Yosef Yitzchak Shloush
Encyclopedia
Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchak Shloush (Chelouche) (known to his community as "Rebbi Yosef") (1890–1960) lived in the old city of Jerusalem until 1938. In 1938 he moved to Machane Yehuda. He was the head of the Chevrah Kadisha and the Av Bet Din of the Sephardic Community of Jerusalem. They used to say that he married off half of Jerusalem and buried the other half. Rav Yosef Yitzchak ran a minyan
in the old city of Jerusalem at a shul called Tzuv Devash.
The Chevrah Kadisha on The Mount of Olives:
At one point Arabs were throwing stones at the chevra kadisha
who were burying the dead on the Mount of Olives
and they relayed this to Rebbi Yosef, who at that time was the head of the Chevrah Kadisha of the Sephardic Community in Jerusalem. Rebbi Yosef came up with an idea, he would go up with the chevra kadisha except he would be carried up like one of the dead. Once they were on the Mount of Olives and in the process of burying the dead, the Arabs started throwing stones, and the chevra kadisha ran away. But Rebbi Yosef was lying there, and once everyone was gone and the Arabs were there near him, he got up and in his long black robe and a staff, he ran after them, and surely the Arabs were scared and the chevra kadisha was allowed to continue burying their dead.
There was a book written about his life, published only a year later called "Hod Yosef". It was put together by the leaders of the community.
of Netanya
, Rabbi Avraham Shloush the Chief Rabbi of Kfar Saba
and Avigayil who is the Rabbanit or wife of Rav Ezran Z"L who was a Rosh Kollel in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shloush’s father, Rav David Shloush ZT"L was a Rosh Yeshiva
in Marrakech
, Morocco
. He had a few children who had each died at the age of 2-3, and once again his baby, Yosef Yitzchak was two and was sick. He went to the Aron Kodesh and prayed that this baby's life would be spared in turn for his own life. Within two weeks, Rav David Shloush ZT"L died and the baby Yosef Yitzchak was saved.
Then Rav David Shloush ZT"L, also known as Hamelech David, came to his wife, Sultana in a dream and told her to go to Israel
. She did not pay attention to the dream, but the dream came to her two more times. There is a tradition that if a dream happens three times it is serious, and thus she went to the Bet Din (Jewish Court) and told them that she had the dream three times and they told her that she must go to Israel as he had instructed, as it was a valid dream. She still did not want to go to Israel, but once again Hamelech David came to her in a dream and told her to go to Israel but she answered that she wanted to stay in Marrakech so that she could visit his grave. He told her to go to the grave of the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and to pray there. She waited for her children to grow a little older and when Yosef Yitzchak was twelve they travelled along with a big caravan to Israel. When Hamelech David died, Yosef Yitzchak was two and Sultana, Hamelech David’s wife, was pregnant. Thus, Yosef Yitzchak had a younger sister who was two years younger, and they both travelled to Israel.
Once Hamelech David was leaving his synagogue
along with one of his students. Hamelech David told his student to go and check inside the synagogue before they leave, something which was not a usual routine. His student checked and there was no one there. They left and the synagogue collapsed.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Yosef Yitzchak Shloush (Chelouche) (known to his community as "Rebbi Yosef") (1890–1960) lived in the old city of Jerusalem until 1938. In 1938 he moved to Machane Yehuda. He was the head of the Chevrah Kadisha and the Av Bet Din of the Sephardic Community of Jerusalem. They used to say that he married off half of Jerusalem and buried the other half. Rav Yosef Yitzchak ran a minyan
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....
in the old city of Jerusalem at a shul called Tzuv Devash.
The Chevrah Kadisha on The Mount of Olives:
At one point Arabs were throwing stones at the chevra kadisha
Chevra Kadisha
A chevra kadisha is a loosely structured but generally closed organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to Halacha and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until burial...
who were burying the dead on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
and they relayed this to Rebbi Yosef, who at that time was the head of the Chevrah Kadisha of the Sephardic Community in Jerusalem. Rebbi Yosef came up with an idea, he would go up with the chevra kadisha except he would be carried up like one of the dead. Once they were on the Mount of Olives and in the process of burying the dead, the Arabs started throwing stones, and the chevra kadisha ran away. But Rebbi Yosef was lying there, and once everyone was gone and the Arabs were there near him, he got up and in his long black robe and a staff, he ran after them, and surely the Arabs were scared and the chevra kadisha was allowed to continue burying their dead.
There was a book written about his life, published only a year later called "Hod Yosef". It was put together by the leaders of the community.
Family
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shloush had a wife named Sa'ada and three children, Rav David Chaim Shloush the Chief RabbiChief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi 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...
of Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
, Rabbi Avraham Shloush the Chief Rabbi of Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba , officially Kfar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2009, Kfar Saba had a total population of 83,600.-History:...
and Avigayil who is the Rabbanit or wife of Rav Ezran Z"L who was a Rosh Kollel in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shloush’s father, Rav David Shloush ZT"L was a Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. He had a few children who had each died at the age of 2-3, and once again his baby, Yosef Yitzchak was two and was sick. He went to the Aron Kodesh and prayed that this baby's life would be spared in turn for his own life. Within two weeks, Rav David Shloush ZT"L died and the baby Yosef Yitzchak was saved.
Then Rav David Shloush ZT"L, also known as Hamelech David, came to his wife, Sultana in a dream and told her to go to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. She did not pay attention to the dream, but the dream came to her two more times. There is a tradition that if a dream happens three times it is serious, and thus she went to the Bet Din (Jewish Court) and told them that she had the dream three times and they told her that she must go to Israel as he had instructed, as it was a valid dream. She still did not want to go to Israel, but once again Hamelech David came to her in a dream and told her to go to Israel but she answered that she wanted to stay in Marrakech so that she could visit his grave. He told her to go to the grave of the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and to pray there. She waited for her children to grow a little older and when Yosef Yitzchak was twelve they travelled along with a big caravan to Israel. When Hamelech David died, Yosef Yitzchak was two and Sultana, Hamelech David’s wife, was pregnant. Thus, Yosef Yitzchak had a younger sister who was two years younger, and they both travelled to Israel.
Once Hamelech David was leaving his synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
along with one of his students. Hamelech David told his student to go and check inside the synagogue before they leave, something which was not a usual routine. His student checked and there was no one there. They left and the synagogue collapsed.