Historic Letter Reveals Baba Sali’s Vision on Israel’s Founding in 1949

A rare handwritten letter by Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, known as the Baba Sali, has been uncovered, shedding light on his heartfelt response to the establishment of the State of Israel. Written in 1949 from Morocco to Rabbi Yehuda Leib Cohen Fishman Maimon, Israel’s first Minister of Religious Affairs, the letter expresses deep spiritual and emotional support for the new state. At the time, the Baba Sali served as the chief rabbi in Erfoud near Rissani, Morocco.

The letter reflects the Baba Sali’s personal experiences with persecution and exile, including the brutal 1919 execution of his older brother Rabbi David Abuhatzeira by anti-French Moroccan rebels. This trauma deeply influenced the Baba Sali and his family, who later fled to Bodniv and eventually returned to Israel multiple times before settling in Morocco again.

In the letter, the Baba Sali uses rich, poetic language to describe the founding of Israel as a miraculous event, calling it "a wonderful enterprise that has moved from potential to reality." He compares the establishment of the state to the biblical miracles experienced by the ancestors, such as the Exodus from Egypt and the conquest of the Land of Israel. He praises the fighters and leaders as "mighty warriors of Israel" who illuminate the nation’s foundations.

He also links the founding of Israel to the ultimate redemption, expressing hope for the rebuilding of the Temple and the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. The letter was revealed by Mizrahi Bookstore in Brooklyn and offers a rare glimpse into the spiritual perspective of a revered Moroccan rabbi during a pivotal moment in Jewish history.

Summary: A newly revealed 1949 letter from the Baba Sali to Israel’s first Minister of Religious Affairs praises the founding of Israel as a divine miracle and links it to Jewish redemption, reflecting the rabbi’s personal history and spiritual vision.