24 Cheshvan · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Shlomo Aben-Danan
Rabbi Shlomo Aben-Danan – one of the most notable and great sages of Morocco, from Fes.
Yahrzeit - 24 Cheshvan
Burial place - Fes
The most famous synagogues of Morocco are named in his honor. He belongs to a prestigious family known for its rabbis and dayanim.
Shlomo Aben Danan was born in Fes on Shabbat, 9 Sivan 5608 (1848).
"The records of the Ibn Danan (Aben Danan) family date back at least to the 14th century, though some family traditions are even older," reports the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World.
"Either in 1438 or 1465, Maimon ibn Danan fled Fes during a pogrom and settled in Granada," the encyclopedia states.
Noticing his son's exceptional abilities from an early age, his father Rabbi Moshe entrusted his education to the finest teachers of Fes. But when Shlomo was 10 years old, his father passed away, leaving behind an orphaned son. The young man's education was then entrusted to his grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel, and his uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak, a great scholar who shared everything he knew with Shlomo.
Rabbi Shlomo's childhood was very difficult.
Despite this enormous tragedy and the pain he felt over the loss of his beloved father, the boy did not abandon his study of Torah.
At the age of 30, he became head of the rabbinical court of Fes.
Rabbi Shlomo was only 17 when he began studying Kabbalah. "Possessing outstanding intellect, at the age of 18 he began giving the young men of Fes lessons in the style of the yeshivot, guiding them in the study of Talmud and Halacha."
Rabbi Shlomo Aben Danan then fulfilled his childhood dream of visiting the Land of Israel. In 1875, when he was only 27, he set out on the long journey with his uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak Aben Danan.
Upon returning to Fes, he was appointed treasurer and head of the community.
"The Moroccan government, aware of the immense respect people had for him, confirmed his appointment as chief rabbi and head of the court, granting him the authority of an official judge," wrote Chevrat Pinto.
Rabbi Shlomo held this position for 50 years. He was known for recording every one of his rulings and decisions.
In 1901, he published a collection called "Asher LeShlomo," in which he documented "all the halachic issues that were brought to him, directly or indirectly, from the communities of North Africa, the cities of Salé, Rabat, and even Gibraltar."
His place of prayer in the "Aben Danan" synagogue has been preserved to this day.
In 1920, he was appointed by the court of Rabat to replace Rabbi Rafael Encaoua, the first chief rabbi of Morocco. A year later, he returned to Fes to resume his work. Rabbi Shlomo passed away in Fes between 1927 and 1928, leaving the community without a leader.
Honoring one's parents
Shlomo was greatly grieved by his grandfather's passing. Having no one to turn to after his mother rebuked him for some minor wrongdoing, he went one night to his father's grave. There he burst into bitter tears and cried out to his father: "Abba, I know I made a mistake for which mother rebuked me. But I am in pain, and I have no one to turn to but you. I regret the mistake I made, and from this moment on I want to follow the path of our holy Torah and our righteous ancestors, the Aben-Danan family. I want to proudly bear the name of this family." Having calmed down, he returned home. No one noticed his absence. That night, his father appeared to his mother in a dream and said: "Dear wife, you must not feel lonely or upset over raising our beloved son Shlomo. From now on you will not need to punish him; the Almighty will support you and help with all your personal needs. And our son is blessed by the Aben-Danan family here in Heaven, and is destined for greatness."
The dream frightened the mother, who went the next morning to her husband's grave to light a candle there, as is customary among Moroccan Jews. She returned home and spoke with her son Shlomo, who asked forgiveness for his misdeed. From that day on, mother and son were close, and nothing hindered his rise along his destined path.
May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
(Translated from the book "A Legacy of Leaders" by Yehuda Azoulai)
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Shlomo Aben Danan