But it is heavy in the world of Torah and Halacha: The rabbi Shlomo ben Shimon, zt"l, rabbi of Neve Zion and member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, passed away today (Thursday) at the age of 88.
In recent years, he has weakened and yesterday he was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, after his condition deteriorated, where he underwent CPR today and, to his regret, returned his soul to its creator.
The Gaon Rabbi Shlomo ben Shimon zt"l was born in Jerusalem on the 16th of Kislev, 1937, to his father, Chacham Manzur ben Shimon zt"l, a rabbi of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, and to his mother, Mrs. Yaffe Jamila, may God have mercy on her.
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He studied at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva. In 1966, he won the Ministry of Religious Affairs Prize for Torah writings. He was ordained to the rabbinate by the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman. After his marriage, he began serving as a rabbi in the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood in Tel Aviv, and was one of the founders of the 'Yeshiva Torah and Teaching' in Tel Aviv.
In 1976, he began serving as a judge in the rabbinical courts: he served as a judge in Tiberias, Safed, Ashdod and Tel Aviv. In 1984, he was appointed Av Beit Din.
In 1992, he was appointed as a dayan in the Great Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem, until his retirement in 1997. In 1992, he was elected to serve as a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council. He previously served as a member of the Beit Din for Mamonot at Yeshiva Yahveh Da'at in Jerusalem.
He later served as the abbot of the Neve Zion synagogue, as the rabbi of the Neve Yitzhak synagogue in Bnei Brak, and as the president of the Netivot Shalom financial court in Beit Shemesh.
In 2015, he collapsed upon entering a hearing in the court of law, and lost consciousness. In 2018, he collapsed during a prayer, and was hospitalized after being resuscitated. On Shavuot 2019, he was resuscitated again, after collapsing while studying in the Beit Midrash - but has since recovered and returned to function.
In the past year, he moved to live in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Jerusalem and was taken to the hospital last night.
In Nisan 583, he was appointed to serve as a member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages.
His brothers: Hacham Nissim ben Shimon and the rabbi Masoud ben Shimon, the Sephardic rabbi of Bnei Brak and head of the Or Elitzur Yeshiva. His son-in-law is the rabbi Hanoch Cohen, head of the Be'er Talmud Yeshiva.
Minister of Religious Affairs Michael Malchieli eulogized: "We mourn together with the multitudes of the House of Israel the passing of a remnant of a generation of wisdom who gave his life to the propagation of Torah and wisdom for over a hundred years, who served as a dayan, Av Beit Din and member of the Council of Rabbinate for Israel for dozens of years - with dedication of soul amidst much suffering, the great gaon Av Beit Din Rabbi Shlomo ben Shimon zt"l - member of the Council of Torah Sages and Gab Beit Din of 'Neve Zion'.".
""Son of the great Kabbalist, the wise Manzur ben Shimon, may God bless him. Condolences to his exalted family and to the thousands of his disciples at every site - in the building of Jerusalem we will rest. May he say enough is enough for our troubles, Amen.".
The Shas movement mourned under the title "A great and great man has fallen in Israel!": "We mourn the passing of the Torah and Halacha luminary, the last remnant of a generation of wisdom, from the lineage of the Arameans and Tarshishites, a true judge, a true judge, upon whom our Lord Ovadia Yosef relied in the most complicated issues, who worked with strength and might to strengthen the Shas movement, who raised religion on a pedestal with humility and a radiant countenance, and continued the legacy of his father, the holy luminary, Hacham Manzur ben Shimon, zt"l, one of the founders of the 'Torah and Teaching' yeshiva in Tel Aviv, rabbi of the 'Neve Yitzhak' synagogue and rabbi of the 'Ramat David' neighborhood in Bnei Brak, who dedicated his life to the glorification of the world of jurisprudence and rabbinate.".
""The loss is great to the world of Torah and dayanim. The Shas movement sends condolences to his great family, and first of all to his great brothers, the great rabbinic rabbis, the great rabbinic rabbis, Rabbi Nissim ben Shimon, the great rabbinic rabbis, Rabbi Masoud ben Shimon, to his wife, the great rabbinic educator, to his sons and sons-in-law, the important rabbis, and to all his beautiful family, yeshiva heads, dayanim, rabbis, and Torah scholars. May God bless the Holy Seed, and may God heal the brokenness of His people and hasten our redemption quickly, Amen.".
His funeral will leave today at 3:30 PM from his 'Neve Yitzhak' seminary on Chiddushei Harim Street in Bnei Brak, and at 6:00 PM from the 'Porat Yosef' yeshiva on Yosef Ben Matityahu Street in Jerusalem to the Sanhedria Cemetery, where he will be buried.
