Rabbi Abraham Zacuto (1452-1515)

Rabbi Abraham Zacuto was born in Salamanca, Spain in 1452. He studied Tora with his father Shemuel Zacuto and with rabbi Isaac Abohab. He was a great Tora scholar, very well versed in Talmud, Jewish Law, Philosophy and Mysticism.  He also studied astronomy in the famous university of Salamanca and taught in the universities of Zaragoza and Cartagena.
In 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain he fled to Portugal.  The Portuguese King Joao the 2nd appointed him as the Royal Astronomer and the Historian of the court.  In 1497, upon the arrival of the new King Manuel, the Jews of Portugal underwent a forced conversion, in other words, they were declared Christians by Royal decree, and if found practicing Judaism they would be killed by the Inquisition in the infamous Autos de Fe. He fled to Tunis and later on managed to arrive to Jerusalem, where he died in 1515 (Other versions have him living his final days in Damascus, Syria).
Rabbi Abraham Zacuto engaged in astronomical research, an indispensable knowledge for navigating the seas. In 1478 he wrote his major astronomical work, Ha-Ḥibbur ha-Gadol. This book along with other books and treatises on astronomy (e.g., “On the solar and lunar eclipses”) were translated to Spanish and Latin.  In 1496 the King Joao sought his advice before sending Vasco da Gama on his sea expedition to India, around the Southern coast of Africa. Rabbi Zacuto prepared the naval-astronomical calculations. He instructed the expedition to use his newly perfected astrolabe (an astrolabe capable to determine latitude while at sea)  and his maritime tables and charts, especially the Almanach Perpetuum (or Biur Luhoth) which revolutionized ocean navigation. 
Rabbi Zacuto wrote many Tora books as well. His most famous book in Hebrew is called sefer yohasin (ספר יוחסין) “The book of lineage”, a superb book of Jewish history since Biblical times until his own days.   Click here to download one of the first editions of the book. 
For a very good English edition of Sefer Yohassin see this (Check the especial offer of the Kindle edition for 0.99$ ).  

FOR a free English translation online of rabbi Zacuto Sefer Yohasin see this

For a more comprehensive biography of RABBI ABRAHAM ZACUTO see www.zacuto.org, a website founded by Dr. Vladimir Rozenblit, a 20th generation direct descendant of Rabbi Zacuto.

 

For his contributions in Astronomy, the crater Zagut on the Moon is named after Rabbi Abraham Zacuto.
 
 
There are many fascinating stories about Rabbi Abraham Zacuto’s involvement with  Christopher Columbus. We know that Columbus knew and used Zacuto’s tables in his expedition to the Indias (America). Rabbi Zacuto was also instrumental in raising a big loan for Columbus expeditions from Abraham Senior and he introduced the unknown Columbus to Rabbi Don Isaac Abarbanel who arranged for the navigator’s audience with the King and the Queen.  Columbus set sail to America, bearing the Zacuto tables with him. Zacuto’s tables saved Columbus life. During Columbus’ last voyage to America, in February 1504,  his small fleet was marooned on Jamaica, where the natives did not want to supply him and his sailors with food.  The tables predicted that on February 29, 1504 it will be a lunar eclipse. Columbus assembled the Caciques (as the native chiefs were called) and threatened them that he will banish the moonlight completely if they would not give food. The eclipse frightened the natives and they asked Columbus to save the moon. Columbus acquiesced, the eclipse passed and since then the Caciques respected him and provided with all he needed.
  
The descents of the Zacuto family insist that a son of rabbi Abraham Zacuto sailed with Columbus and accompanied him in all his journeys. If so, this young man was the first Jew on the American soil

 



Rabbi Moshe Alashqar (1466-1542)

