Raphael Ben Mordechai Ankawa, also spelled Ankavah or Encouau, (1848–1935) was the

Chief Rabbi Chief Rabbi () is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a capitulation by Ben-Zion Meir ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

and a noted commentator,

talmudist The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

, ''

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 ...

'', and author.

Biography

Born in

Salé Salé (, ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Along with some smaller nearby towns, Rabat and Salé form together a single m ...

in 1848, he is known to the Jews of North Africa as "Malach Raphael" or the Angel Raphael. In 1880, he became President of the Rabbinical Court or '' Beit Din'' in Sale and founded a ''

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

'' there. In 1918, he was appointed the first

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the High Rabbinical Court of

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

, Morocco. He published numerous works on jurisprudence, including ''Karne Reem'' (Jerusalem 1910), ''Hadad Vetema'' (Jerusalem 1978), ''Paamone Zahav'' (Jerusalem 1912), and ''Paamon Ve-Rimon'' (Jerusalem 1967); some of them continue to be regarded as authoritative.

Funeral and legacy

His funeral, on 3 August 1935, was visited by over 50,000 followers. His grave became a place of Jewish pilgrimage. Rabbi Ankawa is survived by hundreds of descendants today, mostly in Israel, France, Venezuela and the United States. Leading Halachic rabbis refer to his books as sources for contemporary Jewish legal works.

Bibliography

* Ankawa, Raphael ben Mordecai. Sefer Pa`amone zahav: rigle `emdah be-mishor Be-makhelim avarekh et H. ... / koh divre Refa'el ben Mordechai Ankava. Pp. 179 .e. 358 Yerushala m: Bi-defus Sh. ha-Levi Tsukerman, 672 912 * Ankawa, Raphael ben Mordecai. Sefer Sh. u-t. Karne re'em. [Brooklyn: Ahim Goldenberg,2 vols. 752 (1991). 2 v. * Ankawa, Raphael ben Mordecai. Sefer To`afot Re'em: she'elot u-teshuvot be-arba`ah helke Shulhan `arukh / pe`ulat Refa'el Ankava. Pp. 28, 180 (i.e. 360) 52. Yerushalayim: Hotsa'at Ahavat Shalom, 760 [1999] * Ankawa, Raphael ben Mordecai. Sefer Karne Re'em: she'elot u-teshuvot be-`inyene Shulhan `arukh Yoreh de`ah, Even ha-`ezer ve-Hoshen mishpat / pe`ulat Refa'el Ankava. Pp. 24, 251 [i.e. 502]. Yerushalayim: Hotsa'at Ahavat Shalom, 760

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ankawa, Raphael ben Mordecai 1848 births 1935 deaths 19th-century Moroccan rabbis 20th-century Moroccan rabbis Kabbalists Chief rabbis of Morocco People from Salé Moroccan writers