With G-d’s help,
in Jerusalem, 12th Tamuz Teshmach (1988)

I saw the first part of the book “Le’et Metso”, (The Time of Truth) “written in simple, clear language (as mentioned by its author in the foreword) – with the help and strength of Hashem – by myself, Rachamim Benamara, humble author.”
Indeed, it is the truth: “his words are sweeter than honey and he is all charm”.

It describes our author well. His fame can be compared to that of one of the Sages.
“He studied, taught what he learnt, he judged with fairness the Tribes of Israel”.

Abroad he was judge in the rabbinical Court with HaRav Hagaon Shalom Messas Shelit’a, the well respected and well loved Chief Rabbi and Head of the Rabbinical Courts in Jerusalem.

He suffered when he saw people who didn’t know what to say in a eulogy, who remained silent or if they were speaking and didn’t know what they were saying. That’s the reason he decided to prepare what they need in The Time of Truth in order for them to know what to say and to understand what they are saying, for the honor and dignity of the living and the dead.

He did such an important deed; his mouth is full of precious and valuable words. A man of Torah, dedicated to Judaism, HaRav Hagaon Rachamim Benamara Shelit’a, well-known scholar who served as a judge abroad and is today the rabbi of two neighborhoods Kiriyat Menachem and Ir Ganim in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

He accomplished a deed of Chessed to the living and the dead by not allowing them to be upset by eulogies (see Berachot 52). As it is written in the Shulchan Haruch (Yoreh Deah 51).

It is a great mitzva to give the eulogy of the dead in a proper way, to speak of the deceased in a moving way, to remind us of his fine qualities and deeds but without exaggerating – which is forbidden – to add a little bit about his qualities but not without limit; if the deceased didn’t have good qualities, better not to say anything…

As according to our Sages, “To give credit where it’s deserved!” The purpose of the eulogy is to wake people up, to open their hearts, to lead them to Techuva and have them seek to implant the fine qualities of the deceased in their own lives (Berachot page 6).
The death should be vanquished for eternity and the Holy One Blessed Be His Name dry our tears.

Amen. May it be so!

Mordechai Eliyahu

Israel Chief Rabbi