Tomorrow (beginning from tonight actually) is the Third of Marcheshvan and marks the third Yahrzeit of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l. Indeed, we still long for the day when our salvation will arrive and Hashem will send us the righteous Mashiach who will finally redeem us for all eternity. Let us now quote some of the things Maran zt”l said on the first Yahrzeit of the passing of his wife, Rabbanit Margalit, in reference to the Resurrection of the Dead and the sanctity of the Jewish nation. May these words be a merit for the ascent of the pure soul of Maran zt”l.
The Gemara (Ketubot 111b) states that the righteous will arise at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead with their original clothes on. Maran zt”l points out that this does not necessarily apply only to the completely righteous; rather, it applies to all Jews who will merit getting up at the Resurrection, for since they have merited being purified after their passing, they are considered “righteous”, as the Gemara states on Masechet Sanhedrin, “Every member of the Jewish nation has a share in the World to Come, as the verse states, ‘And your nation is completely righteous, forever shall they inherit the land.’” When the verse states “And your nation is completely righteous”, this refers to all members of the Jewish nation who will merit coming back to life during the Resurrection (besides for those who shall not come back to life, as the Mishnah lists there, for instance, those who do not believe in the idea of the Resurrection shall not come back to life).
Hagaon Rabbeinu Yosef Haim zt”l asks: What is the seeming privilege reserved for the righteous in that they will arise wearing their clothing? What is so special about these garments that Hashem will make such a great miracle that they will be created anew for this purpose? He explains that it is well-known that an object used for a sanctified purpose may no longer be used for a mundane purpose and if it becomes worn out, it must be buried. For instance, the case of a Sefer Torah would fit into this category and it may not be used for a mundane purpose, such as making a closet out of it. Nevertheless, an object which is meant to merely support or aid such an object used in a sanctified manner does not retain the same amount of sanctity and need not be buried. Thus, the righteous merit purifying their bodies with Torah and Mitzvot such that their bodies become sanctified objects as well, as the verse states, “You shall be holy”. Indeed, the soul is full of holiness regardless, however, the body can only become truly sanctified through Torah and Mitzvot. For this reason, there is no reason to perform a miracle for a regular Jew by having him awaken with his original clothing for they are not objects of sanctity and are merely objects protecting such an object, for the body is an object containing the sanctified soul, however, the clothing is meant merely to serve the body. On the other hand, regarding righteous people whose clothing is considered actually housing a sanctified object (since we have explained that the actual bodies of the righteous become sanctified), it is certainly befitting that Hashem perform a miracle and resurrect them with their clothing. This is a privilege reserved for such individuals as this will act as a sign that they have purified and refined their bodies such that they have become completely holy.
Nevertheless, Maran zt”l questions the Ben Ish Hai’s words based on the Gemara (Shabbat 25b) which states, “Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: One who stands next to another Jew as he passes away must tear his clothing (a law which some people customarily do not observe for different reasons), for this is similar to witnessing a Sefer Torah being burned.” This means that the passing of a Jewish person is comparable to a Sefer Torah being burned, for even the emptiest member of the Jewish nation is full of Torah and Mitzvot like a pomegranate.
Based on this, Maran zt”l proves that the body of a Jew is always compared to the parchment of a Sefer Torah and always contains innate holiness. If so, the body of any Jew who has studied Torah or financially supported Torah study (without which one cannot merit getting up at the Resurrection of the Dead) is innately sanctified and is considered an actual sanctified object and his clothing is considered objects serving or protecting an innately sanctified object, in which case, even a regular Jew shall arise with his clothing at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead.
We see how much Maran zt”l truly loved every single member of the Jewish nation and would always try to find merits on their behalf. Indeed, he even rebuked the most non-affiliated members of the Jewish nation by lovingly telling them that even they would arise at the Resurrection of the Dead. It is for this reason that Maran zt”l constantly care for every Jew, even the most pitiful, by causing them to return to their Creator and traveling far and near in order to bring merit to the public. He was a man consumed with love and filled with a sense of responsibility to the entire Jewish nation.
Approximately fifteen years ago, Maran zt”l underwent a cardiac catheterization in the hospital. Before beginning the procedure, the doctors approached Maran to explain to him the risks involved in this complex catheterization and they gently explained that one of those risks was that he may not awaken from the procedure, G-d-forbid. When Maran zt”l heard this, he exclaimed that he agreed to sign the release to undergo the procedure but first, he wished to go home for several hours in order to take care of an urgent matter. Maran’s son, Hagaon Harav David Yosef Shlit”a, and his close confidant, Rabbi Aryeh Deri Shlit”a turned to Maran and asked surprisingly, “What urgent matter is there for you to take care of? Traveling in a situation like this is life-threatening!” Maran zt”l, however, refused to answer. When Maran arrived home, it turned out he felt the need to finish writing a complex responsa allowing an Agunah to remarry. He was concerned that he might die and that no one else would be able to free this poor woman from her dire situation. (As recounted by Hagaon Harav David Yosef Shlit”a and other family members present at the time of the story.)
Maran zt”l concluded his eulogy for his wife with the following words: The Tanna De’Vei Eliyahu states: “Hashem will one day sit on the throne of judgment and He will pass judgment upon the entire world. First, Hashem will call the Heaven and earth and ask them, ‘I created you first for my Jewish nation. When you saw them being exiled to the other nations of the world, why did you not request for mercy on their behalf?’ Hashem will then immediately place the Heaven and earth on one side. About this time does the verse states, ‘Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, for Hashem of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and Jerusalem and before His elders shall be glory.’ Hashem shall then destroy the entire world, about which the verse states, ‘And Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day.’ Then, Hashem shall create the world anew, as the verse states, ‘And just as the new Heaven and the new earth I am creating’ and He will then resurrect the dead, as the verse states, ‘And many of those who slumber in the dust of the earth shall awaken.’”
We still remember how in the year 5762 (2002), Maran zt”l recounted that he had dreamt that he was standing at the Western Wall where he saw our righteous king, the Mashiach, and asked him, “Why do you not arrive and redeem the Jewish nation?” The Mashiach replied, “There are many more Jewish people who must yet repent. More and more will repent and then I shall come!”
In the merit of the teachings of Maran zt”l and the dissemination of the Torah, may we live to see the arrival of the righteous Mashiach and the Resurrection of the Dead, speedily and in our days, Amen.
