Ovadia Yosef

Template:Short description Template:Infobox Jewish leader Ovadia Yosef (Template:Langx, Template:Langx;<ref name="Name">Template:Cite web</ref> September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> also known as Maran<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Template:Langx) "Our Master", was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, hakham, posek, and the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1972 to 1983. Also known as Gadol Yisrael ("great one of Israel"),<ref name=":0" /> Yosef is regarded as one of the most influential Sephardic religious authorities of all time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also a founder and longtime spiritual leader of Israel's religious Shas party.<ref name="5econ10">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ny /> Yosef's responsa were highly regarded in Haredi circles, particularly among Mizrahi communities, which considered him "the most important living halakhic authority".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Biography

File:Ovadia Yosef as a child with his family.jpg

Yosef as a child with his family

File:O. Yosef.jpg

Yosef in the 1940s or 1950s

Early life

Yosef was born in Baghdad, British occupied Iraq, to Yaakov Ben Ovadia and his wife, Gorgia. In 1924, when he was four years old, he immigrated to Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, with his family.<ref name=ny>Template:Cite web</ref> In Palestine, the family adopted the surname "Ovadia".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Later in life, he changed his surname to his middle name, "Yosef", to avoid the confusion of being called "Ovadia Ovadia".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The family settled in Jerusalem's Beit Yisrael neighborhood, where Yaakov operated a grocery store. The family was poor, and Yosef was forced to work at a young age. His Rosh Yeshiva petitioned his father to ensure he would not miss school to help the family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He learned in Talmud Torah B'nei Zion in the Bukharim quarter, where his passion and skill for Torah study was apparent. His literary career began at age 9 with a commentary on Reshit Chochmah, which he penned in the margins.<ref name="of Rabbi">"Biography of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef" Template:Webarchive, Hebrew; Achdut-Israel</ref>

In 1933, Hakham Sadqa Hussein prevailed upon Yaakov to send his son to Porat Yosef Yeshiva.<ref name="of Rabbi"/> He soon advanced to the highest shiur taught by the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Ezra Attiya.<ref name="CN">Template:Cite news</ref>

Yosef composed his first sefer, together with two friends, called Machberet Ha'atakat Hidot.<ref name="of Rabbi"/>

In 1937, Rabbi Yaakov Dweck sent Yosef to give the daily Ben Ish Hai halakha shiur in his stead at the Ohel Rachel Synagogue for the Persian Jewish community in Beit Yisrael. In the course of giving this shiur, Yosef dissented many times with the stringent opinions of the Ben Ish Hai, who preferred the rulings of the Ari zal to Yosef Karo. This was a defining moment for Yosef, who had found a place to air his opinions while simultaneously learning how to deal with the criticism he was receiving from many in his audience, especially his fellow Iraqi Jews. A number of notable rabbis, among them Yitzhak Nissim, rebuked him over the years for his positions, even burning his first halakha sefer, Hazon Ovadia. But Rabbi Attiya encouraged Yosef to continue ruling according to his own understanding. Yosef's objections to Ben Ish Hai, for many years in handwritten form only, were printed beginning in 1998 with the appearance of his Halikhot Olam.<ref name="of Rabbi"/>

Yosef received rabbinic ordination at age 20.<ref name=ny/> He became a longtime friend of several members of his class who went on to prominent leadership positions in the Sephardi world, including Rabbis Ben Zion Abba Shaul, Baruch Ben Haim, Yehuda Moallem, and Zion Levy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Residing in Egypt

In 1947, Yosef was invited to Cairo by Rabbi Aharon Choueka, founder of yeshiva Ahavah VeAchvah, to teach in his yeshiva.<ref name="Minhat">Minhat Aharon, Y. Choueka and Haym Sabato (Eds.), Jerusalem, 1980, pp. 15–32.</ref> At Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel's request, Yosef also served as head of the Cairo beth din (rabbinical court). Yosef considered religious observance lax in Egypt, both in the Jewish community at large and among its rabbis. One of the major Halachic issues was the lack of any organised system of Kashrut, which led to conflict between him and other members of the community. Due to these events Yosef resigned from his position just two years after arriving in Cairo. About a year later he returned to what in the meantime had become Israel.<ref name="JDF">Template:Cite news</ref>

Return to Israel

Back in Israel, Yosef began studying at midrash "Bnei Zion", then headed by Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank. He also served on the rabbinical court in Petah Tikva. In his first term as a dayan (rabbinic judge), at age 30, he wrote a Halachic ruling favoring Yibbum over Halitza, which contradicted a religious ruling made by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel a year earlier, which had forbidden Yibbum.Template:Citation needed

In 1951–1952 (תשי"ב by the Jewish calendar), he published his first halakha sefer, Hazon Ovadia, on the laws of Passover. The book won much praise and received the approval of the two Chief Rabbis of Israel at the time, Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog. Two years later he founded Or HaTorah Yeshiva for gifted Sephardic Yeshiva students. This Yeshiva (which was not open long) was the first of many he established, later with the help of his sons, to facilitate Torah education for Sephardic Jews, in order to provide leadership for the community in future generations. In 1953–54 (תשי"ד) and 1955–56 (תשט"ז), he published the first two volumes of his major work, Yabia Omer, which also received much praise.

