Joseph Molcho

Joseph Molcho (Hebrew: יוסף מולכו; 1692 – 1768^[1] was a rabbi and judge from Thessaloniki, Greece. He is considered one of the most important Greek-Jewish rabbis of his generation, having published several books, including the Shulḥan Gavoah (Hebrew: שולחן גבוה), a restatement of the Arba'ah Turim and the Shulḥan Arukh to reflect the dominant customs in Thessaloniki at the time. He moved to Jerusalem in 1750 and died there.^[2]

Joseph Molcho
Personal life
Born	1692 Thessaloniki, Greece
Died	1768 Jerusalem
Nationality	Greek, later Ottoman (Palestine)
Parent	Rabbi Abraham Molcho (father)
Notable work(s)	Shulḥan Gavoah Ohel Yosef Zobach Todah
Known for	Author of Shulḥan Gavoah, leading rabbinic figure in Thessaloniki
Occupation	Rabbi, Judge, Author

Biography

Joseph Molcho was born in 1692 to Rabbi Abraham Molcho, a descendant of Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition.^[3] He became the student of the chief rabbi of Thessaloniki, Joseph David. At eighteen he married and had at least three sons. He was considered an expert in shechita and became the head shokhet of Thessaloniki. In 1750 he left his children with his brother and moved to Jerusalem with his father.^{[citation needed]}

Books

• Shulchan Gavoah, a restatement of the Arba'ah Turim and Shulchan Aruch^{[citation needed]}
• Ohel Yosef (אהל יוסף, a book of responsa first published in Thessaloniki in 1757 ^[4]
• Zobach Todah (זובח תודה) on the laws of shechita, first published in Thessaloniki in 1741 ^[5]