Beit El Synagogue

The Beit El Synagogue ("House of God" synagogue), (also known as Midrash Hasidim [School of the Devout] and Yeshivat haMekubalim [Yeshiva of the Kabbalists]) has been (and remains to this day) the center of kabbalistic study in Jerusalem for over 250 years.

The yeshiva was founded in 1737 by Rabbi Gedaliah Hayon, originally from Constantinople, for the study of kabbalah in the Holy City. In the 1740s, a gifted young man named Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi arrived in Jerusalem from Yemen. He studied at Beit El and over time became an outstanding scholar and kabbalist. At the behest of Rabbi Hayon, he was appointed head of the yeshiva.

Under Sharabi’s leadership the yeshiva grew and became one of the main yeshivas in Jerusalem. Catering for roughly forty scholars, who were from both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities, these sages' only interest was to strive for higher levels of holiness and purity through the service of God. Rabbi Hayon had organized the life of the yeshiva around its prayer services, which through mystical communion with God would bring the scholars closer to understanding the secret teachings of Kabbalah. Rabbi Sharabi initiated regulations, orders and kawanot ("intentions") of the daily prayers according to the Nahar Shalom prayer book (Salonika, 1806/5566) which he authored, continuing the teachings of the famed Arizal and following its cosmological approach. While incorporating profound kabbalistic symbolism, entreaties and thoughts/meditations, his system provides all intent and purpose of the mechanisms of prayer. Known today as the Siddur haRashash, it stayed, together with the Etz `Haim of Rabbi `Haim Vital, at the center of all kabbalistic studies in the yeshiva.

The scholars were divided into four groups. The first awoke at midnight to say Tikkun Hatzot and learn the Kabbalah of the Arizal until dawn. The second delved into the works of the Arizal from after shacharit (morning prayers) until midday. The third group learnt the Mishna with Rabbi Ovadia mi’Bartenura’s commentary from midday till nightfall. After ma’ariv (evening prayers) the fourth set of scholars would arrive and learn the Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch.

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Wikipedia