[Avodah] Visiting the kevarim of parents/tzadikim

[Aryeh Stein]

RSBA wrote (on Areivim):

>>>Some time ago we discussed davening at graves of tzadikim, which,
IIRC, Litvaks did not do.  Well check up what is going on in BB these
days, especially on yohrzeits of recent gedolim, eg Rav Shach zt'l.>>>

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I am currently listening to a tape of R' Reisman's navi shiur from
last year (about the Kotzker), and R' Reisman mentioned a related
issue - visiting one's parent's kever on their yahrtzeit.  R' Pam,
z'l, wasn't in favor of those people who would take several days off
from work to fly to Israel for the yahrtzeit to visit the kever of the
parent.  According to R' Pam, it would be much better if the person
would spend those days (that he took off from work) learning in a beis
medrash and giving all of the money that he would have spent on
airfare and hotel and giving it to tzedakah instead.  (I imagine that
R' Pam was not a big fan of the annual pilgrimages to Uman.)

The Kotzker was not fond of the minhag of visiting the kevarim of
tzadikim:  "The tzadikim aren't there (i.e., at the kever), they are
right here (i.e., in the beis medrash, where their words of torah are
kept alive by their talmidim)."  IIRC, after the Kotzker was niftar,
his talmidim wanted to visit his kever on his yahrtzeit.  They asked a
shailah and were advised not to go, as this was not something the
Kotzker would've wanted.  Some of the talmidim went anyway and they
were met with a fierce rainstorm, which they understood to be a
message that they should've stayed home.....

KT,
Aryeh