The great Posek and Mekubal, Hacham Ovadia Hedaya זצ"ל, author of the seminal Teshuvot “Yaskil Avdi” and other renowned works, straddled the worlds of Halacha and Kabbala – Nigle and Nistar – in the tradition of his ancestors and the outstanding Hachamim of Am Yisra’el. Born in Aleppo in 1889 to his father, Hacham Shalom and his mother, Rabbanit Sara, great-granddaughter of the … [Read more...]
The Radiant Sun: Ribbi Shalom Messas זצ”ל
Golden Roots One of the great luminaries of Moroccan Jewry in recent times was the revered Rav of Yerushalyim, Ribbi Shalom Messas זצ"ל. Ribbi Shalom was born in 1909 to his father Ribbi Mimoun and mother Rahel in Meknes, a city steeped in scholarship and Yir’at Shamayim, that has produced outstanding Hachamim for many generations. Ribbi Mimoun was the author of Otzrot … [Read more...]
The Master of Damascus: Ribbi Yitzhak Abulafia זצ”ל
Golden Roots Among the most ancient and illustrious families in Am Yisrael, the Abulafia family prominently stands out, tracing its roots back to the Golden Age of Sefarad, through Torah giants such as Ribbi Meir Abulafia HaLevi זצ"ל of Toledo, the first Ribbi Hayim Abulafia זצ"ל of Tiberias, and many more Hachamim and authors. Ribbi Yitzhak was born in 1830 to his … [Read more...]
HaHacham HaKollel: Maran Ribbi Hayim Palachi זצ”ל
Ribbi Hayim Palachi זצ"ל – or as he is affectionately referred to as "מרן החבי"ף" – was one of the most well-known and prolific Torah giants of the 19th century. Ribbi Hayim as born in 1788 in Izmir (Smyrna) – a thriving city with a prominent and scholarly Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire – into a family of respected Hachamim. His father, Ribbi Yaakov Palachi זצ"ל, was … [Read more...]
The Dayan of Yerushalayim: Hacham Yosef Yedid Halevy זצ”ל
A BIT OF HISTORY / דברי הימים One of the giants in Torah and community leadership in the dawn of the 20th century was Hacham Yosef Yedid Halevy זצוק"ל. Hacham Yedid was born in Aleppo in 1867 to his father, Hacham Mordechai – a humble schoolteacher – who taught children the Alef Bet. Hacham Mordechai ע"ה knew all of Tanach and its Arabic translation by heart, and was a master … [Read more...]