|
Rabbi
Yosef Karo was born in Toledo, Spain in 5248 (1488) to a
well known rabbinical and poetic family. The Karo family
descended from Rabbi Shimon Karo, author of "Yalkut Shimoni",
who's son Yosef was a student of Rashi (1040-1105), one of the
most significant commentators on the Talmud.
At the age
of four, his family moved from Spain to Portugal and after many
travels and tribulations moved again a few years later to the
town of Kushta.
In Kushta,
Yosef was able to settle down and learn seriously from his
father Rabbi Ephraim and his Uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak. He learned
in Kushta for nineteen years, poring over his books with purity
and holiness. Soon he was known worldwide as a genius able to
delve in the depths of the Torah and able to clarify problematic
issues of Halachah (Jewish Law). Even as a youth learning in
Yeshiva, he received Halachic questions, and his perceptive and
insightful answers became famous throughout all sects of the
Jewish community worldwide.
When he
reached the age of 30, Rabbi Yosef Karo married the daughter of
the famous and righteous Rabbi Chaim Ben Albegag of Adrianopol.
After the wedding he moved in with his in-laws, there he was
able to learn in peace and quiet. The peace however didn't last
for long, as his newlywed wife contracted an awful disease and
passed away shortly.
Rabbi Yosef
Karo's close friends, Rabbi Avraham Tzarfati and Rabbi Shmuel
Sabba, made sure that he didn't remain isolated and alone for
long. Rabbi Shmuel suggested that he marry his half-sister, the
daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak Sabba, his father, who was one of the
most prominent Rabbis in town. Rabbi Yosef Karro agreed and his
wife bore him a son, Shlomo.
Rabbi Karo
and his family later moved from Adrianopol to Nikopol, there he
served as Chief Rabbi of the town and also as Rosh Yeshiva
(Dean) there. Rabbi Karo was involved, day and night, in
teaching Torah and also in writing. He had many famous pupils,
including: Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, Rabbi Moshe Galanti and
others.
In the year
1536, at the age of 48, on the Eve of Shavuot, the Angel
HaMaggid appeared to him and requested that he leave for the
Holy Land. A year passed and Rabbi Karo found himself in the
Kabbalistic City of Tzfat (Safed). Rabbi Karo shortly opened up
a large Yeshiva there, to which students started coming, from
all over the country. As many students started knocking on his
house, day and night, asking questions and advice, Rabbi Karo
felt that he must leave town so that he could have some quiet
time to learn by himself. Therefore he moved to the nearby
village of Biriya, there he sat and learned and wrote in peace
and quiet.
Rabbi Karo's
second wife passed away from a plague that struck the village
and he himself became very sick. After recovering, Rabbi Karo
returned to Tzfat, there he became the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat and
the surrounding villages. He then remarried, a third time, to
the daughter of Rabbi Zecharya Askenazi.
Rabbi Karo
started creating his tremendous work, "Beit Yosef", when he was
in Adrianopol. After seeing how the many different opinions of
Halacha (Jewish Law) were confusing the simpletons who didn’t
know who to rule by, he decided to create a unifying Jewish Code
of Law.
His works, "Beit
Yosef" and "Shulchan Aruch" include all the laws and customs of
Judaism. Through these works we can grasp the insight and total
proficiency that Rabbi Karo had of the entire Torah and Oral
Law. He also had an incredible grasp of Kabbalah, which his
pupil, Rabbi Moshe Kardoviro wrote down after his death.
Rabbi Karo's
books include: Beit Yosef, Shulchan Aruch, Maggid Mesharim (on
his meetings with the Angel HaMaggid), Kesef Mishnah, Bedek
HaBayit, and many more books that were lost over time.
Rabbi Yosef
Karo was known as an extremely humble and righteous person. He
was known for his love of all fellow people. His house was used
as the spiritual community center of Tzfat. His door was open
twenty four hours a day to the poor, the needy, and to anyone
seeking spiritual advice, blessings and salvation. Besides his
private home, the grounds included the Rabbinical Court of Tzfat,
a Beit Midrash of study, a Synagogue, and a Children's Study. As
his work "Shulchan Aruch" did, Rabbi Karo himself was a unifying
force behind the community of Tzfat, caring and loving each
person individually. This is the only way true redemption can be
achieved.
Rabbi Yosef
Karo passed away on the 13th of Nissan, 5335 (1575) at the age
of 87. He was buried in the Holy City of Tzfat.
During the
earthquake that shook Tzfat in 1837 most of the town was reduced
to ruins. However, The House of Rabbi Yosef Karo (Beit Karo)
survived and is one of the few houses that remains intact in its
original state. It is clear that this is as a direct result of
the holiness that remains intact in the home, even today. There
are many miracles that are known to have occurred in Beit Karo
during his lifetime and
throughout the generations, until this day. It is clear to all
that our teacher, Rabbi Yosef Karo's blessings and spiritual
inspiration are alive in this house. They will surely continue
to dwell here at least until the coming of the Messiah, may he
come speedily in our days, and may Rabbi Yosef Karo's memory
protect us all, Amen. |
