The Rabbinical Coalition of Libyan Jewry under the Leadership of Rabbi Eliyahu Bekhor Ḥazzan

The extent of a community rabbi’s ability to change the practices of his flock may be a reflection of his status. The stronger his status, the better he can effect change, even if his reform will replace prior practice. In this article, I present two examples in which the dayyanim (rabbinical judges) of the Jewish community in the late nineteenth century acted against Rabbi Ḥazzan during the latter’s term as the Ḥakham Bashi of the Jewish community in Libya. The examples, both dealing with Torah affairs, occurred in close temporal proximity and may be instructive of the atmosphere between Ḥazzan and part of the Jewish community at that time. Notably, shortly after these events, Rabbi Ḥazzan decided to resign his post and move on to a rabbinical position in the Alexandria community.