Between 1958 and 1965, Yosef served as a dayan in the Jerusalem district Beth Din. He was then appointed to the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Appeals in Jerusalem, becoming the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Tel Aviv in 1968, a position he held until his election as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel in 1972.<ref name="times1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Rishon LeZion

In 1972, Yosef was elected Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel by a majority vote of 81 to 68, replacing Yitzhak Nissim. His candidacy was criticised by some, as he was competing against an incumbent Chief Rabbi for the first time in the history of that office. The election process was characterised by tension and political controversy because of the Psak Din of the Brother and Sister and the tense relations between Yosef and Nissim. In the same election, Rabbi Shlomo Goren was chosen as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, with whom Yosef's relationship proved difficult. The Council of the Chief Rabbinate was controlled by Goren, and for some time thereafter Yosef felt there was no point in attending its sessions.

Entry into politics

Template:Main In 1984, Yosef founded the Shas party in response to minimal representation of Sephardic Jews in the Ashkenazi-dominated Agudat Yisrael. It has since become a formidable political force, becoming part of the coalition in most of the elected governments since. He later took a less active role in politics, but remained the party's spiritual leader until his death.Template:Citation needed

Assassination plot

In April 2005, Israeli security services arrested three people whom the Shin Bet claimed were all members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). They were accused of plotting to kill Yosef. One of the three,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Musa Darwish, was convicted on December 15, 2005, of Yosef's attempted murder, and of throwing firebombs at vehicles on the Jerusalem-Ma'aleh Adumim road. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years' probation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A second man, Salah Hamouri, said he was innocent of the charges, but accepted a sentence of seven years in exchange for admitting his guilt.

Family

When Yosef was 24, he married the 17-year-old Margalit Fattal, who was born in Syria to Rabbi Avraham HaLevi Fattal. They had eleven children.<ref name=ny /><ref name=Globes>Template:Cite news</ref>

1. Adina Bar-Shalom (b. 1946) is the founder of the first academic college for Haredi women in Jerusalem. She studied design at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design with her father's approval. She is married to Rabbi Ezra Bar-Shalom, former Chaver Beth Din of the Upper Beit Din of Israel.
2. Ya'akov Yosef (1947–2013) was an Israeli rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 1984 and 1988. He is the father of Yonatan Yosef.
3. Malca Sasson was a nursery teacher for over 30 years.
4. Avraham Yosef (b. 1949) is the former Chief Rabbi of Holon, Israel, and a Sephardi representative on the Chief Rabbinate Council (Moetzet Harabbanut Harashit).
5. Yafa Cohen.
6. Yitzhak Yosef (b. 1952) is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, also known as the Rishon LeZion, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia, and the author of a popular set of books on Jewish law called Yalkut Yosef.
7. Rivka Chikotai, twin sister of Sara, is married to Ya'akov Chikotai, one of the Chief Rabbis of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut.
8. Sara Toledano, twin sister of Rivka, is an artist, Head of the Yabiya Omer Beit Midrash, and an Av Beit Din in Jerusalem. She is married to Mordechai Toledano.
9. David Yosef (b. 1960), married to Sofia, is the head of the Yechaveh Da'at Kollel, the chief neighbourhood rabbi of Har Nof, and credited with introducing his best friend Aryeh Deri to his father. He was appointed to Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah after his father died.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 29, 2024, he was appointed to the role of Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Rishon LeZion.
10. Leah Butbul.
11. Moshe Yosef (b. 1966), a rabbi married to Yehudit. Both lived and cared for Yosef in his apartment. Moshe is the head of the Badatz Beit Yosef kashrut agency and of the Maor Yisrael talmud torah, which also publishes his father's works.

Final years and death

Yosef resided in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighbourhood.<ref name="times" /> He often wore tinted eyeglasses, as his eyes were very sensitive to light. These became a trademark of his.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yosef remained an active public figure in political and religious life in his capacity as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party, and through his regular weekly sermons.<ref name="ny" /> He was called the Posek HaDor ("Posek of the present generation"), Gadol HaDor ("great/est (one of) the generation"), Maor Yisrael ("Light of Israel"), and Maran.<ref name="arutzsheva">Template:Cite web</ref>

On January 13, 2013, Yosef collapsed during Shacharit at his synagogue in Har Nof and was having difficulty using his left hand. After being seen by a physician at his home, he was hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center after suffering what was believed to be a minor stroke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 21, 2013, because of his worsening health, Yosef was admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. Two days after undergoing surgery for the implantation of a pacemaker on September 22, Yosef was sedated and placed on a respirator.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He died in the hospital on October 7, 2013,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after a "general systemic failure".<ref name=times>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His funeral in Jerusalem was the largest in Israel's history, with an estimated attendance of 850,000. Some religious authorities have said it may have been the largest in-gathering of Jews since the days of the Second Temple;<ref name=police>Template:Cite web</ref> other estimates put the number in attendance lower, between 273,000 and 450,000.<ref>‘Only’ 450,000 at Yosef funeral, some experts claim By Adiv Sterman and Gavriel Fiske, October 9, 2013, Times of Israel</ref> Yosef was buried beside his wife in the Sanhedria Cemetery.<ref name=police/> During the week-long shiva mourning period, his family was expected to receive thousands of condolence callers in a mourning tent set up on their street, which police closed to vehicular traffic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Security guards were also posted at the cemetery, where Yosef's grave became a pilgrimage site for thousands of people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Halakhic approach and worldview

Meta-Halakha: Restoring the past glory

Yosef frequently made use of the slogan "Restore past glory" (להחזיר עטרה ליושנה) as a metaphor embodying both his social and halakhic agenda.

