The Wonders of Harav Yitzchack Kadouri

30 His Early Years We may never know the exact date of birth of the righteous tzaddik, Harav Yitzchak Kadouri zt ʿ l. But we do know that the Rav lived through three cen- turies of history (the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.) According to some, the Rav was born on the 16th of Tishrei, 5644 (1883) , on the second day of Succoth, the day whose exalted Ushpizin (Heavenly guest of honor) is Yitzchak Avinu. This is how the Rav came to be called Yitzchak. The Hebrew name ‘Yitzchak ʾ means to laugh; and those who knew the Rav always saw him with a smile. This was an important part of his life. The Rav passed away on the 29th day of Tevet, 5666 (2006) . The Rav lived in the city of Baghdad (the present-day capital of Iraq) , in the neigh- borhood called Babi Sharagui. His family name was Diba, a wealthy family that had connections with all of the well-known Rabbis of Iraq. His father, Harav Kadouri Diba zt ʿ l, was held in high regard by the heads of the Jewish population. He would distribute large amounts of charity from his own poc- ket to the needy and indigent of the city. During the day, he made his living by selling spices and aromatic herbs in the Attar marketplace. As a result of his upright character and pleasant disposition, he earned the trust of his many customers. He greatly honored the sages and Rabbis of the city. At night, he would study the Talmud and Zohar, until overcome with sleep. He did not waste time, and never went to sleep without completing his daily schedule of learning. This was in addition to his daily shiurim (classes) that he attended, after the Morning Prayers. The Rav ʾ s mother, the righteous Tufacha, was, like her husband, wholly in- volved in acts of kindness for the community. She would assist in the prepara- tions for burial of the women who passed away, without remuneration. The Rav explained the source of his family name, Diba, as follows: the word Diba in the Iraqi language means wolf. The residents of the Babi Sharagui neighborhood called the family by the name of Diba, as they claimed to often see a wolf enter the house at night. Because of the great heat during the summer months, the family would sleep