Category: biography
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26th Iyar – the Ramchal
The Ramchal – Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato passed away on this day 240 years ago (and was born 300 years ago). Today his writings are amongst the most influential for mussar (Mesilat Yesharim), hashkafa (Derech Hashem and Da’at Tevunot) and kabbalah (Kelach Pitchei Chachma and Adir Bamarom). Though he died before the age of 40… Read more
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25 Iyar – Rav Yaakov Loeberbaum of Lisa, (Nesivos)
Today (25 Iyar) is the Yarzheit of Reb Yaakov Loeberbaum of Lisa, known by the name of either of two of his seforim as the Chavas Daas or the Nesivos (Hamishpat) who dies in 1832 Wikipedia has a very good and thorough entry on him (though unless you have learnt a nesivos or a chavas… Read more
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23rd Iyar – destruction of Worms
Today is the anniversary of the massacre of the Jewish community of Worms. This was one of the oldest and most famous European Jewish community. It was all but destroyed in 1096 by the crusaders. This event is commemorated on Tisha B’Av in the Kinah “Mi Yitein Roshi Mayim”. (This is the time of the… Read more
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22nd Iyar – Rav Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri
Today is the yarzheit of the saba kadisha. I admit that i had never heard of him before today, when i started researching his yarzheit. What an amazing person. I have just copied an article that originally appeared in Yated (and I’m hoping that since they have banned the internet they won’t notice the plagiarism).… Read more
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20th Iyar – Doros HaRishonim
Today is the yarzheit of Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Rabinowitz, most famous as the author of Doros Harishonim. He was also the founder of Agudas Yisroel.Doros Harishonim is a history of the Jewish people which was written as a response to the historians (e.g. Graetz) who claimed that the Torah was not from Sinai, the Mishna… Read more
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19th Iyar – Maharam m’Rotenburg
Today is the Yarzheit of one of the most influential Ashkenazi poskim. R’ Meir m’Rotenburg (c. 1215-2 May 1293), the Maharam, was the teacher of both the Rosh and the Mordechai, who themselves are pretty much the basis of Ashkenazi Halacha. He is also famous for spending the last years of his life being held… Read more
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18th Iyar – Yarzheit of the Rama
While everyone else is out burning down the town with their bonfires to celebrate the yarzheit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (who probably didn’t die on Lag B’Omer anyway), I wanted to take the opportunity to remember someone who actually did die on this day, and was almost as influential (certainly for Ashkenazi Jews) as… Read more