Adina Bar Shalom, the eldest daughter of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, says "Help is needed from above," to save her father and that "all of us are needed to fight together for his life." She made the call in a statement to reporters camped at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem where Rabbi Yosef has been since Sunday.
Yosef, this generation's leading sephardic authority on Jewish law, was hospitalized after undergoing surgery to implant a pacemaker. That operation went well, but the next day, following successful dialysis treatment, his condition rapidly deteriorated after doctors discovered fluid in his lungs. Rabbi Yosef was put on a respirator and although his condition was downgraded to serious but stable, a further deterioration led doctors to sedate him.
"The Rabbi's situation is stable," Bar-Shalom said, "but we all need to pray. Doctors pray with us, we need help from above. We all need to come together to fight for his life. He is important to us, he is important to you, and he is important for all of the Jewish People."
She added, "Only once in every few generations do we see a leader of this magnitude, and we need him to continue." She also addressed the situation of the family and said, "We hold out hope that everything will end well."
Medical update
Professor Yaakov Naparstek made an announcement on behalf of the medical team treating Rabbi Yosef earlier Tuesday afternoon telling reporters, "The situation is very serious. He needs medical assistance to stabilize his blood pressure and he is currently sedated and on a respirator. He also needs the assistance of specialist machines to ensure his heart rate and kidneys continue to function as normal,"
He added, "Rabbi Yosef has multiple failures of different systems in his body which is why he needs the help of this medical equipment. The moment there are multiple system failures, each one affects the other makes it difficult for him (Rabbi Yosef) to response to treatment." He added, "there is a danger to his life, particularly due to his advanced age," and said "the rabbi's sons are currently at his bed side, and we are doing our best to stabilize the situation."
Professor Naparstek said that media reports being given by the hospital about Rabbi Yosef's medical condition were being made in conjunction with his family.