Hacham Avraham Dahan


Hacham Avraham Dahan

Date of Birth: 8th of Tevet, 5675 (1915)
Date of Death: 5th of Cheshvan, 5769 (2009)
The Daily Sage, a database of Jewish Spanish sages
A Short Tribute

Hacham Avraham Dahan was born to Issa and Rabbi Meir on 8 Tevet, 5675 (1915) in the village of Assamar, in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. The Dahan family goes back to King David, as indicated by their original name, Adahan (Hebrew acronym of "I am King David the anointed"). In 1929, at the age of 14, Hacham Avraham Dahan traveled to the big city of Marrakesh to study with Hacham Machluf Abuhazeira and other scholars. He trained in ritual slaughter and circumcision with Hacham Abuhazeira.

In 1935, at the age of 20, Hacham Avraham Dahan married Sa'ada Azrad, who died without bearing any children. He married Zohara, his first wife's sister, at the age of 32.

Hacham Avraham Dahan served as a shochet and mohel, He had a pleasant voice, and was also a cantor and read the Torah. He refused payment for fulfilling these commandments and earned a living as a teacher, traveling by foot from village to village in the region in which he lived. With time, he was appointed rabbi of Assamar, his hometown.

In 1956 Hacham Avraham Dahan had his entire community immigrate to Israel. Despite the fact that some of them scattered and settled in different places, he made sure to maintain the links between the families and continued to lead them in Israel as he had in Morocco.

Hacham Avraham Dahan settled in the Mle'ah moshav , located in in the Ta'anach region, south of the town of Afula. He served as rabbi of Gadish and Nir Yaffe, adjacent villages, as well. He undertook the responsibility of child education and had a school established to meet local families' needs. As rabbi of the moshav, he participated in the community's physical labor, planting trees and digging ditches for the Jewish National Fund.

Hacham Avraham Dahan lived to a ripe old age and passed away on 5 Cheshvan 5769 (2009). His community named their synagogue Maguen Avraham after him. Hacham Avraham Dahan wrote several works, but his only published book was Zichronot Avraham, containing his original Torah commentary  and sermons.

A few quotes from the Rabbi on Israel and the Nations
in which he teaches that it is an attribute of the righteous to attend to the positive aspects of people

"Noticing Joseph's sons, Israel asked, Who are these?" He foresaw that Jeroboam, son of Nevet, would issue from Ephraim, and Jahu, son of Nimshi from Manasseh, and therefore wondered, “Where did these come from, they do not deserve a blessing”. "Bring them to me," he said, “that I may bless them." Here is an attribute of the righteous, who look at the positive aspect of things, and by so doing have physical and spiritual influence. This certainly is an attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, about whom it says, "abounding in kindness". In Tractate Rosh Hashanah, our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the Holy One, blessed be He, tends to kindness, meaning that even a person whose good deeds are found to equal his misdeeds gains the privilege of being next to righteous persons in the World-to-Come.

Hacham Avraham Dahan, Zichronot Avraham, VaYehi Torah reading portion, pp. 104-105, published by the family, 2009 From 'The Daily Sage'
Support the Daily Sage


"It is our custom to light a yahrzeit candle in honor of the memory of the Sages, as it is said: “the life breath of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). And it is good to add from the light of the Torah to the light of the candle, as it is said “For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching is a light” (Proverbs 6:23). And it is good to increase the teaching of the Sage on the anniversary of his death, as Rabbi Yochanan based on the teachings of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said, “Each scholar whose sayings are taught in this world, his lips speak from the grave (Bechorot 31B).”

“Even if all of the skies are a blank parchment, and all human beings are clerks, and all of the forests are quills, we would never be able to write down what our Sages have taught us. But even a few righteous are also good, and thanks to the sacred Torah and the teachings that Israel will learn in the Sage’s name on the anniversary of his death, the Holy One Blessed be He, will share our part with them, and we will never be ashamed because of our faith in the Holy One Blessed be He, and on his great benevolence and truth will we lean, for He hides his abundant goodness for those who are worthy and revere Him.”

The Daily Sage - An online database of Sephardic Jewish Sages

Rabbi Chananaia son of Akashia stated, God wanted to grant merits to Israel, therefore he gave them many laws and commandments as it states, "Because God wants righteousness he increased the amount of Torah and splendor." (Isaiah 42:21).