The Beth El academy of Jerusalem constituted over centuries the royalty of Rabbinic Judaism within the Sepharadic and Mizrahi communities, with an influence reaching from Morocco to Yemen and India. Among the luminaries of Beth El, the central figure of the Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Sharabi (1720-1777) reigns supreme. His opus magnum, in two volumes called Rehovot haNahar, (widening of the River) and Nahar Shalom (River of peace) have had an impact on Jewish spirituality comparable to Darwin or Einstein in the world of physics. Generations of seriously brilliant masters and students, all the way to our times have been pondering over the Rashash (initials for Rabbi Shalom Sharabi) highly specialised language. What these teachings are based upon, is the general dynamic picture of Zohar’s view on Torah commandments.Even before one approached the teachings of the Beth El academy, one had to be well advanced in Zohar and its commentaries, and be otherwise fluent in all matters of Law, Talmud, and Midrash. Such questions were approached by the Beth El academy: when do we refrain from doing certain meditations, since the higher realms themselves are active at providing the universe with these meditative lights ?
In other words, at which times is it the turn of humans to participate from below in the Heavenly Choir? Such questions may seem unrelated to common people’s reality, but for the Hasidey Beth El, these were very important matters affecting their daily realities.
The Beth El way of life was filled with detailed meditation, called Kavanot, on virtually every aspect of life. These included Torah study, night time communal prayers of mourning over the Jerusalem Temple destruction, austerities such as fasting, and even meditations during such activities as eating, all leading to a greater inner peace and divine enlightenment. The teachers of Beth El are venerated saints, who become places of pilgrimage for thousands of Jews who seek healing and comforting.
Many stories of miraculous recoveries, are attributed to visiting them.
If one cannot visit their holy places, one can light a candle in their memory and ask Hashem to intercede in their merit, just as Moses mentioned the merit of Abraham Isaac and Jacob in his prayer for forgiveness. Among the great holy leaders of Beth El:
Rabbi Gedaliyah Hayyun
Rabbi Shalom Sharabi
Rabbi David Majar
Rabbi Hayim Yosef David Azoulay
Rabbi Yom Tov Algazi
Hay baShemesh: Rabbi Hizqiyah Isaac Sharabi
Divrey Shalom: Rabbi Abraham Shalom Sharabi
Torat Hakham: Rabbi Hayim Di La Roza.
Rabbi Rafael Yedidiya Abulafia
Rabbi Shalom Hadaya
Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi
Rabbi Isaac Kaduri
Rabbi Isaac Alfiye
Rabbi Shalom Moshe Hai Gaguin