[Avodah] To Whom Should One Pray At A Tzaddik's Kever?

[Danny Schoemann]

R' Micha Berger claimed:
> And in fact, asking a mal'akh is *more* problematic than asking the
> neshamah of a tzadiq. After all, when the same tzadiq was alive, asking
> him for a berakhah wouldn't have been an issue.

1. What is your source for this? Talking to dead people ("asking the
neshamah of a tzadiq", no?) seems to be Doresh El Hameisim - one of the
365 possible aveiros.

Where do we find an issue talking to angels? Those angel-related piyutim
that you skip are not of recent vintage...

2. On a related note: The Talmud in 15a brings a dispute as to why they
went to cemeteries after praying for rain in a drought year. R' Levi bar
Chama and R' Chanina: - One says to make a statement: "We're as good as
dead (if You don't send rain)". - The other says it's to cause the dead
to pray for us.

The Talmud says that difference is whether one goes to a non-Jewish
cemetery (if no Jewish one is available - Rashi).

Rambam in Taanis 4:18 says "they go to the cemetery and pray there,
i.e. they'll be dead like those there if they don't repent." I.e. like
the first reason. (He doesn't mention non-Jewish graves).

S"A O"C 579:3 paraphrases the Rambam. The Remo adds, thus if there no
Jewish graves one goes to non-Jewish ones.

So it would seem that the Poskim don't approve of the concept of the
dead praying for us. Or do you learn this sugya differently?


3. BTW: See the Be'er Heitev at the end of 559:10 quoting the Ari z"l
that one should never go to a cemetery except for a burial...

Kol Tuv,
- Danny