On a social level, it is widely viewed as a call to pursue a political agenda that will restore the pride of the Mizrahi Jews (Jews from the Middle East) in Israeli society, who historically suffered from discrimination and were generally of lower socioeconomic status than their Ashkenazi counterparts.

From a halakhic perspective, the metaphor is more complex. It is widely agreed by rabbis and secular researchers alike that the 'crown' of the metaphor refers to the halakhic supremacy Yosef attaches to the rulings of Rabbi Yosef Karo. According to Yosef's approach, Karo is crowned as the Mara D'Atra of the Land of Israel, and thus all Jews living within his realm of authority are bound by his rulings.<ref>Lau, B: "From 'Maran' to 'Maran'" (Hebrew), page 14. Miskal – Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books, 2005.</ref> Yosef says this explicitly and strongly in Yalkut Yosef (note that 'Maran' refers to Yosef Karo):

Some disagreement persists over exactly whom Yosef considers bound by Karo's rulings.

Rabbi Ratzon Arusi argues that Yosef distinguishes between his ideal and reality. Ideally, all Jews of the Land of Israel should be bound by Karo's rulings, but practicality dictates that Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews should unite under them first. As Arusi puts it:

Tzvi Zohar argues that Yosef adopts a melting pot approach, in that he seeks to unify the traditions of all Jews in Israel, Sephardic and Ashkenazi alike. Zohar claims that Yosef's main distinction is not between Ashkenazim and Sephardim but between the Land of Israel and the Diaspora. In his view, Yosef seeks to apply Karo's rulings to the entire Land of Israel, but not necessarily outside it. According to Zohar, this represents an anti-Diaspora and "anti-Colonialist" approach, since it seeks to strip the various immigrant communities of their traditions from their countries of origin and replace them with the custom of the Land of Israel, rather than importing and implanting foreign customs in Israel. He compares Yosef and religious reformers such as Martin Luther and Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, and claims that Yosef has adopted a religious restorative-reformist worldview. Specifically, he argues that Yosef's halakhic approach is not, as Yosef attempts to portray it, a return to a traditional form of Sephardic ruling, but rather an innovative formulation of a particular Sephardic approach to Halakha that Yosef himself fashioned.<ref>Zohar, T: Hairu Pnei Hamizrach (Hebrew), page 351. Hakibutz HaMeuhad.</ref>

Rabbi Binyamin Lau disagrees with both of the preceding interpretations. According to Lau, Yosef claims that all Sephardic Jews accepted Karo's rulings as binding in the Diaspora, but over time deviated from them. Presently, upon their return to the Land of Israel where Karo is the Mara D'atra, they should return to adhering to his rulings. Thus, Lau believes that Yosef directs his rulings only at Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, since the Ashkenazi Jews never accepted Karo's rulings. Lau views Yosef as operating on two fronts: the first against the Ashkenazi leadership that seeks to apply Ashkenazi rulings and customs to the Sephardim, and the second against the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities, in demanding that they unite under Karo's rulings.<ref>Lau, B: "From 'Maran' to 'Maran'". Miskal – Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books, 2005.</ref>

In any case, it is agreed that alongside the conservative aspects of his approach to Halacha there are also significant reforms: his preference for Karo's rulings and his preference for leniency over chumra. The fulfillment of his Halakhic vision has entailed significant clashes with his Ashkenazi counterparts. Of his predecessors in the Tel Aviv-Yafo Rabbinate, Yosef wrote:

Template:Anchor Preference for leniency

Yosef adopted the Talmudic dictum "The power of leniency is greater". Therefore, one of his fundamental principles of halakhic ruling is that lenient rulings should be preferred over chumra. Yosef saw this as one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Sephardic approach to Halakha versus the Ashkenazi approach. In one ruling, he quoted Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai as saying:

Yosef considered this principle an ideal, so that if

In Yosef's opinion, the severity of Ashkenazi poskim results from their method of teaching and lack of familiarity with the Mishnah, Talmud, and poskim. In a 1970 article about Rabbi Jacob Saul Elyashar, Yosef wrote:

Yosef regarded ruling with severity as especially harmful in the current generation ("the generation of freedom and liberty"), since strict ruling might lead people not to comply with the Halakha. In Yabia Omer, he writes: "And truly, the growth of chumrot leads to leniency in the body of the Torah."

