Rabbi Yaakov's Divine Ruling: How Dreams Answered His Jewish Law Questions

The northern French city of Troyes is known for being a hub of textiles and fashion. Situated on the Seine River, it boasts several famous museums. However, hidden in the historic Saint-Flaive district is the Jewish story of the city.

Almost a thousand years ago, this was the birthplace of the great Rashi. From here, he traveled to Worms to study Torah with Rabbi Yaakov ben Yaker, and later returned with his family to plant a vineyard near his home, earning a livelihood through winemaking. In this district lies 'Rashi Street,' and along the path to the Rashi University in town stands a large monument in his memory.

But today, we focus on an extraordinary sage who lived in Troyes two generations after Rashi. His name was Rabbi Yaakov HaLevi of Mirevelles. Born in the fortified town of Mirevelles in southern France (today: Marvejols), he moved to Troyes for its thriving Jewish community where he could study and teach Torah. He was a master of Torah and a specialist among the Tosafists, but also possessed great knowledge in Kabbalah and mysticism to the point where he could query heaven on halachic matters and retrieve answers!

How did this happen? We have in our possession his responsa book where he recorded his heavenly questions. It's titled "Responsa from the Heavens," and the manuscript describes: "Questions of halachic rulings posed by the revered and pious sage at the gates of enlightenment, Rabbi Yaakov son of Levy, who knocks on heaven's doors. Known throughout regions for his piety, on him one could rely. Each time he encountered doubt in Jewish Law, he commanded the closure of his study hall's doors. Then, Hashem would reveal answers in a vision, clarifying all uncertainties."

Rabbi Yaakov would lock the study hall's doors and remain alone. According to Radbaz's description, he would recite sacred names pertinent to the issue. Then he would drift into a sleep, during which he'd hear the solution in a dream. He would awaken and document the answer. This phenomenon is called "dream inquiry."

The first question in his responsa dealt with: "I asked about women blessing the lulav and those who bless over the shofar blowing, if it contains any transgression and if it constitutes a blessing in vain. They replied: As Sarah instructed Abraham, 'Listen to her voice,' and thus, tell them to return to their tents and bless Hashem."

Traditionally, women in Ashkenaz would bless time-bound commandments, a practice troubling to Rabbi Yaakov, prompting his heavenly inquiry. The reply he received was akin to what Abraham was told regarding Sarah: "Listen to her voice." Thus, women's practices were considered Torah!

Most famously, another inquiry was about the placement of tefillin's scriptural passages. Prior generations witnessed disagreement between Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam on the sequence of these passages within tefillin, with two varieties existing among Jews. Centuries later, law favored Rashi's version, while Rabbeinu Tam's was kept as a stringency. Rabbi Yaakov agonized over the notion: half of Jews potentially wore invalid tefillin! So he asked: "About the order of tefillin passages, I posed, 'Great and awe-inspiring King, knower of secrets, revealer of mysteries, guardian of the covenant and kindness, amplify Your benevolence towards us and command Your holy angels to inform me of my query about tefillin passages. Many sages consider specific placements invalid, but now, King of Kings, command Your holy angels to let me know which opinion You favor. Whose words do You grace?'

They responded: Both opinions are heavenly truths. Just as there's earthly disagreement, there's a heavenly one; Hashem favors passages centered, while the heavenly retinue supports them in order."

Therefore, the dispute exists above as well, rendering both perspectives as living words of Hashem, each fulfilling the command of tefillin in their way.

The final question in the compilation is the seventieth one, concerning the laws of chametz, concluding with Rabbi Yaakov noting: "Further, I asked about the end of the redemption - but I did not find an answer"... Even the end of redemption eluded Jacob our forefather’s vision, remaining sealed and buried from people of high stature until redemption arrives.

The chida, noting that sages referenced this responsa, questioned: It's known that "it is not in heaven," one doesn't decide halacha through prophecy or divine inspiration. A prophet cannot create new laws through prophecy. When sages disagreed with Rabbi Eliezer, a divine voice was dismissed as, "it is not in heaven." How then could one rely on the responses given to Rabbi Yaakov HaLevi?

The Chida wrote that in truth, these responses hold no authority solely due to their divinely inspired nature, but rather because Rabbi Yaakov agreed with them. Similarly, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory ruled, treating these responsa like other rabbinical opinions, without granting them greater weight due to heavenly origins.