Throughout the week of shiva for Rav Elyashiv zt"l I have read several articles attempting to describe who this legendary person was and how he lived. Much of what I have read was expected and nonetheless inspiring - wonderful stories of piety, genius and total dedication to the Torah.
One of the themes that stands out for me is the unbelievable extent to which Rav Elyashiv tried to take advantage of his time. I have often heard stories of great people who utilize every minute, but Rav Elyashiv was someone who monitored his every second. Each moment was calculated and measured. There was literally no time to waste.
I merited meeting Rav Elyashiv in person several times, but approximately 11 years ago, I had the privilege to spend a few moments with Rav Elyashiv one on one in his home in Mea She'arim (how I got in is a story for another time). Because of the limited time allotted to each of his visitors, I intended to simply ask for his blessings and be on my way. When my turn came, I entered his study and sat at the table to his left. I immediately noticed that he had 2 sefarim on the table - A gemara (Zevachim/Menachot) and a Rambam (Sefer Avoda). I was told that this was his "seder" for learning during the free seconds he had between visitors (!). Although our meeting lasted only a few moments, I felt a sense of awe that this great man whose every moment was calculated and measured had dedicated a few of those moments to me. I still look back on that brief exchange as a very inspiring encounter.
The night of the levaya, I found a printed quote from Rav Elyashiv himself discussing this very theme - the importance of every moment of a person's life (in a sefer called "Asrei Ha'ish"):
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The consensus among Jews from all over the political and religious spectrum is that Rav Elyashiv lived and breathed Torah and a pure dedication to it. We can debate his opinions and associations, but one thing that cannot be denied is that to him - Learning and living Torah reigned supreme. This is a message that crosses all party lines and doesn't fit into any of our polarized boxes - it is something that all Jews can relate to and strive for.
It is no wonder then, that hundreds of thousands of men, women and children from every community packed the streets of Yerushalayim late on a hot summer night to bid him farewell.
[The following is a video I took on my phone from the middle of the Bar-Ilan and Shmuel Hanavi intersection during the funeral. This was only a fraction of the crowds that attended]:
