Many were surprised on Leil Purim to see HaGaon Rav Asher Arieli, the most prominent maggid shiur in the Olam HaTorah and rosh yeshivah at Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalayim, present in Bnei Brak for Krias HaMegillah. Rav Arieli, who delivers the largest shiur in the yeshivah’s famed Bais Yisroel, was seen listening to the Megillah reading at Bais HaMedrash Ohel Tamar.

It has since become known that Rav Arieli had come to Bnei Brak to spend time with his elderly mother, who resides in the city, as he does periodically. Being in Bnei Brak for Purim, he remained there to hear the Megillah.

Photographer Naftali Lerer related the encounter: “I was walking through the streets of Bnei Brak preparing to photograph rabbanim during Krias HaMegillah on Leil Purim. As I was standing outside the bais haknesses of the tzaddik Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon, a Yid approached me and asked if I knew of an open cellphone store — he needed to arrange his phone to receive war alerts. I directed him to a nearby shop on the corner of Rabbi Akiva and Elisha.”

Lerer continued, “He looked familiar to me, and then I realized it was Rav Asher Arieli — whom I had never met face to face — and with such pshitus. I immediately ran after him and asked: The Rosh Yeshivah lives in Yerushalayim. Where is the Rav hearing Megillah in Bnei Brak? He answered that he would be at Bais HaMedrash Ohel Tamar.”

“Of course, I could not forgo the zechus that came my way. In the midst of making my rounds to photograph Gedolei Yisroel, I went to the bais haknesses on Yonah HaNavi Street and merited capturing these rare images.”

{Matzav.com}