Rabbi David Shalom Batzri, head of the HaShalom Yeshiva for Kabbalists in Jerusalem and widely known as the “Elder of the Kabbalists," died Friday morning at the age of 85 after suddenly collapsing at his home in Bnei Brak.
Rabbi Batzri collapsed at his home on Rabbi Landa Street, where he had lived in recent years. Emergency medical teams rushed to the scene and performed prolonged resuscitation efforts before evacuating him in critical condition to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.
Despite continued efforts to save his life, doctors were ultimately forced to pronounce his death.
Rabbi Batzri had experienced periods of declining health in recent years and was hospitalized from time to time. Nevertheless, he continued to teach the hidden Torah with extraordinary dedication, receive the public for counsel and blessings, and perform spiritual rectifications and prayers for salvation on behalf of individuals and the Jewish people as a whole.
Alongside his leadership of the yeshiva, Rabbi Batzri was renowned for his extensive knowledge of Kabbalah, including the mystical traditions surrounding Divine names and spirits. He was also deeply versed in the teachings of his grandfather, the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah.
His expertise became particularly well known through rare and deeply moving ceremonies conducted to remove a “dybbuk." Some of these ceremonies attracted worldwide attention and sparked intense spiritual interest.
The Shas movement issued a statement mourning his passing, describing Rabbi Batzri as the “Elder of the Kabbalists" and a “holy and ascetic man," and highlighting his connection to Porat Yosef Yeshiva, where he studied under Rabbi Ezra Attiya, as well as his marriage to the daughter of renowned kabbalist Rabbi Salman Mutzafi.
“Rabbi Batzri taught Torah and raised many students, humble as Hillel, a pillar of prayer, who poured out his heart in holy prayers and lofty spiritual rectifications for the sake of all Israel," Shas said.
The statement also praised his steadfast support for the Shas movement and his outspoken defense of Torah and its students.
“He was purified through severe suffering, which he accepted with love," the movement said. “The loss is a great one for the Torah world and for the entire Jewish people."