Renowned as one of the great darshanim (sermonizers) of the Jewish
world, Rabbi Moshe Alshich was born in Adrianople, Turkey in 5268 (1508 CE) but
lived most of his long and productive life in Safed. In his youth, he studied
in the yeshivas headed by Rabbi Yosef Caro in Adrianople and Rabbi Yosef Taitatzak
in Salonica. Rabbi Moshe revered Rabbi Yosef Caro and referred to him on occasion
as my father. At a relatively young age, he left for Israel together
with Rabbi Caro and settled in Safed. There he was ordained by Rabbi Yosef Caro,
eventually serving as one of the judges in Rabbi Yosef Caros rabbinical
court. The story is told that one day it was revealed to Rabbi Caro that his student
had merited one of the seventy facets of Torah exegesis. Accordingly, Rabbi Caro
compelled Rabbi Moshe to deliver the sermon on that Sabbath. The sermon was received
with great acclaim, and from then on, Rabbi Moshe was given the unsought for honor
of delivering a sermon every week. From these sermons, his famous Torat
Moshe on the Pentateuch was compiled. Rabbi Moshe himself had many students;
among them was Rabbi Chaim Vital, the redactor of the Arizals teachings,
whom he ordained in 5350 (1590 CE). Rabbi Chaim regarded Rabbi Moshe as the greatest
authority on Jewish law in the generation (after the passing of Rabbi Yosef Caro).
Rabbi Chaim wrote[2] that the soul of the great Amora Ravina (who was one of the
two redactors of the Babylonian Talmud) had been reincarnated in Rabbi Moshe.
Furthermore, at a certain point in Rabbi Moshes life, the soul of Rabbi
Shmuel bar Nachmeini was also infused within Rabbi Moshe, through the mystical
secret of ibbur.[3] In addition, Rabbi Moshe served as one of the members
of the rabbinical council of Safed dealing with important matters concerning the
city. The council was headed by his Rabbi, Rabbi Yosef Caro and by Rabbi Moshe
of Trani (known as Mabit). Rabbi Moshe was regarded as a kabbalist, and
studied for some time with Rabbi Moshe *Cordovero. He is also listed in Rabbi
Chaim Vitals Sefer HaChizyonot (Book of Visions) as one of the
students of the Arizal. Furthermore, in that work, Rabbi Chaim Vital expressed
some disquiet regarding Rabbi Moshe. Apparently ,his teacher, the Arizal, had
repeatedly warned Rabbi Chaim not to reveal the Arizals greatness to the
world, for it would cause great damage to him and to the world at large. However,
Rabbi Moshe Alshich decreed with the authority of Torah and halacha that his former
student, Rabbi Chaim, reveal to him whatever he knew about the Arizal. From that
time on, the Arizal accepted more and more disciples. Despite the fact that
Rabbi Moshe certainly learned kabbala from the Arizal, the latter would not accept
him as a full disciple, declaring that Rabbi Moshe had come into this world in
order to rectify dersush, (the allegorical and homiletical interpretation of the
Torah). For this reason, whenever Rabbi Moshe sat in on the Arizal's lessons,
he would invariably fall asleep. Rabbi Moshe Alshich passed away in
Damascus, Syria some time after 5353 (1593 CE) at a venerable age.
Interestingly,
Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai reports[4] that during the Chmielnicki riots and
the terrible massacres of Tach vTat in Poland (1648-9 CE), Rabbi Moshe (some
55 years after his passing) appeared to a certain scholar, who regularly taught
from Rabbi Moshes writings, and saved him from a bloodthirsty mob.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1].
Sources: Shem HaGedolim; Encyclopedia lGedolei Yisrael; Introduction to
Machon Lev Sameachs edition of Chumash Torat Moshe; Encyclopedia Judaica. [2].
Shaar HaGilgulim. [3]. Ibbur, literally impregnation. The Kabbalistic
doctrine of transmigration of souls (metempsychosis) whereby the soul of a saintly
person attaches itself to (impregnates) the soul of another person
in order to elevate the latter to a higher plane than his original soul root,
or to invest him with powers he would not otherwise have had. [4]. In Shem
HaGedolim.
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