Gedolei hador have issued a statement urging Klal Yisroel all over the globe to daven for Maran Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, as he remains at Shaarei Tzedek Hospital under the close watch of physicians.
In a letter published this morning, the gedolim state: “Due to the severe condition of Maran Rabbon Shel Yisroel, Maran Rabbeinu Hagaon Rav Y. S. Elyashiv, we ask all of Klal Yisroel, especially bnei yeshiva and kollel yungeleit wherever they are, to plead for rachamei Shomayim in tefillah and to strengthen Torah learning for a refuah of Rav Yosef Shalom ben Chaya Musha., besoch she’ar cholei Yisroel.”
The letter is signed by Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, Rav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, Rav Yitzchok Scheiner, Rav Gershon Edelstein, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, and Rav Nissim Karelitz.
Last night, there was a deterioration in the health of Rav Elyashiv, as his bodily systems collapsed. While, as reported here, a slight improvement was seen in his condition, he is still in a critical state.
During the evening, Rav Elyashiv lost consciousness, and the family gathered at the hospital. Rav Elyashiv’s close talmid and gabbai, Rav Yosef Efrati, entered the room accompanied by the head of the Shaarei Tzedek cardiac unit and emerged a few minutes later with his eyes swollen with tears.
Senior hospital physicians tried to stabilize Rav Elyashiv, who was anesthetized and ventilated.
The public has been asked not to come to the hospital, and last night officials escorted hundreds away from the hospital.
At the same time, in yeshivos across the world, from Mir in Yerushalayim to Ponovezh in Bnei Brak and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, tefillos are being said around the clock for the 101-year-old posek hador. In Yerushalayim, Yidden walk the streets in concentration, as cars with loudspeakers call on the public to daven and learn as a zechus for Rav Elyashiv.
As reported yesterday, Rav Shteinman asked yeshivos to stop their sedorim to daven for Rav Elyashiv.
At the Kosel, a massive gathering was held to daven and say Tehillim for Rav Elyashiv. Tefillos were also said by a group at the kever of Maran Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l in Bnei Brak.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and Yerushalayim Mayor Nir Barkat called family members and Knesset members of United Torah Judaism to convey their concern and be informed of Rav Elyashiv’s condition.
All are asked to daven for Rav Yosef Shalom ben Chaya Musha.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Newscenter}
Since the Roshei Yeshiva shlita have written that they are “asking everyone to do their part on behalf of R Elyashiv” —
Perhaps it is the right time for us all to strengthen our adherence to Rav Elyashiv’s psak regarding the prohibition of using any electric shavers, which states:
“The Chofetz Chaim wrote (Likkutei Halachos, end of Makkos)
that recently a machine had been introduced for shaving the
hair, and, [using it for shaving the beard] is, in his opinion,
close to [transgressing] a prohibition of the Torah itself.
In our opinion, if this was the case in his [the Chofetz Chaims]
time, when [the machine] was not so advanced and even the
lowest setting did not give a very close shave, how much more
so in our time when the machine works by electricity [giving a
much closer shave], it is certainly considered destroying the
hair in the manner prohibited by the Torah itself…”
time for klal yisroel to do teshuva
May he have a refuoh shlemo!