What is the “Shomea Tefilla” association doing at midnight near the remains of the Temple – the Western Wall?

The place: the Western Wall, the time: midnight, dozens of Jews gather as usual at night to the most famous and holiest place in the world. Each one and his affairs, each one and his needs, one prays a prayer and one learns, one sings and one prays Maʿariv, another reads Tehillim and the last one is a tourist, taking pictures and looking around mesmerized.

Only in one corner, stands a group of Talmidei Chachamim, on their faces are seen their Yiras Hashem, but see it’s a miracle, they are not praying for themselves at all. Let’s meet, this is the “Shomea Tefilla” kollel founded by important rabbis, headed by Rabbi Reuven Zvi Kahana Shlita, and under the supervision of Rabbi Shamai Kehat HaKohen Gross Shlita, one of the most important rabbis in Jerusalem, publisher of “Shevet Kehati”, for one purpose only: to be a mouth of study and prayer, for those who are no longer able to study and pray, who need his study.

To those who passed away and did not have the privilege of leaving behind them a seed of lasting…

This is precisely why “Shomea Tefilla” kollel was founded. In the most holy and ancient place the source of all prayers, at the most sacred time midnight – that is when the gates of heaven and the gates of mercy are opened wide, at that hour when “judgment” becomes “mercy” when G-d moves from the throne of judgment to the throne of mercy.

At this exact hour, the members of the kollel gather together, people who are talmidei chachamim, who throughout the day engage in Torah and yiras shamayim, and are devoting more hours of “chesed shel emes” and study and pray before the Creator of the world, in the place of the inspiration of the Shechinah that never moves away from there, for their benefit and for the uplifting of their souls of those who did not leave a viable seed behind them.

After the special study, they devote a special hour to prayer and supplications!

Not on themselves or their family members, but on you. For those who are privileged to be partners in this noble mitzva of “chesed shel emes”. They pray a prayer that our tzadikim have established for generations, prayers and supplications that have been said for hundreds of years, including Tehillim composed by King David, and at the end of the moving prayer they mention the names and plead before the Creator of the world, with all their heart, with all their soul, and cry out for salvation.

Our holy masters have already taught us how far the power of the prayer goes, even if a bad sentence is decreed in heaven if others are praying for him it can be turned to good, and they as strangers begging for him in a place where the Shechinah has never moved, and pray for him can this prayer reach up to the heavens.

This special prayer has a special and most sublime power, when those holy and pure souls from above join in the prayers about whom we study and pray every day, they join and ask above to return a favor to those who did a favor to their souls!

The order of study and prayers

Kollel Shomea Tefilla runs every evening at midnight near the remnant of our temple, the Western Wall, and on erev shabbes and yom tov at noon, that’s 7 days a week including shabbes and yom tov.

The management of “Shomea Tefilla” has issued a special booklet for the study and prayers, which includes the Zohar chapters that speak of the greatness of the sanctity of the Western Wall, Shir Hashirim, Perek Shira, Nishmas, a special ‘Mi Shebeirach’ for the donors who wish to be remembered at the Western Wall, as well as Tikkun Chatzot and other prayers.