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BORUCH DAYAN EMMES: MARAN POSEK HADOR, HAGON HARAV ELYASHIV ZATZAL


The verdict was given and Am Yisrael is compelled to accept the decree, that Maran Posek HaDor HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv ZATZAL has been called by the Heavenly Court. The news was released to the tzibur just a few moments ago.

The Gadol HaDor has been hospitalized for 6 months, since the eve of 14 Shevat 5772, and had been placed on a respirator.

During the day the tzibur began to understand the severity of the situation and yeshivos began reciting tehillim, leading to tefilos and tehillim as the Kosel and around the world. Nevertheless, the gadol hador has been summoned to the Olam HaEmmes.

Rav Elyashiv, the leader of Torah Jewry, upon whose frail shoulders rested the most intricate of Halachic decisions and rulings was niftar a short time ago in Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, surrounded by family members and rabbonim who were close to the posek hador.

Rav Elyashiv was born according to most records on April 10, 1910, a maternal grandson of Mekubal Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, known as the Leshem. His father was Rav Avraham Elyashiv, chief rabbi of Homel, and his mother was Chaya Musha. The posek hador was an only child, born to his parents after 17 years of marriage.

Interestingly, the shidduch for the rav was arranged by Israel’s first chief rabbi, HaRav Yitzchak HaCohen Kook zt”l, and the rav was married to the daughter of the Tzaddik of Yerushalayim, Sheina Chaya Levine, a daughter of Rav Aryeh Levine zt”l in 1929. They had five sons and seven daughters.

One son died of an illness at a young age. His daughters all married prominent Rabbinic scholars.

The eldest daughter, Bat Sheva ob”m was married to HaGaon HaRav Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky.

The second, Sarah, is the wife of the late Rav Yisroel Yosef Yisroelson, head of the “Bar Shaul” Kollel in Rechovot.

The third, Ettil, is the wife of Rabbi Elchanan Berlin, Rabbi of the “Achvah” shul.

The fourth, Shoshana, is married to Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein, Chief Rabbi of Ramat Elchanan in Bnei Brak.

The fifth, Leah, is the wife of Rav Azriel Aurbach, the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.

The sixth, Gitel, is married to Rabbi Binyamin Rimmer, Rosh yeshiva at the Tshebiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem and at the Kiryat Melech Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

A seventh daughter, Rivkah, was tragically killed by Jordanian shelling in 1948.

As a young man, the rav served as a dayan on the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Court, resigning in 1972. That was his last position connected to a state institution.

After HaGaon HaRav Shach ZT”L was niftar, Rav Elyashiv assumed the mantle of leadership as the Manhig and Posek HaDador. The rav’s more popular seforim include “Kovetz Teshuvos” and “Divrei Aggadah”. His Halachic rulings have impacted the generation, and are the guiding light for many issues that were yet uncharted territory in a modern high tech world that presented questions demanding his unique expertise, his profound grasp and understanding of Torah and Halacha, the nigla and nistar, that only he possessed, along with the Siyata Dishmaya that enabled him to serve Am Yisrael for so many decades.

Those around the rav report that his rigorous daily schedule of davening and learning rarely changed, and this left a mere 4-6 hours daily for sleeping and other matters. Despite his advanced age and illness, the rav continued responding to Halachic inquiries from rabbonim around the world, even giving shiurim and maintaining his position as the leader of world Jewry. He never passed up the opportunity to be a sandek when conditions permitted, even in his last weeks, in a significantly weakened state, he would not pass up this cherished mitzvah.

As is the way of gedolim in Eretz Yisrael, the rav maintained a modest lifestyle to put it mildly, far removed from the comforts of this physical world. He lived in his humble home at 10 Chanan Street in Meah Shearim, and this is where he met with leading rabbonim from around the world who sought his advice on Halacha and hashkafa matters.

Am Yisrael is in mourning, a palpable numbness as the news of the petira of the manhig hador resonates around the globe. Details surrounding the levaya will be announced as they become available.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)



12 Responses

  1. OY!! BDE!!!

    Let us all daven and beg the RBS”A that the histalkus of our Gadol Hador should be a Kaparah to protect Klal Yisroel from impending evils and not ch”v a kiyum of the pasuk…. כִּי-מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה נֶאֱסַף הַצַּדִּיק

    Please Hashem! We need your rachmanus!!

  2. What a difficult year for Klall Yisroel, we have lost so many Gedolim this year, it’s time for all of us to wake up, get closer to Hashem and do Teshuva to be ready to greet Moshiach.

    Perhaps we should add on 5 minutes of Torah learning time in all camps and Yeshivas.

    Same time Yidden all over the world are asked to recite Tehillim learn Torah and give Tzedokah as a Zechus for the famous Magid of the generation Harav Shlomo Brevda Shlita, who is in need of a Refuah Sheleimah.

    Rav Brevda is one of the most well-known Maggidei Shiur and Darshanim and has delivered thousands of Drashos in Jewish communities worldwide.

    Rav Brevda is the author of numerous Sforim, including volumes on Yomim Tovim. His writings on the Torah of the Vilna Gaon and the Gaon’s Sforim in Aggadah and Kabbolah are particularly well known.

    The name for Tehillim is: “Shlomo Leib ben Miriam”

  3. I can’t stop crying. And wife was his support, equal to him in his greatness. There is nobody that was like him in this generation

  4. The verdict was given and Am Yisrael is compelled to accept the decree, that Maran Posek HaDor HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv ZATZAL has been called by the Heavenly Court.

  5. Reply to Chessed

    With all respect, there will be other times to focus on the many other chashuve rabbonim in need of tefilah and a refuah shelamah. At this hour, we should focus on the nifta, Har’av Elyashiv, Z’tl and the incredible acomplishments he achieved in a long life that came closer than most to the proverbial 120 years.

  6. Reply to Gadolhadorah

    How dare you imply that at the moment one should not Daven for another Godol Hador Shlita who is in a very difficult health condition? The Mashgiach from Lakewood Reb Matiyahua took out time to visit with Rav Brevda last week. Don’t you know that there is never a time that one should stop Davening for another Yid C”V?

    We are in the three weeks we are in much need of Achdus for the Geula to come, I suggest that you please take out some time and learn some Musser…

  7. Chessed, relax yourself. Noone implied that c”v we shouldnt daven for another godol beyisrael. Of coarse we should. The point Gadol Hatorah made was, here on this forum is related to Rav Eliyashiv ztl. You need to understand that it seems a little odd to comment on this event and not mention a word about the Rav ztl !!!. Lakol Zeman, and right now this forum is dedictaed to Rav Eliyashiv ztl

  8. A. Wasn’t necessary to point out your thoughts about appropriateness or not. We need to all be more tolerant of one another
    B. I’m sure anyone with spiritual maturity would have said, “yes! Let’s daven for another-the anivus and caring of our true gedolim deserve to be emulated, especially on very day of petira. Let’s all try to care about one another more and reserve judgement. Hashem is the true judge. All others,take this opportunity to grow your tolerance.
    May we be zoche to adopt the ways of our tzaddikim.

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