A PRAYING at kivrei tzadikim (the resting places of great spiritual giants) is a long-standing practice within our faith.

The Talmud, for example, says that this is, in fact, what Kalev did when he went to scout the holy land during the time of Moshe Rabbeinu.

In halacha, the Rama states it is the custom to pray at these places during the days leading up to Rosh Hashana.

While the Ran in his derashot (speeches) explains that there are good reasons for this.

The Mishna Berurah warns that one must not pray to the tzadik. Rather, one is asking the tzadik to intercede on his behalf upon high.

The Ran points out that the resting place of a righteous individual is also the resting place of the divine presence and therefore is a place where prayers would be more readily accepted.

Furthermore, the merits of these saintly people can influence one's prayers not only through inspiration but also by incorporating their merits into our prayers themselves.

R' Moshe Feinstein ruled in favour of such practice and compared it to asking requests during prayer from angels.

A good example for this is Friday night when we sing the famous Shalom Aleichem and during selichot we also ask the angels to carry our prayers before the Creator.

Dayan Yitzchok Weiss, formerly of the Manchester Beth Din, in his classic work Michat Yitzchak 8:53, quotes many sources against this practice but also includes many in favour. In general, he seems to say that there is no definitive approach here.

I remember when I was still a single man and I celebrated Shabbat in the holy city of Sfad, together with a large group of friends who had accompanied me there since I was to be wed the following month.

I went on Friday morning to the grave of the author of the Shulchan Aruch who rests there as well as the grave site of the holy Arizal.

There I stood and prayed for at least an hour. When I had finished one of my fellow yeshiva students scoffed at me for my prayers and called me - jokingly, I hope - a pagan worshipper.

When I returned to the yeshiva, I asked the Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Aharon Lichtenstein, about this practice.

He told me that while many would frown upon it, it cannot be forbidden since it is a long-standing custom within our nation and, after all, minhag yisroel ( Jewish custom) is holy.

The column that offers everything you always wanted to know about Judaism but were afraid to ask. Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz is minister of the Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation, Gatley, Cheshire.

E-MAIL: askrabbi@jewishtelegraph.com