ר׳ שמעון אהרן אגסי

ר׳ שמעון אהרן אגסי (1852–1914), commonly called ר׳ שמעון אגסי and known by the acronym רשב״א, was a leading Baghdadi rabbi, kabbalist, preacher and communal educator. Born into a prosperous merchant family of Persian origin, he chose intensive Torah study over the family business and learned at Midrash Bet Zilkha under ר׳ שמואל מג׳לד and ר׳ נסים הלוי. He became especially close to ר׳ יוסף חיים, the בן איש חי, with whom he exchanged Torah correspondence and whose public teachings deeply shaped Baghdadi religious life. In 1879 he married Rachel, daughter of ר׳ עבדאללה בן אליה בחר. The death of his eldest son Aharon before marriage inspired בני אהרן, his commentary on שער הגלגולים of ר׳ חיים ויטאל. Agassi established a yeshiva to train rabbis and dayanim, combined Torah with Turkish-language instruction, and founded the support society תומכי תורה. His pupils included ר׳ יצחק נסים, ר׳ יעקב מוצפי, ר׳ סלמן חוגי עבודי and ר׳ אפרים כהן. His writings span Kabbalah, homiletics, poetry and Jewish belief. He died in Baghdad during a plague outbreak on 31 July 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War.