By Menachem Posner, Chabad.org
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, preeminent authority on Jewish law, and political mentor to many in Israel’s Sephardic Jewish community, died on Monday. He was 93.
The rabbi was hospitalized early Monday at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem and a suffered a general collapse of his bodily systems hours before passing away at 1:20 p.m.
After the announcement of his death, anguished cries were heard in synagogues and yeshivas throughout Israel and abroad; men, women and children were seen weeping on the streets; and roads were clogged throughout the country as an estimated half-million mourners made their way to the funeral procession in Jerusalem.
A widely published author on Jewish law, Rabbi Yosef was considered by scholars of all backgrounds to be a rabbinical authority with a rare grasp of nearly every area of Torah scholarship.
‘Immersed in the Torah’
Born on Sept. 1, 1920, he immigrated with his family to British Mandate Palestine in 1924, settling with his parents in Jerusalem. He went on to study at the Porat Yosef Yeshivah under the tutelage of Rabbi Ezra Attiya. There, he was widely admired by peers and faculty for his devotion to learning and his legendary retention of texts.
In 1940, the 20-year-old Yosef received rabbinical ordination. After a stint as head of the Cairo Rabbinical Court, he returned to Israel in the late 1940s.
He served on the Jerusalem rabbinical court and taught Torah in a number of yeshivahs. “I remember walking past his Jerusalem apartment in the wee hours of the morning,” recalls Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi, chief rabbi of Kfar Chabad, Israel, “and he would be standing and learning, immersed in the Torah.”
The two would meet again in 1972, when Ashkenazi published an index of sources cited in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, the code of Jewish law of the Alter Rebbe, the first Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe.
“I brought my book to [Yosef], who was already chief rabbi of Tel Aviv at that time, and we sat for many hours talking about Torah topics and other matters,” says Ashkenazi. “He had a head like a computer. Whatever went in never went out. He was familiar with the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch backwards and forwards—as he was familiar with all parts of the Torah.”
That year, Rabbi Yosef reciprocated and paid a visit to the rabbi in Kfar Chabad, delivering a class on the laws of Passover.
Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Yosef was elected Israel’s chief Sephardic rabbi, a post he held until 1983. As founder of the Shas political party—representing immigrants from Arab and North African nations who comprise almost half of Israel’s Jewish population—he based its platform on a return to religious tradition and as a counter to a political establishment that had been dominated by Jews of European ancestry.
He was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of a wide swath of halachic texts, ranging from the well-known to the most obscure. In his halachac rulings, he would often list dozens of previous rulings and then decide in accordance with what he perceived to be the majority opinion.
Rabbi Yosef’s copious works fill two multi-volume collections.
His first, Yabia Omer, printed in stages since 1954, tackle a wide range of issues, from the use of solar-heated water on Shabbat to the halachic ramifications of Operation Entebbe, the daring hostage-rescue mission carried out by Israel Defense Force commandos in Uganda on July 4, 1976. Many of the responses fill dozens of pages with hundreds of citations.
Yechave Daat—his second work, six volumes in all—is comprised of shorter responses to practical questions posed on his radio program, Pinat Hahalacha (“the Halachah Corner”), which he hosted during his tenure as chief rabbi.
He had the distinction of being one of the select few contemporary scholars to be cited in the Likkutei Sichot of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory (vol. 33, Shlach II).
Rabbi Yosef’s spiritual authority enabled him to become a leading figure in Israeli political life and to marshal a renaissance of Sephardic pride and a return to tradition that, along with his Torah works, will continue long after his passing.
Rabbi Yosef was predeceased by his wife, Margalit, and a son, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef. He is survived by six daughters; and five sons, including Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, who was elected last month as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel.
An immature person cannot see greatness outside of his own community. He needs to believe the greatness is exclusive to “his team”.
Rav Ovadia was a giant. Period. Perfect? Maybe not. No one is saying he was a Rebbe. But a giant? Yes! And he is entitled to disagree with the Rebbe.
Rav ovadia was a great Talmid Chacham [perhaps the greatest of the current generation] in terms of his Halachic encyclopedic knowledge. In addition he was a very warm and careful person with proper and strong character. He cared for thousands of Jews and is viewed as the spiritual leader of hundreds of thousands. It is a great loss for them and for us and I personally share in their loss and condolences. With that said as a Lubavitcher I think it would be dishonest to ignore the dissenting issues he had with the Rebbe, whether it be his opposition to… Read more »
A great Torah scholar not with us physically anymore is a great loss. I am sure he is screaming for Moshiah now so we can see him again teaching us again
And all you are arguing about is that? Recognize how great he was!