Rabbi Moshe Alashqar (מהר”ם אלאשקר)  was born in 1466 in Zamora, Spain. In 1492, when rabbi Moshe was 26 years old, the Jews were expelled from Spain. He suffered many tribulations. His ship sank and he was captured by pirates. At the end he managed to escape and established himself in Tunis, together with the celebrated Rabbi Abraham Zacuto.  From Tunis he went to Greece and in 1522 he settled in Egypt where he was part of the rabbinical court of Rabbi David ibn Zimra (The Radbaz).   He was one of the greatest rabbinical authorities of his time and as such he was consulted from all over the world.  He wrote many books, some of which were never printed. One of his works is the Hasagot (=refutations), against the arguments of Rabbi Shem Tob ben Shem Tob in the sefer ha-emunot, who was critical of Maimonides’ More Nebukhim. Rabbi Alashqar was a strong supporter of More Nebukhim and, in general of Maimonides ideas (You can find the Hasagot in teshuba קי”ז. See below). In 1539 he established himself in Erets Israel. He died in 1542 and was buried in Yerushalayim. 
His most famous book is Teshubot Maharam Alashqar, a book of 120 questions and answers on all topics.  One example (Teshuba צ”ו). The original questions deals with a child born in the twilight between Friday and Shabbat. While analyzing the different opinions on the Halakhic ending of a day and the beginning of a new day, Rabbi Alashqar quotes the Talmud in Pesahim 94. The Talmud records a disagreement between the Jewish sages and the Greek sages.  The Jewish sages–the Rabbis–originally thought that during the night the sun goes above the “arch of heaven”, while the Greek sages believed that the sun went below earth. At the end, the Talmud concludes, the Rabbis admitted that the Greek sages were right, because at night oceans, rivers and lakes are warmer. The Tosafot and Nahmanides thought that since the Rabbis cannot be wrong what the Talmud meant to say is that the Rabbis admitted that the reasoning of the Greek sages was right, but not the facts (Actually, the opinion of Rabbenu Tam for whom the sheqi’a is 72 minutes long is based on the idea that at night the sun travels above the heavens arch. And precisely because the Rabbis admitted that the sun does not travel above heavens, Rabbi Alashqar rejects the sheqi’a of Rabenu Tam).  Maimonides, on the other hand, asserted that we should understand the admission of the rabbis literally. The Rabbis reassessed their opinions based on the new found facts. For Maimonides this admission, far from undermining the Rabbis authority, is a sign of their integrity in the pursuit of the truth.   Rabbi Alashqar sided with Maimonides and he explained that the Rabbis are the supreme and uncontested authority in Jewish Law (like the Supreme court of Justice) but in other areas (science, for example) where they did not receive a oral tradition, the Rabbis opinions were left open for debate.     
To download the book of Rabbi Moshe Alashqar click here  


Rabbi Isaac ben Abraham Abohab (Spain, 14th Century)

Rabbi Isaac ben Abraham Abohab was a Talmudic scholar from Spain. We do not know the exact dates of his birth or death, or where exactly did he live. There were at least another two Rabbis with a similar name: Rabbi Isaac Abohab, the Gaon of castilla (b. in Spain, 1433-1493), and Rabbi Isaac Abohab de Fonseca (b. in Portugal, 1605-1693).
Our rabbi Isaac Abohab is known for his pen name, Menorat haMaor,  his most celebrated book. Rabbi Abohab was a very learned man in Talmud, all aspects of rabbinical Judaism  and also in classic philosophy.   He was a businessman, not a community Rabbi. Toward the end of his life he dedicated almost exclusively to write Menorat haMaor. In his introduction, and out of a deep sense of humility, he assures his readers that he composed his book chiefly for his own use as a public speaker.
Menorat haMaor, “A shining menora”  is a book that contains the ethical and spiritual teachings of the Rabbis of the Talmud, some times with the commentaries of Geonim and other rabbinical authorities. It is considered a classic and it serves as a virtual encyclopedia of Jewish values. It touches upon subjects dealing with human nature and human psychology.
It is divided into seven nerot, candles or branches, like the Biblical Menora. Each branch represents one principle of Jewish ethics.
The 1st branch, for example, deals with identifying and avoiding excessive behaviors. It follows the Rabbis’ statement that there are three “pitfalls”, that if not avoided, might cause our own destruction. Envy (excessive competition, destructive jealousy), lust (obsession for food, sex or money) and kabod (obsession with self glory, recognition, image).  In this chapter the author describes in detail each of these categories, the outcome of following these paths and the ways to stay away from them.
Menorat haMaor became one of the most important books in Sephardic communities and beyond. It is a book that could be read and reread to find inspiration and guidance for virtually all areas related to our daily life. Menorat haMaor is not a short book and it was studied in Talmud Tora by young children and also by adults, every Shabbat before Minha. This custom persists even today in several Sephardic communities.  Yemenite communities have an enormous esteem for Menorat haMaor and in some Yemenite congregations, to this day, it is the subject of their daily Tora studying
The book Menorat haMaor was published dozens of times. Including several contemporary editions. It was translated to Spanish, German, Yiddish and parts of it into English (I do not know if is there a complete English translation…). 
 
