V. Z.: David Levy

2007-10-27T20:43:14Z

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[[Image:Ovadia Yosef, 2007.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, 2007]]
Rabbi '''Ovadia Yosef''' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: '''עובדיה יוסף''') (born in [[1920]] in [[Basra]], [[Iraq]]) is a [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] [[rabbi]], [[Talmud]]ic scholar, a [[Posek|recognized authority]] in [[Halakha]] ("Jewish law"). He is the former [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] [[chief rabbi]] of [[Israel]] and the current spiritual leader of the [[Shas]] political party in the [[Knesset]] (Israel's parliament). He is highly revered in the religious world, especially in the [[Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi]] communities for his erudition and Torah scholarship.

Rabbi Yosef believes that voting in parliamentary elections and participating in [[Politics of Israel|Israeli politics]] is the key to improving the status of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in the State of Israel. Prior to the [[Israeli legislative election, 2006|2006 elections]], Rabbi Yosef told his followers that he sees voting "as a commandment", despite religious encouragement to vote being illegal in Israel. <ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3233084,00.html Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: Voting is a commandment] by ''[[Ynet]]'' [[March 28]] [[2006]]</ref>

==Biography==
Rabbi Yosef was born in [[Basra]], [[Iraq]], but moved to [[Jerusalem]] with his family in [[1924]], when he was four years old. He studied in [[Porat Yosef Yeshiva]] under Rabbi [[Ezra Attia]]. He received ''[[semicha]]'' ("rabbinical ordination") at the age of 20. In [[1942]] he was invited to Egypt by Rabbi Aharon Choueka, to serve as a Rabbi in Yeshiva ''A'hava Ve'Ahva'', and as head of the Cairo [[bet din]]. After spending there three years he returned to [[Israel]] and served on the rabbinical court in [[Petah Tikva]] and later on the court of [[Jerusalem]]. He was then appointed to the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Appeals in [[Jerusalem]], eventually becoming the [[chief rabbi|chief sephardic rabbi]] of [[Tel Aviv]] in [[1968]], which he held until his election as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel in [[1973]].

Rabbi Yosef's authoritative status is based upon his being an [[Illui]] ("prodigy") with an encyclopedic memory, and an [[Posek|authoritative arbiter]] of [[Halakha]] (''[[posek]] halakhot''). He is generally considered one of the most important religious authorities for [[Sephardi Jews]] and [[Mizrahi Jews]]. He lives in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of [[Har Nof]].

Some of his more famous rulings are:
*It is legitimate and allowed to give territory from the [[Land of Israel]] in order to achieve true peace. When the Oslo accords were followed by an intifada, this was later retracted. <ref>[http://www.fmep.org/reports/vol13/no3/05-settlement_timeline.html Settlement Timeline], Foundation for Middle East Peace</ref>
*A collective recognition of the [[Jew]]ishness of the [[Beta Israel]], after there was a suspicion that their [[conversion to Judaism]] was not in compliance with to [[Halakha]] ("Jewish law").
*Allowing the wives of [[Israel Defense Force]] soldiers who have been [[missing in action]] for a long time to marry again, a verdict which is known as "the releasure of [[agunah|agunot]]" (התרת עגונות).
*Women should not wear wigs (sheitel) as a form of head covering (according to Jewish Law married women should cover their hair in public for reasons of modesty).

In April [[2005]], Israeli security services arrested three members of the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (PFLP), who had been observing Rabbi Yosef in public and [[as of 2005|were]] held on the suspicion of intended murder<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/566096.html PFLP members held in plot to assassinate Rabbi Ovadia Yosef] ''[[Haaretz]]'' [[18 April]] [[2005]] (English)</ref>. One, Musa Darwish, was convicted on [[December 15]], [[2005]] of Yosef's attempted murder and of throwing firebombs at vehicles on the Jerusalem-[[Ma'aleh Adumim]] road. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison and three years probation. <ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/658497.html East J'lem man gets 12 years in jail for plotting to kill Shas spiritual leader] by ''[[Haaretz]]'' [[December 15]] [[2005]]</ref>

==Influence==
===Government influence===
In 1990 Rabbi Yosef used his position as Shas spiritual leader to pressure Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Shamir]] into agreeing to hold negotiations with Arab states for a peaceful settlement of the [[Arab-Israeli conflict]]. Shamir, a member of the [[Likud Party]], refused to make any commitments.

