Rabbi Yosef Karo
(Hebrew: מרן רבי יוסף קארו / Spelling: Josef, Joseph, Caro, Qaro, Koro / Other names: Rebbe Yosef ben Ephraim, The Michaber, HaMechaber, Maran, the Bais Yosef / Definition: 16th century Jewish Rabbi, Author of the Shulchan Aruch.)
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Early Life
Birth
Yosef Karo in Toledo, Spain in 1488 to his father Rabbi Ephraim. At age three he was accepted into the Bais Medrash of Rabbi Yackov Beirav, who was later to become his main teacher.
Expulsion from Spain
In 1492 at age 4, Yosef Karo was forced to relocate along with his family to Lisbon, Portugal due to the Spanish Expulsion. During his stay in Lisbon, he continued his studies under Rabbi Yackov Beirav, who had immigrated there as well.
Expulsion from Portugal
After 4 years, Portugal caved into Spanish pressure and expelled its Jews in 1469. Once again the Karos had to flee, this time to Turkey.
Constantinople
Yosef Caro reached Constantinople, Turkey at age eight. There he studied Torah from his father Rabbi Ephraim and his Uncle Rabbi Yitzchock. For nineteen years Rabbi Yosef Caro lived in Constantinople studying Torah, in worldly seclusion, purifying himself with many fasts and Segufim. It was during this time that he started putting together notes on the Rambam's 'Yad Hachazaka'. These later served as the basis for his sefer the 'Bais Yosef'. Despite the city's many Torah scholars, Rabbi Yosef Caro became renown as an extra ordinary genius. People started sending him their Halacha questions and it was there that he first gained the title 'Moran', an Aramaic term for 'our master'.
Adrianople
At age 30, Rabbi Yosef Caro married his first wife and moved to Adrianople, Turkey to live by his wealth father-in-law Rabbi Chayim Albalag. This marriage did not last long since his wife got sick and passed away. Rabbi Shmuel Saba, a friend of Rabbi Yosef Karo set him up with his sister and they got married. In Adrianople he first started composing the 'Beth Yosef' a commentary on the Tur. During his stay in the city Rabbi Yosef Karo was appointed as the head of the local Yeshiva.
Nikopolis
In 1522 Rabbi Yosef Caro moved to Nikopolis, Northern Bulgaria after being appointed as Rav and Rosh Yeshiva. Here he spread Torah amongst the Yeshiva students who traveled from many countries to study in under Rabbi Yosef Caro. In Nikopolis a lot of time was dedicated to writing the 'Bais Yosef.
Salonica and Constantinople
Due to the lack of reference texts in Nikopolis needed to write his book, Rabbi Yosef Caro had to leave Nikopolis in 1533 and travel to libraries in Salonica and Constantinople to gather this information. It was during these travels that he first met the Kabbalist Rebbe Shlomo Alkabetz who influenced him with his Kabalsitic teachings. Another important meeting that took place was with Rabbi Shlomo Malcho, former Morano scribe to the King of Spain. Rabbi Yosef Caro was very impressed by Rabbi Shlomo Malco and mentioned him in his writings.
Eretz Yisroel
In 1536 Rabbi Yosef Karo decided to immigrate to Israel. After a trip that lasted almost a year, he arrived at the city of Safed during the month of Elul. His route was by ship via Egypt.
Tzfat
Tzfat was the largest Jewish settlement in Israel at the time. It had absorbed a large amount of refugees escaping from the Spanish Expulsion, including many leading rabbis. Tzfat's vicinity to the grave of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochi and other spiritual landmarks made it a prime choice for the many Kabalists that settled there. Its location as center point along trading routes to Egypt, Damascus and Turkey, helped Safed's inhabitants build up a strong economy based on agriculture and livestock. This along with political protection from Dun Yosef Nasi, created a situation where many of the city's inhabitants could dedicate the majority of their time to Torah study.
Rabbi Yosef Karo received a warm welcome when he reached Tzfat and was immediately accepted by its scholars which included; Rabbi Yosef Sagus, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabitz, and his former teacher Rabbi Yackov Birav.
Soon upon after his arrival in Safed, Rebbe Yosef Caro established a Yeshivah that attracted students from across the world. Since Tzfat did not lack rare manuscripts and reference texts, Rabbi Yosef Caro along with the help of Rabbi Yackov Birav was able to finish his work the 'Bais Yosef'.
In 1554, Shlomo the firstborn son of Rabbi Yosef Karo was born. Shortly afterwords his second wife passed away. In 1558 the first printing of the 'Bais Yosef' took place in Venice, which led to international acclaim of Rabbi Yosef Caro as a Halacha authority. In 1565 he married his third wife the daughter of Rabbi Zicharya Ashkinazi.
Biriya
Family
The Karos
Founder of the Karo family was Rabbi Shimon Karo, author of the Yalkut Shimoni. His son, Rabbi Yosef was a student of Rashi and is mentioned in the Tosefot. Eventually part of the Karo family reached Spain and settled in the city of Toledo.
Rabbi Yosef Karo's grandfather, a wealth merchant, carried the same exact name as his grandson, Rabbi Yosef ben Ephraim. He had two sons Ephraim and Yitzchok who he raised as Torah scholars.
Uncle - Yitzchok Karo
Rabbi Yitzchok Karo authored a philosophical commentary on the Torah called 'Toldos Yitzchok' during his youth. Eventually he became a Rosh Yeshiva in Lisbon, Portugal. After the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal he traveled to Turkey and then moved on to Jerusalem. Rabbi Yitzchok suffered greatly during these travels and all his children died on the way to hardships and hunger.
Marriages
Rabbi Yosef Karo's first wife was the daughter of Rabbi Chayim Albalag, a wealthy Torah scholar from Adrianople, Turkey. This wife got sick shortly after the marriage and passed away. There were no children from this marriage.
After this Rabbi Yosef Karo married his second wife the daughter of Rabbi Yitzchok Saba and sister of his friend Rabbi Shmuel. Shlomo, his firstborn son came from this marriage. Shortly after this birth she passed away.
Children
Shlomo the firstborn son of Rabbi Yosef Karo was born in 1554 to his second wife.
Students and Colleagues
Friends
Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz,
Rebbe Shlomo Malcho
Rebbe Shlomo Malcho grew up as a Marano in Spain and at a young age became the personal scribe of the King. After meeting Dovid Reuvani, he circumcised himself and fled the country. After his circumcision the gates of Torah opened up to Rebbe Shlomo Malcho and with little effort he became very knowledgeable in the Wisdom of the Kabbalah. Rabbi Yosef Karo first met Rebbe Shlomo Malcho on his travels to research content for the Shulchan Aruch. Later Rebbe Shlomo Malcho returned to the Christian ruled territories and openly declared his beliefs. He was sentenced to death and was burnt at the stake on Kiddush Hashem. Rabbi Yosef Karo greatly envied his death and wished that he too would die for Hashem's glory. Despite numerous promises from his Magid that this would happen, it never came into being.
Students
Rabbi Moshe Cardevero, Rabbi Moshe Galante, Rabbi Moshe Alshich.
Books
Bais Yosef
Took 20 years to write. Work on the book was originally started in Adrianople and Nikopolis. When Rabbi Yosef Karo reached Tzfat his mentor Rabbi Ya’akov Beirav helped him complete the book. In the Bais Yosef, Rabbi Yosef Karo gathered all Halachic ruling from recent and older Poskim as well as their sources in the Talmud and Midrashim and applied them to their setting in the Tur.