Rabbi Yisrael Najara zt"l
Author: Mikva Yisrael
Composer of famous tune Koh Ribon and many others
1 Tammuz 5133
Rabbi Yisrael Najara, lived in Zefas and was a contemporary and student of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Ari Hakadosh. He liked to walk along the river in the valley below the town. There he would compose the tunes and songs through which he expressed his love and awe to Hashem.
Once, he was attacked by a band of Arab ruffians, who upon discovering that their captive had neither money, nor wealthy relatives who would pay a ransom, promptly decided to kill him. Grudgingly, they consented to his request to be allowed to say his final prayers and play one last tune. As he played his flute, the donkeys and camels of the thieves rose on their hind legs and began to shuffle, as if dancing to the music. The robbers became terrified at the sight and fled.
Rabbi Najara, meanwhile, had become so absorbed in his music that he was oblivious to what was happening around him. Strolling back towards Zefas, he continued to play his flute. The townspeople stood mesmerized as he entered the city, followed by a procession of dancing donkeys and camels.
The Ari Hakadosh and the Shabbos Table
One Friday night the Ari Hakadosh sat at his Shabbos dinner. He was deep in thought and disturbed. He turned to two of his students and instructed them to go to the home of Rabbi Yisrael Najara. They were to pass on the following message.
When Rabbi Najara sits at his table on Shabbos and sings his holy tunes tens of thousands of Malaachim descend from Heaven to listen to his holy tunes as his tunes were made with Ruach Hakodesh.
However this particular week Rabbi Najara was sitting without his hat and his arms were uncovered. For someone on his spiritual greatness it was not befitting for him to sit like that when singing Hashem’s praises and therefore the tens of thousands of Angels had left him and gone back up to Heaven.
The Ari asked him to dress appropriately so the Malaachim could return.
Rabbi Najara was taken aback and immediately followed the orders of the Ari Hakodesh.
Shortly after the smile came back to the Ari Hakadosh’s face. The Angels had returned.
(Although we cannot learn from the behavior of such great Tzaddikim and what is expected from them. One thing we can surely learn. When we sit at our Shabbos table and sing Shabbos tunes it isn’t just some ritual of some words we have to say. We are singing the praises of Hashem composed by great Tzaddikim. So much so, it is brought down that the Shabbos tunes which are in our Zemiros Shabbos or the books of Piyutim and accepted as ‘The Shabbos tunes’ were written with Ruach Hakodesh. Maybe if we take them a little more seriously, take note of what we are doing and focus a little more on these holy words of song, maybe, we too, will merit that Angels from Heaven will descend and come to our homes to listen to our songs and praises of Hashem.)
