Rabbis and staff at Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak posted a special letter on Tuesday evening calling for strengthened prayer and learning for Rabbi Chaim Ben Risha Rizel Berman, one of the yeshiva’s central figures, who is in serious condition and needs a complete recovery.
The letter describes Berman as a singularly exceptional figure of his generation, saying he has shown unmatched devotion for 70 years, and perhaps even in earlier generations. It says his illness has deprived the yeshiva of a major spiritual merit, because he has been a constant presence there since his youth.
The signatories, Rabbi Chaim F. Berman, Rabbi Dov Levi, Rabbi Dov Miller, Rabbi A.S. Melar and yeshiva president Rabbi Aharon Kahaneman, asked students to strengthen their observance of study times and to add at least 15 minutes to one daily learning session. They also urged them to increase prayer and merits on his behalf.
The article says Berman’s condition is defined as very serious. He is hospitalized at Tel Hashomer Medical Center, sedated and on a ventilator. The public was called to pray fervently for Rabbi Chaim Ben Risha Rizel for a complete recovery among all other sick people in Israel.