The Work, Torah Teaching and Legacy of Solika Hachuel: A Historiographical, Halakhic and Cultural Analysis of Kiddush Hashem in Morocco
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Summary
This work surveys the life and legacy of Solika Hachuel, a Jewish girl from Morocco who was executed in the 19th century after refusing to convert to Islam, and thereby became a symbol of Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God's name). The text analyzes the chain of events from Solika's flight from her home to her trial at the highest political levels, while examining the sociological motives and religious pressures of the period. Beyond the historical aspect, the source goes deeply into Solika's halakhic teaching, which expresses a firm stand on her Jewish identity and the use of the value of modesty as a tool of metaphysical holiness in the face of death. Finally, the article compares different narratives of her figure in Hebrew, European and Muslim sources, and describes her transformation into a spiritual exemplar whose memory is preserved to this day through piyyutim and prayers at her grave in the cemetery in Fez.
The Family, Social and Political Background in Tangier at the Beginning of the 19th Century
Sol "Solika" Hachuel was born in 1817 in the port city of Tangier in Morocco, to a Jewish family of Spanish origin that traced its descent to the exiles from Spain who settled in North Africa.[1, 2] Her father, Rabbi Chaim Hachuel, was a merchant and a Torah scholar who ran a regular study group in his home.[2] This home environment, characterized by intensive Torah study and spiritual piety, played a key role in shaping Solika's religious and Torah identity.[2] Her early religious education gave her the theological foundation and the strength of soul she would later need in order to withstand the harsh trials to which she was subjected.[2, 3]
Socially, the Hachuel family was of modest economic background.[1, 4] Historical sources, foremost among them the testimony of her younger brother Yehoshua (Jousouah) as recorded by the researcher M. Rey, reveal that alongside religious strictness there were intense family tensions in the home.[4] Solika's mother, Simcha, was described as a harsh woman who often punished her daughter.[1, 4] These tensions reached their peak on the eve of Passover, when Solika accidentally spilled a vessel full of lime intended for whitewashing the walls of the house.[4] Fearing her mother's reaction, Solika fled to the house of her Muslim neighbor, Tahra Mesmoudi.[4, 5]
The historian David Dmitri Hurlbut offers a sociological analysis according to which Solika's initial declaration in her neighbor's house ("You will be a mother to me and your God will be my God") did not stem from a theological conversion of her religion, but was a coping mechanism and an escape from physical harm and violence within the family unit.[4, 6] However, in the charged social environment of Tangier, this declaration was immediately interpreted by the Muslim neighbor as a formal conversion to Islam, and she hastened to report it to the local governor (the pasha).[4, 5]
Politically, the events took place at a time when the status of the Jews of Morocco as protected subjects ("dhimmis") was under growing pressure.[7, 8] Moreover, the conquest of neighboring Algeria by France in 1830 aroused intense religious and anti-colonialist ferment among the Muslim majority in Morocco, which heightened religious zealotry and turned any alleged slight to the honor of Islam into a political matter of the utmost sensitivity.[7] In this reality, the mediation attempts of the Spanish vice-consul in Tangier, Don José Rico, who tried to protect Solika and even paid out of his own pocket the costs of her transfer to Fez when the pasha demanded them of her father, met a fortified wall of refusal on the part of the hostile authorities.[5, 8]
The Stages of Imprisonment, the Dialogues and the Trial in Tangier and Fez
Solika Hachuel's arrest and her being brought to trial were marked by uncompromising determination on her part in the face of heavy physical and psychological pressures.[3, 5] The process of imprisonment and trial unfolded in several main stages, in each of which her faith was put to a renewed test [3, 5]:
First Stage: Imprisonment in the Pasha's Palace in Tangier
After her initial arrest, Solika was taken to the pasha's splendid palace, where she stayed for three days.[5] The authorities' aim at this stage was to obtain her consent to conversion by gentle means and enticements.[5] She was promised marriage to a wealthy and respected man, silk garments, gold jewelry and great wealth.[2, 5] The pasha addressed her with the claim that God had sent her a ray of light to guide her to the true religion.[5] To this Solika replied decisively that it was a mistake, that she had never sought to convert to Islam, and that she had been born a Jew and wished to die a Jew.[5]
