Thousands of people came out to attend the funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik Sunday.

The funeral procession began from his home on Eli HaCohen Street in Jerusalem. After reciting Psalms, his eldest son, Yitzchok Zev, was crowned as the successor to the rosh yeshiva of Brisk.

The funeral was attended by rabbis and heads of yeshivot who came to accompany him on his final journey. Even the Rebbe of Gur, who had not gone to funerals since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, attended for a few minutes from his car.

Due to the mass gathering, the Israel Police gathered to attempt to prevent violations of the lockdown. Earlier it was reported that buses from Beit Shemesh that were on their way to Jerusalem were stopped by police forces and their passengers would be asked to explain their departure. The funeral procession will end at the Har Hamenuhot cemetery in Jerusalem.

Thousands attend funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik
Thousands attend funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid SoloveitchikPhoto: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

The chairman of the Yisrael Beyteinu party, MK Avigdor Liberman, attacked Prime Minister Netanyahu and Internal Security Minister GAmir Ohana in light of the masses which came out for the funeral.

"Now in Jerusalem: this is what selective enforcement looks like. Where is the prime minister? Where is the Internal Security Minister?" Liberman tweeted.

Rabbi Soloveitchik passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 99, three months after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. The rabbi's condition deteriorated on Friday. His condition was stabilized on Saturday, but deteriorated again in the evening and he passed away this morning.

The rabbi had several medical episodes over the last year, including a serious infection, a fall at home, and a complex surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.

Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik is the son of Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, the 'Rabbi of Brisk,' and the grandson of Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, the originator of the 'Brisker method' of studying Talmud. His son, Rabbi Yitzchok Zev (Velvel) Soloveitchik, is a lecturer at the Brisk yeshiva. Hi son-in-law, Rabbi Nechemya Kaplan, is the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaar HaTalmud in Jerusalem

Thousands attend funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik
Thousands attend funeral of Rabbi Meshulam Dovid SoloveitchikYonatan Sindel/Flash90