Leading rabbonim, roshei yeshivos, morei tzedek and
dayonim from the Moroccan community were on hand at
the levaya on 22 Kislev of HaRav Refael Bardugo
zt"l the chief rabbi and ravad in Meknes,
Morocco and leader of the Moroccan Jewish community for
decades.
Refael Bardugo was born 90 years ago in Meknes, Morocco to
HaRav Yehoshua Bardugo, the chief rabbi and ravad of
all Moroccan Jewry at the height of its glory. The Bardugo
family was renowned ever since the Spanish Expulsion for its
rabbonim throughout Morocco during the period when it had
hundreds of thousands of observant Jews, including well-known
talmidei chachomim.
Stretching back ten generations, the Bardugo dynasty includes
Rabbenu Moshe HaKadmon, a friend of the Ohr HaChaim and
mentioned in his works, Rabbenu Hamalach Refoel, author of
Mishpotim Yeshorim and Toras Emes.
R' Refael Bardugo spent his entire life among talmidei
chachomim and leading dayonim, acquiring the
majority of his Torah learning from his father, who
instructed him in how to walk the path to Beis
Hashem.
When he married his wife Rachel tlc"a at the age of
18, his father turned to him and said, "You will continue the
Bardugo family chain in the rabbinate and therefore I want
you to live with me. I will provide all of your needs so you
will have nothing but the world of Torah and halochoh. As
ravad you will be asked questions in every area,
therefore you must master every area of Judaism as a rov,
moreh horo'oh, dayan, shochet and mohel, and
you must train yourself in all these matters."
He toiled away in Torah and avodoh for years until he
had acquired comprehensive Torah knowledge and was invested
into the rabbinate by his great father.
For decades he served as rov and av beis din in
Mogador before moving to Meknes. He ran Jewish matters in
both cities in a pleasant manner, his character imbibed with
Torah and yir'oh. His wisdom and shrewdness even drew
the admiration of government heads, and Muslim spiritual
leaders would consult him on various matters, such as
predicting the phases of the moon years in advance. When they
came they would bring their children, quoting the verse,
"Rak am chochom venovon hagoy hagodol hazeh," and he
told them that the Jews' knowledge is derived solely from the
Torah.
Questions were sent to him by Torah scholars everywhere. Once
he was asked by an av beis din in Eretz Yisroel
questions on gittin. He answered immediately, adding,
"During the 33 years I served as rov and dayan in Morocco
many gittin cases came to me, but rather than writing
up a get, I would work to make peace between man and
wife, restoring the Shechinoh to their home.
Throughout my time as rov I wrote up only one get."
He led Meknes Jewry with exceeding resourcefulness. One Jew
of standing recounts how he arrived in Mogador as a youth to
apply for shechitoh, but when the beis din
examined him one of the dayonim was hesitant to grant
him semichoh. Realizing the dayan's uncertainty
stemmed from the prospective shochet's simple attire,
HaRav Bardugo made a point of dressing him in more
respectable attire and within a short time he received
semichoh.
Despite his high level of Torah scholarship, he was a man of
great humility who succeeded in instilling Jews far from the
walls of the beis medrash with a love of Torah. After
establishing shiurim on Chok LeYisroel he began
other shiurim for the participants who had cultivated
a taste for the sweetness of gemora study, but
nevertheless he continued the shiurim on Chok
LeYisroel to encourage Torah study among baalei
batim.
Although he suffered difficult periods during his lifetime,
HaRav Bardugo always thanked HaKodosh Boruch Hu for
His kindnesses and for making his lot among the scholars of
the beis medrash. He served as a living example of
"Eizehu oshir — hasomei'ach bechelko," for
despite the hardships he suffered he was always happy.
When he lost his son Elishama, a young avreich,
shortly before his wedding day, HaRav Bardugo accepted the
Divine decree with love. A year-and-a-half ago he also lost
his daughter, Mrs. Pedut Attias, who had always been a great
help to him and a source of joy.
Twelve years ago he realized his great aspiration to move to
Eretz Avos, settling near his family in Bnei Brak.
A few years ago he suffered a major stroke that left him
paralyzed in both legs. When one of his visitors expressed
sorrow over his state HaRav Bardugo said, "Don't be sorry.
This is good. After all Chazal said, `Chavivim
yissurim.'"
The doctors said he had no chance of recovery and would
remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. He was taught to
cope with his new condition and his home was modified to
accommodate a wheelchair. But he remained convinced he would
merit Heavenly rachamim and walk again.
When one of his grandchildren asked why he refused to accept
assistance in adjusting to his new state he replied, "I
performed brit milah on thousands of Jewish children
shelo al manas lekabel pras. There were many Jewish
families who lived in remote locations in the mountains where
there was no transportation and when I was summoned to
perform a brit I would leave home for up to ten days.
I hiked many kilometers to circumcise yaldei Yisroel.
I have faith in HaKodosh Boruch Hu that these legs
that ran to do mitzvas will not keep me from walking to the
beit knesset. You can be sure, my boy, that one who
gave his legs to HaKodosh Boruch Hu will not be done
in by his legs."
Within a matter of weeks he had defied all the prognoses by
learning to walk again and all of his neighbors and
acquaintances praised Hashem for His kindness.
A few months ago HaRav Bardugo became very ill and had to be
placed in the Intensive Care Unit of Mayanei Hayeshua
Hospital. Though he received dedicated care, on motzei
Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev, 22 Kislev, he returned his soul,
refined through suffering, to his Maker.
Before the levaya set out the next day he was
eulogized by his son-in-law HaRav Shlomo Parsha, rosh kollel
Mishpatim Yesharim, who described the deceased as a man of
great humility and pure faith, and a vestige of the great
rabbonim of Morocco from a bygone generation.
HaRav Shlomo Toledano, who served with him in the Meknes
Rabbinate for decades, spoke of his dedicated efforts to
place Judaism on a pedestal and bring peace between man and
wife, like Aharon HaKohen. HaRav Machluf Pachima, the rov of
North African Jewry, noted the deceased's self-effacement
before other rabbonim and the fact he was among the first to
send his sons and daughters to study far from home in Tangier
for the sake of their education in Torah. His son, HaRav
David Bardugo, a dayan in Netanya, recalled how his father
sent him to study in Eretz Yisroel and would send him letters
filled with inspiring quotes from Chazal on the greatness and
happiness of the ben Torah.
At the Ponovezh Cemetery he was eulogized by his son, HaRav
Meir Bardugo, a shochet uvodek in Marseille, who spoke
of his efforts to restore domestic tranquility between man
and wife.
HaRav Refael Bardugo zt"l is survived by his wife and
by blessed, upright descendants following the path of Torah
in accordance with his pure aspirations.
