(2013/5774)
The post World War II generations have been blessed with many great and impactful Torah scholars such as my teacher Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rav Moshe Feinstein, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach to name but a few. The impact of these great Rabbanim might be measured by the attendance at their funerals, which ranged from 100,000 to 300,000 people. The attendance of an estimated one million people at the recent funeral of Hacham Ovadia Yosef indicates that Hacham Ovadia had more impact on the Jewish People than any of his peers in the lofty Gadol HaDor category.
The reaction to the death of Hacham Ovadia may be compared to the weeping of all the Jewish People in response to the death of Aharon (BeMidbar 20:29 with Rashi). Indeed, the fact that at Israeli soccer games held soon after Hacham Ovadia’s death a moment of silence was observed demonstrates the widespread and profound impact of Rav Yosef even upon those who are not involved in the world of the Beit Midrash and Yeshivah.
We attempt to accomplish an awesome task: to properly assess the greatness of Hacham Ovadia and set forth the reasons why I believe Rav Yosef was the most accomplished Rav of recent generations. We use the style of the Dayyeinu song which we recite at our Sedarim to provide a proper perspective to Hacham Ovadia’s multi-faceted extraordinary talents and contributions. This Hespeid was originally delivered at Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck, where I am privileged to serve as Rav of the Kehilah.
Facet #1 - Extraordinary Memory and Knowledge
Had Hacham Ovadia been famous only for his phenomenal memory and knowledge that alone would suffice to regard him as a Gadol HaDor. It is said that Rav Yosef could complete the sentence of every line in every Sefer housed in his voluminous home library. Every page of the dozens of Sefarim he composed overflows with abundant and rich references to the full range of Torah sources from the well-known to the most obscure. Indeed, more than five hundred sources appear in his twenty three page long Teshuvah addressing the use of hot water from a Dud Shemesh (solar water heater) on Shabbat (Teshuvot Yabia Omer 4:34). Each Teshuvah written by Hacham Ovadia constitutes a virtual encyclopedia on the topic he addresses.
The following two stories depict his incomparable memory. The Vatican library was reputed to contain rare manuscripts of the writings of various Rishonim that the curators would not permit Jewish scholars to copy. For example, Rashba’s commentary on Masechet Eruvin was available only at the Vatican, where scholars were permitted to read but forbidden to photocopy the rare documents. Rav Yosef was sent to solve the problem. After reading Rashba on Eruvin and committing the entire commentary to memory, Hacham Ovadia returned to Israel and wrote it word for word from memory. This is how we have access to the Rashba’s commentary to Masechet Eruvin.
My friend Joel Steinmetz of Woodmere, New York, told me of a skeptical attendee of one of Rav Yosef’s Shiurim who noted each of the sixty four sources Rav Yosef cited to support a ruling he issued during the Shiur. He found it difficult to believe that every one of these sources existed. The skeptic proceeded to engage in exhaustive research to investigate the accuracy of each of the sources cited. He found that 63rd of the sources were accurate but thought he had caught Rav Ovadia in an error regarding the 64th source. He approached Rav Yosef and told him that he searched throughout Israel for the 64th source, and concluded it did not exist. Rav Yosef explained that the source is found in a Sefer he read in a Shtiebel while visiting the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, New York.
Facet #2 - Extraordinary Poseik
Had Hacham Ovadia simply served as a Poseik for routine Halachic matters regarding the issues that are addressed in the Orah Haim and Yoreh Deah sections of the Shulhan Aruch, it would be sufficient to classify him as a Gadol HaDor. Hacham Ovadia’s Teshuvot are not mere encyclopedic lists of opinions. He did not make Halachic opinions simply by adding up the number of authorities who supported a particular approach and rule in accordance with the majority. Hacham Ovadia addresses each and every issue exercising skilled and sound Halachic and practical judgment that in most cases is just as helpful to Ashkenazic Posekim as it is to Sephardic Posekim (Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchatah extensively quotes from Hacham Ovadia; Rav Hershel Schachter once commented, “every Teshuvah of Rav Ovadia is beautiful;” Rav Mordechai Willig regularly cites Rav Ovadia in his rulings). Rav Yosef unabashedly supported the lenient approach to many issues, citing the Gemara’s phrase Koha DeHeteirah Adif - the power of the lenient approach in Halachah is greater, since one must thoroughly master a topic before issuing a lenient ruling.
The most outstanding example of Rav Yosef’s lenient approach is his Sefer Taharat HaBayit, a very comprehensive presentation of Hilchot Nidah. There are three premier Sefarim addressing Hilchot Nidah addressing the special issues and concerns that have arisen due to advances in technology – the Badei HaShulhan (written by Rav Feivel Cohen of Flatbush), the Shi’urei Sheivet HaLevi (written by Rav Shmuel Wosner of Bnei Brak, Israel,) and Rav Yosef’s Taharat HaBayit. The first two Sefarim are quite strict and appropriate for the Halahic elite for whom the strict approach is appropriate. Taharat HaBayit, on the other hand, is quite lenient regarding many issues. Rav Yosef felt he needed to compose a work that was appropriate for the entire Jewish people. The lives of both Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews are enriched and improved by Rav Yosef’s reasonable approach. Had Rav Yosef not published this work, a serious void in the Jewish community would exist.
We should clarify that Rav Yosef did not always adopt the lenient approach. In fact, there were certain strict rulings that Hacham Ovadia vigorously encouraged, such as wearing not only Rashi Tefilin, but also Tefilin whose Parashiyot are arranged according to Rabbeinu Tam’s opinion (Yalkut Yosef, Kitzur Shulhan Aruch 31:3; I heard a recording of a Shiur in which Rav Yosef told his audience that their attendance at his Shiur constitutes prima facie evidence that they are on a sufficiently high spiritual level that they should wear Rabbeinu Tam’s Tefillin). He also strongly encouraged (see, for example, Yalkut Yosef Kitzur Shulhan Aruch 624:5) waiting to end Shabbat until it is over according to Rabbeinu Tam’s strict opinion (72 minutes after sunset,) and insisted (Teshuvot Yehave Da’at 3:56) that Sepharadim eat only meat defined as Glatt by the highest standards (Beit Yosef Glatt). It is well known that Hacham Ovadia forbids women from wearing Sheitels (see, for example, Teshuvot Yabia Omer 6:13), despite the preference of many Jewish families (we should note that many great Sephardic Posekim such as Rav Shalom Messas in his Teshuvot Shemesh UMagein disagree). Nonetheless, Hacham Ovada preferred presenting the lenient approach is as a viable option so that Halachic observance would be practical and accessible for all Jews, not only the Halachic elite.
Of course, Hacham Ovadia’s rulings are of monumental importance for Sefardic Jews. Prior to Hacham Ovadia’s emergence as a major authority, Sephardic Jews regarded the Ben Ish Hai as their primary Halachic authority. However, the Ben Ish Hai was renowned for basing many of his rulings on Kabbalah and for ruling strictly in many areas of Halachah. Rav Yosef made a change for Sephardic Jews by creating a more lenient Halachic option for those for whom the strict approach was not a viable option. Rav Yosef’s Yalkut Yosef (which we shall discuss subsequently) and Taharat HaBayit have created a new option for many Sephardic Jews which opens the door for a much wider circle of observance.
In the coming weeks we will continue to examine other extraordinary facets of Hacham Ovadia.