Jacob Rakkaḥ (, ''Yaakov Rakkaḥ'') (1800 – 3 March 1891), also spelled Raccah, was a Sephardi

Hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''Chakam(i), Haham(i), Hacham(i), Hach''; ) is a term in Judaism meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise th ...

in the 19th-century Jewish community of

Tripoli, Libya Tripoli, historically known as Tripoli-of-the-West, is the capital city, capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.317 million people in 2021. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point ...

. He was a well-known ''

posek In Jewish law, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the application of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah, in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities are incon ...

'' (arbiter of Jewish law) for Sephardi Jews, a

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...

, and author of approximately 40 '' sefarim'', some of which were published during his lifetime.

Biography

Jacob Rakkaḥ was the son of Rabbi Solomon (Shlomo) Rakkaḥ and the great-great-grandson of Rabbi Mas'ud Hai Rakkah, author of ''Ma'aseh Rokeaḥ'', who had come to Libya as a '' shadar'' (rabbinical emissary) from Palestine and stayed to lead the Jewish community in Tripoli for 20 years. Jacob's brother, Zion, was also a Torah scholar. Like other Tripoli rabbis, Rakkaḥ did not wish to be supported by the community, and lived a life of poverty. He worked as an accountant for a large firm. He was known as a great Torah scholar and ''posek'' (arbiter of Jewish law). His depth of knowledge was exemplary; his halakhic opinions usually relied on tens of, and occasionally over 100, ''

poskim In Jewish law, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the application of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah, in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities are inconc ...

'' who preceded him. His halakhic opinions are still cited today; the

Siddur A siddur ( ''sīddūr'', ; plural siddurim ) is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word comes from the Hebrew root , meaning 'order.' Other terms for prayer books are ''tefillot'' () among Sephardi Jews, ''tef ...

Od Avinu Hai (), published by Machon Hai Hai, is based on his emendations to the '' nusach'' and laws of prayer for Sephardi Jews. Rakkaḥ founded at his own expense Yeshiva Rabbi Yaakov Tripoli, which housed an estimated 1,000 '' seforim'' and valuable manuscripts. The yeshiva convened nightly and craftsmen gathered to learn the

weekly Torah portion The weekly Torah portion refers to a lectionary custom in Judaism in which a portion of the Torah (or Pentateuch) is read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' (), is popularly abbre ...

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

. The yeshiva was destroyed by a bomber during World War II. In 1863 Rakkaḥ published the third volume of his great-great-grandfather's halakhic work, ''Ma'aseh Rokeaḥ''. His cousin and contemporary, Hakham Abraham Hayyim Adadi, who was a great-grandson of Mas'ud Hai Rakkaḥ, published the second volume of ''Ma'aseh Rokeaḥ'' in 1862. Rakkaḥ was a contemporary of many great rabbis in Tripoli and other countries. From his writings, it is evident that he had a close correspondence with Rabbi Chaim Palagi and Rabbi Benjamin Pontremoli, author of ''Petach HaDvir''. In Tripoli, his contemporaries were Rabbi Frajallah Dabush, Shalom Agib, Joseph Rubin, and others. Jacob Rakkah had 2 sons: Rabbi Abraham Rakkah and Rabbi Kamus Rakkah. His Hilula (commemoration of the day of death) on 23

Adar Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...

is celebrated each year in one of the Israeli moshavs populated by Libyan Jewish emigres.

Selected bibliography

*'' Shaarei Tefilla'' (1870), concerning laws of prayer, '' nusach'', and '' minhagim'' * ''Vayaged Yaakov'' (1869), on the Hebrew month of

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; from ) in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is an Akkadian language borrowing, although it ultimately originates in Sumerian ''nisag' ...

, the

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

Haggadah The Haggadah (, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a foundational Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table fulfills the mitzvah incumbent on every Jew to reco ...

, the

Counting of the Omer Counting of the Omer (, Sefirat HaOmer, sometimes abbreviated as Sefira) is a ritual in Judaism. It consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. The period of 49 days is known as the "omer p ...

, Birkat HaIlanot, and Birkat Hachama * ''Derech Chaim'' (1860) *
Pirsumei Nisa
' (1860), on the Hebrew month of

and the

* ''Shulchan Lechem HaPanim'' (7 volumes), notes and original insights on the

Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in ...

*
Maateh Tehilla
' (1858), commentary on the Book of

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

* ''Kishurim LeYaakov'' (1858), collection of prayers, elegies, and ethical discussions *
Kol Yaakov
' (1852), commentary on the Torah * ''Pri Etz Hadar'', on the laws of Tu BiShvat * ''Tov Lehodot'', commentary on the Book of Psalms *
Kolo Shel Yaakov
', commentary on the Torah * ''Bikkurim LaShem'' * ''Michtav LeYaakov'' * ''Minei Merkachat'' * ''HaOrach Mishor'' * ''Yeshuot Yaakov'' * ''Derech Yashar''

Rakkah-Adadi family tree

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rakkah, Jacob Libyan rabbis 19th-century Sephardi Jews People from Tripoli, Libya 1800 births 1891 deaths

Biography

Selected bibliography

Rakkah-Adadi family tree

Further reading

Notes