It was a warm, sunny day in Krakow, July this year. I'd been in Krakow's market square, wandering along the stalls with paintings etc, when one of the drawings displayed on sale drew my attention. - It was a picture of an old Rabbi sitting next to big desk on which he spread a sheet with a glyph of the Tree of Life. Behind the Rabbi there is a window with a view of the city. The Rabbi holds a candle in his right hand. The picture emanates power, wisdom and beauty and is so different from the others... I asked the sales woman how much it is and then she told me a story about the picture and the Rabbi...
-His name was Nathan Nata Spira. He was born around 1584 and died 20 July 1633. He moved to Krakow in his thirties when he was called to the rabbinate of the city. Nathan accepted the call but refused the salary. He was one of very first Rabbis studying practical Cabala in Poland, well known for his studies on Cabala as well as having a great memory and power. Nathan Spira was always studying at night, so the candle was lighting in the window of his office every night. One night people noticed there was no candle in his window, they knew he'd died.
-After his death people used to visit his grave and tell him their worries. The belief was that by telling him their worries in this way their problems would disappear or solve themselves. These day's there's nothing left of his grave. It is only known that he was buried within the grounds of a small Jewish graveyard in 'Kazimierz'- the Jewish district of Krakow.
The most amazing story about him is the one about his nephew. -Nathan had a nephew who really hated him. He regular visited Nathan only to argue and vent his bad feelings on the Rabbi. Once he came to rabbi's house, when Nathan was working in his office room. He instructed his wife and children, that he can not be disturbed during the work and studies. Nathan's wife tried to stop the furious nephew and explain her husband's will, but he didn't listen and rushed upstairs, to Nathan's office. He opened the door and fell dead on the floor as he saw Nathan talking to Arch Angel Michael. I think, this story is just lovely! :)
-I was very grateful to that lady for telling me all this. She also mentioned that the drawing I just bought possesses magical powers and it's a great protection against evil spirits, if put in a nice place somewhere in the home. I tried to search for more information about Nathan Spira, but there's very little on him, on the net. I only managed to find short note on http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com . There's a couple of people with this surname, but only one of them matches the date of death:
24. Nathan Nata Spira: Son of Solomon Spira and grandson of Nathan Nata Spira (No. 23); born about 1584; died July 20, 1633. In 1617 he was called to the rabbinate of Cracow, where, being well-to-do, he refused to accept a salary. He was gifted with an extraordinary memory, and devoted much time to the study of the Cabala. He wrote a cabalistic commentary on the prayer of Moses in Deut. iii. 24, and two prayers, under the title "Megalleh 'Amuḳḳot" (Cracow, 1637; Fürth, 1691). He published also novellæ to Alfasi's work which were printed with it (Amsterdam, 1720). Bibliography: Azulai, l.c. i. 148; De Rossi-Hamberger, l.c. p. 301; Steinschneider, l.c. col. 2049; Zunz, Monatstage, p. 41; Zedner, l.c. p. 610; I. M. Zunz, 'Ir ha-Ẓedeḳ, pp. 52, 176 (contains Spira's epitaph).
Keywords: Jewish Cabala