The Rishon LeZion Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef spoke last night in his weekly lesson at the 'Yazidim' synagogue in Jerusalem about his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l, and his struggle with hearing problems in his later years.
He explained that it was suggested to his father to use a hearing aid, but he refused. When asked why he refused, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef explained that he was concerned that using the device on Shabbat could be problematic from a halachic perspective, despite the fact that he himself had permitted its use for others. "For myself, I want to be stringent," he explained.
Someone suggested that he use the device only on weekdays, but he refused again, saying, "If I hear on weekdays and not on Shabbat, it won't be pleasant for me on Shabbat." Therefore, he decided to completely forego using the hearing aid.
In his continued remarks, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef shared an anecdote about Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as the "Steipler".
According to him, when a match was suggested between Rabbi Kanievsky and the sister of Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, author of the 'Chazon Ish', she hesitated due to the candidate's hearing problems.
Her older brother told her: "He doesn't hear? The day will come when everyone will hear him," hinting at the great influence he would have in the future. As a result, the sister agreed to the match.
Arutz Sheva contributed to this article.
