MANI, ELIJAH:
Turkish rabbi; died in Hebron, Palestine, in the summer of 1899. He was a native of Bagdad, where he was held in great esteem for his piety and his knowledge of the Cabala. About 1856 he went to Jerusalem, and two years later settled in Hebron. When R. Moses Pereire of that city died, Mani succeeded him as rabbi of the Sephardim. For fourteen years he accepted no remuneration, but later was forced by poverty to overcome his scruples. He was very active in charitable and communal affairs, and his simple and noble life won for him the respect and admiration of all the inhabitants of that ancient city; Mohammedans as well as Jews thronged to his funeral. He is said to have written eleven works, which he refused to publish.
Bibliography:
- Aḥiasaf, 5661 (1900-1), pp. 385-386.