9-16 Nisan, 5778 - 25 March - April 1, 2018

9 Nissan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yaakov Tzvi Yollis (d. 1825) who wrote a number of Encyclopedic works on Torah topics, including Melo Ha'Roim on Talmudic topics and Kehilas Yaakov on Kabbalah. 
• Yahrzeit of Rav Aryeh Levin (d. 1969) known as the Tzaddik of Yerushalaim, immortalized in the book A Tzaddik in Our Time.

10 Nissan

• Anniversary of the selecting of the Korban Pesach by the Jews in Egypt.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Avraham Abba Hertzel (d. 1928) author of Sifsei Chachomim anthology of commentaries on three talmudic tractates with some of the author's own insights.

11 Nissan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yeshaya Horwitz (d. 1630) author of Sheni Luchos HaBris an important work of Halacha and Kabbalah.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Elya Weintraub (d. 2010) leading Kabbalist in B'Nei Brak. An American, who spent most of his life in Israel, he wrote important commentaries on the writings of the Ariza"l and Gaon of Vilna.

12 Nissan

• In 1839 the Jews of Mashad, Iran were given the choice of converting to Islam or being put to death.

13 Nissan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yosef Karo (d. 1578), author of the Shulchan Aruch, to this day the central work of Halacha, as well as Kesef Mishnah, Bais Yosef and Maggid Meisharim wmong other works. One of the most important Halachic authorities of all time, and one of the few who received smicha during the revival of Smicha by the MaHari Beirav.

14 Nissan

• In the evening we search for Chometz which is then burned in the morning.
• In Temple times the Korban Pesach was offered on this day
• There is a common custom for first-borns to fast on this day.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Avrohom Yaffen (d. 1970) Rosh Yeshiva of Novardok 

15 Nissan

• First day of Pesach
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yonah T'Omim (d. 1689) author of Kikayon D'Yonah, important early Achron commentary on the Talmud

16 Nissan

• First day of Omer counting

2-8 Nisan, 5778 - 18-24 March, 2018

2 Nisan

• This is the time of year to recite the brocha on seeing the blossoming of fruit trees. Check here for location of fruit trees in many Jewish communities worldwide.

4 Nisan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, (d. 1865), author of HaKsav V'Hakabbaalah a commentary on the Chumash showing how Chazal derived their insights from the pesukim.

5 Nisan

• Yahrzeit of the Apta Rav, Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel (d. 1825), Chassidic Rebbe.

6 Nisan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Aharon Roth (d. 1947) Shomer Emunim Rebbe of Yerushalaim

7 Nisan

• Yahrzeit of Rav Avraham, brother of the Gaon of Vilna (d. 1807), author of Maalos HaTorah.
• Yahrzeit of Dr. Moshe Wallach (d. 1957), founder of Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Yerushalaim.

8 Nisan

• Known as Shabbos HaGadol. Many have the custom to recite a large portion of the Haggadah. In many communities there is a custom for the rabbi to give a drosha on this day.
• In 1190 the Jewish community of York was wiped out after hiding in the local castle due to anti-Jewish riots.

24 Adar - 1 Nissan, 5778 - - 11 March-17 March, 2018

24 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Godel Eisner, Rosh Yeshiva Chidushei HaRim (d. 1985)

25 Adar

• First day of Creation according to the opinion of Rebbe Yehoshua that the world was created in Nissan
• In 2012 four Jews were murdered in Toulouse, France

26 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Sara Schnirer, (d. 1935) founder of the Bais Yaakov movement, pioneer of girls' Torah education. 

27 Adar

• PiDay on the secular calendar. Interestingly, the verse in Kings from which the Sages learned to round Pi in most cases has a textual ammendation. The word is pronounced קו while it is written as קוה. The difference between them is almost identical to the difference between Pi and 3.0.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yosef Shaul HaLevi Nathanson (d. 1875) rabbi of Lemberg, renowned posek and author of approbations.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, (d. 1926) author of the Leshem Shevo V'Achlama, a series of Kabbalistic works. Many consider him to be the foremost Lithuanian Kabbalist of the 20th Century.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (d. 2012) Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ohr and Rov of Mattesdorf in Jerusalem. Author of supercommentaries on the works of the Ketzos.

