Official marriage certificate of - the Rishon LeTziyon, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, to Rabbanit Margalit

Official marriage certificate of - the Rishon LeTziyon, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, to Rabbanit Margalit
Official Edah Chareidit of Jerusalem marriage certificate for the wedding of the future leader of Sephardic Jewry - the Rishon LeTziyon, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, to Rabbanit Margalit. Jerusalem, 1944. Historic document.

This document bears important historic details about the bride and groom: their place of residence, the date and location of their wedding, and more. Inscribed on the line for the groom's occupation is: "Sage"! The witnesses to the marriage were his teachers: Chacham Ezra Attiyah and Rabbi Ezra Sarim. The officiating rabbi was Kabbalist Chacham Shaul Sharabani. This document bears signatures of all three sages, among the rabbinic leaders of the generation.

This marriage produced five sons "as tall as cedars, " illuminating the world with their Torah: the gaon Rabbi Ya'akov Yosef, ztz"l, and, may they be distinguished for long life, the gaon Rabbi Avraham Yosef, rabbi of Holon, the gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, chief rabbi of Israel, the gaon Rabbi David Yosef, rosh kollel of Yichveh Da'at and member of Shas's Council of Torah Sages; and the gaon Rabbi Moshe Yosef, head of Bada"tz Beit Yosef.

It is appropriate here to relate an event connected to three of the personalities who appear on the document before us, an event that influenced, albeit indirectly, the entire Jewish people! Rabbi Ovadiah's father, R' Ya'akov Ovadiah (who appears in this document on line 12), was an honest man, owner of a convenience store, who worked hard to support his family. When it became too difficult for him to continue the work by himself, he called his son, the youth Ovadiah, and said, "Until now you studied at yeshivah, from now on you are to help support the family." The youth Ovadiah (who appears in this document on line 7), well-practiced in honoring his parents, parted from the yeshivah with tears and a heavy heart, and went to help his father at the store. The next morning, the rosh yeshivah, Chacham Ezra Attiyah (who appears in this document on line 19), presented himself at the store, removed his rabbinic robe and rolled up his sleeves. To the astonishment of R' Ya'akov Ovadiah and his many customers, Chacham Attiyah announced: "From now on I will come to this store daily to help out, and the youth Ovadiah, who I am confident will become a great rabbinic leader, will return to his study at the yeshivah." R' Ya'akov Ovadiah was convinced that Chacham Attiyah was serious in his intentions, and sent his son back to yeshivah. The Jewish people merited this rabbinic leader, and the Yabia Omer and Yichveh Da'at series of books, which hold a prominent place in Torah Literature.

[1] leaf official paper, 25 cm. Fine condition. Aging stains. Fold marks. Tiny tears in the margins and in the folds, without lack or damage.