More than 60,000 people participated between Thursday and Friday – just before the Sabbath – in the traditional annual Hilula at the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar, known as the “Or HaChaim,” on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The event was organized by the Ministry of Religious Services, headed by Minister Michael Malchieli and Director-General Yehuda Avidan, alongside the Jerusalem Municipality and the city’s Burial Council. Security arrangements were managed by the Israel Police
In a statement summarizing the event, the police spokesperson said
“Over the past 24 hours, hundreds of officers from the Jerusalem District and Border Police, along with stewards, operated at the Or HaChaim Hilula on the Mount of Olives and within the compound itself, to maintain public order and security, regulate traffic, and ensure the safe and proper conduct of the gathering
Due to the extreme heat, large shaded areas were installed at the site, and access was permitted only via public transportation along the route from Ramot through Shmuel HaNavi to the Mount of Olives, operating until the early hours of the morning. The main road to the Mount – Derech Yericho – was closed to private vehicles, which particularly affected Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem who use that route to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers. On that same day, 50,000 worshippers attended prayers at the mosque
Or HaChaim Hilula: A spiritual magnet drawing the Jewish world to Jerusalem
The annual Hilula of the Or HaChaim is a major spiritual event that draws thousands of Jews from across the globe to Jerusalem – especially from Israel and Morocco. It’s a time to connect with the legacy of one of the greatest Torah scholars, Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar, and draw inspiration from his teachings
The massive turnout on the Mount of Olives reflects the deep spiritual influence of the Or HaChaim, whose Torah commentary continues to inspire the Jewish people 282 years after his passing
Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar (1696–1743), known as the “Or HaChaim HaKadosh” (the Holy Light of Life), was one of the most revered Torah commentators, Kabbalists, and Halachic authorities of his era – and remains widely studied to this day. Born in Salé, Morocco, into a renowned Sephardic rabbinic family, he was known from a young age for his holiness, asceticism, and tireless devotion to Torah
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His Torah commentary, Or HaChaim, received immense acclaim from all streams of Jewish life – Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Hasidic, and Lithuanian. Many attribute to him a spirit of divine inspiration. At the age of 43, he immigrated to the Land of Israel with his two wives and a group of disciples, hoping to establish a yeshiva in Jerusalem. He passed away less than a year later, on the 15th of Tammuz 5503 (July 7, 1743), and was buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem
Studying the Or HaChaim on his yahrzeit is considered a powerful spiritual act, with traditional blessings in areas such as livelihood, fertility, and healing. One well-known story tells of Rabbi Hillel Schlesinger, who had no children and was later blessed with offspring after praying at the Or HaChaim’s grave. Another tale recounts how massive prayer gatherings at the site during World War II were believed to have led to severe German defeats – a miracle that protected the Land of Israel
