Kaf Hachaim-Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer ZT"L

Yarzheit 9th Sivan

5630 - 9 Sivan 5699 (1870-1939)

By D. Sofer

This article originally appeared in Yated Neeman, Monsey NY. and is reprinted here with their permission

Rav Yehuda Tzadka once said: "Two tzaddikim merited to be considered the poskim of the past generation, and their works may be found in every Torah home. They are: the Chofetz Chaim and the Kaf Hachaim. Both of them deserve this distinction because they were cautious with their speech."

The Chofetz Chaim is famed for his abstention from loshon horo. Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer, author of the Kaf Hachaim, is often called the Chofetz Chaim of Yerushalayim as he was known for his reticence. He was particularly careful not to engage in mundane talk in a synagogue, and would leave that mikdash me'at right after the prayer service in order to avoid being drawn into every day conversations.

In his humility, Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer attributed the eminence of his monumental Kaf Hachaim, which he wrote in Eretz Yisrael, to the land's kedusha and to Hashem's chesed.

BEGINNINGS

Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer, the son of Rav Yitzchak Baruch Sofer was born in Baghdad in 5630 (1870). Although Damascus Jewish community leaders wanted Rav Baruch to preside as its rav, he humbly refused their offer.

As a youth, Rav Yaakov Chaim studied in Baghdad under great Sephardi sages such as the Ben Ish Chai and Rav Abdalah Somech. In 5664 (1904), he embarked on the long and arduous journey to Eretz Hakodesh, in order to pray at the graves of tzaddikim. After visiting Yerushalayim, he decided to settle there permanently.

IN YERUSHALAYIM

Once in Yerushalayim, he began to study in the kabbalistic Beis Kel yeshiva in the Old City. This yeshiva, which was founded by Rav Gedalya Chayon, attracted many of the city's great kabbalistic sages, among them the Rashash, who eventually became its rosh yeshiva.

In 5669 (1909), Rav Yaakov Chaim transferred to the newly founded Shoshanim leDavid yeshiva, located in the Beis Yisrael section of Yerushalayim, and soon became one of its main pillars. Seated in a small, upstairs room, Rav Yaakov Chaim pored over his studies day and night. The product of that intensive study was Kaf Hachaim on all of Orach Chaim and parts of Yoreh De' ah. This monumental work, which contains eight volumes, is considered a classic by both Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews, comparable to the Mishna Brura. It includes the halachic approaches of all of the Rishonim and Achronim, as well as those of many kabbalistic sages.

EXERTION AND ITS RESULTS

Compiling and editing the Kaf Hachaim was a colossal feat, which demanded much effort and exertion.

In order to clarify a halacha, Rav Yaakov would probe its source in the Talmud and then in the works of the Rishonim, such as the Rosh, Rif, Rashba, the Ramban and others. Afterward, he would review all of the basic halachic works, such as the Rambam, Tur, Beis Yosef, as well as the Shulchan Aruch and its commentators, among them the Magen Avraham, Taz, Pri Megadim and Eliya Rabba. Then he would proceed to the works of Achronim, including the Mishna Brura. In addition, he would probe the works of the major kabbalists, incorporating those parts that pertained to halacha le'maaseh.

He also cited all of the seforim from which he derived the halacha. If, while clarifying a halacha, he disagreed with another posek, he would not stress this fact, but would merely state the halacha as he perceived it, taking special care not to cause disgrace to another posek or aggrandize himself at his fellow posek's expense.

Kaf Hachaim earned the ardent haskamas of Yerushalayim's greatest sages, among them Rav Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnefeld and Rav Chaim Berlin, the son of the Netziv.

NOT AN EXTRA MINUTE

When Rav Yaakov Chaim finally completed the first volume of Kaf Hachaim, he was unable to cover the cost of its printing. Friends suggested that he go to Egypt in order to solicit the necessary funds. Rav Yaakov Chaim, who was deeply attached to Eretz Hakodesh, felt that he could not take such a step. However, when he saw that he had no other option, he agreed to go. With a heavy heart and a prayer on his lips that he return home quickly, he boarded a train to Egypt.

