Students with even a cursory familiarity with Halacha, Jewish law, are aware of the importance of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yosef Karo’s comprehensive 15th century magnum opus that informs, directs, and inspires the daily behavior of observant Jews worldwide. Fewer people know, however, of the scholar that Rabbi Karo termed “the first pillar” of Jewish Law: the Algerian-born Rabbi Yitzchak al-Fasi, whose yahrtzeit is observed on the 10th of Iyar. Together with the rulings of Maimonides and R. Asher (“the Rosh”), Rabbi al-Fasi’s work formed the basis of all the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch.
The Old City of Fez
The Rif, as he has been known to generations of Yeshiva students, spent the majority of his life in Fez, Morocco (hence his surname, which means “of Fez”). At the age of 75 he was forced to flee persecution and settled in the Iberian Peninsula, where a more tolerant environment contributed to the famed Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. He established a Yeshiva in Lucena, and rapidly attracted a number of brilliant students, including Rabbi Yosef ibn Migash and the poet-philosopher Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Levi, author of The Kuzari. Among his students was Rabbi Baruch Albalia, the orphaned son of one of the Rif’s most vocal opponents. Despite a long-standing and public dispute, moments before he succumbed to an untimely illness the child’s father directed his son to turn to Rabbi Alfasi for support. Moved to tears by his rival’s words of forgiveness, the Rif compassionately took the young boy into his household and raised him to greatness.
The Rif composed hundreds of Rabbinic responsa in Arabic, but his greatest contribution to Torah literature is certainly his Sefer Halakhot, a brilliantly innovative work that revolutionized the study of The Talmud. Indeed, in regions like Italy where the study of Talmud was banned by Church authorities, the Sefer Halakhot served as its substitute for 300 years.
The genius behind Sefer Halakhot is not so much the information it contains as the information it omits. The Talmud is a massive, fantastically complex series of associations connected by a fine, delicate thread of argument. It is utterly unique, completely distinct from the Greco-Roman models of jurisprudence that dominate western culture. A tractate may be dedicated to a single subject – Shabbat, for example – but the content of that volume will draw from discussions in the entire corpus of Rabbinic literature. Absolutely nothing is tangential because every apparent distraction is followed to its logical conclusion before returning to the main line of discussion. Thus, while Tractate Shabbat is the locus classicus for a discussion of the seventh day, it also contains key discussions of a thousand topics, and other tractates also contain key information on Shabbat in turn.
Lucena Cordoba
The Rif radically simplified the study of Jewish law by creating a carefully edited version of the most widely researched tractates of the Talmud (especially those that dealt with contemporary practice). Sefer Halakhot, sometimes simply called “the Rif,” is thus a condensed, to-the-point version of the Talmudic back-and-forth, with occasional artful notes and clarifications by al-Fasi.
Of course, Rabbi al-Fasi’s surgical method sacrificed much fascinating material. Talmudic aggadah – meaning the cryptic legends, biographies, and other teachings of the Sages – was generally omitted, although the Rif included aggadah that had halachic implications. His editorial choice simplified halachic study at the expense of inspirational text, was later addressed by Rabbi Yaakov ibn Habib in his Ein Yaakov, essentially a mirror edition of the Rif that passed over most Halacha and preserved aggadah instead.
The Rif was a transitional, pivotal figure in the history of Torah scholarship. He was 25 when the last of the Babylonian Rabbis known as Geonim passed away, and thus he was among the first generation of scholars called Rishonim. His work earned prime Rabbinic real estate when it was included in the standard edition of the Vilna Talmud in the 1860s, printed as a primary reference for serious students. His scholarship has been praised by the greatest Rabbis over the last millennium, including a member of the school of Tosafot, Rabbi Yaakov of Marvege, who once went to sleep troubled by a controversy that questioned a halachic ruling of the Rif. In his dreams he was visited by a heavenly voice that quoted Genesis 17:21: I shall establish my covenant with Yitzchak. Indeed, as the First Pillar of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yitzchak al-Fasi’s covenant has been firmly established as definitive Jewish law.
(4) Feigele, May 29, 2016 8:39 PM
Cain and Abel's legacy!
Yes, Mike, it all started with Cain and Abel. Jealousy and wrath! As it is with every civilization, race, religion, neighbor, etc... even among Sephardic and Ashkenazi. How miserable is that? G-d must be so heartbroken to see his children perpetually following Cain and Abel’s attitude.
(3) Helen Schwab (Chaiah), May 24, 2016 3:22 AM
Thank you for this article.
I would enjoy learning more from articles like this, on the history of our great chachamim and gedolim. Please include what century you are discussing for future articles. We are left to infer from the RIF's influence on the Shulchan Aruch ("15th century"), that he predated that century, but we aren't told by how much he predated it.
Ra'anan, January 30, 2017 12:52 AM
I believe the RIF predates the Rambam by 2 generations...
The RIF's student HaRi MiGash was the Rambam's student so they are the same line of learning style which means that any time the Rambam "strays" from the RIF's decisions this deserves close attention to understand why & such situations are always fascinating.
(2) Mike, May 19, 2016 8:20 PM
Great Article!
Thank you for the great article!! Very informative and also very well written!
I remember listening to a recorded lecture of Rabbi Berel Wein about the history of the Jews of North Africa and if I remember correctly, he said that major rabbinical scholars had come from Babylonia to North Africa and (if I remember correctly) the wisdom of the North African rabbinal scholars can be traced back to Babylonia.
In a different tape (on the beginnings of Ashkenaz), Rabbi Wein had said that major rabbinical scholars had also come from Babylonia to Germany where the Jews had been offered favorable conditions and that they were instrumental in building the Yeshivot, in which later also Rashi learned. It is interesting that scholars from Germany (where the Jews later became persecuted) had fled/emigrated to spain. Also the tradition of the Rosh goes back to Germany.
Those rabbis also had influence on Spanish Jewry.
What I find very fascinating is that all those 'traditions' (if the word is appropriate) of North Africa, Ashkenaz/Germany, and Spain all have roots in Babylonia.
Someone I know once said that the Shulchan Aruch could also be seen in a way that HaRav Karo considered the opinions of two sephardic authorities and one ashkenazic authority.
It is interesting however that all those traditions (which may be perhaps from today's standpoint) be called Sephardic and Ashkenazic, ultimately are derived from the same origin, Babylon and there were not that many generations between the scholars that came from Babylon and the three rabbinical authorities Rif,Rambam and the Rosh. Also it is interesting that all of the came to the same place, Spain,from which HaRav Karo also came.
Perhaps in a time where sometimes unfortunately the 'differences' between Spharadim and Ashkenanzim are stressed, this could be a great unifier.
(and ultimately well all have the same origin, from Yacov Avinu/Israel)
(1) Menashe Kaltmann, May 18, 2016 10:09 AM
Very Welcome Article
Yasher Koach very interesting article on the RIF TZ"L Rabbi Al-Fasi
The RIF was two generations ahead of the Rambam, Maimonides of Blessed Memory TZ""L
i read once that before the RIF's Talmid or student,, the Then elderly Ri Migash passed away he Blessed the young before BarMitzva Maimoides!
The Rambam is a Talmid Talmid of the RIF, a student of the RIF's foremost students..