Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, hospitalized on Feb. 5 in critical condition, opened his eyes and responded to visitors in his hospital room on Sunday. This marked a significant improvement for the revered rabbi, who has been unresponsive since being hospitalized at Jerusalems Shaare Zedek Medical Center. His condition even took a turn for the worse a few days after he was admitted. The 101-year-old rabbi is being treated in the hospitals cardiac intensive care unit. Members of the ultra-Orthodox Lithuanian community in Israel and abroad view Elyashiv as the leader of the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox community. In recent months, Elyashiv has suffered from poor health, with his condition deteriorating rapidly at the beginning of February. The elderly rabbi is considered by many Ashkenazi Jews as the leading living authority on Halachah (Jewish law). One of the rabbis close associates said, We are talking about a significant improvement in the rabbis condition, but we must keep in mind that he has crossed the age of 100, and that means something. However, as weve seen, he can defy statistics. Dozens of members of the ultra-Orthodox community have been praying outside the hospital and in yeshivas in recent weeks for their leaders recovery. Many yeshivas interrupted daily study and gathered for group prayers and mass readings of Psalms. Israels Chief Sephardi Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, made an impassioned plea for everyone to pray continuously in light of the rabbis critical medical condition.