At Alexandria's railroad station, he encountered Yosef Samocha, one of the wealthiest Jews of that time. After ascertaining Rav Yaakov Chaim's reason for coming to Egypt, Yosef Samocha gave him 200 lirot, precisely the sum Rav Yaakov Chaim needed in order to print the first volume. Seeing that his mission had succeeded, Rav Yaakov Chaim wasted no time and immediately boarded the first train back to Yerushalayim.

His acquaintances in Yerushalayim were surprised by his rapid return. When he told them about his siyatta d'Shmaya in securing the funds for the first volume, they responded that he should have remained in Egypt a few more days in order to recruit money for the printing of the remaining volumes. He countered that he was unwilling to remain in Chutz La'aretz even a minute longer than necessary.

OTHER WORKS

Among his other works, are Kol Yaakov, Yagel Yaakov and Yismach Yisrael.

Kol Yaakov is a compendium of all of the laws of writing sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos, as well as various kavanos required for the writing and the donning of tefillin. He wrote this work in Chutz La'aretz, prior his writing of Kaf Hachaim and earned the haskamos of Rav Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, Rav Chaim Berlin, the Ridbaz of Tsfas and Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. Rav Chaim Kanievsky shilta says that it is impossible to master the halachos of sta"m without studying Kol Yaakov.

Yagel Yaakov and Yismach Yisrael are topical seforim on the Torah's parshiyos. Yagel Yaakov is a compendium of the Shabbos drashos he delivered while he was in aveilus for his father. In the introduction to Yagel Yaakov he writes that his father had instructed him: "After my petira, deliver drashos in the synagogue every Shabbos for a full year."

Rav Yaakov Chaim continued this practice even after his year of mourning ended. Every Shabbos, he would darshan on the parsha in the Shoshanim leDavid yeshiva. Rav Yehuda Tzadka once said that whoever attended these shiurim, could discern the marked difference between Rav Yaakov Chaim's weekday demeanor and his Shabbos demeanor, and that it was evident that a spirit of kedusha and tahara enveloped him on Shabbos.

His other parsha sefer, Yismach Yisrael, contains the chiddushim on the parsha that he derived subsequent to the publication of Yagel Yaakov.

NIGLAH AND NISTAR TOGETHER

Simultaneous to the compilation of his halachic works and his pursuit of Toras haniglah, he studied kabbala in the Rechovot Hanahar yeshiva located in the Yissacharov synagogue in the Bucharian quarter.

In his introduction to Tzvi leTzaddik, Rav Yeshayahu Usher Zelig Margolios describes this yeshiva's schedule. He writes: "The yeshiva had many rooms which lodged many chachamim during the week. Every night at chatzos, the attendant would accompany the chachamim to the mikveh. When they returned from tevilla, they would recite Birkos Hashachar and Birkos haTorah with all of the kabbalistic kavanos. Then they would conduct a tikun chatzos service, donning sackcloth and placing ashes on their heads. After that they would study until dawn. Some of these chachamim studied alone, while others studied with certain Yerushalmi talmidei chachamim.

"At dawn, they would wrap themselves in their talleisim and don Rashi and Rabbenu Tam tefillin, davening according to the kavanos of Siddur HaRashash.

"Their daily shacharis service lasted four hours. After shacharis, the chachamim would retreat to their rooms, eat simple meals, and rest until approximately twelve o'clock. Then they would resume their studies, this time probing Shas and poskim. These chachamim would remain in the yeshiva all week, returning to their homes only on erev Shabbos in the afternoon. On Shabbos night, and on Shabbos day, they would once more assemble in the yeshiva to daven.

In a mussar discourse which he delivered in Porat Yosef, Rav Ben Tziyon Abba Shaul said: "The lives of people as ascetic and pious as Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer were difficult, due to their rigorous practices. However, even in this world, they were the happiest people imaginable.

