Khalifa ben Malka ( Hebrew: כליפא בן מלכא; died 15 August 1760), also known as the Rakhbam (רכב״ם), was a Moroccan Jewish writer and poet.

Biography

Khalifa was born to a wealthy Jewish family in Safi, Morocco, ^[1] toward the end of the seventeenth century. He belonged on his mother's side to the Bedersi family of Provence. He was left an orphan at an early age, but with a considerable fortune.

He stayed some time at Fez and studied there under Judah ben Attar [ he] and his successor, Samuel Tzarfati. Among his fellow students were Abraham ibn Musa [ he] and Jacob Abensur. ^[1] On his return home he continued his studies with the rabbi Joseph Bueno of Mescuta.

By his "independence of language and manner," ^[2] Khalifa angered the governor of Safi, and was obliged to take refuge at Agadir, a fortress on the coast. In 1728 a plague devastated this place, and Khalifa lost in one day his wife Deborah and his daughter Estrella. He later lost a great deal of money during a pogrom in 1737, after which he spent some time in Holland and London. ^[1]

He was regarded as a tzadik, and his tomb in Agadir became a pilgrimage destination for both Jews and Muslims of that city. ^[3]

Works

• Kaf ve-naki. A commentary on the prayer-book, and poems, several of which are connected with the author's personal adventures.
• Rakh va-tov. A treatise on religious controversy.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gottheil, Richard; Broydé, Isaac (1904). "Kalifa, Moses ben Malka". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 417.