These are the subjects of the seven nerot or branches (in my own words) 
1st branch: Avoiding excesses.
2nd branch: Keeping away from damaging or negative speech. 
3rd branch: Diligence in the observance of Mitsvot.
4th branch: The value of studying Tora consistently.  
5th branch: Teshuba, the ways and practice of repentance. 
6th branch: The pursue of peace and harmony.  
7th branch: Behaving with humbleness and simplicity. 
You can download the book Menorat haMaor from www.hebrewbooks.org

 



Rabbi Ya’aqob Ibn Habib (1460-1516)

Rabbi Ya’aqob ibn Habib was born in Zamora, Spain in 1460. He was one of the greatest rabbis and Talmudist of his time and the head of the Yeshiba in the city of Salamanca, Castilla (Central Spain).  When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 he and his family left to Portugal. But in 1496 the Jews were given the choice to convert to Catholicism or to abandon Portugal. Rabbi Ya’aqob left Portugal and settled in Salonica (today Thessaloniki, Greece)  where he founded the new congregation of “Megoreshe Castilla”, the exiled from Castilla (Since those days Salonica became one of the most important and influential cities for Sephardic Jewry for centuries. Up until recent times the economic presence of the Jews was so important that the Salonica Port was closed on Shabbat. In 1943 more than 60,000 Jews –95% of the Jews of Salonica– were deported and killed in concentration camps.  Today approximately 1,500 Jews live in Salonica). 
In Salonica Rabbi Ya’qaob Ibn Habib he found a generous patron,  Don Yehuda Benveniste, who placed his rich library at his disposal. That library contained many books on the Talmud from the most distinguished commentators. There Rabbi Ya’aqob Ibn Habib wrote the famous book ‘en ya’qaob, a collection of all the non-Halakhic discussions, Midrashim and ethical teachings of the rabbis of the Talmud, with the commentaries and remarks of rabbi Ibn habib (pirush hamehabber).  ‘en ya’aqob was first published in Salonica in 1516, a few months after Rabbi Ya’qaob had passed away.  Rabbi Ya’aqob wrote only on two of the six sections of the Talmud (zeraim and mo’ed) but the book was completed by his son, Rabbi Levy ibn Habib (the famous רלב”ח) .
 
MORE ON עין יעקב
In those days, many gentiles and conversos were attacking the Talmud with ridiculous accusations.   In 1546 the book was republished in Venezia. But in 1555 the local Inquisition declared the Talmud as a book of heresy. And the ‘en ya’aqob was burned in the public square together with copies of the Talmd Babli and Yerushalmi. After ten years the ban against the book expired. And ‘en ya’aqob was again published in 1565, but under a different name: ‘en Israel. 
‘en Ya’aqob or ‘en Israel became a very popular book among Sephardim and Ashkenazim.  There are dozens of different editions and hundreds of commentaries, including contemporary commentaries (see for example this).
The ‘en ya’aqob had a very special place among the Tora curriculum of Sephardic Jews. Up until recent times ‘en ya’aqob was a textbook for young students (elementary school). It was studied as an indispensable introduction to the Talmud. Before navigating the complex Talmudic legal hermeneutics, the young student would learn from ‘en ya’aqob the style, the narrative and especially the language of the Talmud.      
  
See here one of the oldest editions of ‘en ya’aqob, Venezia 1625. 

 



Rabbi Obadia Yosef and the power of Halakhic leniency

As we explained yesterday, one of the principles that guided the rulings of rabbi Obadia Yosef is that a Rabbi must do all possible efforts to make the practice of Judaism more accessible and simpler for his community. Therefore whenever Rabbi Yosef was able to find a way (not a loophole!) he would rule with leniency. This principle is known as koha dehetera ‘adif,   “the power of being lenient is preferable”. This does not means just that it is recommendable for a Rabbi to be lenient, but also that a Rabbi that is lenient is preferred over other Rabbis. Just like it happens with doctors,etc. the more a Rabbi knows, the more lenient he can be. Whereas when a Rabbi does not know the whole spectrum of the law, his limitations will bring him to be stricter.
  