According to one biography of the rabbi, ''Ben Porat Yosef'', the relationship between the two had never been comfortable because of Shamir's unstudious personality. As a way of gaining a character analysis of politicians, Rabbi Yosef had invited both Shamir and [[Shimon Peres]] to learn [[Talmud]] with him. While Peres proved an engaging and fluid learner, Shamir was stoic toward the material, a trait that led Rabbi Yosef to instead use one of Shamir's cabinet members, Housing and Construction Minister [[David Levy (Israeli politician)|David Levy]], as his key partner in dealing with the Likud. Levy had a relatively warm relationship with the rabbi due to his moderate approach to Israel's security and foreign affairs policies, his charismatic personality, and his connection with Sephardi traditions (Levy, a Moroccan, was the highest ranking Sephardi politician in the 1980s).

In 1990, Rav Yosef pulled [[Shas]] out of the coalition with the Likud and attempted to form a partnership with Peres's left-centre [[Labour (Israel)|Labour Party]]. The bold move, engineered but opposed by Shas chairman [[Aryeh Deri]], backfired when the highly respected [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] [[rosh yeshiva]] ("dean" of the [[Ponevezh yeshiva]] in [[Bnei Brak]]) Rabbi [[Elazar Shach]] (and subsequent founder of the [[Degel HaTorah]] party) fiercely commanded Rabbi Yosef to return Shas to the coalition with the Likud. During this time Yosef was severely criticised by other major members of the Haredi religious community in Israel, particular the [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazim]] who generally sided with the Likud and the right in opposition to the perceived secularist tendencies of Labour and the left.

The failure of the scheme, today called the "[[Stinking Affair]]", or maneuver <ref>[http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=90197&displayTypeCd=1&sideCd=1&contrassID=2 Rabbi Schach - a man of wars and battles] by ''[[Haaretz]]'', [[2001]]</ref>, was responsible for Peres's downfall as leader of Labour, and his 1991 defeat in internal elections to former Defense Minister [[Yitzhak Rabin]]. Since the 1980s Yosef has approved the participation by Shas in most Israeli governments, except for the last two governments of [[Ariel Sharon]] since January 2003. In the last Knesset, Shas was one of the few parties to have been in the opposition for the duration of that Knesset's term, along with leftist Meretz and the Arab factions ''Ra'am'' (United Arab List), ''Hadash'', and ''Balad''. This was largely because of the rise of [[Shinui]] to the powerful third party position, a position that was previously held by Shas. Shinui demanded to create a government without Shas.

In the [[Israeli_presidential_election%2C_2007|2007 Israeli Presidential election]], Rav Yosef endorsed his long-time friend Shimon Peres, who ultimately won the election due in part to the support of Shas's 12 MKs.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/867038.html Yishai tells Peres: Rabbi Ovadia has decided to support you for president] Haaretz, 4 June 2007</ref>

===Cultural influence===
In a [[2004]] article by [[Maariv]]<ref>[http://www.nrg.co.il/online/11/ART/766/967.html Israel's most influential Rabbis] by ''[[Maariv]]'' [[12 August]] [[2004]] (Hebrew)</ref>, Rabbi Yosef was mentioned as one of the most influential rabbis in Israel, second only to Rabbi [[Yosef Shalom Eliashiv]]. He was described as:

:The spiritual leader of [[Shas]]. The man most identified with the honorific title "[[Maran]]". He has considerable political strength, mainly because he controls the Knesset members of Shas.

However, the key influence of Rabbi Yosef is in the arena of [[Judaism]], specifically in [[Halakha]]:

:In addition, he has great influence in teaching and endowing of his Halakhic way. [[Jewish services|Prayers]] according to Yosef's [[posek|verdicts]] are the most common in Sephardic [[synagogue]]s, and his Halakhic books gained circulation beyond compare. Almost no one disputes the fact he is a [[Torah]] phenomenon, one of a kind. Despite this, he is "field rabbi" and goes down to the common people with countless sermons. ...

