HAIM FARHI
Saul Farhi――Ahmad Jazzár――Saul Farhi’s sons: Haim, Solomon,
Raphael and Moses Farhi――Jewish communities in Palestine and
Syria――The importance of Palestine in the struggle between
Bonaparte and the Ottoman Empire――Haim Farhi’s martyrdom.
IN order to grasp the real importance and meaning of Bonaparte’s idea,
we have to occupy ourselves with the _dramatis personæ_, and first of
all with Haim Farhi. The life of this man was full of romance and of
a devotion which has not yet met with such appreciation from Jewish
historians as it deserves.
Haim Farhi was born at Damascus about the middle of the eighteenth
century. The Farhis were an old Jewish family, whose members for
several generations devoted their energies to the task of defending
their ancient nation, while remaining loyal subjects of the Ottoman
Government. Haim’s father, Saul, was “_Katib_” to Ahmad Jazzár
(1735?‒1808), who was first _Pasha_ of Acre and Sidon, then for a
few years _Pasha_ of Damascus, and afterwards for many years again
_Pasha_ of Acre and Sidon, and exercised a great influence over Syria
and Palestine. Ahmad Jazzár (the Butcher) was a man without morals,
as cruel as he was capricious and impetuous. Instead of using his
influence and great wealth to promote the happiness of his subjects,
he left the large plain near Acre almost a marsh. Pomp and luxury
were greatly encouraged by him, while agriculture was neglected.
His conduct was the exact opposite of that of the Sheikh Daher, his
predecessor, who raised Acre from a village to a large town, and
during whose reign the population of the district increased immensely.
The main source of the riches of Jazzár was the _pashalik_ of Damascus,
which he contrived to add to his former dominion. Till the year 1791
the French had factories at Acre, Sidon and Beyrout. In that year
they were all expelled from the territory of Jazzár by a sudden edict,
which allowed them only three days in which to leave their respective
abodes, under the penalty of death.
Jazzár retained his ill-gotten _pashalik_ of Damascus a few years only.
His government knew no methods but those of oppression and cruelty;
he extorted from his people a considerable part of its fortunes, and
put to death several hundred persons, who were mostly innocent. His
own suspicious conduct, as leader of the caravan to Mecca, combined
with the machinations of his enemies at the Porte, led finally to his
deposition; but he left behind living monuments of his cruelty in the
shape of mutilated subjects who by his orders had had their noses and
ears cut off. Thus driven from Damascus, he returned to his former
_pashalik_ of Acre and Sidon.
Jazzár, who was full of energy and life, and was possessed of
some heroic qualities, but was a monster in human form, and a
true specimen of the Eastern “_satrap_,” addressed himself to his
_Katib_ for assistance and advice. _Katib_ in Arabic, like _Yazgy_
in Turkish, means no more than “writer” or “scribe,” but the office
confers greater power than the name implies. The _Katib_ is often
at once government secretary and treasurer; and, as he is generally
a permanent official in the _pashalik_ for life, while the _pashas_
are often changed, by removal or death, it necessarily happens that
he is master of the business of the _pashalik_, and of its revenues
and resources, while the _pashas_, coming from distant provinces,
enter upon a rule of which the key is in the _Katib’s_ hands, and are
compelled to keep him in their service and to be guided by him. The
_pashalik_ of Damascus was, moreover, singularly placed, in so far as
its _pasha_ and chief officials had to go every year on the pilgrimage
to Mecca, and consequently were more than ever bound to confide
their affairs to the _Katib_. It is said that the order of march,
the ordinances and regulations for the pilgrims, the quantity of
provisions required and various other essential facts connected with
this important occasion, had somehow become secrets in the keeping
of the Jews, and that Saul Farhi was considered a great expert and a
recognized authority in these matters. He had four sons: Haim, Solomon,
Raphael and Moses (_ob._ 1840) and one daughter. Haim, the eldest,
was initiated by his father into all the professional secrets of
his office. He was a young man of excellent abilities and learning.
In the early part of his life, when he was still in Damascus, the
machinations of his enemies prevailed in so far that he was summoned
to Constantinople to answer certain accusations made against him; and,
being mulcted in a fine which he was unable to pay, he was thrown into
prison. His sister, a woman of great energy, undertook the journey
from Syria to Constantinople to petition for her brother’s release.
She succeeded, and brought her brother back to his house. Haim’s
loyalty and integrity were placed beyond doubt, and his experiences in
Constantinople must have helped to give him knowledge of the laws and
insight into the central government, to which he was sincerely devoted.
He was then appointed by Jazzár to the post of _Katib_ or minister
at Acre, where there lived at that time thirty-six Jewish families.
