But in the world of the Torah: The Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Zion Sofer, zt"l, Rosh Yeshiva Rechsim and one of the greatest Sephardic yeshiva heads, author of "Be'er Zion," died today (Monday) in New York at the age of 71, after collapsing during a visit to the United States.
On the evening of Purim, the Rosh Yeshiva left for the United States to strengthen and establish the yeshiva, where he stumbled and was hospitalized. To the dismay of his family and many students, his condition deteriorated and this morning he returned his soul to its creator.
The late zt"l was born on the 3rd of Cheshvan 1973 to his father Rabbi Yitzhak Sofer and his mother Mrs. Shulamit, may God have mercy on him. He was the great-grandson of the author of "HaKaf HaChaim" Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer zt"l and the great-grandson of the Kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Munsa zt"l from Damascus, who was one of the sages and kabbalists of Jerusalem.
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In his youth, he studied at the Kol Torah Yeshiva and the Hebron Yeshiva, where he was well-liked by his rabbis, the heads of the yeshiva.
When he reached his prime, he married his wife, Mrs. Hedva Simcha, from the Oved family. After his marriage, he studied at Yeshivat Tiphrach and Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom.
In 1976, he took part in the founding of the Beit Binyamin Yeshiva in Stamford, Connecticut.
After that, he joined his uncle, the eminent Rabbi Yehuda Tzedaka, head of the Porat Yosef yeshiva, and the sage Ben Zion, Abba Shaul.
During his lifetime, he authored approximately 70 books, both revealed and hidden. His main book on the Shas is 'Be'er Zion,' and in addition he authored the 'Shiurei Zion' series on the Tractates, as well as the Zion Eliyahu series on the Sifra Datseni'ota, and many other books.
He also studied Kabbalah with Rabbi Yoel Kloft, Rabbi Yitzhak Shlomo Zilberman, and Rabbi Israel Eliyahu Weintraub.
In the past, he served as a judge in the court of the Grand Rabbi Karelitz, and worked with the Grand Rabbi Elyashiv, and authored the books 'Sha'arei Zion' and 'Zion Be'mishpat', which detail court rulings. He later served as a judge in the court of Ahavat Shalom.
The late Ztz"l was one of the founders of the 'Yakiri Yerushalayim' Yeshiva and the 'Beer Yitzhak' Yeshiva in Telz Stone, where he served as the rabbi, and headed several kollel and communities in Jerusalem and Modi'in Illit.
In 1961, he founded the Rechsim Yeshiva, headed it, and educated thousands of students.
In 1990, he was involved in the establishment of the 'Marvitzi Torah' movement, but after a few years he left the movement.
In Iyar 5771, he was hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem and was in danger of dying, while being sedated and ventilated. On the advice of Rabbi Kanievsky, the late Rabbi, they added the name "Raphael" to him, and since then he has recovered and returned to his normal self. In Adar 1, 5772, he underwent a series of complex surgeries from which he recovered for a long time.
An announcement will be made regarding the date of his coffin's arrival in the Holy Land and the funeral procession.
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri eulogized: "I received with shock and great sorrow the bitter news of the passing of the righteous Rabbi Eliyahu Zion Sofer ztzu"l, Rosh Yeshiva Rechsim, one of the greatest yeshiva heads, who raised thousands of students and taught Torah with true devotion, a genius in both the open and the hidden, a true servant of God and a man of many afflictions who accepted them with love.".
""I was privileged to be of assistance to him for his medical needs and two weeks ago I visited him in the hospital. All the great doctors who were with him stood in awe of his patience and calmness. The loss is very great for his tens of thousands of students and for the entire Torah world.".
