Chief Rabbi Isaac Sacca delivered a new course via zoom organized by the Ibn Sefarad Study Program, an organization that promotes Sephardic culture and Torah in Mexico. Its mission is to invigorate and perpetuate the identity, masoret and ancestral Sephardic culture through education and community cohesion.
In June 2022, the Chief Rabbi had lectured on “The influence of language in our lives.”
On this occasion, the topic was “Life experiences with the great Sephardic Hakhamim”.
“The older generation nurtures us as human beings and we should have the wisdom to see with humble eyes. We tend to look down on older generations as outdated, when in fact we have a lot to learn from their personality and knowledge”- Sacca highlighted.
During the conference, Rabbi Sacca recounted the lives of different scholars with whom he had the honor of interacting, including his grandfather Isaac Antebi Sacca, son of Hakham Abraham Antebi Sacca Z’L, Superior Member of the Syrian Jewish community in Jerusalem. . Isaac was a Torah scholar who was engaged in trade and stood out for his respect for his neighbor, stressing not to bother others or pressure them to comply with the precepts.
Another of the Sages he mentioned is Hakham Isaac Chehebar Z’L, director of the Talmud Torah in Aleppo at the age of 18, who later immigrated to Argentina and became Chief Rabbi of the Alpine Sephardic Community of Buenos Aires. He was a luminary of Israel. He also had the delicacy to treat each one according to how he was, without imposing religion or his ideas by force. He created a propitious atmosphere to be listened to. He established a college with high-level academic education and a Yeshiva. He focused attention where it belonged, so that religion does not go through the superficial.
“Wisdom is acquired by study. The study allows us to know what the Torah really asks us to fulfill, neither more nor less”- highlighted Rabbi Sacca.
He also highlighted the virtues of Hakham Shalom Cohen, with whom Rabbi Sacca also created a close bond. Cohen insisted on not believing in superstitions or kabbalistic spells. He promoted a religiosity based on common sense.
Lastly, Rabbi Sacca related some of his experiences with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. He especially noted how Yosef was involved in the affairs of the world. “He lived on earth connected to heaven,” he said.
“They were wise, kind, humble, respectful of culture and science, with a deep respect for the community, regardless of the personal compliance of each of them” – concluded the Chief Rabbi.
