Rishon Letzion Harav Yitzchak Yosef Hails Trump as Being Among ‘Chasidei Umot Haolam’ For Hostages’ Release, Urges Shuls To Give Thanks

A special gathering was held Motzoei Shabbos   at the Hizdim shul in Yerushalayim, drawing city rabbanim, dayanim, Roshei Yeshiva and members of the Chief Rabbinate, where former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Harav Yitzchak Yosef gave his weekly drasha.

During the drasha, Rav Yosef addressed the anticipated release of hostages from Gaza and publicly honored US President Donald Trump as a Chasid m’umos ha’olam, a righteous gentile, for his role in facilitating their return.

“We are privileged to hear of the hostages returning home. The price is indeed high, but thank G-d they are coming back – thanks to a Medina shel chessed, America, and the Chasid M’umot Ha’olam, the US President,” he said.

Rav Yosef highlighted halachic details surrounding the occasion, noting that the released hostages will recite the Shehecheyanu bracha three times during Sukkos “There are three Shehecheyanu brachot here,” he explained. “They will make a bracha for the sukkah, for the dalet minim, and for their parents: Shehecheyanu for seeing them again after two years. It will be a kiddush Hashem.”

He further instructed all synagogues to sing Nishmas Kol Chai during Simchas Torah in gratitude, celebrating “the miracle that they have been released to good lives and peace.”

At the same time, the Rishon Letzion expressed sorrow for the hostages who were murdered and whose bodies are expected to be returned under the deal. “Those killed for being Jews will sit in the first row of Gan Eden, because they were killed while they were Jews,” he said.

Revealing a behind-the-scenes effort during the conflict, Rabbi Yosef noted that senior defense officials consulted him on halachic determinations of death for hostages to ensure that no woman remained an agunah, a wife unable to remarry due to uncertainty about her husband’s fate. “A great effort was made so that not a single woman remained an agunah,” he stressed.