Second Stage: The Dungeon and Underground Imprisonment
When the attempts at enticement failed, the pasha made the conditions of her confinement harsher.[5] She was first transferred to a dungeon on the outskirts of the city, where she had a small window facing the street.[5] Through this window her parents, Chaim and Simcha, and her brother Issachar managed to speak with her at night after bribing the jailers.[5] In these conversations her parents gently asked her whether she intended to give in in order to save her life.[5] Solika firmly refused and declared that she saw her suffering as atonement for not having behaved with due respect toward her mother in the past.[5] Following her stubborn refusal, the pasha ordered her transferred to a dark and damp underground cell, where she was bound in iron chains on her hands and feet and an iron collar was placed on her neck.[5]
Third Stage: The Journey to Fez and the Trial before the Sultan
Because of the intervention of foreign diplomats and the fear of riots breaking out in Tangier, Sultan Moulay Abd al-Rahman ordered Solika transferred to the capital, Fez.[2, 5] She was led by five soldiers on a grueling journey that lasted six days.[1, 5] Her family hired a man who posed as a merchant and accompanied the caravan in secret, communicating with Solika by hand signals and Hebrew expressions in order to strengthen her spirit.[5] In Fez Solika was placed in the women's wing of the royal palace.[1]
The sultan appointed the qadi (a Muslim religious judge) to decide her case.[2] The qadi summoned the sages of the Jewish community of Fez and set an ultimatum before them: if Solika did not convert to Islam, she would be executed and the entire community would be severely punished.[2, 5] The rabbis approached Solika and, according to some versions, suggested that she pretend to convert in order to save herself and the community, but she rejected the suggestion outright.[1, 5] The approach of the sultan's son as well, who was captivated by her beauty and offered her marriage and the status of a princess in return for her conversion, was rejected by her on the grounds that she would not betray her God.[2, 5]
Fourth Stage: The Execution
The qadi sentenced her to death by beheading.[2] On the day of the execution, in the central square of Fez, the executioner tried a last psychological manipulation: he lightly wounded her neck with the sword so as to draw her blood, in the hope that the fear of death would make her recant.[1, 9] In response Solika cried aloud: "Do not delay me, cut off my head at once, for I die clean of all sin; the God of Abraham will avenge my blood!".[5] She was killed for Kiddush Hashem in 1834, when she was only seventeen years old.[2, 5]
A Historiographical Comparison of Different Sources and Narratives
The figure of Solika Hachuel has undergone many transformations in literature, poetry and historical research.[2, 10] The scholarly analysis of Sharon Vance and of Prof. Juliette Hassine shows how different groups used her story to advance diverse religious, political and cultural narratives.[10, 11, 12]
This cultural difference is clearly expressed in literature and in the historical record.[2] The work of the Spanish writer Eugenio María Romero (1837) was based on interviews with surviving members of Solika's family, and presented a highly dramatic narrative that served as inspiration for European painters such as Alfred Dehodencq.[2, 4, 5] By contrast, the researcher and rabbi Yaakov Toledano presented in his book "Ner HaMaarav" (1911) an exceptional and controversial version, according to which Solika converted to Islam of her own free will in order to draw close to Sultan Moulay Abd al-Rahman and was part of his harem between the years 1817 and 1820.[2] This version is rejected by most scholars for clear chronological and historical reasons.[2]
Solika's Torah-Halakhic Teaching: Kiddush Hashem and the Value of Modesty
Although Solika Hachuel left behind no written Torah works, her decisions at the extreme moments of trial in her life formulate a deep theological and halakhic teaching.[3, 17] This practical teaching focuses on two central halakhic categories: the nature of the commandment of Kiddush Hashem in situations of forced apostasy, and the modesty of the body as an expression of metaphysical holiness.[3, 18, 19]
The Question of "Be Killed Rather than Transgress" in the Encounter with Islam
