רב אמר לה אין איקדשא ליה בצינעה ושדרתיה שמע אבוה אפקה מביתיה אדרה הנאה מנכסיה אזיל יתיב תרי סרי שנין בבי רב כי אתא אייתי בהדיה תרי סרי אלפי תלמידי שמעיה לההוא סבא דקאמר לה עד כמה קא מדברת אלמנות חיים אמרה ליה אי לדידי ציית יתיב תרי סרי שני אחריני אמר ברשות קא עבידנא הדר אזיל ויתיב תרי סרי שני אחריני בבי רב כי אתא אייתי בהדיה עשרין וארבעה אלפי תלמידי שמעה דביתהו הות קא נפקא לאפיה אמרו לה שיבבתא שאילי מאני לבוש ואיכסאי אמרה להו (משלי יב, י) יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו כי מטיא לגביה נפלה על אפה קא מנשקא ליה לכרעיה הוו קא מדחפי לה שמעיה אמר להו שבקוה שלי ושלכם שלה הוא

Ketubot 62b:15-63a:1

The Gemara further relates: Rabbi Akiva was the shepherd of ben Kalba Savua, one of the wealthy residents of Jerusalem. The daughter of Ben Kalba Savua saw that he was humble and refined. She said to him: If I betroth myself to you, will you go to the study hall to learn Torah? He said to her: Yes. She became betrothed to him privately and sent him off to study. Her father heard this and became angry. He removed her from his house and took a vow prohibiting her from benefiting from his property. Rabbi Akiva went and sat for twelve years in the study hall. When he came back to his house he brought twelve thousand students with him, and as he approached he heard an old man saying to his wife: For how long will you lead the life of a widow of a living man, living alone while your husband is in another place? She said to him: If he would listen to me, he would sit and study for another twelve years. When Rabbi Akiva heard this he said: I have permission to do this. He went back and sat for another twelve years in the study hall. When he came back he brought twenty-four thousand students with him. His wife heard and went out toward him to greet him. Her neighbors said: Borrow some clothes and wear them, as your current apparel is not appropriate to meet an important person. She said to them: “A righteous man understands the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10). When she came to him she fell on her face and kissed his feet. His attendants pushed her away as they did not know who she was, and he said to them: Leave her alone, as my Torah knowledge and yours is actually hers.

נדרים נ׳ א:ב׳-ה׳

ר' עקיבא איתקדשת ליה ברתיה (דבר) דכלבא שבוע שמע (בר) כלבא שבוע אדרה הנאה מכל נכסיה אזלא ואיתנסיבה ליה בסיתוא הוה גנו בי תיבנא הוה קא מנקיט ליה תיבנא מן מזייה אמר לה אי הואי לי רמינא ליך ירושלים דדהבא אתא אליהו אידמי להון כאנשא וקא קרי אבבא אמר להו הבו לי פורתא דתיבנא דילדת אתתי ולית לי מידעם לאגונה אמר לה ר' עקיבא לאנתתיה חזי גברא דאפילו תיבנא לא אית ליה אמרה ליה זיל הוי בי רב אזל תרתי סרי שנין קמי דר' אליעזר ור' יהושע למישלם תרתי סרי שנין קא אתא לביתיה שמע מן אחורי ביתיה דקאמר לה חד רשע לדביתהו שפיר עביד ליך אבוך חדא דלא דמי ליך ועוד [שבקך] ארמלות חיות כולהון שנין אמרה ליה אי צאית לדילי ליהוי תרתי סרי שנין אחרנייתא אמר הואיל ויהבת לי רשותא איהדר לאחורי הדר אזל הוה תרתי סרי שני אחרנייתא אתא בעשרין וארבעה אלפין זוגי תלמידי נפוק כולי עלמא לאפיה ואף היא קמת למיפק לאפיה אמר לה ההוא רשיעא ואת להיכא אמרה ליה (משלי יב, י) יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו אתת לאיתחזויי ליה קא מדחן לה רבנן אמר להון הניחו לה שלי ושלכם שלה הוא שמע (בר) כלבא שבוע אתא ואיתשיל על נידריה ואשתריי ואשתרי

