Rabbi Meir Mazuz, Tunisian Jewish leader, died today at age 80

Rabbi Meir Nissim Mazouz, ztz”l, president of the Kisse Rahamim institutions and one of the foremost leaders of Tunisian Jewry, passed away at noon today, Shabbat, the seventh day of Passover.

The Rosh Yeshiva born on the 13th of Nisan, 5705 (1945), to his father, the holy Gaon Rabbi Matslia’h Mazouz, hy”d, who was a dayan, a leader of Tunisian Jewry, and the founder of the Kisse Rahamim Yeshiva in Tunisia, and to his righteous mother, Mrs. Kamsana Mazouz.

In his youth, he studied at the Chevrat HaTalmud Yeshiva under the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Buchnik and also learned with the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Soussou HaKohen. Later, he studied at the Chabad-affiliated Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Yeshiva in Tunis.

When he reached marriageable age, he wed his wife, the Rabbanit, may she live long, and together they built their home on the foundations of Torah and fear of Heaven in Tunis. After his holy father was murdered by a Muslim assassin in 5731 (1971), he and his brothers, Rabbis Tzemah and Rahamim, immigrated to Israel, and that same year, they established the Kisse Rahamim Yeshiva in the city of Torah and Chassidut, Bnei Brak.

The yeshiva’s institutions expanded to include dormitories, kindergartens, Talmud Torahs, a girls’ school, a seminary, small and large yeshivas, and kollels, later extending beyond Bnei Brak to Jerusalem, Elad, Emmanuel, Bat Yam, Acre, and more. The brothers also founded the Rabbi Matslia’h Institute, which published prayer books, Psalms, and Torah reading corrections according to Rabbi Mazouz’s grammatical and textual methods, as well as Torah works by Sephardic rabbis.

The crowning achievement of the Rosh Yeshiva’s life’s work was imparting the Tunisian method of in-depth Talmud study. He published numerous articles on this method in the booklet Darkei HaIyun.

The Rosh Yeshiva was meticulous about the precise Sephardic pronunciation of Hebrew letters, especially in prayer and Torah reading, and passed this on to his students. He adopted the approach of the Gaon Rabbi Shaul HaKohen (author of Lechem HaBikurim), who held that the prayer text should align with biblical grammar rules (similar to the text revised by grammarians in recent Ashkenazi generations). For example, he ruled to bless “Boreh Pri HaGafen” (with a kamatz, as in the pausal form) instead of the commonly accepted “HaGefen,” and to pronounce the kaf in the second person with a kamatz (e.g., “MiTovcha,” “B’Toratcha”) as opposed to the Sephardic custom (“MiTovach,” “B’Toratach”).

The Rosh Yeshiva encouraged proficiency in Tanach, using biblical texts for grammatical and stylistic proofs and to decipher sources for liturgical poems and rabbinic rhetorical texts, often incorporating biblical verses in his writings. He frequently criticized the decline in Tanach proficiency.

The Rosh Yeshiva had extensive knowledge of liturgical poetry, particularly medieval Spanish piyyutim. He occasionally corrected texts based on meter, especially in the Ish Matslia’h prayer books, which were under his personal supervision, and in kinot for Tisha B’Av. In his youth, he wrote a comprehensive commentary on Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s piyyut Mi Kamocha, including not only an explanation but also biblical sources (without a concordance, by his testimony) and grammatical notes.

Regarding the preservation of diaspora community customs (especially those of Djerba) in Israel, the Rosh Yeshiva took a middle ground between the view of the Gaon Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, who believed one should always follow Maran’s rulings and the Land of Israel’s customs, and other North African rabbis, like the holy Rabbi Shalom Messas, who held that diaspora customs should not be changed at all.

His stance was that when Maran’s ruling is stricter than the diaspora custom or there is a risk of a blessing in vain (e.g., the blessing on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh), one should follow Maran, even though the custom abroad was lenient; when the diaspora custom was stricter, one should examine if it is excessive, in which case leniency is permissible, especially if the stringency leads to a leniency. In other matters, the custom should be preserved.

The Rosh Yeshiva served as the head of the Mishpat Tzedek rabbinical court for monetary matters at the Kisse Rahamim Yeshiva, participating in recent years only for complex cases. He also issued halachic rulings in Israel across various Torah subjects in responsa and letters. About a thousand of his short questions and answers were published in the book Makor Ne’eman A in 5770 (2010). His approach to Shabbat laws was to be stringent where there was a risk of a breach. One of his notable rulings was that the opinion of Rabbenu Tam regarding the time of tzeit hakochavim (the emergence of stars) is not halachically binding as it does not align with the reality in Israel. However, he instructed that it is proper to be stringent in accordance with the view of the Gaon Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rosh Yeshiva estimated that the virus would not reach Israel, reasoning that “we are meticulous with Torah commandments like handwashing and other mitzvot,” based on historical European plagues that spared Jews due to hygiene practices, as seen in the time of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. When the outbreak spread in Israel, he suggested it might be a punishment for pride parades.