Rabbi Obadia Yosef viewed ruling in a lenient way as a characteristic of Sephardic posqim. He quoted the Hida who explained the “Halakhic character” of Sephardic legislators. “The Sephardim are seized by a measure of piety (hesed) and therefore are lenient in the Halakha…”.
There were cases of family law, delicate cases like mamzerut, in which Rabbi Yosef was the only Rabbi among all the Rabbis of his generation, who was able to find a way to free a family from this anguish. 
Another example: after the Yom Kippur war in 1973, many soldiers were missing in action. According to Jewish Law if the body, or a witness that saw the dead body, cannot found then the wife cannot be considered a widow and therefore she can’t remarry (‘aguna).  In Oct. 7th the New York Times wrote an article on Rabbi Yosef and it referred to this case: “In another unconventional ruling, the Rabbi allowed hundreds of women whose husbands were missing after the 1973 war to remarry, although, traditionally, remarriage is allowed only after … there is incontrovertible proof that her former husband has died.”
Rabbi Yosef considered that it was a great achievement finding sufficient Halakhic backup or reasoning to prove that a lenient position is correct. 


Israel’s Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, 
expressing his condolences for the 
passing of Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l
 
 

 



The Leadership of Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l

Uniting the Israeli Sephardic Jews around one set of traditions, customs and rulings  was one of the main goals and achievements of Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l.  As we have explained, Sephardic Jews were coming to Israel from many different countries and brought with them their local customs. In many (most?) cases those practices were stricter than what Jewish Law requires. Pesah is a good example. I remember that Jews from Spanish Morocco used to cover the dining room table with seven covers and tablecloths. Or that no one would dare to buy normal sugar or common oil for Pesah. And they would even look to buy a Kosher for Pesah shampoo, etc, etc. The first book published by rabbi Obadia Yosef was Hazon Obadia, a book about the Laws of Pesah. When first published in the 50’s it was a revolutionary book.   Because Rabbi Yosef went back to the plain Halakha, without the extra stringencies coming, among others sources, from mystical views (for example, Ben Ish Hay, etc. For Rabbi Obadia Yosef the rulings of the Ari haQadosh or other meqqubalim are applicable only for Tefila, or as a private practice) or from Ashkenazi rulings (particularly in the Laws of Pesah Sephardim and Ashkenazim hold very different views. See for example this ). For this he was criticized and by many Rabbis rejected as a valid Halakhic authority.   
A very similar process happened with the laws of Nidda (family purity), the Laws of Shabbat, Kashrut in the kitchen, just to mention some popular examples.  In the 60’s and 70’s his opinions were considered by many as very liberal. It took decades until his voice became the authorized voice of mainstream Sephardic communities. 
His vision was to facilitate the practice of Judaism, something that he saw as a very needed principle for our modern days. A few weeks before he passed away he instructed his son, Rabbi Ytshaq Yosef, the newly elected Rishon LeTsion (Sephardic Chief rabbi of Israel) that as the new highest rabbinic authority he must always try to find the ways to make the practice of Tora as lenient and as accessible as possible. 
Tomorrow, BH, we will continue with this last subject.
Rabbi Obadia Yosef crying for the destruction of the Bet-haMiqdash
 
 

 



Who taught rabbi Obadia Yosef?

 

