Message: 2         
   Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 12:07:49 -0000
   From: "davidbenabraham" <DAVIDBENA2@WALLA.COM>
Subject: How the Spanish-rite prayer books came to be common-place in San'a.

B"H
>From "The Chronicles of Israel in Yemen," by Rabbi Hayim Hibshoush
Published in the Journal, "Sefunoth," anno mundi 5718, pg 267, 
paragraph # 12.

(How the Spanish-rite prayer books came to be common-place in San'a; 
the works of two great Rabbis to preserve ancient customs, and how 
that their actions may have served as a precedent to Rabbi Yehiya al-
Qafih in his campaign to preserve the ancient customs of Yemen.)

"...[learn] from those events that happened during the time of the 
emaculate Rabbi, [even] our teacher and our Rabbi, Yehiya the son of 
the honourable teacher [and] Rabbi, Yehudah Sa'adi, [who was] the 
President of the Court for the congregations of Yemen, who fought an 
incumbent war against those persons who made themselves over pious, 
who neglect their customs and the customs of their Yemenite fathers 
as practiced in the handwritten prayer books that are called by 
us 'al-Tikalil,' and take hold anew for themselves those customs 
[found in] the printed prayer books concerning the prayers and the 
other customs. Now our honourable teacher and Rabbi, [even] Rabbi 
Yehiya Saleh of blessed memory, the President of the Court who came 
after him, in his commentary called 'Etz Hayim on the Baladi-rite 
prayer book (Tiklal), [Rabbi Yehiya Sa'adi] ordained him [in this 
calling], and not because of his own inclination. Also, persons who 
were the disciples of the Sages joined the President of the Court, 
our honourable teacher and Rabbi, [even] Rabbi Yehiya al-Sa'adi,  to 
cancel those new customs that they had taken upon themselves, but to 
no avail. For during their time there was a certain great wise man 
in [the study of] the Law (Torah), and in esteem by reason of [his] 
position, and in the [knowledge he possessed of the] exponents of 
our laws, and who, above all, was infatuated with the books of 
mysticism (Qabbalah), [even] the honourable Yehiya, son of the 
exalted minister-of-State, Shalom Ha-Cohen al-'Araqi. He it was who 
stood in the breach to cancel the ancient customs, and to uphold new 
customs, until at last a great quarrel had arisen [on its account]. 
Now he went to the synagogues in order to compel them to forsake the 
ancient prayer books that they had with them, and to accept the 
[printed, Spanish-rite] prayer books, which on account of his great 
position, and the position of his father, the minister-of-State, 
nineteen synagogues accepted [them] upon themselves, [all] except 
three synagogues. They had prepared themselves in those [three] 
synagogues to resist him by [the force of] rods, and they refused to 
listen to him unto this very day."