I met Rabbi Eli Shabush at the Shavei Hebron yeshiva and entered his Gemara lesson. As far as I can remember, it was a Baba Kama Tractate.
Rabbi Eli had a talent, both a method and a very, very special drama. Rabbi Eli asked us a question: 'You are now judges and someone comes to you and tells you that his house is on fire and his neighbor is deliberately burying all his tools. The man who comes to you asks you as judges if the neighbor should pay, should not pay? '
All the students chatted with Rabbi Eli, said opinions here, said opinions there, and Rabbi Eli suddenly knocks on the table and says: "May there not be more judges like you in Israel. First of all, run to that person's house and put out the fire! '
I was in shock, I was always used to scholarly explanations and suddenly I see that within all explanations, something very, very human comes in, and while studying, the Gemara educates us to a way of life that preceded the Torah.
It was Rabbi Eli, all the time the Torah was the Torah of Life.
During the lessons in the Gemara, in faith, he would share us with stories from the family and would combine us with many insights of morality and Derech Eretz and the Torah and life were always in one booklet.
He would fill life with Torah, innovation, full of depth, but also full of life forces.
Rabbi Eli liked to do a lot of carpentry and dealing with vegetation. And loves life.
"I lost a friend, you lost a rabbi, but the people of Israel, like all these friends from Tel Aviv, lost a savior who could take us all to a great place of the doctrine of life."
I was privileged to accompany Rabbi Eli in Tel Aviv, the rabbi would come every week to a meeting with a secular group and they would always be enchanted by his generosity and kindness. They always said to him, "You are not like all these extremists, not like all these hypnotists." Rabbi Eli would always answer: "No, not a fan, I am an extremist, I am an extremist in the love of Israel, I am an extremist in the love of the Land of Israel, I am an extremist in the love of the people." He really was very sharp and full.
When we learned of the murder of Rabbi Eli and Rebbetzin Dina, who had always been together and always had a great relationship, Rabbi Chaim Ganz told me, "I lost a friend, you lost a rabbi, but the people of Israel, like all these friends from Tel Aviv, lost a savior who could take We are all in a great place of life theory. '
Hopefully his way of life will continue.
David Turner
