As an educator and as a principal, I am often asked, “When does reading begin?” Traditionalists would say reading begins in the first grade, with reading readiness as a precursor in kindergarten. This thinking is based on the assumption that the stronger the level of reading readiness, the more successful the reader. Few would disagree with this assertion.
The second annual gathering of Jewish refugees from Arab countries was held recently at the UN. The event was organized by the Israeli delegation to the UN, headed by Ambassador Ron Prosor, the World Jewish Congress and the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries (WOJAC). The event featured esteemed panelists, testimonials of Jewish refugees from Arab countries, and the screening of a short film entitled “The Forgotten Refugees.”
According to the holy Zohar, the term Shabbat can be used to refer to an exceptional tzaddik, such as Ribbi Shim’on bar Yohai. Just as the spirit of Shabbat gives life and meaning to the rest of the week, the tzaddik gives life and meaning to his generation. Reflecting on the life and deeds of Maran Hakham Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, we might say that the term fits him aptly—he was the Shabbat of our generation.
The Peruvian Jewish community is small. Out of a general population of about 27,000,000, there are fewer than 3,000 Jews. Almost all of them reside in the capital city of Lima. There are traces of remains of other Jewish communities in other cities, but most of these consist of intermarried descendants and are not counted in the official community calculation. Stories also surface occasionally of Converso communities in remote jungle areas but, once again, as these rumors remain unsubstantiated, members of such groups are not considered part of the contemporary community.
Doctors around the world still hold the writings and manner of care of medieval philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides (Rambam)in high regard. His teachings have left a significant mark on modern medical practice. Famously dubbed the Prince of Physicians, Maimonides’ 10 influential medical texts find their basis in Jewish law and advance a philosophy with significant implications for modern doctors, nurses, and hospitals.
On the second day of Yom Tov Shavuot in 2012, Rabbi Shlomo Braun, Director of the Aleh Foundation passed by the Bikur Cholim Hospital on Rechov Haneviyim in Jerusalem where he had the accidental privilege of meeting and greeting the late Great Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l as he was exiting the hospital.
In this Mishna, Rabbi Yehoshua lists three personality flaws which “remove a person from the world.” The implication is not simply that G-d will punish such a person, but that such behavior itself will actively “remove” him from the world. One who possesses these evil traits will make himself miserable, unable to enjoy the blessings he has been granted.
Parashat ToldotFew Biblical struggles, few familial conflicts—in a book filled with stories of intra-family struggles—are as tragic as the confrontation between Jacob and Esau. The twin grandsons of Abraham and Sarah were, from their birth onwards, locked in a constant struggle over inheriting leadership over the family, and of course, inheriting the riches of the land which G-d had first promised to Abraham.
Molly is the street name for a drug that is pushed as the pure powder form of MDMA, the main chemical in Ecstasy. In the last five years, Molly has made its way into popular culture. The drug’s dangers became more apparent after a rash of overdoses and four deaths this past summer, including two at a music festival in NYC.
Our tears have yet to dry on our cheeks. I am not sure that they ever will dry up. The torrent of tears burst through the dam for millions of Jews in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world. Suddenly, we have all been thrown down to the ground, pinned down by a loss of spiritual support. Why is all this so? It is because Maran Ovadia Yosef zt”l, was larger than our generation. Or perhaps we should say, the generation is too shrunken, too beaten by the wind to fully appreciate Maran’s greatness. It is still unclear.
When I woke up this morning and heard the tragic news that our teacher Hacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l has passed and left all of Israel as orphans, I could not think straight or comprehend what was occurring in the world that day. Therefore I dedicate to the Jewish people the following biographical portrait of a righteous and accomplished leader.
With the passing of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l at the age of 93, Israel lost a giant in Torah and statecraft, a seminal figure who lifted the status of downtrodden Sephardi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa and provided them with the pride and political strength to revolutionize Israeli society. In the history of the re-born State of Israel, political leaders have, for the most part, occupied one domain and Torah scholars another.
It is difficult to compress the immense life and achievements of our master and teacher Hakham Ovadia Yosef zt’l into a few sentences. During his life he accomplished more than most people do in 10 lifetimes. He touched so many people that it is not surprising a reported 800,000 people filled the streets of Yerushalayim for his levaya. The Rav was our national treasure.
On Monday, October 7, the world lost great scholar, spiritual leader and teacher Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l. Rabbi Yosef was Chief Rabbi of Israel and he was one of the foremost interpreters of religious law in recent generations. He inspired a renaissance for Sephardic religious life in Israel as the spiritual leader of the Shas party. Rabbi Yosef was 93 years old. Just hours before his passing, President Shimon Peres visited him in the hospital.
