Son’s Dream Leads to Halt of Cemetery Excavation Near Rabbi Yehuda Deri’s Grave

A recent extraordinary incident involving the late Rabbi Yehuda Deri, a revered Sephardic Torah leader and member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, has stirred the religious community. Rabbi Deri passed away two years ago and is buried in the Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem. Last week, his son, Rabbi Yaakov Israel Deri, awoke from a disturbing dream in which his father appeared troubled and repeatedly warned, "They are disturbing my rest." Alarmed, Rabbi Yaakov Israel rushed to the cemetery to investigate.

Upon arrival, he discovered Arab workers digging very close to Rabbi Deri’s grave as part of infrastructure maintenance by the Chevra Kadisha. Concerned that the excavation might be encroaching on the sacred burial site, the family consulted Jerusalem’s leading mystics and righteous figures. They advised verifying whether the workers had crossed the grave’s boundary, as any intrusion would confirm the dream’s warning.

The next morning, Rabbi Deri’s brother-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Ben Naim, approached the workers to inquire sensitively if they had inadvertently entered the grave area. The workers initially denied any trespass, emphasizing their caution due to the site’s sanctity. However, after Rabbi Ben Naim stressed the seriousness of the matter and urged them to tell the truth, the workers confessed they had encountered a large rock during digging and had to break it with a heavy hammer. They admitted a small portion of the rock was indeed on the side of Rabbi Deri’s grave.

Frightened by the spiritual implications, the workers begged Rabbi Ben Naim to intercede and ask for forgiveness from Rabbi Deri’s soul. Rabbi Ben Naim agreed on the condition that they immediately cease work and leave the sacred area. The workers quickly completed the job and restored the site. That night, Rabbi Yaakov Israel had a second dream in which his father appeared radiant and joyful, signaling that his rest was no longer disturbed.

The family notes the entire episode, from the initial dream to the resolution, occurred on the eve of Rabbi Yehuda Deri’s yahrzeit, the 3rd of Av, adding a profound layer of significance to this spiritual event.