Nine years ago today Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ZT"L passed away. He was the Chief Rabbi of Israel, a dayan (Halachic judge), a Kabbalist, and before everything else - a father and an educator.
This is what his children said of him after his passing: "Only at a very late age did we hear the saying: 'So now let's say a Dvar Torah (words of Torah) at the table.' We didn't have such a concept and we didn't know what a Dvar Torah was. The entire conversation naturally always revolved around things related to Torah and Halacha. Everything that Father did with us together as children revolved around Torah: He built a Succah with us, tied our tzitzit, went with us to buy a shofar or the Four Species and also washed the dishes at home, at night, and then told us stories about tzaddikim at bed time. Everything was natural and normal and was done with joy. Hundreds of people came to see him every day, and we used to watch from the sidelines how he selflessly devoted his time helping other people. So without even realizing it, we were educated on a proper scale of values".
And this is what Dr. Avraham Lifshitz said, during the Shiva: "Years ago Rabbi Eliyahu was also a homeroom teacher at a school for five years. When the Rabbi didn't get along with a certain student and the connection between them was not strong or good enough for him, he made it a point to pray about that student, and if he saw that his prayer was not being answered, he would also fast for that student."
In his memory.
