9-15 Cheshvan 5788 -- October 29 - November 4, 2017

9 Cheshvan

• On this date in A.D. 67 the forces of Cestius Gallus were defeated in their attempt to capture Jerusalem and were decimated during their retreat.
• Yahrzeit of Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel, more commonly known as the Ros"h. He wrote a Halachic commentary on the Talmud and was instrumental in combining the Franco-German style of learning of the Tosfiats with that of the Sefardic Torah leaders. His son wrote the Tur, the fore-runner of the Shulchan Aruch and, as such, he was a very influential person in the development of Halacha.

10 Cheshvan

• The town of Vidin, Bulgaria would celebrate a "Purim" on this day because they were saved from an oppressive governor.
• Noach is told to enter the Ark
• Birthdate of Gad, son of Yaakov

11 Cheshvan

• Many have the custom to visit the Tomb of Rachel on her Yahrzeit
• 6th Yahrzeit of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel. A giant of perseverance and self sacrifice. Despite suffering from Parkinson's and other medical issues for years, he traveled the world to raise money for his Yeshiva and had an open and loving heart for every Jew.

12 Cheshvan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yehuda Zadkoh, Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef. A leader in raising the level of Torah scholarship among Sefardic Jewry.

13 Cheshvan

• In 1553, by Papal decree the Inquisition burned over 1,000 copies of the Talmud in Venice
• Last night to say Kiddush Levana for Cheshvan

15 Cheshvan

• During the First Temple Period on this date Yeravam ben Nevat celebrated the holiday he invented.
• Yahrzeit of the Chazon Ish. One of the founders of Bne Brak and instrumental in the rebuilding of the post-war Orthodox community. A very creative interpreter of Halacha.
• On the Jewish calendar this is the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

2-8 Cheshvan, 5778 --- October 22-28, 2017

Sunday, 2 Cheshvan

• The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that when Rosh Chodesh occurs on Shabbos one should eat their Rosh Chodesh meal on Sunday. This custom was followed in many Germanic communities until the war.
• The yahrzeit of Rav Eliezer Shulevitz, one of the foremost students of Rav Yisroel Salanter who founded the Yeshiva in Lomza. Here is one of my favorite stories involving him.

Monday, 3 Cheshvan

• The community of Posen celebrated the day as "Purim" due to the fact that Jews who were ordered to gather shells that were being shot into the city, were not harmed.
• The yahrzeit of Rebbe Yisroel of Rhizin who was known as the Prince of the Jews and founded a Chassidic dynasty which, in its many branches, flourishes until today.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Ovadia Yosef  - Chief Sefardic Rabbi of Israel. Worked tirelessly to raise the socioeconomic status of Sefardic Jewry in Israel.

Tuesday, 4 Cheshvan

• The last burning of the Talmud by the Catholic church occurred on this date in 1757 in Kamenetz, Poland
• The Piacezna Rebbe was murdered by the accursed Nazis. He was the author of many important Chassidic works and was a source of inspiration for the community imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto.

Thursday, 6 Cheshvan

• After the destruction of the First Temple all of the sons of King Tzidkiyahu were murdered on this date, after which he was blinded.
• In 1165 the Rambam visited Yerushalaim on this date and prayed there. For the rest of his life he considered it to be a holiday.

Friday, 7 Cheshvan

• Yarhzeit of Rav Meir Shapiro founder of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin

25 Tishrei, 5778 - October 15, 2017

• Today is the Yahrzeit of Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev - A legendary early Chassidic figure, best known for his advocacy of the Jewish people before God. Author of Kedushas Levi, one of the early seminal Chassidic works, and one which is accessible to people who have not been exposed to Chassidius and want to get a taste.
• It is also the Yahrziet of Rav Moshe Sofer, better known as the Chasam Sofer who established the Orthodox Hungarian Rabbinate that lasted from the early 1800s until the Holocaust. Numerous of his descendants are still in the rabbinate in rebuilt post--war communities. His Halachic rulings which are very much studied to this day made him one of the most prominent poskim of his time. In his second marriage he was the son-in-law of another contemporary Torah leader, Rabbi Akiva Eiger.
• The Moon today is in a Waning Crescent phase. In this phase the Moon’s illumination is growing smaller each day until the New Moon. During this phase the Moon is getting closer to the Sun as viewed from Earth and the night side of the Moon is facing the Earth with only a small edge of the Moon being illuminated. This phase is best viewed an hour or 2 before the sunrise and can be quite beautiful if you're willing to get up early. It can also be a great time to see the features of the Moon's surface. Along the edge where the illuminated portion meets the dark side, the craters and mountains cast long shadows making them easier to observe with a telescope or binoculars.

