In the video: Rabbi Kanievsky's funeral procession (Photo: Yotam Ronen, C Live u, Keren Pe'er and helicopter photography: Itamar Greenberg / Helicopter: Isracopter)
Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, a 99-year-old leader of the ultra-Orthodox community, was hospitalized Thursday night at Mayanei Yeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak. The rabbi suffered from shortness of breath and experienced a decrease in his indices and was evacuated independently together with his associate and upon arrival at the hospital, where it was decided to admit him for further treatment and observation.
Rabbi Edelstein is the leader of the Lithuanian public, and is considered by many to be the most influential leader in the ultra-Orthodox public today. He holds the title of "President of the Council of the Gadol HaTorah" of the Degel HaTorah faction, one of the two factions that make up the Torah Judaism party, and served as the head of the Panevezys Yeshiva in Bnei Brak where he teaches Torah lessons to this day despite his advanced age. Over a year ago, Edelstein contracted COVID-<> for the second time.
Rabbi Edelstein votes in the elections, November 1, 2022 (Photo: Walla! editorial board, none)
About two months ago, Edelstein issued an order to yeshiva students not to participate in demonstrations and not to confront opponents of the legal reform, before the demonstration held in Bnei Brak. The directive was issued on his behalf by the chairman of the yeshivas committee, Rabbi Chaim Aharon Kaufman.
The announcement read: "As people who are unfortunately far from the Torah and its observance have recently arisen, with words of matzah and quarrel about the occupants of the tent of the students of the holy yeshivas who are the founders of the world, we call upon all dear yeshiva students, to distance themselves from them and their masses and not to enter into things with them under any circumstances, and God forbid from going out into the streets of a city and participating in any demonstration."
The announcement also referred to the Passover holiday that took place at the time, noting that "in these days when we set out for eternal freedom and you have no free person but someone who deals with Torah, will add to the Torah's labor and diligence."
In September 2022, Edelstein was visited by Benjamin Netanyahu, then the leader of the opposition. Netanyahu arrived under heavy security, accompanied by Flag of the Torah Chairman MK Moshe Gafni. This came about ten days after the agreement signed between the factions in Torah Judaism to run together in the elections for the 25th Knesset in exchange for budgets for educational institutions that do not teach 100 percent of the core curriculum. During the meeting, Rabbi Edelstein recommended that Netanyahu study Talmud.
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