Jewish halakha establishes that in ordinary situations, the saving of life overrides all the commandments of the Torah, except for the three grave transgressions: idolatry, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.[18] The attitude toward Islam in this context is complex. The Rambam, in his Epistle on Forced Conversion, ruled that Islam is not considered idolatry since it upholds the absolute unity of God, and therefore a Jew who is forced to make a Muslim declaration of faith (the shahada) in order to save his life is not obliged to give up his life, and it is preferable that he declare it with his lips only and flee as soon as possible.[17]
However, the Rambam himself and other decisors emphasized that at a time of decree or "a time of persecution" – when the aim of the foreign government is to make the Jews abandon their religion publicly or to display the superiority of its religion over the Torah – there is an absolute obligation to give up one's life even for a minor Jewish custom ("even for a shoelace").[17, 19] Solika's stand represents a decisive application of this principle.[2] For her, the false declaration of accepting Islam was not a meaningless formal act but an act of public heresy and public desecration of God's name.[3, 17] Her refusal of the enticing offers of the qadi and of the sultan's son expresses an uncompromising theological conception that sees Jewish identity as a spiritual essence that cannot be divided or subjected to verbal manipulation.[3, 5]
The Holiness of the Body through the Value of Modesty
Solika's action before her execution – sticking pins and needles into her flesh in order to fasten her clothes to her body and prevent her exposure while her body was dragged or her head cut off – constitutes a halakhic decision of deep theological significance.[3, 14] In Judaism, the body is not perceived as an impure or negligible vessel, but as a sanctified temple that houses the divine soul. Preserving modesty at the moment of death transforms the violent and humiliating act of execution from a ceremony imposed by the Muslim government into a holy ceremony of self-sacrifice in purity.[3, 14] Thereby Solika redefined the concept of modesty: not only as a code of social behavior or a communal convention, but as a metaphysical category belonging to the core of the holiness of life and of death for Kiddush Hashem.[3, 14]
The Halakhic Reservation about the Title "Lalla"
A fascinating testimony to the preservation of the purity of Solika's Torah outlook is mentioned in the biographical and halakhic book "Malkhei Rabbanan".[14] According to what is brought there, Solika herself expressed firm opposition to being called by the Muslim title "Lalla" (meaning lady or saint in Islam).[14] This reservation reflects a fine halakhic sensitivity and a theological conception that rejects any element of religious syncretism or adoption of customs and concepts from the Muslim environment, even when these were given to her out of respect and admiration.[14] Thereby she emphasized her wish to remain identified solely with the world of concepts and holiness of the Torah and of Jewish tradition.[14]
Her Spiritual Legacy, Communal Piyyut and Pilgrimage
The death of Solika Hachuel left an indelible impression on the Jewry of Morocco and North Africa, and made her an eternal symbol of faith and female heroism.[2, 3] Her legacy has been preserved over the generations through customs of pilgrimage, poetic writing and unique tombstone inscriptions.[2, 14, 15]
Her Tombstone and the Hidden Differences in Its Inscriptions
Solika was laid to eternal rest in the Jewish cemetery of Fez (the "Mellah"), near the graves of the great sages of Morocco, Rabbi Yehuda ben Attar and Rabbi Avner Hatzarfati.[3, 15, 20] According to the tradition of the sages of Morocco, the Divine Presence rests upon these three burial plots, and prayers offered in this place are favorably received.[20] On her grave a blue tombstone was erected with three turrets and a Persian arch, bearing two separate inscriptions that reflect the cultural difference in the assessment of her figure [4, 5]:
- The Hebrew inscription: emphasizes the religious and spiritual dimension of her deeds, and defines her as a virgin maiden who sanctified the name of Heaven in public and died for Kiddush Hashem in the splendid city of Fez.[5, 13] The inscription closes with the request that her soul be bound up in the bond of life and that her merit protect the whole house of Israel.[5, 13]
- The French inscription: focuses on the historical and political narrative, and states that Solika Hachuel was born in Tangier in 1817 and was murdered in Fez in 1834 by Arabs because of her refusal to convert to Islam.[5, 13] This inscription emphasizes her bitter loss to her family and to the whole world.[5, 13]
The Poetic Work of the Great Sages of Morocco
