Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon, a native of Rabat, Morocco, grew up in Yerushalayim and served as the Chief Rabbi of Cairo for three decades (1891-1921). An outstanding Talmid Chochom and Posek who led his flock with strict adherence to Yiddishkeit, he was able to influence the most wealthy and assimilated Jews to return to the fold. Rabbi Ben Shimon played a prominent role in major historical events including the bringing to light of the remarkable discovery of the Cairo Geniza and the Jewish Legion’s crossing the border between Egypt and Eretz Yisroel in 1918.
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When World War I broke out, thousands of Jews who were Russian citizens and living in Palestine, were forced to flee and settle in Alexandria, Egypt for fear of being classified as enemy aliens. Russia had fought on the side of the allies while the Turks were aligned with Germany. Many of these Jews wanted to fight the Ottoman Turks and secure Eretz Yisroel for the Jewish people. By the end of 1915 there were five hundred Jewish volunteers training in Egypt for a military unit cofounded by two Russian Jews, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the prominent writer and orator, and Yosef Trumpeldor, a professional soldier and trained dentist who lost his left arm to shrapnel in the Russo-Japanese War.
Jabotinsky and Trumpeldor wanted to form a Jewish legion to fight alongside the British. The British Government was initially not interested, but by 1917, finally agreed to establish Jewish units for this purpose. The 38th battalian was one of five battalians composed of Jewish soldiers who volunteered from England, USA, Canada, and Russia and became part of the Royal Fusiliers and were known as the Jewish Legion. They had their own special banner and eventually a Jewish cap badge sporting the word Kadima and the design of a Menorah.
The Times of London on page 3 of its February 5, 1918 edition described how on the previous day, Monday, February 4, 1918, half of the 38th battalion, consisting of four companies totalling 426 men with 12 officers, had been ordered to return to London by General Macready in order to parade through the city. Having slept overnight in the Tower of London, they marched through Whitechapel Rd. to wild cheering and applause, en route to fight in Palestine. Tens of thousands of Jews as well as non-Jews lined the streets waving excitedly. Many recited the Shehechiyanu prayer. On one of the banners carried by the battalion were the words “Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim, Tishkach Yemini, “ (If I forget thee Oh Jerusalem, let my right hand wither.) Among those who had joined the 38th battaion was Yitzchak Elchanan Bloch (see accompanying photo and letter) a Yeshiva Student in Etz Chaim Yeshiva of London and a nephew of the Bochen there.
The Jews nicknamed the battalion the King’s Schneiders, because many of the men who joined were employed as tailors.
When the 38th battalion crossed over the border from Egypt to Palestine, through the Sinai Peninsula the battalion recited a special Tefila.
This Tefilah was composed by the Chief Rabbi of Cairo at the time, Rabbi Refael Aharon ben Shimon, The rare copy of the Tefilah,* was written on the French stationery of the Chief Rabbi of Cairo. The preface to the Tefillah read in Hebrew: Vekaasher ta’amodna ragleihem al haKav hamavdil ben gevul admat Mitzrayim Ugvul admat Hakodesh, yishpechu tzakon LaHashem betfilah Hazot Veyehi ratzon shetekubal Beratzon veyagiu Lemechoz Chaftzam, Leshalom, Amen…
And when their legs shall stand on the line separating the border between Egypt and the border of the Holy land, they should pour their hearts out in prayer to Hashem with this Tefilah and let it be Hashem’s will that they reach their destination in peace: Amen
(Sidebar Text of the Tefillah)
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Rabbi Refael Aharon ben Shimon (1847-1928) was born on 20 Tamuz, 1847 in Rabat, Morocco, to Rabbi David Ben Shimon and Rachel the daughter of Rabbi Masoud Tsabbach. His father, Rabbi David Ben Shimon who became known as the Tzuf Devash or the Radbash (based on an acrostic of his name) was a Posek and Rosh Yeshiva. From the time Aharon Refael was a baby he was exposed to the sounds of Torah emanating from his father and the latter’s many students Refael Aharon’s mother, known as a Tzaddekes, served hundreds of meals to the many poor people who congregated at their home.
