The former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, he also serves as the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia [he] in Jerusalem's Romema neighborhood.

In 1973, upon his father's election as Chief Rabbi of Israel, they together established Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia [he] and its kollel (advanced studies department).

On July 24, 2013, Yosef was elected as Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Rishon LeZion, a position he would hold for a decade.

Having been elected Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Yosef appeared to be in a good position to inherit his father's mantle as Shas spiritual leader.

[6] On August 21, 2013, Yosef released a psak halakha (ruling) stating it is an obligation and mitzvah (good deed) for parents to have their children vaccinated for polio virus.

[9] After leaving the Chief Rabbinate, Yosef joined the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the council of Rabbis which is the ultimate decision-making body in the Shas political party.

[10] In March 2016 Yosef called for religious Jews to keep their children away from secular or traditional members of their family because they could be a negative influence.

[11][12][4] Later that month, when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told military staff that rules of engagement must respect the law, and soldiers should not kill an attacker who has already been subdued, Yosef said soldiers must kill anyone who comes to attack them regardless of legal or military repercussions.

This secretive process without external review or appeal led to confusion, and the situation was exacerbated when Orthodox rabbi Haskel Lookstein, and some of his students, were barred from officiating at marriages in Israel.

[30][31][32][33][34] In December, he said that it was "not the way of the Torah" for women to join the Israel Defense Forces or even sign up for Sherut Leumi (civilian national service): "All the great sages through the generations, including all Israel's chief rabbis, believe that it is forbidden for girls to go into the army... not just to the army – but to national service too.

In the Talmud for Masekhet Berakhot (58b), there is debate over when to give this blessing for humans, and examples mentioned include "an (unusually) black, red, or white person, a giant, a dwarf, or one with spots".

[41][20][55] Following news that couples from the former Soviet Union were asked by rabbinical courts to take DNA tests to prove their Jewish ethnic descent; Yosef, alongside the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel David Lau, sought new legislation that would allow Israeli rabbinical courts to challenge the Jewishness of a person – even if he was not even registered for marriage, and did not apply for religious services.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Yosef's remarks "outrageous" and said the immigrants from the former Soviet Union are a "huge blessing to the State of Israel and the Jewish people."

Socioeconomic experts have warned that this failure to provide a basic education to boys in the Haredi sector combined with its high rate of population growth means the economy will be imperiled with an inadequate workforce for the 21st century.

His eldest son, named after his father Ovadia, is married to the daughter of Shlomo Amar, his predecessor as Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel.