This morning, at 7:00 a.m. Eastern US time, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, the leader of the Shuva Israel community, was hospitalized in a New York hospital. Rabbi Pinto had to undergo a complex and lengthy operation following the deterioration of his medical condition.
At this time, prayer rallies are being held in dozens of sites throughout Israel, the United States, Europe, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. In Shuva Israel institutions, everyone was asked to pray for the complete recovery of Rabbi Pinto, and to mention his full name during their prayer: Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef ben Rabanit Zari.
Last night, a few hours before his hospitalization, Rabbi Pinto gave a Torah talk to his students who gathered at the Shuva Israel World Center in Manhattan. His son and successor, Rabbi Yoel Moshe Pinto, was at his father’s side.
During the talk, Rabbi Pinto addressed his students and inspired them to maintain their trust and faith in Hashem. He emphasized that all the difficulties and sufferings in the world are temporary, and with patience and faith one can overcome anything. Later in the talk, Rabbi Pinto referred to his surgery and complex medical condition, and asked his students to intensify their Torah study and treat others with unconditional love.
This year, Shuva Israel will mark 30 years of Rabbi Pinto's leadership and the spiritual revolution he spearheaded in the Jewish world -- close to 100 yeshivas and branches scattered around the world, tens of thousands of students, and popular Torah classes.
Next month, on the 25th of Elul, an event marking the completed study of thousands of Books of the Zohar is planned to take place with the participation of ten thousand people in Menorah Hall in Tel Aviv. The event, which Rabbi Pinto is leading for the second year, is Shuva Yisrael’s flagship event culminating its daily Zohar study project which was founded and renewed by Rabbi Pinto and his son Rabbi Yoel Moshe Pinto.
Thousands of his students hope and pray that Rabbi Pinto will soon recover from the surgery and will continue to lead them and participate in this historic event in good health.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel