Published and prepared by HaRav Avrohom Shoshanah, Machon
Ofeq
An original manuscript has been published recently for the
first time, together with annotations and commentaries, a
lengthy introduction about the author and the period in
which he lived, an index of sources and a large detailed
subject index. The editor is Rav Avrohom Shoshanah and the
publisher Machon Ofeq, Yerushalayim 5761. The book consists
of two elegant volumes, containing 892 pages.
Rabbenu Eliyahu ben Rav Elkana Capsali, the author of the
book Meah Shearim was born around the year 5250
(1490). He was a great and renowned rov in his time, a
generation full of gedolim. He was famous as a
posek and dayan and an important leader of the
Chadian community, which in the era after the expulsion of
the Jews from Spain and Portugal was considered the
principal and most influential kehilla of the Greek
Islands. Its authority extended over all the communities of
the region.
During his career as the head of the community and then as
rov and leader, Rav Eliyohu, in an extended period of
rabbonus, left his mark not only on his followers in
Candia and its surroundings, but also on the farthest
islands.
As a rov and leader who was aware of the events in other
Jewish communities, Rav Eliyahu Capsali maintained close
ties with all the big centers of the Diaspora. In his youth
he learned in the yeshiva of Mahari Mintz and was friendly
with the gedolim of his generation, amongst them
Maharam Padua, Maharam Aleskar, the Radbaz, and the Beis
Yosef, with all of whom he exchanged halachic responsa. He
wrote on all areas of the Torah and was proficient in
Kabalah.
Although Rabbeinu Eliyahu was a giant in his time, his
compositions were not printed and they remained hidden
amongst manuscripts for hundreds of years. His book
Takonos Candia Vezichronoseho was published only
sixty years ago, and it gives us some insight into his great
activities, regulations and his public agenda in leading the
community. Following that, his historical book Seder
Eliyahu Zuta was published. This book tells the story of
the history of the Turkish kingdom and that of its Jewish
population, as well as the annals of the Portuguese and
Spanish kingdoms and their Jewish subjects up to the
expulsion of Spanish Jewry.
In addition to these two books a manuscript of his work
No'am VeChovalim has also been also published in the
last few years, in which he responds to Rav Dovid Vital, the
son-in-law of Maharadach Mikorfu, who wanted to remove from
the rabbinate Rav Binyomin ben Rav Matisyohu Marta the
author of the responsa Binyomin Ze'ev. Not only did
Rav Eliyahu Capsali disagree with him but he also responded
to all his arguments. With the publication of this
composition Rav Eliyohu's halachic standing became clear for
all to see, as he writes authoritatively in the most
difficult halachic topics. He gets to the bottom of each
halocho and analyzes each source with outstanding
sharpness and proficiency, offering his responses with an
all-encompassing clarity.
We have now merited the publication of one of his large
halachic compositions, the book Meah Shearim
published by Machon Ofeq, which has bestowed upon the public
many unknown and hidden manuscripts of the Rishonim
and great Acharonim. HaRav Avrohom Shoshanah, the
head of the institute, took upon himself the publication of
this important book. In addition to commentaries and
elucidations to the book he added a lengthy introduction
about Rav Eliyohu Capsali, his works, biography, and his
great activities for Torah and connections with the
gedolim of the Turkish kingdom and the Greek cities,
as well as the chachomim of Yerushalayim, Tzfas, and
Egypt. The introduction also analyses the content of the
book, its characteristics and sources and the author's
approach to halocho and aggada. These chapters
are extremely interesting and almost constitute a book on
their own. Of special note are the various very detailed
indexes that have been added to the book, especially the
subject index which allows the reader to easily find any of
the many and varied subjects the book deals with.
Meah Shearim is a book consisting of one hundred
chapters which deals with the mitzvah of kibbud ov
vo'eim in halochoh and aggada. Its central
theme is the supremacy of this mitzvah and the obligations
it entails. This mitzvah is of supreme importance as it
stands in the center of the Aseres Hadibros and
serves as a kind of model and foundation for the observance
of the entire Torah, since a person who is not capable of
gratitude to his earthly parents who invested so much effort
in bringing him up and bestowed love and good upon him, will
not be able to appreciate the good that Hakodosh Boruch
Hu does for His Creations and will not be able to serve
Him properly.
Until the eightieth chapter the book discusses the mitzvah
of kibbud ov vo'em and the many subjects connected to
it. The following four chapters are dedicated to the great
qualities of this mitzvah and its rewards as well as the
obligation to be brisk and careful in its performance. The
remaining fifteen chapters deal with a topic related to that
of honoring parents: the education of children to Torah and
mitzvos, and the acquisition of good middos which the
son learns from the father.
The title of the book, Meah Shearim seems to be a
reference to the book's one hundred chapters, but the editor
claims, rightly, that this is not the main reason for the
name. The manuscript is missing the author's introduction,
but the publisher was aided by the end of the book to
explain its name. The following is part of the conclusion of
the book: "Therefore whoever fulfills [the mitzvah of
kibbud ov vo'em] in all its details as we have
explained, will merit the next life and will merit to be
blessed with one hundred blessings, in the same way that the
righteous man, the foundation of the world, Yitzchok Ovinu
o"h was blessed because he honored his father and
feared him more than any of the righteous in his time, to
the extent of allowing himself to be slaughtered and tied so
that he would not quiver, all in order to fulfill his
father's will."
