Yiḥyah Salaḥ

Who was Yiḥyah Salaḥ?

Rabbi Yiḥye Ṣāliḥ and who is also known by the acronym of Maharitz = Moreinu HaRav Yichyah Tzalach, was no doubt the greatest exponent of Jewish law known to Yemen. He is to be remembered mostly for his ardent work for the preservation of Yemenite Jewish customs and traditions, which he articulated so well in his many writings. Initially, Rabbi Yiḥye Ṣāliḥ worked as a blacksmith until the age of thirty, after which he worked as a scrivener of sacred texts. Born c. 1713, this 18th-century Yemenite rabbi was contemporary with Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai, the great rabbinic teacher and scholar with whom he exchanged responsum while the latter lived in Egypt. Rabbi Yiḥye Ṣāliḥ is the author of the Questions and Responsa, "Pe'ūlath Ṣadīq," and has also written a brief but comprehensive commentary on the Yemenite Baladi-rite Prayer Book, entitled ‘Eṣ Ḥayyim in which appears the responsum addressed to him from Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai. Maharitz also compiled an invaluable work on Bible orthography known as "Ḥeleq Hadiqdūq," among other writings.