Nedarim 50a:2-5

§ In connection to the above incident concerning the poverty of scholars and their potential to become wealthy through remarkable circumstances, the Gemara relates an incident: Rabbi Akiva became betrothed to the daughter of bar Kalba Savua. When bar Kalba Savua heard about their betrothal, he took a vow prohibiting her from eating all of his property. Despite this, she went ahead and married Rabbi Akiva. In the winter they would sleep in a storehouse of straw, and Rabbi Akiva would gather strands of straw from her hair. He said to her: If I had the means I would place on your head a Jerusalem of Gold, a type of crown. Elijah the prophet came and appeared to them as a regular person and started calling and knocking on the door. He said to them: Give me a bit of straw, as my wife gave birth and I do not have anything on which to lay her. Rabbi Akiva said to his wife: See this man, who does not even have straw. We should be happy with our lot, as we at least have straw to sleep on. She said to him: Go and be a student of Torah. He went and studied Torah for twelve years before Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua. At the completion of the twelve years, he was coming home when he heard from behind his house that one wicked person was saying to his wife: Your father behaved well toward you. He was right to disinherit you. One reason is that your husband is not similar to you, i.e., he is not suitable for you. And furthermore, he has left you in widowhood in his lifetime all these years. She said to him: If he listens to me, he should be there for another twelve years. Rabbi Akiva said: Since she has given me permission through this statement, I will go back and study more. He turned back and went to the study hall, and he was there for another twelve years. Eventually he came back accompanied by 24,000 pairs of students. Everyone went out to greet him, as he was by then a renowned teacher, and she too arose to go out to greet him. That wicked person said to her: And to where are you going? As she was excessively poor, she was not dressed in a grand manner, as fit for the wife of one so esteemed. She said to him: “A righteous man regards the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10); he knows that I am in this state as a result of my dedication to him. She came to present herself before Rabbi Akiva, but the Sages tried to fend her off, as they were unaware of her identity. He said to them: Leave her. Both my Torah knowledge and yours are hers. When bar Kalba Savua heard that the famous man was his son-in-law, he came before halakhic authorities and requested the dissolution of his vow, and it was dissolved.

אבות דרבי נתן ו׳:ב׳

מה היה תחלתו של רבי עקיבא. אמרו בן ארבעים שנה היה ולא שנה כלום. פעם אחת היה עומד על פי הבאר אמר מי חקק אבן זו אמרו לא המים שתדיר [נופלים] עליה בכל יום אמרו [לו] עקיבא אי אתה קורא אבנים שחקו מים. מיד היה רבי עקיבא דן קל וחומר בעצמו מה רך פסל את הקשה דברי תורה שקשה כברזל על אחת כמה וכמה שיחקקו את לבי שהוא בשר ודם. מיד חזר ללמוד תורה.

Avot DeRabbi Natan 6:2

(2) What were Akiva's beginnings? It is said: Up to the age of forty, he had not yet studied a thing. One time, while standing by the mouth of a well in Lydda, he inquired, "Who hollowed out this stone?" and was told, "Akiva, haven't you read that 'water wears away stone' (Job 14:19)? - it was water falling upon it constantly, day after day." At that, Rabbi Akiva asked himself: Is my mind harder than this stone? I will go and study at least one section of Torah.

בראשית רבה ק׳:י׳

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא עָשָׂה בּוּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וְלָמַד תּוֹרָה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וְשִׁמֵּשׁ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה.

Bereshit Rabbah 100:10

...

משלי ז׳:ג׳

(ג) קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Proverbs 7:3

(3) Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your mind.

From this story, we are privy to the moment of insight which begins Rabbi Akiva’s spiritual odyssey from ignorant shepherd to legendary scholar.

פסחים מ״ט ב:ז׳

תניא אמר רבי עקיבא כשהייתי עם הארץ אמרתי מי יתן לי תלמיד חכם ואנשכנו כחמור אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי אמור ככלב אמר להן זה נושך ושובר עצם וזה נושך ואינו שובר עצם:

Pesachim 49b:7

It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Akiva said: When I was an ignoramus I said: Who will give me a Torah scholar so that I will bite him like a donkey? His students said to him: Master, say that you would bite him like a dog! He said to them: I specifically used that wording, as this one, a donkey, bites and breaks bones, and that one, a dog, bites but does not break bones.

