ALFASI

ALFASI , family of Tunisian rabbis that originated in Fez, Morocco. mas?ud raphael alfasi (1700?–1774), halakhist and kabbalist. Born in Fez or Tunis, he studied in the latter under ?ema? ?arefati, Abraham Tayyib, and Isaac Lumbroso. He established a great yeshivah in Tunis that has continued to bear his name to this day, and served as chief rabbi there from 1741 until his death. His writings included a large work on Maimonides' Yad patterned on Judah *Rosanes' Mishneh la-Melekh (1731), and a commentary to the Talmud. Mish?a de-Ravevata (2 vols., Leghorn, 1805) is a commentary on the Shul?an Arukh and includes responsa. His homilies on the Pentateuch and for Sabbath and holy days are extant in manuscript (Ben-Zvi Institute, no. 713); his grandchildren came into possession of a work on the Zohar, the Idrot, and Isaac *Luria's kabbalistic works (see edition of Zohar, Leghorn, 1872). solomon ben mas?ud raphael alfasi (1721–1801), his son, succeeded his father as rabbi of Tunis. His work on the Shul?an Arukh as well as his responsa are included in the second volume of his father's Mish?a de-Ravevata. Keruv Mimesha? (Leghorn, 1858) includes novellae on the Talmud and on Maimonides' Yad as well as a talmudic methodology. Alfasi was renowned as a pietist and a wonderworker; many miraculous tales were told about him. His brother ?ayyim ben mas?ud raphael (1756–1783) wrote novellae on the Shul?an Arukh – entitled ?iddushei Mahar?a – which were included in his father's Mish?a de-Ravevata (1805) and in his brother's Keruv Mimesha?.

bibliography:

D. Cazès, Notes bibliographiques sur la littérature juive-tunisienne (1893), 157–68; Arditti, in: Revue Tunisienne, 2 (1931), 115–6.