YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of The Nasi of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, and Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen ZT”L. He was 91.

The Rosh Yeshiva was hospitalized recently and his condition deteroiated until his Petira early Monday morning, surrounded by his children and close Talmidim as they recited Viduy and Shema.

A massive Levaya will be held – details will be published when they become available to YWN.

HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, z’tl, was born in Jerusalem in 1931 to HaGaon HaRav HaMekubal Efraim Cohen. HaRav Efraim, z’tl, who was a talmid of the Ben Ish Chai in Baghdad before moving to Eretz Yisrael in 1924, was appointed the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Porat Yosef in the Old City of Jerusalem the same year HaRav Shalom was born.

HaRav Shalom began learning at Porat Yosef at age 13 and already from a young age was considered a masmid and pikeach.

When he came of age, he married Yael, the daughter of HaMekubal HaRav HaGaon Mansour Ben Shimon, who was part of the hanhala at Porat Yosef.

After his wedding, HaRav Shalom began delivering shiurim at Porat Yosef. In 1966, he was appointed Rosh Yeshivah of the Old City branch of Porat Yosef. HaRav Shalom also founded a new branch of the yeshivah in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem together with HaRav Shimon Badani.

In 1984, HaRav Shalom heeded the request of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl, to support the founding of the Shas party and serve on its Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah. After the petirah of HaRav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl, in 2013, HaRav Shalom succeeded him as the Nasi of the Moetzet.

HaRav Shalom also headed the Vaad Hakashrus of Badatz Neve Tzion together with his brothers-in-law, HaRabbanim Shlomo and Massoud Ben-Shimon.

Harav Shalom was a Sofer Stam and worked in Safrus in his younger years along with teaching Torah. He wrote a small Sefer Torah for himself with which he was noheig to recite from every week shnayim mikrah and echad targum.

HaRav Shalom had three sons and five daughters. His oldest son, HaRav Efraim, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Yakirei Yerushalayim is sadly still hospitalized in serious condition after sustaining a severe head injury over a year ago.

His son HaRav Yaakov is the Rosh Yeshivah of Nezer HaTalmud in Beitar Illit and his son HaRav Shimon is a Rosh Yeshivah in Bat Yam in the mosdos of his father-in-law, HaRav Yaakov Attia.

Boruch Dayan Ha’Emmes…

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