It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Shimon Baadani zt”l, head of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah of Shas. He was 94.
Rav Baadani had been hospitalized at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer after being transferred from Maayanei Hayeshuah Hospital.
Rav Baadani was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva V’Kollel Torah V’Chaim in Bnei Brak.
Rav Baadani was born in 1928 in Chadera. His parents, Covid and Chaviva Baadani, were both from Yemen. They had had ten children in their homeland, of whom only two sons and one daughter survived. Rav Shimon was their eleventh and last child.
Rav Baadani’s parents initially sent him to a Mafdal (Religious Zionist) school that provided religious education. Rav Baadani went on to attend the Novardok Yeshiva in Chadera before transferring to the Beis Yosef-Novardok Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, where Maran Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach was serving as rosh yeshiva.
After several years, at the suggestion of Rav Shach, Rav Baadani transferred to the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, then led by the rosh yeshiva Rav Ezra Attiya. Following the destruction of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva building in the Old City, Rav Baadani was asked to form a branch of the yeshiva in the Katamon neighborhood for the benefit of newly arrived immigrants. This branch later became an independent yeshiva, also led by Rav Baadani.
Rav Baadani co-founded Yeshiva V’Kollel Torah V’Chaim in Bnei Brak together with Rav Moshe Pardo. He taught thousands of talmidim who went on to serve as rabbonim, roshei yeshivas, dayanim and morei horaah.
Beginning in the 1970s, Rav Baadani involved himself in strengthening the Jewish communities of Latin America. He visited Argentina and regularly traveled to Mexico and Panama to be mechazeik those communities.
Rav Baadani was involved in the formation of the Shas party in 1984 and was a member of the Shas’ Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.
Rav Baadani and his wife, Rabbanit Shulamit, nee Abadai, had seven children. His sons are Rav Dovid Yeshaya Baadani, rosh kollel of Kollel Taharos in Yerushalayim, Rav Moshe Baadani, rosh chaburah at the kollel; and Rav Chaim Baadani, director of Torah V’Chaim.
The levaya is being held at Kollel Torah V’Chayim on Rechov Rabi Akiva in Bnei Brak, followed by kevurah at the Ponevezh Bais hachaim.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel}
