YWN Rav Aviner On The Petira Of Maran Rav Elyashiv

HaRav Shlomo Aviner Shlita is the mora d’asra of Yishuv Beit El in Shomron and a leading halachic authority in the dati leumi community. Rav Aviner commented on the histalkus of Maran Rav Elyashiv zt”l, explaining that today, “for kovod hatorah, rabbonim are frequently referred to as ‘HaGaon’ but in this case, the niftar was truly a Gaon”. Rav Aviner explains he uses the title because of the niftar’s midos and modesty, a person who never sought publicity or the public spotlight, a person who closed himself in to learn and serve HKBH, a person who did not give public addresses, one who lived modestly in a life of modesty. The rav cited the niftar’s “diligence” even as a youth, as talmid chacham in his youth, one who was appointed by Chief Rabbi Herzog as a dayan to the Yerushalayim Beis Din, and one who quickly moved up to serve as a dayan in the בית דין הגדול. Rav Aviner mentions that Rav Elyashiv was tenacious in his adherence and observance of mitzvos and halacha, a wall that stood firm against any attempt to change the way of torah life and firmly committed to the word of Chazal as it was passed down through the generations. Rav Aviner cites from the teachings of HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook ZT”L [עולת הראיה (ח"ב עמ' קנב)] where the rav speaks of the gadlus of Moshe Rabbeinu, a gadlus that was not due to his chidushim, but to the contrary, because he adhered to דבר ה’. וכאשר רבנו היה נאלץ לחדש, אז החדש היה כולו ישן, כדברי רש”י בשם חז”ל על הפסוק: “והיה אם שמוע תשמעו”: “אם תשמע בישן תשמע בחדש” (דברים יא יג רש”י). The rav added that back in תרפ”ב Rav Kook acquired an aliyah permit for Rabbi Elyashiv and his grandson accompanied him. They continued learning day and night in Yerushalayim. When zealots spoke out against Rav Kook, Rav Elyashiv was quick to silence them. “He was a true Gaon because even if he did not agree with one’s shita, he was respectful of all talmidei chachamim”. Rav Aviner explains how Rav Kook advised him to marry Rebitzen Sheina Chaya ob”m, a daughter of Rav Aryeh Levine zt”l, and he did, accepting Rav Kook’s recommendation. Rav Kook was mesader kedushin. The rebitzen shared in Rav Elyashiv’s respect for talmidei chachamim, including Rav Kook and she was pained an outraged when they saw and learned of those who disgraced Rav Kook because of his hashkafa. Rav Aviner goes on to speak of true gadlus, one who recognizes a talmid chacham regardless of a hashkafa, one who loved all yidden and held shmiras torah and mitzvos above all. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)