An Accompanying Soul

It is told that on 29 Av 5331 (1571), the day before Rosh Chodesh Elul, the Arizal told Rav Chaim Vital to go to Kfar Avnis and daven beside the kevarim of Abaye and Rova. He instructed him in the yichudim (mystical unifications) required, the material to learn and the tefillos to recite. The aim was to join his soul to those two Sages, and so understand the Torah secrets those two were taking up at that time in the Heavenly Yeshiva.

Rav Chaim set off. The sun was strong, and near the village of Biriya he stopped to rest on a pile of rocks, going over everything his master had taught him. At the kevarim he followed his instructions exactly. He davened, lay down upon the graves and concentrated on the hidden words the Arizal had prepared. All at once his heart opened, and profound secrets became clear that he could never have reached by his own effort.

Back in Tzfas he went straight to report. The Arizal was seated among the usual crowd that came to hear his lectures. Seeing Rav Chaim at the entrance, he rose, greeted him warmly and gave him a place right next to his own. Rav Chaim sensed that this meant something, because his master had never treated him with such honor. Once everyone had left, he asked what he had done to earn it.

The Arizal replied that he had risen for Benayahu ben Yehoyada, whose soul had entered together with Rav Chaim. Abaye and Rova, he said, were sparks of Benayahu's soul, the great Sage and commander in Dovid HaMelech's time, so the same program of learning and tefillah fit him as well. He then asked whether Rav Chaim had paused during the journey to review. Rav Chaim said yes. The Arizal concluded that the place of his rest must be exactly where Benayahu was buried, and that this was how the two souls had become joined.

Later the Arizal and his talmidim went around visiting many kevarim. Along the way, in the stretch from Kfar Avnis back toward Kfar Biriya, Rav Chaim spotted the same pile of rocks. The Arizal halted and told his followers that this was the kever of Benayahu ben Yehoyada. They davened there, hoping to be granted deep revelations. Only at that moment did Rav Chaim completely grasp his master's words on that eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul.