Rav Refoel Immanuel Chai Ricchi

Early years

Rav Refoel Immanuel Chai Ricchi zt"l, the mekubal (Kabbalist) and author of Mishnas Chassidim, was born in Ferrara, Italy, in 1687, the son of Avrohom Ricchi. About two years after his birth his father moved to Rovigo, where he passed away four years later. Left an orphan, the boy was raised by his maternal uncle, Yedidyah Rabbino, and afterward by the uncle's son, who was his cousin and brother-in-law.

He learned Gemara under Rav Nosson Pinkerle, Rav of Alessandria della Paglia, and then served as a tutor in the homes of several wealthy Yidden, in Görz, Fiorenzuola, Finale in Modena and Venice. In Venice he opened a school. He then went to Trieste, where in 1717 he received semichah from Rav Hillel Ashkenazi, Rav of Canea, and was invited to take the rabbinate of Görz.

Torah and leadership

Out of his great love for Kabbalah and his ascetic inclination, Rav Immanuel resolved to settle in Eretz Yisroel. He reached Tzfas in 1718 and spent two years there immersed in the writings of the Arizal and Rav Chaim Vital. He also received semichah again, from Rav Chaim Abulafia.

In 1720 an epidemic broke out in the Land, and he was forced to return to Europe. On the voyage he and all his fellow passengers were captured by pirates and brought to Tripolitza. Through the efforts of Rav Avrohom Chalfon, he and his family were allowed to return to Italy.

He then served as Rav of Florence until 1723, when he moved to Livorno (Leghorn) and for twelve years worked as a merchant. He spent twenty months traveling, visiting Smyrna, Salonica, Constantinople, Amsterdam and London. In 1735 he set out again for Eretz Yisroel and spent two years in Aleppo and three in Yerushalayim. In 1741 he returned to Livorno.

Teachings and seforim

Mishnas Chassidim is Rav Immanuel's most important work. He began this kabbalistic sefer in Livorno in 1726, and it was printed in Amsterdam in 1727. Like the Mishnah, it is arranged in sedarim (orders), masechtos (tractates) and perakim (chapters), with the names of the six orders of the Mishnah taken in a kabbalistic sense. It has three main divisions, called maftechos (keys), preceded by an introduction, Olam Katan (microcosm), in which he sought to make Kabbalah accessible to a wider public.

The first division, Mafteach HaOlamos, treats the worlds. Its Seder Zeraim covers kabbalistic cosmology and metaphysics in seven masechtos. Seder Kodashim covers the realm of Atzilus (emanation), which he calls the holy of holies, in twenty masechtos. Seder Taharos covers the three lower realms of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah in nine masechtos, and Seder Nezikin treats the demons and kelipos in six masechtos. The second division, Mafteach HaNeshamos, contains Seder Nashim, on souls, in twelve masechtos. The third, Mafteach HaKavanos, contains Seder Moed, on kavanos (mystical intentions), in fifty-eight masechtos. In all there are 112 masechtos, matching the numerical value of the Name יבק.

Besides the Zohar, his sources were mostly the writings of the Arizal and Rav Chaim Vital, especially Sefer HaGilgulim, Kanfei Yonah and Shulchan Aruch, along with other mekubalim. The Olam Katan was later published separately, edited by Rav Eliezer ben Moshe with his own commentary, Derech HaMelech (Dyhernfurth, 1753).

Rav Immanuel also wrote Chozeh Tzion, a kabbalistic commentary on Tehillim, and Yosher Levav, kabbalistic interpretations of passages from Tanach and Gemara. His other seforim are listed below.

Later years and passing

In 1743, while traveling in Italy to sell his seforim, Rav Immanuel was killed by robbers near Cento, on 1 Adar 5503. They buried his body on the bank of the Reno River. Six days later, Yidden from Modena found his remains and brought them to Cento for burial.

Legacy

Rav Immanuel is remembered as a Rav, a mekubal and a poet, and above all as the author of Mishnas Chassidim.