"We Are Privileged to Partner with Rabbi Shimon": The Boltons Host Everyone Who Comes to Meron

About ten years ago, Yosef Chaim and Bracha Bolton moved from Kfar Chabad to Meron and decided to purchase a farm in the community. "We began the purchase of one of the farms, but it got delayed," recalls Yosef Chaim. "At some point, the farm owners decided to retract their decision to sell, and the case went to court. We have two sons with cerebral palsy, and at that time, the older one, who was about 13, underwent leg surgery and was in a cast up to his waist. We had to lift and lower him from the bed constantly and care for him intensely. In addition, the younger one, then two and a half, spilled a cup of hot tea on himself, suffering burns around the neck and chin. These events left us feeling depleted, and we decided to abandon the purchase and leave Meron."

 

"If You Want Us, Perform Your Miracles"

After making the painful decision, Yosef Chaim visited Rabbi Shimon's tomb to inform him. "I told him that Bracha and I decided to leave and if he was evicting us, then perhaps we were in the wrong, and we ask for forgiveness. Just before leaving, I muttered under my breath, 'And if you still want us, then do your miracles'. I was obviously very upset and hurt, and as I was leaving the front yard of the tomb, a local resident stopped me, not allowing me to go. Despite my exhaustion, he insisted, saying, 'If you hear of someone wanting to buy a farm in Meron, I'm interested in selling.'"

Things quickly progressed from there, and the Bolton family managed to buy the mentioned farm. "When you buy a farm in Meron, you don't purchase the land itself, only the rights to it," Yosef Chaim explains. "Thus, understanding that I received the place as a gift from Rabbi Shimon, and as it's temporarily mine, I felt I needed to partner with him in hosting the many visitors. Since then, we have an unwritten agreement to host his guests as best as we can, and in return, he performs amazing miracles for us."

Even before purchasing the farm, the Boltons had Shabbat guests—20 "only", but since then, they've expanded their activities tremendously. "We established a special kitchen to cook dozens of meals in a regular week, and during holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Lag B'Omer, thousands. Furthermore, we converted an old bus into a sleeping area with ten beds for travelers who come throughout the year. For instance, people hiking the Israel Trail sometimes stop to stay our for Shabbat. Our property also offers tents for camping, and during Lag B'Omer, we erect an additional large tent for guests. With Hashem's help, we're hoping to fundraise to build a more private women's tent. We have a restroom and shower facility, and ahead of the holiday, we bring in additional portable toilets. Preparations for all of this happen practically all year round, starting right after Simchat Torah."

And what about the cost?

"On Lag B'Omer itself, due to the expenses, accommodation and food are available for a nominal fee, but the rest of the year, they're free. People usually inform us in advance if they want to stay overnight to ensure there's space, and often they stay in our home as well. For meals, anyone who wishes to join simply comes, and we never know in advance how many extra guests we'll have."

Yosef Chaim continues, "I remember once a family called, stuck in Meron minutes before candle lighting. They planned to sleep at friends' in Safed and have a chalakeh for their son in Meron on Saturday night. On Friday, they stopped by the tomb to pray briefly, and when they returned to their car, it wouldn't start. Of course, we hosted them, and I told them Rabbi Shimon wanted them here for the entire Shabbat, hence the vehicle trouble. Come Saturday night, it started on the first try."

How do you handle such a large financial burden?

"For the holidays, we usually receive donations, and sometimes throughout the year too. Any extra comes from our own pockets, living with faith that the money belongs to Hashem, and He sends us what we need. Rabbi Shimon has his miracles, and we see them unfold as unexpected donations or blessings in our earnings. For instance, last Lag B'Omer, I went to a store to see how much it would cost to buy a large quantity of fish for hosting, and left wondering how I would afford it. Before I reached my car, a friend called, offering a donation of fish. I was amazed, and though he initially intended to give a smaller sum, he ultimately covered the entire amount. Such miracles occur all the time."

