 Hakham Abdallah became head of the yeshiva "Midrash Abu Menashe" (established in 1840 by Heskel Menashe Zebaida); the yeshiva was later expanded and renamed "Midrash Bet Zilkha" and remained in operation until 1951.As rosh yeshiva, Hakham Somekh was teacher of several Sephardi sages including his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Chaim ("the "Ben Ish Chai""), and Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer ("the "Kaf HaChaim"").He issued a great number of rulings, particularly in matters of shechita (Jewish slaughter of animals) and treifot—these rulings have been published in the work "Zibhei Tzedek" (Baghdad, 1914, 2 vols.