Solomon Eliezer b. Jacob Alfandari (b. ca. 1826 or 1829/30), known as Mercado or Maharsha, and as Saba Qadisha, was a halakhist and rabbinic leader. Born in Istanbul to a distinguished family, he was appointed head of the Foa yeshiva at the age of twenty-five and also served as rabbi of the Orta Koy quarter of Istanbul. At the age of thirty, he was elected to the general religious council (Majlis) of the community. Afraid that military service would lead Jews to abandon their religious practice, he objected to plans to recruit Jews into the Ottoman army.

In 1897, Alfandari was appointed ap…