Maran • Maran Malka • Maran HaRishon LeTzion • Rabbi Ovadia • HaRishon LeTzion
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Recent GenerationsRabbi Ovadia Yosef, universally known as “Maran,” was one of the foremost halakhic authorities of the later generations, the Rishon LeTzion, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, founder of the Shas movement, and president of its Council of Torah Sages. Born in Baghdad in 1920,…
Biography
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, universally known as “Maran,” was one of the foremost halakhic authorities of the later generations, the Rishon LeTzion, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, founder of the Shas movement, and president of its Council of Torah Sages. Born in Baghdad in 1920, he immigrated to the Land of Israel in early childhood and was recognized already in his youth as an extraordinary prodigy. Over the course of some seventy years of Torah scholarship and leadership, he produced dozens of major halakhic works, foremost among them the Yabia Omer series, regarded as one of the most important halakhic compositions of the twentieth century. He led a spiritual and social renaissance that restored the crown of Sephardic Jewry to its former glory, trained thousands of students and rabbis, and transformed the character of the Sephardic and Mizrahi public in Israel. His rulings were marked by a preference for Sephardic sources—especially the Shulchan Aruch and Maimonides’ rulings—and by a readiness to rule leniently where possible, in order to ease burdens upon the public and draw hearts near.
Life Story
Childhood
He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1920 to Yaakov and Georgia Yosef. When he was four years old, his family immigrated to the Land of Israel and settled in the Bukharim Quarter of Jerusalem. From childhood, he displayed exceptional intellectual gifts, and at a remarkably young age he had already committed entire orders of the Talmud to memory. His father, who worked as a merchant, was deeply concerned for his education and sent him to study with the finest rabbis in Jerusalem.
Teachers
He studied at Porat Yosef Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem, where he became the outstanding disciple of the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Ezra Attiya, who regarded him as an unparalleled prodigy and cultivated him with special devotion. He also studied under Rabbi Yaakov Mutzafi and other leading rabbis of the era. Rabbi Attiya even saw to his material support when necessary so that he could continue his studies uninterrupted.
Students
He trained thousands of students throughout Israel and across the world, many of whom went on to serve as rabbis, rabbinical judges, and heads of yeshivot. Among his most distinguished disciples were Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, later Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel; Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, who likewise served as Chief Rabbi; his sons Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Rabbi David Yosef; as well as members of the Shas Council of Torah Sages. His students continue to disseminate his teachings and rulings widely.
Family
He married Margalit, and the couple had twelve children. His sons followed him in the world of Torah: Rabbi Yaakov Yosef headed the Hazon Ovadia institutions; Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef serves as rosh yeshiva of Hazon Ovadia and is the author of the Yalkut Yosef series; Rabbi David Yosef serves as a member of the Council of Torah Sages and chairman of Shas; and Rabbi Avraham Yosef serves as the rabbi of Holon. His daughter, Adina Bar-Shalom, founded the Sha’al College and became a prominent public figure in her own right.
Key Events
At a relatively young age, he was sent to serve as rabbi in Cairo, where he worked to strengthen the Jewish community during a difficult period. After returning to Israel, he served as a judge in the rabbinical courts, and later on the Supreme Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem. In 1973 he was appointed Rishon LeTzion and Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, a post he held for about a decade. In 1984 he founded the Shas movement together with Rabbi Shimon Baadani and other figures, and remained at the head of its Council of Torah Sages until the day of his passing. In 1970 he was awarded the Israel Prize for Torah Literature in recognition of his halakhic writings.
Miracles
He was renowned for his phenomenal memory and his astonishing mastery of the full breadth of Torah literature. When asked complex halakhic questions, he would cite from memory hundreds of sources from throughout the Talmud, from Maimonides, the Shulchan Aruch, and later decisors—at times even giving the exact page and column. This ability became legendary in the Torah world. Many regarded him as a veritable “walking computer” of Sephardic halakhah.
