Rabbi Moshe Tzadka, one of the leading Sephardi rabbis and head of Yeshivat Porat Yosef Geula, has sent a rare handwritten letter of support to Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Beeri, known as “the Yanuka.” The letter came as the city of Rishon LeZion continues efforts to dismantle the synagogue he heads.
In the note, Tzadka opened by addressing Beeri as “the righteous rabbi,” and wrote that it has already become widely known that “we have a righteous rabbi called ‘the Yanuka.’” He added sharply, “It is a clear sin to speak about him. One who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from troubles.”
A video accompanying the report shows Tzadka’s close student, Rabbi Yaakov Buchris, handing the letter to Beeri. Buchris said that when he told Tzadka about the persecution against the rabbi and the attempts to destroy the synagogue, “the rabbi was shocked, could not bear to hear it, and told me, ‘Do not tell me such things, I cannot hear this.’”
The support letter joins many other expressions of backing for Beeri as the dispute over the synagogue in Rishon LeZion continues. According to the report, the site draws hundreds and even thousands of visitors every day seeking advice, blessing, and salvation. The letter is described as a significant reinforcement for Beeri in his struggle with the municipality.
