Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu's Last Wish

A sefer just came out by Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Elitov, entitled

משנתו של הרבי מליובאוויטש

He had been in close communion with Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, ע‫''‬ה, for the latter's last 10 years. It's a sefer on the Rebbe's outlook on Torah, etc, where every portion of the sefer deals with a unique feature.

One such fascinating segment of the sefer analyzes the 4th and final meeting Rav Eliyahu had with the Rebbe, in 5752.

He said this of Rav Eliyahu: When he wanted to give mussar to someone, he would never do it one-on-one; He would always do so indirectly during delivery of a dvar Torah to the congregation at-large, and then the individual targeted for the mussar would "get it" in this public forum - without being in any way hurt by the "personal" address to him.

Similarly, he shows how Rav Eliyahu and the Rebbe spoke "above the heads" of those who were present at the meeting, a good many participants who stood and listened. It would not be apparent to those in the room exactly what was going on except for various words of Torah back and forth. But, in fact, both rabbis were talking to each other on a very particular issue, from beginning until end.

And - what was this most unusual yechidus all about? It was a diyun for a special PSAK DIN regarding KLAL YISROEL; Specifically - whether or not the Yidden are ready for the Geulah right now! The Rav took the role of Prosecutor, looking for every source and angle in Torah to disqualify the Yidden. The Rebbe took the role of advocate, promoting such a psak, showing why this psak is currently proper and fitting.

It is an elegant analysis we are now privileged to learn about from Rabbi Elitov. Only one element of the exchange he did not understand, but all the rest, several pages of divrei Torah, he did decipher and presents in his sefer.

The Rebbe was in the end victorious. Rabbi Elitov says the Rav asked that the PSAK DIN - which he in fact then mediated and issued in a Jewish court, REMAIN IN HIS HANDS AT THE TIME OF HIS BURIAL! In fact, that's exactly what happened. That psak din was placed in the RAV's hand at his burial.

A copy of the psak is in the sefer, and shown here.