Benwaish, Abraham

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BENWAISH, ABRAHAM

BENWAISH, ABRAHAM (16th–17th centuries), banker to the sultan of Morocco Aḥmad al-Manṣūr in Marrakesh (south Morocco) and later superintendent of finances (until 1627). Benwaish was extremely influential and it was because of him that members of the *Pallache family were appointed ambassadors of Morocco to Holland. He was responsible for one of his relatives, Abraham Buzaglo-Azulay, being sent to Venice in 1606 to buy expensive goods for the ruler. Benwaish was appointed *nagid of the Jews of the kingdom of *Marrakesh and promoted study there. In his capacity as superintendent of finance he discriminated against the English and Dutch Christians in favor of his coreligionists, a policy which brought protests from the European governments. Accused of embezzlement, he had no difficulty in clearing himself. His descendant samuel (1738–1817), dayyan of *Meknès, was renowned for his piety. His responsa are extant in manuscript.

bibliography:

sihm, Angleterre, 2 (1925), 233, 363, 441, 468; 3 (1936), 64, 66, 68–70; Pays-Bas, 1 (1906), 343, 500; J.M. Toledano, Ner ha-Ma'arav (1911), 106, 111, 196; J. Ben-Naim, Malkhei Rabbanan (1931), 121; Hirschberg, Afrikah, 2 (1965), 225.

[David Corcos]