Rabbi Ovadia Yosef dead at 93
OVADIA Yosef, arguably the world’s most prolific rabbi, died in Jerusalem on Monday, aged 93.
OVADIA Yosef, arguably the world’s most prolific rabbi, died in Jerusalem on Monday, aged 93.
He was a former Chief Rabbi of Israel, a renowned scholar, and the spiritual head of Shas, the powerful ultra-Orthodox political party. Some 750,000 people — one in ten Israelis — thronged on to the streets of Jerusalem for his funeral. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The AJN that it was the largest funeral on record in Israel.
“You were the Moses of our generation”,” David, one of his son’s eulogised, going on to say: “The world cannot continue as before. The sun has set. How shall this generation continue without you? We are orphans now.”
Israel’s President Shimon Peres was at Yosef’s bedside during his final hours. “Tears filled my eyes and my throat was choked with emotion,” Peres said afterwards. “I held his hand which was still warm and kissed his forehead. When I pressed his hand I felt I was touching history and when I kissed his head it was as though I kissed the very greatness of Israel.”
He said of Yosef: “His contribution was his love for Israel and he solved problems no-one else could solve using his wisdom and spirituality.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented: “Rabbi Ovadia was a giant in Torah and Jewish law and a teacher for tens of thousands. He worked greatly to enhance Jewish heritage and at the same time, his rulings took into consideration the times and the realities of renewed life in the State of Israel.
“He was imbued with love of the Torah and the people. I very much appreciated his convivial personality and his directness. In my meetings with him, I always learned very much.” Netanyahu described him as “one of the wisest men of this generation.”
Diaspora leaders paid tribute as well as Israelis. Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, said that “few shaped the modern state of Israel as much as he did.”
NATHAN JEFFAY
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who died this week aged 93.
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