Yidden have been traveling to the kever (gravesite) of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness in Teveriah for centuries. This guide covers the location, directions, hours, and minhagim (customs) to help you prepare for your visit. Visiting the kever is not tourism; it is an act of emunah (faith), walking in the footsteps of generations who brought their worries to this makom kadosh (holy place) and found comfort.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness → Donate
A Brief Word on the Kever
The tomb sits on a hillside in southern Teveriah, above the western shore of the Kinneret, marked by two domed structures — one for Ashkenazi tefillah and one for Sephardim — built over the ancient burial cave. Rabbi Meir was a fourth-generation Tanna and a leading talmid of Rabbi Akiva, and the site has been venerated for centuries. For the full account of his life, why his kever carries such kedushah, and the Torah sources behind davening here, see the history and holiness of the kever.
Location and Directions
The kever is in the southern part of Teveriah, on the hillside above the city. If you are driving, the site is well signposted from Route 90, the main road running along the western shore of the Kinneret. There is parking near the entrance, though it fills quickly on busy days, especially around the hilula period and Erev Shabbos.
If you are coming by bus, Egged and other lines serve Teveriah from Yerushalayim, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Tzfas. From the Teveriah central bus station, the kever is a short taxi or bus ride up the hill. Many visitors combine the trip with other kevarim in the area, including those of the Rambam, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Akiva.
Hours and Practical Details
The kever is generally open from early morning until the evening, most days of the year, with visiting hours typically running from around 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Sunday through Thursday. It is always wise to confirm current hours before traveling. On Erev Shabbos the site closes before candle-lighting and reopens on Motzaei Shabbos.
There is no admission fee. The site is maintained by the chevra kadisha (burial society) of Teveriah and supported in part by donations, and separate entrances and sections are provided for men and women. During the hilula period the site stays open around the clock and draws enormous crowds.
What to Do When You Arrive
When you walk through the entrance, you will pass through a courtyard area. Take a moment there to prepare yourself for tefillah (prayer) before entering. Inside, the atmosphere is one of intense kavanah (focused intention): people stand or sit near the kever, saying Tehillim (Psalms) quietly or speaking to Hashem in their own words. There is no single “right” way to daven here; sincerity is what matters.
Many people bring a written list of names of family and friends who need a yeshuah (salvation), mentioning each one as they daven, and some bring written kvittlach (prayer notes). A common minhag is to recite specific kapitlach of Tehillim; if you are unsure which to say, simply open a Tehillim and begin, for Hashem knows who you are davening for. It is a widespread minhag to say “Elokah d’Meir aneni” — G-d of Meir, answer me! — at the kever; you can read more about the cry of Elokah d’Meir aneni and its source in the Gemara.
Giving tzedakah at the kever is part of the mesorah, and you will find pushkes (charity boxes) inside and nearby. Many people give specifically to Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities, which supports Torah scholars and the needy in Teveriah and throughout Eretz Yisroel. Yidden have relied on the pairing of tefillah and tzedakah at this makom kadosh for generations.
The Annual Hilula {#hilula}
The hilula (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness takes place on the 14th of Iyar, Pesach Sheini, during Sefiras HaOmer between Pesach and Shavuos. On the night of the hilula the kever is transformed: tens of thousands of people come, candles burn everywhere, and the sound of Tehillim and tefillos fills the air continuously. There is singing, and vendors line the streets outside selling food, sefarim, and pushkes.
There is an old mesorah that davening and giving tzedakah at the kever on the night of the hilula is an especially powerful eis ratzon (auspicious time). If you cannot be there in person, you can still participate: Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities arranges for talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars) to daven at the kever on behalf of those who submit names, at no cost.
Connecting to the Kever From Anywhere
Even if you cannot travel to Eretz Yisroel, you can still connect to the kever, since the mesorah of Rabbi Meir does not require physical presence. For centuries, Yidden in the diaspora have given tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus and called out “Elokah d’Meir aneni” from wherever they were — the pushke in the home, the coin before a tefillah, the donation in a moment of crisis.
Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities, founded in 1799 and based in Teveriah, supports Torah scholars and the poor in Eretz Yisroel, and the talmidei chachamim associated with it daven at the kever regularly. When you give through this organization, you link yourself to a chain of tzedakah and tefillah that has run through this place for over two hundred years.
Submit a Free Prayer Request Talmidei chachamim in Teveriah will daven for you by name at the kever, at no cost. If you would like to give tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus as well, your kindness will rise together with your tefillah. → Submit a request
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the kever open every day? The site is open most days, generally from early morning until evening, and around the clock during the hilula. It closes on Erev Shabbos before candle-lighting and reopens on Motzaei Shabbos. Confirm current hours before traveling.
Is there a fee to visit? No. There is no admission fee. The site is maintained by the chevra kadisha of Teveriah and supported by donations.
What should I say when I get to the kever? You can say Tehillim, daven in your own words, and recite “Elokah d’Meir aneni.” Many bring a written list of names of those who need a yeshuah.
Can I send a prayer request if I cannot visit in person? Yes. You can submit a free prayer request, and talmidei chachamim will daven for you by name at the kever.
Is it permissible to daven at the kever according to halachah? Yes. The practice is rooted in the Gemara and codified by the poskim. We do not daven to the tzaddik; we ask Hashem to answer us in his zechus. See the history and holiness of the kever for the sources.
A Brachah for Your Visit
May your tefillah be received with rachamim (mercy), and may the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness open the gates of shamayim for whatever you need. In the merit of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, may you be blessed with Bracha and Hatzlochah.
