A Short Tribute
Hacham Yoseph Faladji was born to Esterolla and Hacham Haim Faladji in 1815 in Izmir, Turkey. He learned Torah from his father, Hacham Bashi and chief head of the Rabbinic Courts of Izmir, and his eldest brother, Hacham Abraham Faladji, who eventually replaced their father as Rabbi of Izmir after his death in 1869.
Hacham Yoseph Faladji jointly authored VaYosesf Et Avraham with his brother, Hacham Abraham Faladji, on the attributes of Joseph the Righteous published in 1881, and VaYosef Et Ekhav, on Talmudic topics, published in 1896. His son, Hacham Binyamin Faladji, had She'erit Yosef, his last book of original commentary, published.
Hacham Yoseph Faladji passed away on 12 Tammuz 5656 (1896) and was buried in Izmir.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Israel and the Nations' in which he teaches that customs should be changed and the custom of the nations to rise when blessing the king should be followed
Although the customary blessing of His Majesty the King was once recited before the Ashrei Yoshvei Beitecha psalm, and this ancient custom has been observed here in Izmir for three hundred years, it was nevertheless moved and is recited when the Torah scrolls are taken out of the ark…Since it is the custom among the nations in all the cities under his dominion to rise when cheering His Majesty the King, we, the Sons of Israel, who are also the subjects of His Majesty the King, may his dominion endure, must rise when reciting the Blessing for His Majesty the King; we are to follow the customs of the nations of the world. Israel is to learn from the customs of non-Jews.
VaYosef Et Ekhav, Ma'arechet Beit, Section 3 p. 15b, Hacham Mordecai Barkai, Izmir, 1896