“נפלה עטרת ראשנו”
Yesterday, Rabbi Obadia Yosef was buried in Jerusalem. More than 800,000 people attended his levaya in what is considered the largest funeral in the history of modern Israel.  
From a avery early age Rabbi Obadia Yosef showed the two most important signs of a great Tora luminary: a passion for Tora studying and an exceptional memory. But that was not enough in Israel 1930’s.  In those days of financial depression the economic situation of the world was chaotic and Israel (in those days: Palestine) was obviously no exception. The Yosef family was not able to afford having one son out of the job market. For a while Rabbi Yosef was allowed to study in the most prestigious Sephardic Yeshiba, Porat Yosef, in the Old City of Jerusalem. But now, he was forced to leave his studies and work in his father’s store in the impoverished Bucharian quarter (shekhunat habukharim) in Jerusalem.  
The Yeshiva Porat Yosef was lead by a great Rabbi born in Aleppo, Syria.   Rabbi Ezra Attie  (or Attia עזרא עטייה 1887-1970). Who besides being a very pious man and one of the greatest Tora scholars of his generation had also the skills to identify leadership in his students.  In the short time that rabbi Yosef studied in Porat Yosef Rabbi Attie discovered in him the qualities of a leader: his charisma, his expectational mind and his character.  And now, he was heartbroken to find out that the young Obadia had to leave his studies.  He did not give up and did the unexpected. Rabbi Attie approached rabbi Yosef’s father and begged him to let the boy return to the Yeshiba.  He said to Mr. Yosef: “If you need help in the store, I’ll stay and work for you. Keeping me away from Tora study matters less than keeping your son away.”  The father couldn’t say no. And realizing the potential of his son as a great Tora scholar he allowed him back into the Yeshiba.  That was probably the most important turning point in rabbi Yosef’s life.
Rabbi Ezra Attie was the teacher and permanent mentor of rabbi Yosef. He also discovered and trained other important rabbinical leaders of our times. Among his students are: Rabbi Mordekhai Eliyahu z”l,  Rabbi Benzion Abba Shaul z”l and Rabbi Iytzhaq Qaduri, z”l. 
 
THE INSTALLATION OF RABBI OBADIA YOSEF 
AS THE RISHON LETSION (1973)
 
 
 

 



Rabbi Obadia ben Ya’aqob Yosef z”l, 1920-2013

Today is a very sad day for Am Israel. Hakham Obadia Yosef passed away at the age of 93.  Hakham Obadia was not just a former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel (Rishon LeTsion) but also the Rabbi that lead the Sephardim in Israel and the diaspora to  reclaim their customs, traditions and Halakhot.  
Rabbi Obadia Yosef’s passion was the study of Tora. Particularly, all the  legal aspects of Judaism. Jewish jurisprudence is a very complex discipline. And one has to read many, many books, some of them of an encyclopedic size, in order to become a master in the field. Rabbi Yosef was probably the most knowledgeable Rabbi of this generation. He was gifted with an exceptional memory which allow him to know and quote by heart thousands of rabbinic opinions, analysis and rulings. This extensive knowledge, of course, is not the product of just an exceptional memory and mental talents but mainly of an uninterrupted dedication to Tora study. I remember that his son, Rabbi Ya’aqob Yosef z”l once told us that his own passion for studying Tora began once he saw his father gently rocking the crib of one of his baby brothers with one hand, while holding and reading a book in the other hand. 
What characterized Rabbi Yosef as the leader of the Sephardic Jewry is that besides his extraordinary knowledge he also had the courage to reclaim the Sephardic Halakhic voices of the past as authoritative and binding in the present.   That was not a small task, considering that at that time he had to openly challenge other movements and schools (revisionists, extremists, assimilationist, mystical, etc.) that also claimed to represent an authentic Sephardic approach. Most of these schools considered that rabbi Obadia Yosef’s rulings were too lenient. 
As a poseq (rabbinic legislator) his main contribution was perhaps the enhancement and the virtual reinstallation of Maran Rabbi Yosef Caro and his Shulhan ‘arukh as the ultimate authority for Sephardic Jews in Israel. “qibalnu hora-ot Maran Bet Yosef” (we accepted the rulings of Rabbi Yosef Caro) is the foundation of his Halakhic legacy.  
In the coming days, BH, I will explain a little more about his opinions and books as a humble tribute to his memory
 
 

 



Maran Rabbi Yosef Caro (1488-1575)

 Rabbi Yosef Caro (also Karo or Qaro) was born in Toledo, Spain in 1488. In 1492, at the age of four, he and his family were forced to leave Toledo due to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. His family settled in Portugal. In 1497 the Jews were also expelled from Portugal. The Jews were invited to establish themselves in the Ottoman empire. The Caro family settled in the city of Constantinople.  His father Epharim Caro was his first and most important teacher.    Rabbi Yosef Caro’s earliest work was the Kesef Mishne a commentary of Maimonide’s Mihsne Torah, where he shows the Talmudic sources and the logic behind Maimonides rulings.  His most famous book is the Shulhan ‘arukh, considered the main Code of Jewish Law (see here) 
 
