יעקב שאול אלישר

Rav Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (23 Sivan 5577/1817–Tammuz 5666/1906), known as the Yisa Berachah — the initials of his name, the affectionate title his stepfather gave the young iluy — was Rishon LeTzion, head of the rabbanim of Eretz Yisrael, for the last thirteen years of his life. Born in Tzfat to Rav Eliezer Yerucham Elyashar, he knew hardship early: the family fled the persecutions of the pasha’s years to Yerushalayim, where his father died when the boy was seven. His mother’s remarriage brought him the teacher of his life — Rav Binyamin Mordechai Navon, who adopted him, raised him in Torah, and sustained him for decades while he grew into one of Yerushalayim’s chachamim.

His path led through every station of service: shadar to Izmir and to Alexandria — where he persuaded the kehillah to reopen its doors to the emissaries of Eretz Yisrael, and declined the rabbanut they offered him — dayan from 5613/1853, and av beit din of Yerushalayim from 5629/1869. When the mantle of Rishon LeTzion was offered him in 5640 he stepped aside in favor of his mechutan, Rav Refael Meir Panigel; only on the latter’s passing, in 5653/1893, was he crowned at the Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai shul. A master of seven languages, he stood in warm partnership with Rav Shmuel Salant, the rav of the Ashkenazim, laboring together for the whole yishuv — and he was beloved by the bnei of every edah as few leaders of Yerushalayim have been.

From his desk went out thousands of teshuvot — to Ashkenazim, Sephardim and Temanim across the world — gathered in his responsa volumes, among them Ma’aseh Ish. He was niftar in Tammuz 5666 and rests in the rabbanim’s section of Har HaZeitim beside Rav Navon; the Yerushalayim neighborhood of Givat Shaul carries his name.