On the occasion of the Hilula (anniversary of death) of our teacher Rav Yaakov Abuhatzeira, known as the Abir Yaakov, the Torah-Box team is happy to present you with several excerpts about his life. Let us explore together the story of his birth, his holiness, and his daily learning schedule. May his merit protect all of Klal Yisrael. Amen.

The Abir Yaakov was born in Tebouassamet, in the region of Tafilalet, in Morroco on the 11th of Adar 5566 (1806), on the same day of Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay’s death, the Chida. This 'coincidence' was a realization of the verse: "The sun went down, and then the sun rose."

The Abir Yaakov's Birth

His father, Rabbi Massoud, was a judge and dealt more specifically on questions of marriage and divorce. One day, a couple came to consult Rabbi Massoud to request that he give them a divorce. As he finished writing the divorce document, night fell. Rabbi Massoud then addressed the husband, asking him to return alone without his wife as they were forbidden to return together since the divorce had just been completed.

At night, Rabbi Massoud had a dream in which his father, Rabbi Avraham, came to him and revealed that the woman who came to consult him was destined to give birth to a son who would illuminate the world with his Torah. Rabbi Avraham asked his son to wait for the required three months and then take her for a wife. He added that he would reveal himself to him again before the union in order to explain to him the manner of proceeding and the mystical intentions to have in mind in order to bring down this holy soul on earth. The same night, Rabbi Avraham also revealed himself to Rabbi Massoud's wife and so the couple understood that this revelation came from Heaven and was true.

Before the Abir Yaakov was born, Rabbi Massoud once again saw his father in a dream, and he reiterated that the child would be an authentic tzaddik. His mother, meanwhile, during her pregnancy, dreamed several times of a bull whose horns were those of a buffalo. Rabbi Massoud interpreted these dreams as a sign that the unborn child was destined for greatness both in Torah and in holiness and that no one would be able to oppose him.

When the Abir Yaakov came into the world, his parent's house filled with light, and the entire community celebrated the event and his father's joy was indescribable, as he knew the true greatness of this son...

Rabbi Aharon, the Abir Yaakov's son, in the introduction to Doresh Tov, indicates that the Abir Yaakov was named "Yaakov" at the request of Rabbi Yaakov, Rabbi Massoud's uncle, who came to him in a dream and enjoined him to name his son after him.

"The Work Bears Witness to the Craftsman"

It is enough to consider the fact that it was Rabbi Massoud himself who had the merit of giving birth to a son like Abir Yaakov in order to grasp his greatness. In the song he wrote in honor of his father, Rabbi Aharon writes: "Does wonders, author of great works, son of a saint, Rabbi Yaakov..."

Rabbi Massoud and his second wife also had other children, all Tzaddikim, whose descendants all perpetuate the family tradition of greatness and holiness. They are the bearers of the name "Abuchatzeira" who do not descend from the Abir Ya'akov himself.

Several books have already been written about Abir Yaakov and it is not our intention to report facts already known. We will content ourselves with recalling some important anecdotes.

Holy Since the Dawn of his Life

From his early childhood, the Abir Yaakov distinguished himself by his intense desire to acquire wisdom. He personified the verse... "G-d was with this child, and he grew up." Heaven granted him exceptional gifts of understanding, alertness, and diligence, and he put every second to good use by learning Torah. At the age of 5, he already knew the whole Torah and some Talmudic treatises, which were at his disposal. "And Yaakov was a man of integrity, who sat in tents"- like our ancestor Yaakov, the Abir Yaakov never stopped learning, and he spent his days and nights, in purity and piety, like the celestial angels, wrapped in a cloak of humility and fear of Heaven. Thus, every day he rose in Torah learning and Tzidkut. He learned from his father the method of learning and delving deeper into texts, and it didn’t take long before he was recognized as being a Talmid Chacham of the highest stature, specialist in both Talmudic analysis and general knowledge of the texts. No area of knowledge was foreign to him, and he excelled in the Talmud as well as in Halacha, Mussar, Biblical exegesis, mysticism, and gematriot.

A Meeting with Eliyahu Hanavi

When the Abir Yaakov was about 10 years old, a severe famine broke out in Morocco. One story relates that his mother, who had nothing to feed her family, looked for a way to buy some food. After thinking about the situation, the young Yaakov suggested that he go to the market to see if there was an opportunity to buy even a small amount of food. His mother replied that, in her opinion, it was a waste of time, as everybody knew that the merchants had nothing to sell...

The young Yaakov decided to try his luck anyway. He went out, and then, on the way, he saw to his surprise, a man in the distance, riding a mule on which sacks of corn were placed on either side. The man was black, unusual in Morocco... As the man came close to the child, he offered the young Yaakov to buy the wheat he was carrying.

The Abir Yaakov gladly accepted the offer, and together they went to his parents to set a price for the transaction. The child then asked the man to wait in the yard outside his parent's home while he went to find his mother. However, when he returned with his mother, still shaken by the announcement of the offer made to them, they both discovered that the man had disappeared, leaving the mule and the wheat behind...

The following days, the Abuchatzeira family tried all means to find the mysterious man to return his property, but their efforts were in vain... They understood that this man was none other than the prophet Eliyahu, who frequently takes on the appearance of an Arab to reveal himself to men.

Thus, the Abir Yaakov's family had enough food for several weeks and the young Yaakov, meanwhile, who was still a child, was privy to the revelation of Eliyahu Hanavi, usually reserved for a few rare Tzaddikim.

Less than 60 Breaths

The Abir Yaakov began learning in the early hours of the night. Here is a glimpse of his daily schedule. When night fell, he began by learning 18 chapters of Mishnayot; only then did he quickly eat before resuming his learning by candlelight. He learned both Gemara and Halacha. He then fell asleep until midnight, but his sleep never lasted more than "60 breaths" (that is, about half an hour), in order to avoid tasting death (as Kabbalistic books explain).

When he awoke, he sat down on the ground to recite Tikun Chatzot, weeping and lamenting the exile of the Shechina and the destruction of the Temple. He then immersed himself in the study of Kabbalah and the writings of the Ari Hakadosh until sunrise, when he prayed Shacharit. After the morning prayer, he learned Chok L’Yisrael and then, surrounded by his disciples, he began his daily study of the Talmud and its commentaries, a study that lasted all day until the night.

It is said about the Abir Yaakov that in his life he did not talk about secular matters.

Such was the strength and tremendous diligence of the Abir Yaakov, the Torah- Sage who was constantly busy with serving his Creator.