Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Today, the 8th of Tammuz, 123 years ago, Rabbi Eliyahu Mani, Chief Rabbi of Hebron and among the greatest of Iraqi Rabbis, passed away. He was one of our nation's most outstanding figures, yet we do not know enough about him. Here are 5 facts about his life:
1. From an early age he was attracted to the hidden, mystical aspects of the Torah. When he decided to make aliyah to the Land of Israel, the community in Baghdad objected. His friend Rabbi Yosef Chaim, known as the Ben Ish Chai, stood by him and explained to the community that Rabbi Mani's physical ascent to the Land of Israel was vital to his spiritual ascent as well.
2. After a three month journey with his wife and children, by way of Damascus, he arrived in Jerusalem. When he saw the desolation of the Holy City, he tore his clothes as a sign of mourning. As a further demonstration of his grief over Jerusalem's destruction, he accustomed himself to sleep on a stone.
3. For the first 14 years he served as Hebron's rabbi, he refused to receive a salary. During this period, he signed his letters "Servant of the Holy Community of Hebron." As his family grew, he agreed to accept monetary compensation and changed his signature. His wife Samra was active in hosting guests and in helping those in need. She was also highly learned and taught Torah to the women of Hebron. With the ever-abiding maternal concern she showed for her city, she was dubbed "the Mother" by its residents.
4. Rabbi Mani was a highly active leader. He taught, wrote, and established institutions, increasing the size of his community. Hundreds of Jews from Islamic lands made aliyah, primarily to Hebron, in his footsteps. He wrote more than 140 books and stored them for safekeeping in the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem. When the Old City fell into the hands of the Jordanians during the War of Independence, this treasure was lost.
5. A few of his books remain. Here is a line from one of them, titled "Siach Yitzchak": "Every Shabbat a person should take it upon himself to learn words of Torah and discover novel ideas in them. If he cannot study and do this on his own, he should hear such ideas from a sage."
In his memory.
