Rabbi Ovadia's dream creates messianic buzz

By Avirama Golan - Ha'aretz Correspondent

Thursday, June 28, 2001

A recent dream reported by Shas spiritual leader Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef has sent a messianic buzz through the
ultra-Orthodox community. Sources close to the rabbi said
that after prayers last Saturday morning, Yosef had told
his son, Moshe, and Minister Eli Yishai that he had dreamed
about the Messiah the night before.

Speaking to the two at breakfast, the rabbi apparently
asked them not to divulge any news of his nighttime vision.

Then, at a wedding of a grandchild on Monday, Rabbi Yosef
told guests: "In a dream on Friday night, I saw the Messiah
coming to the Western Wall. There were many people at the
Wall plaza. The [Messiah] told them: 'I have come because
there are a million pupils who study at secular schools and
do not learn Torah. I want all religious scholars to
mobilize...to teach them Torah. There shouldn't be a single
school without Torah.'

"I heard this all in a dream, and then I woke up," the
rabbi told the guests.

Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox sources said yesterday that this
was the first time that Rabbi Yosef, who is viewed as a
leading authority on religious law and does not usually
delve into mystical matters, had spoken about dreams, the
Messiah, and redemption.

Members of Shas said that in view of the strong emotions
stirred by Rabbi Yosef's dream, a discussion on the matter
was to be held next Sunday at a yeshiva in Jerusalem's
Geula neighborhood.