Rabbi Yehouda Fetaya

Rabbi Yehouda Fetaya

5619–5702 / 1859–1942

Rabbi Yehouda Fetaya was one of the greatest rabbis and Kabbalists of Iraq. A disciple of the Ben Ish Hai, Rabbi Yossef Haim of Baghdad, he stands in the great lineage of Kabbalistic masters of Baghdad; from his teacher, he inherited a vision in which halakha, mysticism, and communal responsibility were one.

Recognized from a young age for his spiritual depth, he grew up in a home steeped in Torah. His father, Rabbi Moshe Yeshoua Fetaya, himself a Kabbalist, was his first teacher and laid the foundations of his formation.

An Authority Recognized from Youth

At only 17 years old, the Rosh Yeshiva Abdallah Somekh asked him to lead the service. The young Yehouda refused out of humility. The Rosh Yeshiva then descended from his seat, placed his hands on his head, and ordained him as a rabbi on the spot, publicly conferring upon him the authority to teach and guide.

At 25, he composed his first mystical work, Ya'in HaReka'h. He quickly became renowned for his tikkunim and for his interventions in cases of dibboukim. His commitment to the Jewish people was total. It is even reported that he had a conversation with Shabbatai Tzvi. Among his teachers was also the Ben Ish Hai, Rabbi Shimon Agassi.

Trial and Faith

His life was marked by trial: he lost eight of his children. Only one survived. Yet he never ceased to teach, to write, and to strengthen the faith of his generation.

In 1933, he settled permanently in Jerusalem, where he continued his work until his passing in 1942.

His Major Works

• Min'hat Yehouda — commentaries on the Torah, the Talmud, and Kabbalah, including his accounts related to dibboukim.
• Ya'in HaReka'h — commentary on the Zohar, particularly the Idra Rabba and the Idra Zouta.

Rabbi Yehouda Fetaya remains today a central figure of Oriental Kabbalah, a master whose influence continues to illuminate those who seek to understand the hidden dimensions of the Torah.