Prominent Rabbi Simon Bitton Hospitalized in Beit Shemesh

Rabbi Simon Bitton, the Chief Rabbi of Beit Shemesh, was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in his home on Tuesday. The 95-year-old rabbi, who has served the city for over four decades, received initial medical treatment at the scene before being transported to the hospital. The incident occurred at his residence above his synagogue on HaNasi Street in Beit Shemesh.

Following the news of Rabbi Bitton's collapse, several prominent rabbis in Beit Shemesh, including Rabbi Elhanan Peretz, Rabbi Yitzhak Chaim Sharabani, and Rabbi David Cohen, issued public calls for prayers and recitations of Psalms for his recovery. Rabbi Yaish Daba also made a similar appeal in his Beit Shemesh synagogue.

Rabbi Bitton is a highly respected figure, referred to as the "Mara d'Atra," a term for a community's chief rabbi, and has been a central religious authority for decades. The public appeals emphasize the community's deep concern for his health and well-being, urging widespread prayer for his complete recovery, invoking the phrase "within the rest of Israel's sick."