Meet Rav Eliyahu Benamozegh: A Remarkable Life
Young Eliyahu barely knew his father, who passed away a few years after his birth. His mother also died young, and from the age of four, he was raised by his uncle, the renowned Rabbi Yehuda Curiel. Excelling in his studies, he received rabbinic ordination at 18 and became the chief rabbi of Livorno. He was fondly known as "Rav Eliyahu Benamozegh."
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On April 24, 1823, the Jewish community of Livorno buzzed with news. Rabbi Abraham Ben Shamtov, a well-respected rabbi in the community, welcomed a son at the age of... 71! After fifty years of marriage without children, with his wife's consent, he married another woman, Clara, the daughter of Judge Rabbi Rafael of Livorno. A year into their marriage, they celebrated the birth of a son named Eliyahu.
Young Eliyahu barely knew his father, who passed away a few years after his birth. His mother also died young, leaving him to be raised by his uncle, the renowned Rabbi Yehuda Curiel, from the age of four. Excelling in his studies, Eliyahu received rabbinic ordination at 18 and went on to become the chief rabbi of Livorno. Fondly, he was known as "Rav Eliyahu Benamozegh."
Understanding the need for the Jewish community to study the Torah in ways that addressed contemporary questions, Rav Eliyahu established a major printing house in Livorno. This press published many scholarly books, including works by the Ben Ish Chai.
Rav Benamozegh himself was a great scholar of various disciplines and authored a series of books critiquing Christianity through the lens of Judaism. These works analyzed the perceived ethical deficiencies of Christianity and defended both the Written and Oral Torah.
Some rabbis from Aleppo, Syria, did not appreciate his writing style, which frequently included research and critical investigation, and they considered excommunicating him. They approached the leading rabbi of Turkey, Rabbi Chaim Palaggi, for his judgment. Rabbi Chaim ruled that there was nothing objectionable in Rav Benamozegh's books. On the contrary, his great wisdom provided decisive answers to the skeptics and taught the wisdom of Hashem.
Rav Benamozegh passed away on the 7th of Adar, the same day as the passing of Moses our teacher.
