Yahrtzeit of the RaSHaSH (Rabbi Shalom Sharabi)

Received by email from our friend, David Friedman

L’iluy Nishmas Ahron ben Dovid Shimon Halevi z'l - 9 Kislev 5771L'iluy Nishmas Moshe Chaim z'l ben Berel Velvel n’y - 8 Kislev 5772

10 Shevat (Sunday night/Monday) is the yahrtzeit of the RaSHaSh, Rav Sholom ben Yitzchok Sharabi, zatzal, one of the greatest masters of Kabbalah and a contemporary of the Maggid of Mezeritch. 

The RaSHaSH was born in 1720 C.E. in Sana'a, Yemen, but eventually moved to Eretz Yisroel -- by way of India, Baghdad and Damascus. He passed away in 1777 C.E. and is buried on Har Hazeisim (Mount of Olives), Jerusalem. 

He left this world on Shabbos, Parshas Bo, which ends off with the promise that HaShem will bring us to the Holy Land. His moving to Eretz Yisrael is alluded to by the words in that verse "כי יבאך ד׳ אל ארץ הכנעני" with the kolel -- as they are numerically equal to שלום בן יצחק (Shalom ben Yitzchak).

The RaSHaSH was founder and head of the illustrious Kabbalah yeshivah in Jerusalem, Beis E-L. Two of his many great disciples were the CHIDA (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azoulai) and Reb Gershon Kitover, brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov. He is known to have reached his level of understanding the secrets of the Torah by pure tireless immersion in Torah.

It is said that the initials of his name, רבי שלום בן יצחק ("Rabbi Shalom ben Yitzchak"), spell רשב״י ("RaSHBY," an acronym for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai). However, on his gravestone, it calls him הרש״ש ("Ha-RaSHaSH"), the name by which he is best known. This is exactly equal to רבן שמעון בן יוחא ("Rabban Shimon Bar Yochai"). 

There is a special lengthy prayer known as the "Aneinu [Answer us!] of the RaSHaSH," which he composed to atone for all the sins associated with the weeks of Shovavim, which one may have done in this or previous gilgulim. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov quotes the Arizal, who says that the first letters of השתחוו לי־ק־ו־ק בהדרת קדש ("bow down to HaShem on His holy mountain") spell קבלה ("Kabbalah"). (Likutey Mohoran 11, 6) The word השתחוו ("bow down") is equal to שלום בן יצחק זיע״א ("Shalom ben Yitzchak, zy"a") with the kollel. The gematria of the letters לי־ק־ו־ק ("Le-Y-H-V-H") equal 56, the number of days in the weeks of שובבים ת״ת (Shovavim-TaT, the weeks from the Torah readings of Shemos to Mishpatim). 

Zekhuso Yogen Oleinu!