Within the framework of the anniversary of Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L, Chief Rabbi Isaac Sacca spoke at the Sephardic Minyan of the Ajdut Israel community, led by Rabbi Daniel Juejati, honoring the memory of the outstanding spiritual leader. During the meeting, personal anecdotes and valuable teachings were shared that were inspired by a true example, role model and wise leader.
The greatness of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L
Chief Rabbi Isaac Sacca highlighted that one of the virtues that most impressed him about his teacher, Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L, was his unique ability to transmit the wisdom of the Torah in an accessible and clear way, even when it came to complex concepts. “The greatness of a man, in what has to do with wisdom, consists in transmitting to the public what is difficult in an easy way. This is the true teacher who brings you closer to wisdom,” explained the Chief Rabbi. “Rabbi Ovadia Yosef made the Torah available to everyone. He made difficult concepts clear, in a concise and simple way.”
Isaac Sacca fondly recalled his personal experiences with Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L, mentioning how he met him when he visited Argentina for the second time, when Sacca was a young man of 15 years old. “I was struck by his personality. He was a person who truly cared about each person,” said Chief Rabbi Sacca.
“I remember, when I visited him in Israel at the age of 16, he told me about my great-grandfather, Chief Rabbi Abraham Antebi Sacca, who had been Rosh Av Bet Din (=Head of the Rabbinical Court) in Jerusalem and used to teach Talmud to Rab Ovadia Yosef himself in his youth, and to my uncle Abraham Natib, who had been a fellow student of his youth. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L recorded by hand all his activities and meetings, including that meeting and the topics we discussed in the talk. It was something that impacted me and from which I learned a lot.
Lessons and experiences of Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Chief Rabbi Sacca shared several personal experiences with Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that marked his life and training. Among them, his experience living near the Chief Rabbi stood out while studying at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva kolel and the Yechaveh Daat kolel in Israel, between the years 1985-1989. During those years, Chief Rabbi Sacca had the merit of being a neighbor of Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, praying daily with him, accompanying him on Fridays and Saturdays to his home and learning from his daily and weekly lessons on Halacha and ethics. On his shared walks on Fridays and Saturdays, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef used most of this time to inquire about the situation of the Jewish community worldwide.
“He wanted to know what was happening in the world. He cared about the people, as well as the situation of the people of Israel, about Jewish continuity in Argentina,” shared Chief Rabbi Sacca. “Never in his life did he answer something without knowing who you were or knowing the context. He had a peculiarity, he was a cautious man. He always made sure he knew the subject well before giving advice or a recommendation, especially when it came to important decisions”.
A man of wisdom and humility
Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L also stood out for his humility and flexibility in the face of circumstances. “He was against public chumrot, he always said that whoever wants to be stricter should be stricter with himself,” Sacca recalled. “He had the ability to be flexible depending on the situation, always staying within the limits of Halacha; above all, he did not care about external criticism.”
With these words, Chief Rabbi Isaac Sacca remembered Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z”L not only as a great spiritual leader, but as a man of principle, wisdom and a deep concern for the well-being of all members of the Jewish community.
