By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shmulik Sofer and Kikar.net
Rabbi Yaakov Chai Yosef, a noted Sephardic rabbi and scholar who didn’t shy away from voicing his opinion on state affairs, passed away Friday, 2 Iyar 5773.
He was 66 and battled with ‘yene machle’ for a while.
The rabbi of the Givat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem, he was widely identified as the second child of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas movement and the foremost Sephardic halachic authority.
But his relationship with his father was rocky over the years, as the son took a firm stand in supporting the settlement of Judea and Samaria and opposed exchanging Israel’s land for Arab’s promises of peace.
That position, and others such as the Mihu Yehudi leniency of accepting non Jews to Israel led to a close relationship with Chabad and the Rebbe‘s leadership.
“Not everyone understood that the Rebbe is clairvoyant,” he said at a speech in Kfar Chabad a year ago about the Rebbe’s battle against peace illusions and compromises on Israel’s Jewish identity.
The Rebbe’s vision is not happening this moment, or what will happen in an hour. He saw things from a distance. He had a watchful eye. And that is why he knew and was worried over what can happen here in Eretz Yisroel.”
“His love for the land of Israel was enormous, and he was deeply sorry for every inch of the land of Israel that was returned [to the Palestinians], as if it was a valuable diamond that was lost,” said Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger.
While these opinions put Rabbi Yosef in the headlines as one of the most influential right-wing rabbis and a rebel breaking from his father’s dovish approach, his time was mostly consumed by Torah.
He founded and headed the Hazon Yaakov Yeshiva and delivered regular weekly classes, which were characterized by a simple, popular style and which caused him to be loved and revered by many, Israel National News reported.
“He was known for his phenomenal memory, and his integrity was well known. The truth was his guiding principle and he found himself time and again on the one side of the river, while the rest of the world was on the other side – but he stuck to his internal truth and did not give in,” Rabbi Metzger said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Rabbi Yosef was a great Torah scholar, teacher and a posek who followed in the footsteps of his father, may he have a long life.”
The admiration the public had for him was on full display on Friday when, just hours before Shabbos, thousands crowded the surrounding streets and rooftops in the Bucharim neighborhood of Jerusalem to attend his funeral.
Baruch dayan haemes.
..For educating me about HaRav Yosef. He clearly was a real “Haham’ to understand the truth of the Rebbe’s vision, interesting that he uses the present tense … “Not everyone understood that the Rebbe is clairvoyant,” he said at a speech in Kfar Chabad a year ago … may his Neshama soar on high, we are very lucky and fortunate to be able to see the truth having a great teacher as the Rebbe….there is so much confusion out there regarding Eretz Hakodesh, but the Rebbe new it way before… To #3, The Rebbe always quoted Rambam ‘HaSfardi’, and both… Read more »
He has sent his kids to chabad yeshivas in israel. A person which stood for truth and didn’t let politics or money go to his head. We need more rabbis like him in lubavich.
simply ridiculous statement
I doubt this Rabbi would be proud of what you wrote
Please do something to help his Neshama go higher
why is Hashem taking away our best and leaving his flock without leaders?
I know he was the closest to the Rebbes’s views and Chabad from amongst his family. He should be a gutte bette for KLAL YISROEL
Enough with the inferiority complex!
Rabbi Niasoff from Queens just passed away this past Sunday and there were many comments about him.
The reason why there aren’t comments about Rabbi Yosef was because he was practically known outside of Israel (and even inside of Israel, some of his brothers are more known then him – which is not to take away from his greatness).
COL should be thanked for making it a point of posting this eulogy although most of its readers have never heard of him.
I want to know why when a sepharadic rabbi passes away no One comments or cares
I heard from a great lubavitcher Posek in Jerusalem that one day he was sewing his own clothes and someone asked Rav Yaakov Yossef ztsal why is he not sending it to the tailor or why he doesn’t get a car? His answer was,I’m living from Public funds and I don’t want to steal.That’s an exemplary Rov.