ADADI, ABRAHAM ḤAYYIM BEN MASOUD ḤAI

ADADI, ABRAHAM ḤAYYIM BEN MASOUD ḤAI (1801–1874) (1801–1874), halakhic authority and kabbalist. Born in Tripoli and orphaned at an early age, Abraham was raised by his grandfather, Nathan Adadi, an outstanding scholar. In 1818 the family emigrated to Safed, where Adadi studied and was occasionally required to travel abroad as an emissary of the community. While in Leghorn in 1837 he heard of the great earthquake in Safed, and therefore changed his plans and returned to Tripoli, where he served as rabbi and dayyan and maintained a bet midrash. Some time after 1865, Adadi returned to Safed, remaining there for the rest of his life. Adadi paid particular attention to the local minhagim ("customs"), especially of Tripoli and Safed, and also of places he visited. His books incorporate much historical information, particularly about Tripoli. In this he was doubtless influenced by Abraham *Ḥalfon, his greatest Tripolitanian contemporary. Adadi's works include: Ha-Shomer Emet (Leghorn, 1849), primarily halakhot and customs concerning Torah scrolls; Va-Yikra Avraham (Leghorn, 1865), responsa, etc.; Zeh ha-Kelal on talmudic methodology; and Makom she-Nahagu, customs omitted from Ha-Shomer Emet. The rest of his works, including talmudic novellae and sermons, are still in manuscript (Ben-Zvi Institute, Jerusalem). An original poem in praise of Safed appears at the beginning of his Ha-Shomer Emet.

bibliography:

N. Slouschz, Massa'ai be-Ereẓ Luv, 1 (1935), 24 ff.; Yaari, Sheluḥei, 675 ff.; Farija Zu'areẓ et al. (eds.), Yahadut Luv (1960), 71; Franco, Histoire des Israélites de L'Empire Ottoman, 121.