Rabbi Hayon had organized the life of the yeshiva around prayer services, which through mystical communion with God would bring the scholars closer to understanding the secret teachings of Kabbalah.

[2] As the yeshiva's reputation spread it attracted prominent rabbis, among them were Chaim Joseph David Azulai, Avraham Gershon of Kitov, Menachem Mendel of Shklov and Yom Tov Algazi.

In 1757, Rabbi Sharabi chose twelve select disciples who were to form a special group called Ahavat Shalom (love of peace).

Part of the document reads: "..all twelve of us shall be as one glorious soul…that if God forbid one of us encounters misfortune, we will all assist him.." One of the stipulations was that if a son was born to one of the group, three members would go to learn Torah by the newborn's side every night until its circumcision to act as a safeguard for the child.

In 1974, six years after the liberation of the Jewish Quarter, on the very site of the former Beit El yeshiva in the Old City, the Beit El Yeshiva was re-established (at first under the cryptic name Rishpei Esh,[5] as understood from the Shir haShirim) under the aegis of Rabbi Meir Yehuda Guez, a noted kabbalist, who until his death was the official rabbi of the Western Wall area.

On 13 September 1995, a ceremony took place celebrating the completion of refurbishment to the yeshiva in the Old City, at this time also renamed Yeshivat HaMekubalim Beit El.

[6] Upon Rabbi Guez's death, his foremost student (talmid muvhaq) was chosen as Rosh Yeshiva of the Old City site.