Isaac Alfasi: Encyclopedia II - Isaac Alfasi - Biography

Isaac Alfasi - Biography

Alfasi was born in Kalat ibn Hamad, a village near Fes in Morocco. He studied in Kairouan, Tunisia under Nissim Ben Jacob and Chananel Ben Chushiel (Rabbeinu Chananel) the recognized rabbinical authorities of the age. Chananel trained Alfasi to deduce and to clarify the Halakha from Talmudic sources, and Alfasi then conceived of the idea of compiling a comprehensive work that would present all of the practical conclusions of the Gemara in a clear, definitive manner. To achieve this goal, he worked for 10 consecutive years in his father-in-law's attic.

In 1045, the “heterodox sects” in the city were severely persecuted, and the Jews, with the rest, suffered greatly; see History of the Jews in Tunisia. As a result, the city's Jewish residents fled; Alfasi moved to Fes with his wife and two children. Fes' Jewish community undertook to support him and his family so that he could work on his Sefer Ha-halachot undisturbed. They also founded a yeshiva in his honor, and many students throughout Morocco came to study under his guidance. The most famous of his many students is Judah Halevi; he also taught Joseph ibn Migash, who was in turn a teacher of Maimon, father and teacher of Maimonides (Rambam).

Alfasi remained in Fes for 40 years, during which time he completed his Sefer Ha-halachot. Eventually, he became known as Alfasi ("from Fes"); Rif is an acronym of Rabbi Isaac alFasi. In 1088, when an old man of seventy-five, two informers denounced him to the government upon some unknown charge. He left Fes for Spain, eventually becoming head of the yeshiva in Lucena in 1089.

In a sense, Alfasi brought the geonic period to a close - the last of the Babylonian geonim, Hai Gaon, died when Alfasi was 25 years old; Alfasi himself was called Gaon ("genius") by several early halachic authorities. His magnanimous character was illustrated by two incidents. When his opponent Isaac Albalia died, Alfasi adopted Albalia's son. When Alfasi was himself on the point of death, he recommended as his successor in the Lucena rabbinate, not his own son, but his pupil Joseph ibn Migash.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Biography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki