Khalifa ben Malka (Hebrew: כליפא בן מלכא; died 15 August 1760), also known as the Rakhbam (רכב״ם), was a Moroccan Jewish writer and poet.

Khalifa ben Malka
Personal
Bornlate 17th century
Died(1760-08-15)15 August 1760
Agadir, Morocco
ReligionJudaism

Biography

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Khalifa was born to a wealthy Jewish family in Safi, Morocco,[1] toward the end of the seventeenth century. He belonged on his mother's side to the Bedersi family of Provence. He was left an orphan at an early age, but with a considerable fortune.

He stayed some time at Fez and studied there under Judah ben Attar [he] and his successor, Samuel Tzarfati. Among his fellow students were Abraham ibn Musa [he] and Jacob Abensur.[1] On his return home he continued his studies with the rabbi Joseph Bueno of Mescuta.

By his "independence of language and manner,"[2] Khalifa angered the governor of Safi, and was obliged to take refuge at Agadir, a fortress on the coast. In 1728, a plague devastated this place, and Khalifa lost in one day his wife Deborah and his daughter Estrella. He later lost a great deal of money during a pogrom in 1737, after which he spent some time in Holland and London.[1]

He was regarded as a tzadik, and his tomb in Agadir became a pilgrimage destination for both Jews and Muslims of that city.[3]

Works

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  • Kaf ve-naki. A commentary on the prayer-book, and poems, several of which are connected with the author's personal adventures.
  • Rakh va-tov. A treatise on religious controversy.

References

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  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainGottheil, Richard; Broydé, Isaac (1904). "Kalifa, Moses ben Malka". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 417.

  1. ^ a b c Corcos, David (2007). "Malca". In Berenbaum, Michael; Skolnik, Fred (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference. ISBN 978-0-02-866097-4.
  2. ^   Gottheil, Richard; Broydé, Isaac (1904). "Kalifa, Moses ben Malka". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 417.
  3. ^ Babas, Latifa (16 April 2019). "Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #1: Khalifa Ben Malka, the saint of Agadir's old cemetery". Yabiladi. Retrieved 7 November 2022.