Rabbi David Yosef, a respected Torah scholar and rabbi of the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem, once shared a moving story from his yeshiva days.
“When I was learning at Or Israel Yeshiva in Petach Tikva, the financial situation was very difficult,” he recalled. “Some of the students went to the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Neiman, and shared how hard things were. He told them honestly that he was doing his best, but it was hard to raise funds.”
At that time, the yeshiva boys went on a trip, and during the bus ride, the driver began chatting with them. “The driver told us that he had become religious—ba’al teshuva—after hearing my father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, speak in a synagogue back when he served as a dayan (rabbinical judge) in Petach Tikva,” said Rabbi David Yosef. “He added that now, all of his sons learn in yeshiva.”
One of the boys on the bus pointed to me and told the driver, ‘This is Rabbi Ovadia’s son!’ The driver lit up. He turned to me and said with emotion, ‘Tell your father that everything I have is thanks to him.’ He explained that he lived in Kfar Avraham and owned a small farm.”
That Friday, Rabbi David went home and told his father about the driver. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef immediately asked for the man’s phone number. When he got him on the phone, he said, “This is Ovadia Yosef. I would like to meet you.”
The driver, honored and excited, came to the Yosef family home. Rabbi Ovadia told him, “I’m asking you for a favor. There’s a yeshiva in Petach Tikva that has nothing. Can you help them?”
Without hesitating, the driver replied, “For the next year, I will give them all the fruits and vegetables they need—for free.”
And he kept his word. Every Friday, a truck would pull up to the yeshiva, filled with an enormous supply of produce. The cook, stunned by the delivery, ran to tell Rabbi Neiman. The Rosh Yeshiva came out and said, “I’m sorry, but we can’t pay for this.” The man replied, “It’s all free.”
“Why?” asked Rabbi Neiman. The driver answered simply, “Because of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.”
Rabbi Neiman was overcome. He called over Rabbi David Yosef, hugged and kissed him, and said, “Go thank your father. And this year, you’re exempt from paying tuition.” At the time, that tuition cost fifty liras—a large sum for a student.
Overjoyed, Rabbi David ran to the public phone and called his father to share the good news.
But the story didn’t end there.
Sometime later, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef came to the yeshiva and walked straight into Rabbi Neiman’s office. “You told my son he’s exempt from tuition?” he asked. “What does that have to do with anything?” He then quietly placed twelve checks on the desk—covering the full amount—and left.
That was Rabbi Ovadia Yosef—great in Torah, and even greater in kindness.
(From the ‘Yabi’a Omer’ bulletin, shared with permission from the Dirshu website)