"Rav Yaakov Chaim's conduct was remarkable. During the summer, he would daven maariv at seven in the evening with all of the kavanos, retreating to his room three hours later. Before going to sleep he would recite a special yichud that would enable him to rise before chatzos. Then he would sleep for approximately half-an-hour, after which he would rise for tikun chatzos. Following tikun chatzos, he would go to sleep again, and rise with the break of dawn. After that he would daven shacharis with all of the kavanos, return home, and eat a quick meal so that he wouldn't be late to yeshiva. Once in the yeshiva, he would study and write.

"Before eating his light afternoon meal, he would also recite special kavanos - one before netilas yadayim and another before reciting hamotzi. Then he would recite additional kavanos before actually eating. After each meal, he would study mishna - six chapters in the morning, six in the afternoon, and six at night."

ON THE BATTLEFRONT

Rav Yaakov Chaim played a prominent role in the battles against the secular elements' efforts to undermine pure Torah chinuch in Yerushalayim.

At that time, the wealthy Bucharian community supported a Torah school for its youth. However, when funds from their native Bucharia stopped arriving, in the wake of the Communist Revolution, irreligious people took control of the school and replaced its melamdim with secular teachers. A delegation of Sephardi sages, among them Rav Yaakov Chaim, Rav Shaul Doueck and Rav Ezra Harrari Raful, appealed to Rav Sonnefeld to save the spiritual future of Yerushalayim's Sephardi children by establishing a new, Torah-true school in the Bucharian quarter. To achieve this purpose, these chachamim placed the main synagogue of the Bucharian quarter at Rav Sonnefeld's disposal.

At that time, the Central Relief Agency of the American Joint Distribution Committee had earmarked a significant sum of money for yeshivos and Torah elementary schools in Eretz Yisrael. Rav Sonnenfeld instructed the heads of Agudas Yisrael and the Orthodox Vaad Hair to use some of that money for a Torah school in the Bucharian quarter. Then he appointed Rav Moshe Porush, the father of Rav Menachem Porush, current chairman of Worldwide Agudas Yisroel, to direct it. This school, which was called Bnei Tziyon soon became the country's largest Sephardi educational institution. Rav Yehuda Tzadka was one of its finest students.

SIYATTA D'SHMAYA

Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer merited special siyatta deShmaya in all of his undertakings. On the 11th of Tamuz 5687 (1927), a violent earthquake shook Yerushalayim, causing many homes to collapse. Shoshanim leDavid's front wall, as well as the staircase leading to the yeshiva, also caved in. However, the side of the building where Rav Yaakov sat remained totally intact and none of the children studying in the Talmud Torah on the first floor were harmed.

Rav Yaakov describes this miracle in Kaf Hachaim, noting that while no Jews were killed or injured, a number of Arabs were killed.

As demonstrated by the following account, he also had special siyatta deShmaya in his halachic rulings: One time a talmid chacham asked him a question on the kashrus of a chicken. Rav Yaakov Chaim ruled that he shouldn 't eat it. For some reason the man also consulted another posek, who permitted it, on the condition that the Kaf Hachaim nullify his ruling prohibiting it.

Rav Yaakov Chaim nullified his view in deference to the other sage, and the talmid chacham returned home with his chicken. However, he never ate it, because that Shabbos, the attendant responsible for placing the talmid chacham's food in the communal oven had accidentally burned the chicken, rendering it inedible.

HIS PETIRA

Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer was niftar on Shabbos, the ninth of Sivan 5699 (1939). He was buried on Har Hazeisim the following day. A large throng accompanied him on his last earthly journey.

His great grandson, Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer founded two yeshivos in his memory: Kaf Hachaim and Toras Yaakov. He is also one of Yerushalayim's most dynamic speakers, whose inspiring and invigorating lectures attract hundreds and whose tapes are heard by tens of thousands.