Hayim David HaLevi (24 January 1924 – 10 March 1998) (),
was
Sephardi
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...
of
Tel Aviv-Yafo
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
.
Biography
Hayim David HaLevi was born in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. He studied under Rabbi
Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel
Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel (, born 23 May 1880, died 4 September 1953), sometimes rendered as Ouziel, was the Sephardi chief rabbi of Mandatory Palestine from 1939 to 1948, and of Israel from 1948 until his death in 1953.
Biography
Ben-Zion Meir Ha ...
at the
Porat Yosef Yeshiva
Porat Yosef Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת פורת יוסף) is a Sephardic yeshiva in Jerusalem, with locations in both the Old City and the Geula neighborhood. The name Porat Yosef means "Joseph is a fruitful tree" after the biblical verse Genesi ...
. When R. Uziel was appointed Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, he hired HaLevi as his personal secretary. HaLevi served in the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
(IDF) during
1948 Arab-Israeli War
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
.
Rabbinic career
He was appointed chief rabbi of
Rishon Le-Zion
Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan a ...
in 1951. In 1964, he became a member of Israel's Chief Rabbinate Council. He became chief rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 1973, taking over from R.
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef ( he, , Ovadya Yosef, ; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, a posek, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983, and a founder and long-time spiritual leader of Israel's ultra-Orthodo ...
. HaLevi was known for his clear-headed approach to ''
halakha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
'', particularly relating to the Jewish state. Though unquestionably tied to Sephardi ''
minhag
''Minhag'' ( he, מנהג "custom", classical pl. מנהגות, modern pl. , ''minhagim'') is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, ''Nusach (Jewish custom), Nusach'' (), refers to the traditional order and fo ...
'', liturgy and ''halakha'', HaLevi also included
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
''halakhic'' positions and customs in his books and responsa.
HaLevi is said to be the first rabbi to issue a Halachic prohibition on smoking.
Awards and recognition
In 1997, HaLevi was awarded the
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
, for Rabbinical studies.
Published works
*''Mekor Hayim haShalem'', a five-volume account of Jewish law and practice with reasons, in easy language.
*''Kitzur Shulchan Arukh Mekor Hayim'', a one-volume digest of the above code giving practical conclusions only.
*''Aseh L'kha Rav'', a collection of
responsa
''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...
.
*''Dvar HaMishpat'', a commentary on Maimonides's Hilchot Sanhedrin.
*''Torat Hayim'', 3 volumes of essays about the weekly parasha and the Jewish holydays.
*''Mayim Hayim'', responsa
*''The life of Rabbi Ben Zion Meir Chai Uziel''
*''Dat Umidina,'' (Religion and state) an approach of how to balance religion and state (Published 1968)
See also
*
List of Israel Prize recipients
This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022.
List
For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
References
Further reading
* ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'', "Halevi, Hayim David"
*
Aseh L'khah Rav 1:23 on the lack of a clear commandment concerning conversion', "Halevi, Hayim David, translated in 2010 by Jeffrey A. Spitzer (Hebrew and English)
* Urim Publications: Rabbi Haim David Halevy - Gentle Scholar and Courageous Thinker
'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halevi, Hayim David
1924 births
1998 deaths
Sephardi rabbis
Israel Prize in Rabbinical literature recipients
Israel Prize Rabbi recipients
Chief rabbis of Tel Aviv
Levites
Exponents of Jewish law
Authors of books on Jewish law