Who Was the Shelah HaKadosh? Powerful Facts About a Giant of Jewish Spirituality

The 11th of Nissan, marks the yahrzeit of the Shelah HaKadosh (Rabbi Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz). Following are powerful and inspiring facts about his life, leadership, and legacy.

A Distinguished Birth and Brilliant Youth

Rabbi Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz — known to all as the Shelah HaKadosh, was born in 1558 in Prague to a prestigious rabbinic family. His father, Rabbi Avraham HaLevi Horowitz, was a student of the Rema and the author of Chesed L’Avraham.

From childhood, Yeshayahu displayed extraordinary genius in Torah study. As an adult, he received rabbinic ordination and served as Av Beit Din in several major European communities including Poland, Galicia, Austria, and Germany.

During his years in Vienna, he met his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya (daughter of R’ Avraham of Uhl) and married her. Tragically, she passed away in 1620. Following her death, Rabbi Yeshayahu decided to move to the Land of Israel to strengthen and rebuild the Jewish settlement there.

A Difficult Journey to the Holy Land

Rabbi Yeshayahu traveled to Eretz Yisrael on foot, passing through Aleppo, Syria. His journey was filled with hardship and physical suffering, yet when he finally reached Syria, he was received with great honor.

Life in Jerusalem, Safed, and Tiberias

Upon reaching Jerusalem, Rabbi Yeshayahu remarried and later moved with his new wife to Safed. They lived there for three years, during which he immersed himself deeply in Torah study — especially in Kabbalah.

Afterward he settled in Tiberias, where he lived for another five years until his passing in 1630. He was buried in Tiberias, near many other holy sages.

Imprisoned for Ransom in Jerusalem

In 1624, while living in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yeshayahu and about 15 other rabbis were arrested by the Faruch family, an Arab clan that had taken control of the Jewish community and harshly oppressed it.

The rabbis were forced to pay an enormous ransom for their release. Despite the crushing poverty of the small Jerusalem community, they succeeded — after great struggle, in gathering the funds to free them.

His Writings, Prayers, and Sacred Texts

Many important letters, prayers, and Torah works are attributed to the Shelah HaKadosh. Among them:

• “The Prayer for Children” — traditionally recited on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan

• Siddur “Sha’ar HaShamayim”

• “Shemot Gittin”

• “Mitzvat Tefillin”

• “Bigdei Yesha” on Seder Mo’ed

• and many other writings.

His Masterpiece Published After His Death

Sadly, Rabbi Yeshayahu did not see the publication of his writings during his lifetime. After his passing, his son, Rabbi Shabtai Sheftel HaLevi Horowitz, undertook the mission of publishing them.

The first and most famous work to be printed was Shnei Luchot HaBrit (Shelah), written during his years in Safed. His title “Shelah HaKadosh” comes from the initials of this sefer (של"ה).

In this monumental work, he left a spiritual will for his descendants, urging them not to be drawn after the vanities and temptations of this world.

The Shelah’s Synagogue in Tiberias

While living in Tiberias, Rabbi Yeshayahu prayed in an ancient synagogue built roughly 800 years before his time. Because of his presence and connection to the place, it became known as “The Shelah Synagogue.”

Around 200 years ago, the Jewish community of Tiberias faced severe financial crisis and decided to sell the synagogue complex to Christian pilgrims from Greece. Since then, special permissions are required to visit it, and only a select few have merited entering the sacred site.