Moroccan Halacha
Among Sepharadic Jews, those who hail from North Africa maintain various customs and approaches to Halacha that differ from those of the Edot HaMizrach. Moroccans in particular have a rich heritage of Torah scholarship, traditions, and rabbinic leadership that consists of a genre in and of itself.
History
Toshavim and Megorashim
The Jewish community of Morocco traces back to the early Rishonim to the time of the [Rif], when Torah flourished, and potentially well before then, as well. However, it was decimated the Almohad Caliphate along with the rest of the North African community. Centuries later, many of those expelled from Spain in 1492, known as "Megorashim," mainly from the Kingdom of Castile, arrived in the North African Crescent and settled primarily in Fez and started a new chapter in the history of Moroccan Jewry.
The Megorashim attempted to reestablish themselves along the same lines of Minhagim practiced in Castile, but conflict arose between the Megorashim and the natives, known as the "Toshavim," who were not interested in following the customs of the Megorashim. The main issue was regarding the lenient view of the Megorashim on checking the lungs of an animal after Shechitah, to which the Toshavim were opposed based on their own preexisting custom. Nevertheless, eventually, the Megorashim outnumbered the natives and the customs of the Megorashim were adopted in all but one synagogue, Siddurim of the Megorashim were printed, and rabbinic families of Megorashim made a deep impact on the people as they took the leadership. Thus, the Castillian customs spread throughout Morocco, and many of their enactments and rulings are still in practice today, such as the text of the Ketubah and reciting a Beracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. [1]
The customs of the Megorashim spread throughout the environs of Fez, including Meknes, Tangier, Tetouan, Sale, and Rabat, but the cities that were more to the south and in the Atlas Mountains did not fully take on those customs. Therefore, there are differences until today between the customs of those communities. The influence of Chachmei Catsile spread throughout North Africa, Israel, Turkey, and Greece and other countries, as well, which accounts for commonalities in Minhagim between those places and Morocco.[2]
Along with their customs, the Megorashim brought their fidelity to the Rosh with them to Morocco, which, thereby, greatly influenced Moroccan traditions. Although the Rambam's views were also noticeably present, they were not accepted to the same extent as the Rosh's.
Shulchan Aruch
Moroccan Chachamim immediately accepted Shulchan Aruch as the primary authority when it reached their communities. Some even claimed that they already followed the method of following the majority of the Rif, Rambam, and Rosh.[3] Nevertheless, since the Castillian traditions were already sewn deeply in Moroccan tradition, the rulings of Shulchan Aruch were not accepted when they contradicted the Castillian traditions in places that were following those traditions. This is in accordance with the explicit intention of Rav Yosef Karo himself in the introduction to Beit Yosef.
See Also
- Magen Avot website, MoroccanHalacha.com
- Three Secrets of Moroccan Psak Halacha and Navigating the Wide World of Moroccan Jewish Minhagim and Halacha by Rabbi Haim Jachter
- Darké Abotenou on YouTube
Sources
- ↑ Magen Avot (Orach Chaim, Mevo LeMinhagei HaMa'arav, pp. 41 and on) by Rav Mordechai Lebhar
- ↑ For example, reciting a Beracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, on Hadlakat Nerot Shabbat after lighting, and Baruch Hu uVaruch Shemo in middle of a beracha that one wants to fulfill an obligation with.
- ↑ As is already evident from Rav Yosef Karo's own presentation of his decision to rely on those three in his introduction "that the entire Jewish Nation relies on their rulings." Plus the Rosh was exceedingly popular in Morocco, while the Rambam was in Spain.
