בעל כף החיים

The Kaf HaChaim, Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, is the bridge between Babylonian and Jerusalem Jewry, who composed one of the most important works of law for the eastern communities. Born in Baghdad, a student of the Ben Ish Chai's study house, he went up to Jerusalem and settled there, and sat for years over his great work 'Kaf HaChaim.'

The book is an immense commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, which gathers the opinions of the decisors and the kabbalists alike, especially the tradition of the Ari and the Ben Ish Chai. While the 'Mishnah Berurah' became the book of law of the Ashkenazim, 'Kaf HaChaim' became the pillar of ruling of eastern Jewry, combining law with the intentions of Kabbalah.

Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer lived in simplicity and immense perseverance, and wrote his enormous work out of reverence and precision in every detail. He sought to ensure that the tradition of law and Kabbalah of the East, which he received from his teachers in Babylon, would be preserved and transmitted for generations in Jerusalem.

What do we learn from him? That bridging communities, Babylon and Jerusalem, is done through the ant's labor of gathering and transmitting. The Kaf HaChaim teaches that the law of eastern Jewry is a rich world combining ruling and secret, and that quiet perseverance on a single work over years can give an entire people a pillar to lean on.