Meorei Hamizrach - Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya Medini

Our Great Sephardic Rabbis by: Ike Sultan

Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya Medini [1832 - 24 Kislev 1904],commonly known by the title of his halachic work- S'dei Chemed, was born and raised in Jerusalem. After many years in Turkey, Buchara and the Crimea, he returned to the Holy Land in 1878 and became the head of the rabbinical court and main yeshiva in Hebron in 1880, where he successfully revitalized the Jewish educational and social institutions. He is best known for his monumental, universally-acclaimed 18-volume Talmudic and halachic encyclopedia, S'dei Chemed. A beloved leader everywhere he served, he dedicated his life to the dissemination of Torah study and deeds of kindness. As a result of his influence, many attacks on Hebron's Jews were averted, and a number of heavy fines and taxes were revoked. Even the Arab inhabitants of Hebron accepted him as a holy man. After his burial they tried to steal his body and bury him in a mosque, but were unsuccessful.

A story told about Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya Medini: It was the mid-1800s and residents of the small Crimean village of Sevastopol were aghast. Eliyahu, the butcher, had sold them treif meat. Some people demanded that his kashrus certificate be revoked immediately, while others felt that he should be treated leniently, since this was the first time in his many years as a butcher that he had made such a mistake.Eventually, however, the affair led to a mini-war, which swept up the entire town. In an effort to subdue the controversy, the town's leaders solicited the aid of the rav of nearby Karasubazar, Rav Chaim Chizkiya Medini. At their request, Rav Chaim Chizkiya traveled to Sevastopol, a half-hour trip from his home. After examining all aspects of the case, he ruled that although the butcher's license should indeed be revoked, he shouldn't be hounded or rejected by society. To guarantee that this wouldn't occur, Rav Chaim Chizkiya remained in Sevastopol until he had found the butcher another job and had placated the butcher's opponents. Before Rav Chaim Chizkiya left, the town's leaders offered him a fee for his services. He refused to accept it, suggesting instead that the money be used to repair the town's mikveh.