29 Adar

• In 1195 a blood libel and pogrom caused the death of 9 Jews in Speyer
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky (d. 1986), Rosh Yeshiva of Torah VaDaath.

1 Nisan

• Many have the custom to refrain from eating matzah beginning with this date
• Three Sifrei Torah are taken out for Torah reading. One for the weekly Parsha, one for Parshas HaChodesh, one for Rosh Chodesh
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shmuel of Barnov, (d. 1806) author of Machtzis Hashekel commentary on the commentary of the Mogen Avraham on the Shulchan Aruch.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Elya Svei, (d. 2009) Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva.

17-23 Adar, 5778 - 4-10 March 2018

17 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Raizel, mother of the Chasam Sofer (d. 1822) as well as her grandson Rav Shimon Sofer (d. 1883), the rabbi of Cracow.

18 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Alexander Suskind of Horodna, author of Yesod V'Shoresh Ha'Avoda (d. 1794). A very intense work explaining the thoughts and emotions one should experience during prayer and while performing many Mitzvos. The story is told that he wished to become a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritz, but the Maggid demurred, saying, said that as long as he does not become a Chhossid his teachings would be accepted by a wider circle of Jewry.
• 170th anniversary of the publication of the Communist Manifesto
• Yahrzeit of Rav Chaim Shlomo Leibowitz (d. 2016) Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovez and Kaminetz

19 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld head of the Eida HaCharedis in Yerushalaim (d. 1932). In this photo he is seen in Yerushalaim with the President of Czechoslovakia.

20 Adar

• Recorded in Megillath Taanis as a holiday as it was the day on which the prayers of Choni Ha'Mi'Agel were answered and rain came to Jerusalem.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yoel Sirkes, (d. 1640), better known as the Bach author of major halachic commentary on the Tur, commentary on the Book of Ruth, glosses on the Talmud and other works.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (d. 1995), major Israeli posek especially in areas of new technology. Beloved by a wide sector of Torah Jewry as testified two by the quarter million people who attended his funeral.

21 Adar

• Yahrzeit of the Noam Elimelech (d. 1786), one of the early leaders of the Chassidic movement. He was a student of the Maggid of Mezritz, brother of the Rebbe Reb Zushe and teacher to many of the leaders of the next generation of Chassidus, including the Chozeh of Lublin and the Apter Rov.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Reuven Grozowski (d. 1958), Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz and Bais Medrash Elyon. Died after suffering for a long time after being injured in a car accident. It has long been speculated that the cause of the accident was opposition to his efforts to improve the state of Kashrus supervision.

22 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Navohrdok (d. 1908). Author of Aruch Hashulchan a Halachic work covering all areas of Halacha.

23 Adar

• Yahrzeit of The founding Gerrer Rebbe, the Chidushei HaRim (d. 1866). 

10-16 Adar, 5778 -- 25 February- 3 March, 2118

10 Adar

• My birthday

11 Adar

• In many communities תחנון is not recited beginning with this date as in earlier times this was a date on which villagers could read the Megillah.
• Yahrzeit of the CHID"A (d. 1804). A prolific author who wrote countless works on a myriad of Torah topics. Intrepid traveler who met many of the Torah giants of his time as he raised funds for the small community in Jerusalem. He visited many of the great European libraries where he found ancient manuscripts which he authenticated and often quoted from.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Avrohom Bornstein better known as the Avnei Nezer (d. 1910). Chassidic rebbe and son-in-law of the Kotzker best known for his responsa and work on the laws of Shabbos.

