Former Rishon L’Tzion HaMekubal HaTzaddik Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ZATZAL was niftar earlier this afternoon in Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The Rav’s family was at his bedside when his lofty neshama was recalled by the Heavenly Court.
The Rav was waging a battle since hospitalized on Pesach 2009, and his recovery according to top physicians in the medical center was nothing short of an open miracle, defying medical science and all odds. The Rav returned to his schedule and shiurei Torah in his Kiryat Moshe beis medrash but his condition deteriorated significantly about two months ago.
The Levaya begins at 10:00pm from his Bais Medrash at 17 Reinis Street for kvura in Har Menuchos, near the Kever of the Chida. The Rav worked tirelessly to bring his remains to Eretz Yisrael.
The Rav was born in the Old City of Yerushalayim almost 81 years ago, as his late father followed the instructions of his Rav, the Ben Ish Chai. He was a nephew of Rav Yehuda Tzadka, and as a young man, he studied in Yeshivat Porat Yosef under Rav Ezra Atiya. Decades later, after already serving under the Chazon Ish, Rav Mordechai Sharabi, and Baba Sali, he was appointed as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi in 5743, replacing HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, working as chief rabbi for about a decade alongside HaRav Avraham Kahane Shapira ZT”L.
During his tenure as chief rabbi, he visited the United States where he met with the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L, maintaining close ties with him for the remainder of the Rebbe’s life. He was also close to Jonathan Pollard, providing him spiritual guidance and working in earnest to bring him home, to have him released from his American federal prison. The Rav was also known for his personal intervention on behalf of many many critically ill patients over the years, doing his utmost to encourage them and daven for their recovery.
In 1940, the Rav was already serving as a dayan on the Beersheva Beis Din, the youngest Dayan in the country, later elected to a position on the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Court.
His right-wing hashkofa and tenacious belief in a Greater Land of Israel made him the unofficial spiritual leader of the nationalistic camp.
Jerusalem police are already making preparations for what will be an extremely large levaya in the capital.
Boruch Dayan Emmes…
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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17 Responses
Baruch Dayan Haemes!
Boruch Dayan Haemes
He was mamash a gadol.
Tzadick Yesod Olam, be a malitz tov for klal yisroel while sitting by kisah hakavod.
What a tremendous loss of ahavas yisroel and ahavas eretz yisroel without a replacement. Oy…
A terrible loss for Am Yisrael.
Baruch Dayan Emet.
am yisrael be strong. if we are worthy, moshiach will be here -today even-. may we all merit to see the third beis hamikdash.
no words….he was the biggest and greatest.
A friend in Israel emailed me that the levoya is at 10pm from the Rav’s Beis Hamedrash in Kiriyat Moshe.
Boruch Dayan HaEmes!
BTW Hagon Rav Mordechai Eliyahu ZATZAL became a Dayan of the Beersheva Beis Din in 1960 (not in 1940 when he was 12 yo)
boruch dayan emmes.
Baruch Dayan Haemes
Baruch Dayan Haaemet!
He should bring much nechama to his dear Family and Klall Yisrael and be a meilitz yashar for all of Klall Yisrael!
Amen!!!
When a gadol hador, like Rav Eliyahou, is taken from klal yisrael, it can only mean two things:
– He merited not to see the pain the nation will soon experience
– He was mecaper on our sins and prevented catastrophes…
Anshei emouna avadou … hayou lanou lehoma…
Oy – how I will miss his sweet words of Torah – mamesh Hagadol.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu has one of this dor’s greatest by Him. May Hagaon Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, Zecher Tzadik V’kadosh L’ivracha, be mamlitz tov aleinu af al pi kol hachataim sheilanu – Amen!
BARUCH DAYAN HA’EMES!
Levaya tonight, 10:00pm, June 7, 2010
The Levaya will proceed from the Rav’s shul on Rechov Reiness in Kyriat Moshe.
Women on Ben-Tzion (upper level) and men on Reiness (lower level) at 10:00 going to Har Hamenuchos.
Baruch Dayan HaEmes, a real Tzaddik
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
I just came across this video
http://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=9376&alias=rabbi-mordechai-eliyahu-obm