Examples of lenient rulings

Following this principle of leniency Yosef made a number of Halakhic rulings which are significantly more lenient than those made by his Ashkenazi Haredi counterparts. Among them are:

• That it is permissible for boys and girls to study together up to the age of 9.
• That a married woman who covers her hair may expose a few centimeters of hair from beneath the covering at the front.
• That it is permissible for a female widow or divorcée to wear a wig as a head covering, despite prohibiting it for married women (see below).
• That widows of IDF soldiers, even unrecoverable soldiers, would not be unable to remarry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• That it is permissible for unmarried women to leave their hair loose and untied.
• That, when investigating whether a person might be a mamzer, as much plausible deniability as possible ought to be granted, so as to avoid condemning the person to mamzer status.<ref name="ShutYabiaOmer">Shut Yabia Omer, part 7, Even haEzer 6; addressed to Rabbi Grubner of Detroit, Michigan</ref><ref name="OpenBeitMidrash">Template:Cite web</ref>

The least of evils

Yosef aimed to encourage maximal observance of Mitzvot among as many Israelis as possible. In order to achieve this, "he is willing to follow a halakhic policy which, on the one hand, will minimize violations of the halakha, but on the other, concedes absolute adherence to the halakha". This is evident in a number of his rulings: providing kashrut certification to a restaurant that serves milk and meat; the slaughter of a chicken where there is a concern of it being trefa; and the wearing of pants by women.

Turning a blind eye

Yosef applied a policy of turning a blind eye to deviations from the halakha in circumstances where, if strict adherence to the halakha were required, it is likely that it would not be followed at all. Examples of this include the recital of the priestly benediction by Kohanim who do not have a religious lifestyle, and a shaliach tzibur or person performing a Torah reading who shaves with a razor.

Sinai Adif

In the Talmudic debate over Sinai and Oker Harim, Yosef was of the opinion that Sinai is preferable. Specifically, he emphasizes that the Sephardic system of learning, which emphasizes learning Halakha in depth, is superior to the common approach in many Ashkenazi schools, which relies on deep analysis of gemara employing pilpul, without reaching to the halakhic conclusions. This preference is based upon his support for ruling halakha on practical contemporary issues rather than ruling halakha as a purely theoretical pursuit. In a eulogy he wrote for Rabbi Yaakov Ades, his teacher at Porat Yosef Yeshiva, he said:

According to Yosef, the preoccupation with pilpul at the expense of learning halakha in depth causes lack of knowledge among Ashkenazi poskim, which in turn leads to unnecessary severity in making halakhic rulings, since the Posek is unaware of lenient rulings and approaches to Halakha used by previous Rabbis upon which the Posek could rely to rule leniently.

Attitude towards kabbalah

Yosef was sometimes willing to accept rulings which rely on the rulings of the Ari zal, provided that these do not contradict rulings by Karo. In some instances, particularly in Jewish prayer, Yosef championed Kabbalistic considerations - even at the expense of Karo's rulings. Nevertheless, in many cases, he came out strongly against the rulings, saying, "We have no business with mysticism", and rejecting rulings based upon the Zohar, and the Kabbalah more generally. This position is contrary to many (but not all) traditional long-standing Sephardic rulings on Halakha, including by many Sephardic poskim to this day. In contrast with the position of Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai, who wrote that, "None may reply after the Ari" (that is, none may dispute the rulings of the Ari), Yosef argues that no special weight should be attached to the rulings of the Ari, and the ordinary principles of Halakhic ruling should continue to apply. He wrote:

Yosef's attitude towards the Kabbalah, the rulings of the Ari, and consequently the rulings of the Ben Ish Hai have been the cause of strong disagreements between him and Jewish immigrants from the Muslim world in Israel, especially the Jews of Iraq. The rulings of the Ben Ish Chai were at the heart of the disagreement between him and the Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Nissim and Mordechai Eliyahu.

Attitude towards minhag and traditions

Yosef gave strong preference to the written word, and did not attribute significant weight to minhagim and traditions which are not well anchored in the Halakha. For example, he expressed opposition to two minhagim observed in the Synagogues of North African Jewry: standing during the reading of the Ten Commandments, and the involvement of the congregation in certain parts of the prayer service. His attempts to change popular and deeply rooted traditions have led to opposition to his approach among some North African Rabbis.

Breslov Hasidim have the custom of going on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Yosef has been highly critical of this practice, and has stated:

Attitude towards the State of Israel and its citizens

Ethiopian Jews

Ovadia Yosef is often regarded as the pivotal force behind bringing Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In the 1970s, Yosef ruled that Ethiopian Jews were halachically Jewish and campaigned for the Ethiopian aliyah to Israel. Pnina Tamano-Shata said of Yosef: "I started crying, probably in gratitude to all that he's done, the humane form of address, 'our brothers.' He was also a leader. He called on the authorities to save Ethiopia's Jews and bring them to Israel. It shows his great love for others."<ref>'Thanks to him I'm here': How Rabbi Yosef brought Ethiopians to Israel Ilana Curiel, Published:10.08.13, Ynet</ref>

Attitude to Zionism

Yosef held a Halakhically ambivalent view towards Zionism as the Atchalta D'Geulah (beginning of the redemption). Many Religious Zionists, in contrast, view Israel as the first flowering of the redemption. In a Halakhic ruling regarding Israeli Independence Day, Yosef acknowledged that the Jewish people experienced a miracle with the establishment of the State of Israel; however, since the miracle did not include all of the Jewish people,

Yosef's position could be seen as a middle ground between the Religious Zionists, for whom saying Hallel is compulsory, and the Ashkenazi Haredim, who do not say Hallel at all.

