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.