Moriya's Place mourns the passing of HaGaon Ha
rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l, together with Am Yisrael.
From Daily Halacha.com:
YERUSHALAYIM - World Jewry was plunged into mourning as Hagaon Harav
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l, the posek hador, was niftar this afternoon
in Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center. He was 102.
Shortly after Rav Elyashiv's petirah at 4:45 p.m., Yerushalayim
municipal officials began preparing for what is expected to be one of
the city's largest levayah in modern history. It is currently scheduled
for 10:00 pm (3:00pm NY time.) The levayah will leave from Rav
Elyashiv's home on Rechov Chanan in Meah Shearim and kevurah will be at
Har Hamenuchos.
Rav Elyashiv, considered as an anomaly for his breathtaking hasmadah and
absolute command of kol haTorah kulah, held no official position yet
was the final word in psak by hundreds of thousands of Yidden across the
world. His daily shiur in Yeshivah Tiferes Bachurim, delivered for
nearly 80 years, was an astounding tapestry of sugyos across Bavli and
Yerushalmi, halachah and aggadah.
Rav Elyashiv was born on 2 Nisan 1910, in Gomol, Lithuania, to Harav
Avraham and Rebbetzin Chaya Musha. His mother was a daughter of Harav
Shlomo Elyashiv, zt"l, the Baal haLeshem, from whom the Elyashiv name
was taken. The family moved to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Yerushalayim's
Meah Shearim neighborhood near Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, who was renowned as
a saintly mekubal.
Already as a young child, Yosef Shalom shied away from playful
friendships, preferring to spend his time learning in a beis medrash or
with his grandfather. It was a habit that characterized the Gadol
throughout his life, from the early days of living in the shadows to
recent times when Chareidi Jewry hovered over his every word and motion.
Rav Elyashiv married Rebbetzin Sheina Rochel, whose father Harav Aryeh
Levin, zt"l, was memorialized as "The Tzaddik in Our Times" for his
extraordinary acts of chesed in the war-torn country.
Rav Elyashiv and his Rebbetzin raised nine children, all of whom -- with
the k of one daughter who was tragically killed during Arab shelling
into Yerushalayim in 1948 -- went on to head families of Roshei
Yeshivah, rabbanim and Gedolim. He merited the unique experience of
watching all his grandchildren marry in his lifetime, with his youngest
granddaughter's chasunah several months ago.
Throughout Rav Elyashiv's life, he was known for just sitting and
learning, from 3:00 a.m. until late at night. This past February, an
existing heart condition worsened and he was hospitalized at Shaarei
Tzedek as Yidden across the world davened fervently for his health.
Early yesterday afternoon, Rav Elyashiv's blood pressure began to drop
to dangerous levels. Family members, Rabbanim and close aides gathered
around the hospital bed where special pesukim and Shema Yisrael were
recited. He was niftar at 4:45, leaving behind the Torah world mourning
one of its greatest.
Rav Elyashiv is survived by his children, Harav Shlomo Elyashiv, Harav
Moshe Elyashiv, Harav Binyamin Elyashiv, Harav Avraham Elyashiv,
Rebbetzin Sarah Rochel Yisraelzon (widow of Rav Yosef Yisraelzon, zt"l)
and Rebbetzin Gittel Rimmer (wife of Rav Binyamin Rimmer,shlita).
He was predeceased by his daughters Rebbetzin Batsheva Esther Kanievsky,
a"h(wife of Harav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita); Rebbetzin Deena Berlin, a"h
(wife of Rav Elchanan Berlin, shlita); Rebbetzin Shoshana Aliza
Zilberstein, a"h (wife of Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, shlita);Rebbetzin
Leah Auerbach, a"h (wife of Harav Azriel Auerbach, shlita); Rivka, a"h,
who was killed in 1948; and Yitzchak, z"l, who was niftar at age three
months.
Rav Elyashiv merited seeing six generations of talmidei chachamim and Gedolim. Yehi zicro baruch.
Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood announced that there will be a live hookup in the beis medrash starting from 3:00 p.m.
