Talmud Torah

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Kikar Hashabat has an article about Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Apparently, the Rav was so immersed in his Torah studies that he didn't take notice of his illustrious guest.

A CHAZAQ article about Rav Yosef by Yaniv Meirov offers elucidating details of the rabbi's life.

Rav David Yosef, Rav Ovadia's eighth child recollects.
"For as far back as I can remember, from when I was a little boy, my father was always learning Torah. I woke up early in the morning, he was learning. I went to sleep at night, he was learning. I woke up in the middle of the night, he was learning. That is my father. Nothing else interests him. His life is centered around Torah."
...Rabbi Krispel relates that on a number of occasions, he would approach Rav Ovadia during his studies to relay a message, yet Rav Ovadia wouldn't realize because of his deep concentration. "There have even been occasions where I had to wait well over an hour to catch his attention."
...Rabbi Krispel adds that despite Rav Ovadia's advanced age, his learning schedule is very intense. Even a serious fall two years ago, which injured his back, didn't lessen his learning, it only lessened the intensity of his learning. Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg, the elderly Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ore in Jerusalem, paid a visit to Rav Ovadia after his fall. A man who was present at this historic meeting recorded it on video. Rav Ovadia is seen crying and asking Rav Sheinberg to pray for his Refuah Shleima (full recovery). "I can't learn properly with this pain!" he said with tears flowing from his eyes. "It's hurting me. I can't learn."
"Don't cry," Rav Sheinberg repeated over and over to him as he too began to break down in tears. "Hashem will help. Just stop crying."
"That's Rav Ovadia," says Rabbi Krispel. "What bothered him most wasn't his back pain, rather the fact that he couldn't learn properly".
Read full article: https://www.chazaq.org/?section=articles&categoryId=24&articleId=290