A magnificent portrayal of Hacham Yitzhak Yosef appears in the 22 Kislev edition of Mishpacha magazine. The essay describes the fine success enjoyed by Rav Yitzhak Yosef in his first seven years as the Rishon L’Tzion/Sephardic Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel.
The success is evident from the range of his activities and reach. First and foremost are the thousands of teshuvot he has sent to communities worldwide about an extraordinarily wide range of issues. In this past year alone, Hacham Yitzhak wrote no less than three thousand teshuvot! Samplings of the topics are resolving a kilayim question posed by farmers in the Golan Heights, a sensitive question regarding burial of a woman of questionable status in Chile, and whether a synagogue in Mexico City may keep its parking lot open on Shabbat.
In the United States, Rav Yosef resolved the very sensitive question regarding the validity of conversions performed by a rabbi who later served time in prison for a heinous crime. Rav Yitzhak confirmed the validity of the conversions!
However, Rav Yosef’s activities are not restricted to halacha. In light of Israel’s burgeoning foreign relations, Rav Yosef has the stature and dignity to be presented to meet with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, American President Trump and to interact with imams from neighboring Arab lands with whom Israel is beginning to form connections (the article presents a charming story of how Hacham Yitzhak learned Arabic from when his parents who spoke to each other about their children’s progress and challenges in Arabic).
Hacham Yitzhak has also emerged as a chief rabbi for all observant and even traditional Jews. He rescinded the Chief Rabbinate’s guidebook for Pesach when he deemed it too strict. He has quietly convinced mayors of towns in Gush Dan to refrain from running buses on Shabbat and has led a court battle to prevent the introduction of chametz to Israeli hospitals during Pesach. He is a quality speaker and manages to visit nearly every Israeli town to address the community at least once a year. He even makes time to visit Jewish communities outside of Eretz Yisrael.
It is not easy being the son of an extraordinarily great man. King Rechavam, the son and successor to Shlomo Hamelech, was a terrible failure. Rechavam foolishly portrayed himself as the equal to his father. He also failed to adjust to the new realities of his reign.
Hacham Yitzhak’s steers clear of these pitfalls. He does not pretend to be the equal of his father. He humbly presents himself as the proverbial short individual standing on the shoulders of a giant. Moreover, in the words of Mishpacha’s front-page caption, he “channels his father’s vision to a new landscape.” He capably adjusts to new realities and has met with success. Although lacking the larger than life personality of his father Rav Ovadia, he does have a chein, charisma and intelligence that capably continues and furthers the spiritual agendas set by his illustrious father.
However, all this might not have happened if not for a defining episode in 1993. Hacham Yitzhak was 40 years of age at that time and was already establishing a stellar reputation. He began at age 18 to compose his monumental works Yalkut Yosef. Rav Ovadia had, for the most part, simply been composing teshuvot and not provided a day-to-day halachic guide for Sephardic Jews.
Hacham Yitzhak stepped in with his Yalkut Yosef to fill the void. Forty very high-quality volumes have been published to date and every Sephardic synagogue and yeshiva is replete with these volumes. In this work he follows his father’s example and casts a wide net, making room for both the lenient and the strict.
Moreover, in 1980 he assumed the leadership of Kollel Hazon Ovadia, which trains Sephardic young men to become dayanim (rabbinic judges). Hacham Yitzhkak’s plate was full and he could have remained in these roles for the rest of his life.
However, in 1993 Rav Ovadia invited his son to visit for Shabbat. After the Shabbat meal they went for a stroll along Talbieh’s Jabotinsky Street where the Rav Ovadia and Rabbanit Margalit lived at that time. Standing outside the Beit HaNassi, Rav Ovadia told Hacham Yitzhak that he wanted him, in addition to writing Yalkut Yosef and heading the kollel for dayanim, to head a new Yeshiva Hazon Ovadia. This yeshiva would be geared for older teens to train them in the way of the Sephardic halachic tradition.
There was a great need for the establishment of this yeshiva, but Hacham Yitzhak demurred. He did not think he could handle yet another large responsibility.
Where Rav Oavdia was unable to convince, Rabbanit Margalit intervened. She told her son that she was willing to invest her entire life savings of 600,000 shekel into the creation of the yeshiva. To this Hacham Yitzhak could not say no. The yeshiva now has two branches and more than 500 talmidim.
As rosh yeshiva, Hacham Yitzhak developed the people and administrative skills that enabled him to serve not only as a top world-class posek but also to serve as a successful chief rabbi for Israel in the 21st century.
So much of the success we described at the beginning may be attributed to Rabbanit Margalit. While Rav Ovadia most certainly provided excellent training and set an excellent example, it was Rabbanit Margalit who inspired him to Torah greatness from a young age and even in adulthood.
In Sefer Shemot we learn of the greatness of our grandmothers who enabled us to persevere during the many years of suffering in Mitzrayim. In the merit of the nashim tzidkaniyot, righteous women, the nation was redeemed. In our times, it is the merit of not only a great rav but also a modest but equally great woman who inspired her son to emerge as a stellar Rishon L’Tziyon.
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.
