Little known facts about Morocco #4576!

Islam and Judaism have not always had a comfortable coexistence. Yet in Morocco there is a long history of giving shelter to Jews and to protecting Jewish synagogues and property.

One of the more interesting Jewish scholars who lived for a considerable time in Fez was Isaac Al Fasi - better known as "The RIF" - for Rabbi Isaac of Fez. Now, centuries down the line, he has given his name to a brand of wine. And not just any wine, but a kosher wine!

Alfasi wines are made from grapes grown in the Maule Valley just south of Santiago, Chile's capital city, and benefit from the rare joining of sunny climates and cool ocean breezes. The surrounding mountain ranges provide a cool, moisture-free climate that contributes to the top-quality that Alfasi wines exhibit. The wines lean towards the drier end of the spectrum.


According to David Eisdorfer, writing in ALGEMEINER.COM, the Rabbi of Fez (pictured left) was born in 1013 in a small village outside of Fez. He studied in his youth under the two leading rabbinical figures of the era, Rabbi Nissim ben Jacob and Rabbi Chananel ben Cushiel, who trained him in the method that was to shape his single most important work - Sefer ha-Halachot.

The emphasis of the institution, where the Rabbi of Fez studied, was on deduction and clarification of the law from amidst the intricate web of the Talmud, so his idea was naturally to create a work in which to present the final decisions in a lucid manner. He would need to labor for 10 years to complete this work, but not before unrest forced the Rabbi of Fez to move.

In 1045, the newly ascendant leader of the region of Alfasi’s hometown severely persecuted all non-Muslim sects in the area; the Rabbi of Fez was forced to take his family and flee to the nearby city of Fez where he studied at the famous Kerouane University.

Sefer ha-Halachot
Once arrived, the Rabbi of Fez enjoyed forty relatively peaceful years in the Jewish community there; they undertook to support his family while he worked to complete his magnum opus “Sefer ha-Halachot (Book of the Laws)”; and they founded an institution of learning in his name, where students from all over North Africa came to study, most notably the famous poet Rabbi Judah Ha-Levi.

However, even in his old age he was not safe from woe and worry: in 1088, Alfasi was forced to flee Morocco for Spain when he was denounced to the government on an unknown accusation. When in Spain, he became the head of the academy at Lucena until his passing in 1103.

NEXT LITTLE KNOWN FACT: #4577!


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news