Meorei Hamizrach - Rabbi Yaakov Culi (1689-1732), commonly known as Me’om Lo’ez

Our Great Sephardic Rabbies by: Ike Sultan

Rabbi Yaakov Culi (1689-1732), commonly known as Me’om Lo’ez, was a Sephardic Talmudist and Biblical commentator. He belonged to an exiled Spanish family, and was the grandson and pupil of Moses ibn Habib. He edited various important works, starting with his grandfather's writings. While engaged on the works of his grandfather, he entered into close relations with the chief rabbi of Constantinople, Rabbi Yuhuda Rosanes (also known simply as Mishne La' Melech), at the time generally regarded the highest authority of the Orient. Rabbi Rosanes appointed Rabbi Culi dayan (local judge), which, together with his position as teacher, secured to him a sufficient livelihood. Rabbi Yaacov Culi’s most important work is his commentary on the Pentateuch, entitled "Me'am Loez". This work, which is held in high regard by the Jews of the East, is a very elaborate encyclopedic commentary in Ladino, dealing with Jewish life in all its relations. However, Rabbi Culi only managed to write his work on Genesis and on two-thirds of Exodus before he died. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the Me'am Loez, other prominent rabbis of Turkey took over this endeavor and completed the remaining volumes.
Rabbi Yaakov had just finished printing his grandfather's Shemos BeAretz, when tragedy struck the Jewish community. His great master, Rabbi Yehuda Rosanes, passed away on 22 Nissan (April 13), 1727. During the mourning period, the sage's house was looted, and a number of his manuscripts were stolen. The rest were left in a shambles, scattered all over the house. Assuming authority rare for a man of his youth, Rabbi Yaakov Culi undertook the responsibility of reassembling these important writings and editing them for publication. During the first year, he completed work on Perushas Derachim, a collection of Rabbi Yehuda's homilies. But his main work had just begun: Rabbi Yehuda had left one of the most significant commentaries ever written on the Rambam's Mishneh Torah, the monumental Mishneh LaMelech. Rabbi Yaakov spent three years carefully assembling and editing this manuscript. Contemporary scholars struggle through the lengthy, profound sequences of logic found in this commentary; to be sure, the editor was in perfect command of every one of these discussions. Where certain points were ambiguous, or where additional explanations were required, Rabbi Yaakov added his own comments in brackets.