In a newspaper interview in which Shas was accused of being anti-Zionist, Yosef responded:

In 2010, Yosef and Shas' Moetzet Chachamei HaTorah (Council of [Wise] Torah Sages) approved Shas' membership in the World Zionist Organization, making Shas the first officially Zionist Haredi party in Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yeshiva students and military service

Yosef regarded the wars fought by the State of Israel as falling within the Halakhic classification of Milkhemet Mitzvah. Nevertheless, he encouraged young students to remain in the Yeshivas, rather than be drafted into the military, because, "despite the sensitivity which Rabbi Yosef feels towards the Israel Defense Forces, he is deeply rooted in the Rabbinic tradition of the Yeshivas in the Land of Israel, and holds their position which opposes the integration of Yeshiva students in the military". Rabbi Binyamin Lau makes a cautious distinction between Yosef's public rhetoric, which presents a unified front with the Ashkenazi Haredim, and between internal discussions, where Yosef was said to be more receptive to solving the problem of integrating the Haredim into the military.

Yosef's grandson points out his grandfather's positive attitude towards the IDF, in that whenever the Torah Ark is opened, Yosef blesses "mi sheberech" for IDF soldiers. Yosef's son, Rabbi Avraham Yosef, served in the IDF as a military Rabbi for 13 years.

Secular Israelis

Yosef frequently referred to the present situation in Israeli and Jewish society as "the generation of freedom and liberty". By this, Yosef referred to a modern reality of a Jewish community which is generally not committed to the Halakha, and where Rabbinic authority has lost its centrality. In this context, Yosef drew a distinction between those who profess a secular ideology, and those who are non-observant merely in the sense of a weak or incomplete commitment to Halakha accompanied by a strong belief in God and the Torah:

This latter kind of non-observant Jews are, in Israel, mainly Mizrahi Jews who practice aspects of Judaism as a tradition (known as Masortiyim, not to be confused with Conservative Judaism, which is sometimes called Masorti Judaism). Yosef sought to bring this demographic closer to the Torah, while relying upon traditional Jewish sources for his rulings. For example, he ruled that those who desecrate the Sabbath are not to be considered as having abandoned the Torah, and therefore if they have touched wine, it remains Kosher. This sort of ruling differs from Ashkenazi Haredi rulings. Yosef actively aims to engage in Kiruv, while still strictly adhering to Halacha.

Yosef, however, had no sympathy towards Israeli Jews who profess a secular lifestyle. His opinion was to fully exclude them from the Jewish community. For Yosef, the secularist Israeli public are secular out of 'spitefulness' towards Torah, and he likened them to idolatrous apostates.<ref>"Freedom Liberty and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef" by Ariel Picard, Havruta, Issue 2, Fall 2008, page 65-66</ref>

Israeli legal system

Yosef was opposed to bringing civil actions in the Israeli courts, because they decide outcomes by applying Israeli law, rather than Halakha. His opposition is consistent with the position of the Ashkenazi Haredi Rabbis, and some Religious Zionist Rabbis (e. g., Yaakov Ariel) as well. On this matter, Yosef has written:

In matters of criminal law, however, Yosef is among the moderate Rabbinic voices who support the application of the rule dina d'malchuta dina ('the law of the land is the law'), and therefore, it is forbidden to engage in criminal conduct such as tax fraud. It is only in civil matters that he forbade going to the Israeli courts.

In February 1999, Yosef caused a controversy by strongly criticizing the Supreme Court of Israel:Template:Citation needed

Following these statements, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel, demanding that Yosef be put on trial. The Supreme Court dismissed the application, saying that the comments were within Yosef's right to freedom of speech. Nevertheless, then-Supreme Court President Aharon Barak wrote in his judgement:Template:Citation needed

Political activity

Government influence

Template:Conservatism in Israel In 1990, Yosef used his position as Shas spiritual leader to pressure Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir into agreeing to hold negotiations with Arab states for a peaceful settlement of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Shamir, a member of the Likud Party, refused to make any commitments.

According to one biography of the rabbi, Ben Porat Yosef, the relationship between the two had never been comfortable because of Shamir's unstudious personality. As a way of gaining a character analysis of politicians, Yosef had invited both Shamir and Shimon Peres to learn Talmud with him. While Peres proved an engaging and fluid learner, Shamir was stoic toward the material, a trait that led Yosef to instead use one of Shamir's cabinet members, Housing and Construction Minister David Levy, as his key partner in dealing with the Likud. Levy had a relatively warm relationship with the rabbi due to his moderate approach to Israel's security and foreign affairs policies, his charismatic personality, and his connection with Sephardi traditions (Levy, a Moroccan, was the highest ranking Sephardi politician in the 1980s).

In 1990, Rav Yosef pulled Shas out of the coalition with the Likud and attempted to form a partnership with Peres's left-centre Labor Party. The bold move, engineered but opposed by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, backfired when the highly respected Ashkenazi rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Rabbi Elazar Shach (who subsequently founded the Degel HaTorah party) fiercely commanded Yosef to return Shas to the coalition with the Likud. During this time, Yosef was severely criticised by other major members of the Haredi religious community in Israel, particular the Ashkenazic Jews who generally sided with the Likud and the right in opposition to the perceived secularist tendencies of Labour and the left.

