The Special Bond Between Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
On the occasion of the yahrzeit of the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, Rabbi Yitzhak Shalev, the rabbi of the city of Yeruham, recounted the bond between Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, as he heard it directly from Rabbi Eliyahu, of blessed memory.
Under cover of darkness, two young Torah scholars who would later illuminate the entire Jewish world, Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Maran Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory, walked together. The two, who studied together at Yeshivat Porat Yosef, used to walk home together every evening. Since Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu was the younger of the two, he carried the small lantern in his hand, which dispelled the darkness and lit their path.
But the journey was not filled with casual conversation, rather with remarkable and inspiring Torah study. Every day, they set for themselves a strict and unique study routine, one of them recited an entire page of Gemara entirely from memory, while his friend completed it and recited from memory the parallel commentaries of Rashi and Tosafot. The next day, when they moved on to the next page, they switched roles to sharpen their minds, the one who had memorized the Gemara now recited the commentators, and vice versa.
The sparks of light from that small lantern spread not only the warmth of Torah, but also the fire of love, brotherhood, and mutual respect that burned in their hearts. This deep inner bond, forged in the alleys of Jerusalem, accompanied them throughout their lives. Even later, when they led the public and stood on opposite sides in fascinating halachic debates, there remained between them enormous appreciation and affection, free of any personal interest.
Maran Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory, held a deep love and sincere admiration for the genius of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. At one gathering, when Maran Rabbi Ovadia entered the hall, Maran Rabbi Eliyahu stopped his lecture and waited for his entry, publicly announcing that he was doing so in order to “show honor to the glory of the generation.” On the other hand, Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said of him in remarkable terms that only he, who had studied with him since their youth, could truly understand the depth of his genius and the breadth of his Torah.
The appreciation was so profound that on one Purim day, Rabbi Ovadia himself arrived, without attendants, at the door of Rabbi Eliyahu’s home to personally give him mishloach manot, causing Rabbi Eliyahu to shed tears of joy and emotion.
Thus, from the fire of Torah, close friendship, and unforgettable diligence, alongside absolute mutual respect between great men of the world, grew the two giants of the generation and the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people in our time.
Dedicated to the elevation of the pure soul of our teacher and rabbi, who loved the people of Israel with all the fibers of his soul, and aspired to the unity of true love among all parts of the people and their rabbis. May his soul be bound in the bond of life, and may he serve as a defender on our behalf and on behalf of all Israel!
