Rabbi David Bouskila, 88, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Rabbi David Bouskila, who ran a network of Jewish schools in Morocco and translated the Tanya into Arabic, passed away on Tuesday, 10 Teves, 5780.

He was 88.

Rabbi Bouskila was the Director of the Otzar HaTorah – Neve Shalom network of schools in Morocco and later in France.

While being of Sephardic background, he nevertheless maintained very strong ties with the Chabad Shluchim in Morocco.

Rabbi Bouskila always said how much he admired the work of the Shluchim, and even envied “their spirit of self-sacrifice,” his son Rabbi Gad Bouskila told JEM’s My Encounter in an interview.

At one point he was asked to translate the Tanya – the seminal work of Chabad’s founder, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi – into Judeo-Arabic.

But this was a very difficult task, especially since he was very busy with the running of many schools. So, at first, he declined. But then the Rebbe wrote him a personal letter telling him it was his mission to do this. This caused him to give the matter grave import, and, after studying the Tanya in-depth with Rabbi Yehuda Leib Raskin, he got started.

As he was working on the translation, he would share with his family words of Torah from the Tanya every Shabbos, his son said.

“And once he told us – all of us, his ten children – that anyone who does not learn the Tanya will never know how to serve G-d the right way,” he said.

By January 1980, Rabbi Bouskila had finished a major section of the translation, and the Rebbe invited him to come to New York for a farbrengen that January.

He later said that, the entire time he was talking with the Rebbe, his eyes were flowing with tears, because he was so awed by the Rebbe’s holy presence which he compared to “an angel of G-d.”

A few years later, when Rabbi Bouskila’s son went into Yechidus with his wife, the Rebbe told them:

“You should know that thanks to Rabbi Bouskila’s translation of the Tanya into Arabic, the Final Redemption will come that much sooner. It is written that, in the End of Days, the strength of the Ishmaelites – the Arab peoples – will be felt all over the world. But by translating our holy books into Arabic we are able to counter their power and influence and hasten the coming of the Moshiach.”

He passed away today in Bayit Vagan, Israel, surrounded by his beloved family.

He is survived by his wife, Esther and children, Miriam Elkiess – Paris, France, Rav Gad – Flatbush, NY (Rav of Cong Netivot Israel), Asher – Bayit Vagan, Israel, Ruth Senior – Creteil, France, Dan – Lawrence, NY, Uri – Maalot, Israel, Moshe – Flatbush, NY, Amram – Flatbush, NY, Yael Rotnemer – Telz Stone, Israel, and Aharon (Arik) – Bayit Vagan.

The Levaya will take place tomorrow, Wednesday at 1:00 pm at Har Hamenuchos, Bet Levayots Hasefaradi.

Shiva will take place at Rechov Shachrai, 1st Floor, Jerusalem.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes: Dovid ben Moshe