A Rabbi's Determination: The Turning Point that Shaped a Generation

On a bright morning in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem, grocery store shoppers were taken aback by the unexpected arrival of the dignified head of a yeshiva. This rabbi, known only for his devotion to Torah study and teaching, suddenly appeared in the local store, creating an air of respect that parted the crowd before him. Swiftly, he approached the store owner and began a serious conversation. Curious ears overheard that the esteemed rabbi, whose world revolved around Torah, was proposing to work as a... store clerk. People couldn't believe their ears. In the corner, embarrassed, sat the store owner’s son, looking downward each time the rabbi gestured towards him during the discussion with his father.

Unaware, they stood witness to a seminal moment, a historical decision that determined the future of an entire generation!

What drew the respected head of the yeshiva to the grocery store, and why did he make such an unusual proposal to work there?

* * *

Our story unfolds in Jerusalem of the year 1933. In a time of poverty and hardship, when every penny counted, it wasn’t usual for boys to continue their education in yeshiva. Most left their studies to help feed their families.

In the household of Rabbi Yaakov Ovadia, who had immigrated from Iraq a few years prior, the burden of supporting the family was overwhelming. Naturally, the father enlisted his sons to work at his grocery store in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood.

Yet, despite the immense financial strain, he made a significant effort to send his eldest son, Ovadia (Yosef), who was deeply passionate about Torah, to yeshiva as he seemed destined for greatness.

Indeed, at just 12 years old (in 1933), after completing his studies at the 'Bnei Zion' Talmud Torah in the Bukharim neighborhood, young Ovadia entered the hallowed halls of the 'Porat Yosef' yeshiva within the walls of Old Jerusalem—the only yeshiva for Jews of Eastern descent in the Land of Israel at that time.

This diligent child did not disappoint, revealing himself to be an incredible prodigy. His teachers were astonished by his remarkable talent, depth, and fundamental understanding, combined with a unique memory and tireless dedication. The head of the yeshiva, esteemed Rabbi Ezra Attiya, of blessed memory, who recognized the young man’s rare talents and immense dedication, understood he was a tremendous asset destined to enlighten the people of Israel, serving as a spiritual father to him.

A Burden on His Shoulders, Yet He Pursues Torah!

The adversities that the future revolutionary in the world of Torah faced were not without challenges.

One day, at age 15, upon returning home from his studies, his father informed him that they had reached their limit, and he now had to join his other brothers in supporting the family business. His face darkened, sinking into deep sadness at the thought of leaving his beloved studies at the yeshiva, but he could not refuse his father’s command. Thus, after three years of study and elevation at the yeshiva, he went to help his father.

The burdens of cashiering weighed heavily on the young boy who loved the Torah and longed to return to the yeshiva seats. But what could he do?

With obvious reluctance, he assisted his father in unloading goods and arranging them on the shelves in the store or the grocery warehouse. Standing behind the counter, serving customers, was as if something forced him there. Such changes did not affect his dedication. Ovadia would arrive at the store with a backpack full of books, and during less busy hours, when the store emptied and workload decreased, he would immerse himself in the hefty pages of the Talmud, laid on the counter after brushing away sugar grains and bread crumbs. His father tried not to disturb his son and took pleasure in observing his diligent study.

When a customer appeared, the young man would painfully force himself away from his beloved studies to attend to them, only to quickly return to his true passion—those discussions of Abaye and Rava—often forgetting to charge for the goods...

It was then that one of the young Ovadia’s most notable characteristics became apparent—his immersion in study. When he was reading his books, everyone knew he delved deep into them, forgetting the world. Even when tasked to guard the store, he didn’t notice thieves, and when customers understood where his true focus was, many items simply disappeared...

His yeshiva peers once jokingly debated whether it was permissible to 'borrow' sweets from his father’s store while Ovadia was the guard or if it constituted theft. The students presented arguments on both sides but reached no conclusion, thus presenting the whimsical question to Ovadia himself... He didn’t realize it was an inside joke directed at him.

Years later, when serving as Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Ovadia visited a prison to offer words of encouragement to the inmates. An inmate approached and confessed he took advantage of Ovadia’s absorbed state to pilfer sweets from his father's shop and now regretted it. Rabbi Ovadia encouraged him to repent and assured him he was forgiven wholeheartedly.

Above his father’s store, on the second floor, an esteemed Babylonian sage, Chacham Sasson Levy, of blessed memory, would study with fervor and song. His voice would echo into the store where Rabbi Ovadia sat. Hearing those sounds often brought tears to Rabbi Ovadia’s eyes, longing to immerse himself in Torah study as he once did, like Chacham Sasson.

The Generation's Future at Stake

Meanwhile, the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Ezra Attiya, was unaware of these developments, as the diligent Ovadia suddenly stopped attending yeshiva classes without prior notice.

However, just as a biological father easily discerns his child's absence, Rabbi Ezra, Ovadia's spiritual father, needed no significant attention to notice his beloved student's absence, which left a void in the yeshiva hall.

One morning, as the yeshiva head customarily moved from class to class, monitoring student progress, he entered the classroom of Rabbi Eliyahu Lopes where Ovadia studied. Noticing Ovadia’s absence, he inquired and was alarmed to learn that, due to the family’s financial hardship, the father had enlisted Ovadia to help at the grocery store...

Rabbi Ezra was well aware of the immense potential within this promising young man whose star was rising. He feared for the young prodigy’s fate, understanding that inaction now would be a loss for generations.

The head of the 'Porat Yosef' yeshiva lost no time. That very day, he personally visited the grocery store. The father, Rabbi Yaakov, was taken aback by the esteemed guest and wondered why he was honored with such a visit... After exchanging pleasantries, the head of the yeshiva explained that the purpose of his visit was to ask the father to allow his son Ovadia to study Torah. "Your son is a great scholar, and every moment he isn’t learning is a loss of precious time. Let him study; he will be a leader of the next generation!" The rabbi tried his utmost to persuade.

"There’s no livelihood," lamented Yaakov, the affectionate father, to the kind-hearted head of the yeshiva. "There’s hunger outside. My son will manage the store while I go out to gather more income." The father presented his position respectfully.

Rabbi Ezra understood the father's plight but could not forgo the great promise in his son. Instead of arguing with the father, he took a more dramatic approach, choosing to demonstrate the magnitude of the loss in an extraordinary way.

To the father’s stunned eyes, he lifted the edge of his cloak and headed towards the inner side of the counter. "If you need help, I'll replace him here at the store... His Torah study is more critical than mine!" he said with firm gentleness.

The father recoiled in shock, kissed the rabbi's hands, and pleaded forgiveness. The head of the yeshiva’s actions touched his heart in a way that words alone could not have.

And the young boy joyously returned to the warm embrace of the holy Torah.

And that boy grew to become our revered teacher, the esteemed Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory.

No doubt, Rabbi Ezra's initiative saved a generation!

The event witnessed by those in the store was essentially the giving of the Torah for an entire generation! Indeed, one might say that had it not been for that day, how many Rabbi Ovadia Yosefs would there be?!

When that boy later served as President of the Council of Torah Sages, traveling to remote places to bring Hashem's message to those far and wide, his mantra was "If there are no kids (to learn), there will be no adults (to lead)." He knew this not as a mere cliché but as a living testimony learned on a memorable day in his father's grocery store. Certainly, the countless children protected by the Torah’s wings in the educational network he founded, did so due to 'that day.'

Rabbi Ezra lived to see the fruit of his endeavors flourish, once even expressing the rare sentiment that "if 'Porat Yosef' yeshiva existed for no other reason than to produce Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, it was worthwhile."

A Personal Story

It is fascinating to discover that history repeats itself. Those who explore Rabbi Ezra Attiya's background will find that it’s no coincidence Rabbi Ezra empathized with the sorrow of a boy unable to sit and study due to his parents' financial hardships. This determination to ensure his student continued yeshiva studies was something Rabbi Ezra learned first-hand from a similar event in his youth.

Orphaned from his father, despite his mother’s efforts to support their home alone, the high cost of living in Jerusalem and the burden of earning a livelihood weighed heavily on her shoulders, forcing the studious young man to abandon the yeshiva and his passion to work and support his widowed mother.

To do so, he began studying carpentry with his uncle but couldn’t completely abandon his studies. Each night he would rise to study for long periods.

At that time, the first yeshiva for scholars from Aleppo opened in Jerusalem by Rabbi Ezra Harari, of blessed memory. The story goes that upon hearing that the youth had begun carpentry, Rabbi Ezra approached him and assured him he would provide for his family's needs, as long as he studied Torah. As they say, the rest is history.

The young man burdened by his and his mother’s financial troubles repay this kindness many times over to countless young men from impoverished families when he became yeshiva head. The yeshiva’s treasurer recounted that whenever a brilliant student came without the necessary funds, Rabbi Ezra asked to deduct from his salary to accept the student.

It’s no wonder most of his students have illuminated and continue to illuminate the world with their Torah. As the sages said (Nedarim 81a): "Be cautious with the children of the poor, for from them Torah will emerge!"