Rav Chaim Abulafia of Teveria zt"l
הרב חיים בן משה אבולעפיה זצ"ל
Nissan 6 , 5504 / Nissan 7 , 5504 / Nissan 16 , 5504
Rav Chaim Abulafia of Teveria zt"l
Rav Chaim was born in Chevron in 5420 (1660).
His yichus traces back to Rav Chaim Abulafia, “Hamusmach HaZaken” of Chevron. The Chida writes in Shem Hagedolim that their yichus traces back to Shevet Yehudah and Malchus.
As a young boy, his family moved to Yerushalayim where he studied in the Bais Yaakov-Viga yeshivah, (founded by Rav Yaakov Chagiz) under the auspices of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Galanti. He also studied under Rav Shlomo Algazi HaZaken and along with Rav Chizkiyahu de Silva, known as the Pri Chadash, who was a colleague. There he earned his semichah ordination and was sent to Tzefat to teach and serve as the rav of the city.
He gave derashos every Shabbos and Yom Tov, and published them as Etz Chaim in Izmir and Mikra’ei Kodesh Chiddushei Halachos, as well as three volumes of Yosef Lekach, derushim on the Torah. He also authored Yashresh Yaakov on the Ein Yaakov aggados of the Talmud, and Shevus Yaakov on the same subject. He also authored Chanan Elokim, derashos and pilpulim (where he included chiddushim from Be’er LeChai and Chaim V’Chessed by his maternal grandfather, Rav Yitzchak ibn Jamil of Hebron).
He left on shlichus as a fundraiser to help his poor brethren in Hebron, travelling to Turkey at age 29 in 5459 (1699), then to Saloniki and eventually to Izmir. There he met Rav Yisrael Benveniste, the successor to his father Rav Chaim Benveniste, who authored Shiurei Knesset HaGedolah on Shulchan Aruch. Rav Chaim Abulafia and Rav Yisrael sparred and jousted in halachah. One day, the young shadar (acronym for shaliach d'rabbanan, messenger of the rabbanim) would return to Izmir, not as a fundraiser but as its rav.
When he returned to Eretz Yisrael, Rav Chaim was asked to serve as Rav of Tzefat. In the year 5485 (1725), Rav Yisrael Benveniste passed away and Rav Chaim was chosen to succeed him as the Chief Rabbi of Izmir. Amsterdam also sent letters of appointment, but drawn by its peace and quiet, Rav Chaim chose Izmir, and it was there that he published his sefarim during his tenure.
He had a profound influence on the kehillah, and even the Christian and Muslim populace revered him. As Rav, he looked out not only for their spiritual welfare but for their material welfare as well. Their economic status was very depressed at that time, and he used his many talents to change the face of the kehillah.
He had long harbored a wish to rebuild Teveria (which sat desolate with no shul or bais medrash for some seventy years) and some say that Eliyahu Hanavi appeared to him in a dream and urged him to do so.
After serving as Rav of Teveria for four years and rebuilding the kehillah, Rav Chaim passed away on 6 (some say 7) or (Encyclopedia says 16) Nissan 5504 (1744) at the age of 84.
Stories of Rav Chaim Abulafia of Teveria zt"l
This story was heard from the chief Rav of Teverya, Rav Yaakov Chai Zerihan:
When Rav Chaim ben Attar, mechaber of the Ohr HaChaim, arrived in Teverya, he went to the Bais Medrash and found a group of talmidim sitting together and studying under their master and teacher Rav Chaim Abulafia, who sat teaching them Torah and studying with them, supported by many cushions and pillows propped on either side for his comfort. When the Ohr HaChaim saw all the cushions and pillows, he said quietly to himself in wonder, “Does the Torah deserve this? [How can he relax and disrespect the Torah like that?]”
Rav Chaim Abulafia saw the Ohr HaChaim and immediately called out in a loud voice, “The Chacham Chaim has come to us!” When the Ohr HaChaim approached, Rav Chaim Abulafia rose to his feet and stood to greet him, reciting the pasuk, “Arise before your elders – mipnei seiva sokum,” and they sat and studied together sugyas of Shas. Rav Chaim ben Attar was amazed at Rav Chaim Abulafia’s great scholarship, erudition and breadth of knowledge in Torah. Then Rav Chaim Abulafia told the Ohr HaChaim, “The Torah does deserve this and requires it, due to my advanced age and weakness!” The Ohr HaChaim then asked his forgiveness.
Afterward, they left together to the kever of the Tanna Rav Akiva and, not to waste time, they rented an animal to take Rav Chaim Abulafia, who was some ninety-three years old at the time. When they arrived at the cave of the Tanna, Rav Abulafia dismounted from the donkey and they honored one another to enter first. Rav Chaim ben Attar sat and wept, “Woe are we that both Moshiachs have arrived here together at the right time!”
A great fog and mist crept over them and hid them from view. Whisperings and low conversation between them were heard as they both wept quietly. Those present later surmised that it was revealed to both Rav Chaims that they would pass away, one a year after the other. And so it was, that due to our sins Rav Chaim ben Attar passed away on the fifteenth of Tammuz 5503 and Rav Chaim Abulafia in Nissan of that following year 5504. (Hillula Kadisha p. 308 cited from Yalkut Yosef p. 42)