JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rabbi Shalom Cohen, who passed away Sunday night at the age of 91, was the undisputed leader of the Sephardic Torah world during the past nine years since the passing of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
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Rabbi Cohen was born in Jerusalem in 1931. His father, Rabbi Efrayim Cohen, was the head of the yeshiva of Mekubalim Oz Vehadar. Rabbi Shalom was named for the famous mekubal Rabbi Shalom Sharabi (Rashash). In his youth he studied under Rabbi Ezra Attiya, the great rosh yeshiva of Porat Yosef who groomed an entire generation of Sephardic Torah scholars including Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi Bentzion Abba Shaul and many others.
From a young age, Rabbi Shalom was famous for his tremendous knowledge and diligence in Torah and halacha. Immediately after his marriage he was appointed as a rebbe in Porat Yosef, establishing a new branch of the yeshiva in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem. After 1967 he established the branch of Porat Yosef in the Old City, which as opposed to the Geula branch did not adopt the Lithuanian style of study, preferring to focus on the Sephardic method of study.
For a number of years he also served as a Sofer Stam and at a young age wrote a Sefer Torah which he used to read the parsha every week.
Rabbi Cohen was very close to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Zts’l. A few months before his passing Rabbi Ovadia said that Rabbi Cohen is teaching Torah day and night to the Jewish nation. “He has a holy mouth which is singularly involved in Torah study, whoever hears him is hearing the voice of Torah,” Rabbi Ovadia added.
Rabbi Cohen also has a special relationship with Rabbi Shach, and used to refer to him questions on public matters.
In 2014, a few months after the passing of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi Cohen was appointed as president of the Sephardic Torah Council and maintained uncompromising stances on matters of kashrus and military draft for yeshiva students. He also sharply criticized religious Zionists, terming them “Amalek” for their support of army service for yeshiva students. Rabbi Cohen also opposed academic studies even in chareidi frameworks, due to the ‘heretical’ ideas which are part of the academic curriculum.
Rabbi Cohen provided guidance to many rosh yeshivas on matters of Torah and halacha as well as on communal issues.
Recently Rabbi Cohen had been hospitalized a number of times due to extreme weakness and treatments required for a medical condition. Two weeks ago he was hospitalized after a severe deterioration in his condition and passed away during the night of 25 Av 5782. He is survived by family members including his sons Rabbi Efrayim Cohen, who teaches at Yakirei Yerushalayim, Rabbi Yaakov Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of Nezer Hatalmud and Rabbi Shimon Cohen, a respected Torah teacher in the city of Bat Yam, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The levaya will leave from the Porat Yosef yeshiva in Geula at 2 PM
May his memory be blessed.