Community Magazine May 2003

34 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE IYAR 5763 MAY 2003 34 s ” xc S ephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem & Morocco and Head of Jerusalem’s Rabbinical Courts Rabbi Shalom Messas, passed away on Saturday evening, April 12 th in Jerusalem at the age of 90. His funeral departed the next morning from Yeshivat Porat Yosef to the Har HaMenuchot cemetery, accompanied by many thou- sands of people. The void created by the loss of this giant of Torah can never be filled. SUSTAINED THROUGH TORAH Born in Miknes, Morocco, his father, Rabbi Mimoun Messas was the Chief Rabbi of a city in Morocco. From the time Rabbi Messas was young, as a leading student of Morocco’s Chief Rabbi Yehoshua Berdugo, it was clear that he was destined for greatness. After he got married, Rabbi Messas continued to learn full time, and was supported by his father. His diligence in Torah learning was extraordinary, but as his family grew, the money he was receiving from his father was no longer sufficient. Hacham David Yosef shlita told the following story. “One day, Rabbi Messas’ wife beseeched her husband that there was not enough money to provide for the family’s needs. ‘We do not have enough to put food on our table’ she said sadly. ‘We need to find a way to bring income’ she conclud- ed. Knowing that ultimately only Hashem provides, Rabbi Messas went to the Bet Medrash. There he stood in front of the aron hakodesh and cried ‘Hashem you know that I sit and learn the whole day. Please Hashem Help me! Supply our family with what we need.’ Rabbi Messas went on by enumerating his family’s list of needs. That very day, seem- ingly out of the blue, the president of the community TRIBUTE TO JERUSALEM CHIEF RABBI Hacham Shalom Messas k"mz 5673 Miknes, Morocco – 11 Nisan 5763 Jerusalem, Israel