Here the editor writes: "This is what is written
(Bereishis 26,12), `And Yitzchok sowed in that land
and found in that year one hundred gates,' and Rashi
explains, `each one produced one hundred more than
anticipated.' The author holds that this blessing of great
abundance is set aside for anyone who is particular about
the performance of this mitzvoh. It seems that this is the
reason why the author divided the book up into 100 sections
and called it Meah Shearim in order to hint at the
great blessings, which will be the lot of anyone who is
particular about the performance of this mitzvoh.
The author repeats this idea several times throughout the
sefer, that anyone who honors his parents will be
rewarded by Hakodosh Boruch Hu, will be blessed by
Him and be the recipient of His loving kindness (pg.44), and
that a person will reap the rewards of this mitzva in this
life (pp. 240, 359, 365, 379, 595). He compares mitzvas
kibbud ov Vo'em to a tall tree, which protects anyone
that seeks refuge in its shade (pp.293, 305). Already at the
beginning of the book the author testifies to the
following:
"We have seen with our own eyes and our fathers have told us
about people who honored their parents properly and treated
them kindly. Hashem does not deprive anyone of their just
rewards, especially when it comes to a mitzvah of this
magnitude. He blessed their storehouses and endeavors and
their cattle multiplied manifold. As for people who did not
honor their parents properly, we have heard and seen that
Hashem hid His face from them, even though they were wealthy
and honored, eventually they were destroyed. We have also
witnessed that whoever honored their parents properly, their
children also honored them properly, and whoever did not
honor their parents properly, their children also did not
honor them and did not treat them properly, as Chazal told
us `Everything has been annulled, but the `measure for
measure' principle has not.'"
The author in his book cites all the sources on kibbud ov
Vo'em from both halocho and aggada. He has
not forgotten one source from the Torah, Mishna, Talmud,
Agodas and Midroshim, Tosfos and
chiddushim, poskim and commentaries, the Zohar
and other kabbalistic literature, as well as incidents
from the lives of gedolim. In addition, he writes
about some central aspects in the education of children,
introducing many other subjects at the same time. For each
topic he cites proofs and references from earlier sources,
explaining them and drawing halachic conclusions.
He first points out that we should study the stories in
Tanach and Chazal about the relationship between sons
and fathers and vice versa, and these must teach us
the correct approaches to kibbud ov Vo'em
(pp.71,117). The author has a special method of
investigating and analyzing stories in Tanach about
the relationship between sons and fathers, comparing the
stories not only for the sake of commentary, but also in
order to derive halachic conclusions from them. He adopts
the same approach to stories of Chazal.
In addition to Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, Mishna and
Tosefta, a plethora of halachic and aggadic
Midroshim are cited by the author, including many
Midroshim and Rishonim, whose manuscripts were
used by the author, and which are unknown today, either
because they are lost, or because they are still in
manuscript form. The reader will find references from the
Zohar in the index, which we do not possess. The author must
obviously have used a manuscript of the Zohar, which
includes additional sections to those which appear in the
published editions of the Zohar. There are also numerous
quotations from books of the rishonim on all areas of
the Torah, including ones which we hear about for the first
time from the author, such as "Sha'arei Teshuva of
Rabbeinu Yehuda Hachosid z"l" (pg. 220). In his
introduction, the editor writes about Rav Eliyohu Capsali's
important library, a large part of which is to be found in
the Vatican library nowadays.
Besides the sources from the Torah, the Talmud, Chazal and
the Rishonim, the author also writes about the
behavior and traditions of rabbonim which are connected to
any particular topic. Through these he catches our attention
and provides the ideas presented with a practical flavor.
In chapter 84, for example (pp. 383-384), he writes: "When I
was in Yeshivas Padua drinking from the wisdom of my
Ashkenazi rabbonim, may their Torah be increased and
glorified, I saw an important and lofty custom amongst them.
This I saw and will recount: every erev Shabbos and
erev Yom Tov after ma'ariv the sons go to
their fathers and prostate themselves before them, falling
upon their knees and kissing their fathers' hands, and their
fathers put their hands upon their sons' heads and bless
them. This is the custom of the sons for as long as their
fathers are alive. Even if the sons are old and have
children and grandchildren of their own, so long as their
fathers are alive they receive their blessings out of love,
and do not refrain from bowing their heads before their
fathers like a reed, eagerly receiving their blessing, thus
showing that they are subject to their authority and rule--
and from the day that I witnessed this custom, I desired its
beauty in my heart and I said that if G-d will be with me,
and I will return safely to my father's house, I would adopt
this custom myself. And this I did, and when I returned to
my country and father's house I adopted this custom for many
years, even after my marriage. If Hashem would have given me
the privilege of having sons, I would have trained them in
this custom, for it is an invaluable tool for the son to
acquire the fear of Heaven. As it is, because of my sins or
my mazal, I am childless."
