Today is the Third of Marcheshvan, the anniversary of the passing of the glory of our generation, Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l.
On the 24th of Elul, 5714 (1954), a eulogy was held on the first Yahrtzeit of the great Rishon Le’Zion, Hagaon Harav Ben Zion Meir Hai Uziel zt”l. Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l was asked to address the crowd and his words from so many years ago are especially pertinent today:
“When we stop to ponder the great downward turn that our congregation has suffered as a result of the lack of leadership due to the passing of our great Rav, we cannot absolve ourselves of all blame.
The Midrash (Kohelet Rabba, Chapter 7) states: “‘I have found one man out of a thousand’-The way of the world is that one-thousand students enter Tanach study, one-hundred of them continue on to Mishnah study, ten of them continue on to Talmud, and one of them becomes a halachic authority.” This means that out of one-thousand students who enter the realm of Torah study, only one of them will merit obtaining the crown of Torah by becoming a leader of the nation. This is what is meant by the verse, “I have found one man out of a thousand.
Unfortunately, we only have one Yeshiva for young Sephardic men which is Yeshivat Porat Yosef, without which, the Torah would have been forgotten from the Jewish nation. However, out of every one-hundred students entering its doors, we can only hope for one true leader when we actually need several great leaders.
Thus, I am making a turning to all of you from this podium and asking that every single one of us not only send their children to Yeshivot, rather, one must likewise convince one’s friends and family members to send their children to Yeshivot as well so that we may increase soldiers for the holy Torah in hopes of filling this great void and returning the crown of Torah to its original glory.”
The message behind Maran’s words reverberate every so loudly today, decades after they were first spoken. Any historian who wishes to focus on the secret of Maran zt”l’s leadership and his unbelievable impact on a vast multitude of the Jewish nation will understand that this stemmed from merit of the holy Torah. There was nothing that Maran zt”l spoke about or harped on more than the holy Torah. If other sages focused their energies to strengthen prayer or Tzedakah, Maran zt”l, although he would speak about all aspects of the Torah and Mitzvot, would nevertheless repeat time and time again that there was no greater merit than the Torah about which the verse states, “All of your possessions shall not equate to it” which is a reference to the extraordinary merit of the holy Torah. One who delves in the Torah merits becoming sanctified by its holiness and becomes a completely different person for whom the reward, in this world and the next, is boundless and eternal.
When discussing the laws of honoring one’s parents, Maran zt”l would speak about the importance of reciting Kaddish on their behalf and how much doing so brings about tremendous merit to the parent’s soul in the World to Come. Maran’s words were well-accepted the world over as everyone understands the importance of Kaddish for the soul of the deceased and everyone observes this Mitzvah meticulously. After concluding this topic, Maran zt”l added, “Everything I have spoken about refers only to a regular person. However, an individual who is survived by a son who delves in Torah study is so important that the Kaddish is considered a very simple thing for this person’s soul compared to the merit of the Torah. One can almost say that such a person does not require Kaddish to be recited for his soul at all!”
In this way, Maran kept on instilling an importance in cleaving to the holy Torah in his flock and in this way, he brought hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of young men into the fold of Torah study. Although he himself did not head a Yeshiva for most of his life, he merited establishing a generation saturated with those who studied Torah, complete with Yeshiva boys, Avrechim studying in Kollel, and even working men who studied Torah whenever they could.
Let us follow the trail blazed by Maran zt”l, especially his cleaving to the Torah: learning, teach, and observing. May Hashem allow us to obtain the crown of Torah and may Hashem shower all of the members of “Halacha Yomit” and the entire Jewish nation with an abundance of goodness and blessing in the merit of Maran zt”l and may his merit protect all of us, Amen.
