יאשיהו בן יוסף פינטו

Rav Yoshiyahu ben Yosef Pinto (5325/1565–5408/1648), known by the letters of his name as the Rif, was among the foremost chachamim of Damascus, where he was born and where he served as rav. His father Yosef, of the exiles of Spain, was one of the wealthy and openhanded men of the city. In his youth he learned in the yeshiva of Rav Yaakov Abulafia, who gave him semicha as posek and dayan, and he later received Kabbalah from Rav Chaim Vital; Rav Chaim’s son Rav Shmuel Vital became his talmid and his son-in-law.

He traveled twice to Aleppo (Syria), and in 5385/1625 he went up to Eretz Yisrael with his family, settling first in Yerushalayim and then in Tzfat with the intention of remaining there. The petirah of his young son Rav Yosef a year later brought him back to Damascus, and soon after his return he was set at the head of the kehillah.

Kesef Nivchar and Kesef Mezukak (Venice, 5385/1625) collect his derashot on the Torah. Meor Einayim, his commentary on the Ein Yaakov of Rav Yaakov ibn Chaviv — the gathering of the aggadot of the Bavli — is the work his name is bound to; Kesef Tzaruf explains Mishlei, and Nivchar MiKesef (Aleppo, 5629/1869) holds his teshuvot arranged in the order of the Shulchan Aruch. Two works stayed in manuscript: Kesef Nimas on Eichah and Kevutzat Kesef on monetary law and the laws of women. Further teshuvot of his appear in the collection of Rav Yom Tov Tzahalon and in the Yad Aharon of Rav Aharon Alfandari. He was niftar in Adar 5408/1648 and was buried in the old cemetery of Damascus.