In 1535 Rabbi Yosef Caro arrived to Tsefat (Safed, Israel). There he met Rabbi Ya’aqob Berab who planned to reinstitute the semikha, i.e., the formal rabbinical ordination that will enable Rabbis to legislate in all subjects and for all the Jewish people. The intention of Rabbi Berab was to establish a Bet-Din in Tsefat that will be the undisputed Halakhic voice, coming from Israel, for all Jews in the world. Solving thus the current situation in which each Jewish community had its particular and separate Halahkhic practice and customs.  
Rabbi Berab ordained four Rabbis, one of the was Rabbi Yosef Caro. According to the Hida, rabbi Yosef Caro was ordained in addition by 200 rabbis from Erets Israel and the diaspora (The title Sephardic Jews have reserved for Rabbi Yosef Caro is “MARAN” which in Hebrew stands for: ממאתים רבנים נסמך = “The one ordained by 200 Rabbis”). The Hida explained that when one follows the Shulhan ‘Arukh is not following the opinion of one rabbi but of 200 Rabbis. At that time, 200 Rabbis represented the majority of the rabbis of the world.  This is the source of the extraordinary authority given to Rabbi Yosef Caro, and the main reason why the Shulhan ‘arukh was accepted by all Jews as final and conclusive. 
 
Maran Rabbi Yosef Caro died in Tsefat in 1575. 
 
 
Some of his books are 
  • Kesef Mishne (כסף משנה) a commentary to Maimonides Mishne Tora
  • Bet Yosef (בית יוסף), a monumental commentary on the Arba’a Turim from Rabbi Ya’aqob ben haRosh. This book was aimed to systematize the laws and customs of Judaism. 
  • Shulhan ‘Arukh (שולחן ערוך).  Although it is a brief and practical summary of the Bet Yosef it is considered the unquestioned authority of the whole Jewish world.
  • Bedeq ha-Bayit (בדק הבית) additions and corrections to Beth Yosef.
  • Kelalei ha-Talmud (כללי התלמוד) a book on the methodology of the Talmud.

 

 
Click here to download the first edition of the Shulhan ‘Arukh, Venezia, 1565


Rabbi Ya’akob Hajez (1620-1674)

Rabbi Ya’aqob Hajez (aka Hagiz) was born in Fez, Morocco in 1620. In 1657 and after living in Livorno (Italy) for a few years, Rabbi Hajez settled in Jerusalem as the head of a new Bet haMidrash (=Yeshiba) founded and supported by the Vega brothers, two Jewish philanthropist from Livorno who supported the Jews living in Jerusalem.  The name of this Bet Midrash was Bet Ya’aqob but it was also known as “Yeshibat haHesger” (=the enclosed Yeshiba) because its Rabbis and students would never leave the premises of the Yeshiba unnecessarily. In that Yeshiba the students also learned foreign languages, mathematics, engineering and other secular studies.  
 
Rabbi Hajez  was known for his bright mind and critical thinking. He was one of the main (and few) strong opponents to Shabbatai Zevi, the false prophet.  Shabbatai Zevi came to Yerushalayim in 1665 and the rabbis of the city, led by Rabbi Hagiz, excommunicated him until he was forced to leave Jerusalem.  
 
Rabbi Hajez  was a very prolific writer.  Among his works we can mention:
 
Etz haHayim: A commentary on all treatises of the Mishna
 
Halakhot Qetanot: A book on Rabbinical response dealing with multiple subjects.  See for example his responsa on the kashrut of the “Scincus scincus” a reptile/fish creature (Hebrew). 
 
Tehilat Hokhma: A book on the methodology of the Talmud. 
 
Orah Mishor: A very short book on the appropriate conduct of Rabbis and Torah Scholars. In the introduction he mentions that he writes this book as a reaction to comments made by people complaining about the unethical behavior of certain Torah Scholars.  Instead of denying the accusations, rabbi Hajez  wrote this treatise demanding from those who dedicate their lives to study Torah to raise their standard of behavior (=noblesse oblige). He explains that Torah scholars are exposed to a higher degree of accountability: “talmid-hakhamim, shegagot na’asot lo kizdonot“,  a mistake made by a Torah Scholar or a Rabbi is considered negligence or even a willful offense.  
Rabbi Moshe Hajez, his son
https://henryabramson.com/2016/03/15/who-was-r-moshe-hagiz/
 


To Download the books of Rabbi Ya’aqob Hajez go to www.hebrewbooks.com (יעקב חאגיז)
 

 

To download “Orah Mishor” click  here