_Jerusalem_ had, besides 9000 Moslem and Christian inhabitants,
about 1000 Jews; and old communities of considerable size existed in
_Tiberias_, _Safed_, _Jaffa_ and _Hebron_. Although not important in
numbers, the Jews, owing to their connection with the communities of
Damascus, Aleppo, Bagdad, Constantinople, Smyrna and Salonica, which
possessed numerous religious schools, and big business enterprises
extending as far as Egypt and India, were justly considered an
important element. The fact that Saul Farhi was _Katib_ at Damascus,
and his son Haim at Acre, and that, according to the general opinion,
the Jews were better acquainted than anyone else with the route
to Mecca, and with the ordinances and regulations, which were not
only of a fiscal and commercial value, but also of great strategic
importance――this fact did not fail to appeal to the imagination
of Bonaparte. From this point of view, and considering all the
circumstances, it would appear that Bonaparte’s appeal to the Jews
was not so fantastic as it might seem at first sight. It was a
well-considered scheme.
Haim Farhi’s activity was twofold. It fell to his lot to look after
the communications with Damascus and the Hedjaz, to remain in touch
with all the distant centres of commerce and resources, and at the
same time to cultivate very carefully relations with Constantinople.
Both these departments of official activity abounded with difficulties
and responsibilities. The roads were bad, the tribes, clans, and
families much divided and continually at feud with one another.
Communications were unsafe, and the danger of being cut off was always
imminent. On the other hand, the maintenance of peaceful relations
between a powerful, capricious _Pasha_ and the _Padishah_ with all his
camarilla was naturally a hard task. Farhi had secured a reputation
for exceptional ability in both directions. Having been brought up
in the atmosphere of the _Katib’s_ profession, he was better informed
than anyone else concerning the communications and the state of
affairs in Damascus and elsewhere, while his dignity of manner, worthy
of the descendant of an old Jewish family, his intellectual gifts and
wonderful knowledge of Eastern languages, enabled him to cope most
successfully with the duties of a diplomatic career. As to the latter
function, there is the testimony of Jazzár, to whom is ascribed the
statement that “Farhi’s notes to the Porte have the wonderful quality
of being polite as well as expressive.”
Needless to say, Farhi’s influence and activity, which would have been
important even in times of peace, proved of exceptional importance at
the eventful period when for the first time since the Crusades East
and West were involved in a struggle for existence. It was one of the
strangest caprices of history that this contest of strength between
the greatest powers of the world――Bonaparte and the Ottoman Empire of
that time, backed up by Great Britain――was to be decided in the Holy
Land, in the neighbourhood of that little port, and that a son of the
nation which had possessed this land and made it a land of glory, and
to which God had promised it as an “everlasting inheritance,” was the
very soul of the defence, frustrating all the plans of the enemy.
Haim’s career, romantic as it was, derives a peculiar interest from
one of its incidents, which makes the _Pasha_ appear as a monster
of barbarity and madness. The story sounds like the invention of a
wild imagination, but is a real, indisputable fact. We mentioned with
regard to Jazzár’s activities in Damascus that living monuments of his
cruelty remained behind in the shape of the noseless faces and earless
heads of the Damascenes. This passion for maiming and mutilating seems
to have grown with him in Acre.
The Rev. John Wilson¹ (1804‒1875) tells us: “Almost every one in his
domestic establishment was maimed. Some wanted a hand, some a foot;
others mourned over the loss of a toe, a finger or an ear, according
as the rage of the tyrant happened to be directed. Haim Farhi was
an able man and withal of fine figure and prepossessing address. He
enjoyed the confidence of the _Pasha_, and grew rich in his employment.
One day Ahmad (Jazzár) said to him: ‘Haim, you have a fine person, you
are very beautiful, you are the most athletic of men; when visitors
come, it is you, not me, they admire; every one seems to say how
happy is the _Pasha_ to have such a man: Now, because of this I had
some thoughts of dismissing you from your office; but my great love
to you prevents that; you cannot, however, have any objection to my
putting out one of your eyes.’ The barber was instantly sent for; and
Haim Farhi lost his eye. He continued in his office, and faithfully
discharged its duties, and the _Pasha_ continued to heap favours
upon him. The Jew, however, was attentive to his appearance, and
dexterously contrived to edge down his turban so skilfully that his
visual defect was not much observed. Jazzár noticed this, and said to
him one day, ‘All I have done has been of no use, you have become as
beautiful and as attractive as ever; I must cut off your nose.’ The
barber was again sent for, and Haim lost his nose. He still continued
in the service of the _Pasha_, and discharged his duties faithfully,
and even presided over the obsequies of his tyrannical benefactor.”
¹ Land of the Bible ... Edinburgh, 1847. Vol. ii., _pp._
341‒342. Note 1.