Chanan Hanechba
Hebrew: | |
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חנן הנחבא | |
Other Names: | |
Chanan the Hidden One | |
Spelling: | |
Hanechbah, Hanecheba | |
Kever: | |
Chatzor | |
Description: | |
A Tana known for his ability to pray for rain and be answered. |
Chanan Hanechba was an early Tana living at the end of the Second Temple. Just like his grandfather Choni Hameagel, he also possessed the ability to successfully pray for rain. Chanan Hanechba was known for his humbleness and would hide himself to avoid receiving honor or positions of power.
Contents |
[edit] Chanan the Hidden
Chanan Hanechba can be translated as 'Chanan the Hidden' this is due to his history of hiding for multiple reasons throughout his life. Despising honor, Chanan Hanechba would hide each time the Sages sent him messengers to pray for rain. Once the Sages decided to appoint Chanan Hanechba to an important public position. Due to his great humility Chanan Hanechba concealed himself until they gave up on the idea.
Chanan Hanechba was also forced to go into hiding due to Hurdese's massacre of the Sages. Additionally, due to his great holiness Chanan Hanechba would go above and beyond what is required by Halacha to modestly conceal himself when he had to make use of the restroom.
[edit] Bringer of Rain
Chanan Hanechba inherited the ability to pray for rain and be answered from his grandfather Choni Hamagel and during years of drought he was approached by the nation to do so. Knowing that he would conceal himself if a petition of Torah scholars were sent his way, the Sages would instead send school children to beg him to intercede on their behalf. These young children would come to Chanan Hanechba and grab the edge of his garment crying "Father, Father give us rain". He would then pray to Hashem and say "Act in merit of those that do not know the difference between a father that can give rain and a father that can not give rain."
[edit] Family
Chanan Hanechba was the son Choni HaM'agel's daughter while his first cousin Aba Chilkiya was Choni's grandchild through his son. All three had the ability to bring down rain through their prayers to Hashem.
[edit] Kever Chanan Hanechba
Chanan Hanechba is buried along with his first cousin Aba Chilkiya in Chatzor. In recent times his kever was marked in a cave at the foot of road leading down the hill from Kever Choni Hameagel. Yisroel Meir Gabbai and Ohali Tzadikim dispute this location, saying based on their research of early visitor diaries, the kevarim of Aba Chilkiya and Chanan Hanecheba are located in a cave on the summit of a nearby mountain instead.