Maran Hacham Ovadia Yosef

Stories, Anecdotes and Inspiration

The sun has disappeared beyond the horizon and the sky has darkened...

But the flame of Maran’s legacy still shines brightly.

Hacham Ovadia Yosef a”h meant so many things to so many people. He was the universal leader of Sephardic Jewry, yet he remained humble enough to connect to the “man on the street.” He was known for his extraordinary knowledge and love of Torah, the study of which filled him with endless pleasure. His concern for every Jew and his boundless ahavat Yisrael showed in everything he did… He succeeded in his noble mission of “lehachzir atarah l’yoshnah” with the goal of restoring Sephardic pride and historic fame, in Israel and throughout the world. He reached out to unaffiliated Jews of all types, yet he battled unflinchingly against those who sought to alter or destroy authentic Judaism. He was the ultimate halachic authority and the unquestioned scholar on Sephardic Jewish law. In his position as Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel, he served as an ambassador of Torah Judaism to the world at large.

An accurate portrayal of the legacy of Maran a”h would fill volumes. In this book, noted authors Yehuda Azoulay and Rabbi Haim Shimon Ravia (Melech B’yofyo) have collected hundreds of stories and anecdotes that illustrate many of the ideals that Hacham Ovadia represented. Just as “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so too, a good story can be worth a hundred eulogies. This is a book that will inspire young and old, and belongs in every Jewish home.