A Visit at the House of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv in Jerusalem

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The house of the great halachic Posek and spiritual leader of the haredi - litvishe movement, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv. 

Psak Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv: "Who has to pay for the elevator !"

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Another case was brought to Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv where five people came to him in order to ask the following:

Four people stood in an elevator, as suddenly a fifth person came and asked if he can get on. The four warned him that the elevator may get stuck but the fifth person insisted on getting on.

Sure enough the elevator got stuck and a repair service had to come.

The question for Rabbi Eliyashiv:

Who actually has to pay the repair costs ? The four people who had been in the elevator first claimed that it was he fifth guy’s fault that the elevator got stuck and, therefore, he has to pay the bill. The fifth person, however, wanted to divide the bill among all five people who were in the elevator.

Rabbi Eliyashiv’s answer:

The person who actually pushed the button and started the elevator has to pay the bill and thus, it doesn’t matter whether it is the fifth or the first person. The elevator got stuck because a person pushed the button causing the elevator to carry out its job.

Psak Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv: "The Driver has to Pay !"

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He is 101 years old but his mind hasn’t lost its sharpness. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv has announced a new rabbinic decision which sounds quite interesting. At least it may concern many car drivers and this is the reason why I am publishing his Beit Din case.

An important follower of the Litvishe Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv was driving in his car when he decided to pick up a hitchhiker. After getting on the car, the driver asked the hitchhiker to put on the seat belt. The hitchhiker delayed putting on the belt but the car owner had already started the journey. At this very moment, a policeman stopped the car. The cop gave a 500 Shekel (approx. 140 Dollar) fine to the driver for having a passenger without the required seat belt in the car. The driver, on the other hand, was terribly upset, as it was the hitchhiker’s fault and not his. Therefore, the driver asked his passenger for the 500 Shekels in return but the hitchhiker refused giving him the money.

They two went to Rabbi Eliyashiv and asked for his advice and here is his answer:

The law requests that every car passenger has to put on a seat belt and, therefore, the driver in our case should have not started his car while the hitchhiker was delaying the seat belt procedure. Because the driver didn’t wait until his passenger finally put on his seat belt but started driving off immediately, the driver has to pay the fine.

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv at the Kotel (Western Wall)

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Just recently he celebrated his 101st birthday. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv, the Posek of the Litvishe world. This Pessach, he visited the Kotel. Not only that but he also wore a Streimel. 

All pictures HERE !