The Man Who Came Back to Life and Got Married Again

This special story was told by the Maharam Shapira and was recorded in the official ledger of the Chevra Kadisha in Lublin. It’s a tale that shows just how powerful the Torah can be.

Rabbi Shlomo Luria, known as the Maharsha’l, had a student who was childless. After some time, this student’s wife became very ill and sadly passed away. Even after the days of mourning were over, the man still walked around looking deeply sad. Something weighed heavily on his heart.

The Maharsha’l called him in and gently asked what was troubling him. At first, the young man didn’t want to speak. But after the rabbi encouraged him, he shared what was going on. Just before his wife died, she had asked him to promise that he would never marry again. He had made that promise with a handshake. Now, although he was still young, he felt trapped. He couldn’t go back on his word, and he didn’t see a way forward. This promise, made in such a painful moment, now left him stuck and heartbroken.

The Maharsha’l listened and then ruled that the man was allowed to marry again. The Torah allows for remarriage in this kind of situation. The young man left the meeting filled with relief. It was as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his chest. He began to look for a new match.

But only a few days passed before Lublin was shaken by shocking news. The young widower had died suddenly. The whole town was in disbelief.

When the Maharsha’l heard what had happened, he immediately called the members of the Chevra Kadisha, the holy burial society. He told them to prepare the body as usual and let him know when everything was ready for burial.

When they informed him that the body was prepared and ready for the grave, the Maharsha’l came to the cemetery. He wrote a note that said, "Peace to you, Heavenly Court. How can this be? The Torah teaches that a positive commandment overrides a negative one. I now decree that this young man must be returned to me." He signed the note with his name, instructed that it be placed in the hands of the young man, and then told everyone to lay him in the grave and leave the cemetery.

Soon after, something incredible happened. Word spread quickly throughout Lublin. The young man had risen from his grave. He was walking through the streets in his burial shrouds, alive and well, just as he had been days before. The people of Lublin were in shock. Everyone was talking about the holiness of their great rabbi, the Maharsha’l. But the Maharsha’l, in his deep humility, said it was not because of him. It was the power of the Torah that had brought him back.

But the story didn’t end there. Although the young man had returned to life, no woman was willing to marry him. People whispered about it behind closed doors. Who would want to marry someone who had already been dead?

When the Maharsha’l heard about this, he prayed that the Angel of Forgetfulness would come to Lublin and make the people forget what had happened. And that is exactly what took place. Within a few days, the story faded from memory. People treated the young man like everyone else again. He met a good woman, got married, and eventually had children and grandchildren who followed the path of Torah and mitzvot.

From He Used to Say – the jubilee book in honor of the Maharam Shapira, shared by the Dirshu website.