The failure of the scheme, known as the stinking trick,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was responsible for Peres' downfall as leader of Labour, and his 1991 defeat in internal elections to former Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. From the 1980s until his death, Yosef approved the participation by Shas in most Israeli governments, except for the last two governments of Ariel Sharon from January 2003 and August 2005. In that Knesset (2003-2006), Shas was one of the few parties to have been in the opposition for the duration of that Knesset's term, along with the leftist Meretz party and the Arab factions Ra'am (United Arab List), Hadash, and Balad. This was largely because of the rise of Shinui to the powerful third party position, a position that was previously held by Shas. Shinui demanded the creation of a government without Shas.

File:Ovadia Yosef, 2007.jpg

Ovadia Yosef in 2007

In the 2007 Israeli Presidential election, Yosef endorsed his long-time friend Shimon Peres, who ultimately won the election due in part to the support of Shas's 12 MKs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cultural influence

In a 2004 article by Maariv,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yosef was listed as one of the most influential rabbis in Israel. He was described as:

Position on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Despite his controversial public comments, Yosef had long been a rabbinical authority advocating peace negotiations in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and had done so since the late 1980s. His main justification was the halakhic principle of Pikuach Nefesh, in which all the Jewish commandments (excluding adultery, idolatry, and murder) are put on hold if a life is put in danger. Using an argument first articulated by the late American rabbinical leader Joseph Soloveitchik, Yosef claimed that the Arab–Israeli conflict endangers human lives, thereby meeting the above criteria and overruling the priority of commandments pertaining to settling the land of Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Therefore, Israel is permitted—even obligated if saving lives is a definitive outcome—to make serious efforts to reach a peace settlement, as well as to make arrangements to properly protect its citizens.<ref>Rav Ovadia Yossef. "Ceding Territory of the Land of Israel in Order to Save Lives", Tehumim Vol. 10, 1989</ref><ref>Rav Ovadia Yossef. "Ceding Territory of the Land of Israel in Order to Save Lives", Crossroads: Halacha and the Modern World Vol. 3, 1990</ref> Yosef first applied the Pikuach Nefesh principle to Israel's conflicts with its neighbors in 1979, when he ruled that this argument granted Israel authority to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. Some claimed, however, that the ruling was also motivated by Yosef's desire to oppose his Ashkenazi colleague, Rabbi Shlomo Goren.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Using this precedent, Yosef instructed Shas to join Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's government coalition, and later that of Ehud Barak as well. However, Shas abstained on Oslo I and voted against the Oslo II agreement. Furthermore, as Oslo stalled, and relations between Israelis and Palestinians began to deteriorate, and particularly following the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, Yosef and the party pulled "rightward", supporting the Likud.

In 2005, Yosef repeatedly condemned the Gaza Disengagement. He argued that he was opposed to any unilateral action that occurred outside the framework of a peace agreement. Yosef again cited the principle of Pikuach Nefesh, saying that empowering the Palestinians without a commitment to end terror would result in threatening Jewish lives, particularly in areas near Gaza in range of Qassam rocket attacks.<ref>Engaging Disengagement- Knesset Faction Positions on the Disengagement Template:Webarchive by the Jewish Agency</ref> In contrast to some of his rabbinical colleagues, such as Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, Yosef refused to entertain the idea of holding a referendum on the disengagement, and instructed his MKs to vote against the plan when it came up in the Knesset.

Yosef always maintained that Pikuach Nefesh applies to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and supported negotiations with the Palestinians. However, toward the end of his life, he no longer appeared totally convinced that diplomacy with the PA leadership would necessarily end the violence. Some media analysts had suggested that then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may have been able to convince the rabbi to sign on to further unilateral actions by the government if concerted efforts toward negotiation failed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yosef protested strongly against demands by the United States and other foreign countries that Israel freeze construction in East Jerusalem, saying that, "It's as if we are their slaves".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, toward the end of his life, he indicated some flexibility on the issue, and may have taken a more pragmatic approach. In the wake of the diplomatic row between Israel and the US over Jewish housing in east Jerusalem, Yosef is reported to have said, in a private meeting with Shimon Peres, that "it is not permissible to challenge the nations of the world or the ruling powers", and that Israel should agree to a partial building freeze in East Jerusalem, at least temporarily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Anchor Halakhic rulings

Yosef is generally considered one of the leading halakhic authorities, particularly for Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, who bestowed upon him the honorific title of "Maran".

