Hacham Abdallah ben Avraham Somekh

• Publications by Abdallah ben Abraham Somekh
• Toldot ha-Rav ʻAbdallah Somekh : gedol rabane Bavel ba-dorot ha-aḥaronim by Abraham Ben-Jacob - Biography

Hakham Abdallah (Ovadia) Somekh (1813–September 13, 1889) was a rosh yeshiva and posek of Iraqi Jewry. He was born in Baghdad to Abraham Somekh, himself a descendant of Nissim Gaon; he was the eldest of eight brothers and eight sisters. He studied under Rabbi Yaakov Harofe. He married Sarah, who bore him the children Saleh, Haron, Raphael, Khatoon, Abraham, Sasson, Massouda, Rachel and Simha.

Hakham Abdallah became head of the yeshiva Midrash Abu Menashe (established in 1840 by Heskel Menashe Zebaida); the yeshiva was later expanded and renamed Midrash Beit Zilkha and remained in operation until 1951.

Hakham Abdulla Somekh was the eldest of 8 brothers and 8 sisters. He was Chief Rabbi of Bagdad, and was held in high esteem from Europe to the Far East. He is considered to be the greatest Iraqi rabbi of the last generations. See "Scribe" #36 Sept'89.

Rabbi of Bahgdad; born in that city 1813; died there 1889. He was educated by Rabbis Jacob Joseph ha-Rofe and Moses Hayyim, the latter of whom held the office of ab bet din. Somekh, who was looked upon as the spiritual head of the Bahgdad community, was well known also in other parts of Asia, especially India, and his legal decisions were generally accepted as conclusive. About twenty yeshibot were established through his influence with the Sassoon family, E. R. Menashi, and other members of the Calcutta community. Somekh left in manuscript a work on ritual, parts of which were published after his death (Bahgdad, 1900) under the title "Zibhe ?ede?." A riot occurred at his funeral, the Muslims objecting to his being buried near one of the tombs of their local saints. Of Somekh's pupils, still living, may be mentioned Joseph Hayyim Moses; Abraham Hallel, the present ab bet din at Bagdad; Ezekiel Solomon David; and Ezra Cohen.J. N. E. B. E.

Rabbi Abdallah Somekh died of cholera outside Baghdad and the authorities would not allow his body to be returned to Baghdad so he was buried outside. Some time later ??? his body was disinterred because permission had been received to move his remains to Baghdad. They found that 'his body had not deteriorated at all but was as if it had just been buried!

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 17 2018, 11:15:36 UTC

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