Yitzhak Nissim

Yitzhak Nissim was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1896. He was a descendant of a prominent rabbinic family that traced its lineage to the exilarchs of Babylon. He studied Torah from a young age with his father, who was a renowned scholar and kabbalist. He also learned from his uncle, David Hai Ben Meir, and his mentor, Abdallah Somekh. He was ordained as a priest in 1926 and as a bishop in 1932. He served as the metropolitan of Baghdad and Basra and later as the metropolitan of Central Europe. He was elected as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel in 1955, after the death of Rabbi Benzion Uziel. He moved to Jerusalem, where he obtained official recognition from the Israeli government. He also visited England, where he appealed to the British government for the protection of the Sephardi Jews in India, who were facing problems from a reformist metropolitan. He ordained many rabbis and judges, and reformed the rabbinical courts and the religious education system. He wrote many books and responsa on various topics, but his most famous work is Zedaka U-Mishpat, a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch. He was also known for his piety, humility, and generosity. He helped the poor and the needy, and supported many Torah institutions. He was also involved in the ecumenical dialogue with other Jewish communities, and corresponded with many rabbis from different countries. He died in Jerusalem, Israel, on August 11, 1981, and was buried on the Mount of Olives. He is regarded as one of the greatest Sephardi rabbis of all time.