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Joseph Hayyim of Baghdad, author of Ben Ish Hai
Joseph Hayyim of Baghdad, author of Ben Ish Hai

Yosef Chaim (1 September 1832 – 30 August 1909) (Hebrew: יוסף חיים מבגדאד) was a leading Hakham (Sephardic Rabbi), authority on Jewish law (Halakha) and Master Kabbalist. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Hakham (or chakam or ḥaham ḥakam; Hebrew חכם lit "wise" is a term from Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful Sephardic Judaism is the practice of Judaism as observed by the Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, so far as it is peculiar to themselves and not shared with other Jewish Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. He is best known as author of the work of Halakha Ben Ish Chai ("Son of Man (who) Lives"), by which title he is also known.

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Biography

Hakham Yosef Chaim was born in Baghdad where his father, Hakham Moshe Chaim, was the active leader of the Jewish community. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous Yosef Chaim's talents were evident from a young age (composing an anonymous responsum at age 14). Responsa ( Latin: plural of responsum, "answers" comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by Legal scholars in response to questions As a child, he spent most of his time studying in his father's library. At the age of 10, he left midrash ("school room") and began to study with his uncle, David Chai Nissim. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic (Hakham David later founded the famed "Shoshannim LeDavid" Yeshiva located in Jerusalem. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the ) In 1851, he married Rachel, the daughter of Hakham Yehudah Somekh. 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year They had together a daughter and two sons; Hakham Yosef Chaim also studied under his brother in law, Abdallah Somech. Hakham Abdallah Somekh (1813– September 13, 1889) was a Rosh yeshiva and Posek of Iraqi Jewry.

When Yosef Chaim was only twenty-five years old, his father died. Despite his youth, the Jews of Baghdad accepted him to fill his father's place as the leading rabbinic scholar of Baghdad, though he never filled the official position of Hakham Bashi. Hakham Bashi ( Turkish: Hahambaşı حاخامباشی is the Turkish name for the Chief Rabbi of the nation He was widely accepted as an authority on Jewish law throughout the Middle East, and his decisions were considered to be of religious legal significance, even outside Sephardi communities. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. His main disciple was the kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Moshe Ftaya. Rabbi Yehuda ben Moshe ben Yeshou`ah Fatiyah, also pronounced Fetayah (1859-1942 was born in Baghdad and died on ZaKh Menahem The highly respected Sephardic yeshiva, Porat Yosef in Jerusalem, was founded on his advice by Joseph Shalom, of Calcutta, India — one of Rabbi Chaim's patrons. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n The Porat Yosef Yeshiva (ישיבה פורת יוסף is a Sephardic Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

The Hakham was buried in Baghdad, but there is also a grave attributed to him on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives (also Mount Olivet, جبل الزيتون الطور Jebel az-Zeitun הר הזיתים Har HaZeitim; is a mountain ridge in east His son, Ribbi Yaaqov `Haï, continued his legacy. His main student was He`Hakham Yehouda Fetayah. Rabbi Yehuda ben Moshe ben Yeshou`ah Fatiyah, also pronounced Fetayah (1859-1942 was born in Baghdad and died on ZaKh Menahem

Works

The Ben Ish Chai (בן איש חי) is a standard reference in Sephardi homes (functioning as "a Sephardi Kitzur Shulchan Arukh") and is widely studied in Sephardi yeshivot. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Sephardic Judaism is the practice of Judaism as observed by the Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, so far as it is peculiar to themselves and not shared with other Jewish Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Due to the popularity of this book, Hakham Yosef Chaim came to be known as "Ben Ish Chai", by which he is referred to by many today. The book is a collection of homilies he gave over two years discussing the weekly Torah portion. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Purpose of the section divisions A parashah break creates a textual pause roughly analogous to a modern Paragraph break Each chapter begins with a mystical discussion, usually explaining how a Kabbalistic interpretation of a certain verse relates to a particular halakha, and then continuing to expound on that halakha with definitive rulings. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the

Hakham Yosef Chaim authored over thirty other works, and there are many published Iraqi rite siddurim (prayer books) based on his rulings, which are widely used by Sephardi Jews. Nusach ( Hebrew: נוּסַח nosaħ, modern pronunciation nósakh or núsakh) is a concept in Judaism that has two distinct meanings A siddur ( Hebrew: סידור plural siddurim) is a Jewish Prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Amongst the best known of his works are:

The names Ben Ish Chai, Me-Kabtziel, Rav Pe'alim and Ben Yehoyada derive from 2 Samuel 23:20. The Books of Samuel ( Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaism 's Hebrew Bible) and also of He chose these names because he claimed to have been a reincarnation of Benayahu ben Yehoyada (described as Ben Ish Chayil, the son of a valiant man); the man in whose merit, it is said, both the first and second Holy Temples stood. Benaiah, son of the Priest Jehoiada, was David 's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel. Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name

Hakham Yosef Chaim was also noted for his stories and parables. Some are scattered through his halachic works, but have since been collected and published separately; others were published as separate works in his lifetime, as an alternative to the European-inspired secular literature that was becoming popular at the time. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law His Qânûn-un-Nisâ' (قانون النساء) is a wonderful, inspirational book filled with beautiful parables, concerning self-improvement. The book, directed towards, but not limited to women, is rare since it was composed in Judeo-Arabic. The Judæo-Arabic languages are a collection of Arabic dialects spoken by Jews living or formerly living in the Arab world; the term also refers to It was last published in Palestine in the 1940s.

See also

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References

Resources

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