ר' יעקב בירב

Rav Yaakov Beirav (5234/1474–5301/1541), the Mahari Beirav, was among the greatest chachmei Eretz Yisrael in the first half of the sixteenth century, best known for his attempt in 5298/1538 to renew semichah, the classical ordination. He was born near Toledo, in the town of Maqueda in Castile, and learned in the yeshiva of Rav Yitzchak Aboab. After the expulsion from Spain in 1492 he wandered to North Africa, serving as rav of the community of Fez while still a young man, and later in Tlemcen.

His path led him to Eretz Yisrael, where he headed a yeshiva in Jerusalem until 1519, when hardship brought him back to Egypt with his talmidim; he later dwelt in Damascus and served as a rav in Cairo. Around 5295/1535 he settled at last in Tzfat, then the largest Jewish community in the land, where he stood at the head of a yeshiva and became the central figure of the city’s Torah life. Its leading scholars learned before him, foremost among them Rav Yosef Karo and Rav Moshe of Trani, the Mabit.

In 5298/1538 he set out to renew semichah, discussing the halachic question with many rabbis and relying on the Rambam in his commentary to the Mishnah in Sanhedrin. Twenty-five of the sages of Tzfat gathered and ordained him first, that he might ordain others; word was sent to Jerusalem, where Rav Levi ibn Chaviv, the Ralbach, declined to join and disputed the undertaking, and some of the Tzfat chachamim then withdrew. Rav Beirav went on to ordain a small number of scholars, among them Rav Yosef Karo, who in time ordained Rav Moshe Alshich, and the chain of ordination continued for several generations. His responsa, together with his chiddushim on Kiddushin, were first printed in Venice in 5423/1663. He was niftar in 5301/1541 and buried in the old cemetery of Tzfat, where a beit knesset bears his name.