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Chacham Rav Ovadia Yoseph Zatzal (1920-2013)
His Yahrtzeit Is on Friday, 3 Cheshvan
Chacham Rav Ovadia Yosef was born in Iraq. He immigrated to Yerushalayim in 1924.
As a teenager he studied at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, where he learned under the rosh yeshiva, Rav Ezra Attiya. In 1949, after a brief stay in Cairo, Rav Ovadia studied at Bnei Zion, headed by Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank and also served on the Bais Din in Petach Tikva.
In 1952, he published the first of what would be many sefarim, Chazon Ovadia on hilchos Pesach.
Two years later he founded 'Or HaTorah' Yeshiva for gifted Sephardic Yeshiva students.Between 1953 and 1956, he published the first two volumes of his major work, Shailos U'Teshuvos Yabia Omer. Beginning in 1958, he served as Dayan in Yerushalayim. He was the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisroel from 1973 to 1983.
Other sefarim include Shailos U'Teshuvos Yechaveh Daas , Halichos Olam (commentary on the Ben Ish Hai), Anaf Etz Avos (on Pirkei Avos), Maor Yisroel (commentary on Shas), Yalkut Yosef (piskei halacha), Halachah Berurah (a halachic compendium) and others.
He gave many shiurim, for various audiences throughout Eretz Yisroel, and is credited for elevating Torah study throughout the Sephardic world and beyond.
He was recognized as a Talmid Chacham who mastered virtually all of Torah, and was revered by Sephardic Jewry as the final word in all areas of Halacha and Jewish life.
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