Opinion The leader of the generation who gave everyone a "fatherly feeling". Israel today

Tens of thousands of people from all sectors and all circles marched bent over and crying in the heavy heat of the month of Av to pay their last respects to the leader of a generation.

Each of the tens of thousands of attendants who followed the bed of the greatest of the generation, Maran Hacham Shalom Cohen, felt that he was their 'private father'.

'Their private leader'.

He, who would take to his heart every trouble and problem that came to face him, the troubles of the individual and the troubles of the whole, gave everyone a fatherly feeling that 'I am selfish in trouble'.

Every time after the hour of receiving an audience when the thousands of people turning to blessing and advice had already left the house, Maren would sit with us and sob bitterly.

Pointing to the mountains, the pages with the names for blessing that he would write in his holy handwriting and tell us "how many troubles there are in the people of Israel", "Oh", he would sigh.

"Lord of the world have mercy on your people Israel".

How much his heart was touched by every trouble of every Jew wherever he was.

Rabbi Shalom Cohen's funeral in Jerusalem, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

He was everyone's father

They would come from all over the world to ask his advice and receive his straight and direct direction.

Tens of thousands of his students and the students of his students in Israel and all over the world who were privileged to receive Torah from him at the 'Forat Yosef' yeshiva for nearly fifty-five years during which he served as head of the yeshiva, tens of thousands who studied and taught and founded Torah institutions and yeshiva by his power and blessing.

They would come from all over the world to ask his advice.

Rabbi Shalom Cohen, photo: Gideon Markowitz

Everyone knew that Hacham Shalom was a true man and she was a candle to his feet.

Without pretension, without fear and dread of anyone.

Pure and polished truth that has no other and is said in a clear and direct manner, sharp and clear, without extraneous considerations and without leaving an opening for question marks.

Even when we would bring to him daily questions of fateful decisions here and there, he would consider for a few seconds but immediately cut and decide in a clear and resolute way his opinion, Da'at Torah, which was always the right way.

Even in cases where at that moment we were unable to understand, later we saw that it was the right thing and we knew that the Shekinah was speaking from the mouth of His Holiness.

The body of Rabbi Shalom Cohen ztzel at the Purat Yosef yeshiva, photo: Yosef Mizrachi

Not many people know, but Maran Rosh Yeshiva Chacham Shalom Cohen Zatzuk'l was "the man raised above" according to the words of the prophet (2 Samuel). He was the first to recognize the need to represent the members of the Mizrahi ethnic group and to return the crown to its former glory. When they tried to oppose his initiative to establish the first Mizrahi ultra-Orthodox movement, he He stood and shouted: "Who will take care of the residents of Katmon?" - "If we don't take care of them, no one will take care of them."

And this is how the Shas movement was established, initially in Jerusalem as a local movement and later on the national level, and which became the symbol of deep-rooted Eastern Judaism and the Sephardic pride in returning the crown to its former glory. Not for honor, not for positions, only to increase the Torah and multiply Torah institutions and Torah learning among the people of Israel.

This is the only thing that stood Before his eyes, this was his only and constant ambition, and the more he loved and devoted himself to learning the Torah, the more he feared and feared its cancellation.

More than once and twice there were fateful moments when we had to approach him and ask for his decision to order the yeshivas and kollelim to close the Gemara, and leave for one reason or another the examination of "abolishing it is its existence", and he would flatly refuse to answer.

He would reply to us "I don't answer that".

"I cannot take on my shoulders the responsibility of canceling the Torah of many."

But on the other hand, when he had to go out and influence the people in the fields to bring them closer to our Father in heaven, especially during election periods, he would cancel himself and go around all the cities of the country from the north to the south to stir up the hearts in order to increase the power of the Torah in the people of Israel because this is the need of the many.

How symbolic was the fact that he was taken from us on Yoma Dafagra, the days between times, that the multitudes of the House of Israel and thousands of Yeshiva members and the Avarachs came to accompany him to eternal rest without it being necessary to close the yeshiva halls and kollels that were the desire of his soul and soul.

And if that's not enough, then the entire number of days of the Shiva'a to Maran Zatzuk'l will come to an end on Sunday morning, the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, when only a few hours later, during the wee hours, the yeshiva halls and kollels will open with the chanting of 'I to my uncle and my uncle to me'.

Mamrom will watch over us and pray for us and for all the people of Israel that God will say enough is enough for our troubles and we will receive a complete redemption soon.

The author is a servant in the sanctuary and a trustee of the house of the Greatest of the Generation Maran Rosh Yeshiva Hacham Shalom Cohen zt'l, president of the Council of Torah Sages.

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