Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar

Date of Birth: Elul, 5415 (1655)
Date of Death: 19th of Sivan, 5493 (1733)

The Daily Sage, a database of Jewish Spanish sages

A Short Tribute

Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar was born in Fes, Morocco in 1655.

He devoted his youth to Torah and studied with Hacham Vidal Haserfaty and Hacham Menahem Serero. He learned the craft of jewelry-making to earn a livelihood and became famous among Jews and non-Jews alike for the expert quality of his craftsmanship.

In 1684, when he realized that his students who were not skilled at preaching in public despite their extensive knowledge in Talmud and Halakha, he began to teach them the art of oratory. Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar would gather them every Sabbath at the hour of the Afternoon Prayer and give a sermon on the weekly Reading Portion; each week a different student would follow with his own sermon. These sermons have been collected in the book entitled Minhat Yehuda.

In 1698 Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar was appointed Dayan, joining his teachers Hacham Vidal Haserfaty and Hacham Menahem Serero in the rabbinic court.

In 1701 he was forced to move to Meknes along with many other Jews from Fes, after King Ismael levied a heavy tax of the Jews of Fes. He officiated at the Meknes rabbinic court with his teachers and with the sages of Meknes.

In 1713, after Hacham Vidal and Hacham Samuel Haserfaty died, he officiated as the only Dayan in Meknes until, as head of the rabbinic court, he was joined by Hacham Yaakov Even Tsur (known as HaYaBE"TZ), his collegial student.

Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar eventually returned to Fes as the Jewish community's leader. He made many amendments for his community on various issues - including taxes, commerce, outlay for festivities, loans from non-Jews and more. He was known for his great sensitivity to the community's suffering; his home was always open to those seeking answers or in need of a sympathetic listener.

Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar left this world on 19 Sivan 5493 (1733), at the age of seventy-seven, and was buried in Fes. His burial place became a pilgrimage site for prayer and solace.

Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar authored many works, some of which have yet to be published: Minhat Yehuda – sermons on the Torah, Shir Miketem – laws governing shechita and treifa, divorce and halitza, a book of responsa and rulings; there are references to a commentary he wrote on Midrash Rabba.

A few quotes from the Rabbi on Customs of Israel

in which he teaches that the wise women prepare so that the weepers at funerals evoke tears

"Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the wise women, that they may come". One cannot but ask why "consider" is used for the mourning women, while "send", referring to an invisible messenger, is used for the wise women. In addition to adding wisdom to the mourning women, the text says "call", meaning call them yourselves. There are, one must say, two types [of weepers]: one type is the wise women, who have the ability to compose a lament for each and every matter, and can sing an original and appropriate lament. Should they, however, not be the ones present at the funeral, because they are less skilled in this, there is the second type - those who sing the laments composed by skilled ones in clear and beautiful language, and who weep at funerals. Therefore it says 'consider ye and call', referring to those women who hold the principal role at the funeral, for without them there is no need for what the wise women compose. They must be called personally, not summoned by a messenger, for it is they who will evoke our tears immediately. The eyes of those who find it difficult to weep, when hearing a new lament, will then immediately begin shedding tears.

Hacham Yehuda Ben Atar, Minhat Yehuda, Mishpatim Reading Portion, Ahavat Shalom Publishing, Jerusalem, 2000 From 'The Daily Sage'