He Surrendered a Rare Spiritual Bond — And the Solution That Arrived Two Decades Later, Moments Before His Passing
The passing of the great mekubal and tzaddik, Chacham Moshe Chaim Aryeh zt”l, earlier this week left an immense void in the world of Torah and avodah. Yet alongside the grief emerged an extraordinary life-lesson — a story that encapsulated his unwavering faith, his boundless dedication to mitzvos, and a spiritual test that spanned twenty long years until its miraculous conclusion just hours before his soul returned to its Maker.
Family members, talmidim, and countless visitors who came during the shivah shared accounts of his hidden greatness, quiet devotion, and the radiant light he carried. But one story — the final chapter of his life — stood above all, offering a powerful lesson in emunah, love, and the absolute supremacy of kibbud av.
Among those who knew him, it was well known that Rabbi Moshe Chaim Aryeh shared an unusually deep spiritual connection with the saintly Rav Sasson Mizrachi zt”l, a bond reminiscent of “v’nafsho keshurah b’nafsho.” Their relationship was rooted entirely in Torah, yiras Shamayim, and shared holiness.
After serving for two decades as mashgiach in Yeshivas Porat Yosef–Geulah under the leadership of Chacham Yehuda Tzadka, Rav Moshe Chaim was urged by Rav Sasson to leave the yeshiva world and instead devote himself to the chinuch of bnos Yisroel, establishing schools built on deep purity and Torah values.
Rav Moshe Chaim hesitated. “What will be with my olam haba?” he asked his revered rebbi. Rav Sasson, perceiving both the need of the generation and the unique mission awaiting his talmid, persisted — and then made an extraordinary offer.
He proposed a written pact: each would grant the other “half of his World to Come,” joining their spiritual destinies forever. This rare agreement gave Rav Moshe Chaim the strength to begin the Orah v’Simchah educational network for girls in Yerushalayim.
To complete their partnership, the two purchased adjacent burial plots in the Sanhedria cemetery. When Rav Sasson passed away in 1998, he was buried in his place — while the neighboring grave meant for Rav Moshe Chaim remained empty.
But life brought an unexpected test.
About twenty years ago, Rav Moshe Chaim’s father, Rav Chaim Yitzchak Aryeh zz”l, passed away. To fulfill the mitzvah of kibbud av, he made a stunning decision: he relinquished his own burial plot, the one designated beside his revered teacher, and gave it to his father.
“Kibbud horim comes before everything,” he declared.
With that, the family began a long and grueling search for a new grave in Sanhedria — a search that repeatedly met the same response: “There is no space. It is impossible.” For two decades, their efforts led nowhere.
But Rav Moshe Chaim remained completely calm.
“Do you think Hashem doesn’t know where I’m supposed to be buried?” he told his children. “The place is already reserved. Everything is fine. Hashem forgets no one.”
His serenity stood in stark contrast to the family’s anxious attempts. Again and again he asked them, “Do you believe or not? If you believe, it will happen.”
And then — everything changed.
On Thursday, 7 Kislev, just four days before his passing, one of the sons met by chance with a friend who had once tried to help secure a plot. The son asked him to try once more, explaining that he had promised his father.
At 3:30 that afternoon came an astonishing phone call: “A spot has just now opened,” the friend said in disbelief. “They told me it’s becoming available at this very moment. Send your father’s ID immediately!”
The paperwork was arranged, and on Sunday afternoon the family finalized the purchase of the long-awaited plot.
When they informed the Rav, he did not express surprise. His expression conveyed only one message: This was always part of the plan.
That night, he ate supper as usual. But later that evening, some food entered his lungs, and he was rushed to the hospital. The doctors warned the family to prepare. Early Monday morning, 11 Kislev, Rav Moshe Chaim Aryeh returned his pure soul to Heaven — and was buried in the very plot that had been secured only days earlier.
Thursday: the discovery.
Sunday: the purchase.
Monday morning: the burial.
A sequence orchestrated with perfect precision, as though Heaven had waited for the exact moment to reveal what had been prepared all along.
The Eternal Messages1. From kibbud av, one never loses.
Rav Moshe Chaim surrendered an unparalleled spiritual privilege — being buried beside his rebbe, a partner in eternal reward — to honor his father. His choice teaches that kibbud av v’em overrides personal aspirations, even lofty spiritual ones. And in the end, he lost nothing; Heaven returned to him exactly what he needed, in miraculous fashion.
2. Everything is already decreed; our role is to trust.
For twenty years, the family faced endless refusals. Yet the Rav remained steadfast: “Hashem knows exactly where I need to be buried.” His unwavering faith opened the gates of salvation in the most dramatic way possible.
3. For tzaddikim, miracles are simply the natural order.
While the family marveled at the timing and the impossibility of the events, the Rav accepted it with calm simplicity. As the Ramban writes, everything — even what appears “natural” — is a direct expression of Hashem’s will. The Rav lived with that truth every moment of his life.
{Matzav.com}
