Shaarei Gan Eden
The Chida
11 Adar 5566
Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai was born in Yerushalayim in 5484 to his father Rav Raphael Yitzchak Zerachiah. In his approbation to his sefer Shaar Yosef, his father writes of him: “,שבע כבן שש כבן לפעמו ‘ה רוח תחל.” He learned Torah from his uncle Rav Yona Navon, author of Nechpah Bakesef, whose approbation for the aforementioned sefer stated: “...when he emerged from the womb he was sanctified by Shamayim...even at night his heart did not rest and he grew greater, and I loved him endlessly.”
In 5513, he was sent to Europe by the sages of Chevron, and spent five years there. In 5518, he returned to Yerushalayim, where he served as a dayan, and was part of the group of mekubalim led by the Rasha”sh. In 5524, he found himself in Cairo, and was appointed to serve as Rav in the city; he returned to Chevron in 5529. In 5533, he departed on his final journey, from which he did not return. He settled in the city of Livorno, Italy, and refused to accept a rabbinical position. He devoted his time to writing and printing his seforim. The Chida authored more than 120 seforim, about 50 of which were published in his lifetime. He passed away on Friday night of Parashas Zachor 5566 and was buried in Livorno. In 5720, his aron was brought to Eretz Yisrael and interred on Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.
The Practice Spread
Regarding the practice of saying Birchos Hashachar bechavrusa, the Chida wrote (Birchei Yosef, Orach Chaim 677b) “The practice has spread in the towns and the big cities...”
The Quota of Holy Things
In his sefer Tziporen Shamir (9 133), the Chida lists the quota of devarim shebikedushah that a person has to complete each day: “He should say each day 90 amens, 4 Kedushos, 10 Kaddish, 100 brachos – which is an acronym for ק“צדי. And this is one of the tikkunim of ‘tzaddik yesod olam.’”
Rescue in the Merit of 90 Amens
In his sefer Midbar Kedmos (1 33) the Chida brings something that he saw in an ancient manuscript from the mekubal Rav Eliezer Nachman Puah, a talmid of the Rem”a MiPano, that one who is strict to answer 90 amens a day is not harmed by kishuf, magic. This is known from the testimony of one woman, who heard from the mouth of a mazik who had been sent to harm her son, that he could not fulfill his mission and harm the son because she – the mother of the baby – had been strict to answer ninety amens that day.
