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- Hebrew Name: הרב חיים אבישלום כהן-פרחיה
- How We Know: Picture(s), Article Says So
- Location Born: Yafo, British Palestine (Israel)
- Date Passed: August 13, 2019 (י"ב באב תשע"ט)
- Location Passed: בית הקברות סנהדריה
Type of wearer: Mekubal
From https://dafyomireview.com/hidden_tzadikim.php?d=9:
Chilazon
Rabeinu once said regarding the Chilazon by the Machon Mikdash. He said that he checked this with spiritual vision and physical vision and it is indeed the Chilazon used to make the techelet (blue dye). He bought from them Chilazons and asked his students to dye for him strings of techelet. One of his students also wanted to do for himself strings of techelet but Rabeinu read his mind and told him saying that there is no need. You do not make for yourself strings of techelet. For all the time the temple is not built, there is no need for this. I do this in order to illuminate an ohr chozer for what will be in the future. But there is no reason to be makpid in this and every person can continue his minhag.
About Wearer
1. Early life and background
Rabbi Chaim Avishalom Cohen‑Farkhiya was born in 1935 in Jaffa, the son of Ezra Eliyahu and Blanka Farkhiya‑Cohen. His family had deep roots in kabbalistic traditions, descending from Rabbi Eliyahu Kohen the Atmarian, and had emigrated from Turkey to Israel in the early 1900s. The family business—a cheese dairy called “Mekhlabot HaKohanim”—was established by his father in the early 1930s in Tel Aviv.
2. Profession and moniker
Because he continued in the family’s trade—working in the dairy and later in his own “Dashen” dairy—he became known by the fitting nickname “ha‑Chalban,” literally “the Cheesemaker.” He never adopted the external trappings associated with many Orthodox rabbis: he was clean-shaven, wore casual clothing instead of a suit, and often donned a simple cap.
3. Kabbalistic lineage and teachers
He belonged to a generation of kabbalists whose nicknames reflected their occupations (like “the tailor,” “the painter,” “the cobbler”). He studied under prominent teachers, among them Rabbi Moshe Irra, and was also influenced by figures such as Rabbi Yehuda Zerahia Segal, Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ptilon (“the Sacred Painter”), and Rabbi Yosef Waltuch of Zolochiv (“the Street Cleaner”).
4. Teaching and public role
Though his outward life was simple, he deeply engaged in spiritual teaching. He regularly delivered classes in Gemara and Kabbalah at “Beit Yossef” in Givatayim, at the Hesder Yeshiva in Ramat HaSharon, and in the “Bar Yochai” synagogue in Moreshet. Audio recordings of his lessons can still be accessed on dedicated websites.
5. Humble demeanor and public access
In his dairy’s back room, he would seamlessly switch between supervising the dairy’s daily operations—taking orders, writing in ledgers—and offering Kabbalah classes to those seeking spiritual instruction. His unassuming presence—it could be as everyday as “Three cheeses. Two mehadrin, two regular”—belied the depth of his reputation as a hidden tzaddik who granted blessings and counsel to an array of people, from common folk to community leaders.
6. Personal life
Rabbi Cohen‑Farkhiya was married to Daba Edith, and the couple had four children. He passed away on August 13, 2019 (12th of Av, 5779), at the age of approximately 84, and was laid to rest in the Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem.
7. Legacy and writings
In his final years, his teachings were published in a series titled Tallei Chaayim (“Dewdrops of Life”), encompassing sixteen volumes across topics such as Torah inner dimensions, worship, the inner essence of festivals, prayer, faith, and the approaching redemption. These works, edited together with Rabbi Reuven Sasson, reflect his depth in both revealed and hidden Torah.