21-24 Tishrei, 5778 - October 11-14, 2017

Tishrei 21  Hoshana Rabba

• One should see to it that he includes members of the 70 nations in his Hoshana Rabba celebrations
• If a person finds it too difficult to complete all the added prayers today he should not be upset with himself, it is better to say a little with intention than a lot mindlessly. Having faith in God will bring him the greatest joy.
• Men should hurry home from shul after the long prayer service in order to share in the home responsibilities. This is especially true outside of Israel where we are about to begin a three day holiday and much cooking and baking needs to be done

Tishrei 22  Shmini Atzeres/Simchas Torah (in Israel)

• Greet all visitors who come to your shul to see Hakafos with a smile, especially if they seem to be people who rarely step foot in shul. One smile will overcome many rejections.
• In many communities women are welcomed into the edges of the men's section of the shul. As they are the one's who take their young children to learn Torah they are brought into the celebration
• Reb Elimelch of Lizinsk forbade drinking intoxicating beverages on the these days. He felt that the joy must come from the holiday and the Torah and not be artificially induced
• Outside of Israel in the afternoon people take leave of the Sukkah reciting 

Y'hi ratzon mil'fanekha Adonai Eloheinu vei'lohei avoteinu May it be Your will, Lord, our God and God of our ancestors

k'sheim shekiyam'ti v'yashav'ti basukah zu that just as I have stood up and dwelled in this sukkah

kein ez'keh l'shanah haba'ah leisheiv b'sukat oro shel Liv'yatan. so may I merit next year to dwell in the sukkah of the hide of the Leviathan.

l'shanah haba'ah birushalayim Next year in Jerusalem!

Tishrei 23 Simchas Torah (outside of Israel)

• During Temple times on the day after Sukkos all of the vessels in the Bais Hamikdosh were immersed in the Mikve, lest they had been touched over the holiday by a pilgrim who was unknowingly ritually impure. However, when the day after Sukkos is Friday due to the pressures of preparing for Shabbos, the immersion was delayed until Sunday.
• In many communities there was a custom to send gifts of honey on the Friday before Parshas Bereishis to all the people who had led the services over the preceding holidays. Just as they had helped sweeten our judgment with their leadership, we are wishing them a sweet time. The Shabbos is also called the Honey Shabbos.
• In Worms the children would pull the schach off the Sukkos on Simchas Torah and use it for bonfires. The Maharil enjoyed this sight and encouraged them to take the schach even from those who did not wish to participate. Others say that as it is a holiday it is improper to dismantle the Sukkah. 

Tishrei 24  -Shabbos Bereishis

• The Ateres Tzvi of Zidichov would say that on this Shabbos we dance with the angels. He explained that angels have six wings. Every day of the week one wing sings. On Shabbos they have run out of wings and it is time for man to sing instead. However, in the first week of Creation the angels were created on Monday, therefore they were singing along with Adam on Shabbos

From Luach Davar B'Ito

20, Tishrei 5778 - October 10, 2017

As our minds turn to preparing for the final days of Yom Tov and Shabbos that follows, those who live in Israel should keep in mind that as Friday is not a holiday for them, and they can therefore cook for Shabbos on Friday, they may not do any preparations for Shabbos during Chol HaMoed, and certainly not on Yom Tov. If, for some reason, it will be impossible to prepare on Friday (e.g. the stores will be out of food, or one is making a Bar Mitzvah on Shabbos and there is simply too much to do) then one may prepare on Chol HaMoed for Shabbos.
For those who are not in Israel it is permitted to make Shabbos preparations during Chol HaMoed and, with the use of an Eruv Tavshilin, on Yom Yov as well. There is no preference to cook for Shabbos on Simchas Torah which is a rabbinic Yom Tov rather than on Shemini Atzeres which is from the Torah.

From Davar B'ito 5778

19 Tishrei, 5778 - October 9, 217

1. Today is the Ushpizin of Aharon HaKohen who focused much effort on creating peace between people. It is a good day to focus on doing the same ourselves.
2. It is the yahrzeit of the Gaon of Vilna. Among his teachings is that most mitzvos are done with only one part of the body. Sukkah, in which we enter with our entire selves, is one that can be done with the entire body.

18 Tishrei, 5758 October 8, 2017

1. The mitzva  of making a Simchas bais HaShoeva does not permit you to disturb your neighbors.
2. In Ninveh, Iraq the Jewish Community visits the grave of the Prophet Yonah today.
3. (Its raining today in the NE of the USA) The Lev Simcha writes that the idea that rain on Sukkos is a sign of Gods displeasure and rejection of our mitzva is only true at the beginning of the holiday, not in the middle (This is the opinion of the Rambam, although other Rishonim would seem to disagree). This is indicated by the fact that the Mishna compares rain on Sukkos to a master tossing water in the face of his servant saying, "I do not want your service." When it doesn't rain the first few days it shows that God did want our mitzva. Many are of the opinion that the idea that raining on Sukkos is a bad sign is only true in Israel where it is not the rainy season, but in climates where rain is common it means nothing.

From Davar B'Ito