Lights Out: Israel Electric Shuts Off Power To Maimonides' Grave

The Israel Electric Corporation has cut power to the gravesite of the preeminent philosopher and Torah sage Maimonides - also known as the Rambam - in Tiberias, a site visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. Last week, hundreds of Chabad devotees visited the site. "The worshippers discovered, to their surprise, that the electrical supply to the area was cut off. This was a huge crowd, which had to wander to the site through darkness."

 

IEC pulls the plug on Maimonides' grave over huge unpaid electric bill
According to the IEC, the state-sanctioned religious preservation agency responsible for the grave has run up a NIS 40,000 debt, which it has so far refused to pay.
By Eli Ashkenazi • Ha’aretz

The Israel Electric Corporation has cut power to the grave site of the preeminent philosopher and Torah sage Maimonides - also known as the Rambam - in Tiberias, a site visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The lack of electricity has forced the organization that operates the site to close it down in the evening.

According to the IEC, the state-sanctioned religious preservation agency responsible for the grave has run up a NIS 40,000 [$11,553] debt, which it has so far refused to pay.

"A debt has indeed been amassed due to electricity consumption over the course of many months," the IEC said in a statement. "The debt has not been paid, and thus the IEC has been forced to discontinue the flow of electricity to the area. We will be happy to resume the supply of power following repayment of the debt."

The deputy director-general of the preservation agency, Rabbi Israel Deri, confirmed that his organization does in fact owe the electricity company money.

"The debt we are being asked to pay is upwards of NIS 40,000," he said. "This is a debt that has accrued over the course of only 10 months, and we do not understand how it accumulated. The cost of electricity at the Rambam's grave site runs somewhere near NIS 1,000 per month. We will look into this matter and once we receive answers, we will then settle the debt."

"We are not able to pay this amount of money," Deri added. "We asked the IEC to check if somebody rerouted power from the grave illegally. If this is so, then that person needs to pay the bill."

Maimonides is believed to have died in Egypt in 1204, with his remains relocated to present-day Israel for burial seven years later. According to legend, his students loaded the body onto the back of a camel and followed it until it reached Tiberias.

Many visitors who make pilgrimages to the Rambam's burial site do so after sundown as part of a series of stops at the grave sites of famed Jewish sages. Last week, hundreds of Chabad devotees visited the site to celebrate the reading of Maimonides' famed work Mishneh Torah.

"The worshippers discovered, to their surprise, that the electrical supply to the area was cut off," said Haim Hatzav, a Tiberias native and one of the visitors to the site. "This was a huge crowd, which had to wander to the site through darkness."

"This was truly embarrassing," Hatzav continued. "It was difficult to explain to the devotees how this important grave site in the heart of Tiberias doesn't have electricity."

Comments

[David]

Just WHAT is it about Charedim and not paying utility bills? And the power disconnection could not have been a surprise. I'm sure they received numerous warning letters.

[yidandahalf]

They shouldn't have had any problem finding their way since they have been wandering in the darkness for sometime now. And anyway electricity is a goyishe invention they shouldn't have to pay.

[jay]

Ramban was a passionate advocate of rationalism, education and science. If he could see what his people have become, it would kill him.

[Maskil]

If this happened in Gaza or Mea Shearim the IEC wouldn't dare cut the electricity. Duplicitous bastards!

[Adam Neira]

Maimonides very clearly outlines the Twelfth Article of Faith in the Mishne Torah. The Messianic era will be a time of abundance. This comprises generous energy supplies for all nations. The State of Israel operates on about 7500 Kwh per capital. The other countries in the region are at a much lower level. As evidenced by this case there is obviously an energy deficit even in Israel. The economy is humming along quite well with a 5.4% growth rate last year but there must be pockets of lack. The Ramban's gravesite should be supplied with sufficient power.

[jay]

No, this doesn't in any way indicate an energy deficit in Israel. It indicates that they haven't paid their electric bill.

[jay]

Maskil, you're off base . Israel cut off electricity to Gaza on occasions in '07, '08 and '09.

[who knows]

Paying bills? Phe, how non-spiritual!

[YbM]

i think what happened there, was that the rambam z'l saw who was coming to visit, and thought, oy, broch! those minim again. and he himself switched off the light.
hundreds of them?
besides what's the strategy about nocturnal visits to graves? need more proof that those minim are among the deuyresh el hameissim?

[effie]

Running around in graveyards at night is really a stupid practice.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Per IEC's website, average electricity in Israel sells for the equivalent of 10.12 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour. I figure their daily consumption is about 380 kilowatt hours per day. That is a lot of juice for a gravesite:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Keverambam.jpg

But, a little digging indicates there is a 'Setton Family Hospitality Center' right next to the grave site.

If the Hospitality Center also lost their power, then they didn't pay their bills. If that is just the tab from the gravesite, then someone ran a cable from their house to the grave site meter to steal power.

[Shmarya]

The gravesite is located in a large building.

[ah-pee-chorus]

Ramban was a passionate advocate of rationalism, education and science. If he could see what his people have become, it would kill him.Posted by: jay

jay- i'm not sure if you typed rambaN on purpose or as i would guess
meant rambaM. in any case, rambam called for killing jewish apostates and apikorsim, so i dont think he was as rational as his reputation suggests.
this from his commentary on the Mishnah, Tractate Hulin chapter one,

"apostates, Sadducees, and Boethusians, since their views are so evil, are to be killed, so that they would not lead the Jews to lose their faith -- as had already happened to many people in Western lands.' ".

[effie]

Thanks, Shmarya. I'm trying to figure out why the bill is so high. Looking at photos, it appears to be similar to a small museum. There also appears to be souvenir shops on the grounds. I assume there are also staff offices. Still, either power is very expensive in Israel or they didn't pay the bill for a very long time.

[jay]

Ah-pee-chorus- you're right, it was a typo. My apologies. I never meant to state that it was Nachmanides.

Yes, Rambam also called for the execution of Gentile girls over the age of three who had sex with Jewish men.

However on the issue of science: contemporary vs. talmudic, he was quite rational. He did make it clear that that contemporary science is always to be respected and accepted.

[A E ANDERSON]

But who needs electric light when the light of the great Frenk's soul continues to illuminate the paths of righteousness to our time and that of the Righteous Redeemer, May He Come Speedily in Our Days, under four cubits, Amen, Selah.

[Jeff]

"This was truly embarrassing," Hatzav continued. "It was difficult to explain to the devotees how this important grave site in the heart of Tiberias doesn't have electricity."

What's embarrassing is that they pray at the graves of those they consider to be saints. They've turned Judaism into a death cult (like another religion, which they ridicule).

[David]

What's embarrassing is that they pray at the graves of those they consider to be saints. They've turned Judaism into a death cult (like another religion, which they ridicule).

What's even worse is what goes on at the Lubavitcher Rebbe's grave. People actually sleep in the nearby Ohel house in order to keep him company I presume. I am not sure if they count the Rebbe in a minyan or not. Does anyone know?

[ML]

I'm sure the grave site was fine for the centuries before there was electricity there.