Where is Kever Rochel?

Kever Rachel 

לז"נ הקדושים הרב הגאון הצדיק ר' מרדכי יהודה בן הר' שמואל וכל משפחתו הי"ד

י' חשון                    

                Yahrzeit of Hagaon Hachasid  R. Yidel Donath, his wife and all

his eight children H.Y.D.., murdered by the Nazis ימ"ש

Reb Yeedle Donath was the last Rosh Yeshiva of The Yeshiva Haramah (Pressburg) 

founded by the Chasam Sofer zt"l  (Took over from the Cheshev Sofer zt"l)

                                AVU LIGT DEH MAMME ROCHEL?

The Ramban in Parshas Vaychi  (48-7)  writes that Rochel died and was buried  in Romoh which is in the chelek of Binyomin.

The Ramban  in Parshas Vayishlach (35:16) writes that after he arrived in Eretz Yisrael and saw with his own eyes K. Rochel, he changed his mind and held that K. Rochel

is less than a mil away from Bais Lechem  (chelek Yehudah & not in Romoh). 

It would be interesting to know what exactly the Ramban saw that made him  change his mind. What convinced him to realize this to be the true location  of Kever Rochel?

R. Binyamin (from) Todelo travelled to  Yerushalayim in the year 1170  One  hundred years before the Ramban's arrival to E.Y. 

He wrote in his travel diary a short description of K. Rochel. "The matzeiva  has 11 stones . Over the matzeivah there is a dome built on four posts. 

Yidden who come there write their names on the stones of the  matzeiva."

How can we and why do we?

How can we and why do we?

The Ramban דרשה לר"ה explains why Klal Yisroel adopted Babylonian names for the months.*

תמוז is a name of an עבודה זרה

 יחזקאל פ"ח הנשים ישבות מבכות את התמוז

Many attempted to answer how we may and why we did name the month after an Avoda Zara.

Harav Hagaon R. Chaim Kanievsky Shlita.

said, being it was the month they placed a צלם in the היכל 

I wasn't זוכה to understand any of the  answers (includings R. Chaim's).

*Originally the months had no names

but numbers 1st 2nd etc. except for 

אביב -זיו - בול -ירח האתנים 

People Of Ashkenaz Vs. Sfard

                                                                                                                                                     לז"נ האשה רות בת ר' צבי יהודה ע"ה  ז' כסלו

                                                                                                                                                     ולז"נ האשה פעסיל בת ר' בונם ע"ה ז' כסלו *

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Siddur Rashi(13) it says: “All Kehilos in Ashkenaz are known for their thousand Tovos & Brachos. All of them are filled with Torah & Mitzvohs like a Rimon. Their Ma’asim are beautiful. They are Machmir in checking Treifos,Tevilas Nidah & wherever it is appropriate to be Machmir.

The Ramban in his Hakdamah to Kunteres Dinei Garmi writes :The Chachmei Hatzarfasim (French Ba’alei Tosfos) are our teachers and they uncover for us all the hidden  things

in the Torah.

The Maharshal (Hakdamah Chulin Y.S.S.) writes:

"Even though he ( Ramban) was a Sefardi, he recognized the truth and praised the ones who are praiseworthy."  

The Rosh (Teshuvh 20:20) writes: He only eats what has a Mesorah from Chachmei Ashkenaz. The Torah

 has been their Yerushe  since the Churban Habayis.

The Leket Yosher( p118) quotes the Maharash miNeustadt: "The reason Torah has held on in Ashkenaz more than in the other countries, because the Yidden lend their money to the Nochri  and charge them interest. They don’t need to work and have time to learn. Those who don’t learn support the Lomdei Torah, with their profits.

Reb Yakov Emdin (Mor Uketzia 53) writes : “My heart is happy and I thank Hashem with all my heart that he made me an Ashkenazi.

*She & her family were involved in saving from the Nazis ym"s

hundreds of families . Amongst them my Mother's hk"m entire

family.Yehi Zichrom Baruch

  

Parshas Hashovua-Nitzavim -Part 1

The Chasam Sofer (Shu"t Y.D. 356) writes:

" Re the debate of how many Ikrim we have (13 Rambam or 3 Ri Elbo etc.) I don't see what difference it makes.

The Mekubalim claim there are no such things as Ikrim. Every dot in the Torah is an Ikar.--- 

It is impossible for me to believe that one of the fundamentals in Judaism is to believe in the Geulah (Mashiach).---

It is not an Ikar or foundation to build on.

The Ikar is to believe all that is written in the Torah or the Nevi'im. There it is written about the Geulah in Parshas Nitzavim* and Ha'azinu the way the Ramban explains.

Anyone disputing the Geulah is a Kofer."

                 "ועכ"פ הגאולה וביאת המשיח איננה עיקר אבל מי שאינו מודה בו כופר בעיקר של האמנת התורה ודברי 
נביאים"Ramban Devarim 30:2

The Ramban changed his mind when he saw it.-Kever Rochel

The Ramban in Parshas Vaychi  (48-7)  writes that Rochel died and was buried
in Romo which is in the chelek of Binyomin.

The Ralbag 35-20  and the Chezkuni  48-7 both agree with this Ramban that Rochel
was buried in the chelek of Binyomin.

Shmuel (1-10-2)    Shmuel told Shaul you will find two people IM KEVURAS ROCHEL
BIGVUL BINYOMIN B’ZELZTACH (are at Kever Rochel which is within the borders
of Binyamin in Zelztach)
We see from this pasuk that Kever Rochel  is in the chelek of Binyamin.

Bais Lechem , definitely is  in the chelek of Yehudah.(Ruth 1-1)
Rashi and most  Rishonim hold that Kever Rochel is in Bais Lechem (Yehudah)

Rashi in Shmuel solves the problem and quotes a Tosefta in Sotah (11-7)   

Shmuel told Shaul the two people are now at Kever Rochel and by the time you

get there they will be at within the border of Binyamin, and not that K.Rochel

is in Chelek Binyamin.

The Ramban  in Parshas Vayishlach  writes that after he arrived in E.Y. and
saw with his own eyes K. Rochel, he changed his mind and held that K. Rochel
is less than a mil away from Bais Lechem  (Yehudah & not in Romo).


R. Binyamin from Toledo travelled to  Yerushalayim in the year 1170 and wrote in his
travel diary a short description of K. Rochel. "The matzeiva had 11 stones .
Over the matzeivah there was a dome built on four posts. All the yidden that
came by would write their names on the stones of
the  matzeiva."(graffiti on the matzeivah) .

The Ramban arrived in Eretz Yisrael in the year 1267.  Approximately 100 years
after R. Binyamin Toledo’s trip to Eretz Yisrael. The Ramban probably  saw  the
same sight and that made him change his mind  claiming this to be the real and
authentic  Kever Rochel.

There is another problem that needs to be solved, Bais Lechem is to the south of
Yerushalayim . Bavel is to the north of  Yerushalayim. When the yidden were exiled
to Bavel they would not of had to past through Kever Rochel.

GUT SHABBOS