Biography Of The Famous Saints and Miracle-Worker, Rabbi Chaim Pinto The 1st

Rabbi Shlomo married the daughter of the wealthy Rabbi Kalifa Malka (originally of Tetun), who provided for all his needs so that he might devote himself entirely to Torah-study and service of G-d. When his father in law moved to Agadir for business reasons, Rabbi Shlomo and his wife had to likewise leave Tagnier for Agadir. However, his wife unfortunately passed away there without having borne him any children.

Rabbi Shlomo travelled to Marrakesh where he married a second wife, Hiyuna, from famous Beneviste family. He returned with her to Agadir where she bore him renowned son, Rabbi Chaim Pinto. Chaim was just ten years old when his father Rabbi Shlomo passed away. Later the same year, the port of Agadir, source of livelihood for the cities Jewish community, was closed down and the city became impoverished. A new port was built instead in Mogador and many Jews were forced to live there, among them the young Chaim. The new arrivals would come to hear Torah from the Rabbi of the city, Rabbi Gedaliah Yaacov, who also happened to be very wealthy. When he noticed Chaim among them, he treated him with great honor and directed him to his relative, R. Meir Pinto, who served as deputy French counsel. The latter was overjoyed to see him and arranged for him to study at the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yaacov Bibas, head of the Mogador Rabbinical Court. Soon the young Chaim became famed throughout Morocco as an outstanding prodigy and saint, and also for his exceptionally beautiful singing voice. .

 To this day, thousands go to pray by his graveside that is soul intercede for divine mercy in cases of communal or individual need. His name is mentioned with awe and reverence by both Jews and by native Moroccan Arabs, who all believe faithfully in his great saintliness.

.

His fame even reached Europe and the middle-east, from where Jews would send their request to him (and later to his sons) to pray for them. In 1860, when Sir Moshe Montefiore (the famous Sfaradi benefactor from England) visited Morocco, he came to pray at Rabbi Chaim's Synagogue and gave his son's gifts.

His contemporary, Rabbi David Elkaim, was once in Livorno, Italy, where he met the renowned Rabbi Chaim Yoseph David Azulai (CHYDA). The latter gave him three his numerous printed works to take back with him: Rosh David (sermons and commentaries on the Torah), Chaim Shaal (responsa,etc., Livorno 1792-5) and Simchat Haregel (on the Shalosh Regalim- "Three Foot Festivals", Livorno 1782). He was to give Rosh David to Rabbi David Hazzan, Chaim Shaal to Rabbi Chaim Pinto and keep Simchat Haregel for himself as reward for the bother of walking to them by foot. On his return to Mogador, he immediately received a message from Rabbi Chaim (who apparently foreknowledge of the gift from afar) to bring him the book right away. "Chaim Shaal," he told him "Ask Chaim, and your elders will tell you!"

When Rabbi Bibas passed away, the heads of the Mogador community begged Rabbi Chaim, together with his colleague Rabbi David Ben-Hazzan to succeed him. They accepted, with the consent of Rabbi Shem Tov Ben-Attar.

Four sons were borne to Rabbi Chaim Pinto: Yehuda (known as Rabbi H'den), Yoseph, Yoshia and Yaacov.

Rabbi H'den (father of Rabbi Chaim Pinto the second) was a saint and miracle worker sought to kind deeds. Revered by Jew and Arab alike, they would kiss his hands and clothes wherever he went. He was accustomed each day to distribute to the poor any money he had remaining after essential expenditures for his own family. Even Arabs would request his blessing and bring him gifts.

The second son, Rabbi Yoseph, was also a saintly man, and also had a fine voice. He used to travel to other lands on business trips until one day his ship sank and he was saved only by a miracle. From then on, he never left Mogador. He had an only son, Shaul, who passed away during his lifetime.

Rabbi Yoshia, too, was a holy man and miracle-worker. In Rabbi Chaim's home was a tiny room one meter square where Rabbi Yoshia would study. He refused to accept any gifts from his fellow mortals and instead would derive his livelihood from a store he owned. He would preach against worldly vanities to such an extent that his audience would feel utterly disgusted with all pleasures of this world, and he would then emphasize the greatness of the eternal pleasure to be derived from Torah. On Tisha Be'av, the saddest day of the Jewish year, commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, it would seem as if he were mourning a member of his own family. He would go the entire community to sincere repentance.

Rabbi Yaacov was a quite man who spent all his time in study. He was known for his prodigious memory.

Rabbi Chaim composed several works on Halacha, Aggada, Talmudik novella and Kabbalah, besides religious poetry for inclusion in Shabbat and Holiday services. They were never printed and unfortunately lost during the Franco Moroccan war of 1840. A few of his Halachik responsa were preserved in collections of other great contemporaries with whom he corresponded.

He passed away on the 26^th of Elul, 5605 (1845), and was laid to rest in the old Jewish cemetery of Mogador. Around him are buried other saintly people: His son Rabbi Yoshia, Rabbi Yonah Navon, Rabbi Avraham Coriat, Rabbi Yaacov Halevi, Rabbi Yoseph Elmaleh, Rabbi Yechia Eflelo and Rabbi David Luski.

Until this day people all over the world celebrate this Tzadik's Hillula and fly into Morocco from everywhere to praise and pray to the Tzadik. We have never stopped witnessing big miracles on the name of Rabbi Chaim Pinto (the first).