A Baghdadi Mystery: Rabbi Yosef Hayim and Torah Lishmah

Levi Cooper's article investigates the mysterious authorship of <i>Torah Lishmah</i>, a collection of responsa attributed to an unknown Rabbi Yehezkel Kahali, allegedly written in 1682 but first published in 1973. The manuscript was transcribed by the renowned Baghdadi scholar Rabbi Yosef Hayim (1834-1909) and later provided for publication by his grandson.<br><br>The mystery begins with Rabbi Yosef Hayim citing <i>Torah Lishmah</i> in his own works without identifying its author. In 1903, Rabbi Avraham Hayim Ades suggested that "Yehezkel Kahali" was actually a pseudonym for Rabbi Yosef Hayim, based on the identical numerical values (gematria) of their Hebrew names.<br><br>Cooper examines several lines of evidence in his investigation. The manuscript's paratext clearly distinguishes between author and copyist, yet Rabbi Yosef Hayim's grandson endorsed the claim that his grandfather was the true author. Some scholars like Rabbi Ovadia Yosef initially expressed scepticism, unable to believe Rabbi Yosef Hayim would engage in pseudepigraphy. Analysis of cited sources revealed telling anachronisms, including references to works forged after Kahali's supposed lifetime.<br><br>The definitive evidence came in 2004 when computer scientists used machine learning to compare <i>Torah Lishmah</i> with Rabbi Yosef Hayim's authenticated writings, conclusively proving identical authorship.<br><br>Cooper concludes that Rabbi Yosef Hayim pseudepigraphously published his responsa under a fictional name, raising troubling ethical questions about why a respected scholar would present his work as a 200-year-old manuscript, and what historical and legal weight should be accorded to such deceptively presented responsa.