A Legend of Greatness –– The Life & Times of Hacham Haim Yosef David Azoulay (Book review)

Title: A Legend of Greatness –– The Life & Times of Hacham Haim Yosef David Azoulay 

Author: Yehuda Azoulay
Distributed by: Israel BookShop Publications
Published by: Israel Book Shop
Manufactured: USA
Language: English
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 464
Official Website: http://www.sephardiclegacy.com/

Sephardic Legacy Series is endorsed by Hacham Ovadia Yosef, Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Hacham Yitzak Yosef, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz & Rabbi Ben-Tzion Mutzafi. Therefore, we can expect only publications of great importance and quality.

A Legend of Greatness is the fourth publication of Sephardic Legacy Series by Yehuda Azoulay. The author has an immense skill and inspiration to describe us "The Life & Times of Hacham Haim Yosef David Azoulay," the Hida, a leading scholar and prolific writer who was proficient in every aspect of Torah literature, including Halachah, Talmud, homiletics, and Kabbalah. We can be transported to events in a way we were experiencing live, viewing the facts. Our mind is guided by the beautiful and fabulous stories and the practices of the Saddik. Yehuda Azoulay has clarified for us with rich details and erudition of this holy Sage, his fine deeds, mitzvoth, ideas, teachings and amazing travels around the world.

His impressive devotion in Avodat Hashem is marked by great challenges and obstacles, and reading their stories, we can learn a lot as serving God. The saddik is an example of humility, holiness and faith in the Creator, being respected by Sephardic communities, but also in Hassidic movement as well as many Ashkenazic Torah Scholars.

Also, what is really interesting are the images of original documents and photos of the saddik. Full documentation, formulated in 38 Chapters. Some of the topics featured are: The Emergence of a Kabbalist, Emissaries from the Holy Land, The Hida’s Inner World, The Hida’s writings, The Hida’s sermons and more.

The essence of the book fills us with wonderful teachings of Torah.

Reviewed by: Gilson Rodrigues de Arruda.