13 Adar

• Fast of Esther. There is a debate as to what is being commemorated. Some say it is the three day fast that was instituted before Esther went to see the king. Others suggest that the Jews fasted a year later on the day they battled their Amalekite enemies.
• There is a custom to donate half-shekels (or half of the local currency) on this day in memory of the half-shekel that was donated this time of year in Temple times. As the Torah mentions the word תורמה, donation, three times, many have the custom to give three half-shekels.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Moshe Feinstein (d. 1985) who was known as the leading Halachic decisor in the world in post-War era. Nine volumes of his responsa have been published. He also lead Mesivta Tifereth Yerushalaim in NY for 50 years and numerous volumes of his Talmudic insights have been published.

14 Adar

• Purim
• This is one of five dates during the year when there is a prevalent custom to daven early.
• The Torah reading on Purim is the shortest on record being only nine verses long.
• As it is thirty days from Pesach it is the day on which to start studying the laws and ideas of Pesach.
• In 1840 the Jewish community of Rhodes was cleared of a blood libel when the child was found alive.

15 Adar

• Shushan Purim for those who live in cities that were walled since the time of Joshua. Observed in Jerusalem and a few other places.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Chaim Kamiel (d. 2005) Rosh Yeshiva in Ofakim.

16 Adar

• This is the second break within the four special Torah readings in Adar. Only when Rosh Chodesh Adar falls on a Friday are there two breaks. ובי"ו
• Yahrzeit of Rav Pinchas Menachem Alter (d. 1996) Rosh Yeshiva of the Gerrer Yeshiva and briefly Rebbe of Ger. 

3-9 Adar, 5778 -- 18-24 February, 2018

3 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Mordechai Yaffee, (d. 1612), author of the Levushim. Anearly codification of Halacha, sort of a competition to the Shulchan Aruch, as well as other works. All of them are named after descriptions in the Megilla of the clothing worn by Mordechai.
• Yahrzeit of the Aderes, Rav Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz Teomim (d. 1905), Rabbi of Mir and later Yerushalim, father-in-law (twice) of Rav Kook.

4 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Leib Sarah's (d. 1791), student of the Baal Shem Tov and itinerant preacher of his teachings.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Laizer Gordon of Telshe (d. 1910) who passed away while on a fund-raising trip to London. 

5 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Moshe Yehoshua Landau (2nd cousin of my mother) who was known as one of the leading Torah scholrs in Yerushalaim (d. 1973)

6 Adar

• In 1486 hundreds of Jews were burned at the stake in Toledo Spain by the Inquisition

7 Adar

• Birthdate and Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu. In many communities there is a custom for the chevra kadisha (burial society) to have a commemorative meal on this date.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shlomo Ephraim Lenchitz (d. 1619), best known as author of the Kli Yakar commentary on Chumash.

8 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Eliyahu HaKohen of Izmir (d. 1729) Sefardic author of many works on morality.

9 Adar

• Second of the four special readings, Parshas Zachor, reminding us of the requirement to rid all memory of Amalek.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Chaim Zeitchik (d. 1999), an underappreciated giant of mussar who taught in the United States as well as Israel.

26 Shevat - 2 Adar, 5778 -- February 11 - February 17, 2018

26 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Dovid HaLevi (d. 1667) author of Torei Zahav one of the major commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch. Son in law of Rav Yoel Sirkis, the Bac"h.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Mordechai Yosef Elazar Leiner of Radzin (d. 1929), son of Rav Gershon Chanoch Henich of Radzin, author of Tifereth Yosef one of the important works of the Ishbitz-Radziner line.

27 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Alexander Sender Shor (d. 1737), author of Tevuos Shor an important work on Kosher meat preparation.

28 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Mordechai Goldman (d. 1979) Zhviller Rebbe.

29 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yitzchok Yerucham Diskind (d. 1925), head of the Eida HaCharedis of Yerushalim.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel (d. 1927), the Alter of Slabodka who was instrumental in relocating much of the Yeshiva to Israel, first to Chevron and then to Yerushalaim. He was the mentor to numerous Roshei Yeshiva who rebuilt Torah after the Holocaust.

