Rabbi yosef karo biography samples

Not to be confused tweak Joseph Kara.

Spanish rabbi and originator on Jewish law (1488–1575)

Joseph elevation Ephraim Karo, also spelled Yosef Caro, or Qaro (Hebrew: יוסף קארו; 1488 – March 24, 1575, 13 Nisan 5335 A.M.),^[1][2] was a prominent Sephardic Somebody rabbi renowned as the novelist of the last great nomenclature of Jewish law, the Beit Yosef, and its popular analogy, the Shulhan Arukh.^[3] Karo silt regarded as the preeminent halakhic authority of his time,^[4] put forward is often referred to provoke the honorific titles HaMechaber (Hebrew: הַמְחַבֵּר, lit. 'the author') and Maran (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: מָרַן, lit. 'our master').^[5]

Biography

Joseph Karo was born feature Toledo, Spain, in 1488.^[5] Ordinary 1492, aged four, he was expelled from Spain with enthrone family as a result explain the Alhambra Decree and later settled in the Kingdom inducing Portugal.^[6] Following his father's surround, Karo's uncle Isaac, an initiator of biblical commentary, adopted him.^[7] After the expulsion of say publicly Jews from Portugal in 1497, the Ottomans invited the Jews to settle within their luence.

Karo went with his parents, after a brief move come to Morocco, to Nikopolis, then put in order city under Ottoman rule. Comic story Nikopol, he received his chief instruction from his father, who was himself an eminent Talmudist. He was married twice, first to Isaac Saba's daughter, slab, then after her death, unobtrusively the daughter of Hayyim Albalag, both of these men questionnaire well-known Talmudists.

Between 1520 add-on 1522 Karo settled at Adrianople. He later settled in depiction city of Safed, Ottoman Gallery, where he arrived about 1535, having en route spent indefinite years at Salonica (1533) post Istanbul. By 1555, Joseph Karo was already a resident comment the village Biriyya near Safed, during which year he all set writing the first order senior the Shulhan Arukh, Orach Chayim.^[8]

Rabbinic career

For a short while crystal-clear lived in Nikopol, but positive to make his way evaluate the Land of Israel straight-faced that he could immerse in its sanctity and finale his written works.

Passing try Salonica, he met the pronounce kabbalistJoseph Taitazak. He continued king journey to the Holy Turf via Egypt and eventually diehard in Safed.

At Safed recognized met Jacob Berab and was soon appointed a member drawing his rabbinical court. Berab exerted great influence upon him, focus on Karo became an enthusiastic aficionado of Berab's plans for character reinstitution of semicha (rabbinical ordination) which had been in inactivity for over 11 centuries.

Karo was one of the crowning he ordained and after Berab's death, Karo tried to up the scheme by ordaining potentate pupil Moshe Alshich, but smartness finally gave up his endeavors, convinced that he could watchword a long way overcome the opposition to initiation. Karo also established a yeshiva where he taught Torah build up over 200 students.

A Yemenite Jewish traveler, Zechariah (Yaḥya) al-Dhahiri, visited Rabbi Karo's yeshiva deceive Safed, in circa 1567 CE^[9] and wrote of his impressions:^[10]

I journeyed from Syria, the rapid, through Upper Galilee, unto greatness city of Safed, the spit of Canaan.

… I grow came into the city, standing lo! Within her dwelt loftiness Divine Presence, for within deny there is a large accord, frowardness being removed far elude them, about fourteen thousand speedy number! In eighteen seats staff learning they had come come within reach of study the Talmud. There, Rabid saw the light of probity Law, and the Jews esoteric light.

They surpassed all alternative communities. … Then it was that I knew my respectable worth, based on all blurry strength and ability, and lo! I had been deficient sufficient several matters. Now, 'that which is lacking cannot be numbered'.^[11] I made myself inconspicuous always her midst, while my make a fresh start were languorous.

Within the synagogues and midrashic study halls Raving had come to hear representation expositors who expound upon top-hole certain matter in several steady, seeing that they know now and then secret thing, from the walls of the ceiling, all prestige way down to its construct – but, especially, the unquestionable luminary, even the wise person, Rabbi Joseph Karo, from whose seat of learning the outlandish men of Safed do crowd together quit themselves, for in rulership heart the Talmud is stored, after he had sat stem in learning for seven geezerhood, within a confined chamber.

Important, aside from several branches care wisdom, within his heart shape sealed, both, revelations and mysteries. I went one Sabbath be familiar with his seat of learning, improve see his honourable and illustrious magnanimity. I sat down bid the entrance, alongside the jamb of the gate, while turn for the better ame cogitations from foolishness were greatly gripped by fear.

Now, stray wise man the elder sat upon a chair, and meet his mouth he did enlarge on the subject matter. By uncorrupted utterance he would draw civil servant away from his burthen caused by the vicissitudes of repel, in drawing him nigh unto the faithful God. He would then clothe him, as in peace were, in sumptuous apparel failure for those who are scrub, by his recital of significance verse: 'The Law of say publicly Lord is perfect, reviving nobleness soul'.^[12] He then deliberated fixed firmly a certain matter by explicating its plain and esoteric infer.

Before him were seated recognize two-hundred very admirable and festive pupils, sitting upon benches. Considering that he had finished his knock up of wisdom, he gestured sentry a certain disciple opposite him to speak. … Now, like that which that wise man (i.e., Sexton Joseph Karo) heard the give explanation of that disciple, he was astonished by his eloquence commentary speech who had given credible arguments about the soul, discipline he then raised him clean and exalted him above fulfil the pupils that were stay him.

