"The Arab Trembled and Told Me: 'Choni HaMe'agel Appeared to Me in a Dream'"

The spring weather during this season prompts many to visit the north of the country. Usually for trips and attractions, but if you're visiting – how can you skip a visit to the graves of righteous sages?

This time we chose to take a look at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel located in Hatzor HaGlilit. Shalev Binyamin is one of the people particularly connected to the place, and he visits the grave daily.

"Listen to an incident that happened to me personally," he tells me as we begin to talk. "About ten years ago, we very much wanted to have a mikveh here so people could immerse before prayer, but there was no budget. Eventually, a contractor agreed to donate his own money for electrical work for the mikveh and invited his worker – a Christian Arab named Elias Elias from Jish.

"The electrician started working at the site and one day disappeared. I called him to find out what was happening, and he lashed out at me, yelling. It turned out the contractor went bankrupt, and he lost 300,000 shekels because of him. 'You think I will continue coming to you?!' Elias shouted and hung up. To my surprise, the next morning when I arrived at the grave, I suddenly hear chiseling sounds from below, indicating work was being done at the mikveh. I went down and found Elias working diligently. To my great surprise, he said to me: 'Listen, I am a believer, Choni HaMe'agel came to me in a dream and said: 'Be careful not to leave' (meaning - not to abandon the job, M.A.). I asked him to recount more details from the dream, but he said: 'Now let me work, I don't want to mess with the tzaddik'."

Thanks to Him, the Help Shined

"I am a practical engineer by profession," Shalev shares about himself, "but I got to work in the profession for only a few years, because soon after, my wife asked me to learn a bit more, and I also wished to become an avrech. I heard there was a kollel at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel, and I joined. Since then, for the past 20 years, I come here regularly – almost daily.

"But I'm not the only one. Almost all the residents in Hatzor HaGlilit visit here a lot. As I mentioned, there's a kollel for young men at the site itself, and there's also a seniors' kollel a bit farther away, as well as a network of outreach kindergartens and other institutions, all associated with Choni HaMe'agel and his figure."

And not just the Jews. There are also Arabs from all around the area who frequent the grave. About one of them, Shalev recounts: "There was an Arab who worked at a quarry near the grave, and once one of his children stole charity boxes from the site. When the child wanted to leave with the boxes, he couldn't move, his legs became paralyzed, he just got stuck at the exit. His mother arrived and immediately understood what happened and shouted at him: 'Why did you take the money?' She returned the boxes, prayed for him, and at that moment he got up on his feet. This is a story I know personally, and to this day that family comes here."

Can you tell us a bit about the figure of Choni HaMe'agel?

"Choni HaMe'agel was one of the earliest Tannaim in the period of the Zugot. But since he did not have a partner, he is counted among the Tannaim. Therefore he is called 'the Tanna Choni HaMe'agel'.

"Who doesn't know the famous story – that when Israel suffered from drought and no rain fell, Choni circled around him in a circle, stood inside, and prayed to the Creator of the World until he was answered? But there are also less known stories about him. For instance, it's mentioned in the Gemara that all the assistance in the Temple would light up with his light.

"Additionally, it is told that he slept for 70 years, and when he awoke, some said: 'Give us a sign that this is Choni HaMe'agel', and they responded: 'It's known that when he enters the assistance, it would glow', and indeed they tried it, he entered and it glowed. By the way, he lived during the time of both the First and Second Temple. Moreover, he is the only one said to have attained the 70 facets of the Torah."

Instead of Walking on the Beaches – Come to the Tzaddik

"The residents of Hatzor HaGlilit are very connected to Choni HaMe'agel," adds Shalev, "I think there isn’t anyone in the town who can’t tell you about a personal miracle they experienced and their Thanksgiving meal held at the site."

Besides the residents themselves, there are also many guests who visit the grave, especially on the date of Zayin of Cheshvan, when prayer for rain begins, and on the day of the Hilula – Independence Day. "The real Hilula actually falls on the date of Gimel Iyar, but the former chief rabbi of Hatzor set years ago to celebrate it on Independence Day. He said: 'Instead of people walking on the beaches, they'll come to the Tzaddik.' And so indeed, the Hilula continues to be celebrated every year on Independence Day. People come from all over the country, even from around the world. It's amazing to see that at first glance, some seem so detached, but of course, it's not true, every Jew has a warm spot in their heart, and reality attests to this."

Since Shalev is at the site daily, he also encounters stories up close. "There is a man named Rabbi Mordechai Behedna who prays here regularly, and dealt with the severe issue of his son who couldn’t walk until the age of three. One Shabbat, when we reached the end of the prayer, he went on his knees and pleaded: 'Master of the Universe, in the merit of Choni HaMe'agel my son will walk today.' And indeed when he got home, opened the door his three-year-old son walked towards him three steps. Since that day the boy has only progressed, and now he walks completely. By the way, a similar story happened to the Alush family from Hatzor, whose son also couldn’t walk – until the age of ten. His mother sat at the grave and pleaded with the Creator, promising Him that just as Choni didn’t move from the circle until it rained, so she wouldn’t relent in her prayers until she was granted salvation. Also, this child, blessed be Hashem, walks independently.

"It is known that prayer at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel also serves as a remedy for fertility, and there are amazing stories about this. For instance, the story of the Jerufi family from Bnei Brak, who, for ten years, did not have children, and Rabbi Mordechai Itzchaki from Moshav Porat instructed them to complete every Thursday night the Book of Psalms at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel. They came to pray seven times at the grave, read Psalms there, and still, nothing happened. So they returned to the Rabbi who instructed them: 'Continue one more time'. And indeed they came again, and then I personally met them and heard about their story. After Rabbi Jerufi finished telling us, he declared: 'If indeed we merit a son, we will hold the circumcision at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel.' With Hashem's help, they experienced a great miracle, and nine months later they came to celebrate the circumcision, not of one baby, but of twins – they had two sons."

(Photo: David Cohen / Flash 90)

Prayers for Livelihood

But the most known merit at the grave of Choni HaMe'agel is the merit of livelihood, because it is known that thanks to him, Hashem brought rain to the whole world, and rain symbolizes livelihood. One well-known person who feels he received great livelihood thanks to the tzaddik is the contractor who established the kollel. "He went through a very difficult period in his life, but always gave his soul to give more and more, even without receiving financial compensation," Shalev recounts, "Later, he experienced great success and a major leap, so that today he is considered very rich and very successful in his business."

He also has another story about this: "During the days when renovations were being done at the yeshiva, a lawyer named Amnon Golan from Ashkelon told me: 'If I merit salvation in the field I requested, I will bring a new air conditioner here,' and he also told me: 'Write down my phone number.' I replied: 'I won’t write it down, if a miracle happens - surely you'll find a way to contact me.' And indeed he called shortly after, announcing amazing miracles – he filed an appeal on a certain verdict, and against all odds, he came out victorious. He, of course, didn’t forget the air conditioner...

"There is no doubt that it is a great privilege to live in Hatzor, near the grave of Choni HaMe'agel," concludes Shalev, "For me, it is an inseparable part of my life. Blessed am I for being privileged."