Leading Sephardic Torah Leader Harav Meir Mazuz Passed Away

Harav Meir Mazuz, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Kisei Rachamim in Bnei Brak and regarded by many as the spiritual leader of Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisroel, passed away on Shvi’i shel Pesach. He had a close and deep connection to the Rebbe and publicly supported many Chabad activities.

By Anash.org reporter

Harav Meir Mazuz, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Kisei Rachamim in Bnei Brak and regarded by many as the spiritual leader of Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisroel, passed away on Shvi’i shel Pesach. His funeral, on Sunday, was attended by tens of thousands from across Eretz Yisroel.

He was 80 years old.

Rabbi Mazuz was born in Tunisia on 13 Nissan 5705 (1945), where he studied at Yeshivat Chevrat HaTalmud. His father, Harav Matzliach Mazuz, who was very close to Chabad and the shluchim in Tunisia, was tragically murdered in Tunisia in 5731. Shortly after that, Rabbi Meir made aliyah and founded Yeshivat Kisei Rachamim in Bnei Brak, which he led until his passing.

A respected voice in the Torah world, he delivered weekly shiurim on Kol Berama radio and authored dozens of popular seforim. He was known for his decisiveness in many areas of Torah and halacha. Regarded by many as the spiritual leader of Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Mazuz also served as the spiritual head of the ‘Yachad’ political party.

Rabbi Mazuz had a deep and personal connection with Chabad and the Rebbe. Under his father’s guidance, he began teaching at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Tunisia at just 17, where he worked closely with Rabbi Nissan Pinson, the Rebbe’s shliach and the yeshiva’s founder. He frequently took part in chassidishe farbrengens and remained connected to chassidim even after moving to Eretz Yisroel, strongly supporting their outreach efforts.

After facing infertility, Rabbi Mazuz received a bracha from the Rebbe, through Rabbi Pinson, before Rosh Hashanah 5727. Nine months later, his first son was born. Years later, when his wife fell seriously ill and doctors predicted she would remain unconscious, the Rebbe gave her a bracha. Two weeks later, she was released from the hospital. When Rabbi Mazuz visited the Rebbe during “Sunday dollars,” the Rebbe handed him nine dollars – a moment he would later associate with the nine more years his wife lived.

Throughout his life, he maintained warm ties with Chabad, visiting the Ohel after Gimmel Tammuz and encouraging the practice of writing to the Rebbe even today. He publicly promoted learning Tanya, stating that he had already completed it three times. He also embraced the Rebbe’s view on the shape of the luchos and even changed the design atop his yeshiva from rounded to squared in accordance with the Rebbe’s position.

Rabbi Mazuz admired the Rebbe’s leadership and global impact. In a 1982 article in Kfar Chabad Magazine, he wrote:

“The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Harav Menachem Mendel Schneerson shlita, is the towering figure of our generation who raised the banner of Torah and Judaism with unparalleled success. Just like Rav Chiya, of whom Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said, ‘How great are the deeds of Chiya,’ the Rebbe ensured that Torah would not be forgotten by establishing centers of Torah around the globe through his Chassidim.”

Though he once wrote a critique of certain Chabad customs – such as wearing sheitels instead of tichels and not sleeping in the sukkah – he later clarified that these were directed specifically at Sephardic Jews and were not meant as a critique of Chabad. On the contrary, he voiced deep admiration for Chabad’s mission and the Rebbe’s leadership. When a prominent figure publicly opposed the Rebbe’s takkana of daily Rambam study, Rabbi Mazuz strongly refuted him and passionately laid out the many reasons why the takkana should be followed.

He also worked closely with Rabbi Sholom Ber Wolpo, editing sections of his works on the Rebbe’s chiddushim on Shas and giving approbations for several of his seforim.

In a letter to Rabbi Sholom Ber Lifshitz from the winter of 5748, who had written about a visit to Rabbi Mazuz, the Rebbe referred to Rabbi Mazuz as having been “a revealed Chabadnik” in his youth.

Yehi zichro boruch.