Why Does Chacham Ovadia Wear Sunglasses?

Maybe he has cataracts or photo-sensitivity.

The story ZD mentioned reminded me of the story of a rebbie who had invited a talmid for Friday night dinner. The talmid watched as the rebbie ate exactly seven spoonsful of soup. So the talmid did the same, even though much of his soup was left over in the bowl. After dinner he approached the rebbie and asked, “Rebbie, excuse me, but may I ask you the significance of your taking exactly seven sips of soup? You seemed to finish, but when I did the same thing, I still had much leftover soup.” The rebbie replied, “I used a bigger spoon.”

They say a story that R’ Chaim Solovetchik zt”l was once lighting the Chanuka candles and he saw a broom next to the table. Knowing how the brisker talmidim would emulate everything he did, he motioned to his son, the Brisker Rav zt”l, to take away the broom.

To this day, Briskers place a broom next to the table when they light the Menorah and then after the ???? the oldest son moves it away.

Yekke, is that true? I’m very gullible.

If what I heard is correct, he has eye problems and can’t be in the sun. He always had eye problems and they were exacerbated years ago when someone broke into his house and threw bleach or something similar in his face.

In my humble opinion it is important to emulate a Gadol’s actions. Therefore it’s VERY IMPORTANT to question and analyze every action for the reason it was done. We find that all over shas – ??? ????? ????, and generally a different reason is given.

yiddeshe meidele – that story was with R’ Moshe Feinstein.

MorahRach – Briskers definitely dont put brooms by the tables by Hadlaka. Whether the story of R’ Chaim happened or not – I heard at as a true story, but I personally doubt it very much. I think the story is just poking fun at how far certain people go – through ignorance – to emulate gedolim.

ZD, are you implying that R’ Cahane was wrong?

ZD,

“I heard the story about the soup myself” what does that have to do with anything. It is no proof it is true. I would doubt the story if you said you saw it yourself.

It is quite interesting that you took an innocent question and ran with it into an unintelligent rant about some bias that you have.

I suspect it is because you are so gullible, certainly when it plays to your biases.

So should one stand outside the bathroom door and count exactly how much time the Gadol spends there since he is not learning torah while there. Should one listen to him in the bathroom to know exactly what a Gadol does in a place where torah is not allowed.

If the Gadol needs to go to the Hospital for a procedure and will miss some shirum, do you have a right to know exactly what the Gadol is going through. Do you have a right to know exactly how the Gadol behaves during an invasive medical procedure.

Finally should one behave like Rav Cahana and do exactly what he did. I know what Rav told him and I know what his answer was. Should one behave exactly like Rav Cahana. None of us are on the Madraiga of Rav Cahana.

ZD, good, you understand that Rav Cahane was correct for his madreigah. I agree that for us, it would be inappropriate. We still see the concept of learning from a gadol (even about seemingly mundane matters), but you are almost completely discarding the concept.

So you agree there are limits on how much we should emulate Gadolim.

I am not discarding, One should certainly try to mimic the way a Gadol behaves to family , friends, Averchim, At the Shabbos table , During davening at a fundrasing dinner. Lots of circumstances

However if the Gadol walks 357 steps from his house to the Beis Medrash we dont need to follow that

Would you consider it Ok to ask if a Gadol was in a wheelchair or R’L needed a Colostomy Bag?

I cerrtainly do not and I consider the sunglasses in the same league as the wheelchair or Colostomy Bag. medical issues are nobody business except the person and their immediate family.

ZD,

Ridiculous. There are no other words for your comments.

See Brachos ???:

Do you walk around with a colostomy bag on your face?

Or do you just talk through one?

And you have completely changed your “reasoning” from your earlier brilliant remarks.

How does indignation about following a godol become a sudden issue about privacy of medical issues?

It doesn’t.

I heard a story that a woman always cut off the corners of a chicken before putting it in the pan. Once her daughter asked her why so she said my mother did. They ask the mohter who says my mohter did. So they ask the old lady who said ” I didn’t have a big enough pan!”

Ok, seriously everybody needs to calm down a little. ZD- I don’t know what the OP had in mind when asking his question, whether it was just out of curiosity or whether he was interested in emulating him or simply looking for a “heter” to wear sunglasses. I know that I asked my Rebbi if I can get transitions bc it’s not so “yeshivish” and accepted so he said I personally shouldn’t. My very good friend got them and said it’s fine bc Chacham Ovadiah wears them. (disclaimer: I am not in ANY way saying that sunglasses are or aren’t “yeshivish” I find that term is being used too freely and is very subjective nowadays,and I don’t really care)

OP- yes, it has to do with his poor eyesight and that he is sensitive to light (especially with people constantly trying to take pictures of him, with their flash on)

ZD, you are contradicting yourself.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/addresses-of-current-gedolim-1#post-448835

How I am contradicting myself?

Here you’re suggesting that one wouldn’t ask directly because it’s a chutzpah, there you said one shouldn’t waste his time.

As far as i know Maran Ovadia ZK”L wore sunglasses because when he was young he learned in dark and because of that he had problems with his eyes so he couldnt handle sun so well.