A Short Tribute
Hacham Avraham Meyuhas was born to Rachel and Hacham Shmuel in 1718, in Jerusalem. His father died when he was two years old. He was raised by his grandfather, Hacham Moshe Meyuhas, a community elder, and supported by his uncle, Hacham Moshe Bechar Meyuhas. He learned Torah from Hacham Israel Meir Mizrachi and studied at the Beit Yaacov yeshiva founded by Hacham Yaacov Ferera.
Hacham Abraham Meyuhas married Jamilla, Hacham Tuvia HaCohen's daughter. They had three sons, all of whom became Torah scholars: Hacham Yitzhak Shmuel, Hacham Yosef Yaakov, and Hacham Binyamin Moshe.
Hacham Avraham Meyuhas lived an ascetic life, suffered poverty and tribulations but did not withhold a single hour from his time in the study house. At the age of forty, however, he lost his sight and could no longer maintain his pace of study.
Hacham Avraham Meyuhas passed away on 29 Kislev, 5528 (1768) and was buried on the Mount of Olives. He authored five works: Sadeh Ha'aretz, in three volumes that contains sermons on the Torah and original commentary on the Talmud, Maimonides' Mishneh Torah and Hator; Diglei Ahava and Ruach HaSadeh – a commentary on HAARI's book, Derech Etz HaHaim; HaMa'or Hakatan – on Rabbi Haim Vital's book, Etz HaHaim and Siach Sadeh – on the Sefer HaKavanoth.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Israel and the Nations' in which he explains that Abraham's inheritance of the Land can be for all people, if they behave as he did
"Abraham was but one man, yet he was granted possession of the Land. We are many; surely, the land has been given as a possession to us". The Holy One, blessed be He, called Abraham, naming him the father of a multitude of nations. This means that the entire world is named after him, and he is named the father of all people. Maimonides could, according to this, determine that a convert of whatever origin can say "As You promised an oath to our fathers", for he (Abraham) was named "father of multitudes" – for all the world's nations. Despite Abraham having been "but one man", since he inherited the Land and "we are many" and are referred to as "multitudes", Abraham is apparently our father and, if so, "the land has been given as a possession to us", that is, as part of our inheritance. The Holy One, blessed be He, replies, "You eat the blood, you raise your eyes to your fetishes, and you shed blood – yet you expect to possess the land"?! Meaning to say that you are not named after him unless you behave as he did – to fulfill the Torah and its commandments. You will possess the land – as mentioned above and as Maimonides wrote, since he was named father of a multitude of nations – the lands belong to everyone under the Shechina's canopy.
Sdeh Ha'aretz, Part 2, Kedoshim Torah Reading portion, p.15b, Mordecai Nachman and Leon Kalay Printing, Salonica, 1784