What difference does it make if Harav Ovadia was close to the Rebbe or not. He was one of the greatest sages of generation and deserves respect from all Jews, including chabadniks, like u guys!
none of them had a problem with the Rebbe go learn and study your information before you say anything let me teach you something never ever EVER in you life talk bad about Harav Mordechai Eliyahu or Harav Ovadia Yosef your dealing with HUGE TZADIKIM here you dont know what harsh punnishments Hashem can give you and also talking about any rav or any jew!!! and also go check one of the rebbe videos their’s a clip of Harav Mordehai Elihayu in a meeting with the Rebbe!!!!! so please thing TWICE before you say anything bad about anybody especially about… Read more »
first of all BDE second of all who are we to discuss the polotics btwn Leaders of Benei Yisrael what ever went on btwn them they knew what they were doing certain things they did were horaot they got from shamayim 3rd of all i will say a few things that NONE of they Sephardic Rabbis ever had anything against the LUbaavitcher Rebbe they both respected him very much when i say both i’m talking about Harav Mordehai Eliyahu and Harav Ovadia Yosef and also their is a video of the Rebber and Rabbi Mordehai Eliyahu meeting so go check… Read more »
No mistake at all by baruch hoffinger. In fact rabbi mordechai eliyahu was with tne rebbe on all the issues. He was against the cursed oslo agreement which helped kill 1000 Jews.
U making a mistake!!
First of all both of them were very close to the rebbe in matter of fact I have a picture of the rebbe and harav Mordechai Eliiyahu they were very close also harav Mordechai Eliiyahu also mentioned the rebbe in his speeches and praised him and every time he would come to America he would visit the rebbe. So please if you want moshiach to come doing this won’t help it so don’t speak if you don’t have 100% gaurantee that it is true ask any chassid that was alive then and u would know the truth
BS”D to 18 etc. The way you knock Boroch is a true indication of a do nothing Yid whereas he is very involved in the 7 Mitzvahs. If he made a mistake he is human. On other other hand you ought to learn (Hayom Yom, the writings of the Magid etc) about how to criticize another and how to deal with oneself before doing so.
There is the famous story of one of he Rebeim telling his chasidim to remove certain undeserved praises from a Matzevah since the neshama was being held to a higher standard in shomayim. Those who think they are helping R’OY by being politically correct are actually harming him. The fact is undeniable that he gave us the Oslo accords!
where did u get that from
he never meet the rebbe
You are making a big mistake
You are talking about Rav Mordechaj EliyAhu
Don’t mix up him with Ovadya Yosef, who at times was not very friendly with the Rebbe
Where is the source for that?
It is always those who don’t know have the need to talk it all…please get your facts and mind together and rethink. Rabbi OY, only gave halacha that for true peace you allowed to return the land because of Pikuach nefesh, not because he was a lefty Jew…but the rebbe held that giving the land will cause greater danger. And so on with the rest of his rulings…he was a giant of torah and doesn’t need your tzfati opinions and approvals. you can keep commenting on all other articles, (as you always do), but try to limit them to the… Read more »
He was actually very close with the rebbe and had many yechidus with the rebbe… Davened for him when he had the stroke.. Ur comment is misinformation
why just why do u have to focus on the negative and twist things around he did tremendous good for yidishkeit halacha and especially for sephardic jews in israel (and was actually at least in his later years a very big supporter of the rebbe and chabad ) his gadlus and lomdus was unparalleled it is a true loss to us all harav hagaon chaim ovadia yossef ztl a giant in our times boruch dayan haemes emet is a hallmark of yaacov
The fact the the Rebbe quotes his responsa of Yechaveh Daas in Likkutei sichos volume 33 page 95 footnote 3 is more then enough credibility that his torah should speak for itself and the Rebbe doesn’t need you to fight his wars for him…. I know it’s hard but being melamed zechus is going to bring moshiach quicker then being an yid of Emes…. Sinas yisrael in Talmud Yoma 9 is what destroyed tell second temple and in Talmud Bava Metzia 30 being judgmental and honest socially speaking…. Destroyed the temple too….. Let’s be Dun Lekaf Zchus…..
‘Boruch Dayan Haemes’
Dear #7 Merits? He was part and parcel of the hated ‘Oslo Accords’ which, The Rebbe, MH”M, called: ‘Blood Money’ He also resisted ‘The Rebbe’s initiative for girls, three years old, to light Shabbat licht.
Merits?
Let’s be truthful…this will help bring ‘Moshiach.’
‘Emet’ is a hallmark of ‘Yaacov Avinu.’
yes he does have children one of is son is the rishon letzion and he is big lost and big talmid chachom
Yes he had 11 children, in fact his son Yakov signed a 1998 halachic ruling that the rebbe is moshiach.
600,000 peoole at the Levaya.
Yes He has children and grand children bh. A true Torah Giant. His holiness should be a melitz yosher for us all iyh. May we merit the ultimate redemption soon!!
Baruch Dayan Haemes. Does he have children?
Boruch Dayan emes. May his merit/s shield over his community of followers.
Baruch Dayan Haemes
May we only share good news.
He was a giant. BDE.