[Avodah] [Areivim] Rakhel Immeinu and Gaza

[Yitzhak Grossman]

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:30:52 -0500
Zev Sero <zev at sero.name> wrote [on Areivim, cited with permission]:

> [Someone] wrote:
> > In addition, see R. Cherlow's assertion that this story involves 
> > "derisha el hametim" and is to be eschewed.
> > _http://www.ypt.co.il/show.asp?id=31179_ and write-up in Ynet - 
> > _http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3659660,00.html_]

> Sigh.  This contradicts an explicit Zohar, which you can find in the
> "Maaneh Lashon".  The "meitim" whom we may not seek out are the resha'im;
> tzadikim who have passed away are the "meitim shekvar meitu" whom Kohelet
> praises, and asking them to intercede for us, is minhag yisrael since Yosef
> and Kalev, and chas veshalom to claim that it is forbidden.

This is unfair.  There are major Poskim who have indeed invoked the
prohibition of doresh el ha'mesim against praying to the deceased to
intercede for us, e.g. Rav Haim Paltiel [0] and Hochmas Adam [1].

These sources are taken from this discussion:

http://www.yedidia.net/papa/content/view/84/37/

[0] cited in Bah, YD end of 217
[1] 89:7, available here:
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14718&pgnum=237).

Yitzhak

--
Bein Din Ledin - http://bdl.freehostia.com
A discussion of Hoshen Mishpat, Even Ha'Ezer and other matters