We learn out from here that the worst type of Jew hater is the irreligious Jew who is devoid of Torah. Why? Because when he sees how Torah gives direction and meaning to one’s life, it reminds him of what he’s missing in his own life.

It’s interesting that he made this insight with the water and stone at forty. What is so unique about forty? Forty is the age when man attains insight.

משנה אבות ה׳:כ״א

בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים לַבִּינָה...

Pirkei Avot 5:21

At forty wisdom...

בבא קמא י״ז א:ט׳

ואין מים אלא תורה שנאמר (ישעיהו נה, א) הוי כל צמא לכו למים

Bava Kamma 17a:9

And the reference to water refers only to the study of Torah, as it is stated with regard to Torah study: “Ho, all who are thirsty, go to water” (Isaiah 55:1).

קידושין ל׳ ב:ח׳

תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל בני אם פגע בך מנוול זה משכהו לבית המדרש אם אבן הוא נימוח...

Kiddushin 30b:8

A Sage from the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: My son, if this wretched one, the evil inclination, encounters you, pull it into the study hall, i.e., go and study Torah. If it is a stone it will melt... Just as a stone shatters a hammer, so too one can overcome his evil inclination, which is as strong as iron, through Torah study...

בבא בתרא ט״ז א:י״ג

ברא הקדוש ברוך הוא יצר הרע ברא לו תורה תבלין

Bava Batra 16a:13

The Holy One, Blessed be He, created the evil inclination, but He also created the Torah as an antidote to counter its effects and prevent it from gaining control of a person.

במדבר רבה י״ד:ד׳

וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה, אִם יָגַעְתָּ הַרְבֵּה בְּדִבְרֵיהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵסִיר יֵצֶר הָרָע מִמְּךָ...

Bamidbar Rabbah 14:4

...

There are two words in Hebrew that can mean return. תָשׁוּב and חַזָרָה

דברים ל׳:י׳

(י) כִּ֣י תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ יקוק אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־יקוק אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 30:10

(10) since you will be heeding your God יקוק and keeping the divine commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to your God יקוק with all your heart and soul.

חַזָרָה comes from the word חוֹזֵר which means to review or repeat something. When one finishes a Mesechta he says, “We shall return to you.”

הדרן א׳

(א) הֲדְרָן עֲלָךְ מַסֶּכֶת (יאמר שם המסכת) וְהֲדְרָךְ עֲלָן. דַּעְתָּן עֲלָךְ מַסֶּכֶת (יאמר שם המסכת) וְדַעְתָּךְ עֲלָן. לָא נִתֽנְשֵׁי מִינָךְ מַסֶּכֶת (יאמר שם המסכת) וְלֹא תִתְנְשֵׁי מִינָן, לָא בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין וְלֹא בְּעָלְמָא דְאַָתֵי:

Hadran 1

(1) We will return to you, Tractate ____ [fill in the name of the tractate], and you will return to us; our mind is on you, Tractate ____, and your mind is on us; we will not forget you, Tractate ____, and you will not forget us – not in this world and not in the next world.

What do those words mean? If one wants to ensure that the Mesechta he learned is securely embedded into his memory, he should review it forty times.”

פסחים ע״ב א:ד׳

אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַב יִצְחָק בַּר יוֹסֵף לְרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ דַּהֲוָה קָאֵי בְּאוּכְלוּסָא דְאִינָשֵׁי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַתְנִיתִין מַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רֵישָׁא בְּעוֹקֵר וְסֵיפָא בְּטוֹעֶה. תְּנָא מִינֵּיהּ אַרְבְּעִין זִימְנִין וְדָמֵי לֵיהּ כְּמַאן דְּמַנְּחָא בְּכִיסֵיהּ.

Pesachim 72a:4

The Gemara relates that Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef once found Rabbi Abbahu standing among a multitude [okhlosa] of people, and he said to him: What is the meaning of our mishna? Rabbi Abbahu said to him: The first clause is referring to one who intentionally uprooted the animal’s status, whereas the latter clause is referring to one who erred about it. Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef learned this statement from him forty times, and it seemed to him as though it were resting in his pouch; i.e., he repeated it many times until the mishna became crystal clear to him and etched in his memory.

How did Rebbe Akiva merit learning the entire Torah? His wife suffered from living in dire poverty.

