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...]