==Position on the [[Israeli-Palestinian Conflict]]==

Despite his controversial public comments, Rabbi Yosef has long been a distinguished rabbinical authority advocating peace negotiations, and has done so since the late 1980s. His main justification is the Halakhic ruling of ''[[Pikuach Nefesh]]'' ("saving lives"), in which all the Jewish commandments (excluding [[adultery]], [[idolatry]], and [[murder]]) are put on hold if a life is put in danger. Yosef, using an argument first articulated by the late American rabbinical leader [[Joseph Soloveitchik]], claims that the [[Arab-Israeli conflict]] endangers Jewish lives, thereby meeting the above criteria and overruling the priority of commandments pertaining to settling the land of Israel. <ref>[http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp439.htm Interpretations of Jewish Tradition on Democracy, Land and Peace] by [[Jerusalem Letter/Viewpoints]] [[October 2]] [[2000]]</ref> Therefore, Israel is permitted, even obligated if saving lives is a definitive outcome, to both make serious efforts to reach a peace settlement as well as make arrangements to properly protect its citizens. <ref>Rav Ovadia Yosef. "Ceding Territory of the Land of Israel in Order to Save Lives", ''Tehumim'' Vol. 10, 1989</ref>, <ref>Rav Ovadia Yosef. "Ceding Territory of the Land of Israel in Order to Save Lives", ''Crossroads: Halacha and the Modern World'' Vol. 3, 1990</ref> Rabbi Yosef first applied the pikuach nefesh argument to Israel's conflicts with its neighbors in 1979, when he ruled that it granted Israel authority to return the [[Sinai Peninsula]] to Egypt (though many suspected the ruling was also motivated by Rabbi Yosef's desire to oppose his Ashkenazi colleague, Rabbi Shlomo Goren). <ref>[http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/israel_studies/v005/5.2yuchtman-yaar.html Shas: The Haredi-Dovish Image in a Changing Reality] by [http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/israel_studies/ Israel Studies] Vol. 5, issue 2 [[2000]]</ref>

Using this predecence, Rabbi Yosef supported the [[Oslo Accords]] in the 1990s and instructed [[Shas]] to join [[Yitzhak Rabin|Yitzhak Rabin's]] government coalition, and later [[Ehud Barak|Ehud Barak's]], as well. However, as Oslo stalled and relations between Israelis and Palestinians began to deteriorate, and particularly following the outbreak of the [[Al-Aqsa Intifada]], Yosef reversed himself and the party pulled "rightward", supporting the [[Likud]].

In 2005, Rabbi Yosef repeatedly condemned the [[Israel's unilateral disengagement plan|Gaza Disengagement]]. He argued that he was opposed to any unilateral action that occurred outside the framework of a peace agreement. Rabbi Yosef again cited the principle of ''pikuach nefesh'', saying that empowering the Palestinians without a commitment to end terror would result in threatening Jewish lives, particularly in areas near Gaza in range of [[Qassam rocket]] attacks. <ref>[http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/conflict/disengagement/5.html Engaging Disengagement- Knesset Faction Positions on the Disengagement] by the [[Jewish Agency]]</ref> In contrast to some of his rabbinical colleagues, such as Rabbi [[Yosef Shalom Eliashiv]], Yosef refused to entertain the idea of holding a [[referendum]] on the disengagement, and instructed his MKs to vote against the plan when it came up in the [[Knesset]].

Yosef still maintains that pikuach nefesh applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and supports negotiations with the Palestinians, but no longer appears totally convinced that diplomacy with the present leadership can necessarily end the violence. Some media analysts have suggested that Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert]] may be able to convince the rabbi to sign on to further unilateral actions by the government if concerted efforts toward negotiation fail. <ref>[http://www.fmep.org/analysis/articles/planning_for_jerusalem_in_a_changing_political_world.html Planning for Jerusalem in a Changing Political World] by [[Foundation for Middle East Peace]] [[April 5]] [[2006]]</ref>

==Controversy==
Among secular Israelis, Yosef is mainly famous for being the leader of the political party called [[Shas]] and for his fierce and sharp rhetoric, often combined with curses and ill-wishes to hated political leaders. Some argue that Yosef's quotes are "[[hate speech]]".

