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Сила Теилим

10 Nisan · Yahrzeit

Rabbi Shalom Mashash

Rabbi Shalom ben Maimon Mashash (1909-2003) - Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Jerusalem for the last 25 years.   Yahrzeit - 10 Nissan Resting place - Har HaMenuchot, Jerusalem   Rabbi Mashash was born in Meknes, Morocco, and served for many years as head of the rabbinical court in Casablanca. Upon retiring, he made aliyah to Israel to serve as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, just as his cousin Rabbi Yosef Mashash, who after retiring in Morocco served as Chief Rabbi of Haifa. The Moroccan city of Meknes, a city of Torah, was known as the Jerusalem of Morocco. Rabbi Shalom Mashash studied under Rabbi Meir Toledano until the age of 14. His father then sent him to study under the great sage Rabbi Yitzchak Sabag. In his sefer "Tevuas Shemesh," Rabbi Shalom states: "The fact that I was able to grow in Torah can be attributed to my father, who did not give in to the pressure and offers for me to take lucrative positions in banks… Thus, all the credit for my Torah study belongs to him." Another of his primary mentors, a relative on both his father's and mother's sides, was Rabbi Yehoshua Berdugo, the Rav of Meknes. In 1960, upon the passing of the Chief Rabbi and Dayan of Casablanca, Rabbi David ibn Susan, Rabbi Shalom became Chief Rabbi and served in that role for thirty years. In 1978, he moved to Eretz Yisrael to take up the position of Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Jerusalem. He served for many years as head of the rabbinical court in Casablanca. Upon retiring, he made aliyah to Israel to become Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. Mashash was one of the few Sephardic rabbis who dared to argue with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and steadfastly defended the independent customs of Moroccan Jewry. He also supported the publication of prayer books in their original Moroccan version. His passing (he left this world on Shabbat HaGadol 2003 at the age of 90) further diminished the sparse halachic opposition to Rabbi Yosef among Sephardic halachic decisors. May the merit of the Tzadik Rabbi Shalom Mashash protect us all, amen!   May the merit of the Tzadik protect the people of Israel!   (https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/326-Rabbi-Shalom-Mashash)