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Shalom Sharabi | |
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 Sar Shalom Sharabi's tomb on theMount of Olives | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1720 |
| Died | January 18, 1777(1777-01-18) (aged 56–57) |
| Buried | Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
Sar[clarification needed] Shalom Sharabi (Hebrew:שר שלום מזרחי דידיע שרעבי), also known asthe Rashash,the Shemesh orRabbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi (1720–1777) was aYemeniteRabbi,Halachist,Chazzan andKabbalist. In later life, he became theRosh Yeshiva ofBet El Yeshiva in theOld City ofJerusalem. His daughter married Rabbi Hayyim Abraham Gagin of Jerusalem, making him the great-great-grandfather ofShem Tob Gaguine, the "Keter Shem Tob." His son wasYitzhak Mizrahi Sharabi and his grandson was Chief RabbiChaim Abraham Gagin.
Sar Shalom Sharabi was born inJewish Sharab,Yemen. He moved to Jerusalem, then underOttoman rule, in fulfilment of a vow. On his way he stayed in India, Baghdad and Damascus. In Damascus, he was involved in a dispute ofHalacha over the minimum olive sizekezayit of matzah that one should eat at the PesachSeder.
In Jerusalem, he made a strong impression on the local rabbinic sages, and is frequently mentioned in their books. At Bet El Yeshiva, he belonged to a group of 12mekubalim along withHida,Torat Hakham, Rabbi Yom-Tov Algazi and other sages of Sephardic and Yemenite congregations. He remained at Bet El Yeshiva until his death, eventually becomingRosh Yeshiva. He himself was a devotee of the teachings of RabbiIsaac Luria, and a principal innovator within LurianicKabbalah.
Popular tradition links his departure from Yemen with a miracle that occurred after a rich Muslim woman tried to seduce him. In Bet El, he worked as a servant and hid his learning from others; when his knowledge of Kabbalah was accidentally discovered, he became a member of the kabbalistic circle. According to legend, the prophetElijah appeared to him, and he is understood by the major Kabbalists as being himself theGilgul of theArizal. His grandson,Solomon Moses Hai Gagin Sharabi, wrote a poem of praise on his mastery of theEtz Hayyim andShemonah She'arim ofHayyim Vital. Members of Bet El continue toprostrate themselves on his grave on theMount of Olives on the anniversary of his death.
Sharabi is credited with the miracle that opened theKotel to Jews.[1]
He was one of the earlier commentators on the works of theAri, a major source of Kabbalah. HisSiddur was known as the "Siddur Ha-Kavvanot," and is the mainsiddur used today by Kabbalists for prayer, meditation and Yeshiva study. It is asiddur with extensive Kabbalistic meditations by way of commentary.
His writings include "Emet va-Shalom", "Rehovot Hanahar", "Derech Shalom" and "Nahar Shalom" (edited byYedidyah Raphael Chai Abulafiya), in which he answers 70 questions of the Hahamim of Tunis, who were among the leadingSephardic authorities in the 18th century. He also commented on theminhagim (customs) of theYemenite Jews and compiled them in volumes known as "Minhagei Rashash", an exclusive edition of theShulchan Aruch, where he gives his interpretations of thehalachot, as well as noting the particular customs of theShami Yemenite community. These volumes are still actively used by this community to reach Halachic decisions regarding holidays, marriage and Shabbat services.
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