Diskussion:Matzliach Mazuz

Rabbi Chaim Charir Matzliach Mazuz (Djerba, Tunisia 1912 – Tunis, Tunisia 1971), also known as the Ish Matzliach (“successful man”), is considered the last of the Gaonim of Tunisia. The Jewish population of Tunisia dropped from 100,000 to about 15,000 in his lifetime. He was an only son, born to Rafael and Rachel Saadon Mazuz on the island-city of Djerba, Tunisia. His Yahrzeit begins tonight, the 21st of Tevet. Young Matzliach’s brilliance and diligence was recognized early. At age 11 he began studying at the yeshivah of Rabbi Rachamim Chaim Chavita HaKohen and soon was writing original commentaries and important responsa on all four sections of the Shulchan Aruch. His writings as a teenager were often mistaken for the writings of a seasoned rabbi by people who had not heard of him. At age 18, he married and moved his residence to Tunis and for 13 years served as the spiritual counselor in the yeshivah Chevrat HaTalmud. When the yeshivah was forced to close for financial reasons, he began earning his living as a watchmaker, but set aside several hours every day for uninterrupted Torah study and correspondence with other rabbis and laymen asking halachic questions. When he was appointed as judge to the Bet Din (rabbinical court) of Tunis, he became especially known for his handling of divorce cases. It is said that 600 couples came to him for divorces between the years 1955-1958, and he managed to achieve a reconciliation in 75% of the cases. When the Bet Din closed, he was nominated to be a general judge in a Tunisian court. He agreed to do this but refused to hear any cases among Jews. When he was asked to work on Shabbat, he resigned. He became the head of the Chabad yeshivah in Tunis and in 1963 he founded the yeshivah Kisei Rachamim, named after his teacher. Years later, his sons reestablished this yeshiva in Bnei Brak. He had been wanting to leave Tunisia for Israel for a long time and in 1971 had begun the preparations to move his library. One morning, when returning from pre-dawn prayers, still wrapped in his tallit and wearing tefillin, he was shot by an Arab. He died on the way to the hospital. After 43 days, his remains were brought to Israel for burial on the Mount of Olives. Among Rabbi Matzliach’s writings are: Ish Matzliach, responsa on the four parts of Shulchan Aruch, three of which have thus far been published by his sons; Kuntress HaMaarachot, which discusses the rules of issuing halachic decisions; Matzliach Yeshuah, a collection of original commentaries on the Talmud; and Magen u’Tzinah, answers to questions on the works of the Maharsha. The rest of his writings are still in manuscript form. Rabbi Matzliach is survived by his sons: Rabbi Mayer, head of the yeshivah Kisei Rachamim in Bnei Brak and the leader of the Tunisian community in Eretz Yisrael; Rabbi Yosef Tzemach, the director and spiritual counselor atf Kisei Rachamim; and Rabbi Rachamim, also a spiritual counselor at Kisei Rachamim. One of Rabbi Matzliach’s daughters is married to Rabbi Yitzchak Barda, author of Yitzchak Yeranen, and another to Rabbi Chanan Kablan, a rabbinical judge.