Rabbanit Yael Cohen, the wife of Shas's spiritual leader, passed away Tuesday morning. She was about 78 years old and had been hospitalized due to a serious illness.
The rabbanit was the daughter of the kabbalist Rabbi Mansur Ben Shimon of Porat Yosef Yeshiva, who was considered one of the leading Sefardic rabbis of his time.
She leaves behind her husband, Rabbi Shalom Cohen, eight children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rabbi Cohen is the spiritual leader of the Shas party and the president of the Council of Torah Sages.
Rabbanit Cohen's brothers are former Supreme Rabbinical Court judge Rabbi Shlomo Ben Shimon and the former head of the Tel Aviv rabbinic court, Rabbi Nissim Ben Shimon.
The funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.