We are so poor now without Rav Ovadia zt''l. It's everything I can say after so many days after thinking he left this world. Days before, I was davening for his refuah shleimah. And was thinking, how I am to daven for such a gadol?
After with tears in my eyes I watched the impressive levaya when 800,000 people at least were there praying together, Sephardim and Askenazim, young and old, women and men, modern, religious and secular, FFB or BT, I realized what we lost. For me, he was one of the biggest personality of the Jewish world of the last century. Again, who I am to give qualifications who is bigger or not?
I have a lot of personal memories related to Rav. At the beginning of my religious journey, he was always the example of the big wise who is all the time busy with Torah. I was reading and told by those who had the honour to meet him how Torah was his only preoccupation. And Torah is what unites us, Jews from all over the world.
Rav Ovadia zt''l was important for the Sephardi world. Through him and his vast knowledge, the Sephardim heritage was re-evaluated and brought back in respect. I've heard a story about a discussion he had with his wife about the involvement in the creation of the Shas party. He told to his wife that getting involved in what will be the party of the Sephardim is a big duty and he doesn't want to be asked when arriving in Shamayim why he was not there when needed. How opportune is the presence of a religious figure in politics is another discussion, but his presence contributed to the creation of a new Sephardi Israeli identity. Political involvement means controversies and the last elections brought a lot of discussions and poisonous exchange of arrows, but this is already history. Many of those targeted by his arrows davened for his recovery and this is another example of his powerful personality.
Through his works, he tried to bring a unique voice to the very fragmented and not initially self-aware Sephardi world. My Iraqi Jews friends were davening together with the Yemeni and the Moroccans. Creating a unique authority at least with the same written base as the Askenazim was also part of his tremendous work in the service of Torah. He was highly respected by all the big Askenazim chassidic leaders in Jerusalem and abroad and he was often visited for advice on important Torah matters.
There are also many other significant moments associated with his personality: the recognition of Ethiopian Jews, the discussion about Bnei Menashe, the negotiations for the liberation of Gilad Shalit, the decisions in favour of 'chained' women. A complete history of his work and life is still to be written.
Over 800,000 said the kaddish together in Jerusalem for Rav Ovadia zt''l. Some say that such a big gathering of Jews for levaya was not seen since the death of Aaron haCohen.
Rav Ovadia zt''l takes care of us all now. Our duty is to intensify the Torah study and the good deeds. This can be done even by an am haaretz like me.
Rav Ovadia zt''l was important for the Sephardi world. Through him and his vast knowledge, the Sephardim heritage was re-evaluated and brought back in respect. I've heard a story about a discussion he had with his wife about the involvement in the creation of the Shas party. He told to his wife that getting involved in what will be the party of the Sephardim is a big duty and he doesn't want to be asked when arriving in Shamayim why he was not there when needed. How opportune is the presence of a religious figure in politics is another discussion, but his presence contributed to the creation of a new Sephardi Israeli identity. Political involvement means controversies and the last elections brought a lot of discussions and poisonous exchange of arrows, but this is already history. Many of those targeted by his arrows davened for his recovery and this is another example of his powerful personality.
Through his works, he tried to bring a unique voice to the very fragmented and not initially self-aware Sephardi world. My Iraqi Jews friends were davening together with the Yemeni and the Moroccans. Creating a unique authority at least with the same written base as the Askenazim was also part of his tremendous work in the service of Torah. He was highly respected by all the big Askenazim chassidic leaders in Jerusalem and abroad and he was often visited for advice on important Torah matters.
There are also many other significant moments associated with his personality: the recognition of Ethiopian Jews, the discussion about Bnei Menashe, the negotiations for the liberation of Gilad Shalit, the decisions in favour of 'chained' women. A complete history of his work and life is still to be written.
Over 800,000 said the kaddish together in Jerusalem for Rav Ovadia zt''l. Some say that such a big gathering of Jews for levaya was not seen since the death of Aaron haCohen.
Rav Ovadia zt''l takes care of us all now. Our duty is to intensify the Torah study and the good deeds. This can be done even by an am haaretz like me.
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