HaRav Kaduri Mekubal

http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/18292/Rav_Kadouri_Passes_Away_At_106.html

Really neat article to read about HaRav Kaduri. I didn't realize that he was sefardi and trained as a Chacham, which is really neat. I found the article an interesting context to place his life in. I heard Rabbi Kelleman at Neve Yerushalayim speak about a personal experience he had with Rav Kaduri and in general about mekubalim and how to approach the idea of them. His personal experience was kind of wacky, but amazing. It involved ridding a girl of a 'spirit' that was bothering her. I know, it sounds really wacky, but from what he said it made it sound like there are real spiritual things that can happen.

Other things I've heard of Rav Kaduri was how sensitive he was to the feelings of others, how deeply he cared. I'm not positive if this story was about him or Rav Auerbach, but the story goes that one of them had to pasken that a couple had to divorce. I don't remember all the details, maybe he had been a cohen and she a divorcee or convert. I really don't remember, but in either case they were very much in love. He paskened that they could not stay married, and then spent the WHOLE NIGHT crying over the pain of having to have had told them to end their relationship. I found that story very touching. Because sometimes you do have to do the right thing, and it is right, and G-d has His plan and we have to trust Him even when we don't understand it. But it's so painful to have to do the right thing sometimes. Especially when it means coming in between the love of two people who truly love one another. His crying and the extent of his crying, makes me respect his answer more too. Seeing how deeply he recognized and valued their love for one another is something that makes me respect him more.