Returned from the Next World

From the book The Father of Israel

"I’ve brought a family member here who experienced clinical death this week and saw the rabbi in the Heavenly Court above,” said the man. Rabbi Eliyahu didn’t appear to get excited about what he had just heard.

Making Flies Disappear

The absence of flies and mosquitoes in that room made such an impression that Mr. Weinberger even asked his tenant about it.

A Distressed Woman Prays

From the book The Father of Israel

Rabbi Eliyahu noticed a woman in her thirties, an immigrant from Morocco, sitting with a book of Psalms in her hand. So he requested that someone would ask her what she was doing there.

Ayatollah Khomeini’s Mikveh

From the book The Father of Israel

The rise of Ayatollah Khomeini to power caused a huge wave of anti-Semitism against Israel and against Jews in general. n particular, the Jewish women suffered. When they had to go to the mikveh, the non-Jews would harass and bother them, turning their lives into a nightmare.

The Rebbe’s Shtender

From the book The Father of Israel

The connection between Rabbi Eliyahu and the Lubavitcher Rebbe was wondrous. The two of them had a strong spiritual connection, and aside from the all the well-known connections between them, there were also many more, hidden connections.

Pay Attention to the Soul

What was the ethical will of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of Blessed and Righteous memory, to his students and followers?

The Path of the Righteous is as the Light of Dawn

From the book The Father of Israel

Every time I aimed the camera in the direction of the Rav, a great light appeared. When I moved the camera away from the Rav, the light vanished, and so on and so forth.

What My Wife Cooks – I Eat!

From the book The Father of Israel

Two men arguing amongst themselves as to whether one should eat meat or dairy dishes on the night of Shavuot. As they heard the sound of Rabbi Eliyahu’s car approaching, they thought to themselves to ask Rabbi Eliyahu’s opinion on the matter.

The son of the king

The sheikh in charge of the Cave of the Patriachs in Hebron shouted "You show no respect to the holy place!". Everyone was silent – apart from one.

A Blessing for the Arabs

When an Arab cab drove close to Rabbi Eliyahu all the passengers were tense. How did the Rabbi respond and who were these Arabs?

Seeing The Mezuzot

After the second scribe assured the Mezuzot were Kosher the man was quite upset, why did Rabbi Eliyahu send him to check his Mezuzot?

And the Heavens Answered Amen!

From the book "The Father of Israel"

From the book "The Father of Israel"

Saving Shidduchim, Where It Counts

Rabbi Eliyahu was acquainted with a certain rabbi who liked to check the suitability of shidduchim based on the couple's names. He warned the rabbi how dangerous and problematic his method was, begging him to cease and desist.

A Matter of Life and Death

One morning, Shmuel heard someone arguing with Rabbi Yehudah Mutzafi, Rabbi Eliyahu's assistant. He was telling her that Rabbi Eliyahu had to leave and that she should come back the following day. But she was insistent, explaining that her question was concerning a matter of life and death.

Stepping into the Rabbi’s Shoes

Mordechai went out into the street and saw the mother of one of the Yeshiva students crying. “Why are you crying?” he asked her.

Controlling Flights, Directing Journeys

From the book The Father of Israel

The director wouldn't let it rest. "But why is someone obligated? I don't understand. Let the rabbi say whatever he says and the questioner do whatever he wants." Rabbi Eliyahu just smiled. "Wait. You'll soon understand."

The Rav’s Neighbor

One day, when I was wandering around the Mahane Yehudah market, I saw a picture of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu hanging up at one of the stalls. I thought to myself, "That rabbi looks really similar to my neighbor - I wonder if he knows him?"

Rebuke Wrapped in Candy

What was the sweetest slap you ever recieved?

An Unusual Circumcision

One Shabbat, a mohel came to Rabbi Eliyahu with a question. He was supposed to be performing a brit that day, but just an hour earlier, the father of the baby told him that his son had been born by Caesarian section and so the bris should be on Sunday. What was Rabbi Eliyahu's solution?

Spreading Torah behind Bars

In a world rife with fake news and media so biased that it cannot be trusted or considered remotely objective, people would be forgiven for thinking that yellow journalism is a modern-day plague. But it even affected Rabbi Eliyahu numerous times over the years…