The Amazing
Story of Rabbi Yochanan Banon Z”l
Link to New Movie "The Light"
The following is an incredible story of a simple Jew who was
picked from the heavens to go on a journey to teach and inspire Jews to read
and learn the Holy Zohar. At first it sounds to amazing to be real, but when
the evidence is gathered, it gives one the hope that amazing things do happen
from time to time, in order to wake us up to our real purpose in life. Rabbi Yochanan Banon who, at first was just Yochanan,
a simple Jew serving in the Israeli Police Force as an Undercover Drug Ring Officer.
Yochanan was in charge of setting up sting operations in order to ward off drug
dealers from smuggling drugs in to the State of Israel and thereby corrupting the
Jewish Youth. Approximately 12 years ago
(2001) Yochanan was diagnosed with severe depression and this caused him much
hardship in being able to maintain a normal work and social lifestyle. At the same time Yochanan recalls of having
repeated dreams with his ancestors who were beckoning him to change his
lifestyle. “Until when?” they would remark.
Although Yochanan revered his ancestors he did not pay much attention to
the message conveyed by them in his dreams. Finally, Yochanan became so depressed that He
started to seek out, how to do teshuva. He realized the He could not go on suffering
and needed help from a higher source, but what should He do? All He knew was
Shema Israel and nothing more. Yochanan then decided to contact a friend that
He considered to be religiously inclined.
After hearing his plight, Yochanan’s friend had recommended that Yochanan
go and speak to Rabbi Nissim Peretz Z”L who was then his friends Rabbi. When Yochanan met with Rabbi Peretz, He asked
the Rabbi to guide him on how to do teshuva.
Mysteriously Rabbi Peretz told Yochanan to read only the Holy Zohar,
without depth just to surface read. Yochanan then said to the Rabbi, “How will
this help me when I don’t even know any basic Halachot (laws & customs)”?
The Rabbi was adamant and replied to start with the Zohar and everything else
will come. Frustrated, Yochanan heeded
the instructions of Rabbi Peretz who was a revered Torah sage and Mekubal. And for
the next couple of months Yochanan did just that, read the Zohar. After 2 month
or so, Yochanan became extremely frustrated due to the fact that He did not
understand a word of the Zohar and because He still did not know any basic
Halacha in order to guide himself toward teshuva. His depression then only increased and
Yochanan began to beseech Hashem repeatedly for salvation where He would spends
days and nights crying from the depths of his heart. He begged Hashem to take away
the depression which He could not tolerate anymore. One night having temporarily giving up on the Zohar,
Yochanan decided to read the Gemara instead.
After a few unsuccessful attempts Yochanan fell asleep in sadness and
had the following dream.
In the dream, Yochanan was taken up to Shamayim (Heaven) and was introduced to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the Tanaic sage who authored the Holy Zohar over 2000 years ago. After having what seemed like a very long discussion, Yochanan was then led to meet his Grandfather who had asked for Yochanan to partake in some food which ended up being, pages from the Zohar. When Yochanan woke up from his dream, he was a changed man with a new future. Yochanan then realized that his dream was not just a vision or message but an infusion (Matrix Style) on the knowledge of all the Zohar and Holy Kabbalistic teachings. Unbelievably when Yochanan opened up the Zohar now He not only understood the surface of the Holy texts meaning, He also could see deep within and extract its inner most secrets. Dumbfounded by this revelation Rabbi Yochanan became a Holy Mekubal overnight and began a new career in teaching and distributing the holly teachings of the Zohar. For the next ten years the Rabbi Yochanan worked endlessly to fulfill what He considered the wishes of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai from Heaven.
Rabbi Yochanan established the website called, “living with theZohar” and had numerous appearance on Israel radio broadcast station such as Radio 2000 and also established a presence of Facebook.
It was during these special recorded visits by the Holminer Rebbe that to bedside of Rabbi Yochanan that we able to record and compile all this detailed information not only of the above dream of Rabbi Yochanan (that took place 10 years prior) but also detailed account of his clinical death experience which include a special message the Rabbi Yochanan Banon brought back from the Olam Haemet.
Unfortunately while we were compiling all the video and audio
recordings and writing all that was discussed by Rabbi Banon, Rabbi Yochanan Banon
Z”L had passed away in the Hospital on June 19th, 2013.
Please watch the Movie show here about Rabbi Yochan’s story
which was narrated by himself 2 months prior to his passing.
And please share with others, so that his Neshama may have an Aliya.
With Blessings
21th Iyar, 5774
Ramat Bet Shemesh ,Israel
