Rabbi Haim Yosef passes away in Israel

Rabbi Haim Ovadia Yosef, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, passed away on Monday, October 7, 2013, with his family and close colleagues by his side, including President Shimon Peres. He was 93.

A noted Talmudic scholar and leading halachic authority, Yosef served as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Knesset. His halachic responsa are highly regarded within Orthodox circles and are considered binding in many Sephardic communities, where he was regarded as the most important living halachic authority.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Yosef immigrated to Jerusalem with his family in 1924 when he was only four years old. The family was supported by Yosef’s father, who ran a small grocery. As a teenager, Yosef studied at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, where he distinguished himself as a top student. He received his rabbinic ordination at the early age of 20.

In 1947, Rabbi Yosef was invited to Cairo to teach in a yeshiva. He also served as head of the Cairo rabbinical court. Following a conflict between him and other members of the community he resigned from his position, just two years after having arrived in Cairo. Approximately one year after his resignation, he returned to what had then become the State of Israel.

Yosef served on the rabbinical court in Petah Tikva. In 1952 he published his first book, on the laws of Pesach titled “Chazon Ovadia.” The book won much praise and received the approval of, among others, the two Chief Rabbis of Israel at that time, Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog.

Two years later, Yosef founded the ‘Or HaTorah’ Yeshiva for gifted Sephardic yeshiva students. This yeshiva was the first of many which he established, later with the help of his sons, in order to facilitate Torah education for Sephardic Jews and establish the leadership of the community for future generations. I

In 1954 and 1956 he published the first two volumes of his critically-acclaimed major work “Yabia Omer.” Yosef’s responsa are noted for citing almost every source regarding a specific topic and are often referred to simply as indices of all previous rulings.

Between 1958 and 1965 Yosef served as a magistrate in the Jerusalem district religious court. He was then appointed to the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Appeals in Jerusalem, eventually becoming the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Tel Aviv in 1968, a position which he held until his election as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel in 1973.

In 1973 Yosef was elected the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel by a majority of 81 to 68 votes. His candidacy was criticized by some as he was competing against an incumbent chief rabbi and the election process was characterized by tension and political controversy. During his years as chief rabbi, Yosef dealt with a variety of important social and halachic issues.

Yosef remained an active public figure in political and religious life in his capacity as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party and through his regular sermons.

His health weakened over the past year. In January, Yosef was released from hospital after a minor stroke, but in September he was reportedly put into an induced sleep and was being aided by a breathing respirator. Despite showing some signs of recovering in recent days, he finally succumbed to his illness.

As the official announcement was made, a fervent group of his followers gathered at the hospital, breaking down in tears. One of the Shas rabbis told the Israeli press that following the former chief rabbi’s passing, he now feels “orphaned.”