Some of his more famous legal rulings include:

• In 1973, as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, he ruled, based on the Radbaz, Maharikash, and other opinions, that the Ethiopian Beta Israel were full Jews and should be brought to Israel. He was later joined by a number of other authorities who made similar rulings, including the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Shlomo Goren who took rulings from Abraham Isaac Kook, and other poskim.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other notable poskim, from non-Zionist Ashkenazi circles, preferred a Giyur l'chumra which served as a protective measure, for the Ethiopian Jews to immerse themselves before immigrating, to avoid any doubt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Michael Ashkenazi, Alex Weingrod. Ethiopian Jews and Israel, Transaction Publishers, 1987, p. 30, footnote 4.</ref>
• That it is legitimate and permissible to give territory from the Land of Israel in order to achieve a genuine peace. When the Oslo Accords were followed by an intifada, this opinion was later retracted.<ref>Settlement Timeline Template:Webarchive, Foundation for Middle East Peace</ref>
• Supported the sale of the land during the Sabbatical year, following the Sephardic tradition.
• That it is prohibited for fellow Jews to ascend the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in this day and age, due to its extreme sanctity and the people's inability to purify themselves with the ash-water of the Red Heifer.<ref>Ovadiah Yosef, Questions & Responsa Yabia' 'Omer, part 5, responsum # 15, end of letter "beth" (Template:OCLC); ibid, responsum # 26; Ovadiah Yosef, Questions & Responsa Yeḥaveh Da'at, part 1, responsum # 25 (Template:OCLC); Yitzhak Yosef, Yalqūt Yosef, Section Mo'adim, Hil. Chol Ha-Mo'ed, §4 (Template:OCLC)</ref>
• Ordered the Shas political party to vote in favour of a law recognizing brain death as death for legal purposes. The Ashkenazi Haredi political party United Torah Judaism voted against the law on instructions from their spiritual leader Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv.
• Allowing the wives of Israel Defense Forces soldiers who have been missing in action for a long time to remarry, a verdict which is known as "the release of agunot" (התרת עגונות).
• That a woman should not wear a wig (sheitel) as a form of hair covering, but should wear headscarves (or snoods / hats / berets) instead. (According to Jewish Law, married women must cover their hair in public for reasons of modesty. Some women have the practice of wearing sheitels for this purpose.)

Controversial statements

Yosef made countless political remarks that aroused controversy. His supporters said that statements deemed offensive to various groups and individuals were taken out of context,<ref name="elhanan8"/><ref name="murphy7"/><ref name="goldberg8"/><ref name="ynet" /><ref name="ynet2" /> but the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League condemned what they termed his "hate speech".<ref name="Oster">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=slams>Template:Cite web</ref> He claimed the Holocaust was God's retribution against the reincarnated souls of Jewish sinners.<ref name="cnn">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Ovadia Yosef: Shoah victims - reincarnated sinners By JPOST.COM STAFF, 07/05/2009. "After all, people are upset and ask why was there a Holocaust? Woe to us, for we have sinned. Woe to us, for there is nothing we can say to justify it...It goes without saying that we believe in reincarnation...It is a reincarnation of those souls...All those poor people in the Holocaust, we wonder why it was done. There were righteous people among them. Still, they were punished because of sins."</ref> He claimed that Israeli soldiers were killed in battle on account of their non-observance of Torah law.<ref name=dani>Rabbi Yosef: Soldiers killed in war because they did not observe mitzvoth Dani Adino Ababa, 08.27.07, Ynetnews. "It is no wonder that soldiers are killed in war; they don't observe Shabbat, don't observe the Torah, don't pray every day, don't lay phylacteries on a daily basis – so is it any wonder that they are killed? No, it's not."</ref> He was criticised for supporting the traditional role of women and minimising their capabilities.<ref name="jpost.com">Rabbi Ovadia: 'Women should stick to cooking, sewing' By AARON MAGID, The Jerusalem Post, 07/30/2007. "A woman's knowledge is only in sewing...Women should find other jobs and make hamin, but not deal with matters of Torah.""</ref><ref>Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on Women's Day Template:Webarchive Channel 10 News, Avishai Ben Haim, 08/03/2011. "Women cannot go to war...If a woman runs over a cat with a car, she begins crying." (On the other hand), "a man is a man - give him a task, and he will do it."</ref> After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he blamed the tragedy on U.S. support for the Gaza disengagement and on a general lack of Torah study in the area where the hurricane occurred.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, he said of Yisrael Beitenu and its leader, "whoever votes for Avigdor Lieberman gives strength to Satan".<ref>Rabbi Yosef: Lieberman voters support Satan, Ynet, 02.07.09.</ref><ref>Shas' Rabbi Yosef: Voting for Lieberman gives strength to Satan, Haaretz, Yair Ettinger, Feb. 8, 2009. "My heart is heavy. Heaven forbid people support them. This is completely forbidden. Whoever does so commits an intolerable sin. Whoever does so supports Satan and the evil inclination."</ref>

Recommendations of the Plesner Committee

In 2013, Yosef called for yeshiva students to emigrate from Israel rather than agree to serve in the army, stating:

In October 2013, immediately after Ovadia Yosef's death, his son David Yosef told the Prime Minister that the drafting of Haredi students into the army had hurt him in his final months more than his physical illnesses.<ref>Yosef's son to Netanyhau: Haredi draft hurt dad more than his ailments By YUVAL BAGNO, JPOST.COM STAFF, The Jerusalem Post, 10/08/2013</ref>

Template:Anchor Arabs and Palestinians

In 2001, Yosef was quoted as saying of the Arabs:

Yosef later said that his sermon was misquoted, that he was referring to annihilation of Islamic terrorism, not all Arabs.<ref name="ynet">Template:Cite web</ref> He called for improving the living conditions of the Arab people in Israel and said he had deep respect for peace-seeking Arabs.<ref name="ynet2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Israeli Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit condemned the sermon, saying: "A person of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's stature must refrain from acrid remarks such as these... I suggest that we not learn from the ways of the Palestinians and speak in verbal blows like these."

