The Shaim HaGedolim is a great work written by one of the greatest of the Sephardic luminaries, the Chida or Rabbi Chaim David Azulai. He wrote a book of his travels, where he includes snippets of great Torah personalities and great peoples. In the Shaim HaGedolim, Rabbi Azulai describes the extraordinary people of Iran. He describes them as G-d fearing, as beloved cherished people of G-d. All who see them, writes the Chida, see that they are of the seed, in which G-d blessed.

He writes that the majority of the Jews of Persia were Torah observant righteous Jews with very old traditions in the Persian Jewish community, in particular, as to where many of the Neviim (Prophets) in Tanach (Jewish Bible) are buried. Mordechai and Esther were buried in Hamadan. Daniel was buried in Susa. Serach Bat Asher was buried near Isfahan at Pir Bakran. The Jews of Persia used to visit these kvarim, and pray for the lot of their families and the Jewish people in their merit.

One particularly strong Torah community in Persia was the city of Yazd. It is located to the east of Isphahan on the edge of the Dasht-i Lut (Lut desert) It was built, in all probability, by Yazdegerd I who ruled from 399-420. Although Yazdegerd was a practitioner of the Zoroastrian religion, clearly Avodah Zarah in the eyes of halacha, Jews and Christians enjoyed relative stability. Yazdegerd respected diversity, and wanted peace among the religions of his realm. Yezd became the seat of the Zoroastrian religion and is still known in that regard today .

A manuscript of Neviim Rishonim was found in the city of Yazd that dated from the year 800. There are many old mosques in the city of Yazd that date back to the year 1119. The Jewish community there, however, as seen from this manuscript pre-dates the Muslim community.

The city is divided into the Shahr i nau (new town) and Shahr i kohneh (old town), separated by a wall with two gates. The ark, or citadel, in the east of the town, is fortified with walls, bastions and dry ditch, and contains the governor’s residence.

The Ohr Shraga, also known as Mullah Orh Shraga, was the son of Mullah Shmuel the son of Mullah Kias. The title Mullah is a term for a cleric, but it was adopted by the Jews of Persia in the same manner in which the Babylonian name for Elul was adopted. Elul is also an acronym for ani ledodi vedod li. Mullah is an acronym for “Mi Lashem elai.”

It was the year 1782 (ACE). A Rabbinic messenger had arrived from Chevron, Israel. It was a Rabbinic sage by the name of Eliyahu. The town of Yazd at the time had about 100,000 people, with a few thousand Jews. The Jews of Yazd had donated to the Rabbi’s very worthy cause in a generous manner. They Jews of Yazd were quite concerned about the traveling conditions, and did not wish this great Rabbi to travel onward toward the city of Mashad. The Ohr Shraga sent a letter to the Jewish community in mashad and asked that they raise the funds themselves for the Jewish community in Chevron and send it Yazd. The letter was signed by the Tzair Ohr Shraga, Hatzair David ben Harav Pinchas, and HaTzair Moshe ben Kvod Harav Amram.

Another letter to the community of Mashad appears dated Parashat Noach in 1783. Apparently, there was an individual named Yitzchak Ben Yehudah Kohen who had married a woman from Yazd. He left her and their son in Yazd while he went to Mashad and did not look after their welfare. The Ohr Shraga requested of Rabbi Abraham, the Rabbi of Mashad to either be requested to return or to give a divorce document .

We see from both of these documents the community minded nature of the Ohr Shraga. His concern for his compatriots in Israel, as well as the welfare of individuals in the Yazd community.

The Ohr Shraga’s Beit Midrash was adjacent to the governor’s palace.

Each year, Rabbi Ovadiah Yoseph delivers a Torah lesson to commemorate the day of departure of the Ohr Shraga. Jews in in Iran, Israel and United States commemorate his passing by expounding on stories passed down of his righteousness and the great miracles that were attributed to him.

Sources:
"MiYazd LeEretz HaKodesh" Tiferet Yerushalayim Publications Jerusalem, Israel 5747;
Interview Rabbi Boruch Ohr Shraga, January 2002;
Encyclopaedia Judaica "Yazd"