30 Shevat

• This year there will be no 30 Adar (as in a year with only one Adar there are only 29 days). As such, boys who were born 13 years ago on the 30th of Adar I, celebrate their Bar Mitzvah's on this date.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yeruchem Fishel Perlow (d. 1934) best known for his commentary on the Rav Saadia Gaon's listing of Mitzvos. A student of the Volozhin yeshiva, he refused jobs in the rabbinate and was a successful businessman while spending most of his time studying Torah. After being widowed he moved to Jerusalem where he spent his last years.

1 Adar

• When Adar begins we should increase our happiness
• In Temple times the court would send out emissaries to remind people to send their annual half-shekel to the Temple and to inspect that no one had inadvertently allowed illicit mixtures of crops to grow in the field.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Avrohom Ibn Ezra author of important pshat commentary on Chumash. He spent most of his life in poverty while traveling from country to country in medieval Europe.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shabsi Kohen (d. 1662), better known as the Shach after his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Immanuel Chai Riki (murdered in 1743) who authored major Kabbalistic works (Mishnas Chasidim) as well as other Torah commentary. He was murdered while travelling, his murderers were never found.

2 Adar

• Yahrzeit of Rav Meir Paprish (d. 1662) author of 39 important early works based on the teachings of the Ariza"l.
• The first use of the Davidka by the Israeli Army in the 1948 War of Independence 
• Yahrzeit of Rav Avrohom Kalmanowitz (d. 1964), Rav of Tiktin and later founder of the Mir Yeshiva of New York.

19-25 Shevat, 5778 -- 4-10 February, 2018

19 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Shimon Greenfield (d. 1930) best known as author of שו"ת מהרש"ג  ש an important work of responsa.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yisroel Belsky, (d. 2016) Rosh Yeshiva, Torah Vodaath and Posek of the OU. 

20 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Doctor Chaim David Bernhard of Piotrkow (d. 1858). Raised non-observant he was amazed when one of his patients recovered from a terminal illness after visiting the Lelover Rebbe and he returned to Torah observance.

22 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of the Kotzker Rebbe (d. 1851). Known for his sharp with and unwavering devotion to the truth. His students and descendants were among the leaders of the next generations of Polish Chassidus.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Leibele Eiger, student of the aforementioned Kotzker and grandson of Rav Akiva Eiger.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yehuda Segal of Manchester (d. 1993)

23 Shevat

• Anniversary of the gathering of the tribes to fight against the tribe of Benyamin during the incident known as Pilegesh B'Giva described at the end of the Book of Judges.

24 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Tzvi Gutmacher (d. 1873). I am most indebted for his commentary of Tractate Kinim named קן מפורשת. 

25 Shevat

• On this Shabbos we read from two Sifrei Torah. We first read the regularly scheduled Torah reading which is then followed by Parshas Shekalim, a reminder of the annual half-shekel given at this time of the year when the Temple stood in order to pay for the daily sacrifices.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yisroel Salanter (d. 1883) founder of the Mussar movement.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Uziel Moshe Rothstein ,(d. 1973) author of Nachlas Moshe, which was very valuable to me as a young Talmudic student.

12-18 Shevat, 5778 - - 28 January - 3 February, 2018

12 Shevat

• In some Sefardic communities collections would be made to provide the poor with fruit for Tu B'Shevat

13 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Boruch Sorotzkin (d. 1979) Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Cleveland. He was the second generation leader of the Yeshiva in its American incarnation, and descended on both dsides from earlier leadership of the Yeshiva. He took a very active role in advocating for Orthodox Jewry on the national and international stage. His death at age 62 was a great loss.

14 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of the P'nei Yehoshua (d. 1757) one of the primary Achronim on the Talmud.

15 Shevat

• Beginning of the Fiscal Year for the tithing of fruit, as well as the new year for eating fruit from four-year-old trees. This is NOT a Day of Judgement for trees.
• Many have the custom to eat fruit on this day; some seek out specifically fruits from Israel.
• Wood for the altar in the Temple would begin to be cut down on this date.
• There will be a total lunar eclipse (which can only occur when there is a full-moon, the 15th of a Hebrew month) visible in parts of North America and Asia.

