Hagaon HaRav David Yosef, member of the Moetzes Chachmei Torah, gave a special interview in honor of the aproaching sixth yahrzeit of his father’s death, Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl, a Kikar HaShabbat report said.

“I would learn with Maran a lot at night, very late at night,” R’ Yosef said. “Once, when I was a young bochur, I sat to learn with Abba on Motzei Shabbos and around 3 a.m. I felt tired and Abba told me to go to sleep.”

“The next day I went to yeshivah and since I was very tired I tried to rest a little in the afternoon. That evening, I again sat with Abba to learn and when I got tired he again told me to go to sleep.”

“At 7 a.m. my father tried to wake me up for davening. I told him: ‘Abba, do me a favor, let me sleep a little. I’ll daven with a minyan, Don’t worry.’ He answered me: ‘Ribbono Shel Olam, you already slept more than four hours. I haven’t slept since Shabbos in the morning.'”

“That means that Abba hadn’t slept for 48 hours. I asked him: ‘Abba, why didn’t you sleep?’ He answered: ‘I forgot to go to sleep.'”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)