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Hacham Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (17 Sivan 5577 – 27 Tamuz 5666 / June 1, 1817 – July 20, 1906)

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Hacham Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (17 Sivan 5577 – 27 Tamuz 5666 / June 1, 1817 – July 20, 1906) Hacham Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (17 Sivan 5577 – 27 Tamuz 5666 / June 1, 1817 – July 20, 1906) YEHuDA AZoulaY eing a Jew in Muslim dominated 18th Century Jerusalem was certainly Bchallenging for the Sephardic community that resided there, but for the small Ashkenazic community that settled the city in the early 1700s, it could have been fatal! As a result of an outstanding debt to Arab landlords, Ashkenazic Jews were expelled and banned from the city. Those European Jews who did remain in Jerusalem had to wear Sephardic garments so as not to be identified as Ashkenazim. In light of these circumstances, the story of how a scion from a Lithuanian rabbinic dynasty rose to become the revered Hacham Bashi is all the more remarkable. A Rabbinic Dynasty large sum of money from a wealthy Arab to to Jerusalem. His father passed away two The saga began when a great Torah help the fledgling Ashkenazic community years later, leaving the family poverty- scholar, Rabbi Yaakov of Vilna1, who of Jerusalem. One year later, when the loan stricken. His mother sold her home and her would later become known as the patriarch was to be repaid, Rabbi Yaakov had still not belongings to pay off the family’s debts, and of the distinguished Elyashar family2, returned from fundraising in the Diaspora. only approximately 10 Lira remained with emigrated from Lithuania to Jerusalem His wife, who was the guarantor, managed which to support herself and her children. with Rabbi Yehuda Hehasid, around the to delay payment until her husband’s return, In the preface to his work of responsa, Bene year 1700. As a youngster, he was given the but by then the interest had swelled to Binyamin Ve’Karev Ish, Hacham Yaakov name “Elyashar” (from the Hebrew word exorbitant amount and the community could described the severe conditions of poverty “yashar – upright”) by his father to signify not raise the money. As the debt continued that his family endured: his exceptional honesty and integrity. This to mount, most Ashkenazic Jews fled the became the family name for generations city out of fear of the increasingly hostile "We would spend ten kurus [100 thereafter. Arab creditors, and in 1721, the Ashkenazic kurus make one Lira] ... each Upon moving to Jerusalem, Rabbi community effectively dissolved. Though a month. Out of that we would put small number of Ashkenazic Jews remained Yaakov joined the Sephardic yeshiva Bet aside four for my teacher and two Yaakov which was founded and financed by in Jerusalem, they had to hide their identities among the Sephardic majority. for rent, so all we had left were the philanthropist Hacham Yisrael Yaakov four kurus. We would buy eight Pereira of Amsterdam. But the difficult economic condition of the community stalks of wheat, and five sesame forced him to travel abroad in 1705 to The Ashkenazi stems [to grind into tehine spread], raise funds for the impoverished Jews of Hacham Bashi and my mother would [work as a Jerusalem. Later, in 1714, he borrowed a Almost 100 years later, the great-great- seamstress] so that she can make 1 Rabbi Yaakov of Vilna should not be confused with Rabbi Yaakov Zak, grandson of Rabbi Yaakov of Vilna was some money for [other] food." known as the Zera Kodesh of Vilna, who was the son-in-law of the author born in the holy city of Tzefat on 23 Sivan, of Sha’ar Efrayim and father of the Hacham Tzvi Ashkenazi of Amsterdam (1660-1718). 1817. Young Yaakov Shaul Elyashar – also Four years after his father’s passing, 2 Hacham Yaakov Elyashar and Rabbi Yaakov of Vilna, are separated known as the “Yisa Beracha” (“Yisa” is the his mother married the Av Bet Din of by five generations in this illustrious rabbinic dynasty. The lineage can be traced as follows: Rabbi Yaakov of Vilna (patriarch of the family), acronym for “Yaakov Shaul Alyasher”) Jerusalem, Hacham Binyamin Mordechai Rabbi Haim Yerucham, Rabbi Yaakov Ben Haim Yerucham, Rabbi Eliezer Yerucham, Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (Hacham Bashi). was six-years-old when his family moved Navon (1788-1852), author of Bene 22 Community magazine Binyamin. Hacham Binyamin Mordechai was an excellent The Novominsk Affair teacher who enjoyed the On 26 Tammuz, 5666 (1906), Hacham entire Jewish community. Therefore, it is my company of many outstanding Elyashar received an urgent telegram from opinion that we can do one of the following. Torah scholars who would visit Rabbi Shemuel Yaakov Rabinovitch of Either we do nothing, or we can send a reply his home to hear his words of Novominsk, Poland, informing the hacham stating that it is forbidden for the