Yaakov Moshe Ayash
Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Ayash | |
|---|---|
יעקב משה עייאש | |
 Ayash's gravestone | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1727 |
| Died | January 14, 1817 (aged 89-90) Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire |
| Resting place | Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Sect | Sephardic Judaism |
| Jewish leader | |
| Predecessor | Moshe Yosef Mordechai Meyuchas |
| Successor | Yaakov Coral |
| Position | Rishon LeZion |
Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Ayash (Hebrew: יעקב משה עייאש; 1727—January 14, 1817) was one of the Chief Sephardic Rabbis in the Land of Israel during the early 19th century.[1]
Early life
Ayash was born in Algiers in 1727 to Rabbi Yehuda Ayash, who served as Chief Rabbi for the city. In 1756, he immigrated to the Land of Israel with his father and several other emigrants from Algeria.[2] In 1779, he went on a mission from Jerusalem to Morocco as a shliach and negotiated halakha with Moroccan sages.[3]
Emissary status and residence in Italy
From 1783 to 1784, he resided in Livorno, where he helped print several Jewish books, including his father's commentary Mate Yehuda on the Shulchan Aruch,[4][5] and Shema Yaakov, which was a book of sermons on the Torah by Israel Yaakov Algazi. He lived in Italy for 22 years, and served as the rabbi for the community of Siena for 12 of them.[6] He then served as the rabbi of Ferrara for the last 10.[7] He made another special visit, to Mantua, in 1795.[8]
He printed many books during his time in Italy, including many siddurim, as well as Derech Chaim,[9] and Effri Zutri by Rabbi Yaakov Pardo, the son of David Pardo. He was very successful as a book publisher and received funding from many wealthy Livornese to help him in his business.[10] In the books he helped published, he inserted many excerpts alluding to his wish to return back to Ottoman Palestine. Among his students during this period were Graziadio Nepi[11] and Yaakov Yisrael Carmi.
19th century and final years
Ayash returned to Jerusalem in 1803 and was helped by Florentine Rabbi Hezekiah Manoah Chaim Raphael to establish "Chaim v'Chesed", a Yeshiva.[1] Two years later, he was appointed head of the Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael,[12] which his father headed decades prior.
In 1806, he was elected to be the Rishon LeZion,[13] which he served as until his death on January 14, 1817.[9]
Family
His son, Rabbi David Ayash, settled in the city of Nablus.[14]
References
- 1 2 Gaon, Moshe David (1937). יהודי המזרח בארץ ישראל (in Hebrew). Vol. II. Azriel Press. p. 528. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (2007). Report of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. The Centre. p. 56.
- ↑ Yerushalayim (in Hebrew). p. 160.
- ↑ Rosanes, Salomon A. (1930). Divre yeme Yiśraʾel be-Togarmah: ʻal-pi meḳorot rishonim (in Hebrew). Devir. p. 268.
- ↑ עייאש, יהודה (1990). שו״ת בית יהודה: שאלות ותשובות על ארבע חלקי השולחן ערוך (in Hebrew). מכון בני יששכר.
- ↑ בניהו, מאיר (2003). רבי חיים יוסף דוד אזולאי (in Hebrew). מוסד הרב קוק. p. 253.
- ↑ Elmaleh, Abraham (1928). מזרח ומערב (in Hebrew). א. אלמאליח. p. 318.
- ↑ Simonsohn, Shlomo (1962). תולדות היהודים בדוכסות מנטובה (in Hebrew). מכון בן־צבי. p. 361.
- 1 2 אלמאליח, אברהם (1970). הראשונים לציון: תולדותיהם ופעולתם (in Hebrew). ר. מס. p. 153.
- ↑ Cohen, Richard I.; Dohrmann, Natalie B.; Reiner, Elchanan; Shear, Adam (31 December 2014). Jewish Culture in Early Modern Europe: Essays in Honor of David B. Ruderman edited by Richard I. Cohen, Natalie B. Dohrmann, Adam Shear and Elchanan Reiner. Hebrew Union College Press. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-8229-8036-0.
- ↑ Salah, Asher (2007). La République des Lettres: Rabbins, écrivains et médecins juifs en Italie au XVIIIe siècle (in French). Leiden: Brill. pp. 472–474. ISBN 9789047403418. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ↑ שרביט, יוסף (2010). תולדות יהודי אלג'יריה בעידן הצרפתי, 1830-1962 (in Hebrew). משרד הביטחון. p. 69. ISBN 978-965-05-1482-2.
- ↑ Maimon, Sam Bension (1993). The Beauty of Sephardic Life: Scholarly, Humorous, and Personal Reflections. Maimon Ideas Publications. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-9636764-0-5.
- ↑ "Nablus - Shechem: Their Very Jewish Roots". jewishmag.com. Retrieved 12 April 2026.