On the 15th of Tammuz falls the 282nd anniversary of the passing of our Rabbi Chaim ben Attar, author of the "Or HaChaim" commentary on the Torah. Please receive a little about his holy figure:
1. Rabbi Chaim ben Attar, known as the "Or HaChaim" after his Torah commentary, was born in Morocco and immigrated to Jerusalem. He passed away at age 47, less than a year after immigrating to Jerusalem, and is buried on the Mount of Olives.
2. The "Or HaChaim" earned the title "holy." In addition to him, the Alshich and the Shelah are also called by this title. The words of the Baal Shem Tov are well known, who said that the "Or HaChaim" is a spark from the soul of the Mashiach.
3. There are countless stories of miracles that occurred to Jews who prayed at his grave and committed to study his Torah commentary. One of the famous miracle stories concerns the Gaon Rabbi Hillel Schlesinger, who was childless for many years. One of the specialist doctors told him that "when hair grows on his palm, he will merit children" - meaning: you have no chance and efforts are pointless. In his sorrow, Rabbi Hillel immediately went to the grave of the holy "Or HaChaim" at the foot of the Mount of Olives, and there he tearfully committed to study a third of the book each week. Miraculously, a year later he held his firstborn daughter in his arms. Rabbi Hillel merited to establish a righteous generation, and one of his sons-in-law was the Gaon Rabbi Moshe Halberstam z"l, a member of the rabbinical court of the Edah HaChareidis.
4. During World War II, when the Germans stood at the gates of the Land on two fronts, in Syria and Egypt, the rabbinical courts in Jerusalem declared to ascend to the grave of the holy "Or HaChaim" on his yahrzeit Masses of Bnei Yisroel increased in prayer and supplication at the grave, led by the Rabbi of Husatin and the Rabbi of Zevil z"l. After reciting Tehilim, joy was visible on their faces. When asked about the nature of their joy, the Rabbi of Husatin answered: "The danger has passed, no sword will pass through our land." The participants were amazed and asked "How does the Rabbi know this?" He replied that he saw the form of H'shem's name in its proper order, glowing above the grave, and understood that the danger had passed. The Rabbi of Zevil gave the same answer to his followers, and indeed two days later the Germans suffered heavy losses on both fronts, in Syria and Egypt, and a new front opened against them by the Russians, and the murderers hastened to flee from the area, and the Jews of the Land of Israel were saved miraculously.
5. A famous segulah is that a person should commit to regularly study the "Or HaChaim's" commentary on the Torah, and thereby merit righteous male children who engage in Torah and mitzvot. The connection between the segulah and studying the "Or HaChaim's" book was explained by the Admor of Gur, author of "Lev Simcha," that the "Or HaChaim" himself had no children, and therefore all his generative power is embedded in his holy book. For this reason, every section in this holy book has the power for holy offspring.
https://www.hidabroot.org/article/211087
The Holy Or HaChaim: Chizuk in the Service of H'shem from Parashat Balak
"And like a lion it lifts itself" "כארי יתנשא"
The expression "like a lion it lifts itself" expresses the generations that follow, in which the people of Israel continue to grow stronger. And why did they compare it to a lion?
The Or HaChaim brings the words of our Sages (Shabbat 77b) that there are three things that as they age, they add strength - and among them is the lion. For most creatures, old age means weakness, but for a lion, old age means greater strength.
Therefore, the word "lifts itself" explains that the people of Israel become elevated and exalted throughout the generations. Even though the people of Israel will experience many wars throughout history, this will not weaken them. On the contrary, the more wars they experience, the stronger they become.
Contrary to the law of nature, where wars exhaust and weaken, the people of Israel operates according to the opposite principle - trials and wars strengthen them. Like an old lion that is stronger than a young lion, so the people of Israel grow stronger as time passes and trials multiply. This is a special spiritual power that distinguishes Am Yisroel from all other nations in the world.
"He further said 'and like a lion it lifts itself' - meaning in the manner that our Sages said (ibid. 77b) 'Three things, the longer they age, the more strength they add: a lion, etc.' And this is his saying 'it lifts itself' - that it becomes elevated and exalted in its strength, for even though many wars will pass over them, they will not become weakened because of this, but rather continue to grow stronger."
https://www.hidabroot.org/article/1211883
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