Chief Rabbi Torah. The hacham took young that the Jewish community of Novominsk of the Ottoman Empire to interfere in the Yaakov Shaul under his wing was in grave danger. A few months earlier, affairs of a foreign country.” and raised him as his own son. a local government official by the name of Silence filled the room. Throughout all the Being that his step-father was Nasalink was murdered, and two Jewish discussions, it had not occurred to anybody a Sephardic hacham, he was brothers, Eliezer and Noach Horowitz, that the telegram might have been a forgery, raised in that environment and testified before a Polish court that they sent by the relatives of the convicted continued with those traditions, witnessed five gentile men commit the criminals. After several moments, one of the adopting them as his own, crime. Based on their testimony, the court men finally broke the silence. “Honorable even as he grew into an adult. convicted the five gentiles and sentenced rabbi, please forgive me, but if the telegram In later years, Hacham Yaakov them to death. With the execution yet to is not a forgery, then remaining silent would fondly recall his special be carried out, Rabbi Rabinovitch said that or replying that you cannot get involved relationship with Hacham the city’s gentile population was poised to could spell disaster for the community of Binyamin Mordechai: launch a violent retaliatory assault on the Novominsk!” The men were skeptical of the Jewish community, in the form of a full-blown hacham’s theory. They highly doubted that "The day after he pogrom. The Horowitz brothers had since the telegram was a fake. According to one got married he sent moved to Jerusalem, and Rabbi Rabinovitch version of the story, the community leaders for me and brought me therefore asked Hacham Yaakov to speak considered this idea so preposterous that to his home – I was to them and demand that they confess to they saw it as an indication of the onset of only eleven years old rendering false testimony. If they admit that senility. Hacham Yaakov was nearly 90 years they lied, the convicted prisoners will be old, and it was quite possible, the people – so he could teach me released, and the Jewish community will be at the meeting thought, that his mental Torah: Talmud during saved from a potentially deadly pogrom. faculties had begun to decline. the day, En Yaakov at Hacham Yaakov immediately summoned Realizing that he could not convince the night, and Shulhan his secretary, Rabbi Michlin, and asked men, Hacham Yaakov suggested that they Aruch on Friday him to find the Horowitz brothers and bring consult with Rav Shemuel Salant and hear nights. Scholars would them to him. An hour later, Hacham Michlin his opinion. Despite the late hour, Rabbi learn with him in returned with Eliezer and Noach Horowitz. The Michlin went to Rav Shmuel Salant’s home brothers vehemently denied the accusations, and woke him up. He described to him the depth, since he was and insisted that they had testified truthfully. situation, without revealing to him the well known to all the The Hacham Bashi faced a difficult dilemma. Hacham Bashi’s assessment. rabbis in Jerusalem, The lives of an entire Jewish community were Rav Shemuel thought for several minutes, and he taught Torah at stake, but the Horowitz brothers refused to and then said to Rabbi Michlin, “In my humble for several years. I confess to giving false testimony. That night, opinion, the telegram is a forgery. The rabbi would sit and learn Hacham Yaakov called a meeting of the of Novominsk never sent it. It was probably by his feet, and I community leaders, at which Rabbi Michlin the work of cunning relatives trying to save read aloud the telegram sent by the rabbi of their loved ones. One possibility would be not would read the sugya Novominsk. He then presented the Horowitz to answer anything at all. Another possibility [Talmudic passage] in brothers’ version of the story. The men spent would be to reply that the Hacham Bashi front of everyone." several hours discussing and deliberating, as does not get involved in foreign matters.” Hacham Yaakov sat listening silently. Finally, Rabbi Michlin returned to the meeting, and Hacham Yaakov married the after hours of discussions, he signaled to all everyone was amazed to hear how the two daughter of the revered Torah those present that he would like to speak for great rabbis of Jerusalem had arrived at the leader, Hacham Rafael Meir the first time. exact same conclusion. The next morning, a Panigel. He rapidly became “Gentlemen,” he announced, “before you short telegram was wired stating the rabbi of known as an outstanding Torah decide on any course of action, I would like Jerusalem would not interfere in the affairs scholar and earned widespread to present my view on the situation. In my of a Polish town. renown. In 1853, at the age personal opinion, the telegram is a forgery.
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