Rav Sholom Hedaya of Aram Sova zt"l
הרב שלום בן משה חיים הדיה זצ"ל
Kislev 13 , 5705
Father's Name: Moshe Chaim Hedaya
Relatives: Rav Ovadia Hedaya
Rav Sholom Hedaya of Aram Sova zt"l
Rav Sholom Hedaya was born in Aram Tzova. The lineage of his father, Rav Moshe Chaim Hedaya, could be traced back to Rav Saadya Gaon. Rav Sholom’s mother, Rebbetzin Sabatya, was the granddaughter of Rav Yitzchok Attia, mechaber of the Zera Yitzchok. Rav Sholom’s father passed away when he was only three. At the age of twenty, he married Sora, the daughter of Rav Yitzchok Labaton, one of the most outstanding Rabbonim and Dayonim of Aram Tzova. When Rav Yitzchok moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1888, he took Rav Sholom and his family with him. In 1891, Rav Sholom had to return to Aram Tzova. While there, he was stricken with an eye ailment and nearly lost his eyesight. Despite that, he wrote a sefer, Sholom La’Am, which focuses on the issues of doing tzedoka and chessed, particularly on behalf of Torah students and scholars. In 1896, Rav Sholom moved to Eretz Yisrael permanently, first settling in the Bucharian Quarter, then moving to the Ohel Moshe neighborhood. In 1904, Rav Sholom was appointed Moreh Tzedek in the Bais Din of Rav Vidal Anjel and Rav Boruch Elnekava. In 1930, he was appointed Raavad (Rosh Av Bais Din) of all the Sefardi communities in Yerushalayim. In 1927, Yerushalayim’s chief Mekubol and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Keil, Rav Mas’ud HaKohen Elchaded, was niftar, and Rav Sholom was appointed his successor. Besides Sholom La’Am, Rav Sholom’s other seforim were: Dover Sholom, responsa on the Arba’a Turim; HaChaim v’HaSholom, a series of Torah extrapolations; and Sholom v’Tzedek. His son, Rav Ovadya, was a prominent Rosh Mesivta in the Porat Yosef Yeshiva. When the Jordanians conquered the Old City, Yeshivas Bais Keil was destroyed and Rav Ovadya reestablished it in his own home in the new city. After the Six-Day War, he reestablished the Yeshiva in the Old City.