Rabbi David Ben Hassin - "Migdal David"

David Ben Hassin (1727–1792) was the most famous poet of Moroccan Jewry.

During his lifetime, his piyutim were already popular not only in his hometown of Meknes, but throughout all of Morocco, as evidenced by his frequent visits to distant Jewish communities (including Gibraltar, in southern Spain), where he was regularly invited to perform his compositions.

Like all children of his time, David Ben Hassin learned to read at the age of 3-4. By about age 5, he already knew the pesukim of the Torah by heart – he was an illui (child prodigy).

In October 1736, the Jewish quarter of Meknes was pillaged. Around 1738, David Ben Hassin entered a yeshiva. In his essay, he mentions the name of his first teacher under the initials Rival. Later he studied at the yeshiva of Rabbi Mordechai Berdugo, a student and son-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Berdugo - one of the teachers of Rabbeinu Chida. He undertook the education of the gifted boy, and ten years later chose him as a teacher for his daughter.

At the age of 17, David Ben Hassin began writing commentaries on the Torah.

His famous work is «Migdal David» (Tower of David).

- «If Yaakov takes a wife from the daughters of Cheit, like these, from the daughters of the land.» (Toldot 27:46)

Rabbi David Hassin, who lived 200 years ago in the city of Meknes, had 9 daughters of marriageable age.

But he could not marry them off, for there was not a penny in the house. Rabbi David took a job as a chazzan (cantor) in the synagogue.

On Shabbat, the young Rabbi Yaakov Berdugo, known despite his youth for his scholarship, was called up sixth - a very great honor - to read the weekly Torah portion «Toldot».

When Rabbi David began reading the weekly portion and reached Rivka's words: «If Yaakov takes a wife from the daughters of Cheit», he read: «Im-lokeach Yaakov isha mibnot-Tet» - (if Yaakov takes a wife from the daughters of Tet).

The young Yaakov Berdugo stopped him and corrected: «mibnot-Cheit».

After the blessing, Rabbi David said to Yaakov: «It depends on you whether I made a mistake».

Rabbi Yaakov was surprised, and Rabbi David explained:

«You are Yaakov. Right now I have Tet (9) - ט daughters in my house. But if you, Yaakov, take one of them as a wife, then Cheit (8) - ח daughters will remain with me.

The young Rabbi Yaakov was amazed by Rabbi David Hassin's wisdom and became his son-in-law.

How to Get Rid of Gallstones

אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

- «A perfect and just weight-stone shall you have; a perfect and just measure shall you have, that your days may be prolonged upon the land which the L-rd your G-d gives you». (Devarim, Ki Teitzei 25:15)

When Rabbi David decided to print his book of piyutim, he could not raise enough funds, and he was advised to travel to a wealthy community in Europe.

He arrived in Amsterdam and went to the city's main synagogue, where he struck up a conversation with the Rabbi of Amsterdam. His host held Rabbi David in high regard, and despite the fact that the Amsterdam community meticulously preserved its own customs, he asked Rabbi David to lead the prayers according to the customs of Moroccan Jews.

After the prayers, the two rabbis went to visit the head of the community, who was ill and suffering greatly from pain.

Rabbi David asked the sick man what was troubling him. The man replied that he had gallstones. Rabbi David blessed him with a verse from the Torah (Devarim 25:13):

«Lo ihyeh lecha b'kisecha even va'aven, gedolah u'ktanah» - (you shall not have in your bag two differing weights, a large and a small).

In Hebrew, the gallbladder is «kis ha-marah» (pouch, sack for bile), and a weight-stone is «even» - the same word as «stone».

The sick man heard the blessing and burst into such strong laughter that he began to cough, and the stones came out by themselves from the force of his laughter. The head of the community asked Rabbi David the purpose of his visit. Rabbi David answered that he wished to publish a book of Shabbat and holiday hymns - piyutim. The grateful community leader said: «Publish the book, and I will cover all the expenses» - summing it up with the verse from the Torah in the same portion: «even shleimah va-tzedek yihyeh-lach» - (a perfect and just measure shall you have). (Devarim 25:15)

The Shochet

In the city of Meknes lived, in great poverty, the outstanding poet Rabbi David Ben Hassin. He wanted to obtain the position of shochet, but those responsible for shechita (ritual slaughter of animals) in the city stood in his way.

So Rabbi David composed a book of hymns dedicated to shechita, and began coming in the morning to the synagogue located next to the home of the city's rabbi.

Every day, Rabbi David performed a new hymn from the book there. After a few days, the Rabbi of Meknes became curious about who this unknown poet was, who knew the laws of shechita so well that he had composed hymns about them.

As a result, Rabbi David very soon received the position of shochet.

(Based on the book about Sephardic sages «A Legacy of Leaders», and the book «Gates of the East» by Israel Spector)