In 5782 (2022), he accused Amir Ohana of responsibility for the Meron disaster on Lag B’Omer 5781 (2021) due to being “afflicted with a disease,” and after criticism, he retorted, “The Torah forbids it, what do you want from my life?”

That same year, he joined a group of rabbis calling for a boycott of Partner Communications after it granted employees a day off during “Pride Month.”

In 5783 (2023), he stated that Baruch Goldstein prevented a disaster, saying, “The Arabs hid axes, guns, and knives under the rugs they prayed on—there was great danger, and thanks to this Jew, the danger was averted.”

The Rosh Yeshiva opposed women’s service in the IDF, ruling that women are unfit for combat roles and their role is to bear children.

Throughout the years, the Rosh Yeshiva expressed hawkish views toward Arabs, often quoting sayings of Rabbi Meir Kahane. For example, after the Neve Yaakov shooting attack, he quoted Rabbi Kahane, saying, “The Arabs are beasts of prey; if you cannot kill them, expel them.”

The Rosh Yeshiva’s political involvement began in Cheshvan 5754 (1993) when he founded a municipal party in Bnei Brak called Hen, which split from Shas and won three seats in the city council.

During the disengagement from Gush Katif, the Rosh Yeshiva participated in protests organized by right-wing political groups and signed a ruling by the Yesha Rabbis’ Council supporting refusal of orders. He also endorsed a booklet by Rabbi Shaul Bar-Ilan titled Kaftor HaPele, listing the prohibitions involved in expelling Jews from their homes. In 2006, when Ariel Sharon suffered his second stroke, the Rosh Yeshiva declared it a divine punishment for the disengagement.

In recent years, the Rosh Yeshiva’s health weakened, yet he always rallied his strength, occasionally entering the study hall and delivering Torah teachings to his students, who eagerly absorbed his words.

Over the past six months, he was hospitalized several times. During the past week, at the recommendation of great rabbis and kabbalists, the name Rafael was added to his name as a segulah for longevity and years of life.

Today at noon, during the festival and Shabbat, his pure soul ascended to the heavens.

The Rosh Yeshiva left behind blessed offspring—sons and grandsons engaged in Torah and mitzvot—and tens of thousands of students over the years who walk in his light, following the path he charted from Moshe at Sinai.

Among his students are the great rabbis Rabbi Yigal Cohen, Rabbi Moshe Levi, and public figures Eli Yishai, Chaim Amsalem, Shlomo Karai, and others.

He also left a legacy for generations through his books: Shut Beit Ne’eman (three volumes of halachic responsa); Chumash Beit Ne’eman (five volumes of insights on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and their commentaries, including clarifications of Onkelos’ translation and a treatise on biblical accents); Shut Makor Ne’eman (three volumes of a thousand short questions and answers on halacha, worldview, etc., with the first volume also in French); Arim Nisei (insights based on his yeshiva’s studies); on Tractate Yevamot, including an extensive introduction on proper textual corrections, and a booklet of corrections and additions; on Tractate Gittin, with an introduction on the methods of Rashi and Maimonides; and on Tractates Berachot, Bava Metzia, Pesachim, Ketubot, and Kiddushin (six volumes); Lo Tashich (on the chapter “Eizehu Neshech” in Bava Metzia); insights on Tractate Kiddushin, published in the memorial book Et HaZamir (in honor of his father’s yahrzeit in 5783, a book with insights on the tractate was published); insights on Tractate Shabbat (chapter Kirah), published in Shlosha Sfarim Niftachim under the name Beit Ne’eman; Emet Kneh (insights on Psalms); Asaf HaMazkir (a treatise with about 1,000 entries and rules in Talmud and poskim, arranged alphabetically); a collection of articles (two volumes of worldview and ethical essays); Hashem Nisei (part A on the Passover Haggadah, part B on Passover laws and matters); Sansen L’Yair (on Purim matters); Selet Nekiya (on sanctifying the new month); Darkei HaIyun (articles on the Sephardic study method, expanded in 5783); L’Okmey Garsa (corrections and notes on the prayer text); corrections and notes on Onkelos’ translation to the Torah, also called L’Okmey Garsa; Shoel U’Meshiv (questions and answers designed to teach the method of writing responsa, published as a column in the Or Torah monthly); Shorshim U’Mesoret B’Yahadut Tunisia MiGedolei Yisrael (a collection of articles on the history of great Jewish sages and their halachic and study methods, from the Rishonim to recent times, 5776–5778, four volumes); Kisse HaMelech (insights on Maimonides, including Maimonides’ Letter on Ethics).

The Rosh Yeshiva was born exactly eighty years ago on the 13th of Nisan, and a few days later, he passed away.

Here at Kikar, we will continue to update on the timing of the funeral procession.