16 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Shalom Mordechai HaKohen, Maharsham (d. 1911). Author of Daas Torah an important commentary on Shulchan Aruch and other Halachic works.

17 Shevat

• Purim Sargosa. The Purim of Saragossa was established in the year 1440, fifty- two years before the Jews were exiled from Spain. In the city of Saragossa, Spain, the Jews were ordered to appear at a public reception honoring the king with all of the Torah scrolls of the community.
  The rabbis of the community decided that it would be safer to remove the Torahs from their cases, and were sure that the king would never know the difference. Unfortunately, there was a Jew in the community named Marcos who was a rebel and a troublemaker. He went to the authorities and betrayed the rabbis' plan, citing the Jews' disrespect for the king as the reason for not bringing the actual scrolls. The king was furious at this slight and ordered the Jews to open the cases at once. A terror fell upon all the Jews, for the punishment for disobeying the king was the most severe, but they had no choice but to open the cases. They were completely amazed and dumbfounded when they saw that all of the cases contained Torah scrolls.
  What they could not have known was that the previous night, the caretaker of the synagogue had a dream in which the prophet Elijah appeared to him and ordered him to replace the scrolls in their cases. The dream was so vivid that the caretaker did as he was instructed, but he had no time to inform the rabbis of his action. The king saw that the Jews were innocent; the accusation was baseless. He ordered the informer put to death for his false accusation. To commemorate their redemption, the rabbis established a special Purim to be celebrated throughout the generations on the 17th and 18th of Shevat.

18 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Beinish Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva Mir, Yerushalaim (d. 1990). I had the honor of meeting him on a couple of occasions, you could not find a friendlier, more down to earth, person.

27 Teves - 4 Shevat, 5778 -- 14-20 January, 2018

27 Teves

• Yahrzeit of Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsch (d. 1889) champion of German Orthodox Judaism, and author of classic commentary on Chumash as well as important works on Jewish thought.
• Megillas Taanis says that after King Yannai killed out almost the entire rabbinate his brother-in-law, Shimon ben Shatach debated the Sadducees in the presence of the king. On this day, they capitulated to his wisdom.

28 Teves

• Yahrzeit of Rav Shmuel Barenbaum (d. 2007), Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir in New York. I was privileged to meet him and speak to him on a number of occasions. He was a throwback to an earlier generation and truly dedicated his life to Torah, never allowing himself to get pulled into politics. An extremely friendly man he always had a smile on his face.

29 Teves

• Purim Burghul, observed on the 29th of Teves by the Jews of Tripoli, celebrated the city’s release from the reign of terror of Ali el-Jezairli, who was also known as Ali Burghul.

1 Shevat

• Some have the custom to eat fruit on this day as it is the New Year for the trees according to the opinion of Bais Shammai
• Yahrzeit of Rav Moshe Yechiel Halevi Epstein (d. 1971), Chassidic rabbi who lived much of his life in New York. Author of B'Er Moshe an important Chassidic commentary on Chumash, as well as Aish Dos which unfortunately has been out of print for many decades.

2 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Ephraim Greenblatt of Memphis (d. 2014) best known as the author of numerous volumes of response entitled Rivivos Ephraim.

3 Shevat

• There is a tradition that teaches that: ו' יהיה ג' שבט שלג גדול יהיה וקר (the first letters of each word spell out ויגשforward and backward). That when the third of Shevat is on a Friday there will be a lot of snow and cold that year.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yaakov Yeshaya Blau (d. 2013). He was a banker who was a great Halachic authority. He wrote many books on Halacha and was letter a member of the Bais Din of the Eida HaCharedis. My favorite amongst his works is Bris Yehudah on the halachos of interest which deals with many modern day issues.

4 Shevat

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (d. 1966), best known as the author of Seridei Aish and as principal of Hildessiemer's Seminary in pre-war Berlin. A very original thinker whose personal life was marred by tragedy.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Yisroel Abuchazeira, known as the Baba Sali (d. 1984) a Moroccan kabbalist.

