JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Deep in the Ben Shemen pine forest near the towns of Modiin and Modiin Illit lies an ancient structure with a dome. The structure was named in Arabic Hirbet Al-Arbawi and in Hebrew Hurvat Ha’Gardi, named for one of the Hasmonean sons, Yochanan Ha’Gardi. The imposing structure and its location led scholars to wonder whether it had any connection to the Maccabees.
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About 25 years ago, four yeshiva students from the Tshibin yeshiva and other chasidic yeshivos visited the structure and decided as a practical joke to set up a matzevah (headstone) and write that this is the tomb of Matityahu ben Yochanan Kohen Gadol. The four headed to Har Hamenuchos, purchased a headstone and engraved the words: Tomb of Matisyahu ben Yochanan. They added cement and a logo of the Aguda Le’Ma’an Kivrei Tzadikim (Association for preserving tombs of the righteous), a fictitious organization, and left the site.
Little did they know that people would begin to take their actions seriously. Numerous rabbis and public figures came to pray at the site, candles were lit, pictures were placed and especially on Chanukah every year, streams of people come to dance and pray at what they believe to be the tomb of the father of the Maccabees. People even began to believe that they had experienced miraculous salvations there.
Recently Mishpacha magazine decided to burst the balloon, revealing that the tomb is a fictitious creation of four young boys and has no credibility as the tomb of Matisyahu. One of the original Bochurim, Rav Shmuel Frankel, who is now in his 40s, said that “We wanted to make a tomb for tourists to com. Had we known how this would develop, its obvious we wouldn’t have done it.”
“Numerous rabbis and public figures came to pray at the site, candles were lit, pictures were placed and especially on Chanukah every year, streams of people come to dance and pray at what they believe to be the tomb of the father of the Maccabees. People even began to believe that they had experienced miraculous salvations there”.
This is too funny. LOL. One of the best pranks ever. Suckers.
Maybe next we’ll hear that Reb Nachman is buried nowhere even near the Ukraine, nevermind Uman. Haha.
Hashem has good hearing, kaveyachol. He can hear your tefilos just as well from anywhere.
Nobody could figure out that the tombstone and the writing on it looked far too new and contemporary for it to be legitimate?
Sheker isn’t a joke. It’s a lav in the Torah.
This story is just too funny. It just shows how foolish people can be when they run to get easy solutions to their problems. (The fact that the matzeivah looked new could have meant that it was erected in recent times even if the kever was an authentic old kever).
There are many kevarim in E”Y that people go to that are not verified to be authentic. The running to kevarim and following dubious segulos has gotten out of control and are just making money for alot of people and organizations, on the backs of people who are seeking yeshuos. Religion made easy.
Some bochurim in Biet V’gan did the same some 35-40 years ago. they put a sign in a vacant field near Kiryat Yoval saying it was the resting place of a tzadik and any one who davens here for 40 days straight will have their prayer answered.
when the rosh yeshiva heard months later what they had done, he had it removed.
This story was published in the Hebrew mishpacha abut 3-4 weeks ago
We Jews do not believe in the need for an intermediary. Someone once explained to me that if we are are at a holy place ( the Kotel, Ma-Arat HaMachpela etc) or by kever of a holy person, OUR prayers will be more inspired. This is my understanding for davening by a Kaver of a Gadol.
A prayer can be heard anywhere that’s clean, all the more so at the Kosel or any shul = mikdash me’at. At least we now can confirm: no one violated the transgression “Doreish el HaMeisim” at that spot.
Reb Nachmaú9m is buried in the fourth cave of the sixth hill before you reach Meron coming from Zefas. That is well known and that is why you so many hold Breslovers in Meron.
Praying at graves and expecting miracles is heresy