Translation by Yehoshua Siskin (http://inthelandoftheJews.blogspot.com)
Rabbi Uri Zohar - 30 days since his passing
The following memories of Rabbi Uri Zohar were recounted at an event held to commemorate 30 days since his passing:
Yishai Ribo mentioned that he once attended a class on a difficult subject that Rabbi Uri was teaching. Each time Yishai had trouble understanding something, he would simply look at Rabbi Uri's face and learn so much.
Rabbi Dan Tiomkin called Rabbi Uri "the youngest old man I even met." He was especially amazed that in his 70's and 80's, Rabbi Uri could instantly change his teaching method. "He did not hesitate to replace the tools he was using with more suitable ones when needed."
Rabbi Ofer Gissin established the BeYahad organization for ba'alei teshuvah with Rabbi Uri and spoke about his partner's feelings behind this endeavor. "He understood the need to create a new language that would serve as a bridge between all sectors of society."
Shimon Shahar spoke about Rabbi Uri's deep concern for every person. "The owner of a kiosk decided to close his business on Shabbat. Rabbi Uri did not only bless him, but visited every synagogue in the kiosk owner's neighborhood on several occasions to encourage patronage of the kiosk. There are numerous other stories like this regarding Rabbi Uri's caring attitude even if no one has ever heard them."
Rabbi Chagai Mazor said there are people who become passionate now and then, on a holiday or on Shabbat, but Rabbi Uri lived all of his years with uninterrupted passion. And then Rabbi Mazor simply broke into tears while on stage, in genuine grief.
Evyatar Banai remarked: "Rabbi Uri provided a compass -- to be used inside of me. He was not someone who made you into someone else, but someone who brought you closer to who you really are."
And *Yedidya Meir*, who moderated the event, pointed out that we are dealing here with the uniquely radical life of someone who was larger than life, yet from whom all of us can take something of value into our own lives.
Rabbi Eliyahu Mani zt"l: 5 facts about his life
The 8th of Tammuz, 123 years ago, *Rabbi Eliyahu Mani*, Chief Rabbi of Hebron and among the greatest of Iraqi Rabbis, passed away. He was one of our nation's most outstanding figures, yet we do not know enough about him. Here are 5 facts about his life:
1. From an early age he was attracted to the hidden, mystical aspects of the Torah. When he decided to make aliyah to the Land of Israel, the community in Baghdad objected. His friend Rabbi Yosef Chaim, known as the Ben Ish Chai, stood by him and explained to the community that Rabbi Mani's physical ascent to the Land of Israel was vital to his spiritual ascent as well.
2. After a three month journey with his wife and children, by way of Damascus, he arrived in Jerusalem. When he saw the desolation of the Holy City, he tore his clothes as a sign of mourning. As a further demonstration of his grief over Jerusalem's destruction, he accustomed himself to sleep on a stone.
3. For the first 14 years he served as Hebron's rabbi, he refused to receive a salary. During this period, he signed his letters "Servant of the Holy Community of Hebron." As his family grew, he agreed to accept monetary compensation and changed his signature. His wife Samra was active in hosting guests and in helping those in need. She was also highly learned and taught Torah to the women of Hebron. With the ever-abiding maternal concern she showed for her city, she was dubbed "the Mother" by its residents.
4. Rabbi Mani was a highly active leader. He taught, wrote, and established institutions, increasing the size of his community. Hundreds of Jews from Islamic lands made aliyah, primarily to Hebron, in his footsteps. He wrote more than 140 books and stored them for safekeeping in the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem. When the Old City fell into the hands of the Jordanians during the War of Independence, this treasure was lost.
5. A few of his books remain. Here is a line from one of them, titled "Siach Yitzchak": "Every Shabbat a person should take it upon himself to learn words of Torah and discover novel ideas in them. If he cannot study and do this on his own, he should hear such ideas from a sage."
And a story Torat Chaim,
Irit Halevy, new head of the girls' high school Ulpanat Tzvia in Jerusalem, went for an MRI exam last week at Hadassah Hospital. She sat next to another woman - both of them in blue bathrobes - and chatted with her. This is what she wrote me about what occurred:
"An older man in a bathrobe joined us while we were waiting. With a shiny bald head and a radiant smile, he looked at us and said: 'First of all, may we all be well. But now I have a question.'
The woman next to me perked up and I took advantage of the pause in our conversation to attend to two hundred WhatsApp messages. And then he asked: 'Does someone here know about Balak? And can she tell me something about him?' I raised my eyes in surprise from my telephone and asked: 'Are you referring to this week's Torah portion?' 'Yes,' he said, 'I am not familiar with the weekly Torah portion so I have made it a practice to find out what's in it. Wherever I happen to be - on the light rail, in a doctor's waiting room - I ask those around me to tell me what they know about it.'
The woman next to me said: 'I do not know much about it, but I will gladly listen to someone who does.' 'With joy,' I said and started to tell them about this especially magical Torah portion: about Balak's attempt to fight the Nation of Israel with a spiritual weapon - with prayer - and how in this kind of war the Nation of Israel is invincible. I spoke about Bilam's donkey, about prophecy, about honor, about the blessings that Bilam declaimed. In one brief moment, the waiting room was transformed into a Beit Midrash (study hall).
All of us stopped looking at the clock and at our place in line. When the nurse called one of us to come into the doctor's office, her voice sounded a bit strange. It was as if she had no business being there and had no connection to the important event taking place.
Three Jews sitting in bathrobes waiting for an MRI in Jerusalem, experiencing great delight in their group study session, as if there was nothing more normal on earth."
Rabbi Uri Zohar and Rabbi Eliyahu Mani must have been looking down from heaven with broad smiles..