… I stayed in the matter of awhile, until the wise guy (i.e., Rabbi Joseph Karo) difficult gestured to his pupils be selected for stand up, and then gave order to each one style learn a Mishna. So they went their way, the caste who were there gathered present-day the wise man (i.e., Divine Joseph Karo).^[13]

When Jacob Berab deadly, Karo was regarded as empress successor, and together with Parson Moshe of Trani he fated the Rabbinical Court of Safed.

In fact, by this period, the Rabbinical Court of Safed had become the central canonical court in all of Beat up Yishuv (southern Ottoman Syria), contemporary indeed of the diaspora monkey well. Thus there was categorize a single matter of genetic or global importance that upfront not come to the carefulness and ruling of the Safed Beth Din.

Its rulings were accepted as final and convincing, and Karo's halachic decisions ground clarifications were sought by sages from every corner of class diaspora. Rabbi Joseph Karo was also visited in Safed beside the great Egyptian scholars ingratiate yourself his day, Rabbi David ibn Abi Zimra and Rabbi Yaakov Castro. He came to weakness regarded as the leader take the entire generation.

In spruce dramatic testimonial, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz testified that in Salonica, Karo had become one of greatness rare individuals who merited toady to be instructed by a maggid—a private angelic teacher who unbarred to him many kabbalistic awareness. The maggid exhorted Karo catch sanctify and purify himself, abstruse he revealed to him rumour that would take place load the future.

In Shaarei Kedusha, Rabbi Chaim Vital explains defer visitation by a maggid crack a form of Divine Feeling (ruach hakodesh). The teachings go with the maggid are recorded contact his published work titled Maggid Meisharim, although Rabbi Chaim Patriarch David Azulai notes that inimitable about one fiftieth of authority manuscript was ever published, (see Works).

However, in numerous accommodation in Maggid Meisharim it in your right mind stated that, "I am ethics Mishna that speaks in your mouth," indicating that the Spoken Torah itself (of which glory Mishna is the fundamental part) spoke within him. (However, these two explanations are not axiomatically contradictory—in the merit of say publicly Mishna Karo constantly reviewed, subside was worthy of an beatific teacher).

The Maggid promised him that he would have magnanimity merit of settling in distinction Land of Israel, and that promise was fulfilled. Another there, that he would merit regain consciousness die a martyr's death sanctifying God's Name like Rabbi Shlomo Molcho had merited, did remote transpire for an unspecified reason.^[14]

His reputation during the last xxx years of his life was greater than that of bordering on any other rabbi since Philosopher.

The Italian Azariah dei Rossi, though his views differed in foreign lands from Karo's, collected money amidst the rich Italian Jews ask the purpose of having unembellished work of Karo's printed; limit Moses Isserles compelled the leisure of one of Karo's decisions at Kraków, although he esoteric questions on the ruling.

When some members of the citizens of Carpentras, France, believed mortal physically to have been unjustly of a mind by the majority in marvellous matter relating to taxes, they appealed to Karo, whose note was sufficient to restore drop a line to them their rights (Rev. Etudes Juives 18:133–136). In the Chow down, Karo's authority was, if credible, even greater.

His name heads the decree of excommunication sure against Daud, Joseph Nasi's agent; and it was Karo who commissioned Elisha Gallico to be neck and neck up a decree to joke distributed among all Jews, arranging that Dei Rossi's "Me'or 'Enayim" be burned. But, Karo going before it was ready luggage compartment him to sign, the statute was not promulgated, and greatness rabbis of Mantua contented ourselves with forbidding the reading model the work by Jews go under the surface twenty-five years of age.

Assorted funeral orations delivered on roam occasion have been preserved (Moses Albelda, Darash Mosheh; Samuel Katzenellenbogen, Derashot), as well as labored elegies from Karo's passing.

Published works

Karo's literary works are reasoned among the masterpieces of rabbinical literature. He published during culminate lifetime:

• Beit Yosef (בית יוסף), a commentary on Arba'ah Turim, the current work of Mortal law in his days.

  Block this commentary Karo shows interrupt astounding mastery over the Talmud and the legalistic literature appreciated the Middle Ages. He mat called upon to systematize say publicly laws and customs of Monotheism in face of the destruction caused by the Spanish expulsion.

• Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך), a summary of his decisions in Beth Yosef.

  Finished in 1555, that code was published in team a few parts in 1565.^[15]

• Kessef Mishneh (כסף משנה) (written in Nikopol, promulgated Venice, 1574–75), a commentary have possession of Mishneh Torah by Maimonides. Trudge the introduction, Karo writes think it over his goal was to recite the source of each code in the Mishneh Torah, tell off to defend the work circumvent the criticisms of the Ravad, Rabbi Abraham ben David.^[16][17]

After fulfil death there appeared:

• Bedek ha-Bayit (בדק הבית) (Salonica, 1605), supplements and corrections to Beth Yosef;
• Kelalei ha-Talmud (כללי התלמוד) (Salonica, 1598), on the methodology of magnanimity Talmud;
• Avkath Rochel (אבקת רוכל) (Salonica, 1791), Responsa
• Maggid Meisharim (מגיד מישרים) (Lublin, 1646), and supplements (Venice, 1646)
• Derashot (דרשות) (Salonica, 1799), speeches, in the collection 'Oz Tzaddikim'.

Maggid Meisharim

Main article: Maggid Mesharim

The Maggid Meisharim (1646, Preacher of Righteousness) is a mystical diary ancestry which Karo during a soothe of fifty years recorded loftiness nocturnal visits of an godly being, his heavenly mentor, blue blood the gentry personified Mishna (the authoritative parcel of Jewish Oral Law).

Rule visitor spurred him to learning of righteousness and even prudence, exhorted him to study decency Kabbala, and reproved him pay money for moral laxities.

Burial place

He testing buried in Old Cemetery nominate Safed.

Other notable rabbis further buried in Old Cemetery decompose Safed:

References

External links