By the time, Refael Aharon was seven years old, his parents decided to leave Morocco and move to Eretz Yisrael together with some of Rabbi David Ben Shimon’s students. Soon after arriving in Yerusahalyim, Rabbi Refael Aharon’s father established a shul (named after his passing, Tzuf Devash shul) on Pelugat Hakotel street in the old city. He also built the neighborhood, Machane Yisrael in the area of Mamila and founded the Aidah Haamaravit (Western group) of the Sephardic Jews. Rabbi David ben Shimon was the author of several seforim, all regarding Eretz Yisroel, some published posthumously. In 1862, when he was only 36 years old, the Tzuf Defash published the first volume, Shaar Hachatzer a collection of commentaries regarding Eretz Yisroel. He supplemented it with his own commentaries. Rabbi David Ben Shimon provided the Morrocan Jewish community with shechted meat at a low price. Until then, Moroccan Jews were so poor, all they could afford were bones; thanks to Rabbi David Ben Shimon’s butcher shop, they could eat the loin.
Refael Aharon was very gifted intellectually and in addition to to studying with his father, he learned Torah under his father’s student, Rabbi Shalom Bahbout, Refael Aharon also became fluent in French, Italian and Spanish as well as being knowledgeable in Arabic and Loshon HaKodesh. When he was fifteen years old he was married off to Esther Ben Walid the daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Walid, known as the Ner HaMaaravi from a family with great yichus from a distinguished family that was expelled from Spain. All the gedolei yisrael attended the wedding in Yerushalayim on Wednesday on the eleventh day of Rachamim (Ellul) in the year 5622.(1862) Esther became a true helpmate who assisted her husband in all his endeavors.
Rabbi Refael Aharon at a very young age was crowned with the title of Chacham, and became well versed in Shas and Poskim. His father’s tremendous library served him well as he thoroughly immersed himself in the earlier and later Poskim. His name became known throughout Yerushalayim and he was considered one of the pillars of Torah.
He learned Safrus and wrote an entire Sefer Torah which he donated to his shul. Today, this Sefer Torah is found in the Shul, Zechor Le’avraham. in Jerusalem. He also served as a mohel; often he would notice the family of the baby was destitute so at the Milah, he would give money to the father of the newborn. He spent most of his hours within the walls of the Yeshiva of his father, called Magen David and became known as a gifted writer and speaker.
In 1879 The Tzuf Devash passed away at the young age of 54. Rabbi Refael Aharon was thirty two years old at the time. His father had left instructions that Rav Tuvo who had served as the Rosh Yeshiva should take over as head of the Morrocan community in Jerusalem. Rabb Refael Aharon would assume Rabbi Tuvo’s position and become Rosh Yeshiva.
In 1888, the economic situation in Jerusalem was so dire, that Rabbi Refael Aharon made the difficult journey to Fez, Morocco, to try to raise money for his Kehillah. While in Fez, he came across a manuscript of a Siddur entitled Ahavat Kadmonim, which was a collection of prayers written according to the special customs recited in Fez, which originated in Castille, Spain prior to the expulsion of the Jews from that country. He had someone copy the rare mansucript and when he returned to Jerusalem edited it and removed all its errors and had it published the following year.
In the beginning of 1890, Rabbi Refael Aharon returned to Fez, Morocco, and found there many large containers filled with manuscripts of Rabbonim. Many of the manuscripts were deteriorating and he felt terrible that all these Divrei Torah might soon be lost forever. He made the Jewish community aware of the importance of publishing these manuscripts and he set up an organization “Mekitz Nirdamim” that would actively work on having them sent to Rabbi Bengio in Tetuan and from there to Jerusalem to be published.
While still in Fez he received an invitation from the Chief Rabbi of Cairo, Rabbi Yom Tov Yisrael and Cairo’s Jewish communal president to take over the rabbinate from Rabbi Yom Tov Yisrael who had served as the Chacham Bashi for 23 years since 1867.
Rabbi Rafael Aharon Ben Shimon demurred and in his introduction to his Sefer Mishpat Vetzkakah BeYaakov, explains the reasons why he didn’t want to accept the position: The Kehilla is a very important and prestigious one and he didn’t believe he was worthy of it, he didn’t want to leave the holy city of Yerushalayim.
The then Chief Rabbi of Egypt Rabbi Yom Tov Yisrael who appreciated the greatness of Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon, sent a number of letters and messengers to beseech him to take the position. He wouldn’t stop entreating Rabbi Refael Aharon to lead Egypt’s flock until the latter finally agreed to assume the rabbinate
Rabbi Refael Aharon served as the teacher, Posek, leader, spiritual and physical father, as well as a faithful shepherd to his flock.
This is how he describes his duties in his sefer Sha’ar Hamifkad:
“The truth is a Rav is an Eved Ivri who works day and night. without a moment of rest.”
