Victor Cohen
On September 29th, Hacham David Yosef, shelit”a, was appointed by a statutory election committee to be the new Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, following in the footsteps of his brother, Hacham Yitzhak Yosef, shelit”a, and, of course, his late father, Maran Hacham Ovadia Yosef, zt”l. He will serve in this position for the next ten years, succeeding his brother, whose ten-year term ended last year.
Israel’s Chief Rabbi is charged with making decisions on a wide range of important public policy issues, and, by virtue of his stature, has the opportunity to be a strong and influential advocate for the needs of Jews both in Israel and around the world. One example of the great significance of this position is the effort made by Hacham David’s father, Hacham Ovadia, after the 1973 Yom Kippur War to help wives of soldiers who did not return from battle. Hacham Ovadia worked tirelessly to study the details of each and every case, and analyze the relevant halachic source material, in order to determine that, there were sufficient grounds to presume death, such that the wives were permitted to remarry. The Chief Rabbi bears the responsibility to address critical and consequential matters such as these, and thus only accomplished scholars with vast knowledge, and years of experience in halachic decision-making, are considered to have the broad shoulders necessary for this important role.
And there is little doubt that the newly-appointed Chief Rabbi has all the credentials needed to competently fulfill these duties.
A Giant and Son of a Giant
Hacham David – the ninth of the 11 children of Hacham Ovadia and Margalit Yosef – was born in Jerusalem on August 10th, 1957. As a youngster, he attended Yeshivat Or Yisrael, and then spent a year in the elite Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, before enrolling in the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Hacham David Yosef not only belongs to an illustrious rabbinic family, but is also an accomplished scholar and leader in his own right. For 30 years, from 1990 until 2020, he served as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem’s tight-knit Har Nof neighborhood, which is home to some members of our community who made aliyah. Additionally, he leads a kollel named Yehaveh Da’at which trains rabbis who go on to serve communities both in Israel and around the world. Hacham David has also been involved in the Shas Party, which his father founded and guided, and which works to advance the causes of observant Sephardic Jews in Israel.
Halachah Berurah
Beyond his leadership experience, Hacham David is renowned throughout the Torah world as an outstanding halachic scholar, best known for authoring Halachah Berurah, a monumental work on practical halachah. To date, this series consists of 26 volumes. Hacham David masterfully presents for us the halachot in a clear, concise fashion, providing extensive annotation where he goes through the relevant source material underlying his conclusions.
My first experience with Halachah Berurah came on the night of Shavuot when I was studying at Moreshet. One of my advisors delivered a memorable class to the kohanim (including me) on the laws of birkat kohanim – the special blessing that kohanim confer upon the congregation each day. He covered the topic extensively, going through minute details such as how kohanim are to position their hands, feet and shoulders while reciting the blessing. The text he chose for this comprehensive presentation of the topic was Halachah Berurah.
This work follows the sequence of the Shulhan Aruch, the famous halachic code authored by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16th century that has since become the authoritative halachic text. The format of Halachah Berurah resembles that of Mishnah Berurah – the classic work by the Hafetz Haim (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933), which presents a running commentary on the first section of the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim), explaining the text and citing opinions of later authorities. Like in the Mishnah Berurah, the primary text of Hacham David’s work elucidates the halachot according to the sequence of the Shulhan Aruch. A separate text, entitled Berur Halachah, features lengthier, more intricate essays on questions related to the Shulhan Aruch’s ruling, corresponding to the Hafetz Haim’s essays in the Be’ur Halachah section of his work. And, like the Mishnah Berurah, Hacham David includes a section called Sha’ar Hatziyun briefly referencing the sources of the information he presents in the main body of the book.
At the end of the book, the rabbi appended a series of in-depth halachic responsa, entitled Otzerot Yosef.
The clarity of Hacham David’s writing style, and his comprehensive mastery of the material, citing numerous sources from the Geonic period through recent and even contemporary sages, have made Halachah Berurah an instant classic, and a priceless resource for both scholars and laymen alike. He thus brings to his position many years of outstanding scholarship, deep respect for the great rabbis of yesteryear, and a keen understanding of how to accurately apply our ancient, sacred halachic system to our ever-changing world.
Leadership in a Time of Complexity
The difficult challenges currently facing the State of Israel, which has been waging a war against several enemies for over a year, and is beset also by numerous internal struggles, require a competent leader who can navigate these complex issues and make the right decisions. There is little doubt that Hacham David Yosef is well-suited for this role.
In recent months, he has already expressed his opinion on several important issues of national import. For example, while sternly insisting upon an exemption from military service for yeshiva students, he stated that young men who, for whatever reason, are not learning in yeshiva must enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. And, shortly after his appointment, Hacham David ruled that IDF soldiers participating in combat are forbidden from fasting on Yom Kippur, as they must ensure to be in peak physical condition in order to carry out their vital mission to protect the Jewish State. The Hacham added that the soldiers must not even eat shiurim – meaning, small amounts in intervals, as ill patients are generally told to do on Yom Kippur – and should instead eat normally to maintain their strength. As for soldiers who are involved in the war effort but not in active combat, Hacham David said that if such a troop fears that fasting could compromise his ability to properly concentrate on his tasks, he should consult with his military rabbi for guidance.
Baruch Hashem, our generation has been blessed with great Torah leaders who can guide, inspire, and represent the Torah with nobility, thus bringing honor to the Torah and the Torah world. With Hashem’s help, Hacham David Yosef will lead the Jewish People to a period of peace and prosperity, and will help advance the timeless principles of our Torah and continue the chain of our glorious spiritual heritage.