נדרים נ׳ א:ג׳

בְּסִיתְוָא הֲוָה גָּנוּ בֵּי תִיבְנָא הֲוָה קָא מְנַקֵּיט לַיהּ תִּיבְנָא מִן מַזְּיַיהּ אֲמַר לַהּ אִי הֲוַאי לִי רָמֵינָא לִיךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דְּדַהֲבָא אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ אִידְּמִי לְהוֹן כֶּאֱנָשָׁא וְקָא קָרֵי אַבָּבָא אֲמַר לְהוּ הַבוּ לִי פּוּרְתָּא דְתִיבְנָא דִּילֵדַת אִתְּתִי וְלֵית לִי מִידַּעַם לְאַגְנוֹיַהּ אֲמַר לַהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא לְאִנְתְּתֵיהּ חֲזִי גַּבְרָא דַּאֲפִילּוּ תִּיבְנָא לָא אִית לֵיהּ

Nedarim 50a:3

In the winter they would sleep in a storehouse of straw, and Rabbi Akiva would gather strands of straw from her hair. He said to her: If I had the means I would place on your head a Jerusalem of Gold, a type of crown. Elijah the prophet came and appeared to them as a regular person and started calling and knocking on the door. He said to them: Give me a bit of straw, as my wife gave birth and I do not have anything on which to lay her. Rabbi Akiva said to his wife: See this man, who does not even have straw. We should be happy with our lot, as we at least have straw to sleep on.

משנה אבות ו׳:ו׳

(ו) גְּדוֹלָה תוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִן הַכְּהֻנָּה וּמִן הַמַּלְכוּת, שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת נִקְנֵית בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים מַעֲלוֹת, וְהַכְּהֻנָּה בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע, וְהַתּוֹרָה נִקְנֵית בְּאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה דְבָרִים. וְאֵלוּ הֵן... וּבְקַבָּלַת הַיִּסּוּרִין...

Pirkei Avot 6:6

(6) Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight things... By long-suffering...

משנה אבות ב׳:ה׳

(ה) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד, וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד, וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים. וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ:

Pirkei Avot 2:5

(5) He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person pious; nor can a timid person learn, nor can an impatient person teach; nor will someone who engages too much in business become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.

קיצור שלחן ערוך כ״ט:ח׳

(ח) כְּבָר כָּתַבְנוּ (בסִימָן א' סָעִיף ג') מַאֲמַר יְהוּדָה בֶּן תֵּימָא הֱוֵי עַז כַּנָּמֵר כו' שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִפְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם הַמַּלְעִיגִים עָלָיו בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם, לֹא יַעֲנֶה אוֹתָם דִּבְרֵי עַזּוּת, שֶׁלֹּא יִקְנֶה קִנְיָן בְּנַפְשׁוֹ לִהְיֹת עַז פָּנִים, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹם עֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. (אוֹרַח חַיִּים סִימָן א').

Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 29:8

(8) We have mentioned before (Chapter 1: 3) the saying of Rabbi Yehudah ben Teima, "Be bold as a leopard…" [which teaches] not to be ashamed before people who deride you when you worship the Creator, blessed is He. Nevertheless, you should not answer them rudely, so that you will not acquire the habit of being impertinent even in situations not involved with the worship of God, blessed be His Name.

Jim Watkins said, “A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but its persistence.”

רש"י על איוב י״ד:י״ט:א׳

(א) אבנים. אשר שחקו מים בעברם עליהם תמיד:

Rashi on Job 14:19:1

(1) Stones which the water eroded by constantly passing over them.

ברכות ל״ב ב:י״א

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אַרְבָּעָה צְרִיכִין חִזּוּק, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: תּוֹרָה...

Berakhot 32b:11

Connected to the emphasis on the need to bolster one’s effort in prayer, the Gemara notes that the Sages taught in a baraita: Four things require bolstering, constant effort to improve, and they are: Torah...

רש"י על ברכות ל״ב ב:י״א:א׳

צריכין חזוק – שיתחזק אדם בהן תמיד בכל כחו:

Rashi on Berakhot 32b:11:1

Need strengthening- That a person should always strengthen them with all his might.

