The Western Light is Extinguished
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, Rishon L′Tzion, zt"l
Note: This article was written by Rabbi Druckman less than 24 hours after Rabbi Eliyahu′s passing, with blood and hot tears.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe′s pining and longing for Eretz Yisroel is a well-known fact. Therefore it is no surprise that the Rebbe loved and was especially fond of the loving and beloved Gaon and Mekubal, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, zy"a, who passed away last week after enduring much suffering r"l, that he took upon himself in order to hasten the redemption and ease the burden of the Jewish people.
I merited hearing personally from Rabbi Eliyahu about his personal and close connection to the Rebbe – a connection that I doubt that others merited.
Rabbi Eliyahu related that once the Rebbe himself called Rabbi Eliyahu at midnight Israeli time. That in itself was an outstanding and unusual occurance, since almost all of the Rebbe′s phone calls were put through by his secretariat. When Rabbi Eliyahu answered the phone, the Rebbe inquired if Rabbi Eliyahu is before or after the tikkun chatzos prayer.
This question might appear as a good opening line or icebreaker to get the conversation going. When we delve deeper into this question, it is obvious that the Rebbe was not just making small talk. Rabbi Eliyahu was consumed with love, yearning, and zeal for the redemption and the holy land. He waited every day for the fulfillment of the prayer said in tikkun chatzos: " Thou wilt arise, and have compassion upon Zion; for it is time to be gracious unto her, for the appointed time is come. For Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and love her dust. The L-RD doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel."
Rabbi Eliyahu was never the same after the destruction of Gush Katif. His heart broke and his stature bent. Then the worst happened and terrorists attacked the Merkaz HaRav yeshiva, slaughtering yeshiva students, may Hashem avenge their blood, and maiming others (may they have a complete recovery soon).
Let us paraphrase the Lubavitcher Rebbe′s words to Rabbi Eliyahu, and not let them off our agenda: we find ourselves in the "chatzos- midnight-era-the zero hour concerning the future of the Holy Land and the Jewish Nation!
Surely Hashem will have mercy on us and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu will continue to ′bang on the table′ as he did at his lectures during his lifetime, and demand before the Kisei HaKovovd (the Heavenly Throne) that Hashem make good his promise to His children: " The L-RD hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength: Surely I will no more give thy corn to be food for thine enemies; and strangers shall not drink thy wine, for which thou hast laboured."
May we merit very soon to witness the fulfillment of the Divine promise: For G-d will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah; and they shall abide there, and have it in possession", in the merit of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and his unwavering stance for the integrity of Eretz Yisroel.
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