Moshe BERDUGO hakadmon

The Rabbi Raphael BERDUGO synagogue on rue El M'da (Bath Street) attached to the Benaroch Synagogue was founded around 1492 by the BERDUGO family shortly after their arrival from Spain. It was named after the famous Rabbi Raphael BERDUGO (The Angel Raphael) and then his grandson Jacob. Early in the century, the synagogue was lead by Rabbis from the BERDUGO family including Joshua ben Ya'acov. The synagogue was longer than it was wide, and rather plain. It would hold 150 congregants and served on occasion as Yeshiva under the direction of BERDUGO Rabbis. Once a year, during the month of Elul, Rabbis met there to celebrate the Pidiyoun Hanafashot cermony (symbolic redemption of souls with money given to community poor, guaranteeing a long life).

Moshe and Luna had a son called Rabbi Itzhak BERDUGO or "Sabio".

Itzhak was a Rabbi in Meknes, Morocco (b. around 1650). Rabbi Itzhak BERDUGO was called "Ha-Yachich" (the elder, or the ancestor). He had three sons: Moshe, Abraham and Yossef.

• Moshe BERDUGO (missing on the handdrawn family tree.)

• Rabbi Abraham BERDUGO was Rabbi in Meknes, (17th century). Abraham BERDUGO married a daughter of Rabbi Hayyim TOLEDANO.
  • Isaac BERDUGO (missing on the handdrawn family tree.)
  • Chief Rabbi Moses ben Abraham BERDUGO, called "Mashbir" or "Machbir" (c. 1679-1730) was judge, rabbi and teacher. He was a student of the exceptional master Rabbi Yossef Bahtit. After the death of Rabbi Moshe TOLEDANO (1723) he succeeded as head of the rabbinical court in Meknes where the BERDUGOs settled after leaving Fez. Author of several books (some unpublished). His masterpiece was Roch Mashbir, a collection of commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud (volume 1 printed 1840, Livourne, volume 2 printed 1975, Jerusalem). His book Divre Moshe of responsa was copied by hand for generations of rabbis and was published by the Fondation de Diffusion des Anciens Manuscrits founded in Meknes by Rabbi Shalom MESSAS. His book Kanaf Renanim is commentary on Genesis and Rachi's commentaries thereof.

    His students included Rabbi Mordechai Assaban, Rabbi Haïm TOLEDANO, Rabbi Yaacov TOLEDANO, Rabbi Mordecai BERDUGO, and Rabbi Yehuda mim mokim BERDUGO. (See Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 4, p. 591.)
    He had two sons and twenty-one daughters.

    • Rachel BERDUGO married Chief Rabbi Mordekhai BERDUGO Ha-Tsadik
    • nineteen more daughters!!!
    • Rabbi Yehuda BERDUGO. Rabbi in Meknes (18th century)
    • Rabbi Jacob BERDUGO. Rabbi in Meknes (18th century, missing on handdrawn tree.) disciple of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan (b. Hebron). Jacob BERDUGO married (in Morocco, around 1765-1770) one of the nine daughters of the great Moroccan poet Rabbi David HASSINE (1730-1790). HASSINE was reading the portion of the torah about the daughters of Het (8 in Hebrew), but purposely made a mistake in the reading. Rabbi Jacob BERDUGO corrected "Het, not Tet". HASSINE replied "Certainly, if Rabbi Jacob takes one."
      • Raphael David BERDUGO (b. around 1802 Meknes, d. Meknes)
    • youngest daughter (b. around 1720 Meknes, d. Meknes) married Benyamine ELKHIEF.

• Rabbi Yossef BERDUGO or "Grande sabio, Santo" was a Rabbi in Meknes had three sons.
  • Isaac BERDUGO (missing on the handdrawn family tree)
  • Rabbi Yehuda mim 'mokim (b. 1689 (or 1690), d. 1744) was the founder of branch Aleph of the BERDUGO family.
  • Chief Rabbi Mordekhai BERDUGO Ha-Tsadik (born 1715 (or 1717?), died 1763 (or 1762?)) was known by Moroccan rabbis as Rav Hamarbitz (acronym and play on words meaning "rabbi who hits/teaches" (also known as Muito famoso, com a honra de Deus sobre ele, Homem de Deus, Santo ele, Luz de Israel, Candelabro Sagrado, and Mordecai le saint). Hamarbitz was the grandnephew, pupil and son-in-law of Moses ben Abraham and a noted dayan (after 1748) in Meknes. He was member of the rabbinical tribunal (Chief Rabbi according to Portugese archives) from 1753 to 1773 (should this be 1763?). He wrote many works (including responsa and a commentry on the proverbs Mishne la melech), of which, however, only Perashat Mordekhai, a commentary on the bible, has been published (1948) by Rabbi Chalom MESSAS; others are still extant in manuscript.
    Mordekhai married Rachel BERDUGO of his cousin Moché BERDUGO (Ha Machbir). Mordekahai had four sons:
    • eldest daughter BERDUGO married Rabbi David HASSINE (b. 1727 Meknes, d. 30 June 1792 Meknes)
    • Rabbi Yikutiel BERDUGO (1742-1802) (founder of branch Gimel)
    • Yossef BERDUGO (missing from handdrawn tree)
    • (the angel) Rabbi Raphael BERDUGO (1747-1821) (founder of branch beth).
    • Chief Rabbi Maimon BERDUGO (missing from handdrawn tree). Called "Grande Rabino"
      • Mordecai BERDUGO
      • Rabbi Yossef BERDUGO "Chacham, juiz que aprofundava as leis, justo filho de justo, perito rabinico"
        • Maimon BERDUGO
        • Rabbi Raphael BERDUGO. "Chacham, tronco formoso, celebre no santario, gloria da sua origem, celebre pela sua fortuna, pela sua categoria, justo filho de justo". Daughter: Luna BERDUGO, Casou em Ouezzane, Morocco. Married Judah Benabu son of Abraham, Wednesday, 22 Adar 5644.

• Return to BERDUGO family tree index
• Drawing of BERDUGO family tree branch A
• Drawing of BERDUGO family tree branch B
• Drawing of BERDUGO family tree branch C
• Return to LOEB family tree index
• Return to Ascending list of ancestors