BENSIMON Family Or

The family most likely traces its earliest roots from Sijilmasa.

One of the earliest direct ancestors we can identify was Saliman (mid 17 century); he had had 2 sons.

Rabbi David had 2 sons.
- Rabbi Raphael-Aharon
- Rabbi Masoud- Haim
  - Rabbi R'Binyamin. This branch from Fez includes Rabbi Raphael Yaakov wrote wrote Drouchim and Kohelet Yaakov, and Rabbi Yaakov son of Rabbi Itzhak from the Tafilalet who wrote Tochacha in Arabic.
Rabbi Aharon ("Hakadum"= the First) settled in Meknes and then in Tlemcen (d. 1798) had 3 sons:
- Rabbi Yaakov (d.1816)
  - Abraham
- Rabbi Abraham (d.1814)
  - daughter
  - Rabbi Itzhak (1.222), settled in Tiberias and then disappeared in Taa'ez -Yemen in 1823 . One of his sons was named Yaakov.
  - Rabbi Moshe (1.223) (d. in Tiberias in 1865/8)
    - Rabbi Yehuda (1.2231) who was active in public life in Tiberias .
- Rabbi Shlomo (d.1827).
  - Esther
  - Rabbi Aharon ("Aharon the Second")
    - Rabbi Abraham Bensimhon (d. Feb. 1945 Meknes) married Esther MALKA

Notes:

The children cited above are those who could be directly traced (via documents) but there are likely others not listed.
R' Aharon (Hakadum) and R' Aharon (the Second) wrote the books cited below, while the others were active as writers or in missions abroad (Arab countries, Europe and South America: Peru, Brazil- Manaus, Belem…). Most of the documents refer to R' Itzhak and R' Moshe who arrived in Shfara'am in 1816 and a year later settled in Tiberias.
R' Aharon (Hakadum) and R' Aharon (the Second) wrote five books, all of which are now in print: Em LaMikra ve Em LaMassoret, Zekan Aharon, Bigdei Yesha, Pirhe Aharon, and Reshit Bikurim
Any remarks, correction(s) and/or additional information are all most welcomed.

Bibliography: In addition to the manuscripts described above, the following sources have been consulted for this study: