Those Israelis who did not attend the mass funeral of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on Monday probably sat in front of their television screens wondering what could possibly compel hundreds of thousands of people, from Kiryat Shmona in the north all the way to Eilat in the south, to drop everything, travel to Jerusalem and attend the hours-long event. Throughout the generations, many of Israel's greatest figures were recognized and revered only years after their deaths. Yosef enjoyed recognition of his greatness, his loftiness, his leadership and his importance while he was still alive. The king of the Torah received an honor worthy of kings when he died. The Midrash tells us that until the kingdom of the House of David is restored, each generation's sages are to be viewed as kings. People came to the funeral in throngs, not as a show of political force but to give genuine, heartfelt thanks to the man who showed them the light of Judaism in this cynical, unspiritual, valueless world. It is well known that in the Diaspora, Sephardi Jews observed the commandments and abided by the Torah. The Jewish experience was a central part of their lives. The Torah was their guide, and they abided by this guide from birth to death. Upon immigrating to Israel, their lifestyles changed. The melting pot and the secular nationalism of first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion disconnected them from the legacy of their forefathers. The Judaism of roots and faith remained without a shepherd, in search of a path in the Israeli wilderness. In fact, Israel turned its back on the faithful. For decades, Yosef waved a flag with the slogan "restore the ancient glory." Dozens, which turned into hundreds and then into many thousands, followed his leadership and rediscovered their own ancient heritage. They walked tall and rid themselves of the inferiority complex that the veteran elites had planted in them. Maimonides, Rabbi Joseph Karo, Rabbi Yosef Hayyim (Ben Ish Ḥai) and the greatest of the Spanish Jewish figures all wrote masterpieces. For historical and sociological reasons, over the last 200 years, the Ashkenazi Lithuanian Jewish scholars claimed the dominant role in the Torah world. In Israel it became very difficult of Sephardi Jews to get accepted into Ashkenazi yeshivot. Many important Sephardi rabbis invalidated themselves in the face of their Ashkenazi counterparts, all for the sake of some phony unity, as Yosef put it. Yosef's scholarly greatness and his leadership skills restored the honor that had been stolen from the Sephardi Jewish public. It was for this genius, greatness, leadership and pride that hundreds of thousands of people came to pay their respects on Monday. The turning of the pages of Jewish history could be heard during the course of the funeral. Many years will pass before the void left by Yosef is filled again. Until then, grandfathers will tell their grandchildren that they had the honor of accompanying the rabbi to his final resting place.
They came to give thanks
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
