אור החיים הקדוש
Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh zt״l
Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar · 1696–1743
From Morocco to Jerusalem
Born in Salé, Morocco, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar became a renowned Torah scholar and commentator. He traveled through Italy on his way to the Land of Israel, and settled in Jerusalem in 1742. His life reflects devotion to Torah, teaching, and the holiness of Eretz Yisrael.
A light within the Torah
His commentary, Ohr HaChaim (“Light of Life”), explores the Five Books of Moses. It combines careful attention to the wording of a verse with rabbinic interpretation and deeper spiritual insights. He often offers several explanations of the same passage rather than reducing it to a single reading.
An enduring legacy
He established a yeshivah in Jerusalem known as Midrash Knesset Yisrael. He passed away on 15 Tammuz in 1743 and is buried on the Mount of Olives. His teachings continue to be studied in Sephardic, Hasidic, and other Jewish communities.