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Sometimes I hear stories about sefardi achronim from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Tangier and their rabonim, and wonder if they had any seforim printed.

Obviously nowadays we have contemporary seforim from Israel but not so much from the last few centuries.

Can anyone point out some seforim worth exploring.

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  • amazon.com/Sefer-Vayomer-Yitzhak-Vol-Hebrew/dp/B00JEEXIQQ in the 19th century. Rav Yitzchak Ibn Walid (1777-1870). The Jewish community of Tetuan was founded by Spanish exiles and saw commercial success over the coming centuries. Despite his reluctance to assume a rabbinical position, Rav Ibn Walid was appointed rabbi of Tetuan in 1830 and led the community until his passing four decades later. As a noted halachic posek he corresponded with rabbis across the Sephardic world, much of it published in his magnum opus Vayomer Yitzchak.
    – Chatzkel
    Commented May 29, 2022 at 23:29

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There are several.

  1. Rav Moshe Kalfon HaKohen (1874-1950) - Born in Djerba, Tunisia. Most famous for his Shu"t Shoel VeNishaal and series on Shulchan Aruch entitled Brit Kehunah

  1. Chacham Avraham Belais (1773-1853) - Also Tunisian. He would later move to Israel, France and London. Known for several works including Acharit LaIsh Shalom on the Shulchan Aruch and Petach HaBayit a collection of his sermons.

  1. Chacham Yaacov Moshe Toledano (1879-1960) - He was born in Tiveria, Israel but he would later serve as Dayan in Tangier (and then Av Beit Din in Cairo). He is well known for his responsa - Yam HaGadol as well as Bat Ami which deals with the issue of Agunot after the Holocaust.

  1. Chacham David Zabah - was Chief Rabbi in Marrakesh, Morocco. Known for his Maskil LeDavid on Tanach and Shas as well as Moreh Tzedek
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There are many seforim. If you start reading teshuvas from Yabia Omer (Chacham Ovadia) you will pick up on many seforim and Shu"t from Sefardish poskim. The first one that comes to mind is Rav Yosef Messas (1892-1974) who was the head rabbi in Tlemcen (Algeria), and then a dayan in Meknes(Morroco). He wrote many seforim, but his teshuvos Mayim Chaim and Otzar Miktavim have very fascinating questions. It gives the reader a glimpse into the reality of their society and day-to-day life.

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Chayim ibn-Attar (Morocco, 1696- Israel, 1743) authored the most well-known Maghrebi sefer of all time (with the possible exception of the Rif), the Or ha-Chayim, read today by Jews of all stripes.

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  • I know, I know, he died almost 280 years ago, but close enough
    – יהושע ק
    Commented May 30, 2022 at 18:42
  • Mishna Torah is pretty popular as well
    – TheKugelMan
    Commented Jun 22, 2022 at 18:02
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    I’m not attempting to provide another answer for OP’s question but rather to question your assertion that the Or Hachaim is “the most well-known North African sefer of all time“
    – TheKugelMan
    Commented Jun 23, 2022 at 13:54
  • Yeah no worries. Most people associate all of his seforim as being written in Cordoba as that’s where he started producing written works.
    – TheKugelMan
    Commented Jun 23, 2022 at 14:49

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