Influence
Maran’s influence extended far beyond the circle of his direct disciples. He led a social and spiritual revolution that restored the crown of Sephardic Jewry to its former glory after years in which Sephardic tradition had been marginalized under Ashkenazic hegemony. The Shas movement he founded became a major force on the Israeli political map and established the extensive Ma’ayan HaChinuch HaTorani educational network. His halakhic rulings are now accepted as a central foundation of Sephardic halakhic decision-making in Israel and throughout the Diaspora.
Death
He passed away in Jerusalem on the 3rd of Cheshvan 5774 (7 October 2013), at the age of 93. His funeral became one of the largest public outpourings of mourning in the history of the State of Israel—hundreds of thousands, and by some estimates close to a million people, accompanied his funeral procession through Jerusalem. He was laid to rest in Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem. His passing was widely perceived as the loss of an entire generation in the Sephardic Torah world, and his legacy continues to guide the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities in Israel and throughout the Diaspora.
Writings
Yabia Omer
1954 ואילךHalakhah — Responsa
A comprehensive ten-volume series of halakhic responsa, regarded as one of the most important halakhic works of the twentieth century. In it, Maran addresses complex questions drawn from across the Talmud and halakhic literature, with a marked preference for Sephardic sources and for the rulings of Maimonides and the Shulchan Aruch.
Yechaveh Da’at
לאחר 1970Halakhah — Responsa
Another series of halakhic responsa dealing with practical questions in every sphere of life. The work is distinguished by its clear style and inclusive approach, and serves as a foundational source for modern Sephardic halakhic rulings.
Hazon Ovadia
לאחר 1970Festival Laws and Customs
An extensive series dealing with the laws of Shabbat, Passover, the High Holy Days, Sukkot, and the other festivals of the year. The series combines in-depth halakhic analysis with customs and liturgy, and is considered one of the foundational works on the festival laws according to Sephardic practice.
Halikhot Olam
לאחר 1980Daily Halakhah
A halakhic series dealing with the laws of daily life and prayer, arranged in a form accessible to the general public and including the meanings and rationales behind various customs.
Ma’ayan Beit HaSho’eivah
לאחר 1970Talmud
A series of lectures and novellae on the Talmud, reflecting Maran’s method of study and analysis in talmudic sugyot.
Hazon Ovadia — Laws of Passover
לאחר 1970Laws of Passover
A special volume in the Hazon Ovadia series devoted to the laws of Passover, containing comprehensive discussions of the laws of chametz and matzah, the Paschal offering, the Seder night, and the other laws of the festival.
His Way and Views
Torah Study
Maran saw the daily study of halakhah as a foundation of Jewish existence. He emphasized that the study of practical Jewish law is not the province of specialists alone, but an obligation incumbent upon every Jew. He encouraged the broad dissemination of Torah and insisted upon halakhic accessibility, so that every person would know how to conduct himself in practice. His saying, “Whoever studies halakhah every day is assured a share in the World to Come,” became a motto in the Sephardic Torah world.
Halacha
He issued halakhic rulings in accordance with the Shulchan Aruch and the rulings of Maimonides, and viewed the Sephardic tradition of pesak as the original and most precise tradition. He restored Sephardic halakhic decision-making to a place of centrality after years in which Ashkenazic rulings had predominated. He tended toward leniency when possible, provided the ruling was well grounded in the sources, in order to ease burdens upon the public and draw hearts near.
Faith
His faith was complete and straightforward, free of excessive dialectical elaboration. He regarded Divine Providence as a tangible reality active in every detail, and his trust in God was absolute. He believed that Torah and halakhah are the direct path to the service of God, and that practical observance of the commandments is the very foundation of faith.
Ethics
He championed love of fellow Jews, patience, and devotion to the public. He believed that one must draw people near rather than push them away, and that rabbis and halakhic decisors must be sensitive to the suffering of others. He made the principle “Never be overly exacting” a guiding maxim of his life. He saw in every Jew, whatever his condition, a precious soul worthy of honor and love.