Rabbi Refal Aharon Ben Shimon was also involved in the many guests who came from abroad, many poor people who immigrated to Egypt to find parnassah, many meshulachim who came from Eretz yisroel to collect alms for their brethren, and many researchers and historians who came because of the Cairo Genizah.
The Cairo Genizah was a collection of more than 200,000 Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic and Judeo-Arabi manuscripts found in the attic of the Ibn Ezra Shul in Fustat, Cairo.
When Solomon Schechter, a professor at Cambridge University was shown two manuscripts brought to England by twin Scottish sisters who picked them up in Cairo in 1896, Schechter realized the importance of these documents. They would shed much light on the background of the Rambam, his son Avraham, the Kuzarim and Chasdai Ibn Shaprut among many other important personalities and events in Jewish history.
Schechter traveled to Cairo and met up with Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon.
In “Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Genizah,” the authors, A. Hoffman and P. Cole use as source material many of the letters written by Schechter to his wife. Schechter describes Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon as “a bearded and bespectacled man who wore long eastern robles and a squat kind of turban.. he kissed my Avoth de Rabbi Nathan three times..” The rabbi has a younger brother who is is his right hand man…..
A few days after his first meeting with Rabbi Refael Ben Aharon SHimon, Schechter offered to take him for a ride to the pyramids, which the rabbi, Schechter writes “incredibly had never seen. He also asked that his wife send 200 used English stamps as the rabbi was a stamp collector.
Schechter’s courting of the rabbi, yielded positive results. Rabbi Refael Aharon brought him to the Genizah and gave him permission to take whatever he desired. Schechter writes, he desired everything.
Since Schecter was a scholar and affiliated with Cambridge University, Rabbi Refael Aharon probably felt confident that the important sources for Jewish history would be preserved. Schechter spent much time packing up the thousands of pieces of manuscripts which were filled with dust. During this period he ate Shabbos meals at the home of Rabbi Refael Aharon. During the week Schechter was hosted by the Cattauis family, one of the wealthiest families in Cairo that had amassed a fortune in banking, real estate and railroads. They lived in a lavish mansion in the fashionable district called Ismailiya and their home was known as the palace
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Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon discusses many Minhagim and Halachos in his Seforim he composed. In his Nahar Mitzrayim, he writes that to avoid delay and confusion of constant interruptions at the reading of the name of Haman in Megillat Esther on Purim, the custom of making noise at the sound of Haman’s name was to be only permitted at the reading of the names of Haman’s ten sons and at the end of the Megillah.
Rabbi Ben Shimon spoke publicly against the very common practice at the time of committing suicde. He tried to dissuade his constituents by telling them that going through difficult times was part of what makes Jews grow, and that that they should see these challenges as G-d-sent opportunities to elevate themselves emotionally and spiritually.
Because he wanted to stop potential suicides, Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon refused to have any Jew who committed suicide buried in the family grave of the Jewish cemetery. Very often Rabbis would be lenient and permit a person who committed suicide to be buried among his Jewish family by claiming at the last second, he may have repented or he was not completely aware of what he was doing. Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben SHimon believed, that if they knew for certain their bodies wouldn’t be buried in a normal Jewish location, it would serve as a deterrent.
In a blog entitled “Halakha of the Day,” Rabbi Yosef Bitton, the former Chief Rabbi of Uruguay and present rabbi of the Syrian Community in Manhattan Beach, Ohel David and Shlomo, writes that Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon had to face many new challenges brought on by modern technology and reassess them from a Halacha perspective. Some of these would be the use of electricity and matches on Yom Tov; the use of chariots driven by gentiles for the sake of burying the dead on Yom Tov and The assessment of the Cairo water supply system, whether it could be considered mayim She-uvim (non-transported water) and be suitable for a Mikveh.
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Rav Ezra Batrzi, an Av Veis Din Yerusahalyim would relate the following story he heard of Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon which illustrated how he would get the wealthiest and most assimilated to return to Judaism.
Rabbi Ben SHimon was invited to officiate at the wedding of a child of one of the wealthiest families in Egypt that had close relations with officials in high government echelons. The creme de la creme of Egyptian society was invited to the wedding.
Rabbi Refael Aharon was about to perform the wedding and was holding the silver becher in which was poured a vintage kosher wine. The Rabbi shook his head and whispered to the Gevir that the wine wasn’t worthy of a brochoh. The gevir brought another wine, and again Rabbi Refael Aharon nixed the wine, And this scene repeated itself again, unitl the gevir said, follow me to the wine cellar to find a wine that will be worthy of a brachah.