Yosef drew criticism from the US State Department in August 2010 following a Saturday morning sermon in which he called for

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Yosef's statements were tantamount to a call for genocide against Palestinians and demanded a firm response from the Israeli government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself and his government from the sermon, saying that Yosef's words "do not reflect my approach, or the stand of the Israeli government".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yosef said he regretted his statements, and was said to have looked for a way to sending the Palestinians a conciliatory message.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Three weeks later, he sent out a conciliatory message reiterating his old positions in support of the peace process. He wished the Palestinians and their leaders "who are partners to this important process, and want its success, long days and years". He continued, "The People of Israel are taught to seek peace, and three times daily pray for it. We wish for a sustainable peace with all our neighbors" and blessed "all the leaders and peoples, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Palestinians, who are partners to this important process and want its success, a process that will bring peace to our region and prevent bloodshed".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Remarks about gentiles

In an October 2010 sermon, Yosef said, "the sole purpose of non-Jews is to serve Jews".<ref name="Oster" /><ref name="slams" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also said:

Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world – only to serve the People of Israel.<ref name=jpost>Yosef: Gentiles exist only to serve Jews, Jonah Mandel, 18.10.2010, The Jerusalem Post</ref>

In Israel, death has no dominion over them... With gentiles, it will be like any person – they need to die, but [God] will give them longevity. Why? Imagine that one’s donkey would die, they'd lose their money. This is his servant... That’s why he gets a long life, to work well for this Jew.

Why are gentiles needed? They will work, they will plow, they will reap. We will sit like an effendi and eat. That is why gentiles were created.<ref name="jpost" />

Published works

Among Yosef's earliest work was a detailed commentary on the Ben Ish Hai titled Halikhot Olam. He was asked to finish the commentary Kaf Ha'Chaim by Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer after the author's death. Two sets of Yosef's responsa have been published, Yabia Omer and Yechaveh Da'at (both titles are references to Psalm 19). His responsa are noted for citing almost every source regarding a specific topic and are often referred to simply as indices of rulings. There is also another series of books under the title of Hazon Ovadia (not to be mistaken with the original books, which were responsa on Passover), which he has written concerning laws of Shabbat, holidays, and other topics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yosef printed a commentary on the Mishnah tractate Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) under the title Anaf Etz Avot, and Maor Israel, a commentary on various parts of the Talmud. His son Yitzhak Yosef has published a widely read codification of Yosef's rulings, Yalkut Yosef. Another son, David Yosef, has printed various siddurim and liturgy according to his father's rulings, and another halachic compendium, Halachah Berurah.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1970, Yosef was awarded the Israel Prize for Rabbinical literature.<ref name=prize>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the Sephardic Haredim Council of wise Torah Sages
• Isaac Sacca
• Avraham Yosef
• Yaakov Yosef
• Salah Hamouri

Further reading

• Nitzan Chen and Anshel Pfeffer, Maran Ovadia Yosef: Habiografia (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: The Biography): Jerusalem 2004
• R. Benny Lau, Mimaran ad Maran: Mishnato ha-Hilkhatit shel ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef (From R. Yosef Karo to R. Ovadiah Yosef: The Halachic Teaching of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef): Tel Aviv 2005
• Zvi Aloush and Yossi Elituv, Hayyav, Mishnato u-Mahalkhav ha-Politiyim shel ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef (The Life, Teaching and Political Activities of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef): Or Yehudah 2004
• Schramm, Netta. (2024). Was Rabbi Ovadia Yosef a Protofeminist? A Look at His Oral Sermons. Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary E-Journal, 20(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.33137/wij.v20i1.43959
• Mi-Yosef ad Yosef Lo Kam ke-Yosef (From Yosef to Yosef arose none like Yosef): review of all three books by Marc B. Shapiro
• Review of the Chen and Pfeffer book by Rabbi Benjamin Lau (Friday, October 1, 2004 Ha'aretz) Template:Webarchive
• Y. Choueka, Pirkei Hayim, a biography of Rabbi Aharon Choueka and his Yeshiva, Ahava VeAchva, in Minhat Aharon, Y. Choueka and Haym Sabato (Eds.), Jerusalem, 1980, 15–32. (Hebrew)
• Zion Zohar, Oriental Jewry Confronts Modernity-The Case of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, Modern Judaism – Volume 24, Number 2, May 2004, pp. 120–149.
• Marc Shapiro article

External links

• Maran – a website containing videos of sermons given by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Template:In lang
• Halacha Yomit – a website containing daily Halacha given by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
• "Rabbi Ovadia Yosef - in His Own Words - An article by the Christian Science Monitor
• Sephardic Pizmonim Project- Obadia Yosef Biography page with his personal pizmonim recordings
• Article about Rabbi Yosef's method of psak (by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer)
• Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s Dream of the Messiah: Details and Facts