===Politics===
Reactions to Rabbi Yosef's "political" quotes have ranged from laughter to fury among more secular Israelis, both in the political sphere and among common citizens. Shas spokespeople and Rabbi Yosef's followers argue that his quotes are taken out of context and that they include technical religious terms which the average person is not familiar with, and therefore, misunderstood. For instance, in April 2001, Rabbi Yosef was widely criticized for what was interpreted as a call for the unconditional annihilation of Arabs, saying, ''"It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable''", and ''"The Lord shall return the Arabs' deeds on their own heads, waste their seed and exterminate them, devastate them and vanish them from this world."'' However his second comment was in fact a slightly modified quote from [[Book of Obadiah|Obadiah]] 1:18, referring to the descendants of [[Esau]]. A [[Shas]] spokesman defended Rabbi Yosef, saying the speech had been in reference to "Arab murderers and terrorists", not all Arabs, and that the Rabbi had been saying that the state of Israel should pursue its enemies mercilessly, as God had commanded the ancient [[Israelites]] to fight against their own adversaries. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1270038.stm Rabbi calls for annihilation of Arabs] by ''[[BBC]]'' [[April 10]] [[2001]]</ref>

In March 2000, shortly before [[Purim]], Rabbi Yosef attacked then-Education Minister and [[Meretz]] Party chairman [[Yossi Sarid]]. Yosef referred to Sarid as "''the 'Dark Side'''", a term synonymous in Jewish parlance with the [[demonic]] realm of existence. Yosef continued, saying, "''He is [[Satan]], may his name and memory be erased. How long do we have to suffer this wicked man? God will extirpate him, the way he will extirpate [[Amalek]]. Cursed is [[Haman]], cursed is Yossi Sarid. He will be uprooted from the seed of Israel. Just as revenge was wrought on Haman, so it will be wrought on him.''" <ref>[http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/00/apr6-00/feature/feature1.htm Israel must deal with rabbi's incitement] by ''[[Canadian Jewish News]]'' [[April 6]] [[2000]]</ref> Rabbi Yosef was promptly criticized by many in Israel particularly by non-Orthodox groups such as the [[Israel Religious Action Center]], the legal arm of the [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] movement in Israel, and ''Hofesh'', a secular [[non-profit organization]] that fights religious coercion, both of whom called for Rabbi Yosef to be tried for incitement. Rabbi Yosef was also criticized by several MKs and government Ministers. Some of Yosef's critics argued that the comparison to Haman (whose name Jews are commanded to "blot out" on Purim) constituted a thinly-veiled threat on Sarid's life, and compared the incident with the fiery rhetoric and protests that eventually culminated in [[Yitzhak Rabin|Yitzhak Rabin's]] assassination. <ref>[http://www.irac.org/article_e.asp?artid=248 Shas Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Issues Call for Destruction of Education Minister Sarid] by [http://www.irac.org/index_e.asp Israel Religious Action Center] [[March 19]] [[2000]]</ref>, <ref>[http://www.irac.org/article_e.asp?artid=249 Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Denies Intending Violence] by [http://www.irac.org/index_e.asp Israel Religious Action Center] [[March 21]] [[2000]]</ref> Rabbi Yosef's assistants and supporters dismissed these interpretations of his speech as politically opportunistic exaggerations, and attempted to counter this move by alleging that Sarid's predecessor in Meretz, [[Shulamit Aloni]], had also committed "wild incitement" when, in response to the Sarid incident, she had referred to the rabbi as "a sort of Roman Emperor Caligula." Though Rabbi Yosef was investigated by the police, neither he nor MK Aloni were ever charged by the Israeli [[Attorney General]]. <ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/old/shas.derfner.3.24.0.htm A Rabbi's Fatwa] by the ''[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]'' [[March 24]] [[2000]]</ref>

In a July 2001 speech Rabbi Yosef called for Arabs to go to hell: "In the old city of Jerusalem they'' [Arabs] ''are swarming like ants. They should go to hell - and the Messiah will speed them on their way." <ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/7/27/122828.shtml Arabs Should 'Go to Hell,' Top Israeli Rabbi Says] by [[Newsmax]] [[July 27]] [[2001]]</ref>

In November, [[2003]], during a lecture about different customs of [[kashrut]] in Israel, Rabbi Yosef accused [[Ashkenazi Jews]] of being the source of all evil: "all troubles from the Ashkenazim...You the Jewish Ashkenazim, you have been in the West, in hell. Why did you come here? What you say or do is of little importance." <ref>[http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=365401&contrassID=1&subContrassID=9&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y Shas Rabbi Yosef: 'All the troubles' come from Ashkenazi Jews] ''[[Haaretz]]'' [[26 November]] [[2003]]</ref> Despite being reported by various media sources, eyewitnesses at the lecture later denied that the Rabbi had made such comments. Others have claimed that the statement was taken out of context.

