Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu: Commemorating the Shloshim from his Passing

Excerpt from the Eulogy of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef

"Three weeks ago we lost our crown jewel- my Master and Rabbi- Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.  We have heard many eulogies since then, but we haven′t yet touched on the essence of his character.

"Rabbi Eliyahu radiated love to each individual, and each one felt that he was his only child.

"In our generation we pride ourselves on our many Torah scholars, Maggidei Shiurim, and Roshei Yeshivos.  This is very heartwarming, no doubt, but, sadly, we lack high caliber halachic experts.  In order to be a posek one must delve, read, memorize, and serve senior Rabbis (shimush).  Rabbi Eliyahu was a posek of enormous stature. Hashem endowed Rabbi Eliyahu with multiple skills and talents; his comprehension and memory were magnificent, but Rabbi Eliyahu did not make do with Heavenly endowments, and served the great Torah giants of the previous generation, learning from them how to make a halachic ruling in practice.

"Rabbi Eliyahu served Chacham Efraim HaCohein, who was a disciple of the Ben Ish Chai, Chacham Rabbi Ezra Attia, Rosh Yeshiva of the Poras Yosef Yeshiva, who was head and shoulders above the others and a great halachic expert, and many others. 

"Rabbi Eliyahu had the Torah teachings of the Ben Ish Chai in ′the palm of his hand′, and passed down his rulings based on the Ben Ish Chai′s rulings hundreds of times each day. He "paskened" (gave halachic rulings) in every realm of the Torah with profundity and a great sense of responsibility. Chacham Mordechai was precise in his rulings on the personal and public levels alike.

"Eighteen years ago, Rabbi Eliyahu publicized his vehement opposition to the Oslo Accords.  Sadly, he was correct. He had the strength of conviction to say things that were not always easy to say.  He ′went all the way′, although, in our state those who ′tell it like it is′ are called ′fanatic rightists′, are out of the consensus and become ′persona non grata′. Rabbi Eliyahu did all in his power to abolish the Oslo Accords, but, tragically, a ′zoo′ of terrorists were brought in.

"May Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu′s merits bring us the true and complete redemption, now!"