The sefer contains many incidents connected with
rabbonim as well as other public figures.
Rabbeinu Eliyohu is also not averse to denouncing negative
trends of his period. In this context we may refer to
Chapter 87. In this long chapter, which mainly talks about
the essence and nature of yiras Shomayim, the author
also discusses at length the spiritual image of the real
chacham, whose whole life and behavior serves as a
model for the public. The author states that the real
chacham for whom one stands up is someone who is
known for his good deeds, because the Torah only commanded
us to stand up for a chacham since wisdom leads to
action. At that point he goes into a lengthy halachic
discussion about a talmid chochom who commits
transgressions. He concludes with a criticism of hollow
rabbinic titles.
The reader may gauge how many halachic chiddushim the
book contains by casting a brief glance at the subject
index. Many other general issues are discussed, with a
treatment of both their halachic and their mussar
aspects, as well as principles from the Talmud and
poskim.
We shall mention a chiddush which recurs several
times in the book, and which it seems that people do not pay
enough attention to. The author's opinion is that apart from
leaving one's parents in order to learn Torah, a son may
only leave his parents and move to another place if he
receives their permission to do so (pp. 71, 272), for it is
wrong for a son to depart from his father's and mother's
house without their knowledge (page 221), for one of the
aspects of honoring parents is that the son will always be
in the vicinity of his parents to be able to ask them about
their needs and fulfill their wishes (page 383). Even when
he does leave them and moves to another place in a situation
where this is permitted, he must always inquire after their
well being, for an integral part of the mitzvah is that a
son should not part from his parents' company, leaving them
alone, particularly when they are elderly and bereft of
their strength (pp. 72-75).
Rav Eliyohu is of the opinion that the son is obligated to
honor his parents even when this involves danger. This idea
recurs several times throughout the book (pp. 74, 76, 86,
89, 112). Since this is a chidush, the editor has
dedicated a special supplementary section to clarifying this
topic.
Despite the author's lengthy exposition of the details of
the mitzvah of kibbud ov vo'eim which incorporates
all areas of Torah, and although we may comfortably assert
that he has not neglected any aspect of this mitzvah, he
informs us that he has not exhausted the topic, since this
mitzvah is limitless and his work is only to be considered
as a description of "general principles," based on which the
student can make his own comparisons and analogies. He
writes the following (pg. 71):
"Everyone must contemplate all the material and stories in
the Tanach and in Chazal about the relationship
between children and parents, and draw their own conclusions
to honor his parents and fear them, and fulfill their needs
at each particular time and place. Let him always be
particular in using every opportunity to see to their
requirements down to the finest details. I open my hand with
the assistance of the One Who opens His hand and satisfies
every living being with favor, to show the students and all
the nations and princes the details of this awesome mitzvah
by citing direct sources and by way of deduction. This way
any person with intellect will be in a position to make his
own deductions, `That the wise man may hear, and increase in
learning, and the man of understanding may attain wise
counsels.'"
We should point out that the style of the book is of
unequaled beauty and clarity. Rav Eliyohu had a poetic soul,
and his language is characterized by lyrical and rich
expressions. The following quotation in praise of mitzvas
kibbud ov vo'eim may serve as an example of his unique
style:
"I would say that because of its importance the
mitzvah of honoring a parent may be compared to a
great tree pleasant to behold and a delight for the eyes,
eagerly enjoyed by onlookers, with an aqueduct running
underneath it, providing it with water and cultivating it
until it grows and grows, eventually reaching the very
heavens. Its shade is pleasant and its fruit sweet. It has
superior leaves and beautiful branches, as well as a
magnificent treetop containing the choicest fruit. In due
course its roots and branches spread out until the earth is
filled with them. All passersby, both young men and maidens,
old men and children, princes and judges of the world, sit
underneath it, enjoying its shade, beauty and goodness. The
tree protects them from the sun and the rain. Sometimes they
partake of the fruit, eating to their hearts' content and
delighting in them. It is the same with anybody who finds
shelter under the aegis of his father's and mother's house.
Protecting them and invigorating them, serving as their
shield and protective wall, an iron pillar -- and a refuge --
from the rain (pg.293).
In a similar vein, we may state about Meah Shearim
that it is "pleasant to behold and a delight for the eyes,
eagerly enjoyed by onlookers." All who enter its orchard
will delight in its all-encompassing beauty, which covers
both halochos and agodos, stories and customs,
incidents and rebukes.
The publication of this wonderful work sheds tremendous
light on a topic to which earlier gedolim only
dedicated some isolated chapters. There can be no doubt that
the discovery of this manuscript fulfills a need in our
generation for strengthening the link between children and
parents and the generational chain as a whole. We can only
hope that with Hashem's help Machon Ofeq, and its head, Rav
Avrohom Shoshanah, will continue to provide the Torah-
learning public with pearls from the Rishonim, and we
wish them much success in the continuation of the great
project, which they have taken upon themselves with such
painstaking efforts of putting out the works of the
Rishonim with accuracy and beauty, together with eye-
opening annotations. May they be blessed with a hundred
blessings.