When the Rav descended to the wine cellar with the Gevir, the Rav told him. Mumar Lechallel Shabbos Befarhesia, Dino Akum, Veyeno Yayin Nesach, Know that no wine you give me is worthy of a Brochoh because it is considered Yayin Nesach because you are mechalel Shabbos in public. Because of your great wealth, you have intermingled with many non-Jews and have come far away from your roots, the Rabbi said. I am terribly sorry but no wine you touch can be made a brochoh over. The way the Rav said it, that he himself felt terrible that the wine was disqualifed, he touched a nerve in the Gevir. The Gevir became very shook up, when he realized he was considered a non-Jew. His body began to tremble and he began to cry begging the Rabbi to help him return to Judaism, and that he would be careful from then on to keep Kosher and Shabbos.
When Rabbi Refael Aharon saw how the Gevir was atoning for his past sins and planned to be an observant Jew, he smiled at him and said because you took upon yourself to be a Baal Teshuvah, and where Baalei Teshuva stand, Tzaddiim Gemurim don’t stand, the wine you touch from now on is considered worthy to make a bracha over. And they returned together to the Chupah and from then on the Gevir was a Shomer Shabbos and returned to Hashem.
Rabbi Ezrah Attiah the Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef, spent the years of World War I in Egypt and became very close to Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon. He related the following story to one of the Maggidei SHiur in Porat Yosef, Rabbi Yaakov Cohen: Once Rabbi Refael Ahraon was asked to officiate at a wedding of a very prominent meyuchasdige family in one of the shuls in Cairo. One of the guests, a relative of the Baalei Simchah who had much yichus herself was dressed in very immodest clothing which was offensive especially in a shul. Rabbi Refael Aharon asked that she be told she should exit the building because he would not be Mesader Kedushin as long as she was dressed so immodestly.
The Baalei Simchah told the Rav, that they could not tell her this as she was a very prominent woman and probably the most meyucheses at the whole wedding and it was very uncomfortable for them to tell her to leave. Rabbi Refael Aharon stood his ground.and was insistent that they tell her to remove herself from the wedding. When the woman was told what the Rabbi requested of her, she was very disrespectful to the Rav, made gestures with her face against him and put him down. She also stated, that under no circumstances was she going to leave.
Rabbi Refael Aharon sat down on a chair and said, “I am waiting till this woman will leave this holy place.” Within a few minutes, the woman collapsed on the ground and died. There was suddenly the fear of G-d among the crowd, who witnessed the holiness of their very special Rov.
Jewish communities from all over sent him Shailos including the Yemenite community of Yerushalayim who in their responsa to him addressed him with Yechi Adonenu Hamelech.
Rabbi Refael Aharon Ben Shimon’s younger brother, Rabbi Massoud served as his assistant in Cairo; he was also his son-in-law. Rabbi Refael Aharon left Cairo in 1921 to live in Tel Aviv while his brother served in Cairo. Sadly four years later, his younger brother passed away in Nissan. Rabbi Refael Aharon never got over the death of his son-in-law (brother) in 1925 and died of a broken heart in 1929 on the tenth of Cheshvan.
Thousands of people came to Tel Aviv to attend the funeral including Rabbanim and prominent personalities from Cairo. Rabbi Chaim Nachum the Chief Rabbi of Egypt eulogized him there. The Niftar was then brought to Jerusalem where among other Rabbanim he was eulogized by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the Rav of Slonim and Rav Kook eulogized him. He is buried on Har Hazeisim.
By Pearl Herzog
* A copy of the Tefillah composed by Rabbi Refael Aharon was published by the father of this writer, Rabbi Tovia Preschel in a chapter entitled ” Tefillat Chayalei ‘Hagedudim HaIvriyim‘ Bemilchemet HaOland Harishona., in a book published by Simcha Raz.. Rabbi Preschel states that the Tefillah was offered in a Judaica auction sale and appears in the catalogue of February, 1997 in Judaica Jerusalem,. Preschel claims that he approached various archivists and libraries throughout Eretz Yisrael and not one had a copy of this Tefillah, not even the Machon Jabotinsky in Tel Aviv which had a file on which was written, the “special Tefilah of the Jewish Legion”. Unfortunately the file was empy.
The Tefillah which was sold at the auction was purchased by a Daniel Rosenberg, a British Judaica collector,.who made a copy of it available for Rabbi Tovia Preschel to publish.
See sidebar for Tefillah