Ovadia Yosef in 10 Minutes

Discover the life and colossal influence of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (1920–2013), the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and spiritual leader of the Shas political party, whose rulings dramatically revitalized the Sephardic Jewish world. We explore his life, which began in Iraq before his family moved to Jerusalem, and how he rose to become a legal giant known for his meticulous, vast knowledge of Sephardic legal sources and his commitment to restoring the prestige of Sephardic customs. . His guiding principle, "Ha-Halakha ke-dat ha-Torah," led him to overturn many stringent Ashkenazi rulings in favor of earlier, more lenient Sephardic ones, often consolidated in his magnum opus, Yabia Omer. His impact extended far beyond the synagogue, as he used his immense authority to address contemporary Israeli issues, from agunot (chained women) to matters of peace and security, cementing his legacy as Maran—"our master"—to millions worldwide.