Hacham Moses Pardo


Hacham Moses Pardo

Date of Birth: 5570 (1810)
Date of Death: 16th of Av, 5648 (1888)
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A Short Tribute

Hacham Moses Pardo, son of Hacham David Raphael, was born in Jerusalem in 1810. He studied at the Hessed L'Abraham and Binyan Shlomo yeshivot with his friend and colleague, Rishon LeZion Hacham Shaul Elyashar.

 

In 1867 Hacham Moses Pardo was appointed Av Beit Din (President of the Rabbinic Court) for the Sephardi community. In 1870, he left for North Africa as a rabbinic emissary to raise funds for kollel study houses. On his way back to the Land of Israel, he was asked to replace recently deceased Hacham Nathan Amram as Rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt. He remained in this role for seventeen years, and in his writings he often expresses his longings for his birthplace, Jerusalem.

 

Hacham Moses Pardo passed away on 7 Av, 5648 (1888) and was buried in Alexandria. His writings are primarily halakhic: Tseddek U'Mishpat, Hora'ah D'Beit Din, and Shemo Moshe – a book of responsa. Hacham Moses Pardo also edited Hasdei David, and wrote a response to Hacham Eliyahu Ben Amozegh's Em LaMikra.

 

A few quotes from the Rabbi on Israel and the Nations
in response to a question concerning the leading of a Torah scroll procession on a Festival accompanied by musical instruments played by non-Jews

I received a question from a person seeking to dedicate a Torah scroll to the holy Eliyahu community in a procession on the first day of Shavuot. The local custom is to hold a procession with musical instruments played by non-Jews, for the Jews do not know if it is permissible to ask a non-Jew to prepare musical instruments on the eve of the Festival so that musicians may lead the Torah scroll with music on the following day. Should we be concerned about whether they might repair the musical instruments during the Festival?

Concerning our issue, it is certainly permitted. I gave my direct consent, all the more so because this has been the local custom in the past, as several proper individuals have testified before me, and rabbis preceding me had done so on several occasions.

 

Hacham Moses Pardo, From 'The Daily Sage'
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"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.”

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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).