20-26 Teves, 5778 -- January 7-13, 2017

20 Teves

• Yahrzeit of the Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maaimon.. Arguably the most important scholar since the redaction of the Talmud 1500 years ago. He is most famous for his codification of Jewish Law in his Yad HaChazakah as well as for authoring Moreh Nevuchim, The Guide for the Perplexed, his exploration of Jewish belief.

21 Teves

• Yahrzeit of Rabbi Matzliach Mazous. Orginally from Djerba, he studied in Tunis where he was later appointed to be a religious judge and subsequently founded a Yeshiva. In 1971 he was assassinated by Arabs as he was walking to shul.

22 Teves

• Purim Fürhang (Curtain Purim):
  Festival enjoined on his family by Ḥanok b. Moses Altschul of Prague, to be observed by it annually on the 22d of Ṭebet in remembrance of his deliverance from the hands of a tyrant. In 1623 damask curtains were stolen from the palace of the governor, Prince Lichtenstein, during his absence from Prague. In compliance with an order from the custodian of the palace an announcement was made in all the synagogues of Prague that any one having the stolen goods in his possession should turn them over to the sexton. Thereupon a Jew, Joseph b. Jekuthiel Thein, delivered the curtains to Altschul, at that time sexton of the Meisel Synagogue, Prague, stating that he had bought them from two soldiers. Vice-Governor Count Rudolph Waldstein, who was in charge of the affairs of the provincial government, demanded that the buyer be named and delivered to him for punishment; but as the congregational statutes forbade the naming of receivers of stolen goods who voluntarily had given them up, the sexton refused, and, in consequence, was thrown into prison, an order being issued to hang him on the following day. To save his life Altschul, with the permission of the president of the congregation, revealed the name of the buyer, whereupon Altschul was set free and Joseph Thein was sentenced to the gallows in his stead. All the efforts of influential Jews to effect his release proved futile, but finally through the efforts of a prominent Christian and upon the intercession of the city councilors Count Waldstein released the prisoner on the condition that the congregation pay a fine of 10,000 florins. In order to humiliate the Jews he further ordered that this money, divided into ten equal parts, be paid in silver coin and carried in linen bags by ten prominent Jews escorted by soldiers through the streets of Prague to the city hall. of the Purim of the Curtains"), and made it obligatory upon all his descendants to read the scroll annually on the 22d of Ṭebet, on which day he was liberated, and to observe the day by "feasting and giving thanks to God for his salvation. Altschul recorded the event in a scroll entitled "Megillat Pure ha-Ḳela'im" 

23 Teves

• In 1705 the governor of Tunis laid siege to Tripoli in Africa, devastated the environs, and threatened to destroy all the population if he should enter the town. Fortunately, the plague broke out suddenly among his followers, and the siege was raised. Hence the rabbis instituted the Purim Sherif on the 23rd of Ṭebet. The populace call it "Purim Kidebuni" (= "the false") to distinguish it from the Purim of Esther 

24 Teves

• Yahrzeit of Rav Naftali Katz (d. 1719) Rabbi of Posen and then of Frankfurt on Main. Author of Smichas Chachomim.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shneur Zalman founder of Chabad Chassidus. (d. 1813)
• In 1837 an earthquake devastated the Galil killing thousands. 
• Yahrzeit of Rav Shmuel Bornstein, Rebbe of Shochotshov, author of Shem MiShmuel a Chassidic work on Chumash which is very profound and written in a style which makes it relatively accessible to those unfamiliar with Chassidic works.
• Yahrzeit of Rav Eliyahu Dessler (d. 1954), mashgiach of Gateshead Yeshiva and later Ponovez. Grandson of Rav Yisroel Salanter and author of Michtav M'Eliyahu and important work of mussar.

25 Teves

• Yahrzeit of Rav Yissachar Meir (d. 2011), Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat HaNegev (Azata).

26 Teves

• Fifth Yahrzeit of Rav Shlomo Brevda. Influential speaker and Mashgiach and elucidator of a number of works of the Gaon of Vilna.
•