In response to the alleged quotation, one [[Religious Zionist]] commentator said, "I won’t accept excuses from spokespersons and spin doctors for Rabbi Ovadia. If his comments are being consistently taken out of context, then perhaps it’s time he stopped commenting in public." <ref>[http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=3043 The Ashkenazi/Sephardi Jihad Connection] by ''[[Arutz Sheva]]'' [[December 4]], [[2003]]</ref>

In March 2005, Rabbi Yosef made comments that were widely interpreted as praying for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's death: "Let God strike him down... he is torturing the people of Israel... The Holy One wants us all to return to the Torah, and then he will strike him with one blow and he will die. He will sleep and never wake up." <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4333099.stm Rabbi says God will punish Sharon] by ''[[BBC]]'' [[9 March]] [[2005]]</ref> Aides responded to the public outcry by explaining that Rabbi Yosef had been criticizing Sharon's plan for the [[Gaza Disengagement|Disengagement]] from [[Gaza]], not Sharon himself.

In March 2006, before the [[Israel legislative election, 2006|2006 Israeli elections]], Rabbi Yosef allegedly claimed that anybody who votes for his [[Shas]] party would go to the [[Garden of Eden]] (heaven), while those who oppose Shas would go to [[hell]]. <ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3231788,00.html Rabbi Ovadia: Kadima voters going to hell] by ''[[Ynet]]'' [[March 24]] [[2006]]</ref> At the time, polls predicted the fallout of Yosef's comment would lead to a drop in Shas' vote, though this was not borne out. The rabbi's representatives denied the latter quote.

===Theodicy===
Some of Rabbi Yosef's [[theodicy]]-related pronouncements have also been controversial. In [[2000]] he described [[the Holocaust]] as God's retribution against the reincarnated soul of Jewish sinners: "the 6 million Holocaust victims were reincarnations of the souls of sinners, people who transgressed and did all sorts of things that should not be done. They had been reincarnated in order to atone." Coming from a renowned Sephardic rabbi, this was especially hurtful to Ashkenazi Jews, since it was they, not the Sephardic Jews who were affected by the Holocaust. In response to a storm of criticism, [[Shas]] chairman [[Eli Yishai]] commented that criticism of the rabbi was unjustified: "Rabbi Ovadia weeps for every Jew who is killed ... but nobody, not even a saint, has not sinned. Everyone dies in a state of sin." <ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/08/06/israel.holocaust.ap/ CNN]</ref>

Following [[Hurricane Katrina]] in [[2005]] he blamed the tragedy on US support for the Gaza disengagement and on a general lack of [[Torah]] study in the area.
:''"There was a [[tsunami]] and there are terrible natural disasters, because there isn’t enough Torah study...black people reside there [New Orleans]. Blacks will study the Torah? [God said] let’s bring a tsunami and drown them... Bush was behind the [expulsion of] Gush Katif, he encouraged Sharon to expel Gush Katif... we had 15,000 people expelled here [in Israel], and there [in America] 150,000 [were expelled]. It was God’s retribution... God does not short-change anyone."'' <ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3138779,00.html Rabbi: Hurricane punishment for pullout] by ''[[Ynetnews]]'' [[7 September]] [[2005]] (English)</ref>, <ref>[http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=11367 Nature’s Wrath, Or God’s] by the ''[[The Jewish Week]]'' [[September 16]] [[2005]]</ref>
Part of the controversy surrounding Rabbi Yosef's comments was his use of the Hebrew word "Kushim" to refer to the black people of New Orleans. In modern Hebrew, "Kushim" is considered a racial epithet. <ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=622278 Shas rabbi: Hurricane is Bush's punishment for pullout support] by ''[[Haaretz]]'' [[September 7]] [[2005]]</ref> One explanation offered for Yosef's comments was that since non-Jews (including [[African Americans|black Americans]]) are not required to study the Torah, Rabbi Yosef was suggesting that the Jews of New Orleans were responsible for studying more to make up for the large non-Jewish presence in the area.