The figure of Solika was widely commemorated in the liturgical poetry of North African Jewry.[2, 17] The most prominent work is the awe-inspiring piyyut of our master Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira (the "Avir Yaakov"), bearing the title "Et Godel Shevach Na'arah" (The Greatness of the Praise of a Maiden).[14] In this piyyut Rabbi Yaakov expresses enormous admiration for the heroism of a young girl and dwells on several theological aspects [14]:
- The historical parallel: the poet compares Solika's virtue directly to that of the Ten Martyrs and of Hannah and her seven sons, thereby granting her death canonical status within the history of Jewish martyrology.[14]
- Rejection of the enticements and divine love: the piyyut details the offers of gold and silver and the royal garments offered to her, and stresses that her answer stemmed from a fierce love of God that "many waters" or material rivers have no power to wash away and quench.[14]
- The ascent to heaven: the moment of her beheading is described as the departure of a pure and clean soul that rises directly to behold the pleasantness of the Lord and the face of the Divine Presence.[14]
- The prayer for vengeance and redemption: the piyyut closes with an appeal to the Holy One, blessed be He, to look down from heaven, avenge the blood of His faithful handmaid, and remember her merit for the protection of the people of Israel in an orphaned generation.[14]
Alongside this piyyut, the song of Rabbi Shmuel Elbaz (1790–1844) is also widespread in the communities of Morocco; in eleven stanzas it unfolds the affair of the false testimony hurled at her and her pure faith.[17] These songs are sung to this day in the communities of North African origin, particularly on Sabbath nights and at joyous occasions and hillulot.[14]
Setting the Day of the Hillula and the Pilgrimage
The day of Solika's passing and her hillula was fixed in the Jewish tradition of Morocco on 27 Sivan or on 27 Iyar.[3] This date is often combined with the hillula of the righteous Rabbi Chaim HaKohen, who is also buried in the cemetery in Fez, which leads to a succession of visits to the grave and mass prayers at these times.[16] Solika's grave serves as a favored place of prayer, especially for women and the childless, who find in the figure of the righteous maiden who gave up her soul and body for the sanctification of God's name an advocate before the Throne of Glory.[1, 3, 20]
Sources20
- 1.Sol Hachuel | Jewish Women's Archive, jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/sol-hachuel
- 2.Sol Hachuel - Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Hachuel
- 3.ללה סוליקה: נערה אחת – נשמה של דור - דרשו, dirshu.co.il/530818-2/
- 4.Soulika's Shrine, Fez, Morocco - Archive | Diarna.org, archive.diarna.org/site/detail/public/2387/
- 5.Solica: The Jewish Martyr of Morocco - Aish.com, aish.com/solica-the-jewish-martyr-of-morocco/
- 6.The "Conversion" of Sol Hachuel from Judaism to Islam in Nineteenth-Century Tangier, Morocco. | Law | International Journal of African Historical Studies | EBSCO Research, ebsco.com/articles/law/e20d8dbd-3cc5-5ab9-97d0-bbaaaae938ab/the-conversion-of-sol-hachuel-from-judaism-to-islam-in-nineteenth-century-tangier-morocco
- 7.Hebrew Voices #238 - The Jewish Girl Who Died for Her Faith: Part 1 - Nehemia's Wall, nehemiaswall.com/jewish-girl-who-died-for-her-faith-part-1
- 8.REVIEW: Sharon Vance. The Martyrdom of a Moroccan Jewish Saint | Intertwined Worlds, intertwinedworlds.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/review-sharon-vance-the-martyrdom-of-a-moroccan-jewish-saint/
- 9.Solika - Sephardic Horizons, sephardichorizons.org/Volume8/Issue3&4/Solika.html
- 10.Sharon Vance: The Martyrdom of a Moroccan Jewish Saint (Leiden: Brill, 2011). - hesperis 2017.indd, hesperis-tamuda.com/Downloads/2010-2019/2016/fascicule-3/14.pdf
- 11.Untitled, books.google.com/books/about/The_Martyrdom_of_a_Moroccan_Jewish_Saint.html?id=5eE0QbtrTAgC&source=kp_book_description
- 12.סוליקה הצדקת-הרוגת המלכות | מורשת יהדות מרוקו, moreshet-morocco.com/2013/02/19/סוליקה-הצדקת-הרוגת-המלכות-28/
- 13.THE MANY LIVES OF SOL HATCHUEL In the Jewish Cemetery in Fez lies the mausoleum for Sol Hatchuel. On it are two inscriptions in - Brill, brill.com/display/book/9789004207165/Bej.9789004207004.i-240_003.pdf
- 14.מסרה נפשה על קדושתה: הצדקנית ללה סוליקה ע"ה הי"ד • כ"ז אייר - כותל המזרח, mizrach.co.il/41102/
- 15.סוליקה – סיפורה של נערה ממרוקו – Breslev, breslev.co.il/291978/
- 16.Have You Heard of the Jewish Joan of Arc? Part II, jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/357075/have-you-heard-of-the-jewish-joan-of-arc-part-ii/
- 17.קידוש השם - "סול" ממרוקו - מאיר אביטן, meir-avitan.co.il/מאמרי-חינוך-1/קידוש-השם-סול-ממרוקו
- 18.מסירות נפש ביהדות - ויקיפדיה, he.wikipedia.org/wiki/מסירות_נפש_ביהדות
- 19.קידוש השם - חב"דפדיה, chabadpedia.co.il/index.php?title=קידוש_השם&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop
- 20.יום ההילולא: סיפורה המפעים של ללה סוליקה - ערוץ 2000, tv2000.co.il/article/33568