Hacham Yitzhak Mejaled


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A Short Tribute

Hacham Yitzhak Mejaled was born to Miriam Levi and Hachak Abraham Ben Shlomo in Baghdad, Iraq in 1835. His maternal grandfather, Hacham Moshe, was a leading Babylonian sage, and it was through his inspiration that a large Talmud Torah was founded in Baghdad.

Hacham Yitzhak Mejaled studied Torah at the Beit Zalicha study house and was one of Hacham Abdallah Somech's principal students.

In 1855 he began to serve as shochet in Baghdad and became known as Hacham Yitzhak Shochet.

In 1871 he began to officiate as second and third dayan in the Baghdad rabbinic court, and between 1893 and 1905 he officiated as the Hacham Bashi [Chief Rabbi] replacement. Over the years he certified ritual slaughterers and kashrut supervisors in Baghdad.

Hacham Yitzhak Mejaled married Freicha, Hacham Moshe Hillel' daughter, and the couple had five sons and four daughters.

Hacham Yitzhak Mejaled passed away on 1 Elul 5680 (1920) and as buried in Baghdad.

His work was published in Akim Et Yitzhak – sermons and responsa, and a collection of halakhic rules concerning shechita  and bediqa, in Tzalach Rakhev – commentary on the Pentateuch, Prophets and Writings, and Tehilot Israel – a commentary on the Book of Psalms

A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Customs of Israel' in which he rules to accord a widow more than is required so that she may . . . . as do others???
The Rabbi [author of] Beit Oved wrote on the halakhic rules concerning Hanukkah … that those who inherit are obligated to provide the widow with oil for Hanukkah to light each and every night, and are obligated to provide all requirements for commandments that have physical requirements…
It seems to me that since it is the custom to increase [lights] each night, as the Rabbi of the Shulchan Aruch wrote, and we have not heard that in our day "one light for each person and their household" [applies] but rather that people all add [a light] every night, that although inheritors are not obligated by law to provide more that the oil for a single light for each night, they are obligated to do so because of the custom in any case, and must give her oil so that she may add [a light] each night. Since it was the custom her entire life with her husband to add a light, even if she renounces before the inheritors and agrees to light a single light each night, she may not ignore the custom. All the more so if she does not wish to ignore the custom.
Akim Et Yotzhak, Responsa, Section 44, p. 104b, Shmuel Nissim Yonah Press, Tel Aviv, 1971

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