348 BCE- The Navi (prophet) Ezra HaSofer (the Scribe), head of the Sanhedrin and the leader of the Jewish people at the time of the building of the Second Beit HaMikdash, addressed a three-day assemblage in Yerushalayim, urging the people to adhere to the teachings of the Torah and to dissolve their marraiges to non-jews. (The Jewish people were on the verge of complete assimilation at the time, following their 70-year exile in Babylonia). Ezra established many batei din for this purpose. He also urges them to purge the Jewish community of foreign elements and influence. (Ezra 10:9-13)

 

December 20, 1796- The first edition of the Tanya was printed.

 

November 28, 1980- Yahrtzeit of HaRav Yitzhak Hutner, zt"l, (1906-1980), the brilliant Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, New York, and mechaber of the seven-volume, Pachad Yitzchak, discourses on Shabbat and the holidays, influenced largely by the Maharal of Prague. Two of his disciples, Rav Shlomo Freifeld and Rav Noach Weinberg, founded the first baal teshuva yeshivas.

In 1970, HaRav Hutner was on an airplane which was hijacked by Palestinian "Black September" terrorists, and was held hostage on a runway in Amman, Jordan. (After all the hostages were removed, the planes were blown up in front of TV cameras.)  He is buried in Yerushalayim.

 

Torah Portion

unknown

 

 

or view this week's triennial cycle reading.

Today is

Yom Chamishi, 18 Adar II, 5784

Thursday, March 28, 2024

 

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