Hacham Rachamim Haim Yehuda Israel, son of Hacham Michael Yaakov, was born on 8 Tammuz 5575 (1815) in Rhodes.
He began his Torah studies with his father, author of Shenot Yamin, and his grandfather, Hacham Yehuda, author of Kol Yehuda.
In 1885, at the age of 70, he began to officiate as Rabbi of Rhodes, replacing Hacham Yitzhak Israel, who had immigrated to the Land of Israel. His sons were also rabbis, and one of them, Hacham Reuben Eliyahu Israel, also served as a rabbi in Rhodes.
Hacham Rachamim Haim Yehuda Israel passed away on 15 Nissan, 5652 (1892) and was buried in Rhodes. His commentary on Tractate Minchot and halakhic Responsa were published in his book, Ben Yamin.
One must be thoughtful concerning hostility towards Christians. We took action, two years ago, presenting our request to the Effendi Despot that their custom be annulled. Their custom, on their holiday, was to create the figure of a Jew and act out their vengeance on it for their prophet having been hung. In those days, in their houses of prayer, they would also preach to sustain their rancor and hatred towards Jews, and would then go out to pursue Jews, and to beat and curse them. Jews could not walk in their streets or go to market on those days for fear that heathens would stone them. We presented our plea concerning all these things to him, and he girded his manly strength, annulling these customs by saying: If their fathers sinned, and are no longer – what have we against their children? And since then, not a word was uttered against Jews. But he also expressed his anger towards us at the time, concerning the custom of Purim, saying to us, "Yours is worse than ours, for we have a basis for our revenge, since your forefathers killed our prophet, and we visit the sins of the fathers on their children. You, however, did as you pleased with Haman and his sons, and he sinned against you in thought only, conspiring yet not acting; why do you continue to strike out in rage? Why are you so fearful?" and so on, speaking in words painful to be heard, and leaving us floundering in humiliation and with no reply to his words…
In these times nothing remains hidden from the nations, for the Jews themselves disclose all the mysteries of our worship, in all their aspects, which was not previously the case. Furthermore, it is the wish of his Majesty that all nations be equal and in fellowship, as written in the book Yaffe LaLev. It is therefore the educator's duty to place the limits and boundaries necessary for repair (tikun), that His Majesty's dignity, and that of the Jewish people along with him, not be compromised.
1815-1892