Other organizations provide food for visitors; why also you?

"You must understand, whoever comes to the tzaddik is because the tzaddik invited them. If the Prime Minister invited a special guest, surely we would be honored to host them. So we have the great privilege of receiving Rabbi Shimon's guests, and we thank him. Moreover, we see it as a challenge to surpass even the level of other organizations in quality and quantity. Our food is already of superb quality—home-cooked, including all salads and cakes, under the most stringent kosher certifications. On the merit of hosting, in one year my mother, Rachel Bolton (renowned in her own right), advised a woman she knew who was of advanced age and hadn't yet been blessed with children, to join in our preparations for Lag B'Omer. On Saturday night, during the traditional lighting at the tomb, our balcony was full of people, and we raised a cup for *l'chaim* and blessed this woman to soon have children because of her assistance in hospitality. The following year, my mother came to Meron straight from that woman's son's brit."

 

Giving is Receiving

The Bolton couple has six children, two of them with cerebral palsy. "Mendel, who just turned 19 last week, and Shlomo-David-Chai, aged 8, were born with special bodies," says Bracha. "Their impairment is mainly muscular—mouth muscles causing speech and eating issues, eye muscles causing severe strabismus, and leg muscles leading to walking difficulties and instability. Over the years, Mendel underwent numerous treatments and surgeries, and when Shlomo-David-Chai was born, everything started again from scratch."

The Boltons see raising their children as a mission and a gift. "Hashem only gives such high souls to those who have the strength to raise them, and we are fortunate," says Bracha. "I've never questioned Hashem about it, only asked, if He sent us such gifts, that He also provide the means to raise them. We also discovered tremendous inner strengths through them, learning patience and the significance of waiting for a step or word. We appreciate every small progress and every gift Hashem gives us. Consequently, our other children developed a great sensitivity for others and learned to accept everyone regardless of their outward appearance."

The challenge of raising special children led the Boltons to launch another charitable project. "We saw organizations offering retreats for the special children, their siblings, and mothers, but hardly anything for the fathers," says Yosef Chaim. "Thus, I decided to invite these fathers to our home for weekends every few months. They arrive Thursday evening, and we pamper them with a special BBQ and recreational activities like jeep tours or swimming. On Friday night, after the meal, we sit together until late-night hours discussing our complex realities, which gives these fathers a lot of strength. One father shared how tough his situation was with his son, and the food, treats, and shared experiences reinforce him greatly. All families with special children are warmly invited to our home, and we see it as a privilege to host them."

Where do the energy and strength come from to care for children and host so many guests?

"For me, giving is receiving, and I feel that giving only fills us, not drains us," says Bracha. "You can also see this with our children, who, on the rare occasion when there are no Shabbat guests, complain about it. We are privileged that they too are partners in giving, bringing us immense satisfaction. When a guest arrives, they converse with them as if they've known them forever. Even when they must vacate their rooms for visitors, they do so with joy. Not long ago, I overheard my daughter telling a guest, 'Stay with us until you are fifty.'"

Bracha continues, "Particularly memorable was a winter Shabbat; I had just given birth and wanted to leave to rest a bit, but it was not possible. That Friday evening, my husband arrived and said we should add six more places for a family that had nowhere to eat. When they arrived, I realized it was a friend I hadn’t seen in years. They had rented a cabin in Meron and ordered catering. But when they reached the cabin, the food box was gone. At prayer, the husband saw Yosef Chaim and asked where we were celebrating, only to be surprised that we lived right here and they were invited. It was an extraordinary Shabbat for me, witnessing how in Hashem's providence, He sent me exactly what I needed."

In conclusion, the Boltons say, "We believe all our blessings come from Rabbi Shimon, and living in his shadow is a privilege unparalleled. With all the food preparations, organizing, and accommodations, what is most important to us is giving with love and giving from the heart."

To contact Yosef Chaim and Bracha Bolton: yosefbolton@gmail.com