רש"י על דברים י״א:כ״ב:א׳

(א) שמר תשמרון. אַזְהָרַת שְׁמִירוֹת הַרְבֵּה, לְהִזָּהֵר בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁתַּכַּח (שם):

Rashi on Deuteronomy 11:22:1

(1) שמר תשמרון [IF] YE SHALL DILIGENTLY OBSERVE [ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS] — The repetition of the verb implies an admonition to be very much on one’s guard: to be careful in respect to one’s study of the Torah that it should not be forgotten (cf. Sifrei Devarim 48:2).

רש"י על דברים י״ב:כ״ח:א׳

(א) שמר. זוֹ מִשְׁנָה שֶׁאַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְשָׁמְרָהּ בְּבִטְנְךָ שֶׁלֹּא תִשְׁכַּח, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כ"ב) "כִּי נָעִים כִּי תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ", וְאִם שָׁנִיתָ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁתִּשְׁמַע וּתְקַיֵּם, הָא כָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּכְלַל מִשְׁנָה אֵינוֹ בִּכְלַל מַעֲשֶׂה (עי' ספרי):

Rashi on Deuteronomy 12:28:1

(1) שמר KEEP [AND HEAR (understand) ALL THESE WORDS WHICH I COMMAND THEE] — This (the word שמר) implies the studying of the oral law — that you must keep it within you that it should not be forgotten, just as it is said, (Proverbs 22:18) “[And apply thy heart unto my knowledge] for it is a pleasant thing if thou keep (תשמרם) them within thee”, and only if thou learnest is it possible that thou wilt understand and fulfil the commands, but one who is not amongst those who study (lit., who is not included in learning) cannot be amongst those who act correctly (cf. Sifrei Devarim 79:3; see also Rashi on Deuteronomy 4:6). (The translation is: keep, i.e. study and retain your learning in mind: ושמעת, and then thou wilt understand how to observe the commands).

שמות רבה ב׳:ג׳

(ג) אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן גְּדֻלָּה לָאָדָם עַד שֶׁבּוֹדְקֵהוּ בְּדָבָר קָטָן...

Shemot Rabbah 2:3

For, The Holy One, Blessed be He does not elevate a person to greatness until He first tests him with a small matter.

To use the excuses of “I’m not intelligent,” “I’m too old” or “I don’t come from an important lineage,” are all invalid. For when he started learning Torah at forty, he was an ignoramus and had no Jewish lineage to speak of.

ברכות כ״ז ב:כ״א

מַאן נוֹקֵים לֵיהּ? נוֹקְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ — בַּעַל מַעֲשֶׂה הוּא. נוֹקְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא — דִּילְמָא עָנֵישׁ לֵיהּ, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ זְכוּת אָבוֹת.

Berakhot 27b:21

It was so agreed, but the question arose: Who shall we establish in his place? Shall we establish Rabbi Yehoshua in his place? The Sages rejected that option because Rabbi Yehoshua was party to the incident for which Rabban Gamliel was deposed. Appointing him would be extremely upsetting for Rabban Gamliel. Shall we establish Rabbi Akiva in his place? The Sages rejected that option because Rabbi Akiva, who descended from a family of converts, would be vulnerable. Perhaps due to Rabban Gamliel’s resentment he would cause him to be divinely punished as he lacks the merit of his ancestors to protect him.

The second lesson is that in life we face challenges that seem to appear to us like rocks or stones – they are impenetrable. Nevertheless, if we are persistent like water – taking step by step – Hashem will help us break through, overcome them and continue to rock on!

In memory of Eliyahu ben Mordechai, Mashah Tzivyah bas R’ Shlomo Zalman, Altah Soshah Devorah bas Aryeh Leibush, Chaim ben Shmuel Efraim Zalman, Tuvyah Shlomo ben Naftali Tzvi HaKohein, Esther Perel bas R’ Shlomo, Miriam bas Zelig Shaul, Menachem ben Shimon, Menachem ben Zev, Sarah bas HaRav Yisroel, Yosef ben Moshe HaLevi, Yisroel ben Yeshayah, Elisheva Basyah bas Yechiel Ephraim and all the other departed souls of our nation.

For the complete recovery of Chayah Malka bas Bas-Sheva, among the other sick ones of our nation.

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