Customs
He preserved and restored the customs of Sephardic and Babylonian Jewry to the center of religious life. He regarded the Sephardic and Egyptian rite, as codified in the Shulchan Aruch, as the binding tradition. He worked to unify the various customs of the Eastern communities under the broader heading of “Sephardic custom,” and established more uniform practices in prayer and halakhah.
Character
Warm, devoted, and possessed of a sharp sense of humor, he combined great personal warmth with deep sensitivity to the suffering of others. His weekly Saturday-night addresses became a cultural phenomenon, in which he blended profound Torah interpretation with sharp social critique and, at times, humor. Despite his exalted stature, he remained simple in manner and maintained direct contact with the broader public.
Public Role
He led a social and spiritual revolution on behalf of the Sephardic and Mizrahi public in Israel. He saw himself as working to correct a historical injustice by which the heritage of Sephardic Jewry had been pushed to the margins. The Shas movement he founded became a vehicle for the social, educational, and political empowerment of the Sephardic public, and established the extensive Ma’ayan HaChinuch HaTorani educational network.
Famous Quotes
"Never be overly exacting; always be compassionate and understanding."
"Whoever studies halakhah every day is assured a share in the World to Come."
"It is a mitzvah to heed the words of the Sages and fulfill them, and one must not depart from their words to the right or to the left."
"One who publicly desecrates Shabbat should be drawn near with love and not rejected, for rejection distances, while closeness draws near."
"Great is peace, for even amid wars and disputes one must always strive for it."
Famous Stories
By the age of only twelve, he already knew by heart the Orders of Zera’im and Mo’ed from Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah. His teacher, Rabbi Ezra Attiya, said of him that he was “an unparalleled prodigy,” and saw to his support so that he would not have to interrupt his studies. When Maran was compelled for a time to leave the yeshiva in order to help support his family, Rabbi Attiya pursued him, brought him back to study, and even provided him with a monthly stipend from his own pocket.
When asked complex halakhic questions, Maran would cite from memory hundreds of sources from across the Talmud and the halakhic authorities—sometimes even specifying the exact page and column. On one occasion, during a rabbinical court deliberation, he answered a question with a precise citation from the Beit Yosef and the Bayit Chadash; when his colleagues went to verify it in the book, they found the passage exactly as he had said it, word for word.
In his weekly Saturday-night addresses, Maran would combine profound Torah interpretation with sharp social criticism and at times humor. These talks, broadcast on radio and television, became an Israeli cultural phenomenon, and were listened to even by those outside the Haredi community. He knew how to speak to the heart of the Sephardic public like a father addressing his son.
In his youth he was sent to serve as rabbi in Cairo, where he worked to strengthen the Jewish community during a difficult period. When he returned to Israel, he was urged to marry, and he married Margalit, who stood by his side throughout his life’s journey and raised their large family while he devoted his days to Torah and to the public. She was a quiet yet central partner in the building of his life and work.
Students
Teachers
Grave Site
Grave Details
- Grave Name
- Sanhedria Cemetery, Jerusalem
- City
- Jerusalem
- Country
- Israel
Timeline
Born in Baghdad, Iraq
Immigrated to the Land of Israel with his family and settled in the Bukharim Quarter of Jerusalem
Admitted to Porat Yosef Yeshiva and regarded as an extraordinary prodigy
Sent to serve as rabbi in Cairo, Egypt
Returned to Israel and appointed as a judge in the rabbinical courts
Awarded the Israel Prize for Torah Literature
Appointed Rishon LeTzion and Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel
Founded the Shas movement and stood at the head of its Council of Torah Sages
Passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 93; hundreds of thousands accompanied his funeral
Legacy
The Torah, educational, and public legacy of Maran continues to guide the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities in Israel and throughout the Diaspora. His book series Yabia Omer and Hazon Ovadia have become foundational works in rabbinical courts and study halls. The Shas movement he founded continued to operate according to the lines he laid down, and his sons and students continue to disseminate his Torah teachings. The educational network he established educates tens of thousands of students each year. His figure has become a symbol of Sephardic pride and of the redress of social injustice, and his influence is evident both in the world of halakhah and in Israel’s public and political sphere.