Hidden Miracles from the Life of Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri

Fifteen years have passed since the great tzaddik (righteous man), Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri, returned his soul to Heaven. Yet even today, many still feel his gentle presence, remember his kind smile, and speak of the deep peace they felt in his presence. He was a true servant of Hashem, full of grace and humility, a man whose prayers, blessings, and amulets brought help and healing to so many.

We sat down with his grandson, R’ Israel, who shared personal memories and powerful stories, many of them never told until now that offer a rare glimpse into the hidden world of one of the greatest kabbalists of our time.

“Grandfather was a holy man,” begins R’ Israel. “He was a giant in the hidden parts of Torah and had endless love for learning. Day and night, he would sit with a sefer (Torah book), and even when he lay down to rest, I would see him reading until he gently drifted off to sleep.”

In his early years, Rabbi Kaduri worked as a bookbinder to support his family. Because of that, he was known by the people of Jerusalem as “Rabbi Yitzchak the Binder.” While studying at the kabbalist yeshiva “Oz VeHadar,” located within the famous Porat Yosef Yeshiva in the Old City, he received a small two-room apartment slightly larger than the other rabbis’ because it included space for his bookbinding work.

Porat Yosef housed many rare and valuable sefarim (Torah books), some of which had belonged to Rabbi Eliyahu Mani of Chevron. As he bound these precious books, Rabbi Kaduri would study them cover to cover, even the most complex mystical texts.

Private individuals and rabbis often brought their books to him too. He was known for his strong, high-quality binding that kept books whole for decades. But what made his work unique was his personal practice: he would study the entire book before binding it. Rabbi Yosef Ades, one of the teachers at Porat Yosef, would smile and say, “Rabbi Yitzchak binds and learns at the same time.”

Even Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim, the Rishon LeTzion (Sephardic Chief Rabbi), once brought him books to bind. After several weeks without results, he asked why they weren’t finished. Rabbi Kaduri smiled and replied, “I haven’t finished learning all the books you gave me.”

Among the many works he bound were Kabbalistic texts that contained the sacred names used in writing amulets. It was during this time that he began to copy down these names into his personal notebook, knowledge he would later use to write amulets that helped people with health problems, fears, and other struggles.

When the Jordanians captured the Old City in 1948, Rabbi Kaduri was forced to flee, leaving behind his personal collection of books and the entire Porat Yosef library. For years, he mourned the loss of those sefarim, which were later destroyed in the fire.

His grandson recalls, “Whenever a young Torah scholar would ask grandfather for a blessing or an approbation for a new sefer, I sometimes tried to hold them back. Grandfather couldn’t just look at a book, he would learn it entirely, at the expense of sleep, food, or meeting people. It was hard to say no, but necessary sometimes.”

In those years, Rabbi Kaduri lived very simply. After leaving the Old City, he moved to a modest apartment on Bezalel Ashkenazi Street in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood. The furniture was minimal. But every Friday night, when he recited Kiddush, both Ashkenazim and Sephardim would gather just to hear it and to taste a bit of the wine and challah he blessed. People believed his leftovers carried blessing and many said they experienced miracles after partaking.

He lived with deep contentment and simplicity. R’ Israel remembers how his grandmother, Sarah, would serve him a small piece of meat for Shabbat and save the rest for the grandchildren, knowing he would eat slowly and barely touch it. “There was always blessing in his food,” says R’ Israel.

The Amulet That Changed Everything

One of the most unique areas of Rabbi Kaduri’s life was his expertise in writing amulets. Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi once said, “In our generation, there is only one person with permission from Heaven to write amulets and that’s Rabbi Yitzchak the Binder.”

He wrote amulets for all kinds of needs such as finding a spouse, having children, healing from illness, parnassah (livelihood), peace in the home, and more.

A man once came to him, desperate. He owned a store in Meah Shearim and was constantly harassed by city inspectors and tax officials. Rabbi Kaduri listened calmly and told him to return the next day. When he came back, the rabbi handed him a special amulet and told him to place it on his store’s doorpost.

From that day on, the inspectors simply stopped coming. It was as if they no longer saw the store. The harassment ended completely.

R’ Israel also recalls a story that proves even photocopied amulets held power. While living in America, his wife was told she needed an emergency C-section. R’ Israel called his grandfather in Israel, who said, “Don’t worry, I’ll send an amulet by fax. Put it in a cup of water and let her drink from it.” After she drank the water, the doctors examined her again and suddenly, surgery was no longer needed. The delivery was completely natural.

Rabbi Kaduri was once asked if he had an amulet to heal from a certain terrible disease. He answered honestly, saying he had searched for years, but hadn’t found one. Still, he added that there is something else that can help, reciting Pitum HaKetoret (the section in the Torah describing the incense offering) from the Zohar, especially as found in Parashat Vayakhel. “If people knew the power of Ketoret,” he said, “they would make it a crown on their heads. Whoever says it regularly is protected from illness and danger.”

The Matchmaker from Heaven

Rabbi Kaduri also used the ancient method of goral, casting lots, for matters of life and guidance. During the Yom Kippur War, he helped countless families find out whether their missing loved ones were alive or not and was always accurate.

He also used this method to evaluate marriage compatibility. One young man once asked for his advice. The Rabbi told him clearly the match would not work. He ignored the advice and got married anyway and divorced soon after. Later, the young man admitted that had he listened, he could have avoided much heartache.

R’ Israel remembers a close friend who planned to marry someone. The friend didn’t believe in goral, so R’ Israel quietly gave the names to his grandfather anyway. The answer came back: “Tell him not to marry her.” But R’ Israel said nothing. They married and divorced nine months later. The friend then asked the Rabbi before his second marriage, received a blessing, and today has a beautiful family.

Rabbi Kaduri once even helped a yeshiva head win the lottery using names chosen through goral. The winnings helped him support his students.

These stories are only a small part of his legacy. Rabbi Kaduri lived over 110 years, yet his energy never faded, and his eyes were always filled with light. His connection to Heaven was deep and constant, and he lived in the world of the spirit while walking humbly among people. We were blessed to have known him and we still feel his presence guiding us today.

May his memory be a blessing and a source of merit for all of Am Yisrael.