The Wandering Genius: The Astonishing Journeys of the Chida

A Scholar on a Mission

On the 9th of Iyar, 1755, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, known as the Chida, arrived at the port of Harwich, England. War between Britain and France was brewing, and customs agents were inspecting passengers with unusual rigor. As he recorded in his travel diary, Ma'agal Tov, an officer rummaged slowly through his garments and belongings, eventually hearing the telltale clink of coins in the Chida’s pocket.

The customs officer grew suspicious. Dutch currency was forbidden, and one gold Dutch coin had already been seized from another passenger. The Chida, who carried 180 Dutch gold coins, feared the worst. Then, he remembered he had one English coin among them. Casually handing it over, he defused the tension. The inspector, suddenly embarrassed, apologized and sent him on his way with honor.

This wasn't a tale of a smuggler or a sailor, but of one of the greatest Torah scholars of all time, a rabbi, mystic, halachist, historian, and bibliophile, the Chida, who was traveling as an emissary of the Jewish community of Hebron to raise funds across the Jewish diaspora.

A Global Torah Trek

The Chida’s journeys, chronicled in Ma'agal Tov, are a window into 18th-century Jewish life around the world. From Amsterdam’s zoo and the royal palace in Versailles to the national library in Paris and the canals of Venice, he documented not only his travels but also every Jewish community he visited, including their customs, scholars, and how the city looked.

In every city, he combed through Jewish manuscripts. Relying on his phenomenal memory, he pieced together entire Talmudic commentaries from what he saw, later compiling them in his book Petach Einayim, one of more than 120 works he authored. Many of his books were named for parts of the body: Birkei Yosef, Ya’ir Ozen, Tov Ayin, Lev David, Zroa Yamin, Pe’er HaDor, and Chadarai Baten, among others. Legend has it that he wrote 248 works, one for each limb of the body, each rectifying a different aspect of the soul.

In one city, he encountered a 12th-century manuscript of the Talmud containing numerous textual variants from the printed version. He carefully recorded the differences. That manuscript is known today as the "Munich Talmud" and remains a key source in academic Talmudic research.

Miracles on the Road

Miracles often accompanied the Chida. One occurred in the French city of Avignon, where he spent a Shabbat in the month of Kislev. That Saturday night, he dreamt the words: “Charity saves from death.” The next morning, the Rhône River had overflowed, making it impossible to leave the city. Sensing Divine warning, he immediately gave charity.

As the rains intensified, the river burst its banks. Four hundred and eighty cows drowned. Streets flooded. Warehouses were swept away. Food supplies vanished. Even the ritual bath below the synagogue threatened to overflow.

As panic spread, the Chida acted. He donned sackcloth and, with only one attendant, recited VeYehi Noam and Psalm 20 ninety-one times, cried out in heartfelt prayer, and gave 24 coins to charity, for himself and the community, plus one more for the merit of Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes.

And then—the rain stopped. The sun broke through the clouds, a warm eastern wind blew in, and the floodwaters began to recede. The Jewish quarter, miraculously, was spared.

The Chida’s life was a tapestry of Torah, travel, and Divine providence. As a scholar, he preserved forgotten texts and shaped halachic (Jewish legal) discourse. As an emissary, he brought hope and connection to scattered Jewish communities. And as a tzaddik (righteous man), he revealed the extraordinary power of faith, prayer, and compassion.