Other commentors placed Yosef's statement in context with classical Torah views. Yosef's remarks were in accordance with two often quoted [[Talmud]]ic edicts: That whenever one sees a misfortune, they should see it as a message that they should repent of their sins, and that if a person does not know how he has sinned, he should blame it on a lack of Torah study. (Berachot 5a){{Fact|date=February 2007}}

==Bibliography==
Among Rabbi Yosef's earliest works was a detailed commentary on the [[Ben Ish Hai]]. He was asked to finish the commentary [[Kaf Ha'Chaim]] by Rabbi [[Yaakov Chaim Sofer]] after the author's death. Two sets of Rabbi Yosef's [[responsa]] have been published, ''Yabia Omer'' and ''Yechavei Da'ath'' (both titles are references to [[Psalms|Psalm]] 19). His responsa are noted for citing almost every source regarding a specific topic and are often referred to simply as indexes of rulings. Rabbi Yosef has printed a commentary of the [[Mishnah]] tractate [[Pirkei Avoth]] ("Ethics of the Fathers") under the title ''Anaf Etz Avot'' and ''"Maor Israel"'' a commentary on various parts of the [[Talmud]]. His son, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, has published a widely read codification of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's rulings called ''[[Yalkut Yosef]]''. Another son, Rabbi David Yosef, has printed various [[Siddur|prayer books]] and liturgy according to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's rulings. He also wrote the ''Torat HaMoadim'', rules about the [[Jewish holiday]]s, and ''Halacha Berura''<ref>Not to be confused with the Talmud edition of that name inaugurated by Chief Rabbi [[Abraham Isaac Kook]].</ref>, another codification of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's rulings.

==Secondary Works==
*Nitzan Chen and Anshel Pfeffer, ''Maran Ovadia Yosef: Habiografia'' (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: The Biography): Jerusalem 2004
*R. Benny Lau, ''Mimaran ad Maran: Mishnato ha-Hilkhatit shel ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef'' (From R. Yosef Karo to R. Ovadiah Yosef: The Halachic Teaching of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef): Tel Aviv 2005
*Zvi Aloush and Yossi Elituv, ''Hayyav, Mishnato u-Mahalkhav ha-Politiyim shel ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef'' (The Life, Teaching and Political Activities of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef): Or Yehudah 2004
*[http://www.yctorah.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,303/ ''Mi-Yosef ad Yosef Lo Kam ke-Yosef'' (From Yosef to Yosef arose none like Yosef): review of all three books by Marc B. Shapiro]
*[http://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?showtopic=5135 Review of the Chen and Pfeffer book by Rabbi Benjamin Lau (Friday, October 1, 2004 Ha'aretz)]
*Y. Choueka, Pirkei Hayim, a biography of Rabbi Aharon Choueka and his Yeshiva “Ahava ve-Ahva”, in ''Minhat Aharon'', Y. Choueka and Haym Sabato (Eds.), Jerusalem, 1980, 15-32. (Hebrew)

==Notes==
<references />

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://maran1.com/ Maran - a website containing videos of sermons given by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef]
*[http://HalachaYomit.co.il/ Halacha Yomit - a website containing daily Halacha given by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef]
*[http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2000/0821/ovadia.html Time Magazine Overview of controversial Yosef moments]
*[http://www.michael-arts.com/images/judaica/judaica-art-13.asp Rabbi Ovadia Yosef painting]
*[http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2000/issue4/jv4n4a3.html Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and his "Culture War" in Israel], from ''[[Middle East Review of International Affairs]]'', 4:4, December 2000.
*[http://www.netivot-shalom.org.il/parshaeng/acharey5763.php Land vs. Life], from [Netivot Shalom], April 2003.
*[http://www.ottmall.com/mj_ht_arch/v6/mj_v6i83.html Conquest of Land in Erez Yisrael], from [Mail.Jewish Mailing List], March 1993.

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{{succession box|title=[[Chief rabbi#Sephardi|Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel]]</br> Ovadia Yosef|before=[[Yitzhak Nissim]]||after=[[Mordechai Eliyahu]]<br>'''<small></small>|years=1973–1983}}
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[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Basra]]
[[Category:Iraqi Jews]]
[[Category:Iraqi-Israelis]]
[[Category:Israeli Jews]]
[[Category:Chief rabbis of Israel]]
[[Category:Sephardic Haredi rabbis in Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli party leaders]]
[[Category:Israel Prize recipients]]
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[[he:עובדיה יוסף]]
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Ovadia Yosef - Revision history

V. Z.: David Levy