Shalom Hedaya (1864 – 1944), the son of Rabbi Moshe Hayyim Hedaya and Sabtiah Shamah, was orphaned at an early age and was very poor. He was so poor he had no one to take care of him and he considered leaving the path of Torah in order to earn a living. He was fortunate enough to receive help from Ribbi Shelomo Safdeye, Ribbi Ovadiah Moshe Antebi, Ribbi Shmuel Silvera and Senor Aharon Silvera. He was taught by the great Kabbalist Ribbi Moshe Swed, the Av Beit Din Ribbi Yits`haq Bekhor Mizra`hi and later on Rabbi Shaul Sitton, who became Head of the Rabbinical Court in Buenos Aires.
Rabbi Hedaya visited Jerusalem in 1890. He developed an illness in his eyes and soon became blind. He traveled to Alexandria, Khedivate of Egypt for surgery and completely recovered. In 1899, he settled in Jerusalem, where he was widely respected. In 1904, he became Judge of the Beit Din for Sephardic Jews and in 1930 he became head of the court. After a time, he became very ill and had to travel to Amman, where he was treated and cured. When Rabbi Hedaya returned to Jerusalem, he became the Rabbi of Beit El Synagogue and was given the title Harav Hachasid.
He was married to Sarah Labaton, daughter of Rabbi Isaac Labaton.[1] Their son Ovadia Hedaya became a leading Israeli rabbi.[2]
Published works
editReferences
edit- ^ Ehrlich, M. Avrum (2009). Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 791. ISBN 978-1-85109-873-6.
- ^ Medding, Peter Y. (2008-02-15). Sephardic Jewry and Mizrahi Jews: Volume XXII. Oxford University Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-19-045087-8.
- ^ Ruderman, David B. (2015-02-17). A Best-Selling Hebrew Book of the Modern Era: The Book of the Covenant of Pinhas Hurwitz and Its Remarkable Legacy. University of Washington Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-295-80559-7.