ר׳ יחיא צאלח

ר׳ יחיא בן יוסף צאלח (1713–1805), the מהרי״ץ, was the foremost eighteenth-century rabbinic authority of Yemen and the decisive systematizer of the Baladi rite. Born and active in Sana’a, he studied with his grandfather ר׳ צאלח, ר׳ יחיא קרואני, ר׳ סעדיה קטיעי and leading local scholars including ר׳ דוד משרקי. He earned a living first as a silversmith and later as a professional scribe, gaining exceptional knowledge of Yemenite manuscripts and textual traditions. In 1756–1757 he became head of the Sana’a court and great yeshiva. His responsa פעולת צדיק address Yemenite communal and ritual law; עץ חיים critically fixes and explains the Baladi prayer text; זבח תודה and related treatises treat shechita and other practical law. His rulings and liturgical method remain foundational for Baladi Yemenite communities.